Signs of the Times, Vol. 42, No. 6. (2/9/1915)

Signs of the Times

Feb 9, 1915

Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · Feb 9, 1915

SPIRITUALISM

By Hampton W. Cottrell

The Two Opposing Spirits — The Original Falsifier — What His Falsehood Has Led to — Miracles That Deceive — Some of These Great Wonders Yet to Be Seen

By HAMPTON W. COTTRELL

SPIRITUALISM is either of God or of Satan. If it is of God, its teaching will be in harmony with the word of God. If it is of the spirit of darkness, its teaching will be diametrically opposed to the teaching of God in His word.

Thus we may observe that there are two great spirits abroad in the land. Men are under the influence of either one or the other. The work of the latter spirit is to counterfeit the work and influence of God and His Spirit. The work of counterfeiting began in the human family in the dawn of that early period in the garden of Eden, the home of our first parents.

God completed His work of creation, and soon Satan appeared upon the scene. He counterfeited the serpent, by transforming himself into the appearance of the creature, with which our foreparents were perfectly familiar, and spoke to Eve. This was the first deception. He again deceived her by his alluring reasonings that God had misrepresented the facts to them by saying, “But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it; for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” Gen. 2: 17. Then Satan exalted himself above God, and spoke unauthoritatively, “Ye shall not surely die.” Gen. 3: 4. At this period in earth’s drama, man observed the presence of two great conflicting spirits; and with them he has had to do from that time until to-day. One is the Spirit of God. The other is the spirit of Satan.

The Spirit of Truth

God sent forth His Spirit, which in the beginning brooded over the waters, and it is also “shed abroad in our hearts”—the hearts of Christians and penitent sinners. It is called “the Spirit of truth.” John 14: 17. “The Lord is that Spirit.” 2 Cor. 3: 17. It is called “the Holy Spirit of God.” Eph. 4: 30. It was said to be “the Spirit of Christ” when it spoke through the prophets. 1 Peter 1: 11. The apostle Peter, speaking of the word of God, says, “The prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost” (Spirit). 2 Peter 1: 21.

The Spirit of God, when inditing the Word, warned man of the counterfeit spirit, in the following language: “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.” 1 John 4: 1.

“Ye Shall Not Surely Die”

The basis of spiritualism is the theory that men never die, but that when they are dead, they are filled with universal knowledge, and are possessed with power to return to earth with real messages from the spirit world. Note that this theory is fundamental to their contention. Upon the assumed truthfulness of Satan’s statement to Mother Eve, “Ye shall not surely die,” rests the entire fabric of spiritualism.

Jehovah said the transgression of His law would bring death; and it is “impossible for God to lie.” Heb. 6: 18. Surely, then, men do die. The great deceiver said, “Ye shall not surely die”; but notice: “He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.” John 8: 44.

Inasmuch, then, as God said men die, and “the Scripture cannot be broken,” neither can God be mistaken. Men do surely die; for of such we further read, “The dead know not anything, . . . neither have they any more a portion forever in anything that is done under the sun.” Eccl. 9: 5, 6. Inspiration, speaking again of man’s condition in death, says, “His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth: in that very day his thoughts perish.” Ps. 146: 4.

“No Truth in Him”

Spiritualism being founded upon the unauthentic word of that being of whom it is said “there is no truth in him,” its foundation, and it as a system, must crumble and fall when tried by

the word of God in answer to the divine summons.

Think of a dead man, who does not know anything, returning to earth with a message from the spirit world to a friend. How could he reveal to earth friends the glories of the spirit land, when he does not know anything? Would such a one be an agreeable conversationist? Be assured that the message borne by one who does not know anything, though it purport to come from the departed dead, and from the spirit world, is worthless; for those who do not know, cannot convey information.

Not the Spirits of the Dead

According to the testimony of God’s word, by which spiritualism must be tested, the dead have no part to act “in anything that is done under the sun.” Then certainly spirit manifestations among spiritualists are not the manifestations of the spirits of the dead. The thoughts of the deceased perish the day of death. How can a living spiritualist converse with a dead spiritualist when the latter has no thoughts?

“To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this Word, it is because there is no light in them.” Isa. 8: 20. Spiritualism speaks not according to the law and testimony of God, but according to the declaration of Satan in his transformed, serpent state, hence there is no truth in it. It is Satan’s masterpiece of deception.

