Sentiments Characteristic of the Apostasy

1. The children of the Apostasy believe in the existence of dead men’s ghosts, which they regard as the subjects of reward and punishment apart from their bodies, and as immortal, or incapable of death.

2. They believe that good or pious ghosts are borne upon angels’ wings to a heaven somewhere beyond the skies, as the place of their reward, when divested of corporeality at death.

3. They believe that wicked ghosts descend into flaming brimstone at death, where they live in torment unutterable and inextinguishable; or, till their deliverance, in particular cases, is effected by masses, or some other expedient.

4. Ghosts enjoying happiness in a heaven beyond the skies, they call salvation; and this salvation, in a vast multitude of instances, they regard as attainable without faith, and consequently without the obedience of faith.

5. To this salvation, without belief of the truth and the obedience it commands, they assign the ghosts of babies, and of pagans philosophically, or socratically, devout.

6. They hold the damnation of the ghosts of non-elect babies to fire and brimstone forever.

7. Believing in a “prevenient-grace” salvation, without faith, they also teach a salvation by a faith wrought into the embodied ghost by what they term “the Holy Ghost,” before, or even in the article of death; the matter of which faith they reduce to the smallest possible dimensions—profession of belief that Jesus Christ is the Son of God; which, in Scripture, is said to have been believed by “the demons.”

8. They believe that, apart from Jesus Christ, God is irreconcilably enraged against mankind; but that Jesus is able to pacify him by meekly encountering his fury, which falls upon him instead of upon men, to whom he at length succeeds in reconciling their offended God. This notion is the foundation of all their superstitions and observances.

9. Believing in the great efficacy of water, homœopathically connected or combined with “pre” or “subvenient grace,” they scatter it in drops upon the face of a baby, and call it baptism! This is simply absurd. But they profess to do it by the command of God, which is a palpable lie, and a blasphemy in his name.

10. The leaders or ministers of the Apostasy “say they are apostles,” and “ambassadors of Jesus Christ,” “called of God as Aaron was,” to preach and administer ordinances; while, like Balaam, the son of Bosor, “they love the wages of unrighteousness,” and “cast stumbling blocks before” the people.

11. They believe in a Millennium, which they call the invisible and spiritual reign of Christ; meaning thereby the diffusion of the influences resulting from the sky-kingdom gospel they preach, and which is to be introduced by their ministrations!

12. They believe in the total destruction of the earth by fire at the coming of Jesus at the end of the Millennium; which they call the second advent of Christ.

13. They believe that what they term “the Holy Ghost” strives with sinners, draws them to God; convicts, converts, sanctifies, and brings them to God apart from the testimony of the prophets and apostles; and that they whom they regard as “orthodox Christians,” are filled with the Holy Ghost sent down from God!

This notion is the basis of all the fanaticism which, among the Gentiles, passes current for the operation of the Spirit of God. They say of what they style the Holy Ghost, in relation to the Bible, that “the Word is too short without the Spirit;” and,

14. They believe in the saving efficacy of what they term “death-bed repentance.”

Herald of the Kingdom and Age to Come, Sept 1856.