e interest from that of existing denominations, or to
benefit one at the expense of another. I thought to benefit all. Supposing
that all Christians would rejoice in the prospect of Christ's coming, and
that those who could not see as I did would not love any the less those
who should embrace this doctrine, I did not conceive there would ever be
any necessity for separate meetings. My whole object was a desire to
convert souls to God, to notify the world of a coming judgment, and to
induce my fellow-men to make that preparation of heart which will enable
them to meet their God in peace. The great majority of those who were
converted under my labors united with the various existing churches."(619)
As his work tended to build up the churches, it was for a time regarded
with favor. But as ministers and religious leaders decided against the
advent doctrine, and desired to suppress all agitation of the subject,
they not only opposed it from the pulpit, but denied their members the
privilege of attending preaching upon the second advent, or even of
speaking of their hope in the social meetings of the church. Thus the
believers found themselves in a position of great trial and perplexity.
They loved their churches, and were loath to separate from them; but as
they saw the testimony of God's word suppressed, and their right to
investigate the prophecies denied, they felt that loyalty to God forbade
them to submit. Those who sought to shut out the testimony of God's word,
they could not regard as constituting the church of Christ, "the pillar
and ground of the truth." Hence they felt themselves justified in
separating from their former connection. In the summer of 1844 about fifty
thousand withdrew from the churches.
About this time a marked change was apparent in most of the churches
throughout the United States. There had been for many years a gradual but
steadily increasing conformity to worldly practices and customs, and a
corresponding decline in real spiritual life; but in that year there were
evidences of a sudden and marked declension in nearly all the churches of
the land. While none seemed able to suggest the cause, the fact itself was
widely noted and commented upon, by both the press and the pulpit.
At a meeting of the presbytery of Philadelphia, Mr. Barnes, author of a
commentary widely used, and pastor of one of the leading churches in that
city, "stated that he had been in the ministry for twenty years, and
ne
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