New-York tribune., 1875-12-25
MIR. CONWAY on DEMONOLoGY.

HIS ASSUMPTION REGARDING THE DEVIL-THE
PROOFS OF THE EXISTENCE OF AN EVIL SPIRIT.
To the Editor Of The Trtbune.
SIR: Mr.. NJ d. COnway's lectures on " Demon
oogy are full OF curious conclusions which expose them
TO adverse criticism His deduction that the devil Is
an imaginary rather than real parsonage and began
his earthly career Persia instead of Eden seems both
ineonseouential and unwarranted. The argument ap
parently is that difficulties and dangers and Diseases
&C. generated in idea of supernatural enmity
which idea gradually differentiated itself INTO SPECIFIC
devils such that of hunger storm, darkness &cwhch
evil spirits wcre through progressive education, at last
localized into the grand Satan OF civilized Chrsend0m
It would be far more logical suppose that the starting
point was real devil such according TO Bible story
tempted Adam and job and Christ, and that the Scrip
ture of him like that Of the Deluge and
Exodus and CrucifXion distorted and misunderstood
until Eden's invader had expanded into those diversified
monsters which, being black and some white, some
winged some clovenfooted and some reptilian. have
Mortified past generations and that under the rectfying
influences OF modern science and restored theology
the original representative of demonology is reappear
n in his true charactera real devil roaming the earth
as mankinds tcmpter.
IT is easier to see that some primitive root might pro-
duce a tree as complicated the banyan than to
believe that such a vigorous growth could come into
existence without powerful initiative II is more reason
able to conclude that the Serpent of the Pentateuch and
the Satan Of gave birth to the worlds demonism than
that demOnisn produced these ancient conceptions
Moreover specific facts cOrTobOrate this view. The
story OF Mans Fall" lays sufficient foundation for the
demonoogy of all centuries and cmes; nearly every
KIND of devil pictured by successive generations has
possbe not to say plausible basis in that single event
The tempter approached first parents through appe
tite hence the Devil Of Hunger represented by Ger
tain Africans as huge stomach, and by East Indians as
huge creature swallowing the sum- and by Germans as
a hollow backed specter, supernaturaly lean; hence
also vampires, ghouls, and ogres Eve was condemned
10 suffer- and this would suggest the Devil OF Disease
Adams sentence was Thou shalt thy bread by the
sweat OF thy brow" and sufficient 10 originate In
oriental imaginatons "Devil Of Heat" Both were
thrust out OF their garden home and thus subjected to
the Devil OF Cold" or exposure. Most conclusive of all
Is the fact that through the demon5m Of all lands and
aces runs like cOng thread the serpent idea 1t is
seen in the battle OF St PcTds with English snakes ana
that of St Patrick with Irish reptiles, aud tdt OF Apollo
with python at Delphi, and that OF prince with an
eiQht-headed eghttaled monster In Japan, and those
of various gods with the jealous jewcled serents which
Guarded fhe mineral treasures India and that Of AtnOO
With the great reptile Apophis into which he thrust
his spear. All these struggles and many more which
might be enumerated allegOrcay represent the battle
which has ever been going on between g0Od ana eVl
and without much doubt point back with straight and
steady finger the Edcnic TemptatOn-the serpent and
the Woman. Hence Mr.. COnway's assumption that the
devils OF antiquity were only cranial fantasies, and
tlaf the modern de vii, who about roaring On
s n similar hallucinaon evoked by medieval priests 10
assist them III sWayng the religious instincts OF their
parsoneIs strikes as bordering AZ Least on the gr
tuit ous. On o- LibiiA'