The King’s Business
Vol 5
JUNE, 1914
No. 6
Pre-Millennialism in History T HE California Christian Advocate” has recently published a series of attacks upon Premillenialism. One of these (April 16, 1914) is entitled “ Premillenialism in History.” In this it says, “ No doubt there are numbers o f people who believe naively in the teaching that Christ is soon to come to reign on earth. While if these same ones realized what fearful and revolting doctrines almost of necessity go with that teaching they would hastily abandon the belief and adopt one more in keeping with the teachings of Christ. The article then goes on to mention various more or less erratic sects who held Premillenial views, and this is given as “ Premillenialism in History.” Now that many erratic sects have held Premillenial views we are all perfectly willing to admit, but we also know that many very erratic sects have believed in the Virgin Birth of our Lord and in His Deity. What would we say of any man who attempted to write an article on “ the Doctrine of the Virgin Birth of our Lord in History,” or “ The Doctrine of the Deity of Christ in History/! who only mentioned the erratic sects that held those doctrines and drew the conclusion that “ fearful and revolting doctrines almost of necessity go with that teaching.” Such a method is thoroughly dishonest and dishonorable. We do not wonder that the writer does not sign his name. He simply says “ By a Methodist.” He might well be ashamed to give his name, but we question whether he has a right to dishonor the honored name of the denomination to which he belongs by using it in this way. The truth is that the history of Premillenialism is a most glori ous history. One even of the sects to which the article in “ The California Christian Advocate” refers in passing, viz., “ The Montanists,” was characterized by such holy living that John Wesley says, “ The Montanists in the second and third century were really Scriptural Christians.” (Moore’s Life of: Wesley, Vol. 2, Page 127). Wesley says in another place, “ Montanus was not only a_truly -good man, but one of the best men then upon earth” (Works London edition 5, Vol. II, Pages 485 and 486). Harnack, according to Bishop Hurst, “ Shows how Montanus stood by the old paths as against the Catholic hierarchical tendency” (Hurst Church History, Volume I, Page 239, Note). It has even been asserted that John Wesley was himself a Premillenarian. An attempt has been made to prove that he was not. We have no room here to go into the argument pro and con but it is given in a book to which we will refer later, which seems to establish the fact that John Wesley was a Premillenarian. However, it is not our purpose to go at length into the history of Premillenial ism at this time, as that has been done very satisfactorily in the May number of the KING’ S BUSINESS in Dr. Riley’s article on “ The Historical Ministry o f Premillenialism.” Dr. Riley’s article will show any unprejudiced and fair- minded person how absolutely unjust and contemptible is the statement made in the article in The California Christian Advocate that “ fearful and revolting doctrines almost of necessity go with that teaching,” i. e. premillenial teaching. There is, however, a book that every one should read who really wishes to know what Premillenialism has been and done in history. That book is “ The
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