THE K I NG ' S BUS I NES S
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to set up straw men and then devote themselves to knocking, them down. They put premillennial teachers in a ridiculous light by attempting to pic ture their position in terms unknown among premillennial teachers. We will therefore quote verbatim from Dr. Mains. 1. The Reliability of the Scriptures. “M isunderstandings and m isconstructions of Christ’s sayings by those who originally heard them were inevitable. It may not be an easy task for us now to clear these early construc tions from their obscurities. . . . There is clear evidence that H is disciples m ust have m is understood or m isconstrued Christ’s teachings concerning la st things. . -. . The early church did m ost surely and prevalently look for Christ’s return, but however derived, history proves it to have been a m istaken view .” On the folly of building hopes upon prophetic statements, Dr. Mains says: “It would seem that in all literature nothing could exceed the glow ing descriptions given by the prophets as to the grandeur and triumphs which should attend the Jewish captives when they should again return to Jerusalem, but the real history of such captives as returned pre sents only a drama of poverty, of disappoint ment, of discouragement.” As to the book of Révélation which Dr. Mains says is fundamental to pre- millennialists, he adds: “W e know that Revelation encountered seri ous obstacles in reaching its place in the New T estam ent canon.” Dr. Mains, like the other writers, would have modern scholars settle this question of the Scriptures once for all. He says: “Scholarship alone, as rightfully belongs to its province, will finally and triumphantly close the debate.” As to the question on the second com ing of Christ, he maintains th a t the ver dict of all recognized scholarship is against those who hold this belief. “Out of tw o hundred and thirty-six members of the faculties of these theological sem inaries, only eight are prem illennialists. Dr. W illiam Newton Clarke, one of th e m ost brilliant theolog ians, is convinced that the doctrine of millennial- ism has no proper Biblical standing whatever. . . . Among recent lum inous w ritings on this subject and all in convincing refutation of pre- millennialism, are works by such scholars as Dr; George Eckman, Dr. James H . Snowden, etc.” The inferior intellect of premillennial teachers is intimated in another state ment. “Its real danger is in the hold which as a propaganda it ?nay, by its persistent and plausi ble methods, secure upon the unlettered and good people of the churches. Its creed appeals more to the emotions than to reason and is made far more effective through a colored rhe toric than by th e invincibleness of a sound
logic. Among its adherents there would seem an undue proportion of persons whose credulity is far in excess of their ability to clearly dis crim inate between truth and error.” 2. Dr. Mains’ Picture of the Premil lennial Position. (a) “M illennialism as a distinct doctrine is , based upon a single book and a single passage in this book.” This statement a t the outset is false. The passage in which the words “one thousand years“ occur has nothing whatever to do with the question of the literal imminent coming of the Lord. It merely fixes approximately the length of Christ’s reign on earth after His com ing. This passage is probably less re ferred to than any of the passages around which the hope of the Lord’s re turn centers. “In the minds of an overwhelm ing majority of Biblical interpreters, the unique and single setting of the term ‘millennium’ in the book of Revelation, decides for it an utterly inadequate and unreliable basis on which to establish a dis tinctive school of Christian belief. . . . One fact never to be lo st sight of is. that upon a short passage of three verses taken from the book of Revelation,' a book confessedly of highly w rought symbolism and m ystery, is based the literal doctrine of a millennium.” This statement not only misrepresents i tlie premillennial position but puts an interrogation mark on the book of Revelation. (b) ( “Prem illennialists say that the kingdom of God is not y et in existence in the earth, nor will it be until Christ comes in visible and irresisti ble m ajesty.” Such a view is unknown among pre- millepnialists. The spiritual kingdom which Jesus in His first advent came to establish, is most certainly present and' the true Church, the formation of which began a t Pentecost, is still in process of formation in the earth. The Kingdom of God has had its existence since men first began to make a covenant with Je hovah by sacrifice according to His ap pointed plan. (3) “The preaching of the Gospel is simply the testim ony of a herald voice to notify all men of a coming kingdom and to make them re sponsible subjects of judgment.” This view is held by no premillenniql- ist. Premillennialists have always been aggressive evangelistic preachers, seek ing to build up the Body of Christ in the world. While they dp not hold th a t all will respond to the evangelistic call, as history has abundantly proven, they
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