Spiritualism
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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. And as
the Roman guard that watched the tomb of Jesus spread the lying
report which the priests and elders put into their mouths to disprove his
resurrection, so do the believers in spiritual manifestations try to make
it appear that there is nothing miraculous in the circumstances of our
Saviour’s life. After thus seeking to put Jesus in the background, they
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call attention to their own miracles, declaring that these far exceed the
works of Christ.
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 nearly forty 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 tolera-
tion 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 of sin, the
requirements of his holy law, are all kept out of sight. The people are
taught to regard the decalogue as a dead letter. Pleasing, bewitching