Evening star., 1925-02-01

d Highly tOIOFeu COlIectlOn OF strong
adjeCtiveS and epithetS.
No records seem to be available as
to size of the conflict nor as to how
intensively it is being waged in other
cities of the country, but in Wash
ington, and particularly in Takoma
Park, where headquarters of the
church are located, a real battle of
words continues between the eStaba
lished church, which has repudlated
the prophecy, and a smaller but
deadly earnest group of Adventists,
who are firm in the conviction that
the end will come Friday.
Not only have persons been dis
fellowshipped" from the church by
the schiam, but neighbors have been
set against neighbors. social ostra-
ciSm of a kind has sprung up and in
some cases il is understood that even
the sacred ties of family have been
broken up temporarily over the i'm
pending date.
Differences Between Leaders.
wild prophecies declared Rev.
Francis .. Nichol of Mountain View.
Calf. an editor of one of the church
publications. who conferred recently
with the church leaders here.
There is nothing "fanatical' about
tine prophecy at all. according 70 Il.
Aplin. of the Reform" Adventists. III
answer to those of the church who
accuse the Reform Adventists of be-
ing "fanatical and radical" Mr.. Aplin
declared that the whole church, which
ne claimed had been predicting the
second coming of Christ in this gem
GRAFTON, but refused to believe the
special date, was, as a matter of fact
only condemning itself when il ap-
piled such epithets TO the reform
movement.
The prophecy concerning February
6. was made by Mrs. Margaret w.
Rowan of Los Angeles. who some
time during the fall OF 1923, Mr..
Aplin said, received direct from God"
the following message:
Probation viii close February 8,
1924. and Ny Son viii return from
Heaven. February s. 1925. Proclaim
it, proclaim it. proclaim ii from the
skies"
Not only has the prophecy and the
activity of its believers stimulated in
dividual members OF the church to
deny the prophecy, but it has spurred
the General Conference of Adventists
meeting here few days ago TO issue
a formal repudiaJion, which is spread
on the records Of the conference.
Official Statement Issued.
Anew we declare to the public
SAID This statement, that through oul
tistory our witness 10 the signs of the
times that show Christs second COM
lng near at hand has ever been based
on the scriptuTal teaching that 'oi
that day and hour knoweth no man.
Replying to this, Mr.. Aplin admit
ted that no man" might know. Man,
he said. did not set the date for the
flood of Noah'S time. nor for the de-
struction of Nineveh.
God set the date" said Mr.. Aplin,
stressing his belief and the belief Of
ali followers of Mrs Rowan. in the
absolute divine source of her proph-
ecy.
one Of the contentious of the
church. according to its official repu-
diation of the prophecy, Is its OBJ
lection to time setting.
We hereby place officially on
re ,rd in the minutes of our general
conference" said the statement. our
reputation of all time setting and
record our protest against connecting
the name Seventh Day Adventist
with this propaganda.
Question of "Time Setting"
On the other hand, Mr.. Alphin con-
tends that there are records in the
church to the effect that some of the
major elders OF the church had not
objected to time setting" Joseph
Bates. who. he said was one of the
early elders. had set the time for
1851
Asked what he expected to do on
February Mr. Aplin explained that
he and other followers Of Mrs. Rowan
in Washington and Takoma Park had
made no definite plans. They had
their own ideas and speculations on
what will happen, he said, but they
did not care TO go into details. At
the present time cottage prayer
meetings Of the reform Adventists
are being held, he said, regularly, and
are attended by a varying number OF
persons, sometimes as many as ~.
Several Reform Adventists," who
believe implicitly that the end viii
come February 6, have disposed of
some of their property. and pur-
chased large amounts of religious
tracts for distribution to the public,
according 70 Mr.. Aplin, who, however,
denied that any one who he knew
had sold his own home in which he
lived in the belief that the world
would end.
Pointing TO his own modest dwell
ing, Mr.. Aplin explained that he
originally had intended to build
ing built the garage first, however,
he said. and believing that February
6 would be the end of the age, he had,
in accordance with his faith. not built
the house, but fitted out the building
made for a garage as a temporary
expedient, to do until February s.
Question of Home Disposal.
"I maintain" he said, that my
home is more in keeping with my
faith than the homes of some other
members of d church which has been
predicting confidently the second
coming Of Christ
To call it the "end of the world"
is really a misnomer, according to
MIR. Aplin, explaining that it would
be bebtter to term it "the end of the
age"
Pressed for an explanation OF just
what he expected to happen Febru
airy 6, Mr.. Aplin referred his ques-
toner to a biblical quotation, which
he said was in Thessalonians, and
which he paraphrased from memory
as follows: "And the Lord Jesus
shall be revealed from Heavon with
r:is mighty angels in flaming fire,
taking vengeance on them that know
not God, and obey not the gospel OF
the Lord Jesus Christ"
Just one question to you per-
sonIIy," said the elderly man, turn
toner, "are you ready for the end?"
Prepare for END"
Some of the reform people have
not only sold some of their posses
sions, it was learned, but some of