Spiritualism a Counterfeit.
By Merritt E. Cornell
MANY are willing to admit that the wonders of modern spiritualism are a counterfeit, and that these are the miracles referred to by the apostle where he says, “As Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these resist the truth,” &c. But, if the miracles of spiritualism are a counterfeit, we ask, where is the true coin? True spiritual gifts and miraculous powers must exist somewhere. If the visions and prophecies of the spirits are the false, where are the true? I answer, They began under the first angel’s message, and are continued, in a more signal manner, under the third angel’s proclamation. The gift of prophecy, as manifested among Seventh-day Adventists for more than twenty years past, bears every mark of the genuine, and stands every Bible test, and no man upon the face of the earth can disprove it. The Bible tells us that both true and false manifestations will exist in the last days. We are now in the last days, and, hence, we are bound to believe that both exist at the present time. And here we boldly declare that we have a manifestation of the true, through sister Ellen G. White. While our enemies, who know little or nothing of sister W., or her teachings, deny and ridicule, we are the more bold to speak what we do know, and testify what we have seen. 1. The humble and devoted spirit is such as we might expect would pertain to one having true exercises of this kind. 2. The manifestation of the gift has continued, without change, for twenty-four years. 3. No fanatical, ungraceful twitching and jerking, or ungodlike movement, has ever been seen in connection with this gift. 4. These testimonies have ever been decidedly and unqualifiedly for the Bible, and their spirit, like that of the ancient prophets. 5. Those who have believed them the longest and the strongest, have still the most profound reverence, respect, and love for the Bible. 6. They stand the test of every one of the fourteen Bible rules, by which true and false prophets are to be known. 7. To our certain knowledge, those who slander the humble instrument, and scoff at the manifestation of the gift, do it from prejudice, and hear-say evidence, without a careful and candid investigation of the facts in the case. All candid persons, who have had a fair chance to witness the manifestation (among whom have been some of the most experienced surgeons)13have been unanimous in expressing their conviction that it was miraculous. According to the Bible, all miraculous power is either from God or Satan. Hence, we are shut up to the conclusion that, if this manifestation is not of God, it must be of the devil. But it cannot be of Satan, because it has, from the first, steadily and earnestly opposed the works of Satan, and especially, those of modern spiritualism, and Satan cannot be divided against himself. We have the words of Christ for this conclusion, and there is no evading it. In 1849 and 1850, when spiritualism was in its infancy, and when most people looked upon it as a humbug—mere sleight-of-hand, trickery, to die away in a short time—sister W. had the following testimony concerning it, and, that it was published at the time, existing documents, and hundreds of witnesses testify. “I saw that the mysterious knocking, in New York and other places, was the power of Satan, and that such things would be more and more common, clothed in a religious garb, to lull the deceived to more security, and to draw the minds of God’s people, if possible, to those things and cause them to doubt the teachings and power of the Holy Ghost. “Satan will have power to bring the appearance of a form before us purporting to be our relatives and friends that now sleep in Jesus. It will be made to appear as though they were present, the words they uttered while here, with which we were familiar, will be spoken, and the same tone of voice which they had while living, will fall upon the ear.” “I saw that soon it would be considered blasphemy to speak against the rapping, and that it would spread more and more, and Satan’s power would increase, and some of his devoted followers would have power to work miracles, and even to bring down fire from heaven in the sight of men. I was shown that these modern magicians would yet account for all the miracles wrought by our Lord Jesus Christ by the rapping and mesmerism, and many would believe that all the mighty works of the Son of God, when he was on the earth, were accomplished by this same power.”—Experience and Views, pp. 25, 26, 47. This very explicit, prophetic testimony, given twenty years ago, is now most strikingly fulfilled. Dr. A. B. Child, one of the most noted spiritualist authors, in his book, entitled “Better Views,” &c., p. 117, says:— “It is a dangerous position to stand in opposition to spirits, evil or good; for they number myriads, and are mighty. To speak ridicule of their coming now to the sight and sound of mortal eyes and ears, is unwitting BLASPHEMY, is utterance against the Holy Ghost.” At a picnic, held in Abington, Mass., Dr. Child uttered the following:— “The time is speedily coming when every one who has opposed, scorned, reviled, and persecuted spiritual communion, will be brought to the altar of sacrifice, will suffer sorrow, regret, affliction. It will be a bitter cup, but a necessary remedy for the present sickly morals and religions of men. It is in the power of the spiritual world to make any poor man rich in one day—to make any rich man poor in one day—to make a well man sick in a moment of time, or to make a sick man well—to take life, or to continue it—to make woe in the human heart, or joy and gladness there. . . . “Imminent and immediate dangers to earthly prosperity hang over all opposition to spiritual communion. Mark well, and you will soon see that the destruction of property, of health, even physical life, will follow close upon the heels and overtake all the obstinate, persistent warriors against sin and the devil—all the military of the church militant—all who revile and scoff, and say all manner of things falsely against spiritualism—against sins, sects, creeds, beliefs, not their own. Disasters on sea and land, fires, failures, accidents, diseases, and early deaths, will fall thick, and fast, and heavy, to harrow the peace and happiness of every bosom that is persistently turned with opposition and bitterness against this holy influx that comes down from Heaven.” Was there ever a more striking fulfillment of any prophecy? And this is only one of many instances that might be cited in proof of the genuineness of this prophetic gift. Not one of the many predictions, made during the past twenty years, has failed. No sooner had this gift begun to attract attention, and the testimony against the doctrine of the immortality of the soul and the consciousness of the dead begun to be published abroad, than Satan began to inspire men and women to resist the truth like Jannes and Jambres of old. But the true gift and testimony still remain, and will continue, when their rods are swallowed up. The humble instrument, though often cast down, is not destroyed. Her living testimony is being heard from Maine to Missouri by hundreds of thousands, and her written testimony is engaging the attention of many thousands more. And thousands to-day will testify to the spiritual benefit derived from the testimonies. The fruit is good. The believer is led in the path of self-denial, and his love for all that is pure and good is increased. Every candid, unprejudiced reader of those testimonies is constrained to say, “These are not the words of one who hath a devil.” No one has yet been known to embrace spiritualism while believing in these writings, but as soon as persons turn away from the true gift, they have, in several instances, taken up with the counterfeit. Our only safety is in “holding fast that which is good.” San Francisco, Cal., Dec. 5.