New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-05-19
THE ACCURACY OF PROPHECY
LIEUTENANT ToTTEN's ADDRESS.
A SPEECH BEFORE THE BROOKLYN BAPTIST
SOCIAL UNION.

A SPEECH BEFORE THE BROOKLYN BAPTIST
SOCIAL UNION
The Brooklyn Baptist Social Union last evening
held meeting postponed from May y at the Claren
don Hotel In that city. About 100 men and women
sat down to dinner at 80 O'Clock. Il. q. BlscRroru
president OF the Unon sat at the head OF the 'aoio
Since the last meeting, two members of the Union,
Charles Pratt and John NJ Jansen, have died. h'
the business meeting preceding the dinner appropriate
resolutions touching these losses were passed
The guests of the Union for the evening were 1ohn
Oakley Assistant United states DistrctAtorney' ana
First Lieutenant c. A. L. Totten, IT, s. A., professor Oh
military science and tactics sheffield Scientific SCHOOL
Of Yale University After dinner Hr Oakley was In
troduced, and made witty speech. Inc interest," Vi
the evening" however, centred about the address OK
Lieutenant Totten, the topic Tine ln1me AZ
curacy of Prophecy" His recent startling uttershceS
based on alleged mathematical data respecting me
nearness Of the second coming Of Christ having az,
traced the attention Of the Union he was invited 10
deliver an address before them on the subject HIS
complete address is printed here.
Lieutenant Totten is probably forty-fve years DID,
Of slight physique, medium height, and erect soldier
like bearing His hair is black though his closely
trimmed full beard is slightly gray under the Jaws
His forehead square and neither broad nor gh Due
his head is well formed without the striking develop
ment of any particular faculty. His complexion Is
pale, his eyes black, and their quick nervous pehe
tratng glance reflected through spectacles habtuay
worn. His voice Is clear and though well conVroHou
IL now and then broke into rapid utterance as some
impressive detail unfolded and dwet upon, ana
at such times a thrilling effect was produced
Lieutenant Totten certainly received the most re-
snectful attention Of his auditors. Whatever Of in
credulty may have existed as to the value OF his
theories, no who listened to him could doubt the
sincerity and earnestness Of the speaker. There was
total absence of any dognatic On the con-
trary there was apparent a spirit OF meekness ana
restraint which from the opening words COMMANDED
respect and sympathy even in the presence OF dis
belief At the close Of the address, the Rev. D. u
Eddy inquired to Lieutenant Totten's theory re-
carding the worlds condition subsequent to the close
~ the nresent century The reply that before the
millennium is reached the world must pass through inc
period of great tribulaon. The Rev EdWaTu I bisas
which, after being seconded by George b. FORESTER
was ientenant Totten's address was as follows
Ladies and Gentlemen; Let preface what have
TO saw TO- night by text for the topic Is seriously
religious and this assembly one Re 81 sminenfIy ns
"Then said lie unto them, Therefore every scrIoe
Instructed unto the Oh which bngeS forth
out OF his treasure things new and Old tha''hew XII"
scribe only that and netting more re ss ane
Come in perfectly natural ways-by dint Of laboriSus
study no without Psyes never Ds Dnscy ered nit
the results Just where alone they nanesty belong oa
Ont Of my treasure have few things, Potn NEW
that Won viii understand the spirit In which am
constrained to display them ana esreST oo tSst
that il may be to good and Sufficient purpose that
W. For as Esdras tells us: "The world hasteth fast
to pass away and cannot comprehend the things that
are promised to the righteous in time TO come i9r s
world is ss Of F:ss q asf
It IS book preeminently for the wise, and for the
s1e TRh snS i've trust eat iR'f my
diligently read IT at their first su6seqSent oppor'un'"
Nv '' own n" Studies Of the Scripture have been chiefly
chronological, with view to discover the acc4 f
other reasons that the Bible Is the Word Of God my
conviction was equally positive that its cn0noSss
demobsrable harmony. That the problem could be
solved was by no means hopeless m T stsr and we
have for our announcement and guidance the aDors
Of hosts Of students %sTe all eSSS Down the
tons BY M fs St Pnsap cou uH ha SOf
r pesut f S sSe az desired ars s soaon '' ~
AND he solution IS most simple one in fact it
Is the only rational and natural one-it Is the very
sequence OF times and seasons" kept by the solar
system itself at this minute ...,.. ,,-6ou
stands the actual and relative motions OF its wheels
and RepCseS to SS1RP9se %ec6 5nf st
pendols piece Of clockwork, misunderstood HIS own
work used any other terms than It's terms I'm IN
manifested by astronomical notion and as the at1er
the sprt Of s sse Creator oqas
1t Is impossible to cover this topic. ] shall only
attempt this evening to reach the common focus by
The burden of the Hebrew seers not only to
and seasons they were thus moved 10 set forth
But they were seldom successful in this latter effort
The reply came at once and with an oath YET Dame
the end Of these thingsl' Note now the similar re-
ply and s s til lie Dhne s Of FL The the WORDS are
Now it the consensus of humanity that we are r.
the Bible who are also students Of prophecy are
unanimous that i is now the time Of The end'Ttha
are dozens Of time prophecies in the Bible, and upon
all Of them, Jointly and severally the same momenton
them, and shall publish Others upon fitting occasions
The one shall give you this evening I consider
existence II is startling in every aspect, Il is an
entirely new and original dscGyeT ana the veTy
remarkable. To detail them in a straightorward man
@ E Be s e e the Gsys Of wS i've i've mo
do not believe In accidents or IN s9caled = CON
measured and Of nnmbere aI and ali things msdife
design voice intention and 1T appropriately into The
Spon Of h eum 5R Of MafdE was engaged in
the final proof sheets Of the third Ir1 y t u ae
on May IL, The particular pages before me had
and it's actual bearing upon certain ornnous chronology
cal events in our own and their own near future
stranger s" wrote me an epse from Chicago calling
attention to an odd chronological riddle contained u
to consider apocryphai but which has been regarded
as canoncal by many Jews and which many Of The
deliberately read the several books of Esdras through
and only familiar with few oft-quoted passages
As he has since Informed me- my correspondent doe
not remember the actual date of his letter. and {.
my query, states that ii had special association will
him at the time he penned it,
The riddle he referred to will be found in the xvii
1.-THE world hath lost its youth and the times be
gin to old.
For the world Is divided into twelve parts and ter
parts of il are gone already, and half of a tent
part ard there remaineth that which is after the hal
81 the tenth part" Seven-siNtieths remained TIL
world was in its eleventh hour
Here then plain chronological NUT and
nut worth cracking
NV unknown correspondents letter terminated a
follows: Being OF a mathematical turn Of mind ma
have had an influence my conclusions, but from
all that able 10 learn believe that the cnmina
ton OF the worlds history as Indicated by the In
spired word Of God is at hand
Ills closing sentence was as follows: al am anxiou
Lo- LIZ IaDaa ..nn OH lLl