Exposed to Satan’s Transformation

Again we read, with reference to this deceptive spirit manifestation, “And when they [anybody] shall say unto you [one in trouble], Seek unto them that have familiar spirits [relative to your trouble and to your future], . . . should not a people seek unto their God? for the living to the dead?” Isa. 8: 19.

In other words, should a person, a living man, who would know the outcome of his trouble, and even the future of temporal days, turn from God and His word, and seek to a dead man—one who does not know anything, who has no thoughts—to obtain information relative to himself? He would thus subject himself to the renewal of that fiercest of satanic deceptions, the devil’s transformation, not this time into a serpent, but into the personal appearance of a father, mother, brother, sister, or some other dear friend; and thus converse relative to questions concerning which no human being knows anything, except the one with whom conversation is held and the departed, who is personated by Satan, the archdeceiver, with whom all such incidents are entirely familiar. A soul out of Christ is not prepared to meet such an issue and resist such temptation.

Satan Transforms Himself

Satan’s power to transform himself is as real to-day as in earth’s infancy. For of our day and of his power we read: “And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.” 2 Cor. 11: 14, 15. This scripture will fully explain spirit manifestations and revelations, as coming from the regions of darkness and not from our dead friends. “The dead know not anything.” God put “the spirit”—margin, “breath”—into man’s nostrils when He created him, and at death it returns to God just as it was before it was breathed into man’s nostrils. Gen. 2: 7; Job 27: 3; Eccl. 12: 7.

The spirit in man was not an independent, organized intelligence prior to the time God breathed life into the human body. If it was, you and I ought to be able to recall, while we are here in the body, the occurrences in that state prior to the bodily state. Can we do so? If the spirit of man is a distinct, organized intelligence, he who is born in bodily infancy, though clogged by the body, should know just as much as though he were in the prime of bodily life after having been so long encumbered. Yet all are agreed that in early infancy, he does not know anything. Deut. 1: 39.

Inasmuch as the bodily life could not add to the intelligence of a divinely organized spirit life, such as is supposed by spiritualists to be in man, surely when the spirit, breath, or life returns to God at death, it will be in the same unorganized state in which it was before it was breathed into man’s nostrils. Therefore that spirit which appears in the séances and represents itself to be the spirit of the departed wife or husband, is but the spirit of the devil and his angels. Beware!

The Counterfeit in Eden

The work of counterfeiting began in Eden, and for many generations everything that is true has been counterfeited. On the one hand is an honest man—one who will pay his debts; on the other hand, one who is dishonest. Here is a Christian; there is a hypocrite. Here is a true government bill, with the interwoven silken thread; but on the other hand is the counterfeit. God said man dies, and such is the truth. The great deceiver said, “Ye shall not surely die,” which is an untruth; and upon that falsehood spiritualism both ancient and modern is based. Satan’s mission is to deceive man into the belief that he cannot die. Thus the enemy would thwart the purpose and plan of God in man’s salvation from eternal death.

In ancient times, God forbade His people to become in any way entangled with those possessed with “familiar spirits”—witches and wizards; for, said He, “all that do these things are an abomination unto the Lord.” Deut. 18: 10-12. And upon all such He pronounced the curse of death. Ex. 22: 18. Surely the system He warned against and cursed then, He does not and will not bless now. “I am the Lord, I change not.” Mal. 3: 6.

(Continued on page 7)

Spiritualism

(Continued from page 2)

Saul Went to the Witch

The case of Samuel the prophet, Saul the king, and the woman of Endor, who was a spiritualist, is sometimes cited to prove that the dead are conscious. Notice: Samuel was dead and buried. Saul the king was so wicked that God would not answer his prayer when he called upon Him through fear that the belligerent army of the Philistines

would overpower him and his army. The spiritualist counselor—the witch—was brought to the king. They counseled together. She was not aware she was in the presence of King Saul. “And the woman said unto him, Behold, thou knowest what Saul hath done, how he hath cut off those that have familiar spirits, and the wizards: . . . wherefore then layest thou a snare for my life, to cause me to die?” 1 Sam. 28: 3-20. He assured her that no harm should come to her. Verse 10. She pretendedly brought up Samuel, the prophet. Verse 11. If the theory of the immortality of the soul were true, she would have invited Samuel to come down from glory. One appeared who looked like Samuel, and the woman called him Samuel. Verses 12, 13. But it was Samuel personified by Satan, who made known to the woman the fact that she was in the presence of the king. So they were working at cross-purposes.

