R. F. COTTRELL by Roswell F. Cottrell

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Nov 30, 1869

R. F. COTTRELL

By Roswell F. Cottrell

THE CLOSING MESSAGES.—NO. 16.

The second evidence that a moral fall has come upon the nominal churches of our land and the world, which we will mention, following the great advent proclamation of 1844, is the advent of what is called spirit manifestations; which we might denominate, (considering the great number possessed of foul spirits in the days of the first advent of Christ,) the second advent of the devil and his angels. The first of these modern spirit-rappings were heard in 1847; just after the public mind had been called to examine the evidences of the second coming of Christ at hand.

We shall not investigate the grand doctrine of Spiritualism, in these papers, in order to show its falsity in the light of the Bible, but will simply say that it is self-evident to every thoughtful believer in the Scriptures, that Spiritualism is a monstrous evil; because it has made and developed an astonishing amount of infidelity in the churches, as well as in the world. Its progress has been unprecedented and unparalleled by any movement affecting the faith or the infidelity of the people, since the world began. In the short space of a score of years its converts are numbered by millions; and all these are infidels, rejecting the great truths revealed in the Bible. Such a tremendous evil could not suddenly burst upon our world, but by God's permissive providence; and his providence would not permit it without a cause. That cause must be departure from God and rejection of his truth. It must be “because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.” “And for this cause,” we read, “God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie; that they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.”

Now what great truth had been before the people, and had been rejected by the mass of the churches professing Christianity, just before the strong delusion of Spiritualism burst forth like a flood of pent-up waters, carrying away thousands upon thousands of professed Christians into open infidelity? It was the thrilling truth, made indisputably clear from the prophecies of the Scriptures, that the second advent of Jesus Christ was at hand. Light on the prophecies was increasing. Prophecies fulfilled and fulfilling gave overwhelming testimony to the truth of divine revelation, so that the evidences of the truth of the Bible were stronger than ever before, when suddenly the greatest outburst of infidelity occurs right in the heart of Christendom—in the field of the greatest prophetic light and truth. What is the cause? Truth has been rejected. The churches rejected the clearly-expressed doctrine of the personal advent of Christ, and chose to have in its stead a spiritual coming and reign, something not taught in the Scriptures, and lo! the restraining influences of the Spirit of God are withdrawn, and the demon Spiritualism comes up, and, as if in mockery, seems to say, Behold the spiritual coming and reign which ye desired!—the millennium without Christ, which ye have chosen!

And yet the churches which have laid the foundation and opened the way for Spiritualism, look, with a calmness amounting to indifference, at the rising tide of infidelity in their very midst, and, of the two, would prefer Spiritualism to Adventism. Now Adventism is what the Bible expressly and plainly teaches, and Spiritualism is the greatest infidel raid against that holy book that was ever put in motion. And the fact that God has permitted this strong delusion to come upon the churches and they are destitute of armor to oppose it, nay, are in every respect well prepared to receive it, is a sad evidence of their fallen condition morally, and goes to show that the proclamation of the fall of Babylon in 1844, just before the rise of Spiritualism, was from Heaven and not of men. The churches professing Christianity have so far departed from the faith, “giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils,” and in addition to this, have rejected the increasing light upon the prophecies, which is increasing evidence of the truth of revelation, that God has given them over to the strong delusion of the devil, and infidelity is sweeping them away as a flood.

But God has a chosen remnant there, as in the days of Elijah the prophet, that have not bowed the knee to the power of apostasy, and a voice from him will yet call them forth and thus save them from the awful doom that is coming upon Babylon. 1 Kings xix, 9-18; Rom. xi, 2-5; Rev. xviii, 4.