1885 [PREMILLENNIALISM & DISPENSATIONALISM] Papers Read at the Niagara Prophetic Conference.

A very rare published report of the papers, sermons, and addresses delivered at one of the most formative prophetic-eschatological conferences of the 19th century.

The Niagara Bible Conference (officially called the "Believers' Meeting for Bible Study") was held annually from 1875 to 1897, with the exception of 1884.

The Conference was founded as the Believers' Meeting for Bible Study in 1875 by evangelical pastors in the United States. The driving force behind the meeting was James H. Brookes, a Presbyterian minister from St. Louis. Brookes publicized the meeting through his magazine Truth, and devoted substantial space to summaries of the speeches.

Most of the speakers were dispensationalists, and the Niagara Conference introduced many evangelical Protestants to dispensationalist teaching, providing a vehicle for its eventual dominance. The messages generally centered on the doctrines of Christ, the Holy Spirit, the Bible, missions and prophecy. It was presumed of all teachers that Premillennialism and Dispensationalism would be taught and defended. 

In 1878, 14 fundamental beliefs were established by evangelical pastors. The Niagara Creed does not explicitly affirm dispensationalism, but it refers to several key dispensationalist beliefs, including the reality of the millennium, the restoration of Israel, and the distinction between the judgment of the saved and the damned.

Addresses include The History of the Doctrine of Pre-Millennialism by John Mutch; The Coming of Christ - Personal and Pre-Millennial by J. H. Brookes; The Second Coming of Christ the Ever Present Hope of the Church by H. M. Parsons; The Practical Power of this Hope in the Formation of Christian Character by W. J. Erdman; The Second Coming of Christ as Related to the First Resurrection and the End of this Age by T. C. DesBarres; The Second Coming of Christ as Related to the Establishment of the Coming Kingdom by Joshua Denovan; The Second Coming of Christ as Related to Israel by S. H. Kellogg; The Power of this Truth to Encourage and Stimulate the Church in and to the Work of Evangelization by Maurice Baldwin; etc. 

[Various]. The Second Coming of Our Lord. Being Papers Read at a Conference Held at Niagara, Ont. July 14th to 17th, 1885. 178pp

Fair copy, spine cloth partially lacking, prelims a bit tight. Text block solid and clean.