The woman gave Saul a description of the one she saw. Saul did not see him, but drew the conclusion, from what she said, that the man of God, the prophet of the Lord, was present. Verse 14.

This personage who was called Samuel, complained of having been “disquieted” and brought up. Verse 15. If it were Samuel, and he had been in heaven, would he not have entered his complaint for having been brought down from the spirit world?

Would God Have Sent Samuel?

The one who appeared, delivered his message to Saul, and concluded his remarks by informing the king that he and his army would suffer defeat; “and to-morrow shalt thou and thy sons be with me.” Verse 19. This is the condensed story of the personified Samuel. Would God have sent a message by the prophet Samuel to King Saul, when He would not answer his prayer, because of his impenitent heart?

Jesus Christ foretold the magnitude of this wonder-working, deceptive system, in the following language: “For there shall arise false christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; inasmuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. Behold, I have told you before. Wherefore if they shall say unto you, . . . Behold, He [Christ] is in the secret chambers [séances]; believe it not.” Matt. 24: 24-26.

Satan Would Deify Man

The object of Satan through spiritualism is to deify man, and thus in the minds of men dethrone God, and cause their eternal loss. Modern spiritualism is one of the anti-christs that was to come. Idolaters, and all others who are adherents to the doctrine of the conscious state of the dead as taught by Satan, are very susceptible to Satan’s death snare; for “he that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.” 1 John 5: 12.

Paul, speaking of the coming of Christ, says it will be “after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish.” 2 Thess. 2: 9, 10.

Spirits Do Real Wonders

We are free to admit that sleight of hand is practiced more or less by spirit mediums, yet wonders are wrought through them by satanic spirits. We quote a short extract from the Portland, Oregon, Evening Telegram of July 7, 1914:

The Spirit of the Burned Coat

“‘My husband,’ she said, ‘believed in the life after death, and I felt that he would come back to comfort me. Though I was certain of all this, I could not overcome the physical sorrow that he had left this life. With these thoughts in my mind, I sat on the sofa in my room two hours after my husband’s body had been cremated. I looked up suddenly, and saw him standing before me. I saw him as plainly as I see you there. He sat down by me, put his arms around me, and comforted me. . . . He wore the same suit in which I had last seen his body. I have seen spirits before, but never had there been a materialization as plain as this of my husband. . . . I knew,’ she continued, ‘that my husband’s body had been burned, and with it the clothes he wore. I reached down and touched the coat he was wearing. I could feel the broadcloth between my fingers as plainly as I feel the folds of my own dress now.’”

Mrs. Mallory is editor of the World’s Advance Thought Magazine. Her husband, Mr. Mallory, was a prominent lawyer of Portland. That the suit of clothes which was known to have been burned, yet survived the fire, surely is advanced thought.

Will Reach the Kings on Their Thrones

The greatest system of deception that mankind has ever been subjected to, and that which will reach the kings on their thrones, is spiritualism. Kings and other rulers, subjects and citizens alike, will be vivified, yea, maddened, crazed, drunken, with the wine of these satanic spirits, and ultimately the armies of all nations will be by them driven to Armageddon—verily to the world’s war. The world as such, while it is dreaming of peace, will be overtaken by spiritualism, and the battle of God’s great day. “For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty . . . Armageddon.” Rev. 16: 14-16.

Some He Cannot Deceive

Satan “deceiveth the whole world” through spiritualism, and would deceive the man who unquestionably believes God through His word, said Jesus, “if it were possible.” Rev. 12: 9; Matt. 24: 24.

Spiritualism already holds sway over the entire heathen world. The fundamental doctrine of heathenism is the natural immortality of the soul, a positive declaration of belief in Satan’s utterance, “Ye shall not surely die.” Spiritualism is couched in the belief of Satan, rather than in the statement of God, “Thou shalt surely die.”

