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design is, through the increase of knowledge and spiritual elevation, to crush, destroy and
break in pieces all the existing forms of government on the face of the whole earth. . . .
and in place of them build up one common form of government in all the earth, having
one common head. . . . in this form of government (which will be a Theocratic
Democracy) every man will be his own ruler and his natural demands his highest law!"
Look at the "first great object" and trace its results! The whole passage is pregnant
with solemn warning. It is antichristian to the last degree. The design is to usurp the
prophesied prerogatives of Christ. He it is who will "crush, destroy, and break in pieces
all existing forms of government" (see Dan. 2: 44 and 45). This, Spiritism would give to
the "man" who, energized by satan and inebriated with the false idea of immortality, will
dare to challenge the very Lamb of God. Spiritism looks forward to "one common head,"
and of a truth the signs of the times indicate that the coming of the "son of perdition" is
near. The leaven is working very near the surface, but God has given this high place to
His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, "that in the dispensation of the
fulness of times, He might gather together under one Head all things in Christ, both
which are in heaven, and which are on earth" (Eph. i.10).
The absolute lawlessness inculcated in the closing words of the quotation cited above
is entirely in harmony with the testimony of the Spirit of truth:--
"This know also, that in the last days there will set in perilous seasons; for men will be
lovers of their own selves, covetous, ostentatious, arrogant, defamers, disobedient to
parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, truce breakers, intriguers, without
self-control, fierce, unfriendly to good, traitors, reckless, highminded, lovers of pleasure
more than lovers of God" (II Tim.3: 1-4).
Here the last phase of the mystery of lawlessness is confessedly the goal of Spiritism.
A "rational religion" is to take place of revealed redemption, and instead of glorious
grace man is to be his own saviour, lawgiver, and god, for they say:--
"God is man and man is God. . . . no clearer idea of divine existence can possibly be
commended to the mind than the statement that He is one grand universal man."
Once more we ask our readers to examine the root, the "simple germ" of this
blasphemy. Upon their own repeated witness, Spiritists declare that the acceptation of
the doctrine of the immortality of the soul is the seed which, left to itself, produces such
envenomed fruit. So also may we learn if we read Gen.3, "Ye shall not surely die. . . ye
shall be as God."
We do not intend in this issue to go further into the subject, this we reserve until our
next article. We feel that the terrible connection which this doctrine has with the whole
antichristian system ought to be clearly seen. During the next few months our readers will
have an opportunity of looking to the Word of God which liveth and abideth for ever.
There they will find all that is to be known concerning the subject of the soul and of
immortality. We might suggest a few questions for those who, Berean-like, will search
the Scripture:--