34
Darkness Before Dawn
the apostles of Christ and the most corrupt of the servants of Satan.
By representing the basest of men as in heaven, and highly exalted
there, Satan says to the world: “No matter how wicked you are; no
matter whether you believe or disbelieve God and the Bible. Live as
you please; heaven is your home.” The spiritualist teachers virtually
declare: “Everyone that doeth evil is good in the sight of the Lord, and
He delighteth in them; or, Where is the God of judgment?”
Malachi
2:17
. Saith the word of God: “Woe unto them that call evil good, and
good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness.”
Isaiah
5:20
.
The apostles, as personated by these lying spirits, are made to
contradict what they wrote at the dictation of the Holy Spirit when on
earth. They deny the divine origin of the Bible, and thus tear away the
foundation of the Christian’s hope and put out the light that reveals
the way to heaven. Satan is making the world believe that the Bible is
a mere fiction, or at least a book suited to the infancy of the race, but
now to be lightly regarded, or cast aside as obsolete. And to take the
place of the word of God he holds out spiritual manifestations. Here
is a channel wholly under his control; by this means he can make the
world believe what he will. The Book that is to judge him and his
followers he puts in the shade, just where he wants it; the Saviour of
the world he makes to be no more than a common man....
[22]
The Changing Image of Spiritism
It is true that spiritualism is now changing its form and, veiling
some of its more objectionable features, is assuming a Christian guise.
But its utterances from the platform and the press have been before the
public for many years, and in these its real character stands revealed.
These teachings cannot be denied or hidden.
Even in its present form, so far from being more worthy of tol-
eration than formerly, it is really a more dangerous, because a more
subtle, deception. While it formerly denounced Christ and the Bible, it
now professes to accept both. But the Bible is interpreted in a manner
that is pleasing to the unrenewed heart, while its solemn and vital
truths are made of no effect. Love is dwelt upon as the chief attribute
of God, but it is degraded to a weak sentimentalism, making little
distinction between good and evil. God’s justice, His denunciations