Crest Hotel, San Francisco, Cal. July 11, 1950
Dear Brethren:
On this day of fasting and prayer, we as a people are to seek not to the god of Ekron, but to the God of truth, the Author and Finisher of our faith, the God who has led the remnant church these 106 years, as He led Israel of old. The President’s stirring address last night, calling upon us to guard the faith once delivered to the saints, and to speak forthrightly in defence of it, presents a challenge. With this in mind, it is imperative that we know exactly what it is that should be guarded, for certainly there is great confusion in our ranks to-day.
This confusion was evident in the “Christ-centered preaching” urged upon us repeatedly in the Ministerial Association meeting of the past four days. These meetings were supposed to set the stage for a mighty revival among God’s people at this General Conference session. This “Christ-centered preaching” is expected by its proponents, to bring in a great reformation among Seventh-day Adventists workers the world around.
No one for a moment could disparage the preaching of the "true" Christ as the center and substance of the three angels’ messages. However, in the confusion, it has been discerned that much of this so-called “Christ-centered preaching” is in reality merely "anti-Christ centered preaching". It vitally affects the outcome of this General Conference session. To make such a statement to the General Conference Committee sounds fantastic. But startling things are not unexpected by the church in the last days.
No Seventh-day Adventist can deny for a moment that Satan will take the religious world captive, appearing as an angel of light, to deceive if possible the "very elect". Trough a three-fold union of apostate Protestantism, Romanism, and Spiritualism, he will present the most bitter opposition to the three angels’ messages ever encountered. Men such as E. Stanley Jones, Leslie Weatherhead, Norman Vincent Peale, and Billy Graham, are allying themselves with Spiritualistic forces, robed in garments of light. They indeed preach a winsome, lovable, always smiling “Christ”. But, with the aid of the Bible, this “Christ” can be proven to be identifiable with the father of all lies, the author of Spiritualism and Romanism. Need it be said that we have nothing to do as Seventh-day Adventists with such a false Christ”? Ought we not to realize that our cruel and bitter enemy knows by now far too well the fallacy of trying to allure us with apparent evil, gross and crude Spiritualism? In these last days, he will assume the form of good, and seek to allure us and charm us with specious reasonings, apparently holy, causing men, as we heard last night, “to give utterance to opinions that will betray sacred, holy trusts.” It could be proven, as simply and as clearly as that the Seventh-day Sabbath is the true one, that the Christ” of these modern men is identifiable with the god of modern Spiritualism!
In the sermons and exhortations of the past four days, no clear distinction whatever has been made between the Christ of Seventh-day Adventism, and this false Christ. While lip service has been paid to the preaching of our distinctive doctrines, they have been openly and repeatedly disparaged as "secondary", this “Christ” being considered "primary". We are thus left with a vague mysticism permeating Seventh-day Adventism. If followed to its logical ends, it can only bring in a false, spurious type of “Christian” experience, calculated instead to deceive the very elect, but which will not hasten the finishing of the work committed to us. It is a modern counterpart of an ancient call to Israel in the wilderness to return to Egypt. Should not this matter, dear brethren and elders, be "thoroughly" investigated by men capable of discerning between the wiles of the devil and the solemn work of the true Holy Spirit?
Is it not true that our fasting, praying, and seeking for the outpouring of the Spirit will be tragically hindered until this matter is clarified? The most earnest intercessory, pleading prayers offered unwittingly to Baal will not avail Israel one drop of heaven-sent rain, in this time of spiritual drought. Is it not true that the “Christ” of these modern Spiritualistic actors is in reality Israel’s ancient enemy, Baal, under a new and more highly refined guise?
The following facts are worthy of consideration:
1. Our history proves, in the incident of Dr. Kellogg’s apostasy into what the servant of the Lord repeatedly termed “deadly heresies” and “doctrines of devils” and specious “spiritualistic sentiments”, that trusted men among us can think themselves in harmony with our faith, have regard to the law and the Sabbath, be men of apparent rectitude, and yet be deceived by a refined species of Spiritualism. Therefore, to say that we are not in any danger of being confused by the false Christ and his spiritualism so long as we hold to the Sabbath and the law, etc., is not entirely true. Seventh-day Adventists can be deceived. Only a tyro in denominational history will deny that.
2. Plain, unequivocal statements that cannot possibly be gainsaid, in "Special Testimonies", Series B. indicate that the spiritualistic sophistries which deceived Dr. Kellogg and a great proportion of our trusted leaders fifty years ago, will again deceive our people; further, that Dr. Kellogg’s apostasy, revealed in “Living Temple”, was but the comparatively crude, immature beginning of deadly deceptions and doctrines of devils; and that the most serious development in the history of Adventism, as we near the end, would be an almost overmastering attempt on the part of Satan to lead us in Spiritualism, a revival of the deceptions of fifty years ago. Just a few key statements follow, which should indicate that this is not a fantastic idea:
“’Living Temple’ contains the "alpha" of these theories. I knew that the omega would follow in a little while, and I trembled for our people.” No. 2, p. 53.
“Many are in danger of receiving theories and sophistries that undermine the foundation pillars of our faith. Satan, with his seductive infuence, has stolen away from one and then another the faith once delivered to the saints. … Nothing but a determined effort will break the spell that is on them.” “Be not deceived: many will depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils. We have now before us the alpha of this danger. The omega will be of a most startling nature.” Pp. 15, 16.
“‘Living Temple’ … contains specious sentiments. There are in it sentiments that are entirely true, but these are mingled with error … in the book living Temple” there is presented the alpha of deadly heresies. The omega will follow, and will be received by those who are not willing to heed the warning God has given.” Pp. 49, 50.
“The time is near when the deceptive powers of satanic agencies will be fully developed. On one side, is Christ who has been given all power in heaven and in earth. On the other side, is Satan, continually exercising his power to allure [appearing as anti-Christ, in the place of Christ], to deceive with strong, spiritualistic sophistries, to remove God [the true Christ] out of the places that He should occupy in the minds of men.” No. 7, pp. 16, 17.
“Fanciful representations and interpretations of truth have been stealing in step by step, unperceived by men who ought through a clear understanding of the Scriptures, to be prepared to see the danger and sound a note of warning. … Blindness hath happened unto Israel.” P. 17.
“Spiritualistic sentiments have been given to our people, and have been received by some who have had long experience as teachers in the word of God. The results of this insidious devising will break out again and again.” P. 36.
“That those who we have thought sound in the faith should have failed to discern the specious, deadly infuence of this science of evil, should alarm us as nothing else has alarmed us. “It is something that cannot be treated as a small matter.” P. 37.
“The strange part of the matter is that these ideas have been accepted by so many as beautiful truth.” P. 49.
3. This deception of refined Spiritualism constitutes a species of virtual Baal worship. The old enemy of ancient Israel has deceived many in modern Israel.
5. It is certain that there are keen minds in the world who will someday be able to prove conclusively from history and theology, that the “Christ” of modern Babylon, of Billy Graham, E. Stanley Jones, etc., is the ancient Adonis, or Tammuz, of old pagan religions, and the false Messiah of Mithraism, and the anti-Christ of Romanism.
Very sincerely yours,
R. J. Wieland
D. K. Short