p. 728 | The Salvation Army by Ellet Joseph Waggoner

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Dec 4, 1884

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 10, No. 46.

The Salvation Army.

By Ellet Joseph Waggoner

SEVERAL weeks ago we copied from an editorial in the Holiness Evangelist a few sentences descriptive of an all-night meeting of the Salvation Army. The editor, although expressing a mild doubt as to the strict necessity for all their antics, was very enthusiastic in his praise of the meeting, telling how much good he had received, and advising everybody to attend the next one. One has just been held in San Jose, and a delegation of about seventy-five went down from Oakland. From the report of it in a paper published in Oakland, by members of the Salvation Army, we make the following extracts:—

“On the way down the drums and brass instruments, the tambourines, and human lungs and voices were strained to their utmost. The psalmist, if he had been there, would have been reminded of his old days when men rejoiced before the Lord with all their might.”

If incoherent screeches, and a jargon of confused sounds constitute praise to God, then a minstrel show must be a very pious place, and a gang of hoodlums must be devout beyond all computation. Lest any should think that our comparisons are unjust, we quote from their own description of what took place after they reached the place of meeting in San Jose:—

“The Salvationists filled the platform full. Then commenced a meeting that is perfectly inconceivable to those who haven’t seen it,—a meeting into which is brought into combination all the amusing features of a minstrel show, and the earnestness and solemnity of the day of Judgment. There was levity without license; unbounded fun, without a thought of sin in it; faces laughing in every feature with unmeasured glee, yet all radiant with the glory of God. Here was war in Heaven sure enough. Any one who has the idea that fighting sin is going to be a long-faced business had better go to an all-night meeting of the Salvation Army.”

That one of the participators could be serious and write stuff like the above, is sufficient evidence of the terrible delusion into which these people have fallen. To imagine that the solemnity of the Judgment can be associated with fun, levity, and the amusing features of a minstrel show, argues an amount of moral blindness that would be incomprehensible in professed Christians, were it not for certain texts of Scripture to be noticed hereafter. If any think that we publish such things for the

purpose of holding them up to ridicule, they greatly mistake our purpose. It is too serious a matter for ridicule. We do it simply to call attention to the nature and tendency of the Salvation Army, and kindred organizations. We have held that the Salvation Army, and the so-called "Holiness Bands," which are the same thing only less boisterous, are but feeders for Spiritualism; that they are, in fact, forms of Spiritualism; and that the leaders are simply in training, unconsciously, for Spiritualist mediums. Before we give a Scriptural reason for this judgment, we will present two or three paragraphs more, which may, perhaps, cause some to read with more interest and attention that which follows. In defending the statement that there is a Spiritualist gate to the heavenly city, the paper says:—

“Every Christian must see that Spiritualism has in it a great truth mixed with much error. This truth is the resurrection of the dead, but the Spiritualists are not out half far enough yet. This work cannot be complete till they can materialize the dead, and keep them materialized, so that they shall put on incorruption and retain it.”

Again, in another article we find this:—

“When God shall have prepared us, and when we know Christ, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death” (Phil. 3:10), then shall we attain the resurrection of the dead, that is, we shall have power to call forth the dead, and, by virtue of the God power in us, assist them to put on incorruption.”

One specimen paragraph from an article, “The Vail Taken Away,” will suffice to show to what extent some who profess Christ, are even now given over to a “mind void of judgment:”—

“Through the past dispensation men have preached ‘Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumbling block, and unto the Greeks foolishness’ (1 Cor. 1:23), but this stumbling block, this vail, is to be taken away.”

These extracts indicate the tendency of this movement. If it should be urged that no respectable number of people will ever accept such foolishness and error, we reply that there are tens of thousands of Spiritualists who seriously hold to error even worse than that which we have quoted. What is to hinder all members of the “Salvation Army” and the “Holiness Bands” from accepting the same and worse, even if they do not at present go to such great lengths? In their present attitude there is nothing to hinder it, but everything to favor it. Let us examine the guide book and see. In Rom. 1:28, the apostle speaks of the heathen, whom God gave over to a “reprobate mind,” or, as the margin has it, to “a mind void of judgment.” The reason for this was that “when they knew God they glorified him not as God,” and “did not like to retain God in their knowledge.” Again, in 2 Tim. 3:8, the same apostle speaks of others who are “of no judgment [margin] concerning the faith.” These are not heathen, but professing Christians, men who have “a form of godliness.” In their case, also, their lack of judgment concerning spiritual things, is due to the fact that, though they are “ever learning,” they are “never able to come to the knowledge of the truth,” and the reason for this is that they “resist the truth.”

