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entist
~Heri 4 a 0 i I I
\thee
C k R G I A.
Associate Editor
Dorothy Minchin-Comm
La Sierra Einivt-rsity
Gary Land
Andrews University.
Managing Editor
G3ry Chattier
I. Sierra University
Office Staff
Kulrter Grova1, Joel Sandefur
Managing Board
Gary Chartier
Steven G. Daily
Lawrence T. Geraty.
Frit: Guy
Frederick Hoyt
John FL Jort0:
Dorothy Minchin.Comm
Stuart Tyner
Kenneth L. Vine
cAdventist
cHeiltage
Volume 16, Number 3
Spring 1995
Experience 4
The Millerite Experience: Charles Teel, Jr.
Shared Symbols Informing Timely Riddles?
Sanctuary 9
The Journey of an Idea Fritz Guy
Reason 14
"A Feast of Reason" Anne Freed
The Appeal of William Miller's
Way of Reading the Bible
Obituary 22
William Miller: An Obituary Evaluation of a Life Frederick G. Hoyt
Music 30
Isaac Watts and "The. God of Glory" Kenneth Logan
A Second Advent Hymn Dominates
Early American Publication
Education 36
A Woman's Struggle to Pioneer a Curriculum Susie Myers
Book Review 40
Putting the Millerites in Context David Pendleton
Book Review 41
A Definitive History of Millerism Gary Chartier
Adventist Heritage is published by La Sierra University, 4700 Pierce Street, Riverside, CA 92515-824, (909) 785-2181.
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LETTERS TO THE EDIT OR
EDITOR'S STUMP 3
X R I E N C E
characterization 4.0
496. 4,-)=4, CHOICE SELECTION OF
of Boston was 160.0.14 756.
Opposite Page:
challenged by Ahc
1041.16414I.1 f HYMNS, Charles Fitch
Barr y ir- 07,
AerAn Awee..9,,
Goldwater, who DESIGNED FOE THE USE or Left: This 1828 letter
2".
opined that the
Atrw, 44
from WilliamMiller ex-
SECOND ADVENT MEETINGS. presses Miller's deep-
original thirteen - AG
felt conviction that
..,ro oass+S../d CC
colonies might nie Jesus' return was im-
well be sawed off 4,17 ,fer
minent,
14. .4.Z r5.1144 /W JOSHUA V. MIES AND 5O'TAH LUCK Right: Music kept
and let float out 4%, e.-
w. 14.i4 "444- .74
wow-, -.),;' gce the early Millerites to-
to sea with the gether; this hymn book
continent being -"At- 47te.g.In CZ .4,, 1,%41;LA contained many of the
not only none BOSTON: songs that inspired
.4...1d-a...-......04 a... .7444. 1.p....g.. a ,r.,........ .1:.,,',.,.. 7:-
the worse, but ..a,.
4.,....e.r.A:y4 f.1,, PUBLISHED I-I DEVONSHIRE ST. Miller's struggling fol-
1 84 2. lowers in the years be-
better for itin e.....4',44-4,-, r.....-4-Ti 7./....-. .e......... .... .4...s...,.. e, .....d..., . fore and after the Dis-
-dA4--.0-..... ... 7 ..-....4 , 4,- Irea......., A....D,Y.
42?. A ha-
clear contrad is- it appointment.
EXPERIENCE 5
that their movement was devoid of sectar- movement of the 'twenties. Baptist Mil- movement status. After bringing Miller
ian intent: lerite churchman Elon Galusha, son of to Boston in 1839, Himes functioned as
We have no purpose to distract the the governor of Vermont, chaired a county the organization's publicist and organizer.
churches with any new inventions or to get to anti-slavery society and an interdenomi- The Chardon Street pastor purchased the
ourselves a name by starting another sect national convention in 1841 which called "biggest tent in the country" for Miller's
among the followers of the for resolutions against slave- meetings and recruited and scheduled
Lamb. We neither condemn, holding churches. Midnight other evangelists for speaking tours. He
nor rudely assail, others of a Cry editor Nathaniel organized camp meetings and convened
faith different from our own Stoddard was deeply in- numerous second advent conferences. He
nor dictate in matters of con- volved in the issues of tem- edited two journalsthe Midnight Cry in
science for our brethren, nor perance, abolition, and edu- New York and the Signs of the Times in
seek to demolish their organiza- cation and served as acting Bostonand helped found others in Phila-
tions , nor build up new ones of editor of the Emancipator, an delphia, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Roches-
our own; but simply to express anti-slavery paper. Method- ter, and Montreal.
our convictions like Christians . ist minister George Storrs 3. The exclusive cm , "Babylon is Fallen,
"We know no sect, or party preached his abolitionist ac- Come out of her my people!" characterized
as such," wrote Himes that tivism not only to antisla- the later Millerite movementan exclusive
same year, "while we respect all." very types but also to resistive Methodist movement which called the faithful out
In addition to sharing a commitment bishops who did not share his enthusiasm of all religious and social institutions of
to the advent movement, each Millerite for reforming either church or world. And the world. (The exclusive "Babylon phase"
leader had devoted extensive energies to seasoned Millerite preacher and confer- of the Millerite movement begins in 1842
other reform movements as well. Fitch ence organizer Joseph Bates earned the with the sermon by Charles Fitch which
published his Slaveholding Weighed in the dual distinctions of carrying his abolition- branded Catholicism and sects of "Apos-
Balance of Truth and its Comparative Guilt ist attitudes into hostile territory and tate Protestantism" as "whores and daugh-
in 1837. Litch was constantly in the captaining the crew of a "dry" merchant ters of whores.")
forefront of early anti-slavery and temper- ship which plied the seven seas. The broad-based Millerite movement
ance agitation. And Himes' credentials An examination of Himes's involve- which had eschewed sectarianism took
were well established among the reformist ments demonstrated that he was indisput- on the baggage of an organization. The
circles in Boston as being "among the ably the most active of the Millerites "Ministerial Conferences" and "General
most radical of the radicals." while at the same time championing move- Conferences" led by Miller, Himes, et al.,
Nor were these three leaders excep- ments for social reform--right up until came to include such activities as cel-
tional in their zeal for reform. Millerite the expected Year of Jubilee in 1843. His ebrating communion, examining move-
editor and lecturer Henry Jones carried commitment to temperance, Christian ment preachers, naming an executive
the cause of temperance throughout the unionism, abolition, and non-resistance committee, and authorizing and endors-
North and had been banned from churches continued
for his abolitionist stance. Millerite con- through
vention leader Henry Dana Ward was not the very
only an ardent New York city abolitionist years of
but also a temperance organizer who had Milleris-
cut his reform teeth in the anti-Masonic m's rise to
EXPERIENCE 7
community of faith? Our Millerite and it means to witness as a prophet commu- prophets show us that symbols/stories/
Adventist forbears remind us that the nity in the face of contemporary culture? interpretations must constantly be re-
authentic community of faith is charac- Will the sans and daughters of those whose viewed, ever renewed, and sometimes dis-
terized beautifully and succinctly in the eschatological time tables proclaimed the carded. Against such notions, the ortho-
Apocalypse: the faithful remnant through- imminence of the "Blessed Hope" be chal- dox core within all of us reacts negatively.
out history will bear testimony to Jesus by lenged to act out those hopes for the When presented with progressive under-
exhibiting the spirit of prophecyby ex- heavenly city within the warp and woof of standings and the possibility of change,
hibiting a spirit that is truly prophetic. this present order? Will they be energized our orthodox selves instinctively want to
Such a community of faith will not only by seeking to effect justice and righteous- stone the prophets. And such stonings
listen. It will speak out prophetically. And ness on this "spit of sand called earth" as as with Saul of Tarsuscan be staged
act out prophetically. Where persons and they wait faithfully? Or will they, as with with sanctimonious sincerity: we accuse
systems are naked in the face of meaning- the later lvtillerites, eschew broad dia- the prophets of be ing "irreligious," or "sac-
lessness, the prophetic community will call logue with those of other faith communi- rilegious," or "unorthodox," or "hereti-
for and be agents of justice. Where persons ties, reject the social order in tato , come cal." Yet, years later, it is the children of
and systems are broken, the prophetic com- out of the world and its institutionsand this would-be faithful who enshrine these
munity will call for and be agents ofhealing. be disappointed? very prophets in stained glass and accord
Where persons and systems are fractured, Symbols, we noted at the outset, bind them honor: those who smash symbols-
the prophetic community will call for and us. To be a people is to share memories turned-idols are credited with hearing
be agents of wholeness. and hopes. Without shared symbols/sto- God's voice for these times more clearly
What legacy will present-day Sev- ries/interpretations we cease to be a people than those who stoned the prophets.
