Millerites, or Adventists, as they are some- times called, are those millenarians [see Millennium] who adhere to the doctrines as expounded by William aiiller (q. v.). ^Vhen in 1833 he first began to proclaim millennial doctrines, the earnestness of his manner, his evident familiarity with the Scriptures and with his- tory, and the bold confidence with which he proclaimed his views, made so deep and wide an impression that he everywhere left in his wake large numbers examin- ing the evidences for themselves. Among his most ar- dent followers was Joshua V. Himes, a minister of the Christian connection, who, having become a believer, commenced, in 1840, without subscribers or funds, the
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publication of a semi-monthlv journal entitled Sit/ns of i (John xx, 24-31). Those who thus identified his person, fi -r- I L- •/•,„ .'f n,.,,^h,^„ . o„,i „,ootii,f» of flesh and bones, saw him go from earth up into heaven,
the Times and Kxposttion oj Pujpher;/ ; and, meetnig , ^^^^^ ^ ^,„,,^ ^^^.^j'^^ ^^.^ ^B^ ^^ ^^^^^ ^i^^^^ ^.,^^^, ^^.^^^
With success, two years later issued a weekly, under the told by divine messengers that this same Jesus, "whom title of tlie Adcent IJerald, which largely aided in dis- ' they saw go into heaven, "shall so come back again in seminating the doctrines of the Advent^sts, who now j ''H.^ "?='"""■'' <Acts i, 2-11). ■ , ^. ,
7 = , , • . 1- •. . o. . I. •.• 1 I 1. 1 hat the second advent will be pre-millennial. First,
comprise many thousands, in the Lmted btates, Briti.sh because the millennial reign is plated after the first res- America, and Great Britain. This journal (still pub- uneeiion (Hev. xx, 1-G), which cannot be till the second lished ill Boston, Mass.), together with the labors of Mr. ' "d^'ent of Christ. [Those who have pan in the first res- ,,.„ , ' , . ^." r. . ,,- . ! urrection are saints, and will live torever. The second
MiUer, who gave his time, his energies, and his property ^5^.^,^ i,as no power on them. But they that are Christ's to the extension of his views, and the efforts of numer- are to be raised at his coniin<r ; and tliat is the order of ous proselytes that everywhere rose up. soon established 'he resnnectiou to follow Christ's resurrection (1 Cor. sv, great numbers in a belief in the general correctness of , ^^t^'{le:^'f:.•e74•^^de^te•'^n^iE|■^f^ %^,
Mr. ]\liller's interpretation of the prophecies, and the | because the millennial period follows the casting the personal appearing of the Lord was eagerly looked for beast and the false j)rophet into the lake of fire, and the by some 5.),000 followers. Though disappointed at the \ tf^^^^^,^^'^^^^.^^^^ time set, and frequently from time to time since, there nium, all the great anti-Christian powers are to be pnt are still many adherents to Miller's views. Their aggre- down. The man of sin, however, the son of perdition, is gatenumber-isquite respectable,and their effortsfortheonly^to^bedestro^^^
dissemination of their convictions generous and unlal- 1 must therefore be pre-millenuial.
8. That there will be two resurrections, a thousand years apart, viz. the "first resurrection," "the resurrec- tion of life," "the resurrection of the just ;" and the "res- urrection of the rest of the dead," the "resurrection of damnation," the "resurrection of the unjust."
9. That the geueral view that the millennium will be a thousand years of peace, and be introduced by the con- version of the world to Christ, and consist in his uni-
tering. \\'hile as a body they make little or no preten- sion to influence, as individuals they are necessarily close Bible students; arc liberal, according to their means, to the i)oor and for the support of the Gospel; and notice- able in the main for the modesty and uprightness of their walk, and their careful conformity to virtue and to
law. As a body they accept the great leading doctrines versal"8pi"riViral "reign •" an'd 7h'e"miirenarVan' view that of the evangelical Church, and arc distinguished only though Christ will come and reign personally on earth for their peculiar belief in the personal coming of Christ, i during the millennium, yet that that period will be one of ,,.,'., . .,,.'.. ^, "^, ,ni probation, in which the heathen who had never heard of
and his bodily reign with his saints on the earth. 1 hey
have no creed nor form of discipline other than the Word of God, which they regard as a sufficient rule of faith and duty. They hold conferences, composed of lay and clergy, as often as it is deemed necessary for the discussion of such subjects and measures as the in- terests of the cause may demand ; but these are purely voluntarj^ and advisory, and claim to exercise no au- thority over the conscience of any.
In round numbers, the Millerites are supposed to com- prise in this country from fifteen to twenty thousand, scattered over all the states of the Union, in which es- timate those in the different churches, who are numer- ous, are not included.
General Doctrines of Belief.— \. They cannot see, if, ac- cording to Isa. vii, 14, Christ was forciUld to be born of a virgin, and it came to pass (Matt, i, is-'j.')) ; if, as foretold (Micah V, 2), Christ was literally boni in Ijethlehem (Matt, ii, 1) ; if, as foretold (Dan. ix, 26), Messiah came at the ex- piration of seven weeks and sixty-two weeks (Mark i, 1.5), and if after the sixty-two weeks Messiah was literally cut off; if, as foretold (Isa. liii, 8, 9), he was cut off out of the land of the living for the transgression of his people, and made his grave with the wicked and with the rich in his death; if (I'sa. xvi, 10) Christ's eoul was not left in hell, nor did his flesh see corruption ; if (Psa. ex, 1) Christ did sit on the right hand of God, and is to sit there till his enemies be made his footstool — if all these predictions have literally come to pass, and they think they have, then they cannot see ground for doubting that the same rule will be observed in the fulfilment of all other predic- tions relating to Christ.