"Try the Spirits" The Prophet's (a true prophet of the
time) Editorial in the Times and Seasons (1839)
Recent occurrences that have transpired amongst us render it an
imperative duty devolving upon me to say something in relation
to the spirits by which men are actuated.
It is evident from the Apostles' writings, that many false spirits
existed in their day, and had "gone forth into the world,"
and that it needed intelligence which God alone could impart to
detect false spirits, and to prove what spirits were of God. The
world in general have been grossly ignorant in regard to this
one thing, and why should they be otherwise -- for "the things
of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God."
The Egyptians were not able to discover the difference between
the miracles of Moses and those of the magicians until they came
to be tested together; and if Moses had not appeared in their
midst, they would unquestionably have thought that the miracles
of the magicians were performed through the mighty power of God,
for they were great miracles that were performed by them -- a
supernatural agency was developed, and great power manifested.
It would have been equally as difficult for us to tell by what
spirit the Apostles prophesied, or by what power the Apostles
spoke and worked miracles. Who could have told whether the power
of Simon, the sorcerer, was of God or of the devil?
There always did, in every age, seem to be a lack of intelligence
pertaining to this subject. Spirits of all kinds have been manifested,
in every age, and almost among all people.
If we go among the pagans, they have their spirits; the Mohammedans,
the Jews, the Christians, the Indians -- all have their spirits,
all have a supernatural agency, and all contend that their spirits
are of God. Who shall solve the mystery? "Try the spirits,"
says John, but who is to do it? The learned, eloquent, the philosopher,
the sage, the divine -- all are ignorant. The heathens will boast
of their gods, and of the great things that have been unfolded
by their oracles. The Mussulman will boast of his Koran, and of
the divine communications that his progenitors have received.
The Jews have had numerous instances, both ancient and modern,
among them of men who have professed to be inspired, and sent
to bring about great events, and the Christian world has not been
slow in making up the number.
"Try the spirits," but what by? Are we to try them by
the creeds of men? What preposterous folly -- what sheer ignorance
-- what madness! Try the motions and actions of an eternal being
(for I contend that all spirits are such) by a thing that was
conceived in ignorance, and brought forth in folly -- a cobweb
of yesterday! Angels would hide their faces, and devils would
be ashamed and insulted, and would say, "Paul we know, and
Jesus we know, but who are ye?" Let each man of society make
a creed and try evil spirits by it, and the devil would shake
his sides; it is all that he would ask -- all that he would desire.
Yet many of them do this, and hence "many spirits are abroad
in the world."
One great evil is, that men are ignorant of the nature of spirits;
their power, laws, government, intelligence, etc., and imagine
that when there is anything like power, revelation, or vision
manifested, that it must be of God. Hence the Methodists, Presbyterians,
and others frequently possess a spirit that will cause them to
lie down, and during its operation, animation is frequently entirely
suspended; they consider it to be the power of God, and a glorious
manifestation from God -- a manifestation of what? Is there any
intelligence communicated? Are the curtains of heaven withdrawn,
or the purposes of God developed? Have they seen and conversed
with an angel -- or have the glories of futurity burst upon their
view? No! but their body has been inanimate, the operation of
their spirit suspended, and all the intelligence that can be obtained
from them when they arise, is a shout of "glory," or
"hallelujah," or some incoherent expression; but they
have had "the power."
The Shaker will whirl around on his heel, impelled by a supernatural
agency or spirit, and think that he is governed by the Spirit
of God; and the Jumper will jump and enter into all kinds of extravagances.
A Primitive Methodist will shout under the influence of that spirit,
until he will rend the heavens with his cries; while the Quakers
(or Friends) moved as they think, by the Spirit of God, will sit
still and say nothing. Is God the author of all this? If not all
of it, which does He recognize? Surely, such a heterogeneous mass
of confusion never can enter into the kingdom of heaven.