enth-day Adventists, a full century and a of memory and hope. Symbols are in- Sobering riddles, these: how to keep
half removed from their movement's tended precisely to point individuals and inclusive Bridegroom calls from evolving
founders, pass on to their children and to communities "beyond"to a reality that into exclusive Babylon damnation, how
their children's children? Will this pro- cannot be touched, weighed, or measured. to be inspired by a future hope without
phetic sect whose youthful leaders once Yet when symbols/stories/interpretations withdrawing from the present, how to
called down woes on the "beastly" institu- cease to point us to a realm beyond and continue reading the signs of the times in
tion of slavery a century past speak out become ends in themselves ("is there re- these times, how to keep prophets/proph-
forcefully against demonic principalities ally a sanctuary in heavenfurniture and ecy alive and well in this time and in this
and powers in this time and place? Will all?"), they become idols. And God raises place, and how to keep shared symbols
the descendants of those whose apocalyp- up prophets precisely to smash such idols. from becoming idols.
tic visions enabled them to perceive "signs Like it or notas with Paul the Apostle Timely riddles, these.
of the times" continue
to see signs in these
times? Will the off-
spring of those who ven- SEVENTH DAY SABBATH,
erated the "spirit of
l'1311PETCAL SIGN,
prophecy" take seriously
rim meurli11.C.,711.nUttgalitIli6 MINI Tar
the task of asking what 9...175 Or TAN EMT wry
RV JOADPIC
Left: William Miller's farm
house in 1984. Right: The
discussions of Christian be-
I AN fw lanna 4k Avy..4
lief and practice that followed
the Disappointment led to a
variety of new conclusions,
like that of Joseph Bates that
contemporary Christians Pit 1-s..31 Mr X) IN LIN N
ought to observe the seventh
day Sabbath.
By Fritz Guy
T he idea of the
"cleansing" of the
John Calvin intro-
duced into Reformation
bol of the physical body of Christ.
At about the same time, the Lutheran
sanctuary in heaven thought the idea of the theologian Philip Melanchthon offered a
is a distinctively Ad- threefold office Humus summary of Christ's functions (of cia) as
ventist item of theol- triplex) of Christ as high priest: he (a) proclaims the gospel,
ogy, but it didn't prophet, priest, and (b) offers sacrifice for us, (c) always prays
emerge out of no- king. In this connec- for us, (d) announces the remission of
where in the preach- tion, he understood sins, and (e) takes away sin and returns
ing of William Miller. Christ's priesthood as life. While this description of Christ's
Like all theological having two principal priestly service is similar to Calvin's, it
notions, it is part of a components: adds at the end a "life-giving" element
larger historical and (a) Christ's death, that increases the experiential relevance
theological picture. which blotted out our of Christ's heavenly ministry.
guilt and abolished the If the seed of a theology of Christ's
Theological Background. ceremonies of the Law; and (b) Christ's high-priestly ministry was planted by
In the light of the explicit New Tes- continuing intercessory ministry, which Calvin, its most noticeable growth oc-
tament affirmation of a sanctuary in reconciles us to God and opens up for us a curred in the writings of his Puritan descen-
heaven and of the ministry of Christ as way into the divine presence, but which is dants in seventeenth-century England.
high priest there, it may be surprising that denied by the sacrifice of the Mass. But For them, this ministry was essential to
Protestant theologians have given the sub- Calvin also saw in Christ's priesthood two human salvation, for it made possible the
ject so little attention. It has, of course, additional features: (c) Christ's identifi- spiritual growth of the Christian, espe-
received incidental consideration in com- cation with us in our infirmities, and cially throughforgiveness but also through
mentaries on the relevant passages in the (d) the priesthood of believers. Although
Letter to the Hebrews and the Revelation Calvin recognized the objective reality of
Hiram Edson's carnfiefd epiphany provided the
to John. But it has played a very small role Christ's heavenly ministry, he interpreted
basis for Adventism's developing sanatory dor,.
in the systematic thought of major theo- the reference to "the greater and more trine and offered despondent Millentes renewed
logical figures past and present. perfect tabernacle" (Heb. 9:11) as a sym- hope.
SANCTUARY 9
the guidance and persuasion of grace. In ciliation, and dominion. He did not oth- and the church to be cleansed of the
this connection the Puritans developed a erwise consider the idea of Christ's priestly uncleanness of sin. The "two thousand
detailed typological understanding of the ministry, much less the idea of a high- and three hundred days" were to be inter-
Old Testament sanctuary, which for them priesthood in heaven. And when G. C. preted as a period of 2300 years beginning
symbolized both the mission of Christ and Berkouwer devoted a chapter of The Work in 457 BC and continuing to An 1843. The
the sanctuary in heaven. The heavenly of Christ to the threefold office, he was date was subsequently recalculated to
sanctuary was thus regarded as certainly more interested in the significance of tri- 1844, and finally specifically identified as
real, although not necessarily correspond- plicity as such than in the meaning of Tuesday, October 22, 1844.
ing to its earthly shadow in form arid each element. He expounded the mean- When that day brought, not the re-
material. The Puritans noted the impor- ing Christ's priesthood only with refer- appearance of Jesus but "the great
tance of the Day of Atonement, which ence to sacrifice, with no discussion of disappointment," the idea of the "cleans-
they interpreted partly in juridical terms. intercession at all. ing" of the sanctuary in heaven did not
But most of all, Christ's ministry as a To a small extent, however, the lack die. Instead, it began a new stage in its
heavenly high priest was for them the of systematic theological reflection on journey. Although the available contem-
assurance of God's interest inhuman lives Christ's high-priestly ministry is reduced porary sources do not establish the exact
and the impossibility of any meritorious by the contribution of theologically-in- time and place this new stage began, years
human work of mediation. clined commentators on the Letter to the later one of the central participants, Hiram
In the twentieth century, although HebrewsB. F. Westcott, F. F. Bruce and Edson, wrote out his recollection of events
the creative mind of Karl Barth examined Aelred Cody, for example. that occurred Wednesday, October 23, at
and illuminated almost every known theo- his farm a mile south of the town of Port
logical topic (including the Sabbath), he The Emergence of a New Idea Gibson, N ew York, on the Erie Canal about
discussed the high priesthood of Christ in Apart from the Puritans, the main- midway between Syracuse and Buffalo.
heaven only in two brief passages in his stream of Protestantism may have paid Early that morning, most of the little
Church Dogmatics. In one, he emphasized little attention to the significance of the group of believers who had met in Edson's
the exclusiveness of this priesthood, "for Bible's sanctuary images in general and to farm house went home. To the few who
which there is no parallel," because Christ the theme of Christ's high priestly minis- stayed, he said, "Let's go out to the barn
"is not only the One who offers sacrifice try in particular. But Seventh-day and pray." As he remembered it, they
but also the sacrifice which is offered." Adventists have kept the discussion of went out to a granary that was almost
Barth noted further that we can describe the sanctuary alive and flourishing. emptyempty because, in view of the
Christ's work either as His "high-priestly Thanks to the preaching of William Miller, impending end of the world, the corn
work" or as His "judicial work," and that the idea of the "cleansing" of the sanc- hadn't been brought in. Inside the granary,
either way "we shall mean and say exactly tuary in heaven began its theological jour-
the same thing." In the other passage, ney as an apocalyptic symbol of the sec-
Barth stressed the continuation of Chr fist's ond appearance of God in the person of
ministry in our behalf: "He not only did Jesus the Messiah.The King James Ver-
but does stand before God for us," so that sion of Daniel 8:13-14 provided the lan-
"today, now, at this very hour. [He is] our guage. A heavenly figure asked, "How
active and effective Representative and long shall be the vision concerning the
Advocate before God, and therefore the daily sacrifice, and the transgression of
real basis of our justification and hope." desolation to give both the sanctuary and
Other twentieth-century theologians the host to be trodden under foot?" The
have had even less to say about our sub- answer was provided by another heavenly
ject. Emil Brunner, first in his Christology, figure, who said, "Unto two thousand and
The Mediator, and later in The Christian three hundred days; then shall the sanctu-
Doctrine of Creation and Redemption, merely ary be cleansed." The sanctuary, Miller
identified the elements of Christ's tradi- thought, could in this case refer to both
tional threefold office with the cot-re- the earth and the churchthe earth to be
sponding functions of revelation, recon- cleansed by fire when Christ returned,
SANCTUARY 11
Additional suggestions regarding the More Recent Developments More than one member of the Sanc-
sanctuary's "cleansing" came as decades In 1980, the "cleansing" of the sanc- tuary Review Committee recalls its Gla-
went by and new generations of Adventists tuary in heaven became the focus of a cier View meeting as an exceptionally
began to think about the "cleansing" of major theological debate and confronta- painful and troubling experience. Its out-
the sanctuary. About the turn of the cen- tion when Desmond Ford, a teacher from come was as much the result of polemics
tury two influential figures offered ideas Australia who had joined the faculty of and politics as of theological and biblical
that were different from earlier views and Pacific Union College, challenged "the reflection; and theology done with a po-
different from each other. One was Albion traditional Adventist interpretation" on litical motive is never very good theology.