“By the Means of Those Miracles”

God foreknew that spiritualism would be so instilled into the personnel of all nations, that of Satan’s working He further says, “And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do.” Rev. 13: 14. Satan does perform miracles through spiritualism. He can and does give power to spiritualists to heal bodily ailments of a certain sort, but they cannot reproduce a lost eye or an amputated limb. And because some people have been healed of some sort of bodily infirmities, they become the deceiver’s easy prey. He cannot cleanse a sinful soul. He does not instruct his adherents to accept Christ as the only source of future life, and to obey the moral law of Jehovah.

Said the prophet, “And when they shall say unto you, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, . . . to the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this Word, it is because there is no light in them.” Isa. 8: 19, 20. Try the spirits, and those possessed therewith, by the law of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ.

Satan Would Enthrone Himself

This satanic spirit that personates our departed friends, and is so eagerly waiting an opportunity to enter the secret recesses of every soul, and enthrone itself there, is the same spirit that actuated the papacy, during the middle ages, to bring about a union of church and state, and enforce sectarian ideas of religion upon others, and thus invade their God-given, individual rights to worship God or not, as each might elect for himself. The New Testament prophet gives notice that this satanic spiritism will bring about a similar condition of things in governmental affairs in the last days. Rev. 13: 16, 17.

Trying spiritualism by the testimony—the word of God—we find it has no Saviour.

We read of Jesus, “Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began, but is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.” 2 Tim. 1: 9, 10. “Neither is there salvation in any other.” Acts 4: 12.

Teach me how to pray

By Edith Starbuck

By EDITH STARBUCK

I know, my Father, that my feeble prayer Is powerless to change Thy holy will; Because I am the object of Thy care, And all that comes to me of good or ill Is what Thy wisdom sees for me is best; And in that calm assurance I can rest.

I cannot tell Thee of my deep desire. My prayer is halting, and my words are weak. The longings that consume me, as by fire, Are such as human tongue can never speak. So, bowing low before Thee day by day, I plead with tears, Lord, teach me how to pray.

And yet, translated by my Saviour's love, Each voiceless wish of mine to Thee is known. Presented in the glorious courts above, It wafts as incense up about Thy throne; And there I see, before the mercy seat, My lack, in Him made perfect and complete.

Let me but ask according to Thy will, And I my answer have before I speak; For echoing down through earth's long ages, still Thy promise is that they shall find who seek. By faith I feel my crimson sins forgiven, And taste on earth the holy joy of heaven.

Forever, Lord, Thy mercies shall endure. Thy thoughts toward me were alway thoughts of peace. Thy promises to me are ever sure, And speak to bid my faithless doubtings cease. Though human breath may blow cold and hot, My Father is the same. He changes not.

The change must be within my darkened soul; To Thee I throw the portals open wide. O, burn away the dross with altar coal, And let Thy Spirit enter and abide; And while I look to Thee, with sculptor's art, Engrave Thine image deep within my heart.

Let Both Grow Together

By Ellen G. White

Both the True and the False Are in the Church — The Difficulty and Danger in Trying to Separate Them — God’s Plan in Dealing with Satan — The Lesson to Be Learned

By MRS. E. G. WHITE

“Another parable put He forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field; but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also.” Matt. 13:24-26.

“The field,” Christ said, “is the world.” But we must understand this as signifying the church of Christ in the world. The parable is a description of that which pertains to the kingdom of God, His work for the salvation of men, and this work is accomplished through the church. True, the Holy Spirit has gone out into all the world; everywhere it is moving upon the hearts of men; but it is in the church that we are to grow and ripen for the garner of God.

He Never Sowed a Tare

“He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man; . . . the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one.” Matt. 13:37, 38. The good seed represents those who are born of the word of God, the truth. The tares represent a class who are the fruit or embodiment of error, of false principles. “The enemy that sowed them is the devil.” Neither God nor His angels ever sowed a seed that would produce a tare. The tares are always sown by Satan, the enemy of God and man.

In the East, men sometimes took revenge upon an enemy by strewing his newly sown fields with the seeds of some noxious weed that, while growing, closely resembled wheat. Springing up with the wheat, it injured the crop, and brought trouble and loss to the owner of the field. So it is from enmity to Christ that Satan scatters his evil seed among the good grain of the kingdom. The fruit of his sowing he attributes to the Son of God. By bringing into the church those who bear Christ’s name while they deny His character, the wicked one causes that God shall be dishonored, the work of salvation misrepresented, and souls imperiled.