Such a condition of mind as this,—the individual being unable to judge correctly concerning the truth,—is the legitimate result of resisting it. The Saviour said: “Yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you; for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth.” John 12:35. From this we can learn nothing else than that light will not remain with a person forever, unless used. “The path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day;” but if one rejects light, darkness comes, and then he will not know whither he goeth. “If the light that is in thee be darkness,” said Jesus, “how great is that darkness.” Matt. 6:23. The greater the light a man has, the greater will be the errors into which he will fall if he turns away from it. The case of Saul is an illustration of this. Called of God to rule over his people, and enjoying the favor of God, he rejected the word of the Lord, and was left to himself. The consequence was that he deliberately went for counsel to a woman who was in league with the devil, although he had previously strongly condemned all such practices. Numerous other instances might be cited to show how enlightened Christians may, by rejecting certain truth, fall to a condition where an outrageous sin will appear to them to be an act of righteousness.

Now how is it with these people? Do they exalt the law of God, and require of their “converts” obedience to it? By no means. The law of God is the last thing thought of. The quotations made above show the looseness of their teaching. The “holiness” people, who are more conservative than their brethren of the “Salvation Army,” also repudiate the law. Nearly three years ago a “holiness” paper published in this city, stated that one of the most effectual methods of checking the spread of holiness among the people was to “imbue them with the idea that they are to be holy by striving to do right, to keep the law of God.” We have never seen this statement repudiated by any so-called “holiness” paper, and we have kept close watch of those published on this coast. It was only recently that the editor of the principal Pacific Coast “holiness” paper, and the leader of the movement in this city, when asked concerning the duty of man to obey the law of God, and keep his Sabbath, said that he had no patience with anybody that would ask such a question. Of course not. His mission is to spread “holiness,” and obedience to the law would check it entirely. For our part we profess no sympathy with “holiness” that is opposed to God’s law, and we shall do all in our power to check it.

We have said that this movement leads directly into the follies and wickedness of Spiritualism. We repeat the statement. Give this thought careful attention: There is no intermediate ground between truth and error. Said Christ: “He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad.” Matt. 12:30. If a man does not believe the truth, he must believe its opposite—error. But error, owing to the natural deceitfulness of the human heart, rapidly propagates itself. As one falsehood leads to another, so one error accepted leads to the acceptance of another, and this, to many more. This is in harmony with the words of Christ, that if light be not accepted, darkness will come in its stead, and the unfortunate one will not know where he is going. By his own acts he places himself where he cannot control himself, and is led captive by Satan at his will.

The Bible, however, speaks plainly on this point. We read (2 Thess. 2:9-12) that just before the coming of the Lord, the devil will work among certain people with “all power and signs and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness.” This indicates nothing less than complete Satanic possession. How is it that Satan acquires such complete control of them? “Because they received not the love of the truth.” “Strong delusion, that they should believe a lie,” is allowed to come upon all “who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.” Now when we remember that the law of God alone is truth and righteousness (Ps. 119:142, 151, 172, etc), and that these “holiness” people do not profess to believe it nor have pleasure therein, how can we doubt that they are opening the door for Satan to take possession, or, in other words, running into Spiritualism? As a matter of course, they all hold to that foundation doctrine of Spiritualism, natural immortality, or, the conscious existence of the dead.

We would not be understood as saying that all members of these “bands” and “armies” have so fully rejected truth that they cannot be reclaimed. We only show the tendency of the movement. Many of them have never seen the light in its clearness; all such will have ample opportunity to accept it if they will. There is great danger, however, that these will become too infatuated to even see the light when it comes. They are educated to believe that feeling is faith, and that self-satisfaction is the evidence of the approbation of God.

We write in no spirit of harsh criticism. We pity the poor souls who are ensnared by this terrible delusion. But we feel that we would be recreant to duty if we did not sound a note of warning to those who may be looking upon the movement with favor. We make no apology for plain words concerning Spiritualism itself, and we know not why we should not be equally zealous in warning people against its advance guard. To all those not yet deluded, we would say, Give no countenance, either by word or by presence, to this counterfeit religion. You cannot afford, for the sake of gratifying your curiosity, to run the risk of falling under its power. Do not be misled by loud professions, and fervent prayers and exhortations, while the power of the “truth,” and even the profession of it, are wanting. Remember that the Lord has said: “To this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.” E. J. W.