Fox Ballenger, an American preacher who several points, in part reiterating ques- The effects of Glacier View on the church
worked in England, Ireland, and Wales. tions raised earlier not only by Ballenger in North America have been significant
He claimed that, at his ascension, Christ but also by W. W. Fletcher in Australia, and mostly negative, and even worse in
cleansed the sanctuary in heaven from all and L. R. Conradi in Europe. Among Australia and New Zealand, which lost 35-
human sin, and that what began in 1844 other things, Ford claimed that the 40 per cent of their Adventist pastors. Jack
was the cleansing of the sanctuary from "cleansing" mentioned in Daniel 8:14 re- Provonsha of Loma Linda University spoke
the sin of Satan, the great originator of fers first of all to the Jewish temple in for many when he said shortly afterward, "I
evil. The other was William Warren Jerusalem, not to the sanctuary in heaven don't agree with [all of] Des Ford's theology,
Prescott, a college professor and editor. described in the Letter to the Hebrews, but I miss his voice."
He interpreted the "cleansing" of the sanc- but that it also symbolizes "a rediscovery of Yet there were some positive results,
tuary as a restoration of a correct under- the true gospel," that is, "by an under- too: in the aftermath of Glacier View,
standing of the gospel after a long period standing, appreciation and appropriation there was further thinking about the sanc-
of distortion. of the great principle of righteousness by tuary in heaven and its "cleansing." It was
Toward the middle of the twentieth faith in Jesus Christ." Ford was particu- seen as "a demonstration of the true char-
century, still other views developed. On larly unhappy with the traditional Ad- acter of God's sovereignty," as "a call to
the one hand, M. L. Andreasen, a teacher ventist notion of an "investigative judg- moral seriousness," as an indication of
and administrator, associated the "cleans- ment," which could not, he insisted, be "God's continuing initiative." Some of
ing" with a cosmic vindication of God in adequately supported from
the lives of a generation of people who Scripture.
677 2520 7
live without sin. Along with the "cleans- At the end of the August, 07 2
18 II 8
ing" of the sanctuary in heaven there must 1980, meeting of the ad hoc i
2:100 20 20.
be a cleansing of the human heart. It must Sanctuary Review Committee toi7
1 ,, 13.
become obvious that God can keep people at Glacier View, Colorado, con-
from sinning, so they can pass the close voked to consider Ford's posi-
nsr. p .1611141. ACM ar
SANCTUARY 13
R E A S 0
By Anne Freed
in searching the Bible for PHYtTOT., 13, EX POSiTORS. 1 suring his followers of a reli-
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REASON 15
ing of any passage, no matter how obscure. prophetic time periods; (2) the consis- prophetic exegesis. He emphasized the
I commenced with Genesis . . . . When- tent comparison of history with prophecy synchronization of prophecy, claiming
ever I found any thing obscure, my practice and various apocalyptic symbols; (3) the that it could refute skeptics when "scien-
was to compare it with all collateral passages, identification of the biblical "little horn" tifically" applied. John Gill was a Baptist
and by the help of Crudent's Concordance] I with the papacy; and (4) the synchroniza- scholar described in 1868 by another Bap-
examined all the texts of Scripture . . Then tion of different prophecies into a coher- tist writer as "in some respects the most
by letting every word have its proper bearing ent system.'' In par- learned man that
on the sub1ect of the text, if my view of it ticular, Mede was a had yet appeared in
harmonized with every collateral passage of
the Bible, it ceased to be a clifficulty.9
premillennialist
one who believed MILLER our denomination."
Gill wrote multi-
After a systematic search of the Scrip-
tures beginning in 1816, Miller concluded:
Jesus' second coming
would occur before USED UP volume commen-
taries on the Old
IThe Bible) was indeed a feast of reason.
All that was dark, mystical or obscure . . had
the millennium fore-
told in the book of
FOR A SHLLINC! and New Testa-
ments, expounding
A Thaw* RI:331131 Mt MILLER. 3 EID313 o. .1"
been dissipated from my mind before the dear Revelation.'' END OF THE WORLD prophecies using a
light that now dawned from its sacred pages Miller read
3111.41.310 la (W.-4.0m g 1111,
Iv
1S43. method similar to
&c-a. 44,
Miller was further convinced by his three historicists BY J. DOWLING A. DI. IVIede's.'s Faber, a
study of biblical prophecies that the second Thomas Newton, SECOND EDITION WITH ADDITIONAL DEMONS; ETC. contemporary of
Puhlikited by J. IL Bt(ItLO1.
coming of Christ would occur "sometime John Gill, and Miller, was a "volu-
around 1843." He did not publicly pro- Faberwho fol-
130 NASSAU-ST. minous" writer on
claim his corn, ictions, however, until 1832." lowed Mede's
PRICE O SHILLING. prophecy. He fol-
FOR MILE of most or the Hook Blown,
OtticeN, lee. in thin (11).
method. Miller lowed Mede, New-
The Context of Miller's Preaching claimed indepen, or Sale ElEerei, ton, and Gill in his
Miller announced his message of the dence for his inter- methodology, yet he
imminent second coming to audiences pretation, however, did not indicate his
that were likely familiar with his method- declaring that he had only a general knowl- view of the exact nature of the events that
ology. Historian Kai Arasola observes that edge of their work.i7 Yet his acquaintance would fulfill the prophecies he interpreted. '9
"no North American Protestant interested with them, and other indications of their Others besides Mede, Newton, Gill,
in Biblical prophecies in the early half of popularity, suggest that many of his listen- and Faber relied on historicist methodol-
the nineteenth century could avoid en- ers were also familiar with historicism. ogy in interpreting prophecy. In his mas-
countering the traditional historical Thomas Newton was the nineteenth sive study, The Prophetic Faith of Our Fa-
method."'' Historicism developed mainly century writer most quoted on the topic of thers, LeRoy Froom lists "75 expositors,
among English and American
nnillennialists in the Irate seven- PORTRAIT OF MR. MILLER. - ---
, vekr.,71.11`.'747 g'rkr",c'
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ods were employed centuries 4.
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Joseph Mede (1586-1638), ,_,
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with whose work Miller was 57
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familiar, drew the various 931h.i434.3.
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ogy together in his work, The .1.1.0,..offieng=,,LegLE1.4.1.
.r.g lagged, goe,r ...3as 47-1.=7._ r
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16:1 g.lea,filgeg re.
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nul 111. min
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Y.. denim, I.....1 n,:. .7..1f
.v.:74.
==,
....,..,,
included: (1) the use of the Oyu lb. 6. 1 let 11.1.14
len
IP -.2, -_-.a,...d...,...... e,...=-,..te.7.1.71.:......o
.1.1...r va,
..... ...A.m... L 'n,,....,
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Ni ..3".. 4.....
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beneovilvo ywo yecre-dre... II _ =7=tr)-t.tr .7r, ".. 1 L'ai..
