Methodism
Babylon Perplexes The World
Although these sects are the only ones now members of the Federal Council, yet, in hatred of the Truth, and darkness in regard to God's Plan, the following are also entitled to membership: Evangelical Adventists, Advent Christians, Seventh-Day Adventists, Church of God, Life and Advent Union, Church of God in Jesus Christ, fifteen kinds of Baptists named in comments on Rev. 8:12, four kinds of Dunkard brethren, the Conservative, Old Order, Progressive and Seventh-Day German varieties, four kinds of Plymouth Brethren, three kinds of River Brethren, the Brethren in Christ, Old Order or Yorker and United Zion's Children, Catholic Apostolic, New Apostolic, Christadelphians, Dowie's Christian Catholic, Christian Union, Church of Christ Scientist, Winnebrenarian Churches of God, Colored Churches of the Living God, Christian Workers for Friendship, Apostolic, Church of Christ in God, Churches of the New Jerusalem, General Convention, General Church, Church Transcendent, Communistic Societies, Shakers, Amana, Churches of Christ, Apostolic Faith Movement, Peniel Missions, Metropolitan Church Association, Hepziba Faith Association, Missionary Christian Association, Heavenly Recruit Church, Apostolic Christian Church, Christian Congregation, Colored Voluntary Missionary Society, Hicksite Friends, Wilburite [pg 161] Friends, Primitive Friends, Friends of the Temple, German Evangelical Protestant, Latter-Day Saints, Reorganized Latter-Day Saints, twenty-one kinds of Lutherans shown in comments on Rev. 8:7, Swedish Evangelical Missionary Covenant. Swedish Evangelical Free Mission, Norwegian Evangelical Free Church, twelve kinds of Mennonites, Bruederhoef, Amish, Old Amish, Conservative Amish, Reformed, General Conference, Church of God in Christ, Old Wisler, Bundes Conference, Defenceless, Brethren in Christ, sixteen kinds of Methodists shown in comments on Rev. 9:1, Union Moravian, Pentecostal Church of the Nazarene, Other Pentecostal Associations, twelve kinds of Presbyterians shown in comments on Rev. 8:10, 11, Christian Reformed, Hungarian Reformed, Reformed Catholic, Salvation Army, Schwenkfelders, Social Brethren, Society for Ethical Culture, Spiritualists, Theosophical Society, Old Constitution Brethren, Unitarians, Universalists, etc.
Their “faiths” are quite as varied as their names, but without exception they deny the central truth of the Scriptures (1 John 4:2, 3) that when Jesus Christ came to earth He came as a man only, devoid of immortality or Divinity, that when He died He was as dead as though He never had lived, and that by that death He bought for Adam and his race the Restitution of all things foretold by “the mouth of all the holy Prophets since the world began.” (Rev. 4:10.) The common ground upon which they stand is this, their denial of the Ransom, their affirmation of Spiritism, in some form, and their adherence to the principle of Federation. All of these things are condemned in the Scriptures but the Scriptures will never be allowed to stand in the way of those who live by shearing the wool from the sheep. (2 Tim. 4:3, 4; Deut. 18:10, 11; Isa. 8:9-22.) The latter passage is full of the deepest significance at this time.
“Christian Heralds” that refused to publish advertisements of Pastor Russell's books now give space to advertisements of godless, Christless, Buddhist, demoniacal books, glorifying the New Thought system of mind worship, the boot-strap system of religion by which men, by cultivation of the will, lift themselves into money, piety and immortality, and by making assertions to and demands of the alleged “sub-conscious mind” invite and receive the assistance of evil spirits, and finally come under their control. Modern “Christianity” is Buddhism.
“The Rev. Dr. Day, Chancellor of the Syracuse University, recently, in an address to the Y. M. C. A., is reported by the public press to have said: ‘Wouldn't you rather live in America than in Heaven? I would. I'd like to [pg 162] go to Heaven when I can't be here. In fact, I think I'd be rather discontented in Heaven till I got adjusted. You can get anything you want here. You can live under forty odd governments, meet all the nations of the world, eat all the fruits of the world and get any kind of climate that you choose. So America is the beat place to live; but I think when a man can't stay here any longer he ought to steer for Heaven,’ ” (Z. '08-196.) Having concluded to stay here as long as possible, “Christians” are now flocking by thousands to the purchase of works which will show them how to use spiritism to take advantage of their fellow men. The religious and other periodicals are now filled with advertisements of these books. We quote a few extracts to show their Satanic character:
“It is necessary to control others, to discover their plans. This you may be able to do if you have developed your inner faculties. We show you how to so develop your intuitional nature that you are able to detect the feelings of others; to penetrate their secret motives; and to discover what they try to conceal. The Golden Rule must be followed in controlling others. ‘Do unto others as you would that they should do unto you.’ There comes more and more the power of seeing the future, so that more and more true becomes the old adage that coming events cast their shadows before. Health in time takes the place of disease; for all disease and its consequent suffering is merely the result of the violation of law, whether consciously or unconsciously. There comes a spiritual power which, as it is sent out, is adequate for the healing of others the same as in the days of old.”
“Many omniscient men and women will soon walk the earth. Omniscience and Freedom are the goal of all, and in this Great Age of Light many Egos are approaching the blessed omniscience state.”
“Suddenly it seemed that the top of my head had been lifted, and I became aware of an immense increase of personal consciousness. I became conscious, I say—I know what I am writing—of the vast sky above, and the mighty deeps below, and the wide sweep of present human life, and the long forward and backward stretch of human history. It seemed that I could sense the All. Since that day all is well. Life is deeper, richer, stronger—assured, fearless, and saturated with perennial vital interests.” (What really happened to this man was that he became obsessed by demons.)—Rev. 7:3.