Let Both Grow Together

Christ’s servants are grieved as they see true and false believers mingled in the church. They long to do something to cleanse the church. Like the servants of the householder, they are ready to uproot the tares. But Christ says to them, “Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest.” Matt. 13:29, 30.

Christ has plainly taught that those who persist in open sin must be separated from the church; but He has not committed to us the work of judging character and motive. He knows our nature too well to intrust this work to us. Should we try to uproot from the church those whom we suppose to be spurious Christians, we should be sure to make mistakes. Often we regard as hopeless subjects the very ones whom Christ is drawing to Himself. Were we to deal with these souls according to our imperfect judgment, it would perhaps extinguish their last hope. Many who think themselves Christians will at last be found wanting. Many will be in heaven whom their neighbors supposed would never enter there. Man judges from appearance, but God judges the heart. The tares and the wheat are to grow together until the harvest; and the harvest is the end of probationary time.

There is in the Saviour’s words another lesson, a lesson of wonderful forbearance and tender love. As the tares have their roots closely intertwined with those of the good grain, so false brethren in the church may be closely linked with true disciples. The real character of these pretended believers is not fully manifested. Were they to be separated from the church, others might be caused to stumble, who but for this would have remained steadfast.

God Has Borne with Satan

The teaching of this parable is illustrated in God’s own dealing with men and angels. Satan is a deceiver. When he sinned in heaven, even the loyal angels did not fully discern his character. This was why God did not at once destroy Satan. Had He done so, the holy angels would not have perceived the justice and love of God. A doubt of God’s goodness would have been as evil seed, that would yield the bitter fruit of sin and woe. Therefore the author of evil was spared, fully to develop his character. Through long ages God has borne the anguish of beholding the work of evil. He has given the infinite Gift of Calvary, rather than leave any to be deceived by the misrepresentations of the wicked one; for the tares could not be plucked up without danger of uprooting the precious grain. And shall we not be as forbearing toward our fellow men as the Lord of heaven and earth is toward Satan?

“His experience with Judas is recorded to show His long patience with perverse human nature.”

The world has no right to doubt the truth of Christianity because there are unworthy members in the church, nor should Christians become disheartened because of these false brethren. How was it with the early church? Ananias and Sapphira joined themselves to the disciples. Simon Magus was baptized. Demas, who forsook Paul, had been counted a believer. Judas Iscariot was numbered with the apostles. The Redeemer does not want to lose one soul; His experience with Judas is recorded to show His long patience with perverse human nature; and He bids us bear with it as He has borne. He has said that false brethren will be found in the church till the close of time.

Men Have Sought to Uproot Them

Notwithstanding Christ’s warning, men have sought to uproot the tares. To punish those who were supposed to be evildoers, the church has had recourse to the civil power. Those who differed from the established doctrines have been imprisoned, put to torture and to death, at the instigation of men who claimed to be acting under the sanction of Christ. But it is the spirit of Satan, not the Spirit of Christ, that inspires such acts. This is Satan’s own method of bringing the world under his dominion. God has been misrepresented through the church by this way of dealing with those supposed to be heretics.

Not judgment and condemnation of others, but humility and distrust of self, is the teaching of Christ’s parable. Not all that is sown in the field is good grain. The fact that men are in the church does not prove them Christians.

The tares closely resembled the wheat while the blades were green; but when the field was white for the harvest, the worthless weeds bore no likeness to the wheat that bowed under the weight of its full, ripe heads. Sinners who make a pretension of piety mingle for a time with the true followers of Christ, and the semblance of Christianity is calculated to deceive many; but in the harvest of the world there will be no likeness between good and evil. Then those who have joined the church, but who have not joined Christ, will be manifest.

The tares are permitted to grow among the wheat, to have all the advantage of sun and shower; but in the time of harvest ye shall “return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth Him not.” Mal. 3:18. Christ Himself will decide who are worthy to dwell with the family of heaven. He will judge every man according to his words and his works. Profession is as nothing in the scale. It is character that decides destiny.

The Saviour does not point forward to

a time when all the tares become wheat. The wheat and tares grow together until the harvest, the end of the world. Then the tares are bound in bundles to be burned, and the wheat is gathered into the garner of God. “Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father.” Matt. 13:43. Then “the Son of man shall send forth His angels, and they shall gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; and shall cast them into a furnace of fire; there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.” Verses 41, 42.

Continue reading: The Two Kinds of Sacrifices