foe which is every day putting on renewed strength, that deadly foe by which in other days so many of our Presbyterian fathers were sent to join and increase "the goodly company of martyrs." We shall conclude the article with the statistics of the church. which is very remarkably established by ernment, forgetful of their ancient animosthe history of the Associate Reformed ities, shall unite their hearts and their Church for the last twenty years, is gain-energies against that common and mighty ing ground both at the North and the West; and we do not believe that any considerable portion of our church will ever consent to the erection of such a Synod, having appellate jurisdiction over the whole United States. This is, in fact, to carry the principle of Presbyterianism to an unwarrantable length; all the arguments adduced to prove the necessity of such Synods or Assemblies, if worth any thing, prove the necessity of a permanent Ecumenical Synod or Assembly. Recent events, especially the increasing agitation on the subject of slavery, convince us that the day is not very distant, when the other and larger branches of the Presbyterian Church in the United States, will be compelled to take the same position, on this subject, with the Associate Reformed Church. It only remains to add to this historical sketch, that for the last five or six years a correspondence has been going on botween the Associate Reformed, the Associate, and the Reformed Presbyterian Churches, with a view to their amalgamation into one body. Among persons of right Christian feelings, and of enlarged minds, there can be but one opinion, as to the desirableness of such a union; but we are sorry to say, that at the present time, the prospect of its accomplishment is by no means flattering. Still, the partics concerned are acting with great caution, and experience proves that in all attempts at union, the dictate of true wisdom, is "festina lente." The great deliberation by which this movement has been distinguished, may at least inspire the hope that when the union does take place, it will be a union that deserves the name. And yet, if it were speedily effected, while we should greatly rejoice, the question would force itself upon us— why should the united Scottish Church maintain a separate existence in America? We confess that we should look upon this as a step towards a yet more blessed consummation. We should look upon it as the harbinger of that day, when Presbyterians, so long divided and alienated, though one in their confession and gov I. The Synod of New York, contains four Presbyteries, viz: New York, Saratoga, Washington, and Caledonia. The whole number of ministers is 34; and of congregations, settled and vacant, about 43. The Theological Seminary is at Newburgh, Rev. Joseph McCarroll, D. D., Professor of Theology; the Professorship of Church History is at present vacant. II. The Synod of the West, about four years since, was turned into a General Synod, having under its care the following particular ones, viz: The 1. The East Sub-Synod, containing the following Presbyteries: Big Spring, Monongahela, The Lakes, Mansfield, Steubenville, Blairsville, Second Ohio. East Synod, contains about 60 ministers, and about 100 congregations, settled and vacant. The Theological Seminary is established at Alleghany, near Pittsburg, under the care of Rev. John T. Pressley, D. D., Professor of Theology; Rev. James L. Dinwiddie, Professor of Biblical Criticism; the Professorship of Church History is vacant. 2. The West Sub-Synod, contains the following Presbyteries: First Ohio, Chilicothe, Springfield, Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan. It numbers about 40 ministers, and 70 or 80 congregations, settled and vacant. The Theological Seminary is established at Oxford, Ohio, under the care of the Rev. Joseph Claybaugh, D. D., Professor of Theology. III. The Synod of the South, contains the following Presbyteries: First Carolina, Second Carolina, Georgia and Tennessee. The number of ministers is about 25, and of congregations 40. They have a Literary and Theological Institution, called the Clarke and Erskine College, in Abbeville District. The names of the Professors we are unable to give, though we understand the College is in a flourishing condition. HISTORY OF THE ADVENTISTS. BY JOSIAH LITCH, OF PHILADELPHIA. ADVENTISTS are so called from the prominence which they give to the doctrine of the near and personal coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. They have no new views of truth, and base their belief entirely on the testimony of the holy Scriptures, as understood by the church in its best and purest ages. As a body they have arisen under the labors of Wm. Miller, of Low Hampton, N. Y., and others who looked to the coming of the Lord, about A. D. 1843. Wm. Miller commenced lecturing in 1833, and his views were published about the same time in the Vermont Telegraph. To meet the calls for information on his views, he collected these articles in a pamphlet, which he distributed gratuitously. One edition of his lectures was published in 1836. Early in 1840, Joshua V. Himes, a minister in the Christian Connexion, became a believer in these views, and commenced the publication of a paper called “the Signs of the Times, and Exposition of Prophecy," issuing it for nearly two years, only once in two weeks. Since that time it has been published weekly, and has reached the fourteenth Volume. It is now called "The Advent Herald." It was commenced without subscribers or funds, but its circulation gradually increased, so that it is widely circulated in our own country, and is sent to Canada, England and the West Indies. PECULIARITIES OF ADVENTISTS. Advent believers are not distinguished as a body by any dissent from the great leading doctrines of the Evangelical portion of the Christian Church, such as the Divinity of Christ, His Sacrifice and Atonement for sin, the doctrine of future and eternal rewards and punishment, &c. On all these points they receive the plain literal testimony of the Bible, in its most obvious import, without attempting to explain it away. THEY DO DIFFER FROM MOST BODIES OF CHRISTIANS. On the personal, Premillennial Advent of Christ, and his personal, bodily reign on the earth with his Resurrected and glorified saints. They cannot see, if, according to Isa. vii. 14, Christ was fortold to be born of a virgin, and it came to pass; Matth. i. 18-25;-If, as foretold Micah. v. 2. Christ was literally born in Bethlehem, Matth. ii. 1 :—And that according to Dan. ix. 26, Messiah came at the expiration of seven weeks and sixty-two weeks, Mark i. 15; and if after the sixty-two weeks, Messiah was literally cut off:If, as foretold by 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 according to Ps. xvi. 10, Christ's soul was not left in hell (hades) nor did his flesh see corruption;-If according to Ps. cx. 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 have;Then the Adventists cannot see ground for doubting that the same rule will be observed in the fulfilment of all other prophecies relating to Christ. Thus, prophecy foretels Christ as the seed of Abraham, in whom all the families of the earth shall be blessed; Gen. xxii. 18. It also promises to the seed of Abraham, all the land of Canaan, for an EVERLASTING Possession, in connection with Abraham himself, Gen. xvii. 8. Hence the land is called Isa. viii. 8, Emanuel's land. But when Christ was on earth he had not where to lay his head:-Therefore, he must return personally to inherit it. Christ is the predicted Son of David, who is to sit forever on David's throne; he is the Son of David according to the flesh, Ps. cxxxii. 11. But while on earth he never sat on David's throne. He went to Jerusalem as foretold, on an ass' colt; claimed his rights, was proclaimed king by the children, but rejected by the Rulers; Matth. xxi. Hence, he must return to earth to enjoy his kingdom and "reign over the house of Jacob forever." Luke i. 32, 33. Christ has the promise of the uttermost parts of the earth for his possession; but he never yet had it. Ps. ii. 8. Therefore, he must come back to earth, to possess it. Prophecy points out the coming of Christ to receive his kingdom and dominion over all nations, to be in "the Clouds of Heaven." Dan. vii. 13, 14. But he never yet came thus:-He must, therefore, fulfil the prediction in futurity, at his Second Advent. He cannot have universal dominion till he does. Christ rose from the dead in the identical body in which he was crucified and buried, and was so identified; John xx. 24-31. Those who thus identified his person, of flesh and bones, saw him go from earth up into heaven, and a cloud received him out of their sight. They were told by divine messengers, that this same Jesus, whom they saw go into heaven, "Shall so come again in like manner." Acts i. 2-11. That the Second Advent of Our Lord will be pre-millennial, they conclude from various considerations. 1. The Millennial Reign is placed after THE First ResurrectION, Rev. xx. 1—6, which cannot be till the Second Advent of Christ. Those who have part in the first resurrection are Saints, and will live forever. The Second death has no power on them. But they that are Christ's, are to be raised at his coming; and that is the order of the resurrection to follow Christ's resurrection. 1 Cor. xv. 23. Christ's coming, and the resurrection of the just, must therefore, precede the millennial reign. Again :-The Millennial period, follows the casting the beast and false prophet into the lake of fire, and shutting up the devil in the Abyss or bottomless pit. Rev. xix. 20; and xx. 1-3. Thus, before the Millennium, all the great anti-christian powers are put down. The man of Sin, however, the Son of perdition, is only to be destroyed by the brightness of Christ's coming. 2 Thess. ii. 8. The coming of Christ, for his destruction must, therefore, be pre-millennial. It will be seen by the foregoing, that they believe there will be two distinct resurrections, a thousand years apart; "the life;" "the resurrection of the just;” first resurrection;" "the resurrection of and the resurrection of "the rest of the dead;" "the resurrection of damnation;" "the resurrection of the unjust." The separating period is only named in Rev. XX, but the distinction in the resurrection is frequently made. THE NATURE OF THE MILLENNIUM. The general view entertained by the Church that the millennium will be a thousand years of peace, and be introduced by the conversion of the world to Christ, and consist in his universal Spiritual reign; together with the Millennarian or Literalist view, that although Christ will come and reign personally on earth during the Millennium, yet that period will be a period of probation, in which the heathen who never heard the Gospel, and the Jews who have been cut off during the christian dispensation, will have the gospel preached to them and be |