THE RISE AND PROGRESS OF ADVENTISM.
By Josiah Litch
THE earliest distinct enunciation of the fundamental doctrine of Adventism, of which we have any account, was by Enoch, that holy man, the seventh from Adam. He prophesied of these, saying, "Behold the Lord cometh with ten thousand of his saints to execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him." Jude 14, 15. From that period onward, until the canon of scripture was closed up, the doctrine has been held and repeated, with more or less distinctness, according as the circumstances of the writer or speaker demanded. That such a doctrine as that advanced by Enoch, has always been an object of hope to the people of God, none can doubt if they will carefully read the word of God; that the Old Testament abounds with allusions to, and promises of such a glorious consummation of our fondest hopes, can be easily seen by a careful perusal of those sacred pages. But much more do the words of Christ, together with the preaching and writings of the apostles, bring life and immortality to light through the gospel. It is in this constellation that the coming of the Lord shines forth, the brightest gem of heaven's galaxy. No shadowy fable of coming glory in this world of sin, to the despised followers of a despised and rejected Saviour, ever flitted before the minds of those devoted men, who, at the command of that Saviour, went forth into all the world to carry the message of mercy to every creature—for they went with the full assurance of rejection, scorn, hate, persecution, tribulation, and even death, awaiting them in the path they trod. No trophies of victory dazzled in their vision, kingly sceptre and imperial crown never shone before them, until "through much tribulation they should enter the kingdom of God." Then, when all the toil is over, the last victory of the spiritual church gained, and the whole family in heaven and earth united and perfected in one, before the throne of God; then comes the fruition of their fondest hope, "Sit down with me on my throne, even as I have overcome and am set down with my Father on his throne." "When the Son of man shall come in his glory," he will say to those on his right hand, "Come, ye blessed of my Father, and inherit (precious word) the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world." It was this hope, the hope of a better resurrection, that gave fortitude to the martyrs at the stake, in the lion's den, on the rack, under stripes, in cold, damp, dark dungeons, and amidst the loss of all things. Hence, it entered into all their thoughts and plans. The apostles preach no sermon, make no speech, write no letter, unless they "comfort one another" or warn their foes, "with these words." The design of the present history is, to present to the reader a true and faithful account of the rise and progress of ADVENTISM. This system, of which William Miller may be considered the father, and with whom it was original, so far as he knew at the time of his embracing it, except as he found it in the word of God, had been held and advocated in substance by others, both in Europe and America. This is especially true respecting his interpretation of the prophetic periods, and the time of their termination. The grand principle involved in the interpretation of the 2300 days of Daniel viii, 14, is, that the 70 weeks of Daniel ix, 24 are the first 490 days of the 2300, of the 8th chapter. This principle had been developed during the last century by Hans Wood, Esq., of Rossmead, Ireland, from whom the argument was quoted by the learned Dr. Hales, and re-published by him several times within a few years of the close of the last and commencement of the present century. The same principle was adopted by E. Erving, Joseph Wolfe, and the greater portion of the English literalists, with the exception, that they carried the time forward to 1847, while Mr. Miller ended it in 1843. Several persons in this country, within the present century, by an independent reading of the Scriptures, discovered the very same principle. Some of them published it to the world, but without succeeding in making much of an impression upon the public by their attempt. Nor did this subject of time ever gain much attention in this country, until after Mr. Miller had labored for a number of years, almost incessantly, in its propagation. The manner in which he was led to the discovery of his system was thus related by himself in a public lecture: "In the month of May, 1816, I was brought under conviction; and O, what horror filled my soul! I forgot to eat. The heavens appeared like brass, and the earth like iron. Thus I continued till October, when God opened my eyes; and O, my soul, what a Saviour I discovered Jesus to be! My sins fell like a burden from my soul: and then how plain the Bible seemed to me; it all spoke of Jesus, he was in every page and every line. O, that was a happy day, I wanted to go right home to heaven; Jesus was all to me, and I thought I could make everybody else see him as I saw him, but I was mistaken. "During the twelve years I was a deist, I read all the histories I could find; but now I loved the Bible. It taught of Jesus! But still there was a good deal of the Bible that was dark to me. In 1818 or 19, while conversing with a friend to whom I made a visit, and who had known me and had heard me talk while I was a deist, he inquired in rather a significant manner, 'What do you think of this text, and that,' referring to the old texts I had objected to while a deist. I understood what he was about, and replied, 'If you will give me time I will tell you what they mean.' 'How long time do you want?' 