Foundations of the Seventh-day Adventist Message and Mission

C. The Millerite Attitudes to Other Churches

And there followed another angel saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication. Revelation 14:8. FSDA 46.3

This section describes the general Millerite ecclesiological self-understanding in relation to the Roman Catholic Church and the Protestant churches before 1843 and their attempts to function as an interconfessional movement. Their relation to the various ecclesiastical organizations was interrelated to their historicist interpretation of the term “Babylon” and the seven churches of Revelation. From its beginnings Millerism was an interconfessional movement with its aim to arouse the churches regarding Christ’s imminent return. It was only when the missionary activity of the individual Millerites in their respective churches resulted in strong opposition, antagonism, and hostility that separatism became inevitable. FSDA 46.4

1. The Roman Catholic Church

In common with many other Protestants who employed historicist hermeneutic, ⁵ the Millerites identified the Roman Catholic Church with Babylon, especially during the early years of their movement. There was a strong anti-Roman Catholic sentiment throughout the U.S.A., so that scriptural interpretations unfavorable to this church were readily accepted by many. The fall of Babylon as stated in Revelation 14:8 was seen by Litch as the fall of Rome caused by the French. ¹ Miller declared that this text “shows the downfall of the papal power; or mystical Babylon, which was fulfilled in 1798, when she lost her power to rule over the kings of the earth.” ² Its final destruction was expected in the immediate future. ⁴ Although the Roman Catholic Church frequently was denounced in Millerite publications, the adherents to this faith who accepted the premillennial doctrine of the Second Advent were welcomed in the movement. FSDA 46.5

2. The Protestant churches

The Millerite ecclesiology was strongly affected by the historicist interpretation of the seven churches of Revelation 2 and Revelation 3. In harmony with a long tradition of Protestant commentators ⁵ Miller stated that these seven churches “describe the spirit and qualities of the several periods of the Christian church.” ⁶ The church of Ephesus (2:1-7) he identified as the church of the apostolic age, the church of Smyrna (2:8-11) as the church under the persecution of the Roman empire from the first century until the year 312, the church of Pergamos (2:12-17) as the worldly church from the time of Constantine to the rise of the papacy (312-538), the church of Thyatira (2:18-29) as the church in the wilderness persecuted by the papacy (538-l0th century), the Sardis church (3:1-6) as the church of the “Waldenses, Valdenses, etc” (l0th century-Reformation), and the Philadelphian church (3:7-13) with the church of the Reformation (Reformation- about 1798). ⁸ Miller considered himself living in the time of the last period of the Christian church, the Laodicean church (3:14-22), which began about 1798 and would last until 1843 “when this dispensation will close, and the books be opened, the hypocrites will be spued out of the church and the sanctuary cleansed.” Laodicea Miller evaluated as the Protestant churches of his day enjoying peace in and among the kingdoms of the earth, enjoying all the privileges of citizens without persecution, making great and many improvements in her worldly concerns, rich in this world’s goods, having at her command many millions of funds, and almost swaying the destinies of the world; great, learned and rich men enlisting under her banners, controlling the fashions, customs and laws of the day, swaying a mighty influence over the education of our youth, and giving a general tone to the literature of the world, increasing her demands for power, establishing bishoprics, presbyteries, national and state conventions, conferences, councils, associations, consociations, societies innumerable: and all these controlled almost exclusively by her clergy. ¹ FSDA 47.1

Others did not stress the power and influence of Protestantism, but pointed to its division as manifested in “the hundreds of the sectarian or broken fragments of her body.” ² From here it was only one step further to associate the multiplicity of divisions and dissensions, which created such a confusion and strife among Christians, with the term “Babylon.” ³ The identification of the Protestant churches with Babylon was not a new concept developed by some Millerites but had already been expounded by individuals in England and America in the 18th century. ⁴ This view, however, was not common among Millerites during the early years of their movement. Up until 1842 the general idea was held of the Roman Catholic Church as Babylon. FSDA 48.1

Besides the criticism of the quest for power and sectarianism, the Protestant churches were also attacked for heresy and their adherence to creeds above the Bible. The Millerites had a high regard for the primitive church and the Reformers, but they felt the churches of the Reformation had departed from the Scriptures, especially in their interpretation of the millennium. ⁵ Eschewing postmillennialism, the Millerites considered it their main objective “to revive and restore this ancient faith” of the premillennial coming of Christ and “to renew the ancient landmarks.” ⁶ FSDA 48.2

3. Interconfessionalism

Although the Millerites strongly criticized the Roman Catholic Church and Protestant churches, they had no intention at first of starting a separate religious organization. In 1840 at the First General Conference they stated explicitly regarding their mission objectives that we have no purpose to distract the churches with any new inventions, or to get to ourselves a name by starting another sect among the followers of the Lamb. We neither condemn, nor rudely assail, others of a faith different from our own nor dictate in matters of conscience for our brethren, nor seek to demolish their organizations, nor build new ones of our own; but simply to express our convictions like Christians, with the reasons for entertaining them which have persuaded us to understand the word and promises, the prophecies and the gospel, of our Lord, as the first Christians, the primitive ages of the church, and the profoundly learned and intelligent reformers, have unanimously done, in the faith and hope that the Lord will “come quickly,” “in his glory” to fulfill all his promises in the resurrection of the dead. ¹ FSDA 48.3

In view of the implications of the Midnight Cry, it was their aim to warn their “fellow Christians of all sects and denominations, to trim their lamps, and be in readiness for the coming of the bridegroom.” ² FSDA 49.1

Without separating themselves from their respective churches, Christians from different churches participated in the Millerite movement, which seemed to have affected almost all churches. ³ The leaders of the movement gave those who accepted Miller’s views the advice not to sever their connection with the various churches but to “remain as they are,” and to “seek rather to purify, and prepare the elect for the coming of the Lord, when Babylon will fall, and God will make all things new.” ⁴ Prejudicial attitudes had to be avoided, and there was no sympathy with “those who sow discord among brethren, who withdraw from the fellowship of the churches, who rail at the of fire of the ministry, and triumph in the exposure of the errors of a secular apostate church, and who count themselves holier than others, or wiser than their fellows.” ⁶ Thus, one could read in their publications that “the right hand of our Christian fellowship and union” was offered to “all disciples of our common Lord, of every sect and denomination.” FSDA 49.2

Among the Millerites there seemed to be no fundamental difference as to the ground of man’s salvation. However, due to the interconfessional nature of the movement there was a difference in emphasis so that some believers referred to the mercy of Christ while others mentioned the fear of God or stressed the justice or righteousness of God. The ground of man’s salvation was seen in the work of Christ and human response, a response not limited merely to acceptance of the mercy and love of Christ but including also the necessity of accepting Millerite apocalyptic-eschatology. FSDA 49.3

Initially little attention was given to the question of the atonement, so that on this aspect the Millerites reflected their respective church traditions. This situation changed in 1843-44 when they gave more attention to the termination of Christ’s high-priestly ministry. At that time no reference was made to the traditional doctrine that the atonement happened once and for all on the cross, but the concept began to be emphasized that the atonement was the continual process of Christ’s ministry in heaven. ¹ According to Miller, the death and sacrifice of Christ were “only preparatory steps” to the atonement made by His “life and intercession in heaven.” ² FSDA 50.1