Mrs.
Hannah Whitall Smith was a false teacher who was deluded by Satan and her own
unrenewed heart. Robert P. Smith was an
unconverted false teacher also. Their
writings are filled to the brim with dangerous theological errors and
heresies. Alongside of the Higher Life
of Keswick theology, one finds within the compositions and proclamations of Mr.
and Mrs. Smith a false gospel, the Inner Light, New Thought, the Mind and Faith
Cure, feminism, Quakerism, syncretism, quietism, fatalism, eudemonism,
allegorical hermeneutics, passivity in sanctification, continuationism,
antinomianism, universalism, works salvation, erotic sensations as Spirit
baptism, and extra-biblical revelations.
Hannah rejected sola Scriptura,
total depravity, substitutionary atonement, justification by imputed
righteousness, saving faith, the new birth, supernatural conversion, and
self-examination. Mrs. Smith plainly
testified that she rejected the evangelical gospel, detested Christian
orthodoxy, and delighted in both being a heretic and in making others into
heretics. She thought that man’s chief
end was not to glorify God, but to feel happy, doing whatever one wants without
any pangs from the conscience. Her
exaltation as the leading teacher of the Higher Life took place in connection
with spiritists and the working of demons.
She testified that she gained her chief spritual insight into the
“Christian” life from a sexual predator who taught, practiced, and led others
into unspeakable debauchery. She was an
enemy of Christ, His Word, and of true holiness of life.
As
an unregenerate false teacher, Hannah Whitall Smith is someone to mark, reject,
and avoid (Romans 16:17; Titus 3:10).
Her heresies and writings, and those of her husband Robert, should be
abhorred and detested by the godly. She
is by no means someone to embrace as a font of truth on Christian living, and
adoption of her ideas by others evidences a tremendous lack of spiritual
discernment and the certain presence of doctrinal error.
As believers can learn much from the
life and teachings of the wicked recorded in Scripture, whether Ahab, Judas, or
Diotrephes, so the negative example of the life and writings of Hannah W. Smith
can teach the Lord’s people a number of important lessons.
Mrs. Smith’s false teachings—all of
them—must be discerned, rejected, guarded against, exposed, and warned
about. Believers should not read her
writings. Christian leaders should
plainly preach and teach against her heresies and warn of her by name. Churches should separate from those who have
been influenced to adopt her heresies and are unwilling to repent. Her confusion on the gospel has led precious
souls into the fires of hell. Her
confusion on sanctification has hindered countless Christians in their
spiritual walk. There is no reason to
try to pick out a little spiritual good from the veritable mass of errors in
her works, but a clear Biblical basis for rejecting her, root and branch.
Many
lessons can be learned from the deluded career and miserable end of Robert
Pearsall Smith. His life exemplifies the
extreme spiritual danger of rejecting sola
Scriptura in practice, even if one accepts it in theory. His abandonment of literal, grammatical-historical
interpretation for experience-driven hermeneutics is also seen to be extremely
dangerous. Had Mr. Smith studied
Scripture more carefully and recognized it alone as the authority by which he
needed to judge all experience, he could have been freed from the delusions of
the devil and of his own sinful heart and come to a true saving conversion to
Jesus Christ, instead of being an unconverted preacher who was both “deceiving,
and being deceived” (2 Timothy 3:13).
Furthermore, he illustrates the danger when religious experience is
derived from a false fanaticism rather than genuine Christian and Trinitarian
spirituality. When he finally saw
through his fanaticism, instead of turning to the true Christ in true faith
arising from Scripture alone, he rejected Christianity altogether. What dangers and proclivities to all evil are
wrapped within the depraved human heart!
No one will escape from that “desperately wicked” seat of corruption or
escape delusion from that fountain of lies that is “deceitful above all things”
(Jeremiah 17:9), without cleaving to the Scriptures and receiving the
protection of the Holy Spirit as a consequence of the union with Christ brought
about through true conversion. Reader,
do you view your heart as God does? Do
you meditate on its horrible and desperate depravity and, as a result, flee to
the Christ revealed in the Scriptures as your only refuge? Learn your need so to do from the deluded
life and everlasting damnation of the Higher Life preacher-turned-Buddhist, Robert
Pearsall Smith.
