25. FREEDOM OF THOUGHT AND OPINION

deeds, his works, and his doom, is one of the characteristics which distinguish that book in the clearest way from all books of human authorship. But what we wish specially to emphasize is that there was (and yet remains) a valid and sufficient reason for the doctrine, taught by holy men of old, and by the Lord Jesus Christ, that man is by his natural birth ungodly, and that he needs to be begotten again of the Spirit of God, in order even to see the Kingdom of God.

On the other hand, the modern doctrine concerning man, which is just the reverse of the doctrine of the Bible, is promulgated, and is received in many quarters, without in any case the faintest semblance of supporting proof, without citation of any authority for it, and without any account whatever of its origin. It is easy to see that the apostles of this "profound faith" rely for its acceptance wholly upon the fact that it is well-pleasing to man to hear himself proclaimed to be divine. The era of the freedom of thought and opinion from all authority has been proclaimed; and this is a state wherein man is at liberty to believe exactly what suits him. And to think of himself "as God" suits him exactly.

Nevertheless, this "profound faith," which has "renewed our whole modern theology," did not originate with man, much less with modern man. Its origin is directly traceable to that ancient promise, which has been the spring and inspiration of all human progress and civilization, namely, "Ye shall not surely die. Ye shall be as God, knowing good and evil." And the time has now come when that old serpent, the arch-deceiver, who, by means of this promise, lured man to his destruction, finds mouthpieces in every religious denomination through which he may proclaim to mankind that the promise has at last been fulfilled, and that man has become "as God."

Mr. Smythe very plainly teaches that the authority by which doctrine is to be judged is in man himself—"in the individual conscience"—and hence that there is no need of external authority. If a proposition commends itself to man's ideas, then he may (and indeed must) accept it as truth. He says that--

"Divine authority is indeed primarily the truth as witnessed by the spirit in the individual conscience" (p. 90);

and while Mr. Smythe gives this as the doctrine of the Modernists, it plainly has his own approval.

Again he says:—

"It is love of truth that inspires those two factors of modern civilization -science and democracy."

And he asks:—

"With such allies what cause can fail?" (p. 95).

We would direct special attention to this statement, for it is of fundamental importance. It must depend

"FACTORS OF MODERN CIVILIZATION"

for its acceptance wholly upon the extravagant commendation it bestows on human institutions. Man prides himself on his modern science and his democracy. It pleases him well to be told that these are "two factors of modern civilization," and that with such allies no cause can fail. Man will, therefore, demand no proof to support the statement that it is "love of the truth" which inspires these two factors, whereby the cause of humanity is to be triumphantly established. But there is, nevertheless, another view of the matter, and one which does not depend for its support upon its acceptability to the natural heart of man. If there is "the truth" to be loved and sought, there is also "the lie" to be hated and shunned. The doctrine of the divinity of man is either one of the greatest of all truths, or it is one of the greatest of all lies. It can occupy no middle ground. If the old doctrine of the corruption of human nature is the truth, then the modern (and ancient) doctrine that man is (or should become) "as God" is the lie. The original text of 2 Thess. ii. 11 speaks, not of a lie, but of the lie; and to what can this refer but to that first of all lies, namely, that man should eventually become, through the pursuit and acquisition of knowledge, as God? We are come at last to a time in which men are, in great masses, accepting this doctrine; and those who proclaim it declare that it is "the love of the truth" which inspires the factors of man's uplift to the

Divine plane. But the Bible, while clearly predicting the time of acceptance of this doctrine, assigns to its acceptance an explanation which is the reverse of that given by Mr. Smythe. The Bible says that the acceptance of the lie will be because men would not receive the love of the truth. "Because they received not the love of the truth that they might be saved," "for this cause God shall send them strong delusion that they should believe the lie" (2 Thess. ii. 10, 11).

Here again we have the teaching of the Bible and that of the popular modern theology in direct opposition one to the other. All must agree that, if one of these utterances is "the truth," the other is "the lie"; and each must for himself decide which is which.

Mr. Smythe further says:—

"Modernism is not a schism, breaking off at a single point: it is laying broad foundations of religion in history, science, and democracy" (p. 109).

We deem it important to note the unanimity of the modern theologians in regarding the old "foundations" of faith as having been destroyed, and in speaking of new foundations for religion being laid in history, science, and democracy. And it is important to note further that these foundations are entirely man's work. History, science, and democracy are purely human institutions.

All this is but affirming, under another form of words, the doctrine of the divinity of Man; for in this

AN IMPOSSIBLE RELIGIOUS BASIS

"religion," based on history, science, and democracy, God has no place at all, except as He is identical with Man.

