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SEVENTH*DAY ADVENTISM ? b y L o u i s T . T a l b o t , B . D .
T h i s s y s t e m originated in the imagination of a simple, un educated farmer, W i l l i am Miller, born at Pittsfield, Mass., in 1782. Moving to Low Hampton, N.Y., at the age of 61, he gave himself to a study o f the Bible and Ussher’s chronology. He con cluded that he could determine the time o f Christ’s return f r om Daniel 8:14, publishing a pamph let entitled, Evidence from Scrip ture and History of the Second Coming about the Year 18AS. He became even more definite: “ I be lieve the time can be known by all who desire to understand. . . . Between March 21, 1840 and March 21, 1844, according to the Jewish mode of computat ion, Christ will come” (L ife of Miller, p. 172). He gathered about 50,000 followers who, with Miller, went everywhere p r o c l a im i n g “ the time.” Fanaticism took hold until some discarded their possessions, neg l e c t ed their businesses, al lowed the harvest to rot in the
fields and refused to sow new crops; took their children out of school. Panic followed failure of the prediction to be fulfilled, some go ing into unbelief even to the point of suicide. Miller tried to retrieve his influence by stating he had made a mistake in his calculation and setting another date, Oct. 22, 1844. Again excitement and an ticipation we r e generated, and Miller’s followers stated: “ There is no possibility of a mistake this time; . . . Those who reject this light will be lost; Those who do not accept . . . are backsliders” (History of the Advent Message, p. 596). Rejectors also we r e branded as “ enemies,” “ evil serv ants,” “ rejected o f God.” Once more people waited and watched and when nothing happened, the movement broke up in confusion out o f which four main groups emerged. Then was bora one of greatest religious hoaxes of all time. The
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THE KING'S BUSINESS
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