'I don't know, but I will tell you,' I replied, for I could not believe that God had given a revelation that could not be understood. I then resolved to study my Bible, believing I could find out what the Holy Spirit meant. But as soon as I had formed this resolution the thought came to me, 'Suppose you find a passage that you cannot understand, what will you do?' This mode of studying the Bible then came to my mind: 'I will take the words of such passages and trace them through the Bible, and find out their meaning in this way.' I had Cruden's Concordance, which I think is the best in the world, so I took that and my Bible, and set down to my desk, and read nothing else except the newspapers a little, for I was determined to know what my Bible meant. I began at Genesis and read on slowly; and when I came to a text that I could not understand, I searched through the Bible to find out what it meant. After I had gone through the Bible in this way, O, how bright and glorious the truth appeared. I found what I have been preaching to you. I was satisfied that the seven times terminated in 1843. Then I came to the 2300 days; they brought me to the same conclusion; but I had no thought of finding out when the Saviour was coming, and I could not believe it; but the light struck me so forcibly I did not know what to do. Now, I thought, I must put on spurs and breeching; I will not go faster than the Bible, and I will not fall behind it. Whatever the Bible teaches I will hold on to it." It was by such a study of the Scriptures, comparing scripture with scripture, and tracing subjects by the aid of his Concordance, instead of turning to and depending on the decisions of commentaries, however learned, that William Miller became a man mighty in the Scriptures, and was qualified to bring forth from that sacred store-house, things new and old. It is by his assailing and encouraging others to pursue the same course, he has been the instrument of pouring a flood of Biblical knowledge upon Christendom, such as no other man has done in the same length of time, since the days of Luther, if, indeed, since the apostolic age. Thousands there are who can say, in truth, that after years of study of the most learned commentators, from a perusal of Mr. Miller's course of lectures on the Second Coming of Christ, they have obtained a clearer view of the gospel plan, and have discovered more beauty and harmony in the Bible, than from all the books they ever read beside. Of his worth and service as a public teacher, we need not write, for it is already known and read; and10thousands will rise up in the great day, to call him blessed. Although we write neither the history or eulogy of Mr. Miller, yet we deem it due to him, and more especially to the honor of God's glorious grace, to acknowledge his infinite wisdom and goodness in the selection of such a man for such a work; so that no man should glory in his presence—a man of powerful native intellect; capable of achieving the greatest objects—of the most undoubted probity in his moral and Christian character, so that among all the foolish and wicked things said, both by professor and profane, yet not one spot has been found on his reputation, by which the cause of God could be reproached. A man of extensive reading and general intelligence, yet with little of the learning of the schools. Such a man God made his chosen instrument to bring forth this great truth, that no flesh should glory in his presence. Concerning his personal appearance and private character, we must do the reader the service of giving him the following portrait, drawn by a delicate pencil: "I have just had the privilege of meeting with this humble servant of God, at the fire-side of a friend, and I can truly say that my earnest expectations were more than realized in the interview. There is a kindness of soul, simplicity, and power, peculiarly original, combined in his manner, and he is affable and attentive to all, without any affectation of superiority. He is of about medium stature, a little corpulent, and in temperament a mixture of sanguine and nervous. His intellectual developments are unusually full, and we see in his head, great benevolence and firmness, united with a lack of self-esteem. He is also wanting in marvellousness, and is naturally skeptical. His countenance is full and round, and much like the engraving we have seen, while there is a peculiar depth of expression in his blue eyes, of shrewdness and love. Although about sixty-two years of age, his hair is not grey, but of a light glossy auburn, his voice is full and distinct, and his pronunciation somewhat northern-antique. In his social relations, he is gentle and affectionate, and insures the esteem of all with whom he mingles. In giving this charcoal sketch to the public, I have merely sought to correct numerous mis-statements, and gratify the honest desire of many distant believers, with a faint outline of the character and appearance of the man, whom God has chosen to give the 'Midnight Cry' to a sleeping world."—Midnight Cry. The writer cannot do justice to his own sentiments and feelings on this subject without saying, that for the last six years it has been his highest earthly pleasure to suffer reproach, with such a man in such a cause. And now, on THIS 24TH DAY OF APRIL, IN A. D. 1844, when all the prophetic periods given in the Bible have gone by, so far as we are able to calculate them; and while the world scorn, and professors scoff, if there is one enviable position on earth, it is the position such a man occupies in the eyes of all intelligent beings; the possession and enjoyment of a sweet consciousness of having, in a degenerate and recreant age, dared to brave the storm of public contempt and ridicule, and proclaim to a wicked world an unwelcome truth. The rise of the Advent cause, as it has been developed by Mr. Miller, may be dated in A. D. 1831. For although he discovered his principles as early as 1818, it was not until 1831 that he first began to publish them abroad. His first step in this work, was the