But the great currency which has been given to phrases such as that last quoted, shows that modern man is not only ready to accept, without any proof whatever, the most radical statements, provided they be sufficiently flattering to himself, but that he is even ready to accept, upon the same condition, statements which are utterly void of sense or meaning. For it is palpable nonsense to say that any religious faith can be based on either history, science, or democracy. History and science give us a mixture of facts and fables, the former dealing with the doings of man in the past, and the latter dealing with the substances and forces of nature. But religious faith has to do entirely with matters beyond the sphere both of scientific investigations and of historic inquiries. And to speak of laying foundations of religion in democracy is so utterly void of sense or meaning as to be incapable even of examination. Yet such phrases as these are entirely satisfactory to the modern man; and that being so, they possess the only sanction that is supposed to be required.

Of the present Pope and his efforts to suppress Modernism, and to interfere with its programme, Mr. Smythe says:—

"The present Pope is a parenthesis. Some parentheses of history have been long-drawn-out;

but always God's sentence goes on to its full period. The reaction of Pius x. is an interruption. Modernism runs in the main line of the thought and intent of Christian civilization" (p. 118).

Mr. Smythe therefore confidently expects that the interests of Christian civilization will be promoted by that movement which the Pope calls the "Synthesis of all heresies."

The last section of Mr. Smythe's book is prophetic in form and substance. Its title is "Coming Catholicism." This universal religion, shortly to be established in the earth, is, as Mr. Smythe sees it, an ecclesiastical system so broad, so liberal, and so accommodating, that all phases of religious thought may find a place in it. Man is to build his own religious temple, and when completed it is to be greatly to his credit and entirely to his liking. The author says:—

"The time, men are saying, seems ripe for something" (p. 175).

To this statement all thoughtful observers will assent; and they who believe "the sure word of prophecy" must agree with Mr. Smythe, that there shall indeed be established on earth a religious system, of the general character described by him, and which will be so nearly universal that it may properly be called the coming "Catholicism." But, on the other hand,

"INTERNATIONALISM"

believers in the prophetic Scriptures will vigorously protest against Mr. Smythe's reference to this "New Catholicism" as the "further coming of Christ." They declare that, on the contrary, it will be the coming of Antichrist, the advent of that potentate whose coming shall be after the working of Satan, and whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His appearing. They have authority for this belief, even the sure word of prophecy. What authority does Mr. Smythe cite for his? None whatever.

Mr. Smythe further argues the coming of the great Unification of Mankind from consideration of—

"the political process through which Internationalism is taking form and substance" (p. 198).

The process to which the author here refers is one of the most significant phenomena of the day. The tendency of industrial interests to override and disregard national and geographical boundaries is distinctly a modern development, and this had to come before there could be any unification of peoples of different nationalities. This process is aptly called "Internationalism." For the purposes of certain businesses, such as the gigantic steel industry, for example, national boundaries have already been practically blotted out; and it is evident that as business, i.e. the pursuit of wealth, becomes more and more the paramount concern of humanity, there will be developed an increasingly powerful motive for international federation. The fulfilment of prophecy requires an industrial and religious system which shall exercise a brief control throughout all lands, and over all kindreds and tongues and nations; and Mr. Smythe rightly says that a political process is even now in operation which is giving form and substance to such a system. He adds:—

"A federation of industrial interests throughout the world, and a peaceful reign of international law, are now much advocated. These ideas have entered as a social ferment into the politics of the world in this century."

"The forerunner of a world's peaceful commerce and industry calls to the Churches to repent of their strife" (p. 198).

Here, then, is another observer who, from his watchtower, discerns the approach of the great Consolidation, and who describes to us its main features as being just those predicted in Rev. xiii. The coming system which he sees near at hand is "a federation of industrial interests"; it is to extend "throughout the world"; it calls for a corresponding religious federation; and it is the product of ideas which have entered as a ferment (leaven) into the politics of the world in this century.

But this coming system, the monstrous combination of religion and trade, will not be, as Mr. Smythe calls it,

NOTHING FOR THE INDIVIDUAL SOUL. 161 another Christianity—"the Christianity that is to be." There cannot be another Christianity. The only reason why that much-abused name is applied by some modern prophets to the coming ecclesiasticism, is that it is possible thereby to deceive many as to the real nature and source of this system. Such, doubtless, will be the effect, upon some minds, of the following passage:—

"The Christianity that now is must give its baptism to the Christianity that is to be."

"From the baptism of this spirit may proceed, —perhaps sooner than men may think or dream,— the age of the one Holy Catholic Church. And if the age of Protestantism which passeth away was with glory, much more that which remaineth is with glory" (p. 208).

It would be instructive to consider this coming religion, as described by its heralds and apostles, for the special purpose of comparing what it offers to men with the offer of that gospel which has been preached from of old "with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven." One who examines the new system for this purpose will quickly discover that it contains practically nothing for the individual soul. Beyond the dubious privilege of holding whatever religious opinions he may prefer, and of participating to some undefined extent in the general prosperity which is to be attained in the dim future, the new religion offers nothing to the individual man. We hear only of vaguely defined benefits to "humanity," "mankind," "society," "the race." Mankind as an entity is to triumph, to be enriched, to enter a state of peace and safety, etc.