Discerning of Spirits by Power of Priesthood
Every one of these professes to be competent to try his neighbor's
spirit, but no one can try his own, and what is the reason? Because
they have not a key to unlock, no rule wherewith to measure, and
no criterion whereby they can test it. Could any one tell the
length, breadth or height of a building without a rule? Test the
quality of metals without a criterion, or point out the movements
of the planetary systems, without a knowledge of astronomy? Certainly
not; and if such ignorance as this is manifested about a spirit
of this kind, who can describe an angel of light? If Satan should
appear as one in glory, who can tell his color, his signs, his
appearance, his glory, or what is the manner of his manifestation?
Who can detect the spirit of the French prophets with their revelations
and their visions, and power of manifestations? Or who can point
out the spirit of the Irvingites, with their apostles and prophets,
and visions and tongues, and interpretations, etc. Or who can
drag into daylight and develop the hidden mysteries of the false
spirits that so frequently are made manifest among the Latter-day
Saints? We answer that no man can do this without the Priesthood,
and having a knowledge of the laws by which spirits are governed;
for as no man knows the things of God, but by the Spirit of God,
so no man knows the spirit of the devil, and his power and influence,
but by possessing intelligence which is more than human, and having
unfolded through the medium of the Priesthood the mysteries operations
of his devices; without knowing the angelic form, the sanctified
look and gesture, and the zeal that is frequently manifested by
him for the glory of God, together with the prophetic spirit,
the gracious influence, the godly appearance, and the holy garb,
which are so characteristic of his proceedings and his mysterious
windings.
A man must have the discerning of spirits before he can drag into
daylight this hellish influence and unfold it unto the world in
all its soul-destroying, diabolical, and horrid colors; for nothing
is a greater injury to the children of men than to be under the
influence of a false spirit when they think they have the Spirit
of God. Thousands have felt the influence of its terrible power
and baneful effects. Long pilgrimages have been undertaken, penances
endured, and pain, misery and ruin have followed in their train;
nations have been convulsed, kingdoms overthrown, provinces laid
waste, and blood, carnage and desolation are habiliments in which
it has been clothed.
The Spirit of God the Spirit of Knowledge
As we have noticed before, the great difficulty lies in the ignorance
of the nature of spirits, of the laws by which they are governed,
and the signs by which they may be known; if it requires the Spirit
of God to know the things of God; and the spirit of the devil
can only be unmasked through that medium, then it follows as a
natural consequence that unless some person or persons have a
communication, or revelation from God, unfolding to them the operation
of the spirit, they must eternally remain ignorant of these principles;
for I contend that if one man cannot understand these things but
by the Spirit of God, ten thousand men cannot; it is alike out
of the reach of the wisdom of the learned, the tongue of the eloquent,
the power of the mighty. And we shall at last have to come to
this conclusion, whatever we may think of revelation, that without
it we can neither know nor understand anything of God, or the
devil; and however unwilling the world may be to acknowledge this
principle, it is evident from the multifarious creeds and notions
concerning this matter that they understand nothing of this principle,
and it is equally as plain that without a divine communication
they must remain in ignorance. The world always mistook false
prophets for true ones, and those that were sent of God, they
considered to be false prophets and hence they killed, stoned,
punished and imprisoned the true prophets, and these had to hide
themselves "in deserts and dens, and caves of the earth,"
and though the most honorable men of the earth, they banished
them from their society as vagabonds, whilst they cherished, honored
and supported knaves, vagabonds, hypocrites, impostors, and the
basest of men.
