world, and shalt put an end to all earthly tyrannies, proclaiming thy universal and mild monarchy through heaven and earth." * * *

I have brought these things to your notice, that we may be able to meet at the very door all charges of "new light," and novelty, which unlearned men are sometimes ready to cast upon the faith and practices of the primitive church, the reformers, and many of the most renowned of the clergy and laity of England, and of our own country.

The Conference sung the following hymn :

"From whence doth this union arise,

That hatred is conquered by love?

It fastens our souls in such ties

That nature and time can't remove.

It cannot in Eden be found,
Nor yet in the paradise lost;
It grows on Emmanuel's ground,
And Jesus' dear blood it did cost.
My friends are so dear unto me,
Our hearts are united in love;
Where Jesus is gone we shall be,

In yonder blest mansions above.

O why then so loath to depart,
Since we shall ere long meet again?
Engraved on Emmanuel's heart,

At distance we cannot remain.

And when we shall see that bright day,
United with angels above,

No longer confined to our clay,

O'erwhelmed in the ocean of love,

O then with our Jesus we'll reign,
And all his bright glory shall see,
And sing hallelujah, amen,
Amen, even so let it be."

A committee of nominations was appointed, to report in the afternoon.

Josiah Litch, of Eastham, occupied the remainder of the morning, enlisting the attention of the Conference to an elaborate discourse on Christ's coming in glory.

Wednesday, Oct. 14, P. M.

The brethren engaged in singing, prayer, and social conference, until three o'clock, when the chairman took his seat, and the committee appointed in the morning made report, and accordingly the following appointments were made, viz:

HENRY DANA WARD, Chairman.

DAVID MILLARD, JOSIAH SEAVEY, J. LORD, R. W. REED, Assistants.

HENRY JONES, P. R. RUSSELL, Secretaries.

Committee of Arrangements. J. V. HIMES, J. LITCH, JOSEPH BATES, CHARLES F. STEVENS, STEPHEN GOODHUE. Committee of Finance and the Roll. DANIEL MERRILL, WM. CLARK, CALVIN FRENCH, NATHANIEL BILLINGS.

J. V. Himes read a letter from Bro. Miller's son, Low Hampton, Washington Co., N. Y., stating the illness of his father, which deprived the Conference of much anticipated satisfaction in his presence.

The chairman then delivered a discourse on the history of the doctrine of the millenium, showing, from records of antiquity, the progress of the doctrine, and its changes, from its origin to this day; and also its incompatibility with the faith once delivered to the apostles and saints.

Wednesday Evening, Oct. 14.

Conference opened with singing and prayer, and mutual exhortation. Henry Jones presented some extracts and remarks on the Confessions of Faith and the Standards of the churches, relating to the second coming of Christ, &c., sustaining the sentiment of Mr. Ward's discourse on the millenium.

Extracts from various Church Creeds, and Remarks, communicated by Henry Jones.

REFORMED DUTCH CHURCH.

"Article 37-Judgment. Finally, we believe, according to the word of God, when the time appointed by the Lord, (which is unknown to all creatures,) is come, and the number of the elect complete, that our Lord Jesus Christ will come from heaven corporally and visibly as he ascended, with great glory and majesty. *** Therefore we expect that great day with a most ardent desire, to the end that we may fully enjoy the promises of God in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. Rev. xxii. 20.”*

If, indeed, as this church here publicly declare, they look for or "expect that great day" of Christ's coming, &c., with a most ardent desire, then "fully" to "enjoy the promises of God," surely they "are looking out for it at hand, rather than more ardently desiring its being a thousand years off."

PRESBYTERIAN AND CONGREGATIONAL CHURCHES.

"Question. Wherein doth Christ's exaltation consist?

"Answer. Christ's exaltation consisteth in his rising again from the dead on the third day; his ascending up into heaven; sitting on the right hand of God the Father, and in his coming to judge the world at the last day.

* ** *

Question. What do we pray for in the second petition? [of the Lord's prayer.]

"Answer. In the second petition, which is "thy kingdom come," we pray that Satan's kingdom may be destroyed, [utterly, at Christ's coming] that the king

*R. D. Church Psalms and Confessions.

dom of grace may be advanced, ourselves and others brought into it, and kept in it, and that the kingdom of glory may be hastened."*

In these questions and answers, found also in the "Westminster Assembly's Catechism," which has long been a doctrinal platform of the Presbyterian and Congregational churches, they virtually deny the now popular doctrine of Christ's coming again to reign spiritually, or to have part of his "exaltation" in a millenium of this world, before his coming "in his kingdom to judge the world at the last day." If then, as they further say, we should pray, and pray in faith, that these great events of "the kingdom of glory" at the judgment of "the last day" "may be hastened;" cannot, of course, desire, nor pray in faith for their being delayed, so long as to give time for a temporal millenium first. And though they have refrained, and very justly too, in my own view, from fixing a time, I cannot but cordially harmonize with them in their published faith on this subject, with my most earnest and daily prayers that all those things, with the very "kingdom of glory, may be hastened."