On the other hand, the God of the Bible is the God of the individual—the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob. The Good Shepherd knows His sheep and calls them by name. Instead of vague benefits to the race, at some indefinite and far-off time, the believer in Christ has the offer of the immediate remission of his sins, of personal salvation, of eternal life, of an incorruptible inheritance, and of the gift of the Holy Spirit as the earnest of that inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession. He has also the assurance of membership in the body of Christ, a prepared place in the Father's house, a share in the glory of the Son of God, and joint heirship with Him Whom the Father hath appointed the Heir of all things. Instead of extolling the solidarity of Man, the pardoned sinner can speak of "the Son of God Who loved me and gave himself for me": (Gal. ii. 20); and instead of looking away to a "unified humanity," which fallible and dying men tell him is to rise out of the earth long after he himself shall have gone down into the night of death, he looks for the Son of God from heaven, Whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus Who delivered us from the wrath to come (1 Thess. i. 10).

A GIGANTIC DECEPTION

If, then, man be really free in matters of religion to choose what he likes, as these new theologies declare, and if truth in reality be whatever one pleases to believe, what stupendous folly it would be to exchange the unsearchable riches of Christ for the emptiness and utter destitution of the New Theology? And if the believer be assured, in the name of modern science and scholarship, that his Christ is a myth, he can well afford to say that his mythical Christ, and the salvation wrought and brought by Him, are of far greater value than all the promises of the new religion, which, in fact, has no promise at all for the needy and suffering of this present generation.

The whole system is so empty, so plainly --to all who have eyes to see--a gigantic deception, a stupendous fraud, a disordered vision of this night of superstition, credulity and folly,--that nothing short of supernatural power could give it any acceptance among men; especially in a world which God so loved as to give His only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on Him should not perish but have everlasting life (John iii. 16). How great, then, must be the power of deception exercised by "that old serpent, called the Devil and Satan, which DECEIVETH THE WHOLE WORLD," and who is the author of that immensely popular religious system which has for its cardinal doctrine the assurance that man should eventually be, and has now at last become, "as God!"

SPIRITISM

The subject of Spiritism is too large for anything like a thorough consideration in this volume. But for present purposes we require only a brief reference to this movement, our object being merely to consider the part assigned to it in shaping the ultimate ecclesiasticism.

At first glance there would appear to be no relation whatever between the new rationalistic theologies, which claim to be highly "scientific," and which make a point of discrediting all the supernatural elements of Christianity, and the essentially supernatural cult of Spiritism. Indeed, there is ostensibly no relation between these several movements. Nevertheless, Spiritism is working towards the very same result as the advanced theologies, and is playing an important part in accomplishing that result.

In the first place, let it be remembered that the new theologies and their author have no enmity towards the supernatural broadly, but only towards the supernatural elements of Christianity. In the second place, the new theologians discredit the supernatural simply because it is (or until very recently was) deemed necessary for a man to do so in order to enjoy a reputation for being "scientific." It follows that, as soon as "Science" shall countenance the supernatural, the progressive theologians will make haste to put themselves on the new "foundation."

SCIENTIFIC SPIRITISM

Now, the most striking present-day development in Spiritism is the fact that scientific men, including some of the first rank, are giving their countenance to it, and are vouching for the genuineness of its phenomena. Further reference will be made to this.

Again, the average man does by nature thoroughly believe in, we might even say recognize, a supernatural sphere; though many conceal their real sentiments on this subject out of deference to the attitude of "Science." Hence there must needs be provision in the new religious system for this feature of human nature.

It must also be remembered that Satan is himself a spirit (Eph. ii. 2, 1 Cor. ii. 12, 1 John iv. 6), and his religions have all a predominant supernatural element.

Finally, the prophecies we have examined lay much stress upon the supernatural demonstrations which are to attend the establishment of the last great religious-commercial system. "The Spirit speaketh EXPRESSLY, that in the LATTER TIMES some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons" (1 Tim. iv. 1, Gr.). One of the end-time doctrines, to which this passage refers, and which is to be supernaturally taught, is "forbidding to marry." We note this in passing, intending to deal with it later on.

With these prophecies in mind we would naturally look about among the current human activities to discover where the predicted supernatural elements of the ultimate religion were to come from; and there would be an important factor missing if the source of these elements were not to be found. But the source of that important factor is in full view; and not only so, but is likewise supplying at the present moment its special contribution to the religio-commercial prodigy of the end-times.

A few facts in connection with spiritism will show that the spirit of evil and his subordinate hosts are at this very moment actively preparing this important part of the mystery of iniquity.