' 'a:."...t..e41174ht:=.41::::"
year-day principle to interpret etg =moo tome. t ;gang., Ma _.__-
REASON 17
argued that, "when interpreted according cataclysmic intervention of God in human structures." Many Protestant leaders ad-
to established usage," such language "is history, Doan argues, orthodoxy took a vanced millennial views based on a com-
not only definite in its import, but it never turn toward postmillennialism. "The parison of prophecy and the tumultuous
expresses what is false to the intellect." In evangelical sons and daughters of Calvin- character of their times, Congregational-
this way, Hodge, like Miller, expressed ism" found it easier to embrace a God who ist leaded edediah Morse, for example, com-
the confidence that God was revealed to worked through the processes of history plained that religious leaders are "crimi-
human beings with an ac- than one who interrupted nally ignorant of the Scripture prophecies,
curacy that could be sci- the steady progress of hu- which relate to the present period, and
entifically established." rd. rtirldi ,o2 mankind through time." inattentive to events, which are remark-
Scientific rationality, Millerism attracted those ably fulfilling them.'
then, provided many Prot- Am; dimid 4
from among the orthodox Others, more optimistic about social
estant Americans with au- who were comfortable with progress, adopted postmiliennialist views.
thoritative validation for a transcendent God, a radi- Lyman Beecher anticipated an imminent
biblical truth when other cal "Other" who could touch
traditional authorities had while remaining untouched Nx.r.e.creD IiIMTIRECTION or THE 1.10/11S, u
aL
proof of biblical authority.' Since the nationalism, migration, the industrial revo- mtembairt mlior 1E44
mi. Lim to Enid.. Sila
,.tomcod
111.11, itiert Ei
Riy 1.111 j011 .bat
I.
amid
laateeei E1
pert wetly. priplam, Ile eh.
early 1700s, orthodox Presbyterians had lution, scientific discov-
stressed the importance of "Evidences of eries, new ideologies,
Christianity," especially miracles and proph- and changing authority
eciesas opposed to mere "enthusi-
asm"
in estab-
MAID OF TFD WORLD
lishing
the "facts"
of biblical
doctrines.
the Mil-
lerites
empha-
sized the
Opposite Page, Top: This 1828 letter from William Miller expresses Miller's
deep-felt amaiction that Jesus' return was imminent. Center and Bottom Left:
These discussions of prophecy typifies Millerite exposition of the Biblical passages
concerned with the end of the world. Bottom Right: The William Miller home,
Low Hampton, New York.
Top: Joseph Marsh's The Voice of Truth was one of minty independent
publications that fostered communication among the Millerites--and that prefigured
the numerous enthusiastically self-published periodicals produced by the Millerites'
Adventist heirs. Center: An early ambrotype of James and Ellen White, among
the many Christian believers who experienced the Great Disappointment. Bottom:
The young James and Ellen White, sometime in the wake of the Disappointment.
REASON 19
literally, when the literal sense does not involve though sound and convincing, came short interpretation, Miller argued that "at least
contradictions, or is not unnatural. of absolute assmance."48 While Galusha this sense is so obvious that no man ac-
3 When the literal sense involves the was received back into Baptist fellowship in quainted 'with the modes of speaking'
passage in contradiction, or expresses ideas 1856, he never renounced "sounding the when the sacred writers wrote, could mis-
which are unnatural, it is figurative, or para- Midnight Cry."" take this its 'obvious meaning."'"
bolic, and is designed to illustrate rather than The commitment to Miller's inter- For Miller, correct interpretations of
reveal the truth. pretations of prophecy by such leaders the literal meanings of texts depended on
4. When a passage is clearly figurative, reveals the rational appeal of his method- comparing prophecy with history. While
the figure is to be carefully studied, and the ology in the early nineteenth century.5 he affirmed that the "Bible is a system of
passage compared with Nathan Hatch's observa- revealed truths, so clearly and simply given,
other parts of the Word tion regarding Enlight- that the 'wayfaring man, though a fool,
where the same or similar enment thinkers who need not err therein,''S{ interpreting
figure may be employed.43 used the historicist prophecy by comparing it with history
Applying Miller's method of prophetic in- required some sophistication and did not
hermeneutical rules to terpretation might guarantee consistent results. Yet agree-
biblical prophecies con- equally apply to many of ments among historicists that events such
vinced Millerites that Miller's followers: "The as the French Revolution and the dis-
the Bible revealed the study of prophecy offered placement of papal power confirmed pro-
imminent coming of rational men the oppor- phetic predictions seemed to verify em-
Christ, although initially tunity to see God's plan pirically prophetic interpretations based
they did not set an exact unfold in history and pro- on the historicist method."
date for the parousia, and duced tangible and co- Accordingly, Miller argued against
Miller himself resisted herent proof of religious prophetic interpretations that failed to
doing so until just prior to October 22, doctrine."' Indeed, Miller himself testi-
1844.46 fied to the "common sense" nature of his
Miller's method of reading Scripture, arguments:
combining an appeal to pietistic hopes for The rules selected, I doubt not will be
Christ's second coming and confidence in sanctioned by every well balanced mind ac-
rational access to truth through inductive quainted at all with scriptural interpreta-
study, attracted a wide range of people. tions. Although the Bible sometimes
His rational approach attracted people speaks in figurative language, yet the plain,
from educated as well as uneducated obvious, and literal sense of a passage is not to
groups. His followers came primarily from be abandoned unless absolute and evident
pietistic groups such as Baptists and Meth- necessity require it."
odists, although not exclusively. Several A common example of how Miller
of Miller's close associates were reformers followed this principle will illustrate his
and rationalists who had belonged to the logic. He reasoned that a
Chr is tian Connection, such as Joseph Bates "horn" in prophetic writ-
and J. V. Himes. Notable leaders who were ings could be easily un-
sympathetic to Miller's teachings included derstood on the basis of
Joseph Wolff, an Episcopal missionary, and the fact that ancient
George Duffield, a Presbyterian minister kings wore horns in their
and scholar.47 An influential Baptist leader crowns. Thus, when a
in New York, Elon Galusha, affirmed the prophet said a "horn"
M it Ierite faith in the soon corning of Christ, would arise, this meant
but he did not endorse the exact date pro- "little else" than that a
claimed by the Millerites"founded," he kingdom or king would
said, "upon an analogical argument, which, arise. Referring to this
SECONO LibRAFLY.
MO . XS.
REF"!
.opontsws RFUT TO MILLER; Opposite Page, Top: Miller after the Disappointment; the
reproduced passage in his own hand expresses his ongoing faith in
pc. .1; Tea Jesus' soon coming.
Center: An early artist's rendering of Miller's New York home.
SECOND COMINu OF OtIlawr
IN 1841.
Top: This cartoon was one of a number to lampoon Miller, his
followers, andespeciallyJoshua dimes, portrayed here as a
iiyaOSIAIL LITCil
profiteer left behind at the second advent because of his desire for
wealth.
Willi A Vitt FACE, ISV mama V HnitS.
Left: This engraving, made around the time of the Disappoint-
ment, depicts the end of the world os envisioned by the Millerites .
Right: J osiah Litch warted into the fray to defend Miller agaim t
s objectors and attackers with polemical works like this one .
REASON 21
0 B I A
William Miller:
An Obituary Evaluation of a Life
By Frederick G . Hoyt
T he arrival of the
Pacific Mail steamship Oregon at San Fran-
major interest to his readers, many of
whom had migrated from New England
settled at Poultney,, Vermont, where he was
county sheriff. He held a captain's commis-
cisco on 22 February 1850 provoked the and the eastern United States: sion in the American army upon the breaking
daily Alta California into printing a special Miller the Prophet.Wm. Miller, the prophet out of the last war with Great Britain. He
supplement the following day, "News by so called, says the Lowell Mass. Courier, was held in much esteem by his neighbors. He
the Oregon!" Although this ship brought somewhat celebrated for his views respecting first pro/nu/gated his doctrines in regard to the
201 male and 9 female passengers up from the nearness of the advent, died on Thursday second coming of Christ in 1833. He was
Panama (via Acapulco, San Bias, last, at his residence at Low Hampton, New disappointed in the fulfilment of his expecta-
Mazatlan, and San Diego), what caused York. He was sixty-eight years of age. He tion in 1843 , and came out the nest year with
the greatest excitement was the 95 mail was a native of Pittsfield, in this state. He an "Apology and Defence," acknowledging
bags stowed in her hold. These had been the want of accuracy in his chronological
brought to Chagres by three ships from calculations, but claiming that the nature and
New York (the Empire City, Ohio, and nearness of the event were still sustained by
Cherokee) and another ship from New scriptural evidence . In that belief he has since
Orleans (the Falcon), and then carried lived and diedworn out with the infirmities
across the Isthmus by a US Mail Agent to of age.
be loaded on the Oregon at Panama. William Miller and "Millerism" had
Obviously the editor was challenged been big news during the 1840s, but after
to condense the most interesting and sig- the "Great Disappointment" of 22 October
nificant items from many newspapers for 1844 he had quickly dropped from view.
his news-hungry readers. Some attention But here he was again, some five years later,
was given to the activities of Congress, back in the news thousands of miles from
the furor created by the antislavery issue his home. And it was in a surprisingly
and the Wilmot Proviso, various sensa- complete, accurate, and fair article. Before
tional crimes, Indian depredations, and the news reached distant California his
Mormon activities. But one item about a death had been widely reported in Ameri-
peaceful death in a small New York vil- can newspapers and journals, often with
lage the editor printed in its entirety, considerable analysis of his life and its
obviously thinking that it would be of impact, and sometimes at length.
