The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1874-01-22
GhsGttelli1g)je j / III.
THE PERSONALLY Of SATAN.
Existence Of Coed, and Evil in
the World.
A Remarkable Sermon by a PennsyI-
yania Clergyman.
"a discourse delivered by Rev. A A. Thayer, at
.roI- Scranton, Pa


How art thou fallen from Heaven, o Luclftr.
son Of the morning How art thou cast down 10
the ground, which did weaken the nAtions."-
"But every man Is tempted when he Is drawn
away 10 his own lust and entieed. Then when
sin, when 1t is finished, bringeth forth deAth.''-
Jamesi II
Mr.. Thsyer then said
Three. thousand years ago there were
millions Of people who believed that Sa-
tan had just as much power as God. The
early Egyptians believed the devil 10 be
twin brother TO the Deity. The ancient
Persians supposed that the one eternal
God had two sons-the one was the King
OfLight, and the other the Prince OF Dark.
ness-and both had equal power. #
Nearly all the superstitions Of the Olden
times assumed that personal Satan and
his myriads Of subjects shared the control
Of the universe with the benif1cent powers.
The seed of Abraham-the Jews-were
the only valiant defenders Of the omnipo-
tent power Of the one true God. The an
tagonlsms Of nature and OF human life
have always COMPOUNDED tho ignorant.
The problem Of good and evil Is a ghost
which will not "down," and the cheapest
solution Of It's presence seems to have been
the supposed existence Of Satan and his
allies. i.s ....s
And while systems Of religion have
been very 10th 10 part with the doctrine
Of the personal agency Of evil spirits, sci
ence has always been their implacable
enemy. In the early times the most pop.
ular physician was a priest, because he
could exercise the devil. Every form of
disease was supposed to be possessed by
demon; but after the medical profession
became more exalted in the eyes Of men,
and the practitioners became more
learned, medical science soon drove out
the idea OF supernatural possession by
EVIL spirits. Every form OF disease was
found 10 be- a condition Of the human
system-the state Of living body, in
which thenatnrRl functions Of the organs
are interrupted or disturbed. a., $50,
DAwNNG OF SCIENCE m REGARD TO
DrsRAsEs. a
People found that the patient was not
10 be cured by some mysterious copjura.
ton Of alchemy and magic; nor by some
fantastic nonsense mumbled over with
disgusting colt6rtions and profound
quackery Of manner; nor by wearing
amulets and charms NOR blythe super.
natural virtue in stones and Jewels and
horSeshoes'; but the sickmust Be h Sled
In some rational way the diseased func-
tons must be readjusted. Wisdom and
knowledge and profound skill must use
the actual remedies Of nature, instead OF
loudly calling upon invisible spirits in
the air. To-
Natural science was no less an enemy
10 the demons which were supposed to
control the elements, Plaques, and storms,
ana lornadoes, and blight, and mildew,
ana grasshoppers, and the murrain, and
Tue wolves and the owls, were once
thought TO be under the direct supefyis-
ION OF evil spirits.. They lurked behind
every stump alter dark, They hid under
every leaf: They were specially bold to
20 up anu down ehimneys. They often
made pyrotechnic displays in the clouds,
They opened the furnace doors Of hell
and showed trembling sinners the flashes
Of Northern lights, The plous held TO the
satanic possessions OF people who were
called witches, Demons furnished a con-
venient solution every startling casual.
" In nature, and 10 every s0egestion Of
evil In the human heart Bht when the
serene lace Of natural science rose upon
the world, all these strongholds OF Satan
and his tmps were demolished, The hob.
COLLINS dispersed into more deluded
countries, and left intelligent people IA
sleep o nights and to hear the wind
whistle through the cracks without turn
ing pale, or fainting away because smoth-
cred in the bed.clothes.
But Satan's last ratification Is religion.
he has entrenched himself behind the
churches; BE sits at his ease, entirely
saensnt, like a god. And Il you think me
treVerent In treating this theme, | warn
you N ADVANCE that have little respect
l9r demons and devils, As the physi-
clans drove them out o. medicine and
scientists drove them out Of the elements
a. nature, 90 the clergy should drive them
The Bible Is our guide, our insni+ed
guide in matters Of RELIGION A. T9r az
p poSsloie let Us allAy our prejudlces, and
VINE WHsu directly to the study Of the Bible
, Mnss positive knowledge does the Bibie
lmpAft on this subjectP ' D''''
POPULAR ERRORS DERIVED FROM MI, Tor.
me theology Of AIiltop's Paradise T ~,
osI 1 da SuSns US that lsatGn, as fallen An.
e ~ y T our first parents IN The Car
nSors " 1919 nHea. a large per centaVe oI
uue' But yon VIII be carefs1 ~ ~ ~