The Gift of Discernment of Spirits
A man must have the discerning of spirits, as we before stated,
to understand these things, and how is he to obtain this gift
if there are no gifts of the Spirit? And how can these gifts be
obtained without revelation? "Christ ascended into heaven,
and gave gifts to men; and he gave some Apostles, and some Prophets,
and some Evangelists, and some Pastors and Teachers." And
how were Apostles, Prophets, Pastors, Teachers and Evangelists
chosen? By prophecy (revelation) and by laying on of hands --
by a divine communication, and a divinely appointed ordinance
-- through the medium of the Priesthood, organized according to
the order of God, by divine appointment. The Apostles in ancient
times held the keys of this Priesthood -- of the mysteries of
the Kingdom of God, and consequently were enabled to unlock and
unravel all things pertaining to the government of the Church,
the welfare of society, the future destiny of men, and the agency,
power and influence of spirits; for they could control them at
pleasure, bid them depart in the name of Jesus, and detect their
mischievous and mysterious operations when trying to palm themselves
upon the Church in a religious garb, and militate against the
interest of the Church and spread truth. We read that they "cast
out devils in the name of Jesus," and when a woman possessing
the spirit of divination, cried before Paul and Silas, "these
are the servants of the Most High God that show unto us the way
of salvation," they detected the spirit. And although she
spake favorably of them, Paul commanded the spirit come out of
her, and saved themselves from the opprobrium that might have
been heaped upon their heads, through an alliance with her, in
the development of her wicked principles, which they certainly
would have been charged with, if they had not rebuked the evil
spirit.
The Gift Held by the Prophets
A power similar to this existed through the medium of the Priesthood
in different ages. Moses could detect the magician's power, and
show that he [himself] was God's servant -- he knew when he was
upon the mountain (through revelation) that Israel was engaged
in idolatry; he could develop the sin of Korah, Dathan and Abiram,
detect witches and wizards in their proceedings, and point out
the true prophets of the Lord. Joshua knew how to detect the man
who had stolen the wedge of gold and the Babylonish garment. Michaiah
could point out the false spirit by which the four hundred prophets
were governed; and if his advice had been taken, many lives would
have been spared, ((2 Chronicles 18) Elijah, Elisha, Isaiah, Jeremiah,
Ezekiel, and many other prophets possessed this power. Our Savior,
the Apostles, and even the members of the Church were endowed
with this gift, for, says Paul, (1 Corinthians 12), "To one
is given the gift of tongues, to another the interpretation of
tongues, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy,
to another the discerning of spirits." All these proceeded
from the same Spirit of God, and were the gifts of God. The Ephesian
church were enabled by this principle, "to try those that
said they were apostles, and were not, and found them liars."
(Revelation 2:2.)
Difference Between Body and Spirit
In tracing the thing to the foundation, and looking at it philosophically,
we shall find a very material difference between the body and
the spirit; the body is supposed to be organized matter, and the
spirit, by many, is thought to be immaterial, without substance.
With this latter statement we should beg leave to differ, and
state the spirit is a substance; that it is material, but that
it is more pure, elastic and refined matter than the body; that
it existed before the body, can exist in the body; and will exist
separate from the body, when the body will be mouldering in the
dust; and will in the resurrection be again united with it.
Spirits Eternal
Without attempting to describe this mysterious connection, and
the laws that govern the body and the spirit of man, their relationship
to each other, and the design of God in relation to the human
body and spirit, I would just remark, that the spirits of men
are eternal, that they are governed by the same Priesthood that
Abraham, Melchizedek, and the Apostles were: that they are organized
according to that Priesthood which is everlasting, "without
beginning of days or end of year," -- that they all move
in their respective spheres, and are governed by the law of God;
that when they appear upon the earth they are in a probationary
state, and are preparing, if righteous, for a future and greater
glory; that the spirits of good men cannot interfere with the
wicked beyond their prescribed bounds, for Michael, the Archangel,
dared not bring a railing accusation against the devil, but said,
"The Lord rebuke thee, Satan."
Wicked Spirits Restricted in Power
It would seem also, that wicked spirits have their bounds, limits,
and laws by which they are governed or controlled, and know their
future destiny; hence, those that were in the maniac said to our
Savior, "Art thou come to torment us before the time,"
and when Satan presented himself before the Lord, among the sons
of God, he said that he came "from going to and fro in the
earth, and from wandering up and down in it;" and he is emphatically
called the prince of the power of the air; and, it is very evident
that they possess a power that none but those who have the Priesthood
can control, as we have before adverted to, in the case of the
sons of Sceva.