OBITUARY 25
community that William Miller. Thousands quently copied. great mental power," and "unquestion-
became ardent followers of Miner, and hav- "This man, who befooled so many ably an honest and sincere man." The
ing embraced one radical error, their minds persons, in regard to the world coming to Boston Investigator (26 December 1849)
were fi tted for the reception of others far more an end in the year 1843, is dead." These declared that Miller was "spoken of as
dangerous. The most wild and fanatical stark words began an article in The Trum- having been a worthy manstrictly tem-
scenes followed; and the very worst heresies pet and Universalist Magazine (Boston; 29 perate and proverbial for his integrity."
that ever afflicted the Church of Jesus Christ December 1849). "His theory furnished The New York Baptist Register reprimanded
were readily adopted. Among these heresies, the ardent sectarians with a powerful those who had "indulged in severe stric-
the spiritual wife system, and imparting the means, of frightening the community," tures, and . . . ridicule" of Miller, labeling
gift of the Holy Ghost, may be mentioned as they explained, "and they did not hesitate this "very improper" because "he was no
having been embraced by some of Mr. Miller's to make use of it. Hundreds professed to be doubt a lover of the Saviour . ." (quoted
disciples; but it is proper to add that many of converted, by believing that the world in The Christian Mirror, Portland, Maine,
them did not go to such extreme lengths. In would come to an end, AD 1843, which 17 January 1850). In the opinion of the
many of the larger towns where Miller lec- however proved to be a total deception." Bunker-Hill Aurora and Boston Mirror (29
tured separate and distinct "bands" were The editor's conclusive judgment was se- December 1849), Miller "was unquestion-
formed out of those who left other churches vere: "Shame on the clergymen who coun- ably sincere in his belief of the reappear-
for the purpose of devoting themselves to the tenanced the falsehood. They knew bet- ance of the Saviour in 1843." "He was a
teachings of "Father " and this too, in ter, many of them." man of moderate abilities and very little
violation of the explicit instructions of Miller, education, but of strong will and fanatical
who enjoined it upon them to remain in the Positive Comments temperament" in the opinion of The Home
churches with which they were connected. There were numerous positive com- Journal (New York; 5 January 1850).
But such radical errors could not flourish in ments about William Miller the man, but The Christian Secretary (Hartford; 4
the church, and the consequence was, chat few positive ones about Millerism. "Mr. January 1850) especially commended
"they went out from us because they were not Miller was regarded with much affection Miller for his conduct when his predic-
of us," and a new sect bearing the name of by his neighbors," the widely quoted Bos- tions failed: "After the period fixed by
their teacher, was the result, despite the re- ton Atlas declared, "who esteemed him as Father Miller for the final consummation
monstrances of the teacher himself. a benevolent, intelligent man, and a kind of all things here below, had passed away,
"He was doubtless a sincere and de- neighbor." The generous words in the he very honestly and properly came out
voted man," a perplexed Zion's Herald and concluding paragraph were also widely and acknowledged that henot the
Wesleyan Journal (Portland, Maine; 2 Janu- copied:
ary 1850) conceded, "but his example He was a man strictly temperate in all his
New YosS',MarcA i6, 1545.
furnishes an illustration additional to in- habits, devoted in his family and social attach-
A MUTUAL CONFERENCIL
numerable others in the history of the ments , and proverbial for his integrity. His Is 144W of 64 present state of the AAIMIC
nodahemsat respoosibilities re;apoo IS ag ildo
church, of the dangers of a rash promulga- brain was of large volume, and he was ca- on io has bets thought idr" by Be..
IATCE, Ieleas, oommottr iteilZ
olbein, to mil weodooloam of We pram hatsfsfasei
tion of uncertain opinions." "Incalcu- pable of great mental efforts. He was natu- tome, ana lieetkett,whe oaogo
Advent faith, as proclaimed by uo to the worid, for the
lable evils have resulted from his course," rally very amiable in his temperament; but last few yoars.
The object of this owetin Will win Mist comma-my
this Methodist paper cautioned, "but still when he thought he was unjustly represented, (ro poirio-ritiliotetwot gro toottlosi of doubtful dis-
Al, Wiwi., hot tcAstotilhat aloe M.L. io the faith of
it must be borne in mind that much of he often indulged in biting sarcasm cm his she Advent at the door, AO lo ern& on the host
made of anilehly carrii nuast
I intoarl Ow work, in era
them is attributable rather to his followers revilers. His mental faculties were clear to forting, sod
so fur the
ap=riog the
entioe of thring" ,b
among
an. also to
than to himself." the last, and he fell asleep joyful in the hope of write one ono, for the Awiteroice and salvation of
Winners, Out time is proem., end should be employed
the hem advantage, so that we may rise account to
The New York Tri bune (25 December a speedy resurrection. to e ap, at Ms appearing.
our
We oaths*" loses ail the Advent lecturers, visa
1849) described Miller as "uneducated," An impressive variety of other jour- approve of the otsject of she proposed Confexenee, en
-tette with os WOO deliberations, Each a the 'Ad-
"not largely read in even the common nals commented on William Miller as a mit co itgreirsoiese, alas, are' stunted to vend coo or
=
twe brethreo, to comsat with as. Thu meeting will
English [Bible] commentaries," which ap- person, some in extremely flattering terms. be a Takata? one, and all who unite in IS will feel rho
we of Deity of action, in ill that *menu oar
parently explained why "his views were "He was a man of temperate habits, of welfare.
:41:11.Ceefereios will cowls:Pee, it ts.s nominee,
absurd, and supported but feebly.. . ." integrity and worth," in the opinion of the iliaStrodirsoo pumb also last l'imaby in Aril, in
N. ito ezeisioptee *Roma he the moss
talihe Arta to stunt Dow woke,. hove-
These comments by an influential and Boston Emancipator and Republican (27 *bylaw,
Alystred.sleisk Bre ,'Mnior, Galnibs,
widely read national newspaper were fre- December 1849). "He was also a man of Whitlig; sod aim%
OBITUARY 27
child of God, faithful and efficient minis- back. I know it is a thankless officeI know and easy-chair, in excruciating pain. In the
ter of Christ, and profound student of it is a slaving fsid lifeI know the scoffs, the midst of it all he has manifested great patience
prophecy, sleeps in Jesus." These moving jeers, the frowns, of a gainsaying worldI and forbearance. For a man of his age, and
words were followed by a "private note" know the tauntings of the freethe tempta- compassed about with infirmities as he was,
from Elder Joshua V. Himes, dated at Low tions of the enemyall, all against me. I fee/ he gave evidence of a large degree of Christian
Hampton, December 21: "I am over- too my own insufficiency my weakness attainment. During the times of his greatest
whelmed in the affliction of the death of my sinmy agemy tremblingmy igno- suffering he would repeat passages of Scrip-
Father Miller, who was taken from us Dec. rancemy inexperience;all, al/in or about ture which were consoling, and also numer-
20th, at 3 o'clock, P.M. He died peaceful myself, is against me. Yet there is a spirit that ous hymns of Watts and others, that ex-
and happy." tells me to goon. I have often cried to God to pressed the hopes and joys of the redeemed.
Editor Marsh's gracious words fol- undeceive me , if I am deceived. He arranged all his business some months
lowed: When Igo forward in the work, I have since, and was ready at any hour to depart.
