Two Relatively Minor Century Controversies

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The Anti-Masonry Controversy (18261840)

the secrecy of Masonic meetings and rituals

seemed to many Baptists to violate the freedom that they believed was Gods intention for those that feared Himas early as 1798 the Charleston Assoc. (SC) raised concerns about Baptists joining the order because of the vow of secrecy, but matter was left to judgment of individualShaftsbury Assoc. of VT took similar position

Anti-Masonry (cont.)
1820sFreemasonry issue attracted special

attention because of an expos by William Morgan of NY, a former MasonMorgan disappeared in 1826 and a body was recovered in a riverrumors began to spread that Morgan had been murdered in an act of Masonic revengethe Whig political party played this up as evidence of un-Christian and un-American activities in American life (possible attempt to get votes of church people)there was even an Anti-Masonic partyevangelists like Charles Finney wrote vs. Masons

Anti-Masonry (cont.)
some associations became divided over

question of Baptists being Masonssome agreed to exclude Masons from fellowship in some churches involvement in a Masonic lodge meant exclusion from church membership issue died down after 1840many churches and associations refused to interfere with members who desired to belong to secret societiesdifferences of opinion lingered issue flared up again in SBC in 1990s

The Millerite Controversy

William Miller (1792-1849) was born in MA,

grew up in NY, moved to VT in 1803he was converted to Christ from Deism in 1816he then began a systematic study of the Bible 1818Miller concluded that Christ would return to earth in 1843, basing this on Daniel 8:14 and 9:24, along with Archbishop Usshers dates that were in the margins of his KJV

Millerites (cont.)
1831Millers 1st public presentation of his

ideasin 1833 he was licensed to preach by a Baptist congregation in Low Hampton, NY 1834-39Miller gave many public lectures, gaining access to pulpits of several Baptist churches in NY, New England, and PAhe attracted followers from several Protestant denominations when 1843 date did not work out, Miller revised it to 1844

Millerites (cont.)
Great Disappointment after revised

prophecy failedmany disillusionedsome returned to their churches and were disciplined, some gave up on religion, some tried to salvage the movement (Advent Christian Church and Seventh-day Adventists) estimates of Millers following range from 30,000 to 100,000

Millerites (cont.)
Henry Vedder in A Short History of the Baptists

(1907) measured the effect of the Millerite movement on Baptists: Eventually thousands of Baptists, and some entire churches, were drawn into this current, which bore them farther and farther away from their faith, and resulted in the establishment of the Second Advent body. Even when there was no formal separation from our fellowship, many churches and individuals received irreparable harm from Millers vagaries, and growth was greatly retarded in the regions where his influence was most extensive.