publication of a series of articles on the subject of Christ's second coming, which appeared in the Vermont Telegraph, a Baptist paper, published in Brandon, Vt. Those articles were written to rid himself of the strong impression which followed him, that he must go and publish this thing to the world. But after writing and publishing the above, instead, as he expected, of finding relief from his responsibilities, he only found the inward monitor the more earnestly pressing him, saying, "Go and tell it to the world, or their blood will I require at thy hand." To rid himself of this strong impression, he wrote a synopsis of his views, and in the Spring of 1832, he published it in pamphlet form, and spread it over the country, and sent it to different parts of the world among the missionary stations. This, however, was no more availing, as a relief to his mind, than the former. At length after a long resistance, he consented in his own mind, if the Lord would open the way, that he would go out and attempt to speak on the subject. This was suddenly followed by an invitation from a friend in a neighboring town, to come and talk to them on the second coming of Christ, and the offer of the Baptist meeting-house in that place for the purpose. This was a proposition he little expected, and for the moment he shrunk from the task. At length, calling to remembrance his promise, he went and began his work. The Lord was with him to bless his word, and souls were saved through the effort. From that, the way opened in various places, where the same results followed, as the fruit of his labor. He continued to travel and lecture, as the Lord opened the way, for about six years, with few if any to take him by the hand and encourage him on in his great and arduous work. Until 1838, although there were several ministers of the gospel, who, under the influence of his lectures, were convinced that he was correct in his system of interpretation, yet had not the courage to declare themselves advocates of the doctrine. With one exception, (Eld. Fuller, now gone to his rest,) all the ministers who embraced the view previous to 1838, relapsed and abandoned its advocacy. The current of public opinion was too strong for them to stem it successfully. PUBLICATION OF MR. MILLER'S EIGHTEEN LECTURES.
In 1836, Mr. Miller found a friend who undertook the publication of a volume of lectures, the series which he usually gave as a course. The publication of those lectures constituted a new era in the history of the Advent cause; for, from that time, wherever he went and lectured, the written lectures which were left behind continued to preach, and establish those who were partially convinced of the truth. His labor, by this means, ceased to be like writing upon the sand, as formerly. It is one of those strongly marked demonstrations, which history presents, of the power and influence of the press, for good or evil. Those books gradually spread abroad, where he had never been in person, and created an interest in the public mind to investigate the subject for themselves. It was not, however, until the Winter of 1837-8, that the work attracted much attention in Massachusetts. About the month of February, in 1838, several copies of the lectures found their way into Massachusetts, and awakened quite a sensation. One copy fell into the hands of the editor of the Boston Daily Times, and most of the lectures were re-published in that paper, and obtained quite an extensive reading. The effect was so great that it was found necessary to provide an antidote, in the shape of two letters from the pen of Rev. Eathan Smith. His great argument was predicated on the assumption that the 2300 days of Daniel viii, 14, ended in 1819, when an entering wedge to the Greek revolution began to operate, and has resulted in the fall of the Ottoman power; thus the sanctuary was cleansed. To make out this to be the true termination of the 2300 days, he denied that the little horn of Daniel viii, was Rome, and applied it to Mahomedanism. Then (unlike Rev. Mr. Shimeall) he denied the connection between the 2300 days and the 70 weeks. For he clearly saw that if the 9th of Daniel was an explanation of the 8th, that the little horn of the 8th must be Rome, and not Mahomet; for the simple reason, that the people of the prince who came after Messiah was cut off, and did destroy the city and sanctuary, were the Romans. It is a great marvel, truly, that such a man as Mr. Shimeall should not see that, if he admitted such a connection to exist between the two chapters, he must apply the desolator of the 9th chapter as he does the 8th. Mr. Smith saw this, and avoided the dilemma by separating the two chapters. This ebullition soon passed away without putting down the doctrine. About the time of the appearance of those lectures in the Boston Times, a copy of the work was put into the hands of the present writer, with a request that he should read it, and give his opinion of its merits. The idea of an attempt to discover the time of Christ's second advent, was to him so strange, that he could scarcely make up his mind to give the book a perusal. No doubt came into his mind but what he could entirely overthrow the whole system in five minutes. For, thought he, according to Paul, [2 Thess. ii.] the falling away must first come, and the Man of Sin be revealed; which the great body of commentators understood to be the Papal system. But, according to Daniel and John, that power is to continue for 1260 days, or years; and the date assumed by the most learned writers of the age, for the commencement of the period, was 606, and consequently it would not end until 1866. This was a decisive argument. However, to gratify a friend, and from a curiosity to know what arguments could be adduced in support of so novel a doctrine, the book was read. There was no difficulty in