“Luther, Calvin, and many other divines of the era of the Reformation, apply the promises to Abraham in a like manner; as do many divines of the present time.
“Of those who entered the list against Mr. Miller, Dr. Dowling, Mr. Shimeal, and Dr. Hamilton, strenuously contended for the return of the Jews in the flesh to Palestine.
“Prof. Stuart sustained Mr. Miller so far as the question has respect to the true Israel, applying the promises to all who are of the faith of Abraham.
“10. The Epoch of the Resurrection.—Mr. Miller held that the resurrection of the just will be pre-millennial, and that that of the wicked will be at the close of the millennium. This hinges on the interpretation given to Rev. 20:4-6. It is worthy of note that, during the first two centuries, there was not an individual who believed in any resurrection of the dead, whose name or memory has come down to us, who denied that a literal resurrection is there taught.
“Eusebius admits that Papias was a disciple of John the Evangelist, and that he taught that, ‘after the resurrection of the dead, the kingdom of Christ shall be established corporeally on this earth.’—[Hist. Lib. 3, Sec. 39.] And Jerome quotes Papias [De Script. Eccles.] as saying, that ‘he had the apostles for his authors, and that he considered what Andrew, what Peter said, what Philip, what Thomas said, and other disciples of the Lord.’ Irenæus taught that at the resurrection of the just the meek should inherit the earth; and that then would be fulfilled the promise which God made to Abraham.
“Justyn Martyr, who was born A. D. 89, seven years before the Revelations were written, says that he and many others are of this mind, ‘that Christ shall reign personally on the earth,’ and that ‘all who were accounted orthodox so believed.’ He also says, ‘A certain man among us, whose name is John, being one of the twelve apostles of Christ, in that Revelation which was shown to him, prophesied that those who believe in our Christ shall fulfill a thousand years at Jerusalem.’
“Tertullian, who wrote about A. D. 180, says it was a custom of his times for Christians to pray that they might have part in the first resurrection; and Cyprian, who lived about A. D. 220, says that Christians ‘had a thirst for martyrdom, that they might obtain a better resurrection,’—the martyrs being raised at the commencement of the thousand years.
“The first of whom we have any account that opposed this doctrine was Origen, in the middle of the third century, who styled those who adhered to it ‘the simpler sort of Christians.’ Mosheim assures us that the opinion ‘that Christ was to come and reign a thousand years among men’ had, before the time of Origen, ‘met with no opposition.’—Ch. Hist., vol. 1, p. 284.
“At the era of the Reformation this doctrine was revived, and taught by Luther and Melancthon; it is in the confession of Augsburg (A. D. 1530); was the belief of Latimer, Cranmer, and Ridley; is in the Articles of the Church (Ed. vi., A. D. 1552); is not denied in the more prominent creeds and confessions of faith of the churches, and was believed by Mede, Sir Isaac Newton, Bishop Newton, Milton, Knox, Bunyan, Gill, Cowper, Heber, Pollok, Greswell, and many other distinguished names of modern times.
“This point was vital to Mr. Miller’s theory, for, however correct he might be in his time, without this event he must fail in his application of prophecy.