The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1877-11-25
is THERE A PERSONAL DEVIL?
YES-NO.

To THE EDITOR OF THE HERALD
The Rev. DR.. Macarthur, reported In the HERALD
last Sunday week, preached sermon TO provo the
isenco OF personal devil. Judging from the repeated
harangues from the pulpit TO beware of wolves In
shecps' clothing "personai devils" must be nu-
mcrous enough to require no argument But this
claim to have discovered from the texts Of the Scrip
lures "personal devil" becomes matter Of argu-
mont Satan the spirit OF evil Ia easily understood.
The Bible abounds in passages conclusive to spirit
DEVIL but this Baptist brother wants make person
Of this principle. The sum total OF his argument
consists in a forced construction OF language and
sopnisry He 1.-THE Scriptures ascribe to Satan
acts and attributes which by no laws Of language
DO regarded as applicable to principle"
The Scriptures contain some highly fquratve Ian
guage Commentators difier radically as 10 what
OF this language really was intended TO express
Satan has too many aliases to DO genuine personal
devil. He serpent when he tempted the woman
Lucifcr when he took the Son OF Man up into tho
when ne entered a herd OF swine and ran down into
and drowned. II every creation 0. Scrip
turc language which audcs to the Evil One should
assume objective personality tho devil himself
wouldn't know his own likeness
Upon TINS claim for tho claws Of Ian
guagen how docs II sound applied 10
Tue Holy Ghost "desccndiug u dove;n
Jehovah, as pillar OF cloud before tho tent OF
Noses speaking with him "facc 10 lace" Who pro-
tends the devil aud spoken with HIM face
to face? What docs he look like2 What Is his color
ana form? Has he horses tail and a cloyen foot
Several eminent artists have gwen us Imaginary
devils, but what one has and painted tho
original Beelzcbuby Is his discovery in the saws OF
language in the Scriptures no thing to DR.. Mac
Arthur, and, II So why not have unbotcd him before?
Henry Ward Beecher, in speaking Of the RESPONSE
biIlty OF man Tor his belief, asked how ybody know
anything Of the Theory OF personal Godn Since mo
man has seen God" wo Will leave II 10 Dr. Macarthur
to find an answer II taxes to the uttermost
tho faith Of many good Christians to believe
In tho Trinity, and many do not. Endless punishment
and a birthstone helI--two cardinal points OF belief
with our Baptist brothcr-arc n heavy load TO many
who subscribe 10 them. Now, this personal devil
dogma strikes us as simply ridiculous. Spritualism
may conciie II and matcrnlizc IL, aud ISM
which liz u law unto itself, may create personal devil
but will tnis sort OF thing benefit Chrstantyy Man,
ma n reasoning being will seek tho truth ou,side OF
forced construction OF language; and II docs not
strengthen DR.. MacArthurs personal devil dogma to
assert that las well might you deny the personal
existence OF any character In history not per-
sonally seen by us, as 10 deny that Of Satan. y
Though not seen by us, somebody Is believed
TO have seen Christ, Napoleon ana Shakespeare
and most characters Of history If not understood TO
bc--as tho "pcrsonal devil" is--a fiction. an idea
or a principle have been seen, described aud given
form and color Where In the scriptures, or out OF
them Is there any evidence as conclusive that Satan
was person inere Is that julius Caesar WASP Our
gapttgt brother IL unfortunate in his Illustrations
especially In complaining that "Milton bias too
much admiration Tor tho ability OF SataD.p poor
,omplimcnt this 10 hosts OF divucs who arc bat
ling with sin, trying to overcome evil (which rs tho
sdevipD and trampio Satan undcr their feet Thco-
op,cai hair splitting 10 establish personal devil on
,pirIt OF evil which. through trnnsgression
II Gods laws, brought sin into the world.
rbe Scriptures honestly interpreted, nowhere prove
he existence Of personal devil, any moro than n
personal God or Holy Ghost True religion 10 older
nan The scriptures. and man, the earthly embodiment
II bis Mokcr was before religion, Satan, sect
freed Tho calcium light oil science aad knowledge rs
.eacblng mankind that doctrual and dogmatic con-
,rucl,on of ScrIptural language Is often dishonest
md untrue IL is also teaching the truths OF God and
nature as reconcilabIo with true religion. The be-
Timing and God; life and death; salvation according
% ne deeds done In tho bodyin WORD. man, his
,ublImc relation 10 the Deity superior 70 all systems
~ religion and In defiance Of sectarlan dogmas must
,nrvivo mi ali Gods children enter Into HE kingdom
In rough tho Church not made with hands eternal in
tho heavens MlLLiAM r. "hohh olEh.
Xxw YoRK, Now IL 1871