Of Bro. Maier it may justly be said, as a man He felt that he had done his duty to the world
of natural endowments, but few of any age and the church. And having given up the idea
have been his superiors . As a correct exposi- of seeing the Savior before his death, he only
tor of prophecy, he has had no rivals in waited for the call of his God and Savior to
modern times . But few, ifany, surpassed him "depart and be with Christ, which was far
in pure Christian philanthropy, and faithful- better than to remain in the flesh."
ness in the work of his high and holy calling. Father Miller had some final words for
As a Christian , he was as faultless, perhaps, "the brethren": "Tell them we are right,
as any other man. And as a husband, a the coming of the Lord draweth nigh;but
father, a brother, and a friend, his worth they must be patient and wait for him." "He
cannot be told. And in view of his valuable would often repeat the words, `Yes, 0, I long
life, and peaceful death, it may justly be said to be there! ,"' Himes ailid9d. "Such views of
of him, Blessed are the dead which die in the the future glory tended to mitigate the present
Lord: yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest pains of the body, which at times were vio-
from their labors; and their works do follow lent."
them. "But," in Elder Himes' moving words,
A following section (simply titled "the closing scene finally came":
"Bro. William Miller") reproduced a let- On the 20th of December, in the morn-
ter Miller had written to a church in great peace. When I shrink from it, I am ing, it was manifest to all that he must soon
Beeknnantown, New York ( ?), on 19 No- troubled. depart. During the morning he had no par-
vember 1834, in reply to their invitation In the 29 December 1849 issue the ticular conversation with me: yet he would
for him to "settle with them." He politely Advent Herald printed a letter from Elder break forth in expressions like the following:
but firmly declined, explaining that he Joshua V. Himes to Sylvester Bliss. Himes "Mighty to save!" "0, I long to be there!"
had to move freely from place to place, had been with Miller during his final "Victory! victory!" "Shouting in death!"
proclaiming "the hour of his judgment is illness and death. As this issue is not etc. He finally sunk down into an easy
come." The editor obviously felt that extant it is fortunate that the Harbinger sleeping, or dozing state. Occasionally he
parts of this letter disclosed the true es- and Advocate reprinted Himes' letter in roused up, and opened his eyes, but was not
sence of Father Miller: their 12 January 1850 issue. Himes re- able to speak, though he was perfectly ratio-
You may call me visionaryI do not ported that Father Miller's faith was "un- nal, and knew us all. He continued to
blame you. But I am strongly pressed in my wavering" and that he had watched the breathe shorter and shorter, till five minutes
min d. God has opened the door. He has development of events in Europe which past 3 o'clock, PM, he calmly and sweetly
blessed me in every place, when I have fear- he felt indicated the approach of Arma- gave his last breath; . . . Oh how peacefully
lessly put my trust in him; and I cannot go geddon: and happily he died! I was privileged to stand
For several months past he has been with his wife, children, and friends, about his
confined mostly to his room. A part of this bed, when he gave up the ghost. I closed his
An artist's crude rendering of the lecturing Miller . time he has been confined mostly to his bed eyes, while all other eyes were filled with
OBITUARY 29
xit C
by Kenneth Logan
Music 31
CAMDEN
Isaac Watts (1674-1748) Oliver Holden (1765-1844)
Psalm 50 2d Part P. M. P.M. 10.10.10.10.11.11
J .1 & o . _ j
i :
77 0 ir
The God of glo- ry_ sends his sum-mans forth,_ Calls the south na-tions and a - wakes the north._ From
_ 0
41 Z
- .1 c.,J _ ) j 1 -L .1 J GiJ J
. -
,_ tk-_-,9_ r 7 r r
r r ' r
east_ to_ west his sov-'reign or-tiers spread, Through dis- tant worlds and re- gions of the_ dead. The hum -pet
.. . 1
91
II 41, a) r 'I r.
7-1
r rr- . r r
.11 of- J
)11 :: 7 r #r r r
sounds; hell trem-bles; heav'n re - joic- es; Lift up your heads, ye saints,_ with cheer - ful voic - es.
zi j -el '5[. -[
.=~=7,==.%4; Zi====.11
'
Music 33
hymn-tunes of the ear. The author's of text meters, and a hook with all slots a 10.10.10.10.11.11 pigeonhole did ex-
modern edition of Camden, based on filled will have a better chance of com- ist, it was designed to accomodate a text
its printing in Thomas A tw ill's New mercial success. Two factors dilute the from this very Limited circle. This means
York and Vermont Harmony (1804) ap- potency of this hypothesis as applied to that factors other than the unusual text
pears in Figure 2. Note that in both "The God of Glory." First, the only meter may have been the attraction for
settings the melody appears in the tenor, texts in 10.10.10.10.11.11 meter in the tune hook compilers, factors such as imag-
the third voice from the top. entire tunebook repertory to 1810 are ery, message, and so forth.
Alongside the central stream of either Watts's Psalm 50 second PM ver- Two additional hypotheses con-
publication of Watts's second PM ver- sion (various stanzas, 250 occurrences) cern the association with tunes and
sion of Psalm 50, portions of other Watts or Watts's Psalm 93 PM (stanza one, 26 with tunehooks. One postulates that a
Psalm 50 stanzas occurred in print in occurrences). Second, it follows that if prominent tune or tunes largely deter-
thin but broadening rivulets, especially
in New England but also in the Middle
Atlantic states.
TN?
Toward an Explanation
"The God of Glory" was published
216 times in America to 1810. Its
pottimg of Zabib,
nearest matches in frequency were three v %TED 1N I.ANGIVAGO
texts published with frequencies in the
Ur Tilt
mid-to-upper 160s, while some two
dozen other texts appeared more than NEW-TESTAMENT,
100 times each. What explanations
itert.tau -co Tut
can we hazard for the unparalleled domi-
nance of a second-advent hymn text in Christian Stale and Wur$hip.
early American hymn publication?
It seems only natural from an Ad-
ventist perspective to examine the mes-
sage of Christ's imminent return as a
possible primary factor in the text's
board circulation. Proponents of such a i t tit ed which were writ.
tot concerti it ig me. .....
view might explain the wide circula-
Luke xIiv. 44,
tion of the second Particular Meter text ttvitis Santilel. :it'd the Prophets ............ That
as motivated by the religious sensibili- they without us should not he made per-
i;.7ct ............lieb. xi. 32_ 4Q
ties of church-goers and clergy, the ac-
tivity of the Holy Spirit, or similar fac-
tors relating to spirituality and exhor-
tation. But the evidence shows that rd X ET El
several other Watts paraphrases of Psalm ISJ.74IT II NUURIM Ci CU. 41111 40111
50 circulated not nearly as widely as did 111Xlit DOOKIATORt
Watts's second PM version. This means
that the message of the hymn did not 1815
assure board circulation on its own, so
it will be necessary to consider other
factors as well.
One poossibility is a "pigeon-hold"
theory: a tunebook has pigeonholes or
slots representing the need for a range fiIi
Music 35
C A I C N
By Susie Myers
A lma E. McKibbin,
pioneer educator in the Seventh-day
manual trainingwas to be based first on
the Bible and secondarily on the book of
While there, she sent many reports to
America designed to encourage church
Adventist Church for three quarters of a nature. members there to implement holistic prin-
century, developed a Bible curriculum Ellen White piloted these ideas at the ciples by establishing a school at each
when no materials or textbooks were avail- Avondale school in Australia in the 1890s. church where there as few as six children.
able and became the first Seventh-day The educational guidelines she advocated
Adventist church school teacherwhen were printed in church publications and
no one even knew how to teach a "church were widely read by both church leaders
school." and lay people, including Alma
McKibben.
Educational Millieu The question asked by many of the
Seventh-day Adventist philosophy people who read White's counsel was, "How
of education was widening to include the in the world are we todo it?" Churches were
church's primary and secondary school- saddled with debt because of their commit-
age children in the 1890s. No one knew ment to higher educational institutions,
yet just how to carry out radical principles and many argued that it was impossible for
that included developing harmoniously a small organization, consisting mostly of
students' mental, physical, and spiritual relatively poor people, to support an entire
powers; providing work-study programs; educational system. The depression pre-
locating schools in rural areas; adding cipitated by the Panic of 1893, a dearth of
Bible and Christian service to the cur- trained teachers, and the drought in Cali-
riculum; and including farms and indus- fornia were only a few of the obstacles that
tries with schools. Since the church's threatened the growth of the Adventism's
educational mission emphasized service school system. But, in spite of many
for God, the school curriculumconsist- problems, church schools mushroomed from
ing of the fundamental subjects and six in 1890 to 220 in 1900.
