Printed in the Review and Herald, July 4, 1935
Shortly after the meetings in Jackson, Michigan, spoken of in our last article, Elder and Mrs. White, accompanied by J. N. Loughborough, held meetings in Battle Creek, and in Bedford, a small village eight miles northwest.
Here, after the opening exercises of the first meetings held in the schoolhouse, James White arose to speak, and read for his text 2 Thessalonians 2:7-12. Then there was a. pause, and turning to his fellow worker, he said, "I am faint, Brother Loughborough; will you take my place." Elder Loughborough entered the desk, reread the passage, and spoke freely from this text, which sets forth the delusions of the last days. Mrs. White followed with an effective appeal. After the service, the congregation adjourned to a near-by lake for baptism.
A Pamphlet on Spiritualism Planned
In the meantime Elder White had left the building, and after lying on the grass for a few minutes, had returned to the home of Brother Brooks, where he rested an hour. He awoke greatly refreshed. His mind was alert, and he outlined the sections and chose texts and proofs for a pamphlet designed to set forth the rising tide of Spiritualism as one of the signs of Christ's second advent, and to furnish strong arguments to combat the deceptive movement. The need of such a work will be better appreciated if we give thought to the rapid rise of Spiritualism at this particular time.
In the latter part of March, 1848, while James White and his wife were living in Topsham, Maine, and he was working each day from dawn till dark to earn a pittance of fifty cents by cutting cordwood, the outlook for the cause they had espoused seemed dark indeed.
Origin of Spiritualism
It was at this time, shortly before the first conference of the believers at Rocky Hill, Connecticut, that a family living in an obscure village in western New York were startled one night by hearing a series of mysterious noises, like knockings, in various parts of the house. They were aroused, and all sought vainly to ascertain the origin of the sounds.
Night after night the disturbance was repeated. Soon it was ascertained that there was an intelligence back of the phenomena. A code was suggested by some of those present -- one knock for a negative and two for an affirmative answer to questions; numbers to be indicated by a corresponding number of knocks; and later, as the alphabet was repeated, a knock would indicate the letter desired by the unseen intelligence. When these letters were arranged, they would spell words and sentences. Thus, not only might questions be answered, but the unseen visitor could communicate to the startled listeners whatever he might desire to say to them.
The enemy of righteousness had chosen this time, the spring of 1848, this family of John D.Fox, and this village, Hydesville, New York, for the beginnings of a great deceptive movement,--a movement which is the subject of prophecy, and one of the signs of the last days. As the fuller light was about to shine forth to the world, as the Bible truth of immortality only through Christ was to be restored, Satan would seek to hold men in belief of his great falsehood uttered in Eden, "Ye shall not surely die." As seemingly conclusive evidence that human intelligence survives beyond death, he and his hosts of evil angels would communicate with men, and would make them believe that they were conversing with the spirits of the dead. This would be a masterpiece of deception, for if he could gain their confidence, he could turn their ears away from the truth unto fables, and keep them from accepting God's last message to a perishing world.
Soon after the occurrence of these strange events at Hydesville, a part of the Fox family moved to Rochester, and then the rappings were heard in both places. Many people investigated, coming to scoff, but going away convinced that they had witnessed superhuman phenomena.
Spread of the Delusion
One night, in November of 1849, a message was given to those assembled in the house: "You all have a duty to perform. We want you to make this matter more public." In response to this, a hall was secured in Rochester, and a lecture was given by a gentleman of Auburn, New York. A report of this and of subsequent meetings was printed in the New York Weekly Tribune of December 8, 1849. Committees were appointed for investigation, and they all agreed that "the sounds were heard, but they entirely failed to discover any means by which it could be done." The rapid growth of this movement, which came to be called Spiritualism, was phenomenal. Regarding the spread of Spiritualism, a judge of the Supreme Court wrote in 1851:
"Scarcely more than four years have elapsed since the 'Rochester knockings' were first known among us. Then mediums could be counted by units, but now by thousands; then believers could be numbered by hundreds, now by tens of thousands. It is believed by the best informed that the whole number in the United States must be several hundred thousands, and that in this city (New York) and its vicinity, there must be from twenty to twenty-five thousand.
"There are ten or twelve newspapers and periodicals devoted to the cause, and the Spiritual library embraces more than one hundred different publications, some of which have already attained a circulation of more than ten thousand copies. Besides the undistinguished multitude, there are many men of high standing and talent ranked among them--doctors, lawyers, and clergymen in great numbers, a Protestant bishop, the learned and reverend president of a college, judges of our higher courts, members of Congress, foreign ambassadors, and ex-members of the United States Senate."
Falsity Revealed in Vision
Before the movement had become widely known outside of the city of Rochester, Ellen White was shown in vision its nature and its future popularity. Speaking of a view given her at Topsham, Maine, March 24, 1849, she says:
"I saw that the mysterious knocking in New York and other places was the power of Satan, and that such things would be more and more common, clothed in a religious garb so as to lull the deceived to greater security, and to draw the minds of God's people, if possible, to those things, and cause them to doubt the teachings and power of the holy Ghost."--"Early Writings," p. 43.
