The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1878-12-19
TIE PTTTsBURaH PREACHERS

H
ts THE PITTSBURGH PREACHERS
All In a Middle over the second Advent
Pittsburgh Leader.
One could not but feel as he entered the
room where the Presbyterian ministers
were in session yesterday afternoon that
he was in thepresence Of earnest, thought.
full men-of those who lived and worked
to make the world lurer and better. II
someo the remarks didseem rathertrivial,
they could easily be excused by the in.
formal nature Of the meeting.
Rev.fW @. Burchard read an exhaustive
treatise on the second advent, in which he
set forth, and established by scriptural ref.
erences, the more common belief that Il
was TO be pshcrcdin in by a progressive evan
gelism. A 1.-THE close Of the essay no one
seemed inClinedto break the silence. Calls
were made for DR.. Scovel, DR.. Kellogg and
DR.. Bittinger, but without avail.
A voice-We don't want TO wait athous.
and years.
DR.. Bittinger-I always draw the fire
from all sides when I do speak, and l
thought better to- wait awhile. Some OF
the papers have pooh-poohed this discus.
sion as lift were nothing, but this Is mere.
ly the whistling kept up through the
woods by n who is afraido of not knowing
what the subject really Ia. Among many
traditional holdings is the popular notion
thatthe world Is 70 grow better and better
,,nttt 70 ss ke,nnJ annnvb far n, riat 10 no,,o
The millennium Is to prepare for Him.
The reverse view is that Christ is to come
to make the millennium. In the light Of
the first view, Mr.. Bittinger said, suppose
preaching were to 90 on as now for a
thousandyear and alllthe people who do
not hear the Word now were to have Il
proclaimed to them until they all became
as good as Pittsburgh is-this city, which
is the very backbone OF Presbyterianism-
which is the only frst-class gospel,
will that be the millennium? Does
that set forth tho state Of things that Is 10
usher in Christ's coming, when war shall
be learned no more? Would that be in.
dicative ofthc destruction Of the carniyer-
ousappetites Of lions aud tigers? And yet
that Is what You go on preaching about in
a calamitous sort OF way whicl, you don't
mean.I When the whole world Is notified,
as Pittsburgh Is. is that your idea OF q mil.
lennium? Not much millennium In Pitts
butrgh, where every fourth house Is a rum
shop, and other houses OF the same class.
The interest he, had taken in the subject
was merely in regardtothe order OF events.
II was time for Christians 10 consider the
thing. 11ifai HN
He wasn't q Millerite, but when MillerIs
last day was set he was young enough and
bad enough to be very badly scared, and
as he worked in the corn field he managed
to, keep conveniently near to a great pond
To, get into It In case there was any fire
around. Laughter. On this subject I
an clear in my convictions and have been
for twentyyears. aarI /"
DR.. Williams spoke in defense Of the
other side.
/ have also been examining the subject
for twenty years, but am still DESTROYS OF
knowing the truth. ! agree with the pa.
per as read, and believe the premillena.
rians are in error.in ignoring the present
kingdom OF Christ. / believe that king.
dom Is here now, though an imperfect
manifestation. !
After this Prof. kellogg became the sub.
ject Of q long catechising III regard TO Ills
peculiar views, during which, he gave all to
understand that he did not think the
church would ever depart from the full.
ness oil, the Holy Ghost. He said there
was no regeneration without the Spirit,
the Bible, not even the scenes OF the Jndg.
ment could produce it, but the Spirit
alone. la
Or. Findley-Thc difficulty in my mind
lis this: One of the resolutions o ithe New
York alliance was that the kingdom OF
Christ was ever imminent, and that the
gospel was to be preached, not forthe con,
Version OF tho world, but for a witness.
Prof. kelloggz=Idon'tllte that phraseol,
Iogy, ! prefer DrsHodge's In his common.
tary on the confession Of faith. "We are
to- regard It as ever possible and imml!
nent. .aeigigf'H
Rov. In. Hays asked Prof. Kellogg
what new element would be introduced
Into the religious condition OF Pittsburgh
at the advent. Tho doctor didn't know, o.
regard 1t necessary to know! ~
Attention was calledto q recent cditoria
lin the Rdmaa, and also 10 q book review
lin the same journal, in which the premil.
lenarian doctrine was entirely misstated
Drs. Bittinger and Kellogg then insisted
that the other side should explain what
was meant by Satan being bound a thou
sand years. DIR. B. asked II II could b,
possible under present religious conditions
Dr.. William-fes, with q larger meas
urer OF religious power.
Dr.. Bittinger-The term binding mean
the absolute removal OF power from him
DR.. Willams-What is the object o
binding SATAN? rs I'D
DR.. Ritunges-WOll, what d the object
The eonundrum was apparently give!
Dr. Bittinger repeated that Satan woult
be withheld from opposing the people Q
God. Z y -
Rev. Mr.. Aurchard-rhat's what l saic
In my paper.
Dr. Bitingcr-well, you're not a yer
goodpost millcnnarian. ~ 7t
Aoderator-Fiye minutes yet remain
who will oopupythem?
Rev. nonehoo-Let soine one In at III
!, other end the room. saHts itI
A voiec-Yss, don't let them feel the
ara bound with a chain" tIf
Sotone arose, however, In that part q
the hall, and DR.. Scovel said he woul
like 10 say something more; that he b,
came interested in the subject twenty veal
ago. boa p'a
III, Rlttinger-nllA't think you were q
!. oldI Renewed spiles.1 d
DR.. Seoyel-Well, seventeen. Iwrot
to my old friend, DR.. Thomas, and he sal
, he had studied the subject fifteen yea
a a.nnd ,,a arfniaoN go h.