HE WILL COME By F. R. Foss
five examples of artifice, only two can be considered in this installment of the article. (1) Seventh-Day Adventism’s Chief Deception — Mrs. E. G. White’s Professed “Divine Calling” and “ Gift.” For a peri od of about seventy years, this deluded woman who was so prominent in found ing and promoting the movement, bold ly claimed to be the chosen mouthpiece of God to “His remnant people” (mean ing the Seventh-Day Adventists). The so-styled “ chosen servant of God” de clared that she often held direct con verse with God, with Christ, and with holy angels ; and she also maintained that everything she wrote was the result of révélations she received directly from Heaven. She referred to her words, both written and spoken, as “ God speaking through clay.” Throughout the history of the Ad ventist cult, every lofty claim made by Mrs. White has received the support of both its leaders and people. Many posi tive declarations in this regard, such as the following, are to be found in official publications of the sect: “ As John the Baptist came as a special messenger of the Lord to prepare the way for Christ’s appearing, so we believe that Mrs. White was a prophet to the church of Christ today [that is, to the Seventh-Day Ad ventist m o v em e n t , ‘the one t r u e church’].” (F. M. Wilcox: Review and Herald, October 4, 1929.) But Mrs. White was a proved imposter. Her voluminous writings are permeated with perversions of Scripture, contradic tions of Scripture, and additions to the Scriptures. They also contain many false, unfulfilled prophecies. What is more, this pious pretender was a confirmed plagiarist, “lifting” from the published writings of other authors large portions which she not only used without credit, but which she claimed to have received by inspiration. And thèse stolen literary wares constitute a considerable portion of some of her most widely circulated books. The proof of all this is abundant and incontrovertible. The “ prophet’s visions” also were counterfeit. A responsible physician who attended her during visits which she frequently made to a famous sanitarium, declared, “ Mrs. White’s ‘visions’ were the result of a diseased condition of the brain or nervous system.” (William Rus sell, M.D., quoted in Life of Mrs. E. G. White, pp. 180, 181.) From the days of her early childhood, she was mental ly ill. Her brain was injured when her forehead was struck with a stone hurled by a schoolmate, and the resultant neu rotic state rendered her peculiarly sus ceptible to the influence and employment of the Great Deceiver. Not only was Mrs. White herself de ceptive in her profession, but Seventh- Day Adventist leaders through the years ( Continued on Page 21)
SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTISM (Continued from Page 11)
a streak of deception in the whole work of Seventh-Day Adventists, from first to last.” (D. M. Canright: Life of Mrs. E. G. White, p. 156). So we see that, according to the testi mony of this one qualified witness (and there are other witnesses), the trait of deceit which marks Seventh-Day Advent ism is inherent in the system — an in- bred and, therefore, indispensable part of it. Like the “ Ethiopian” and the “ leopard” o f S crip tu re (Jeremiah 13:23), Seventh-Day Adventism is in capable of changing its “ skin” or its “spots.” Despite all efforts made by shrewd exponents of the movement to effect a successful disguise, its innate characteristic of deceit unmistakably and persistently reveals itself. Examples of Artifices Practiced By Seventh-Day Adventists I believe it will prove profitable to the truth-seeking reader to have set before him examples of the undercover policies and practices of the Seventh-Day Ad ventists. A factual treatment of such matters, though of necessity brief, should, I feel, enlighten many a believer who is uninformed, and for that reason in danger of being ensnared in this clev erly camouflaged religious trap. Let us consider a few such examples. Let us examine, first, the so-styled “ prophetic gift” claimed to have been possessed by Mrs. E. G. White, the self- named “messenger of the Lord” to the Seventh-Day Adventists. Second, a half- dozen typical “ early day” teachings of the sect which were eventually discover ed to be erroneous and either played down or quietly dropped. Third, some of the deceptive tactics employed univer sally by “evangelists” of the cult when publicizing their “ prophetic lecture” campaigns. Fourth, the hidden purpose and some of the crafty methods of Ad ventism’s most successful proselyting agency — its insidious world-covering radio broadcast, The Voice of Prophecy. Fifth, the current nation-wide drive of the sect to “sell” itself to others as “ a friendly people who want to be friends with you.” Possessing a true-to-fact understand ing of these important—and commonly unknown or vaguely comprehended — aspects of Seventh-Day Adventism, the honest reader will come to realize ex actly what the system is underneath its “ sheep’s clothing” disguise. He will see, just as I at last came to see, that Mr. Canright’s diagnosis of the movement is a true one. He will find that from its beginnings Seventh-Day Adventism has been characterized, and corrupted, by piously concealed dishonesty. Of these
Biola Evening School Student
The fig tree buds; the Jew returns To his own Promised Land. The church grows cold; the world, war-hot; The nations’ armies-band. The trumpet of the Lord' will sound; The dead will hear His voice; The living have immortal life; Rejoice! Rejoice! Rejoice! Decaying dust will pulse anew; God’s saints of ages past Rise from their graves to join the throng Of saved, with Christ, at last. Thru walls of wood and stone and steel, From deep beneath the sea, The scattered dust of bones long dead Now rise to be with Thee. Those crooked bodies—alive and dead— See now ! are straight and strong. Dumb lips which never spoke on earth Burst now with Heaven’s song. The bonds of time and space and things All broken asunder lie. Far quicker than the quickest thought We’ve changed from earth to sky. For seven years Christ’s Judgment Seat Rewards the Christian deed; While seven years of great distress Afflict old Satan’s seed. Again the Lord Himself descends To earth where all shall see The devil bound a thousand years! To saints the victory! Millennium! One thousand years Of peace for all the earth. But NOW the age of Grace allows A gracious second birth. Choose NOW our sin-forgiving Lord; Next second He may come. You must with Christ or Satan dwell: Choose NOW your future home.
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Page Seventeen
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