adopting most of the sentiments advanced in the first lecture. Prejudice began to give way, and the idea of the glorious reign of Christ on the earth renewed, was most delightful. From that, the 1260 days came in, and the evidence presented, by which it was clearly shown that those days terminated in 1798, having begun in 538. The great argument against the coming of the Lord, which had appeared so strong and invulnerable, soon vanished; and a new face shone forth from Paul's argument. The substance of it was, the predicted period having gone by, and the Papacy having been consumed away by the spirit of the Lord's mouth, he is next to be destroyed by the brightness of Christ's coming. Then there can be no Millennium until Christ comes—for the reign of the Man of Sin, and a glorious Millennium cannot co-exist. Thus the old-fabled Millennium was lost. Before concluding the book, I became fully satisfied that the arguments were so clear, so simple, and withall so scriptural, that it was impossible to disprove the position which Mr. Miller had endeavored to establish. The question of duty then presented itself thus: "If this doctrine is true, ought you not, as a minister of the gospel, to understand and proclaim it?" Yes, certainly, I had. "Then why not do so?" Why, if it should, after all, prove false, where will my reputation be? And, besides, if it is not true, it will bring the Bible into disrepute, after the time has gone by. But there is another view to be taken of this subject. How shall we know whether it is true or false? Can it be known except by the testimony of the Scriptures? What do they teach? This is the true question. If it is true that the Lord is coming so soon, the world should know it: if it is not true, it should be discussed, and the error exposed. I believe the Bible teaches the doctrine; and while I believe thus, it is my duty to make it known to the extent of my power. It is a scriptural subject, and one full of interest; and the discussion of it cannot do harm. These prophecies and periods are in the Bible, and mean something—if they do not mean this, what do they mean? Thus I reasoned, until the Lord, in a night dream, showed me my own vileness, and made me willing to bear reproach for Christ, when I resolved, at any cost, to present the truth on this subject. As soon as this decision was formed, I began immediately to write and publish a series of letters, embodying a synopsis of Mr. Miller's views which was published in Lowell, Mass., in a 12mo. pamphlet of 48 pages, entitled "THE MIDNIGHT CRY, or a Review of Mr. Miller's Lectures, on the second coming of Christ, about A. D. 1843." This pamphlet was circulated to some considerable extent, through New England, and awakened a permanent interest in many minds. Many of whom are now our strongest friends. This effort, although weak in itself, was owned of the Lord, and made the instrument of saving souls. In addition to this pamphlet, I began also to preach the doctrine wherever I went. This was at a time when there was not another minister known in New England, who advocated the views, except Bro. Charles Fitch, pastor of the Marlboro' Church Chapel, Boston. He also had obtained the loan of a book, and became impressed with the truth of the arguments. He prepared two sermons on the subject, giving an outline of the arguments, and preached them to his congregation. This produced, as might be expected, quite a sensation in the community. The church were offended, and his ministerial brethren treated the whole thing with so much contempt and ridicule, that he lost his confidence in the system, and relapsed again into his former views of a millennium before Christ's coming. Thus I was still alone, as an advocate of the doctrine. But nothing daunted by the report that Mr.11Fitch had given it up, I commenced, in April, the preparation of another work; at the same time continuing to lecture wherever the way opened. In that second work, I gave my own, rather than the views of Mr. Miller, as in the first pamphlet. The second book was a volume of 204 pages, entitled, "The Probability of the Second Coming of Christ about A. D. 1843," &c. This was given to the public in June, 1838. In the preface to the work, the author thus expresses himself; and at this juncture it may not be amiss to transcribe the sentiment: "All pretensions to a spirit of prophecy, or to infallibility of the interpretation of prophecy are utterly disclaimed. It has often been asked, If the event does not come out as you believe, what will you think? Will it not destroy your confidence in the Bible? To this it is replied, Not at all; the writer has, in the course of his research on this subject, seen so much which has been literally fulfilled as predicted, that although all he has written on the subject, should prove to have been founded in ignorance, he cannot doubt but that the prophecies have a meaning, and that they were written by direction and influence of the unerring Spirit of the Holy One, and will, in due time, be fulfilled. But at the same time, he must be permitted to express his firm conviction, that these calculations are founded in truth, and will stand the ordeal they must very soon pass—the unerring test of time." Such were the writer's sentiments then, and such they still remain. It was in this work the calculation on the fall of Ottoman supremacy on the 11th of August, 1840, was first given to the world. So, also, the argument on the 1260 days, showing how all the events which were to precede the time, times and a half, centered in 538, while the decree of Justinian was given in 533. This work circulated through New England, and excited something of an interest. The subject rested here, with the exception of a few newspaper articles published in Zion's Herald, of Boston, and Zion's Watchman, of New York, until the Spring of 1839.