Having said so much upon the general principles, without referring
to the peculiar situation, power, and influence of the magicians
of Egypt, the wizards and witches of the Jews, the oracles of
the heathen, their necromancers, soothsayers, and astrologers,
the maniacs or those possessed of devils in the Apostles' days,
we will notice, and try to detect (so far as we have the Scriptures
for our aid) some few instances of the development of false spirits
in more modern times, and in this our day.
False Prophets
The "French Prophets" were possessed of a spirit that
deceived; they existed in Vivaris and Dauphany, in great numbers
in the year 1688; there were many boys and girls from seven to
twenty-five; they had strange fits, as in tremblings and faintings,
which made them stretch out their legs and arms, as in a swoon;
they remained awhile in trances, and coming out of them, uttered
all that came in their mouths. [see Buck's Theological Dictionary]
Now God never had any prophets that acted in this way; there was
nothing indecorous in the proceeding of the Lord's prophets in
any age; neither had the apostles nor prophets in the apostles'
day anything of this kind. Paul says, "Ye may all prophesy,
one by one; and if anything be revealed to another let the first
hold his peace, for the spirit of the prophets is subject to the
prophets;" but here we find that the prophets are subject
to the spirit, and falling down, have twitchings, tumblings, and
faintings through the influence of that spirit, being entirely
under its control. Paul says, "Let everything be done decently
and in order," but here we find the greatest disorder and
indecency in the conduct of both men and women, as above described.
The same rule would apply to the fallings, twitchings, swoonings,
shaking, and trances of many of our modern revivalists.
Johanna Southcott professed to be a prophetess, and wrote a book
of prophecies in 1804, she became the founder of a people that
are still extant. She was to bring forth, in a place appointed,
a son, that was to be the Messiah, which thing has failed. Independent
of this, however, where do we read of a woman that was the founder
of a church, in the word of God? Paul told the women in his day,
"To keep silence in the church, and that if they wished to
know anything to ask their husbands at home;" he would not
suffer a woman "to rule, or to usurp authority in the church;"
but here we find a woman the founder of a church, the revelator
and guide, the Alpha and Omega, contrary to all acknowledged rule,
principle, and order.
Jemimah Wilkinson was another prophetess that figured largely
in America, in the last century. She stated that she was taken
sick and died, and that her soul went to heaven, where it still
continues. Soon after, her body was reanimated with the spirit
and power of Christ, upon which she set up as a public teacher,
and declared that she had an immediate revelation. Now the Scriptures
positively assert that "Christ is the first fruit, afterwards
those that are Christ's at His coming, then cometh the end."
But Jemimah, according to her testimony, died, and rose again
before the time mentioned in the Scriptures. The idea of her soul
being in heaven while her body was [living] on earth, is also
preposterous. When God breathed into man's nostrils, he became
a living soul, before that he did not live, and when that was
taken away his body died; and so did our Savior when the spirit
left the body, nor did His body live until His spirit returned
in the power of His resurrection. But Mrs. Wilkinson's soul [life]
was in heaven, and her body without the soul [or life] on earth,
living [without the soul, or] without life!
Irvingites
The Irvingites are a people that have counterfeited the truth,
perhaps the nearest of any of our modern sectarians. They commenced
about ten years ago in the city of London, in England; they have
churches formed in various parts of England and Scotland, and
some few in Upper Canada. Mr. Irving, their founder, was a learned
and talented minister of the Church of Scotland, he was a great
logician, and a powerful orator, but withal wild and enthusiastic
in his views. Moving in the higher circles, and possessing talent
and zeal, placed him in a situation to become a conspicuous character,
and to raise up a society similar to that which is called after
his name.
The Irvingites have apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers, evangelists,
and angels. They profess to have the gift of tongues, and the
interpretation of tongues, and, in some few instances, to have
the gift of healing.
The first prophetic spirit that was manifested was in some Misses
Campbell that Mr. Irving met with, while on a journey in Scotland;
they had [what is termed among their sect] "utterances,"
which were evidently of a supernatural agency. Mr. Irving, falling
into the common error of considering all supernatural manifestations
to be of God, took them to London with him, and introduced them
into his church.
