HOW SHALL WE MEET THEM?
By E. Goodrich
Meet whom? Why those who believe in modern Spiritualism. Shall we meet them by saying that there is nothing in it? That it is all a humbug? No, certainly not: that would be no meeting at all; it would only be a denial. And then there are so many creditable witnesses to the manifestations and ocular demonstrations, that to deny them, in toto, would only convince them that our prejudice was so great, that we could not look at the thing dispassionately. Well, shall we meet them by saying that it is all the work of the Devil, and we will have nothing to do with it? No, certainly not; that would neither be courteous nor fair. There is no argument in railing accusations, neither can the christian condescend to use them without losing his dignity. Even angels cannot make them. Again, if we, by taking the Bible (which they deny), prove the dead unconscious, and they, by some other standard, prove the dead conscious, that would be no real engagement; it would be simply the setting up of rival doctrines. But if they will come upon our grounds, or if we can pass over upon theirs, then we may meet and engage with them, and perhaps vanquish them. This is the way the Saviour met the tempter. He met him on his own ground. Yea, he met him on scriptural ground (it would not have been wisdom for Satan to have attacked him otherwise; that would have shown his hand); and he caused the cold blade of truth to fall upon his naked head in such a manner as to completely rout him; and the record says, And when the Devil had ended all the temptations he departed from him for a season. No wonder that he left! what should he stay for? He had chosen his own weapons, his own manner, place, and time of attack, and was honorably and completely beaten, yea, he was so driven from the field that he never attempted to occupy that sacred ground again. It would have been folly for him to do so. How important the lesson the christian may here learn; namely, that every temptation, fairly met, resisted and overcome, is an actual conquest. It is so much ground gained. How then shall we meet them? Why, of course on their own admissions, when they take the Bible or any of its facts, as evidence of the truth of what they teach. In the first place, then, they teach that the dead are conscious, and that they are permitted to return and talk, or communicate with us through mediums. Well, suppose the dead are conscious, and do return and manifest themselves to those living? What then? Are we bound to hear them? Can we rely upon their testimony? Is it authoritative? and if so, where is the precedent? what is the criterion, or standard by which we are to be governed in our investigations of this matter? What is the rule by which we determine either the identity or responsibility of the spirit that claims to be speaking? In receiving testimony it is always a very important matter to understand the ability, the authority, and circumstances of the witness testifying. Especially is this true in a case where there is much pending. Unless, therefore, the above questions can be answered so as to leave no reasonable doubt on the minds of those to whom the claims of Spiritualism are presented, surely no one can be considered better, or wiser, for heeding, or censurable for rejecting what they teach. Again, admitting the dead conscious, we might vary our questions and ask, By whom are they sent back to earth? What is the object of that mission? And what is the plan of action by which that mission is to be carried out and developed? Again, are their mission and manifestations of ancient or modern origin? If modern, then they are novel, and by every rule of reasoning it devolves upon their advocates to establish every point they claim, by the best of testimony. If ancient, then where is the record? Where do we find their parallels? If it is replied that we have these in the lives of the Old-Testament prophets, and in the lives and miracles of Christ and his apostles, we at once take issue and deny. It is true that there is some similarity between the prophets and miracles of the Bible, and the prophets and miracles of Modern Spiritualism (and herein is the deception); but when we come to the agencies employed by which they are inspired, there is a marked, a clearly defined, difference. No prophet of God ever yet claimed to be inspired by the spirit of a dead man: It is always by the spirit of the living God. And not only so, but every divine manifestation has been by the one self same Holy Spirit. See 2 Pet. i, 21. For the prophecy came not at any (margin) time by the will of man, but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. Again, 1 Cor. xii, 1–11: “Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant. Ye know that ye were Gentiles carried away unto these dumb idols even as ye were led. Wherefore I give you to understand that no man, speaking by the spirit of God, calleth Jesus accursed, and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord but by the Holy Ghost. Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same spirit; and there are differences of administrations but the same Lord; and there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. For to one is given, by the Spirit, the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same spirit; to another faith by the same spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same spirit; to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another divers kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues; but all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.” It is true that we have recorded in the Bible, manifestations corresponding with those of modern Spiritualism; yet they come under the head of Witchcraft, Necromancy, or Demonology, and, as such, are everywhere denounced as being the work of man's enemy. But, says one, Does not the Bible say something about ministering spirits? Yes, to be sure it does; but there is not so much as an intimation that they are the spirits of our departed friends, that watch over us and guard us. On the contrary the Bible plainly teaches (Heb. i, 7, 14, and in many other places) that God's own angels are the ministering spirits that are sent forth to minister to those who are to be heirs of salvation; so that we need not be deceived here. And if they say unto us, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, for they can reveal many wonderful things concerning the past, concerning our departed friends and concerning the future, we may say unto them, Should not a people seek unto their God? And as to the wonders that they may declare, these we will compare with the law and the testimony of God. For if they speak not according to this word it is because they are not like the Bible prophets, and because there is no light in them. And that they are familiar spirits is manifest from the fact that they communicate readily with all, without respect to age, condition in life, or character. The spirit that communicates with the innocent child, the strictly moral or even religious man, will quite as readily speak through the vulgar debauchee. And they are equally ready to suit themselves to the time and to the occasion; either to tell fortunes, to encourage love matters, or to play a dancing tune upon the violin. It is not so with the Spirit, by which the prophets of God are inspired; for it will neither communicate with all classes and characters, indiscriminately, neither will it suit itself to every time, place and occasion. Again, although the prophets of God are mediums114(and speak as they are moved upon) as well as those of modern Spiritualism, yet there is a plain difference between them; for while the prophets of modern Spiritualism may be anything and every body, the prophets of God are holy men of God, whose lives correspond with what they teach. By their fruits we may know them. So that if any persons come to us claiming a divine commission, unless their lives, their daily walk and conversation, correspond to and sustain the dignity of pure and undefiled religion, we may be sure that God has never sent them. Again, we may notice that while the prophets of God may be, and are accompanied by angels, by whom and through whom they receive visions and revelations, yet it is always the same angel, or angels; whereas the prophets of modern Spiritualism may have any variety, and receive communications by a thousand different spirits. From the above it is evident that there is no essential analogy existing between Bible prophets, and the prophets of modern Spiritualism. But, on the contrary, we find that the latter correspond with the specifications of the prophecy (1 Tim. iv, 1–3), which says, “Now the Spirit (the Holy Spirit) speaketh expressly that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their conscience seared with a hot iron, forbidding to marry and commanding to abstain from meats,” and so on. It is undoubtedly the working of Satan (2 Thess. ii, 9–12), with all power and signs and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish, because they received not the love of the truth that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusions, that they should believe a lie that they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. Having the above signs by which to distinguish the true from false prophets, and having the above warnings against heeding the latter, let us take heed to ourselves and the word of God, that in the end we may be saved with an everlasting salvation through Christ. Amen. Edinboro, Pa. E. GOODRICH.