Is It Premillennarianism O r Postmillennarianism That Is Divisive?
Bÿ DR. R. A. TORRET Dean of Bible Institute of Los Angeles
The charge is often brought against premillennarianism that it is divi sive, but from many things that are being written and said in these days it would seem that it is postmillennarianism instead of premillennarianism that is divisive. There seems to be a well organized movement at this pres ent time to drive the premillennarians out of some of the churches, or at least to silence them and to shut them out of places of influence. We have received recently from India copies of. | ‘The Indian Witness ’’ of June 5, 1918, and the issue of July 17, 1918, both of which contain very bitter attacks upon premillennarianism. In the issue of June 5th there is a letter copied from the Nashville Christian Advocate and prefaced by this stater ment: ‘‘The Rev. C. C. Carey, an honoured preacher in the Methodist Episco pal Church, South, has the following to say about Premillennarianism and its relation to Methodist doctrine” : Then follows these words: “ I charge prem illennarianism w ith being en tirely un-Methodistic and say th a t it cannot possibly be made to fit into our doctrines. I t is a g raft which cannot live upon our doctrinal tree. There is no place for it, and we must eith er su r rend er our doctrines and policies or m ake w ar on th is school of though t. And I go fu rth e r and say in all kindness th a t no Methodist preacher w ith credentials in his pocket can consistently be a p rem illenn arian .” Much more follows of a similar character, which the Nashville Chris tian Advocate seems to have endorsed, and which “ The Indian Witness” very heartily endorses. This would seem to indicate that some very influ ential men in the Methodist Episcopal Church South at least, are advocating that all preachers who have imbibed premillennarian views from a study of the Word of God must either give up their views or get out of the Metho dist Episcopal Church South. In the issue of “ The Indian Witness” for July 17th there is an attack upon premillennarianism covering a page and a half, "an attack of a most bitter character. It is by Rev. James Mudge, D. D., who had been editorially connected with the paper. In another column in the paper the fact is announced that Dr. James Mudge “ was last week elected secretary of the New England Conference for the thirtieth successive time.” Dr. Mudge’s article begins with these words: “F o r th e protection of th e community and th e m aintenance of th e sobriety of th e Gospel, some heed m ust be given to the present enormous activity of the propaganda of pessimism and the exploitation of certain eccentric dogmas p erta in ing to th e la st things. When one th ink s of th e vast numbers of good people who have died, deceived and disappointed because of th e ir strong faith in one of th e
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