EDUCATION 37
understood how to implement them. not to unpack all her things, telling her, on my back and I took cold which resulted in
Centralia was different: its members wanted "You won't last two weeks. Nobody can a permanent neuralgia, from which I have
very much to implement the principles of control these Centralia boys." Then, ev- suffered ever since.
educational change at their school. ery morning, she greeted McKibbin with, In spirte of her hardships, McKibbin
When she arrived, the board requested "Well, are you really going to try it an- set to work with a will. She asked the upper
that McKibbin teach everything required other day?" grade students to come in the morning and
in the public school curriculum and ev- In general, church members had no the younger ones to come at noon. When
erything suggested by White's principles respect for a teacher who "lived around," the younger children arrived, the older ones
of education (except gardening, because and treated her unkindly: studied their lessons. She had no equipment,
of the drought). She They really expected no library, no maps, and n.o help.
was responsible for all their teachers to be miracle She faced a real difficulty in teaching
nine grades, but was not workers , to produce a per- Bible: not only were there no public
to combine grades in any fect something out of school texts to be used for reference, but
subject area. She was almostnothing, and, above no church school texts, either. She had to
not to use any public all things, to change their write two lessons every night for bible and
school textbooks except children overnight into obe- also outline a nature lesson. She de-
those for arithmetic, and dient, respectful, model scribed these times:
she was not to hold back boys and girls, In many Besides I had to study each lesson in
any child in spite of sev- cases they had almost lost every subject before I taught it, because I
eral months of school- control of their older chil- had forgotten the things I once knew so
ing missed the previous . Ts Mm. Alm. E. ellgicrain,
,Sore. Askr Italfewed
dren, and their zeal in pro- well. I began to get my education the
rnr Ale. trirF Neg.- dead.
year. As if all this were rnry, rem.predrar
P15 V: moting a school was their second time. It was hard and laborious. I
mremilly &id ..flite
irroin gnard wr Lbw
hope that a teacher, a
ArtlN
not enough, the board nwo eh: fife Orr lic1-4. taught from eight in the morning until six
,64 Aumnr1 loriol arr
IrCeeld.
admonished her: Christian teacher, woulddo at night, and then sat up at night to get my
"Above all things do not for their children what they own lessons.
get behind the public had not been able to do. During these difficult times, a doctor
schools in any subject. If you do, the She recorded a description of the friend tried to persuade her to give up
children will begin to complain and want schoolroom at Centralia: teaching church school:
to go back to the public school." The walls were unplastered and the I (had] taught two months . I was in the
Centralians had suffered a drought cracks between the boards were wide enough very hardest of the battle . When he came and
since 1895, when the nation was in the so that the children had been able to watch the said, "See here, you're sick," I was. I wasn't
throes of a depression. Not only were the coutship of their predecessor through them telling anybody , though. . . .
church members poor, but their church . . . . In the room were ten double seats, "Now you just give it up, and you come
was beset with many problems. McKibb in cast-offs from some public school. There upt to Oakland with me." He had a sani-
later reflected, "I don't know of any people were 35 pupils to sit in these seats. As this was tarium. "I'll take care of you. You'llget well .
who were less qualified to start a school a physical impossibility, we hunted boxes, And then I'll get you a position where there'll
than they were." chairs, and benches which frequently lost be a salary. And you'll have something
McKibbin's living conditions were their equilibrium and tumbled over. My adequate to eat. Now," he said, "the public
poor, too. Her room had no stove, which "desk" was a three-legged table. A fourth leg schools were good enough for you and me . It
meant she would have to write lessons at was provided in the form of a packing box [sic] did us no harm."
night while suffering from cold. The lady which I arranged so as to form a "swivel" That was the wisdom of this world. I said,
who boarded her had been disillusioned chair. For a blackgoard we had one twelve- "No, my friend. God called me here and here
by the school's previous sad experience, inch board painted with ordinary black paint. I'll stay until he tells me I'm excused."
but when the church members met her There was a stove which smoked when the He says, "It'll cost you your life."
objection of having no funds by asking her [Santa Anal wind blew and that was the only With tears in my voice, I] said, "Maybe so.
to board the teacher, she had been left time we needed a fire. It was so dark in the He me here, and here I'm going to stay."
without excuse. It was her secret wish for room when dust was in the air that I some- When she returned to Centralia that
the school to fail. She advised McKibbin times opened the door, but the wind then blew evening, tired and discouraged, but deter-
EDUCATION 39
0 0 V
By David Pendleton
BOOK REVIEW 41
Babylon"to separate from the estab- Disappointment, but ultimately concluded the birth of radical movements that de-
lished churches because of the Christian that the "Seventh Month" movement fended, for instance, a completely spiri-
mainstream's opposition to the Millerite had been in error. tual interpretation of the Second Com-
movement's message. (And not only its The final portion of the book traces ing, or an "aberrant perfectionism" ac-
message: Knight notes that the Millerite the growth of denominational structures cording to which believersat least, some
leaders were accused of exploiting their among the Millerites in the wake of the believerswere completely and forever
followers' religious ardor for their own Disappointment and offers some reflec- free of sin. He notes that some of Miller's
financial benefit and of failing to demon- tions on Adventism's future that build on followers found themselves attracted to
strate their commitment to their own Knight's analysis of its past. He describes Shakerism and other American corumu-
message by the way they lived. Miller,
for instance, was criticized for building
. ,
a stone wall around his property and 4 IP CI I a 1 a
t " V ,11.4,Iiir:::-1.1.-...:_. INIMINIIIIIM
for retaining his farm at all during what e, P.. v a a..q.ri .. _A t, THC TWENTY-THREE HUNDREa MAYA.
he believed were the closing months of .- ei. .::.:L..-_..`'.
-; B.C.457
earth's history.) .
X EL i A .------ ,.
/LHE YLOH.
I/ It I
; .4, ..
I[ ilk Eli INEIM111 11=111. Iff
Four chapters chronicle the pe- THE SEVENTY WEEKS.
riod from the first Millerite d isappo int- NEDIA A Ni PUMP..
---...,,
gigoiAm ming
' 4 ''. SW Ws
mentMarch 21,1844to the "Great I' 1R Rs
C\ 1,....g
, 27 iiMil t.1.11 i
Cr
V". ^ Pt44t
nents of the "Seventh Month" mes- 0 .1 At
sage, decided by 1845 this message had r Atmolfjpas..-Ztie ..
i Beal ;iltiatral'
------- .\ 4,.. gl Oft,-
been "a delusion' based on the 'mon-
strous perversion' of certain texts of
..,, \ A _,..___?(t=r
.--: : YIN
6r
ON
IS
ii,. . . ,"---irl. / J
Scripture" (225). Miller himself con- -., N-4.,
ink r4 1 E L of J 0 11 Pit
,, .,t. . , SETENTIlAT ADVENTIST POEWSIIINF ASSOCIATION.
tinued to hold the view that he had 4,01r
..., "N--
--:-.---,.,
ift 4 R.
BATTU CREEK, IttlCHIGAS
correctly identified the year of Christ's ----- - - -- -....-...-
Boo): REVIEW 43
R E A 0
Sources for of American Christianity (New Haven: Yale UP "'Anon., "The Tendency to German
1989) 6. Neology," Signs of the Times [Millerite] 5.16
"A Feast of Reason" "Hatch, Democratization 42. (June 21, 1843).
"Hatch, Democratization 182-3. "Arasola 169.
"George Marsden, "The Bible, Science, 43William Miller, Evidences from Scripture
Continued from page 21.
and Authority," The Bible inAmerica: Essays in and History of the Second Coming of Christ about
Cultural History, ed. Nathan 0. Hatch and the Year 1843 (Troy, NY: Kemble 1836) 5-6.
'William Miller, Apology and Defense Mark A. Noll (New York: OUP 1982) 81. 'Willer, Evidences 4-5.
(Boston: Himes 1845) 2-3. "Marsden 82-3. William Miller, "Second Coming of
'Miller, Apology 3 "Marsden 83. Christ" 1, Signs of the Times [Millerite] April
3Sylvester Bliss, Memoirs of WilliarnMiller "Marsden 84. 15, 1840.
