l arguments
of the blind leading the blind. Much reliance is placed upon the history
of the "early fathers," so called, who succeeded the Apostles, to settle
the question. We ought to remember that these were uninspired men, and we
do not know even so much about their characters, as we do of the
uninspired fathers of the last century, whose teaching led us all into
Babylon. If the true history of the advent doctrine from 1842 to the
autumn of 1844, had, with the subsequent events in our history up to 1848,
been published 1800 years ago from the Advent Heralds, and their
conductors had been called the fathers--it would have puzzled all the wise
heads in Christendom, in this age, to have expounded their meaning; for we
see it requires all the energies of the human mind to trace their crooked
tracks, even when right before us. For this reason, I have said but little
about history; my whole and entire reliance being upon the inspired word
of the living God. This, we are told, will make us "_perfect_ and
_entire_--_wanting nothing_."--2d Tim. iii: 17.

If what I have and may here present in this work will not stand the test
of what we have seen and felt ourselves--fulfilling the clear word of God
in these last days, then I shall fail in my object of comforting and
strengthening the flock of God. I fully believe in history, when all
deductions are fully allowed.

PAST AND PRESENT EXPERIENCE.

TO WILLIAM MILLER,

_Dear Sir_,--The time was, when all second advent believers were dear to
you, and they called you father and brother Miller. Alas, how changed the
scene is now! Jesus says "whosoever shall do the will of my Father which
is in heaven, the same is my brother and sister and mother." They can't
believe that you are doing the will of God, as you once was, though they
cannot help loving and venerating your name for the great light which you
have given--because you are wounding their feelings by calling them
Fanatics, Door-Shutters, and almost any thing but honest people, to
destroy all their reputation and christian fellowship, and make them feel
if possible, that they are worse than the heathen. In this way you have
weaned their affection from you, and when you give them an exposition of
God's word now, they doubt: say they, he first gave us the light, and we
rallied to his standard, because it agreed with the scriptures--but when we
were come to the most trying and toilsome part of our journey then he
forsoo