Learn also
from the lives of Mr. and Mrs. Pearsall Smith life that unconverted false
teachers can put on a great show of godliness and exert a tremendous influence
on the spiritually unwary among the true people of God. The ideas Hannah and Robert Smith propagated
influence many millions today—millions who, in large part, have no idea that
their confusion on and false doctrine of sanctification are derived from an
unregenerate Quaker couple. Be sure that
your beliefs and practices are truly “the faith which was once delivered to the
saints” (Jude 3) and the product of Scripture alone. It does not matter whether or not men who are
exalted by Christendom have taught them, for such are not your authority for
faith and practice. Robert P. Smith was
extremely popular in the Christendom of his day—all Europe was at his
feet. There are many extremely popular
false teachers in Christendom today. The
Antichrist will be even more popular in the post-Rapture Christendom of the
future than any of his anti-christian predecessors. Place no confidence in men because of their
popularity, but, within the protection of a strong independent Baptist church,
let all you believe and do arise only from the Spirit-illuminated teaching of
the literally interpreted Word of God.
Furthermore,
since Hannah W. Smith founded the Keswick theology with her husband, and
Keswick has never dreamed of repudiating and repenting of their false teachings
and pernicious influence, Keswick theology should be rejected. Keswick is saturated with the ideas of Hannah
W. Smith. This is not a good, but a
great and fearful evil.
The tremendous influence Mrs. Smith
has exerted on Christendom, so that very large numbers of true churches and
Christians have been unintentionally infected with her errors, illustrates the
dangers of failing to issue plain warnings, avoid ecumenicalism, and exercise a
watchful and strict separatist position.
Mrs. Smith has influenced millions.
She created a new, and very influential, doctrine of sanctification—the
Keswick theology. Through both her
direct influence and her stamp upon the Keswick movement, she has precipitated
the rise of the Pentecostal, charismatic, and Word of Faith heresies. How greatly the leaven of error has spread
because so many preachers have refused to give plain warnings! How essential it is for pastors to be well
informed about and very careful concerning what writings they recommend to the
flocks over which the Holy Ghost has made them overseers! Reader, do not follow the bad example of
those who blew an uncertain sound on their gospel trumpets—determine that you
will, by God’s grace, for His glory, and out of love for Him, contend against
all error, and for all the faith once delivered to the saints (Jude 3). Do not fear man—you will be called
“uncharitable,” “too negative,” “narrowminded,” and all sorts of other names
(Luke 6:22, 26). Instead, consider that
the Apostle Paul commanded the marking and avoidance of false teachers in the
context of his love for large numbers of God’s dear people.[1] Think on the love for the Father, for His
people, and for the truth that filled the soul of the Lord Jesus, and led Him
to boldly and pointedly denounce error (Matthew 23). Be Christlike—go, and do likewise.
Consider also what dangers there are
that yet lie buried within your fallen heart.
How Mrs. Smith was led astray by trusting in her own heart, in the Inner
Light delusion, and in her continuationist Quakerism! While she was totally blind because of her
unregenerate state, you, oh Christian, still have the serpent of indwelling sin
lying within your own bosom. How
essential it is that you reject all extra-Biblical revelation, and carefully
study the Bible, cleave to its every precept, and prize it as your sole
authority! The Sword of the Spirit is
the only offensive weapon in your spiritual armor, and the only means through
which you can stand against the wiles of the devil (Ephesians 6:10-17). How important it is for you to carefully and
accurately exegete Scripture, put in practice all it says with holy fear and
trembling, and walk humbly with your God, trusting in Jesus only!
Consider how essential it is for you
to be a functioning member of a strong, separated, independent Baptist
church. Only in the Lord’s church is His
special presence manifested, and the special protection Christ gives to His
holy temple and beloved bride is lost to those who are not members of Biblical
Baptist churches. Mrs. Smith, being
without the protection afforded by a true church, and without a true pastor for
spiritual protection (Hebrews 13:7, 17), was influenced by hordes of false
teachers and fanatics in her spiritual journey on the broad road to
destruction. Spiritual guides may be
very popular in the eyes of the broad and undiscerning world of Christiandom,
and may possess a great appearance of piety, and yet be vipers and wolves—but
Christ’s true congregations have the spiritual equipment to discern and reject
such. Had Mrs. Smith been aware of and
adopted the historic Baptist doctrine of Spirit baptism, she would never have
believed in the filthy perversion that led to her husband’s public disgrace and
contributed to his continuing adultery and the unhappiness of her
marriage. Had she accepted the clear
Biblical teachings of sola Scriptura
and the cessation of the sign gifts, she would not have accepted the
“miraculous” validation that led her into false teaching and led her sister
Mary Thomas to an early grave through the false wonders of the Faith Cure. Had she rejected feminism for the loving and
God-ordained patriarchy of family and church practiced in Biblical assemblies,
she would have recognized that she could, as a lady, be more easily deceived (1
Timothy 2:14), and that she needed godly, Bible-believing men at home and church
to protect her from error. Had she
treasured Baptist ministers who preached a pure gospel, instead of finding them
repulsive because they would not allow her to feel happy in her delusion, so
that she preferred as a consequence the company of heretics and fanatics, she
could have been saved herself, and her family with her, from both the earthly
vanity of their false religion and the inconceivably horrible eternal
consequences of the unpropitiated wrath of God.