They were there honored as the prophetesses of God, and when they
spoke, Mr. Irving or any of his ministers had to keep silence.
They were peculiarly wrought upon before the congregation, and
had strange utterances, uttered with an unnatural, shrill voice,
and with thrilling intonations they frequently made use of a few
broken, unconnected sentences, that were ambiguous, incoherent,
and incomprehensible; at other time they were more clearly understood.
They would frequently cry out, "There is iniquity! There
is iniquity!" And Mr. Irving has been led, under the influence
of this charge, to fall down upon his knees before the public
congregation, and to confess his sin, not knowing whether he had
sinned, nor wherein, nor whether the thing referred to him or
somebody else. During these operations, the bodies of the persons
speaking were powerfully wrought upon, their countenances were
distorted, they had frequent twitchings in their hands, and the
whole system was powerfully convulsed at intervals: they sometimes,
however, (it is supposed) spoke in correct tongues, and had true
interpretations.
Under the influence of this spirit the church was organized by
these women; apostles, prophets, etc., were soon called, and a
systematic order of things introduced, as above mentioned. A Mr.
Baxter (afterwards one of their principal prophets) upon going
into one of their meetings, says, "I saw a power manifested,
and thought that was the power of God, and asked that it might
fall upon me, and it did so, and I began to prophesy." Eight
or nine years ago they had about sixty preachers going through
the streets of London, testifying that London was to be the place
where the "two witnesses" spoken of by John, were to
prophesy; that (they the church and the spirit were the witnesses,
and that at the end of three years and a half there was to be
an earthquake and great destruction, and our Savior was to come.
Their apostles were collected together at the appointed time watching
the event, but Jesus did not come, and the prophecy was then ambiguously
explained away. They frequently had signs given them by the spirit
to prove to them that what was manifested to them should take
place. Mr. Baxter related an impression that he had concerning
a child. It was manifested to him that he should visit the child,
and lay hands upon it, and that it should be healed; and to prove
to him that this was of God, he should meet his brother in a certain
place, who should speak unto him certain words. His brother addressed
him precisely in the way and manner that the manifestation designated.
The sign took place, but when he laid his hands upon the child
it did not recover. I cannot vouch for the authority of the last
statement, as Mr. Baxter at that time had left the Irvingites,
but it is in accordance with many of their proceedings, and the
thing never has been attempted to be denied.
All This Is Wrong
It may be asked, where is there anything in all this that is wrong?
First. The church was organized by women, and God placed in the
Church (first apostles, secondarily prophets,) and not first women;
but Mr. Irving placed in his church first women (secondarily apostles,)
and the church was founded and organized by them. A woman has
no right to found or organize a church -- God never sent them
to do it. (Wow! Is this ever politically incorrect! Could it be
that Israel's God is not politically correct?)
Second. Those women (Eleanor Smeal) would speak in the midst of
a meeting, and rebuke Mr. Irving or any of the church. Now the
Scripture positively says, "Thou shalt not rebuke an Elder,
but entreat him as a father;" not only this, but they frequently
accused the brethren, thus placing themselves in the seat of Satan,
who is emphatically called "the accuser of the brethren."
Third. Mr. Baxter received the spirit on asking for it, without
attending to the ordinances, and began to prophesy, whereas the
scriptural way of attaining the gift of the Holy Ghost is by baptism,
and by laying on of hands.
Fourth. As we have stated in regard to others, the spirit of the
prophets is subject to the prophets; but those prophets were subject
to the spirits, the spirits controlling their bodies at pleasure.
But it may be asked how Mr. Baxter could get a sign from a second
person? To this we would answer, that Mr. Baxter's brother was
under the influence of the same spirit as himself, and being subject
to that spirit he could be easily made to speak to Mr. Baxter
whatever the spirit should dictate; but there was not power in
the spirit to heal the child.
Satan May Give Manifestations in Tongues
Again it may be asked, how it was that they could speak in tongues
if they were of the devil. We would answer that they could be
made to speak in another tongue, as well as their own, as they
were under the control of that spirit, and the devil can tempt
the Hottentot, the Turk, the Jew, or any other nation; and if
these men were under the influence of his spirit, they of course
speak Hebrew, Latin, Greek, Italian, Dutch, or any other language
that the devil knew.
