The Prophetic Faith of Our Fathers, vol. 3

CHAPTER TWELVE: Emphasis Upon Turkish Woe Trumpet

I. Colonial Isolationism Replaced by Nationalism

With the year 1776 we enter the Early National period. Prior to 1774-the assembling of the first Continental Congress -there had been no united American people, but rather several local centers of English civilization spread over Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, Georgia, and the Carolinas, differing widely in their characteristics, their spirit, and their custom. No cohesive principle prevailed. And each had a separate literary emphasis. Thus the literature of the Established churchman of Virginia differed from the literature of the colonists of New England, and contained practically no prophetic exposition. And between the two extremes came the Dutch Presbyterians of Pennsylvania and New York and the Quakers of Pennsylvania. ¹ PFF3 207.1

But a change came through the rise of journalism and the founding of new colleges. The aborted Boston Public Occurences, of 1690, was followed by The Boston News-Letter of 1704 -the first paper to live. Then in 1719 came The Boston Gazette, and in the same year the Philadelphia American Weekly Mercury. The first newspaper in New York appeared in 1721, the first in Maryland in 1727, and the first in Rhode Island and South Carolina in 1732. By 1765 forty-three newspapers had been established. ² PFF3 207.2

These little papers began to lift the eyes of the people beyond their own borders, and led toward colonial union. Then the magazines made their appearance-Benjamin Franklin’s Philadelphia General Magazine and Historical Chronicle in 1741, and in 1743 the Boston American Magazine and Historical Chronicle ³ Interchange of thought was in operation. PFF3 208.1

Another material factor was the founding of seven colleges prior to 1765-Harvard (1636); William and Mary (1693); Yale (1700); New Jersey, now Princeton (1746); King’s, now Columbia (1754); Philadelphia, now University of Pennsylvania (1755); and Rhode Island, now Brown University (1764). The study of the classics prevailed in all. Each gathered students from the other colonies, and among them there developed a sense of fraternity. Thus colonial isolationism ended by 1765, as the minds of all were swept into the same great current of absorbing thought. Henceforth there is one united people. ⁴ PFF3 208.2

In the field of prophecy the emphasis still continues on the year-day principle, as applied to the papal 1260-year period, and the Turkish sixth woe epoch. Definite cognizance is taken of the dark day of 1780. A minister, a deacon, a doctor, a historian, a postmaster, and a noted theologian each contribute to the picture. And again postmillennialism’s growing strides are to be seen. PFF3 208.3