Learn from Mrs. Smith’s failures the
necessity for a genuine vital piety, one which arises out of a true conversion
and issues in a close walk with God.
Mrs. Smith’s false piety did not convince her family—her husband and all
her surviving children rejected Christianity.
People read her books and looked up to her, but those who knew Mrs.
Smith best rejected godliness for rebellion against Jehovah, and received
eternal retribution for their sins. Have
you been led by Mrs. Smith’s confusing views of faith, conversion, and
salvation to settle for anything less than the supernatural new birth without
which no one will enter the kingdom of God?
Do you only have assurance of salvation if you compare yourself to the
standard set by Hannah W. Smith, but not if you compare yourself to the
standard set forth by the Apostle John in his first inspired epistle? Do not follow into hell the demons who misled
Hannah W. Smith. Be satisfied with
nothing less than the Biblical gospel and true conversion.
Do
you want a godly seed—do you want your family, for whatever generations may be
left until the return of Christ, to know and serve your Redeemer in spirit and
in truth? The sham spirituality of
Hannah W. Smith will never suffice. But
if you reject such pseudo-Christianity and sincerely and uprightly walk with
God your Father, through Christ your Redeemer, as empowered by the Holy Spirit,
you can claim the promise of Proverbs 22:6:
“Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will
not depart from it.”
Do
not turn aside to the idol of Hannah W. Smith’s “bare God.” An unconverted person who does so will be
eternally damned, and to whatever extent a regenerate person turns from the God
the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit to Mrs. Smith’s deity he will find his
spiritual life much darkened and his holy Father much displeased. Genuine Christian spirituality arises out of
the love of the Father, the purchase of the Son, and the applicatory work of
the Holy Spirit. How sweet and precious
to the saint is his dear adopted Father!
How glorious is the redemptive work of Christ! How heart-melting it is to behold Him in the
glory of His essential Deity, to marvel at the preciousness of His sinless
humanity, and to be moved by the infinite condescension and love shown in the
cross! How ineffably wonderful it is to
know experientially the communion of the Holy Ghost! Do not, oh saint of God, turn aside from your
own Redeemer, your own personal God who has come to you in Jesus Christ, who
has supernaturally revealed Himself to you through His Word by His Spirit. What are the dregs of Mrs. Smith’s idolatry
to the overflowing cup of infinite blessing found in Jehovah, the living God?
Furthermore, you should examine
yourself to see if you find Mrs. Smith’s errors unbearable, horrible, and
exceedingly grievous, or if you find her abominations titillating and exciting,
as many ungodly people find gossip. Is
it necessary to expose Hannah W. Smith’s lies and unmask her pernicious
character? Yes—certainly. Should such an expose be examined as a mere
intellectual exercise, a curiosity comparable to some strange gene-spliced
monster that might be on display at a circus or a fair for people to gawk
at? By no means.
Indeed, how sweet—how precious,
glorious, and soul-refreshing it is to turn with disgust from Hannah W. Smith
to behold the Lord Jesus! Here is One
who is spotless in purity. Here is one
who mixes, not secret corruptions with false teachings, but perfect holiness with
infallibly sure guidance. Here is a
perfect Prophet, a spotless Priest, a matchless King, an all-sufficient
Redeemer, one who is fairer than the children of men, whose lips are full of
grace. How blessed it is to see Him in
His holy Word, and find in Him a true Shepherd who properly and perfectly cares
for, protects, and gives His life for His beloved sheep. Let the works of Hannah W. Smith, and all her
fellow false-shepherds, be put in the trash where they belong, and listen
instead to the voice of this true and unerring Pastor. Hearken to His voice as you read every line
of His Word in your personal Bible study—hearken to His voice as He is preached
by a true man of God in the church of the living God—meditate upon His law day
and night. So shall you have a truly
blessed life during your earthly pilgrimage, and a rich reward in the coming
life of sight for all eternity.
This entire study can be accessed here.
[1] Compare Romans 16:17-18 with 16:1-16.