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from town to town, toiling unceasingly to bear to the world the solemn
warning of the Judgment near, was sneeringly denounced as a fanatic,
a liar, a speculating knave.
The ridicule, falsehood, and abuse heaped upon him called forth
indignant remonstrance, even from the secular press. To treat a subject
of such overwhelming majesty and fearful consequences, with light-
ness and ribaldry, was declared by worldly men to be not merely to
sport with the feelings of its advocates, but “to make a jest of the day
of Judgment, to scoff at God himself, and to mock the terrors of his
Judgment-bar.”
The instigator of all evil sought not only to counteract the effect
of the Advent message, but to destroy the messenger himself. Miller
made a practical application of Scripture truth to the hearts of his
hearers, reproving their sins, and disturbing their self-satisfaction, and
his plain and cutting words aroused their enmity. The opposition
manifested by church-members toward his message, emboldened the
baser classes to go to greater lengths; and enemies plotted to take his
life as he should leave the place of meeting. But holy angels were in
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the throng, and one of these, in the form of a man, took the arm of this
servant of the Lord, and led him in safety from the angry mob. His
work was not yet done, and Satan and his emissaries were disappointed
in their purpose.
Despite all opposition, the interest in the Advent movement had
continued to increase. From scores and hundreds, the congregations
had grown to as many thousands. Large accessions had been made
to the various churches, but after a time the spirit of opposition was
manifested even against these converts, and the churches began to take
disciplinary steps with those who had embraced Miller’s views. This
action called forth a response from his pen, in an address to Christians
of all denominations, urging that if his doctrines were false he should
be shown his error from the Scriptures.
“What have we believed,” he said, “that we have not been com-
manded to believe by the Word of God, which you yourselves allow is
the rule, and the only rule, of our faith and practice? What have we
done that should call down such virulent denunciations against us from
pulpit and press, and give you just cause to exclude us [Adventists]
from your church and fellowship?” “If we are wrong, pray show us
wherein consists our wrong. Show us from the Word of God that we