The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1874-01-24
ers Of conception and piety may be more
fully developed than mine.

fully developed than mine.
suPERsTTTioN NOT TO DE COMPOUNDED
WITH BELIEF IN A DEVIL
Am l told Of the evil this belief has
wrought In past ages, and Of the supersti.
tion 1t still gives rise tor freely admit
the evils, the most terrible Of which was
witchcrait, founded on the belief that the
Devil entered into covenant with human
beings and invested them for season
with supernatural power upon condition
that the person thus endowed yielded his
soul 10 perdition. The most enlightened
men oil Europe yielded themselves 10 this
delusion under which thousands Of men
and women and even children were nut
TO the most cruel deaths. But these fear.
lul evils were the result-not OF simple
belief In the existence Of evil spirits, but
OF exaggerated views OF theif agency,
Thunder was once thought to be the voice
OF God; would II be reasonable now 10
deny Gods existence, because thunder
can be accounted for on natural princI-
plesS Is It any more reasonable TO deny
Satar's existence, because diseases, once
attributed to his agency, are now known
10 be "a condition Of tho human system?"
Must we 60 TO the extreme Of DENYING
the existence Of evil spirits, with m arch.
demon over them, because superstition
has arisen from erroneous motives Of
their agency? would rather preach,
give up the erroneous notions Of the dark
ages, and adhere TO the plain teachings OF
tho Bible The Bible teaches that Satan
and his angels can act only under The
control and with the permission OF God,
and then, only in accordance with the
laws OF nature, and Aerer can they inter-
iere with the freedom and responsibility
oil men. They mny control those who
consent, but can never compel the un-
willing They may solicit men 10 evil,
but only in the way one man tempts
another. No specific effect can be refer,
red with certainty TO their agency, II its
occurrence admits of any other Gxplana.
ton. II our fellow men can appeal to
our lusts and passions, and so tempt US,
there is no inherent absurdity in bcliev.
ing the Devil can do the same.
Under such teaching 0s this, what be.
comes oil an illustration which represents
God as a policeman, who shuts up his
own children In walled enclosure, and
turns in upon them o pack Of savage
mastitts, and than sits like brutal R0-
man Emperor gloating over tho horrible
butchery! No mastitt devil can harm US
against our will, and God sent Christ for
the special purpose OF destroying the
works OF the devil" and delivering His
children:
REASONS FOR BELIEVING IN DEVILS.
But why do we insist on belief in
devils? First, because we believe the
Bible teaches the existence of fallen
angels, with one over them called Satan
AS to what orders Of beings may exist in
the scale OF creation between man and the
Creator, VIC have no means of determin.
ing apart from the Bible. 1.-THE testimo-
ny OF the Scriptures is untrustworthv. we
are without any evidence bearing upon
anything or anybody connected with the
spirit world. There is no room in this
article to examine this testimony of the
Bible, and perhaps no disposition on the
part Of your readers TO have it spread be.
fore them. Most people will be satisfied
with this single statement: The belief
was the prevailing one among tho Jews,
and Christ and his Apostles, SO far from
denying the "horrible" doctrine, accepted
it-by their acts and words certainly
confirmed it.
Again, We insist upon the belief, be-
cause 1t is part Of the argument by
which we would persuade men Of their
need Of Divine Saviour. Paul exhorted
the Ephesians to "put on the whole
armor Of God" and gave as a
reason, that ye may be able to stand
against the wiles of the devil, for we
wrestlc not against flesh and blood, but
against principalitiCs and powers, and
against 'oicked spirits $50 margin and
original Creek in heavenly places"
There arc many who answer the question,
"What shall VIC dO?" Us the Christian
Union and Mr.. Thayer have done, by say.
ing, Cease TO do evil pray, and read the
Bible" But all Evangelical ministers
think something more must be done.
When the Apostles were asked this same
question, they invariably answered it by,
Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ" Re.
pent"nce is necessary, and praying is ne.
cessary, and reading the Bible is nCccssa.
ry, but it is Indispensable that, in add.
tion, men should believe that no one but
Christ can secure them against the penal.
~ OF their misdeeds, and deliver them
from power OF sin and Satan. Men who
believe salvation ia within the reach OF
mans unaided power arc interested in dc.
stroying belief in the existence Of being
who, by his superior wisdom, is able to
lead men captivelat his will I'll Tim. 9, 2G);
but those OF US who believe we cannot be
saved without the interposition of Divine
Power, are not so anxious to lull men into
a feeling OF security, by persuading them
their souls have no other enemies than
their own lusts. SENTINEL.