Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1905-04-15

scheduled to arrive in 1916. But this
appears to have been a sad mistake. 1t
is the lend of the world" or, more ac-
curately speaking, the end of the pres
ent order of things that is timed to ar
rive in 1916. The change from the pres
ent order to the holy reign of Christ
during the millennium may require some
time for Inauguration, say BENJAMIN and
Mary.
They are emphatic in declaring that
the lend of the present order will take
place in 1916; that in that year the
Christ will have successfully launched
the millennium, and that thereafter He
will reign and govern for 1000 years as
the acknowledged sovereign and ruler
of all the earth.
They assert that the presence of the
person of Christ may not at first be
recognized by any but the few, and that
He may be some years en- earth before
He will make manifest His Identity
with the stupendous miracles foretold
in the Scriptural Book of the Revela-
lions. Here is where the Israelites have
the advantage of the rest of us-they ex-
pect that Christ will make Himself
known to them first, as they say that He
will know they have thoroughly fitted
themselves to receive Him and accept
His Divine leadership on earth.
Strict Celibates.
In reference to their system of
celibacy, Benjamin and Mary have this
to say:
Our institution of celibacy is not the
race suicide the American president con-
dennis. The teaching as well as the
practice is this: When person discov-
ers that he or she is one of the number
chosen to await the second coming of
Christine visitation appointed for
1916 or soon before that time-that per-
son is expected forthwith to adopt the
mode of life of celibate, SO as to be Of
that noble purity of mind and body that
can alone be deemed fitting and worthy
in all who are preparing to greet the
Redeemer on His second advent upon
this earth. If the persons who accept
this call to the holy life have been mar
ried and have had children there is no
harm done. All that is required of them
is that they become celibates when they
join our movement and that they remain
true celibates thereafter to the end.
ct is easy to see how different is this
from the race suicide condemned by
your great president. In the first place,
we hold that after the end of the pres
ent order, which event is to take place
in 1916, it will be found that it would not
have made much difference whether the
present inhabitants of the world had
race suicide or not, provided the race
suicide had been accomplished by the
lawful abstinence known as 'celibacy.
For with the Inauguration of the mil
lennium, under the glorious rule OF
Christ, there will be transformation of
the human body that will render it i'm
mortal. By the exercise of His Divine
power at His second coming the Christ
will cause the blood in our bodies to be-
come transformed into spirit. This re-
placing of the blood with spirit will rem
der the body immortal. Only in this way
can the body be saved. 1t was the way
in which were saved the bodies of Enoch.
Elias and Esdras, who, without suffering
the ordeal of death, assembled gloriously
into Heaven.
ut is our belief that when Christ in
augurates in 1916 His glorious reign of
the millennium He will find here on
earth, but especially in Benton Harbor's
House of David, the Israelite remnant
described in the book of David as the
$4,000 that shall constitute the elect.
These, because they have faithfully
awaited His second coming, will escape
death. Their bodies will become immor-
tai and they shall rule Jointly with the
Redeemer until the millennium ends
with the destruction of the earth. Then
they shall ascend with Christ into
Heaven, where, because of their Christ
like and perfect bodies, they shall sit
nearest to the Heavenly throne and be
greater than the angels even as in the
Scriptures Christ Himself is said to be
greater than all the host of angels and
seraphs and cherubim."
There were addenda by another of the
lsraeliteS, a matronly lady known as
Mary H. She was formerly Mrs. Mary
MacDermott, of Los Angeles. But she
left comfortable home and happy
family to take up the Israelite's life OF
abnegatiOn and vigil at Benton Harbor.
She said:
I'VE will not depopulate the earth
with race suicide practices like celibacy
after the millennium is inaugurated.
On the contrary, the Israelites-that is
to say, the elect, or the people engaged in
this movement of ours-will then popu-
late the earth with immortal beings.
We believe that our celibacy saves pos
sible children from possible suffering.
What's the use Of having children now.
if the world, as at present constituted,
is to come to an end in 1852"
Preaching in Many States.
DISCIPLES of BENJAMIN and Mary are