The National tribune., 1892-03-31

| supposed to influence it for good.
This is not only true of those churches whose
names have been household words for many
wears. hut it is also true of those which have
| had later origin which are now in the act
| i've vigor of youth; the ardor of whose first
| love has not yet had time to abate, and whose
| Astounding zeal and increasing numbers declare
| that they are in the world to stay. and to dc
what God in his providence aud word has
marked out for them TO perform.
| Such people are the Seventh Day Advent
| ists As the name of this denomination OF
| Christians is brought to the attention of the
| reader, we are aware that a very important
| question will at once present itself: Is there
| a necessity for a new religious organization
| whose distinctive points of faith should be.
| FIRST, belief in the literal, personal and
| speedy coming of Christ to this earth; aud,
| second, the observance of the seventh day, or
Saturday, as the Sabbath?
1t is the popularity of nearly every church
that they cannot see the necessity for any re-
ligious society except their own. So in answer
ing the above question we should remember
that we are very liable to be controlled by ig-
norance or prejudice. The Catholic cannot
see any good reason why Professionalism should
have arisen. High Churchmen can see little
necessity for dissenters; and even dissenters
question the necessity for any religion outside
the society to which they belong.
The Seventh Day Adventists fully believe
there are good and sufficient reasons for their
existence as a separate and distinct denomina-
ton, and it is the purpose Of the writer to
briefly set before his readers the origin and
principles of this people and the progress
they have thus far made in the world.
Writing the history of the Seventh Day Adj
ventists is comparatively an easy task. We
shall not be compelled to explore tho dimly-
lighted centuries of the past to Gull doubtful
statements from the dust-covered volumes of
ancient times. The Seventh Day Adventists
are emphatically people of the present. The
immediate causes which led to their existence
form part of the history of the last half CEN
fury. There are now among this people many
persons who have been connected with the work
from its first inception who can speak what
they know and testify what they have seen.
The doctrine of literal, personal advent Of
Christ the second time has always been the
hope of the Christian Church. The New Tesla
ment abounds in statements to that effect.
John IA: 81 Acts, 1: Oil; 1 Thess., a 10 II; 9
Thess, 6-10; Heb, 8: %; Rev. ! Z, etc. 1t
is expressed i'm that ancient document called
the Apostles Creed" The Catholic Church
has in her general councils given her adhesion
to it, and, as far as we know. every body of
Protestants. including Lutherans, Episcopal
ians, and dissenters generally have declared
their faith in the doctrine in their numerous con-
LESSONS and articles of faith. The position now
so frequently taken by professed Christians
that there will be no literal, personal coming
OF Christ is a product Of the last few years.
As the Seventh Day Adventists grew out OF
the great Advent movement which particularly
attracted the attention of the world between
the years 1910 and 1874 it will be necessary to
notice that great religious upheaval.
About the year 1880 the attention of MANY
thoughtful Bible students was turned to the
prophetical portions of the Scriptures. AS they
studied they became convinced that the coming
OF Christ was near, and began to promulgate
their views. Among them was Col. VIM. Mil
Ter, of Low Hampton, n. Y, substantial citi-
zen, a Baptist exhorter of good standing in his
community and church, who took such prom-
nent part in the work that the believers in the
near coming of Christ were for a long time
known AZ Millerites.
Mr.. Miller began to preach the doctrine in
1880. Under his abors and those of his asso-
ciates, the people were greatly stirred, and by
1874 there were in this country alone over q
hundred thousand believers. These were gath
cred largely from the Christian churches includ-
ing many ministers, but hundreds of sinners and
nfdels were also converted under their labors.
Several papers were established advocating
their views, and camp meetings and confer
ences were held, especially in the New England
States.
About the year 1888 they began to preach
what was known as definite time-that Christ
would come in 1874.
The basis of this teaching was the prophecy
of Dam, 8 IL. Stated briefly, their posi-.
ton was this: First. the $500 days are sym
bolc of z. 300 years. Mum, IA: "a; Eze, g.
Second. that the $500 years begin with the
going forth OF the commandment to restore and
build Jerusalem, Dan, 8: 25) and that this
decree was given B. C. 457. Ezra, Z: 21). Third.
that the 20 weeks of DAN, 8: "a are the first
400 years OF the 1900 years, and that beginning
with the $500 years B. c. 457, they would
end A. ID. a. Fourth that 400 of the 1900
years having expired A. ID. 81, and there being
l,Sl0 more years of the 1900 years still remain
ing. the whole period would terminate in 1874
Fifth, that the cleansing of the sanctuary was
to be the cleansing of the earth by fire, which
they held would take place Mt the second
advent Of Christ. q Pet, 3 10.) Hence the con.
clusion that Christ would come in 1914
When the predicted time of Christ's coming
passed there was much confusion of belief for
awhile. They were convinced that in their
general application OF the prophecies and the
signs which they believed were the harbinpers
of Christs coming they were correct. This led
them to again carefully examine the Scriptures
upon which the time movement was based
They were shut mp to two ways of explaining
their mistake. One party retained the view
that the earth was the sanctuary, and that its
cleansing would be by fire at the second advent.
o"t HSiu tHdJ tncy were mistaken IN the Ter
mination of the prophetic period Those who
adopted this explanation attempted to read lust
the prophetic period upon which their calcula-
tons had been based, and the result was other
time setting, which among those who accented
TINS solution continued more or less for wears.
The other view was that the period did end
in 1874, but that the event which is called tho
cleansing OF the sanctuary was not the coming
OF Christ to purify the earth by fire, but work
that takes place In heaven during the ministry
OF Christ as our High Priest; that it is the last
and most important work Of his priestly office
thatat that time he enteI ed upon this work at the
end OF the $500 years, in 1874, and that he then
began, and has ever since been carving on the
work called in the prophecy 1.-THE cleansing of
the sanctuary" This work they believe to be
the investigative judgment which they hold
takes place before the second coming of Christ
From those who adopted the ex PLANTATION last
referred to the Seventh Day Adventists have
arisen. They found that the earth is never d.
rectiy called the sanctuary, but that the word
sanctuary In the Bible is always directly or in.
directly applied to two things: First, to the
tabernacle erected by Moses, afterward super-
seeded by Solomon's Temple. (Ex., %: Is: /
Kings, s: LID Second, to the sanctuary in
heaven, where Christ as our priest mediates
for sinners before the Father. Heb, 81 q
They reasoned that as the heavenly sanctuary
was the antitype of the earthly, and that as the
priests in the earthly served unto the examine
and shadow of heavenly things, Heb, 8: 81 The
service of the Aaronic priesthood was typjcal
oil ChTists priesthood; and as the Aaronic High