In August, 1850, a further revelation was given to Mrs. White, regarding the future signs and wonders that would be manifest through Spiritualism. She "saw that the 'mysterious rapping' was the power of Satan; some of it was directly from him, and some indirectly." She predicted that "it would spread more and more, that Satan's power would increase," and that "some of his devoted followers would have power to work miracles, and even to bring down fire from heaven in the sight of men." She further asserted that through the phenomena of Spiritualism, men would "account for all the miracles wrought by our Lord Jesus Christ," many being thus deceived into believing that "all the mighty works of the Son of God when on earth were accomplished by this same power." "Could our eyes be opened," she wrote, "we should see forms of evil angels around us, trying to invent some new way to annoy and destroy us. And we should also see angels of God guarding us from their power."--Id., pp. 59, 60.
It was revealed to her that the deceptions of Spiritualism "took away all the glory of heaven," and that in its fire, to many minds, "the throne of David and the lovely person of Jesus have been burned up."--Id., p. 77.
Future Developments
She wrote further regarding the future developments of Spiritualism:
"Satan will have power to bring before us the appearance of forms purporting to be our relatives or friends now sleeping in Jesus. It will be made to appear as if these friends were present; the words that they uttered while here, with which we were familiar, will be spoken, and the same tone of voice that they had while living, will fall upon the ear. All this is to deceive the saints, and ensnare them into the belief of this delusion."--Id., p. 87.
As the headquarters of the Sabbath-keeping Adventists was in Rochester, they saw many reminders of the beginnings of the "rappings." With the knowledge of the future growth of Spiritualism, and its deceptive power as revealed to Mrs. White, James White felt a burden to do something to enlighten the minds of as many as possible, and to save them from the fatal delusion.
In the light of the prediction by Paul, as stated in the morning's text, presented in the meeting at Bedford, Elder White saw in Spiritualism a remarkable fulfillment of prophecy, and one of the evidences of Christ's soon coming. He recognized in it "the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders," as he had not seen it before, and he determined to publish his thoughts in pamphlet form.
Persons Saved From Deception
One incident on the journey had helped to impress upon his mind the subtle workings of the enemy through Spiritualism. At Mill Grove he had conversed with Brother Cottrell, an aged pilgrim of nearly eighty years, who had been keeping the Bible Sabbath for more than thirty years. Brother Cottrell had accepted the light on man's nature in death, having rejected the doctrine of man's consciousness between death and the resurrection. He had recently received through some Spiritual friends in Wisconsin, a letter signed "M. Cottrell," and purporting to be from his wife, who had recently been laid to rest. But the bereaved husband, "believing that the dead know not anything, was prepared to reject at once the heresy that the spirits of the dead, knowing everything, come back and converse with the living."--Review and Herald, June 9, 1853.
A glimpse of the workings of James White's mind on this subject may be caught by his comments on another incident that occurred on the way from Bedford to their next appointment at Vergennes. The party stopped at a farmhouse for refreshments, and there met a woman who was much interested in the truths of the second advent. She wept freely as they conversed with her on spiritual themes. During the conversation she mentioned having had opportunity to "witness the spiritual manifestations," but stated that she "could not believe in them, for she could not give up her Bible." Speaking of his reflections after resuming their journey, Elder White wrote:
"The stranger that had kindly entertained us was a sample of thousands, especially in a new country, who are starving for spiritual food, and whose minds the Spirit of God is opening for the reception of the present truth. But, oh, the dreadful thought! These poor souls have not on the whole armor of truth, and are daily exposed to the damning influence of what is called 'Spiritualism' [spirit manifestations]. When once immersed in that heresy, they are beyond the reach of truth. These persons, not knowing their danger, like the innocent bird, are in danger of being decoyed into the fatal snare that will hold them fast forever.
"Michigan is dreadfully cursed with Spiritualism. The 'spirits of devils working miracles' have penetrated even the most wilderness portions of the State. ... May God raise up friends of the cause of truth, who shall, through the press and the living preacher, send the truth and the warning to these perishing souls, ere Satan and his legions blind them with the last great deceivableness of unrighteousness, that is to shut up its thousands in darkness until the day of the Lord come upon them as a thief."--Review and Herald, July 7, 1853.
Pamphlet Written
Returning to Rochester a few days later, Elder White began the writing of the proposed pamphlet. Of the difficulties connected with its preparation, Mrs. White has written:
"His health was poor. He was troubled with aching head and cold feet. He could sleep but little, but the Lord was his support. When his mind was in a confused, suffering state, we would bow before the Lord, and in our distress cry unto Him. He heard our earnest prayers, and often blessed my husband so that with refreshed spirits he went on with the work. Many times in the day did we thus go before the Lord."--"Life Sketches of James and Ellen G. White," p. 304.
The aim of this pamphlet was set forth on the title page in the following words: "THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES, showing that the second coming of Christ is at the doors. SPIRIT MANIFESTATIONS, a foretold sign that the day of God's wrath hasteneth greatly." Its 124 pages were filled with information of thrilling interest, forty pages being devoted to the rise and development of modern Spiritualism. [1]
Note:
1. The facts and quotations regarding the rise and rapid growth of Spiritualism as presented in this article have been taken from this pamphlet.