EPISCOPAL CHURCH.

"Article 4. Christ did truly rise from death

we

-he ascended into heaven, and there sitteth until he return to judge all men at the last day."†

THE APOSTLE'S CREED.

"He [Christ] ascended into heaven and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father; from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead."†

NICEAN CREED.-COMPOSED A. D. 325.

"He [Christ] ascended into heaven and sitteth on the right hand of God. And he shall come again with glory to judge both the quick and the dead, whose kingdom [then coming] shall have no end."†

METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH.

"Article 3. Christ did truly rise from the dead,-he ascended into heaven, and there sitteth until he return to judge the world at the last day."‡

Without fixing a time, the Episcopal and Methodist churches here, also, seem expressly and purposely to exclude from their public faith the now common notion of Christ's "invisible appearing," as it has been called, to reign spiritually during a millenium of this world, and previous to the resurrection. For, surely, they can mean no less by affirming as they do, distinctly and positively, that, having "ascended into heaven," he "there sitteth, until he return to judge all men," or "to judge the world at the last day." Though at this much later period of time, in the fulfilment of the prophetic signs of the day at hand, our conviction of

* Presbyterian Church Confessions. Discipline Meth. E. Church.

† Church Prayer Book.

its special nearness should be deeper than had we lived in their day. Surely, their phraseology is right still, and will continue to harmonize with the doctrine of Christ, John, and others of the holy writers, that "the kingdom of heaven is at hand," until, as the lightning from heaven, this very kingdom shall come.

So far as I can yet learn, this flattering and secular doctrine, if it may be so called, is so altogether modern, that there is no denomination of Christians nor individual church which has published it to the world as an article of their creed. Should any individual of the congregation know of one instance to the contrary, they are requested to report accordingly to this Conference before its close. And yet, it is supposed to be a fact, from the most diligent researches, that in case of the several evangelical denominations who have adopted a uniform creed for their whole sect, as in case of the above, they have also condemned or excluded the doctrine of a mere spiritual coming and reigning of Christ himself, before his actually coming, "with power and great glory,' ""to judge the world at the last day." And after all these long standing and yet abiding public professions of disbelief in a millenium of Christ's invisible reign in this present evil world, the darkness on this subject is now so great, by reason of the false prophet and otherwise, that there are supposed to be multitudes of the watchmen of the denominations making these very professions, who, after all, are so sanguine in the opposite faith, that is, of a millenium in this world, before Christ's real return with his kingdom, that they seemingly dare not admit to their pulpits this blessed doctrine of their own creeds, that Christ's second or next coming is at hand, with a kingdom and millenium to be glorious and everlasting, and the sure portion of all them "that love his appearing.

J. Litch followed with an able discourse on the Chronology of Prophecy.

The exercises of the evening concluded with reading the Circular Address, by Henry Jones, which will be found in the conclusion of the proceedings.

Thursday, Oct. 15, A. M.

Conference opened with religious exercises.

A Committee of Foreign Correspondence was chosen, consisting of J. V. HIMES, WM. MILLER, H. D. WARd, J. Litch, HENRY JONES.

And a Committee of Publication, consisting of H. D. WARD, J. V. HIMES, WM. CLARK.

After which, Henry Jones delivered a studied discourse. on the restoration of Israel; showing it to be the restoration of God's believing Israel to the "New Jerusalem."

Thursday, Oct. 15, P. M.

Opened with prayers and mutual exhortation. The Conference heard from different members very interesting reports of the introduction and progress of the doctrine of the kingdom of heaven at hand in the various places of their abode. Among them were Russell of Springfield, Litch of Eastham, Millard of Fairhaven, Lincoln of Portland, Me., and Reed of Strafford, Vt. After which, the communion of the Lord's Supper was administered by Messrs. Russell and Litch to some two hundred or more communicants of different evangelical denominations, many of whom were from remote distances. During, and after, this service, interesting remarks were continued by a number of the friends of the cause. And such a time of remembering the Lord's death till he come, among his scattered and divided people, has hardly taken place since the "falling away first" took place.

Thursday Evening, Oct. 15.

J. V. Himes presented the discourses which WM. MILLER had prepared for this Conference, and now had forwarded; one on the Chronology of Prophecy, the other on the Judgment. The latter was read by Bro. H., and listened to with deep interest and profound attention.

RECOMMENDATION OF THE "SIGNS OF THE TIMES.' Resolved, That we heartily approve of the establishment of the paper in Boston, Mass., called "THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES," edited by Joshua V. Himes, for the dissemination of light on the subject of the near approach of the glorious kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ;, and we believe it calculated to do immense good to the souls of men, by leading them to a more diligent study of the Holy Scriptures, and awakening in them a more earnest desire and effort to be prepared for the great and glorious event.

Resolved, That we earnestly recommend that all our friends, believers in the kingdom near, exert themselves to increase its circulation, by obtaining subscribers among their acquaintances, and thus assist in extending the knowledge of the coming of the Lord, and leading men to a preparation to meet him.