Some will say, "try the spirits" by the word. "Every
spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh
is of God, and every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ
is come in the flesh is not of God." 1 John 4:2, 3. One of
the Irvingites once quoted this passage whilst under the influence
of a spirit, and then said, "I confess that Jesus Christ
is come in the flesh." And yet these prophecies failed, their
Messiah did not come; and the great things spoken of by them have
fallen to the ground. What is the matter here? Did not the Apostle
speak the truth? Certainly he did -- but he spoke to a people
who were under the penalty of death, the moment they embraced
Christianity; and no one without a knowledge of the fact would
confess it, and expose themselves to death, and this was consequently
given as a criterion to the church or churches to which John wrote.
But the devil on a certain occasion cried out, "I know thee,
who thou art, the Holy One of God!" Here was a frank acknowledgment
under other circumstances that "Jesus had come in the flesh."
On another occasion the devil said, "Paul we know, and Jesus
we know" -- of course, "come in the flesh." No
man nor sect of men without the regular constituted authorities,
the Priesthood and discerning of spirits, can tell true from false
spirits. This power they possessed in the Apostles' day, but it
has departed from the world for ages.
False Spirits in the Church
The Church of Jesus Christ has also had its
false spirits; and as it is made up of all those different sects
professing every variety of opinion, and having been under the
influence of so many kinds of spirits, it is not to be wondered
at if there should be found among us false spirits.
Soon after the Gospel was established in Kirtland, and during
the absence of the authorities of the Church, many false spirits
were introduced, many strange visions were seen, and wild, enthusiastic
notions were entertained; men ran out of doors under the influence
of this spirit, and some of them got upon the stumps of trees
and shouted, and all kinds of extravagances were entered into
by them; one man pursued a ball that he said he saw flying in
the air, until he came to a precipice, when he jumped into the
top of a tree, which saved his life; and many ridiculous things
were entered into, calculated to bring disgrace upon the Church
of God, to cause the Spirit of God to be withdrawn, and to uproot
and destroy those glorious principles which had been developed
for the salvation of the human family. But when the authorities
returned, the spirit was made manifest, those members that were
exercised with it were tried for their fellowship, and those that
would not repent and forsake it were cut off.
At a subsequent period a Shaker spirit was on the point of being
introduced, and at another time the Methodist and Presbyterian
falling down power, but the spirit was rebuked and put down, and
those who would not submit to rule and good order were disfellowshiped.
We have also had brethren and sisters who have had the gift of
tongues falsely; they would speak in a muttering, unnatural voice,
and their bodies be distorted like the Irvingites before alluded
to; whereas, there is nothing unnatural in the Spirit of God.
A circumstance of this kind took place in Upper Canada, but was
rebuked by the presiding Elder; another, a woman near the same
place, professed to have the discerning spirits, and began to
accuse another sister of things that she was not guilty of, which
she said she knew was so by the spirit, but was afterwards proven
to be false; she placed herself in the capacity of the "accuser
of the brethren," and no person through the discerning of
spirits can bring a charge against another, they must be proven
guilty by positive evidence, or they stand clear.
There have also been ministering angels in the Church which were
of Satan appearing as an angel of light. A sister in the state
of New York had a vision, who said it was told her that if she
would go to a certain place in the woods, and angel would appear
to her. She went at the appointed time, and saw a glorious personage
descending, arrayed in white, with sandy colored hair; he commenced
and told her to fear God, and said that her husband was called
to do great things, but that he must not go more than one hundred
miles from home, or he would not return; whereas God had called
him to go to the ends of the earth, and he has since been more
than one thousand miles from home, and is yet alive. Many true
things were spoken by this personage, and many things that were
false. How, it may be asked, was this known to be a bad angel?
By the color of his hair; that is one of the signs that he can
be known by, and by his contradicting a former revelation.
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