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]
[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.
No comments:
Post a Comment