Arizona silver belt. [volume] (Globe City, Pinal County, Ariz.) 1878-19??, 1886-12-18
lmG MILEESSuuM

hecu uCEu III NNitdRO oN bGls1-Ns NNu
believe in the golden age, preserved
by converts from heathenlsm to chris,
danity, founded on revelation from
the book of Daniel and the pictorial
predictions Of the Apocalypse, the
fourth book of Esdras, the Christian
Sibylline and other works of a partly
legendary character, embodied in the
Talmud. The chief basis Of the mil
lenarian idea in Judaism, as well as
in Christianity, however, is the ardent
hope for visible divine ruler upon
earth and the Identification of the
church with that Of which it is merely
a symbol. Great eagerness and not a
little ingenuity have been exhibited
BY many persons IN fixing date for
the commencement of the millennium,
The celebrated theologian, Johann Al
brscht BengeI, who, in the 18th cen
tury, revived an earnest interest ia
the subject among orthodox Protest
ants, that the mellennium would be.
, gin in 1886. Some Of the greatest at
the mere recent German theologians
are millenarians. Swedenborg held
that the last Judgment took place in
1857, and that the New Church, or
"Church Of the New Jerusalem" or in
other words, the msllennium era then
began.
In America, considerable agitation
was excited by the preaching of Viii.
liam Miller, who fixed the second ad-
vent Of Christ about the year 1888.
OF late years, the most noted English
Mlllenarian was DR.. John Cumming,
who originally placed the end of the
present dlspensation IN 1866 or 1867;
but as that time drew near without
any millenrla! symptoms, be modified
his original views and came to the be-
lief that the beginning Of the millen-
mum will not differ so much, after all,
from the years immediately preceding
it. Laterly, especially since the rise
and extension Of missionary enterprise,
the opinion has obtained a wide cur
reneY, that after the conversion Of the
world to christianity, a blissful and
glorious era will ensue.
In the days Of 'Millerism" we have
a personal and distinct recollection of
its operations upon the minds Of resi-
dents of Mercer in Northwestern
Pennsylvania. In those days ascen.
sion robes were prepared by those,
strong in the faith, who, by reason Of
their innate purity, expected immsdi-
ate translation TO that "abOde not
made with hands eternal in the Heav-
en-, but they we're disappointed in
taking an aerial flight Most Of them,
as may be seen by the records Of their
tombstones, sleep swestly IN Jesus,
in the village church yard. At that
time, IN behalf of the saints, news.
paper entitled The Midnight Cry
appeared. 1t was sho0kingly severe
upon sinners, extended to them no
hope Of mercy regarded them as al
ready dead cocks and pullets in the
pit, while on the other hand, the Ad-
venhsts Were promised place in that
celestial world by David's hlp, where
they would not be upbraided for even
singing greatly out Of time, The hun
dreth psalm. "Tbe Midnight Cry
possessed an attraction, mellanchol-
ly charm, that held its readers captive
and the more they read the higher
their hearts rose in their throats, and
between sobs and attempts to catch
their breath, hope witheringly fed
At that time there were no railroads
in that section Of country and conse-
quently no steam whistles to awaken
an echo from the surrounding valleys
and hills, but stages were IN vogue
and the horn sounded their arrivals,
and during the witching hour ofnlght
Mrs John Brownlee, student Of
"The Cry" while endeayoring to To-
cate her future in the great beyond,
was startled by an ominOus sound,
which caused her to shrink from las
she supposed Gabriels dread sum.
mon, and being a woman Of strictest
propdety and not having her ascen-
sion robes in readiness, doubted the
suitableness Of an upward fight, at
tired in ordinary clothes, and for that
reason sat agast, dropped the paper
and audibly said a prayer which al.
though short, was to the point, Lord
have mercy on us poor sinners" and it
seemed, with unerring precision, to 20
straight to the throne Of grace and in
stead Of Gabriel coming to quicken
the dead and enter the Kingdom Of
Visible Majesty, the rattle Of coach
wheels, as they rolled over the frozen
ground, was heard, when the reading
Of "The Cry" was resumed.
Although Wiggins and others have
since tried to destroy this mundane
sphere, they have signally failed, ez-
cept in causing scare in South Caro-
lima and the destruction of much val
l,nLln t,rr,As,,.t,- ~ Nhnrlnrtrn Ia Ll,nA