The Big Stone post. (Big Stone Gap, Va.) 1890-1892, 1890-12-12
rs CHRIST COMING?
MANY ministers Who Expect Him Again
Mt ANY Moment-yiews OF Drs. Crosby
Cuyicr. Talmnzc, and Others
INCREASED EST.

ing of the Lord at hand2
This is clearly the opinion OF many OF
the men who took part in the proceedings
of the Baptist conference held in Brooklyn
recently. Many are men, too. whose
opinions cannot he treated lightly or with
disrcspcct.
Late agitation of the subject has
awakened the interest of all Christcndom
in an item of. faith which has found few
open advocates since the death of Father
Miller.
The Baptists are not alone in furnishing
prcmillcnnialists. Their ranks are
strengthened by the joining of large
numbers of Presbyterans, of Evangclists,
rcviyalists and other denominations and
bv the great mass of Christians generally.
Christ's speedy advent is something to
inspire the popular heart and to fire the
public imagination. The Baptist confer
ence seems to lie but the beginning of n
great revival destined to extend far and
wide.
1t is interesting to note how prominent
clcrgvmen regard this certainly significant
movement and the views of representative
preachers of various denominations in
New York and Brooklyn are herewith
given.
| asked prominent premillennialist
who were the leading men in the move
ment. He replied that they were too
numerous to mention, but that among
them were Dr. Charles C.. Hall and DR..
Dixon, of Brooklyn j. Hudson Taylor,
missionary to the China-lsland Mission,
and most of the 800 missionaries under
him; Rev. DR.. Arthur I. Picrson, editor of
the Missionary Review; DR.. George F..
Pentccost Rev. Dr. James II. Brooks. of
ST. Louis: Rev DR.. c. d. Marquis, of the
Mccormick Theological Seminary in Chi
cago; Professor T. j. Dufiicld, of Prince
ton: Bishop Nicholson, of the Reformed
Episcopal church in Philadelphia; Rev. F.
s. Henson, prominent Baptist of Chi
cago; Professor F. Ciodct, d. d., of Swift
zerand: Rev. A. r. Fawcctt, Canon, of
York, England; B. l.. Moody, the evangel-
list, and Charles l.. Robinson, the hymn
book compiler Rev. \. b. Prichard,
pastor of the Cumberland Street Preshy-
tcrian church, Brooklyn, is IN outspokcn
and enthusiastic believer in premillcn-
nialism.
81 consider" he said, that an unbi-
ascd study of the Scriptures can result
only in ones hearty approval of the pre-
millcnnial theory of Interpretation. How
one can obey the oft-rcpcatcd iujunctions
of Scripture to look for the Lords APP
pearance if millennium of time at least
is to intervene between this and His adj
vent is to me contradiction of terms
which am unable to reconcile While at
the same time the fact that the church Of
New Testament times admittedly lived and
laborcd in the anticipation of Christ's
imminent second coming leads me to the
conclusion that this and this only is the
true hope of Chrst's church until He
comes
ONE INTERPRETATIONS.
"Intcrpreting the language of Scrip
turc by the same rule which would be APP
book there can he to my mind but one
meaning to the frequent Scripture refer
cnccs to Chrst's second advent and
utterly rcpudiatc tho custom of spiritual
izing that which in any other literary
work would he Judged by the common
rules of grammar-to be capable only of
literal Interpretation.
"In regard to the recent conference
would bear this testimony that it was
characterized by spirit of humble wait
ing upon God. The subjects successfully
treated were the Offices and work of the
Holy Spirit, the character, purposes, and
power Of the church and the second COM
ing Of the Lord as the church's one and
sufficient hope and inspiration Of service.
II am thoroughly convinced, after four
teen years earnest study and observation,
that ignorance and prejudice are, if not
the rule, at least the chief causes Of
opposition to prcmilcnnial system
Rev. George c. Nccdham, the Baptist
evangelist, whose home is at Manchester
by-the-Sca, speaks most hopefully of the
outcome of the conference, in which he
took an active part.
There are four things we intend to
do" he said, that have not vet been made
public. First, VIC are to publish book of
conference addresses. In the next place,
VIC shall on January LIST issue an organ to
express the real not fictitious views of the
Prcmilcnnialists. Then We will establish
permanent summer school somewhere on
the coast to teach our faith. Lastly, We
arc to continue our annual conferences.
The Rev. Dr. Gordon, Of Boston, invited
us to meet there next year, but we have
not vet decided whether it shall be Boston
or Baltimore.
WE NEVER DO so.
"Wc are accused Of taking scriptural
meanings fgurativcly and rice rcrsa. The
fact is that we never do so except when
perfectly justified The first Millennialists
are really the ones who are guilty of what
they charge us. What We are contending
for is Il fair candid, verbal Interpretation
of the Scriptures They talk as if we
were mere enthusiasts Why, Rev. c. H.
Spurgcon, the noted English preacher, is
an out-and-out Prcmillcnniaist SO are
nc-tcnths of the best scholars in Ger
many and England. Would you believe
it, it is here in America, of all countries,
that the premillennial theory meets with
most opposition?
This faith We profess has been the
faith Of the Baptists ever since the time
of tho Apostles, as we can prove by his
tory. Of the twenty-five Baptist minis
tiers in Baltimore, twenty-onc are Prcmil-
lcnnialists."
Rev. DR.. Samuel Mcbride. another
strong Prcmillcnnialist, said:
1T is strange to note how We are mis-
represented, even by the religious papers.
such rs the Christian Examiner. They
accuse us of expecting Christ's advent in
this generation, that we object to the be-
lief that He may come within. say thou
sand years, and that We insist He will
come in our day. All these are misstate-
ments. We maintain no such ground
We claim He will come before, not after
the millennium"
No pastor has worked harder with
| tonrur and non in fhp service of tha