(Boston: Himes 1853) 63-5; cp. Everett N. "Marsden 90. "Rowe, Thunder 67-8. Miller refused to
Dick, "The Adventist Crisis of 18431844 "Whitney R. Cross, The Burned-Over set an exact date until, because of the "wide
(PhD disc., U of Wisconsin 1930) 5-6. District: The Social and Intellectual History of acceptance" and the "probability of convinc-
"Bliss, Dick. David Rowe, Thunder and Enthusiastic Religion in Western N ew York, 1800- ing evidence" of the October 22, 1844, date,
Trumpets: Millerites and Dissenting Religion in 1850 (Ithaca, NY: Cornell UP 1950) 297-8. he accepted this date in early October 1844
Upstate New York (Chico, CA: Scholars 1985) "Ruth Alden Doan, The Miller Heresy, (Apology 25).
3.8 attributes Miller's conversion to a series of Millennialism, and American Culture (Philadel- "Froom 323-4, 331-2.
psychological traumas: resentment of his fa- phia: Temple UP 1987) 101. 46 Elon Galusha in the Dec. 19, 1844,
ther for depriving him of an education and 31 Theodore Dwight Bozeman, "Baconian- Midnight Cry, qtd. in David Rowe, "Elon
later remorse for his rebellion; remorse for his ism and the Bible," Protestants in an Age of Galusha and the Millerite Movement," Foun-
youthful ridiculing of his grandfather, who Science: The Baconian Ideal and Antebellum dations 18 (Jul.-Sep. 1975): 259.
died after nursing Miller back to health follow- Religious Thought (Chapel Hill, NC: U of "Rowe, "Galusha."
ing an attack of spotted fever; and Miller's North Carolina P 1977) 138-43. "In emphasizing the "rational appeal" of
reflection on the human corruption-his own "Bozeman 56-7. Millerite methodology, the "scandal" of
and others'-he witnessed during the war. "Bozeman 56-7. Miller ism, the setting of an exact date, should
'Miller, Apology 5-6. 34 For a brief historical survey of not be overlooked; see Eric Anderson, "The
6Miller, Apology 5-6. millennialism and its emergence in the nine- Millerite Use of Prophecy: A Case Study of a
7Rowe, Thunder 9. teenth century, see Ernest Sandeen, `Striking Fulfillment'," The Disappointed:
'Rowe, Thunder 12 "Millennialism," The Rise of Adventism, ed. Millerism and Millenarianism in the Nineteenth
9Miller, Apology 6 Edwin S. Gaustad (New York: Harper 1974) Century, ed. Ronald L. Numbers and Jonathan
"Bliss 76. 104-18. M. Butler, Religion in North America
"Miller, Apology 16-8; cp. Bliss 83-4. "Froom 83-5. (Bloomington, IN: Indiana UP 1987).
"Kai Arasola, The End of Historicism: 36Sancleen (118) notes several events "Hatch, Democratization 184.
Millerite Hermeneutic of Time Prophecies in the portending cataclysmic change, including the "Miller, writing in The Signs of the Times
Old Testament (Uppsala: Datem 1990) 48. American and French revolutions, Roman [Millerite] 4.10 (Nov. 23, 1842):- 79.
' 'Arasola 24. Catholic Emancipation (1828-9), and the "Miller, writing in The Signs of the Times
"Arasola 34. Mede drew upon methods Great Reform Act (1832). [Millerite] 4.10 (Nov. 23, 1842): 79.
used by scholars such as Joachim of Fiore "Froom 100-1. "Miller, Apology 6.
(1130-1202) and John Wycliff (1324-84). "Froom 102-3. "Joshua V. Hines, View of the Prophecies
'"Arasola 29. "Froom 103-7. and Prophetic Chronology (Boston: Dow 1841)
16 Arasola 35. ""According to Sandeen, reliance on bib- 112-5.
"Arasola 46. lical authority remained strong in the nine- 56 Mi1ler, writing in The Signs of the Times
"Arasola 40. teenth century. "Not only was faith in the [Millerite] 4.10 (Nov. 23, 1842): 79.
'9Arasola 40-1. authority of the Bible not yet undermined by "Miller, Evidences from Scripture and His-
"Le Roy E. Froom, The Prophetic Faith of higher criticism; it would also appear that tory of the Second Coming of Christ (Boston:
Our Fathers: The Historical Development of respect for scientific discoveries and math- Mussey 1844) 7.
Prophetic Interpretation, 4 vols. (Washington, ematical exactitude had been rather simplisti- "Arasola 57.
DC: Review 1946-54) 4: 392-405. cally transferred to fields such as prophetic "Nimes 13.
"Nathan O. Hatch, The Democratization interpretation" (114). Apology 25-8.
Charles Teel, Jr., is Professor of Religion and Society in the School of Religion at La Sierra University and Founding Director
of the university's Stahl Center for World Service. He holds an MA from the SDA Theological Seminary in systematic theology
and Christian philosophy; a PhD in the sociology of religion from Boston University; and an MTh from Harvard Divinity School.
His article in this issue is based on a presentation at the univeristy's October 22, 1994 weekend which marked the 150th
anniversary of the Millerite Disappointmentthe presentation drawing upon on a more extensive treatment of the subject in
"Bridegroom or Babylon? Dragon or Lamb? Nineteenth Century Adventists and the American Mainstream" in Adventist
Heritage. . ." He is the author of numerous articles and the editor of Remnant and Republic: Adventist Themes for Persona/ and
Social Ethics.
Fritz Guy is University Professor of Theology and Philosophy at La Sierra University, where he has spent the balance of his
professional careerretiring as President in 1993. He has also served as a pastor in the Southeastern California Conference, an
Assistant Editor of the Youth's Instructor, and a faculty member and administrator at Andrews University. As a member of the
Sanctuary Review Committee that met in 1980 at Glacier View, and as a long-time student of Adventist sanctuary theology,
he is especially well-qualified to discuss the development of Adventist thinking about Jesus' heavenly ministry. He received a
PhD in Christian theology from the University of Chicago in 1971, and is the editor of Meeting the Secular Mind: Some Adventist
Perspectives as well as the author of the forthcoming Present Truth: Adventist Theology in the Contemporary World. His article is
adapated from a presentation given at a La Sierra University Church seminar held on October 22, 1994, to commemorate the
Great Disappointment.
At the time his review of The Disappointed was written, David Pendleton was Associate Dean of Students at La Sierra University,
from which he graduated in 1989 with a BA in history and political science and in 1990 with an MA in religion. He holds a JD
from the University of Southern California, and is a member of the California and Hawaii bars. His contribution to this issue
of Adventist Heritage reflects his long-standing interest in the relationship between religion and culture.
Gary Chartier is Managing Editor of Adventist Heritage at La Sierra University. An alum of the University (BA, 1987), he went
on to earn a PhD in systematic theology and Christian ethics from the University of Cambridge, England, in 1991. His recently
completed book, Believing Together Today, is the second attempt by an Adventist scholar to interpret the Apostles' Creed, a
popular and ancient Christian confession of faith; his other research interests include such issues in theological ethics as
friendship, divorce, and homosexuality.
Frederick G. Hoyt is Professor Emeritus of History and Political Science at La Sierra University. He studied history, religion,
and physics as an undergraduate at La Sierra, returning to his alma mater after teaching at San Pasqual Academy and attending
Claremont Graduate School, from which he earned a PhD in history. His scholarly interests include US-Phillipine relations (he
conducted research for a year in the Phillipines as a Fullbright Scholar) and the New England context for the development of
Millerism and Adventism.
Anne Freed currently teaches Christian ethics at Pacific Union College. Following her receipt of a BA from PUC in 1988, she
began graduate study in religion. After attending Loma Linda University, Newbold College, and Andrews University, she
received an MA in religion with a major in theology and a minor in missions from Andrews in 1992. She spent one year at Baylor
University in Waco, TX, in a doctoral program in religion before going to PUC.
Kenneth Logan is Assistant Professor of Music at Canadian Union College, where he teaches music history and organ as well
as other areas of music. He was an interim full-time faculty member at Walla Walla College from 1991-3. His undergraduate
degree is in piano performance with honors from Andrews University (1980); he earned a master's degree in organ performance
from Andrews in 1984. He holds the DMA with honors in organ performance from the University of MichiganAnn Arbor.
Originally from Maryland, he is a published handbell composer (Augsburg-Fortress 1991). In 1988, he commenced an extensive
study of poetic texts used in sacred music in early America to 1810, in association with eminent American musicologist Richard
Crawford. Among his other musical interests are computer music notation and musical performances assisted by electronic
media.
Susie Myers has taught at Newbold College and Andrews University, serving at the latter institution as Assistant Professor of
Teacher Education. She holds a BA and EdD (1991) from Andrews, and an MA from the George Peabody College for Teachers.