would be as useless to them as
to the laity if the last days were at hand. Donations to the Church were
given by fools and received by knaves. The reason assigned for the gift
is generally thus expressed: _Appropinquante mundi termino--The end of
the world being now at hand_.*

When the tenth century ended without a sign of the Second Advent, people
looked at each other and said "He is not come then." And the priests
chuckled, "No, he has not come, but your property is gone." There was no
chance of bringing an action for obtaining money under false pretences,
and Holy Mother Church never gives back a farthing of what she
obtains, for what is once devoted to God can never be alienated without
sacrilege.

Although the delusion has been milder since then, it has always lurked
among the ignorant, and occasionally become acute. Silly Christians
still shake their heads when a comet is visible, and regard it as a
blazing portent. They even hint that one of these wanderers through
space may collide with our globe and cause the final smash; not knowing
that comets are quite harmless, and that hundreds of cubic miles of
their tails would not outweigh a jar-ful of air.

Dr. Cumming foretold the grand collapse several times. His books were
read by thousands of superstitious people. Finally, he was played out,
and he went to his grave a discredited prophet. Had he been wiser he
would have fixed the event some time after he was likely to be buried.
Then the game would have lasted his lifetime, and what does it matter if
you are found out when you are dead?

How far Gumming believed his own prophecies is a moot point. It is said
that he bought the lease of a house, which expired about twenty-five
years after his date for the day of judgment.

Prophet Baxter, of the _Christian Herald_, now runs the business. He
wrote a book to prove that Louis Napoleon was Antichrist. Louis
Napoleon is dead and nearly forgotten. Then he proved that Gambetta
was Antichrist. Gambetta is dead and not forgotten. Then he proved that
Prince Jerome was Antichrist. Prince Jerome is nowhere, and Baxter is
looking out for a fresh Antichrist. Yet his paper is read by hundreds of
thousands. As Heine said, the fool-crop is perennial.

Over in America the Second Adventists are a numerous body. They watch
and pray for the coming of Christ, and keep white robes ready for their
ascension. Some time ago they donned their linen in the expectation
that the Lord was