p. 16 | Millennial Dawnism by Editor

Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · Feb 20, 1912

Millennial Dawnism

By Editor

"Millennial Dawnism; the Blasphemous Religion which Teaches the Annihilation of Jesus Christ. By I. M. Haldeman, D.D., Pastor First Baptist Church, New York City," is before us. We had read some of Dr. Haldeman's writings, had been glad to see his stalwart stand for what he believed to be truth. When we learned that he had written on "Millennial Dawnism," we expected to see something strong, clear, and good. We frankly confess that we are disappointed. He charges Millennial Dawnism with the following awful crimes: It blasphemes the person of Christ; it blasphemes the cross of Christ; it teaches that the Man Christ Jesus does not now exist; it denies the resurrection of Christ's body; it teaches the doctrine of a "second chance;" it teaches that sin is a blessing; and a score of other things. Now all these things charged may be true; but Dr. Haldeman ought to have given proof of his charges apart from his naked vitriolic assertions. He makes charge after charge without a substantiation. He goes half way through his pamphlet before he makes a direct quotation, and that on the charge that Christ's body was not raised from the dead. This is clear; but the fact that he proves this and not that which comes before, opens his charges to suspicion. Then, too, we do not see how Dr. Haldeman has helped God's cause by making man's eternity of being inherent instead of its depending upon Christ, or by defending an eternal, never-ending, ever-persisting place of torment for the souls of the wicked. In his defense of this awful doctrine he has conveniently avoided a multitude of scriptures which teach finality of punishment. Instead of treating Hades as expressive of a state of death in which are both righteous and wicked, Dr. Haldeman makes it "the lower parts of the earth," "the heart of the earth," "the underworld," and at the same time "the third heaven, and Paradise," whence Samuel came "up," and between which Lazarus and Dives converse! And a further horrible doctrine he teaches is that the "demons (devils) are disembodied spirits of human beings in Hades," a splendid working basis for spiritism.

Now we do not believe in the awful, perversive errors of Millennial Dawnism concerning our blessed Lord, His personality, His work, His divine-human nature, the second chance, etc., etc. We believe them destructive of truth in the hearts of men; but we also believe that it will require more than Dr. Haldeman's strong, bitter, burning charges and perfervid rhetoric to meet it. In fact his very charges and strong passion will arouse the sympathies of the reader for the object of attack. We are sorry; we are disappointed. The pamphlet may be obtained from the publisher, Charles C. Cook, 150 Nassau Street, New York.