Evening journal., 1908-07-16
christ's Second Coming.

communication IN THE EVENING
JOURNAL on July 6, over the sigma
ture of Common Sense" in which ths
writer argues that Premillenialism is
a false notion of Christs second com
ing. For the benefit of those readers
who have not given the subject careful
study and who on that account might
be deceived by the communication in
question, il seems well that some OF
its statements should receive attention
in the same column where they were
published.
Our friend compares the two views
OF our Lords return, the Pre- and
Post Millenial views, and then says:
The Pres believe that His re-
turn is near at hand, and that many
events will take place. such as the
fullness Of the Gentiles, the return
OF the Jews to Palestine, their re-
establishment as a nation, and the
personal reign of Christ at Jeru-
salem, the world one vast Empire
and Jerusalem its capital. In the
meantime, as a sign of His COM
ing, the world will grow worse, the
Church become apostate, great dis
sensions occur, the man of sim will
appear, and Satan will be found.
All this sounds well, but ii is
purely theory, not scripture"
Then follows an argument to show
that this notion is false and unscrip-
tural." A number of reasons for this
statement are given, winding up with
a quotation from one "Dr. Heagle." IN
deed, as a matter of fact. the whole
article contributed by Mr.. Common
f-
book, recently published, and It is clear
from a careful reading that your cor
respondent has swallowed the Heagle
book without taking the trouble to
examine its proofs.
For example, the first reason given
to show that this notion is false and
unscriptural" is that neither it nor the
Post-millenial theory has ever been
able to obtain universal and prolong-
ed acceptance in the church" 1t would
have cost our friend only few minutes
searching to discover that while the
Post-millenial theory was an unheard-
OF thing before the days of Whitby in
the eighteenth century, all the histor-
ians, without a single exception, agree
that for the first two hundred and
fifty years in the beginning of the
Christian era the Pre-millenial view Of
our Lords return was the universal
and accepted doctrine Of the church.
and was considered a test of orthodoxy
Mr.. Common Sense says Pre-millen-
ialism is pessimistic, because IL teaches
that the church is apostate while he
believes the church was never more
faithful than it is today; and also be
cause 1t teaches that the world is grow
ing worse while he believes II is grow
ing better Just how this affects the
Pre-millenial view and proves II to be
false and unscriptural." is not pointed
out Indeed, the only citation of Scrip-
ture in his whole letter is a misauo-
tation Of John 1858. where he substi-
tutes Judgment 10 come" for Judgment
past These matters of opinion are
very small things. ITO the law and TO
the testimony II they speak not ac-
eording to this word, it is because there
Is no light in them" Isaiah s:2O)
Broher Common Sense declares that
the Pre- millenial teaching "paralyzes
missionary activity" To which a suf-
ficient answer is that most of the lead
ers in missionary work in the history
OF the church have testified that this
very dictrine was the handspring OF
their ministry If our friend will but
take the trouble to inquire, he will
find that the great majority of mis-
sionaries now on the firing line in our
own and other lands are included in
the company of expectant ones. Who
have been more active in missionary
endeavor than Henry Martyr, ]. Hud-
son Taylor. Andrew Murray George
Muller, Charles II. Spurgeon, Newman
Hall, A. ]. Gordon. Henry Varley, An
drew and Horatius Bonar, and scores or
others whose names cannot be added
here for want Of space but whose names
are recorded in the Lambs Book OF
Life. and who have gone on to sec
the King and to return with Him when
He comes.
All these we're Pre-millenialists. So
also are the leaders of to-day in mis-
sionary and evangelistic service. Dwight
L. Moody was a Pre-millenialist and
in his footsteps Reuben A. Torrey is
following with the same teaching. And
the list includes J. Wilbur Chapman.
Henry G. Weston, the Needhams. L. w
Munhall, Robert e. Speer. John r. Mott,
F. 3. Meyer G. Campbell Morgan. is
the missionary activity of all these
paralyzed by Pre-millenialism? II
seems not.
But" says Mr. Common Sense. at
Is purely theory not scripturol" Well.
here is something which is purely
scripture not theory;
Behold the days come. saith
Jehovah. that I will raise unto
David a righteous Branch, and a
King shall reign and prosper, and
shall execute judgment and JUS
tice in the earth In His days judah
shall be saved, and Israel shall
dwell safely; and this is His name
whereby He shall be called, 'Je-
hovah Our Righteousness.' There
fore, behold. the days come, saith
Jehovah. that they shall no more
say Jehovah liveth. which brought
up the children Of Israel out of the
land OF Egypt! but Jehovah liv-
eth, which brought up and which
led the seed Of the house OF Israel
out OF the North Country. and from
all countries whittier I had driven
them, and they shall dwell in their
own land" Jeremiah 2S:5-s)
Thus saith the Lord Jehovah:
Behold, I will take the children OF
Israel from among the heather.
whittier they be gone. and VIII
gather them on every side, and
bring them into their own land:
and I viii make them one nation
in the land upon the mountains OF
Israel; and one king shall be king
70 them all: and they shall be no
mora frvp >, offov,c ,oftt,or