Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 17.djvu/825

SECOND ADVENT OF CHRIST. Cluirch cxpciteil that within a ooiii|)iirativcly sliort period after His asci'iisioii He wuuUl again come and usher in the full glory of the Alessianic Age. The passages in the (iosi)els eontaining these sayings are: (1) Mark vi. l-ll = ihitt. ix. 35-x. Hi = Luke ix. 1-5; (2) Jlark ix. 1 = Matt. xvi. 28 = Luke ix. 27; (3) Mark xiii. = Matt. xxiv. = Luke xxi. ; (4) Mark xiv. 02 = Luke xxii. G!) =Jlatt. xxvi. ()4; (5) Luke xvii. 20-xviii. 18. A critical examination of these passages reveals the fact that sayings of Jesus which in one Gospel are of a l)roail, general char- acter are rei)orted in another tiospel in a much more precise and specific form: e.g. Mark ix. 1, "Who shall not taste of death until they see the Kingdom of dod come," hecomes in Matt. xvi. 28, "Who shall not taste of death until they see the Son of Man coming in His Kingdom." This tendency manifested itself almost immediately after His departure, though He had warned against speculation on such points (cf. Acts i. 6-7). It appears in the first formulation of Cliristian doctrine by Peter in the Pentecost ser- mon in the use of Old Testament expressions (Acts ii. 20, 3.'j) and more plainly in the words reported in Acts iii. 20-21. The highly figurative language of the Old Testament already employed by Jesus in His eschatological discourses, taken in a literal sense, was of great infiuenee in this respect. As the years passed, the more enlight- ened leaders of the Church came to feel that the true meaning of Jesus' words and realization of His promises was to be found in the eternal, spiritual heavenly life (compare I. Peter with the sermon of Peter in Acts; cf. Paul in I. Cor. XV.; also the Gospel of John) rather than in a materia], earthly kingdom. But the doctrine of the Parousia, or second coming of Jesus in a comparatively short time, was by no means given up. It continued to wield great influence on Christian thought and retained its place in the general escliatological conceptions, as the great event which as to usher in a new era — the full manifestation of the Messianic Age. The prac- tical consequences of such conceptions were some- times serious and necessitated wise and cautious treatment (cf. II. Thess. : IL Peter iii. 1-13). In later times the doctrine has been held in two forms: the Second Advent of Christ will be either (1) premillennial, i.e.. before the age of the great prosperity and triumph of the Churcti ; or (2) postmillennial, after this age and imme- diately before the general judgment. The for- mer view is advocated upon the ground of cer- tain interpretations of Rev. xx. 4-7. supported by other passages of Scripture, and more ])articu- larly by the genera! conception, thought to be derived from the Scriptures, that tlie present dispensation does not contain in it, under the plan of God. the means necessary to bring the world to Christ. Hence it will be neeessaiT that Christ, the King, shall Himself come to take tlie government upon His .shoulder and introduce the universal sway of His power. This view is held by an active school of evangelists, by many in- dividual Christians in nil communions, and by many who have united into scpai'ate denomina- tions. sTich as the "Seventh Day .Adventists," The other view regards the exegesis of the pre- millennialists as unsound, and their views of the present condition and tendencies of things as pessimistic; bases its conception of the gradual Vol. XVII.^8. 747 SECOND SIGHT. sprciul and final triumph of the (iospel upon the definite promises of the word and the anahigies of Goil's methods everywhere else in Providence; and urges for its connection of the Second .dvent with the Judgment, the unmistakable meaning of every plain passage of Scripture. See Aovk.nt- ISTS; EsCllATOI.OliV ; J I IKl.Mli.NT, Kl.NAL; Mll.l-EN- NILM. SECONDARY QUALITIES. All the attri- butes III an iibject of pcrcc|ition which were sup- posed to be due to any peculiarity of the sense- constitution of the ix>rcii)ient ; over again.st secondary qualities were placed primary quali- ties (q.v), which were supposed to he appre- hended by the percipient as they are in them- selves. Thus, color was called a secondary <|ual- ity, while extension was called primary, because it was supposed that the human eye gave the characteristic of color to the object, while the spatial character of the object was regarde<I as original. This distinction has played a great part in the philoso])hy of the last three centuries, l)ut camiot be considered ultinutte. See Knowl- Kni;E. Tiii;oi!Y ok. SECONDARY SCHOOLS. A term applied to high scliocds, academies, and other schools which jncparc pupils for college courses, or give instruction of the same general grade as that re- quired for college preparation. The public mIiooI in Liigland. the Lycee in France, and the (lym- nasium and Kealschule in Germany, give in- struction corresponding to that of the secondary schools in the United States. In the latter part of the nineteenth century American secondary schools, especially the free high schools, became less distinctively schools for college prepara- tion, and more and more 'finishing schools' — i.e. schools giving a general ])rcparation for business life or for professional education, without con- sideration of college training. In this connec- tion manual training, modern languages, and elementary science were introduced, and the old classical disciplines cut short or rendered op- tional. The broadening of college courses, how- ever, and especially the spread of the elective and accrediting sj'stems, rendered the transition from secondary schools to colleges easy even under the new conditions; accordingly these schools are still the chief institutions for col- lege preparation, as they are the chief sourics for training supplementary to that given in ele- mentary schools. See Academy; High Sciiooi.; National Education, Systems of; Pi;buc sciiool.s. SECOND SIGHT. A supposed faculty of 'iuternar sight, whereby persons see distant oc- currences or foresee future events; it is .so called because, for the time, it takes the place of nor- mal sight. Recently this power has been claimed by those who profess clairvoyance (q.v.). His- torically, second sight is of interest because of the deeply rooted belief in its reality prevalent in Xortliern Europe among the Celtic population generally, and especi:illy in the Hebrides and Scottish Highlands. .Sonie of the S<>ottish seers asserted their ]iover to impart the gift by teach- ing: others declared it to be hereditary. It was often lielievcd that cliildren, horses, ami cows, as well as Tuen. were alVected with the visions. The most conunonplace and trilling matters were re- vealed and predicted, coming events being fore-