p. 552 | Purified-When and How

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Sep 11, 1884

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 10, No. 35.

Purified—When and How.

THE old saying, "Many men of many minds," is wondrously verified in regard to religious matters, in these last days. It is a great pity, because it gives occasion to the enemy to blaspheme. But so it will be as long as the sons of Adam have the opportunity to choose their own way. But if they had not this choice they could not develop any character; and then there could be no righteousness. And therefore the apostle wrote: "For there must be also heresies [schisms] among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you." 1 Cor. 11:19. But this does not release any one from responsibility; the fact that a man has the power to kill does not take anything from his guilt if he does kill.

Some are so short-sighted as to blame the Bible and religion for this state of things. They blame the Bible for that which the Bible forbids, and they blame religion for that by which religion is abused. But why should we wonder that there are many errors abroad, when it is the object of the enemy to counterfeit, to obscure, and to misrepresent the truth? And he can counterfeit with great accuracy, for his emissaries will deceive, if possible, the very elect, Matt. 24:24; and Satan can transform himself into an angel of light, 2 Cor. 12:13-15.

Seventh-day Adventists have long believed that Spiritualism will not only be recognized as a religion, but become so popular that it will be considered blasphemy to speak against mediums and their work, or against the spirits which work through them. But the Bible commands us to believe not every spirit; but try the spirits whether they are of God. We firmly believe there are many Spiritualists now in the land who would feel offended if they were called by that name, but who give evidence that they are clearly-defined mediums; who consult and are led by spirits which they profess to believe is the Spirit of God. Holiness is their hobby; great love is their profession; but they are ever unwilling to be tested by Bible truth. They are guided altogether by their feelings; their experience is their only standard. They speak with flippancy of their own purity of heart, and of God talking with them.

Some of this class in Oakland can tell exactly the mind of God, to their own satisfaction, without any aid from the Bible. One said the Lord told him personally that he need not keep the Sabbath! They profess to be in the "resurrection state;" they cannot die, and Christ is come. Yet not all in Oakland have gone so far as this, for they are not agreed. According to their own showing, the Lord does not tell all of them the same thing, though all hold familiar converse with him. To us they appear to be guilty of shocking irreverence.

One of these came into our meeting in Reno. As she seemed inclined to take all the time of the meeting in talking of her own purity of heart, we felt compelled to check her, and let the meeting run in the channel for which it was appointed. At the close she wished to give us the full benefit of her "testimony," which she did not complete in the meeting. After some conversation we remarked that Peter said we purify our souls in obeying the truth; and that therefore it is a continuous work, as long as we have truth to obey, or duty to do. She answered: "With me it was done instantly; my heart was perfectly purified." And we could not impress upon her mind a single text of Scripture. She met every one with her experience! In answer to a suggestion that we must try the spirits, and that the only test is the word of God, she replied that the Spirit of God spoke to her. But, we said, the Spirit of God indited the Scriptures, for holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. And we doubted her experience, doubted of the spirit which led her, because her experience was not in harmony with the word of God which is in the Bible. "Oh," said she, "God speaks to me right into my soul!" We have had others of this class tell us plainly that they have no need of the Bible; they learn all their duty directly of God in answer to prayer.

This is rank fanaticism, but they have so little regard for the Bible, so little knowledge of its teachings, that they call it faith. This lady was sure that she was led by the Spirit of God; why? not because she would test her experience by the word of God, but, because God spoke to her soul. How did she know it was the voice of God? She felt it, her heart told her so. And thus her witness was her own heart—her own feelings. And she affected to pity us because we had not what she had. But we promptly told her we did not want it; our witness is the word of God, that liveth and abideth forever. We lightly esteem all that will not accept the Bible as the test of feelings and experiences.

How like this is the position of Spiritualists; we once visited one in Wisconsin, who boasted of being guided every day and in everything by a certain spirit who was ever near him, and always ready to be consulted. Truly, a "familiar spirit." We tried to impress upon his mind the danger of his being deceived, and the necessity of taking the Scriptures as our rule. He derided the idea of appealing to the Bible, and said he was not in any danger of being deceived, because his familiar or household spirit had promised him that no bad spirit should ever come near his house!

So with Dr. Hare, a noted Spiritualist. He said he once thought he was being deceived by a spirit, but the spirits of Washington and Franklin came and assured him that it was all right! Such was his assurance; and he pitied the credulity of those who believed the Bible and trusted in Christ.

But the assurance of these men was precisely of the same nature as that of these egotistical holiness believers. They have outlived the Bible, which Spiritualists also say, and trust the assurance of their own hearts, or of a spirit which, because they reject the Scriptures, they have no means of testing or identifying. We referred the lady, of whom we have written, to "Pilgrim's Progress" for a parallel to her confidence. It is found in the conversation between Christian and Ignorance.

"CHRISTIAN. Come, how do you do? How stands it between God and your soul now? "IGNORANCE. I hope, well; for I am always full of good motions that come into my mind to comfort me as I walk. "CHR. What good motions? pray tell us. "IGNOR. Why I think of God and Heaven. "CHR. So do the devils and damned souls. "IGNOR. But I think of them, and desire them. "CHR. So do many that are never like to come there. 'The soul of the sluggard desires, and hath nothing.' Prov. 13:4. "IGNOR. But I think of them, and leave all for them. "CHR. That I doubt; for to leave all is a very hard matter; yea, a harder matter than many are aware of. But why, or by what, art thou persuaded that thou hast left all for God and Heaven? "IGNOR. My heart tells me so. "CHR. The wise man says, 'He that trusts in his own heart is a fool.' Prov. 28:26. "IGNOR. That is spoken of an evil heart; but mine is a good one. "CHR. But how dost thou prove that? "IGNOR. It comforts me in hopes of Heaven. "CHR. That may be through its deceitfulness; for a man's heart may minister comfort to him in the hopes of that thing for which he has yet no ground to hope. "IGNOR. But my heart and life agree together; and therefore my hope is well grounded. "CHR. Who told thee that thy heart and life agree together? "IGNOR. My heart tells me so. "CHR. 'Ask my fellow if I be a thief!' Thy heart tells thee so! Except the word of God beareth witness in this matter, other testimony is of no value."

Well and faithfully said. We take this occasion to again recommend "Pilgrim's Progress" to all readers, especially to the young, and to all who are young in Christian experience.

Sanctification is through the truth, and the word of God is the truth. John 17:17. Sanctification outside of the truth, or contrary to the truth, or in disobedience or neglect of the truth of God's word is a delusion, a deception of Satan. Luther met these fanatical spirits. They were as egotistical and confident in his day as they are now. He cried, "The Bible, the Bible." And they cried, "The Spirit, the Spirit." But Luther had no respect for their spirit which led away from the Bible. In his bold, German bluntness, he replied: "I slap your spirit on the snout!" It was rather a harsh expression, but it was said in reverence for the word of God, an element which the speech and actions of the Spiritualists of that time lacked, even as they do this day.

How little faith there is in the Bible in these days. The Fathers, tradition, feeling, experience, anything but the word of God. "It is time for thee, Lord, to work; for they have made void thy law." Ps. 119:126. And the Lord will work to vindicate the honor of his word. Justice will not long delay; the workers of iniquity will be put to confusion.

Reno, Nev., Sept. 2.