More from Current Work: A. P. Adams

 For comment or suggestions.

           A guide to Beverly, Massachusetts, described it as “a little religious society in Beverly that has no particular sectarian name.” This was common practice among Restitution and Age-to-Come sects. “Its membership is composed of people who were formerly Methodists; they came from that body because of becoming interested through their pastor, Rev. A. P. Adams, in the subject of the Lord's coming and the Restitution of all things, (Acts 3:21) in the ‘Ages to come’ (Eph. 2:7).” When interviewed Adams made a point of saying “they are not Adventists ... for they believe that the second coming of Christ is for the blessing of the whole human race, a view that the Advent sect altogether repudiate.”

 

            His congregation was very small, though Adams claimed “there are thousands of (sympathizers) scattered over the country.” If one counted all Universalists and Age-to-Come believers, in truth it would be difficult to find thousands who sympathized with Adams’ unique doctrines. This was an exaggeration.

            Meetings were held Sunday afternoons in Good Templar's Hall, except the last Sunday of the month when the meeting was in Boston. The guide we’ve drawn this from said:

 

A general convention is held in Beverly during the month of June each year for those in New England and vicinity. Besides this, Mr. Adams, who is still their pastor, accompanied by his wife, makes an extended tour every year, (since 1890), of three or four months among the interested ones in the South and West and up in the Canadian provinces. A monthly paper has been published in Beverly ... for the dissemination of these views; many books and thousands of copies of tracts have been scattered far and wide over the land. This faith is briefly expressed in the language of the day as the “larger hope," though with Mr. Adams and those in sympathy with him, it is more than a hope, it is plain Scriptural doctrine.[1]

 

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[1]               W. C. Morgan: Beverly, Garden City by the Sea: An Historical Sketch of the North Shore City, Amos O. Odell, Beverly, 1897, pages 120-121.