A Fact Narrated by M. W. Howard

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Michigan · Aug 1, 1865

A Fact Narrated.

By M. W. Howard

I was somewhat amused as I noticed in a brother's recent report, the mention of one who in hasty "zeal to maintain his assumed position, affirmed that fellowship in the New Testament, meant collection or contribution." Now to persons of cool practical sense, such positions seem so absurd that the statement of them looks like a fabrication! But by it I was reminded of a similar adventure some years ago, when I was first learning

to attack that stronghold of modern theology, a thousand years' millennium. Usually some show of reason

is adduced, or else acting upon the maxim that "discretion is the better part of valor," its adherents will maintain a morbid silence regarding proof, and content themselves with asserting the assurance of their belief. But here I met one who in his fancied correctness, sought to prove it, or rather to prove he had proof. Taking the Bible I turned to a passage in point (the precise one I do not now recall), which ought to have been sufficient to silence a greater adept than himself. His ready answer was "That is all in the past." But said I, the passage gives us to understand most emphatically, that it shall be in the time of the end.

Seeing himself hedged in on every side, a desperate effort was needed to extricate himself; and surely he resorted to it. Passing his hand rapidly over the sacred page, he said, "The Old Testament is all fulfilled, every word of it—prophecies and all!!

Astonished I looked at him; and suiting the action to the word, I closed the book, saying, Then let us lay the obsolete thing aside. But now how are you going to prove the millennium? for the New Testament says not a word about it. It was now his turn to be surprised; and in his surprise and haste he said, "Mount Zion means millennium; and if the word mountain don't mean millennium, pray what does it mean?"

I had few words to waste on so manifestly absurd a position, and our conversation soon ended; for I had no doubt if he had borrowed his idea from anything, it was from those words, "But in the last days it shall come to pass that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established in the top of the mountains" &c., but had quite forgotten that this was in his fulfilled (?) Old Testament.

Out of regard to others who may be equally desirous of sustaining this sinking theory, but who would never resort to so preposterous a position, I frankly confess that the person with whom I had this conversation, was in his dotage, like the theory he advocated, and has since been laid aside in imbecility of intellect. Would that this long-cherished theory might as easily be laid aside, its advocates having learned that asserting a thing does not create a fact, and having learned this, learn to go and preach the gospel to every creature for a witness, according to the divine commission, without presumptuously claiming that "the result of this preaching and praying shall be the conversion of the world."

M. W. HOWARD.

Malone, N. Y.