I

Whereas, until within a very recent time spiritism was generally discredited, its alleged phenomena scouted and ridiculed (especially in scientific circles), and its "mediums" denounced as charlatans and impostors, all this has now changed. Not only are the phenomena of Spiritism seriously investigated by sceptical scientific men, whom it is not easy to deceive as to physical occurrences, but they are vouched for as having stood every conceivable scientific test. Men of high repute for intelligence and learning have publicly given their countenance to spiritism; but, as we maintain, these "scientists" have been the dupes of the

SPIRITISM MADE RESPECTABLE

"deceiving spirits" to the extent that the former have been led to regard the latter as the discarnate spirits of the human dead. Among the prominent men of science who have, to this extent, enrolled themselves among the Spiritists, mention may be made of Sir William Crookes and Sir Oliver Lodge, who have in recent years devoted much time to the investigation of this class of phenomena.

Of course, this puts Spiritism before the public in an entirely new light; and with such endorsements, the former fear of, and contempt for, this dangerous cult are being rapidly dispelled, and are indeed being replaced by deference and respect. The way is thus being prepared for new and ever widening spheres of demoniacal activity, and for the supply of new and more efficient human channels, or "mediums," through which the spirits may operate.

Sir Oliver Lodge, in a recent utterance, declared that the partition between the natural and the supernatural is "wearing thin in places." Such is indeed the case; and those who know and believe their Bibles, regard this as one of the surest indications of the near coming of Christ.

From this recent and unexpected development of Spiritism we may learn how readily Satan is able to supply himself with a new source of authority. It is obviously in keeping with the doctrine of the divinity of man to believe that human beings who have "passed beyond" are more enlightened touching the unseen things than those who are yet in the body.

In harmony with this, Mr. Campbell in his New Theology teaches that—

"Physical death is not the all-important event which theologians have usually made it out to be; it is only a bend in the road. My own impression is that when we individually pass through this crisis we shall find the change to be very slight. It will mean the dropping of the scales from the eyes, and that is about all."

This is the teaching of Spiritism; and such teaching manifestly opens the door very wide to the promulgation and acceptance by credulous humanity of the "doctrines of demons."

We deem it highly important that the readers of these pages should be fully informed concerning the strange and ominous alliance which has been recently effected between Physical Science, represented by the well-known names already mentioned, and the evil cult of Spiritism. Great publicity has been given to this alliance through a "report" recently published (January 1909), setting forth the results of certain elaborate experiments conducted by Sir Oliver Lodge and other members of the British Society for Psychical Research. These experiments constituted an attempt "to carry on definite, unmistakable communications with the spirits of F. W. H. Myers and Dr. Richard

A "TREMENDOUS COMMOTION"

Hodgson." The former was, in his lifetime, the secretary and active director of the above-named society, and the latter is spoken of as "a clergyman, poet, classical scholar, and scientist."

One of the committee to which the management of the "sittings" was entrusted was Mr. G. W. Balfour, who is also the president of the society. Under such auspices the proceedings have a standing before the public which fully commends them and their "results" to all but the spiritually enlightened. An account published in the New York Times says that "the report has excited a tremendous commotion in scientific and religious circles in England." No doubt. "Science" and "religion" find a community of interest in Spiritism.

These experiments were conducted pursuant to an arrangement made by Messrs. Myers and Hodgson during their lifetime, and were carried on with every precaution against dishonesty or self-deception on the part of the mediums.

These mediums or "psychics," through whom the experiments were carried on, were all women. Their names, as published, were Mrs. Piper, Mrs. Verrall (the wife of the noted English scholar), her daughter Miss Verrall, Mrs. Thompson, Mrs. Forbes, and Mrs. Holland (the two latter are assumed names). The woman was the first "medium" employed by Satan in communicating with mankind; and he still manifests a strong preference for the female side of humanity. Experience shows that, for some mysterious reason, women are more susceptible than men to spiritistic influence. In view of this fact it behoves all women, especially Christian women, to be exceedingly careful in these perilous times, and to suspect every movement which is attended by abnormal subjective experiences. It will be observed as an invariable rule that in all spiritual manifestations of sinister origin (such as the most recent one, accompanied by an uncouth imitation of the gift of tongues), and which involve also the unscriptural phenomenon of substituted personality (the true personality being displaced by a spirit), the great majority of those who have this "experience" are women.

The "psychics" through whom communications were carried on with the supposed spirits of Myers and Hodgson, were located in cities far apart (Mrs. Holland was in Calcutta, India), and messages were received through them simultaneously. Other precautions were taken to eliminate collusion, and to bring the experiments under strictly scientific test conditions. For example, the spirit personating Myers was asked to give part of a message through one medium, and part simultaneously through another in a distant city, so that the two might be compared to see if they matched, and if they were, when combined, such a message as might be expected from Myers.