The democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1868-1874, 1874-02-02

H~Nhl 49, NhsN sas@a 800 - NesJ
perIonifed eyil principle. | wish Il
show the fallacy. Of this assertion bstort
noticing The main question: SO theI
admit Of evil in tho world-a prinei
pie. Now is principle relative OF
an absoluse2 A principle relates t.
something or somebody. Remove thiI
something or somebody, and | defy
you to give me a principle. We use
tho terms smooth and rough, When
l say smooth. l mean that something
Is smooth; through, that something il
rough. / say TINS marble is smooth,
10. use the term life, and say il
is a principle. But where is this
principle II Il does not exist IN
something or somebody. The nppli-
cation is simple aud tho conclusion
plain,
Mr.. Thaysr admit, evil as a priuci-
pie, and II must exist in something or
some being. 1t will not do TO say
tina. evil exists in the nature Of things
literally; for God. on tho evening of
the fifth day, after tho hills, noun
tains, rocks, things celestial and ter
restrial were formed, He declared that
all were good; nor will it do to say
that It existed in man, for on the eve.
ming of tho sixth day, God said, Be.
hold, it is VERY good. So, according
to tho tho logical teaching Of tho Di.
bic, this evil did not exist in the Bible
creation of things. And as this pril.
ciplO mus! exist 10 some being, we
claim tha! i. exists in "Beelzebub, the
prince Of devils" Let tho reader now
turn to Job, ii2-"And the Lord said
unto Satan, from whence contest thoul
And Satan ANSWERED the Lord and
said, from going to and fto 10 the
earth. aud from walking up and down
in it," Again, 9Th verse So went
Satan forth from ,lhe presence Of the
Lord, and smots Job with soro boils,
from the the sole of bis foot unto bis
crown" Is there any personality in
thisf-auJ being holding conversation
with bsingf-or is the mighty God
talking with beast, a snake, myi-
FERROUS nothing?
Suppose something wsrO to destroy
your property, murder your family,
cause your wife TO turn from you.
bruiss and manglo your person, would
1t need any logic to prove to you tue
personality Of a being in this, or would
you think !. some pOrsopiied nothing,
as tho gentleman tells Us 10 bis ser.
mont Do not think it strange as to
the DEVILS power to destroy. Read
Hebrews ii 14-"Forasmuch thun, as
lhe children are partaksrs of flesh and
blood, be also himself likewise took
part Of The same, that through death
he might destroy him that had The
POWER Of death, that is. the dsyil."-
Jesus, said just on the threshold Of
dsa.h-John xii 31-"Now 10 the
judgmcn. Of this world; now shall the
prince Of this world be cast out" The
word judgment iu the text should be
crisis; aud SO !! was 4 mighty crisis
when God was consending with the
powers Of darkness. In l John iii s,
wo rcad-"lIe that comnitteth sin is
Of The devil, for the devil slxxEru
from the DrolsMso. For this purpose
the Son Of God was manifested, that
be might destroy the works Of the
dOvil.' Does this seem IS though
Christ was eontsnding With BErso, or
with simple principle in the nature
Of things, that had only an IMAGINARY
existence. Let the reader draw his
own conclusion.
And notice tho sacrifice offered 10
to this being. This may seem strange
to those who haro never carefully ex.
aminsd this par. Of the subject. But
when We read Matthew iy 9-"All
these things will l give shco II thou
wilt fall down aud worship msr-we
will not wonder at reading in Psalm,
106iS7-"Ysa, they sacrifice ,hOir sons
and daughters unto devils" Read
Deut. xxi Ill Cor. Z 20"But | say
that the things which the Gentilcs
sacrifice, they sacrifice 10 deril,, and
no. to God, and would no. that ye
should have fellowship With devils. -
Could The Inspired pen make this any
palmer? sutely the most befsgged,
sin.Onslaysn man, seeking truth, need
not err in this.
A few passages on the last PROPOSE.
tion-docs tho devil tempt man! For
answer TO this question l refer III,
reader to Hebrews ii1S-"For 10 that
be Christ himself hath suffered, be.
ing tempted. he is able to succour
them that arc tempted" Christs
temptation could not have been Of the
flesh, lust, or anything pertaining 10
himself. Our temptations are from
the same sourec-that is q part Of
them. Now Il bis was from bis ma.
ture, then Christ must have been
tempted Of himself, and that part Of
himself must have been . DEVIL, .c.
cording to passages Of Scripture al
ready referred to. And We read that
"God does not tempt any man."
Ihaye aimed to DO brief, and hate
made all my quotations from the Bi.
BE, aud leaving out many standard
authors, whose opinions I have at
hand. In many instances have re.
I