The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1888-03-31

come clOven footed, to typify their bes-
tial nature. At first, however, they
were fair and attractive, that they
might the better deceive-a trace of
divinity left. Then they assumed the
forms of beautiful women, priests, holy
friars and saints. But the church found
them too attractive, at length, in this
form, and gave them uglier features in
which responsiveness was blended with
cunning. Perhaps we see in this change
the beginning of a growth out of de-
monology. Usually the devil was black
although in parts of India and on the
coast of Africa he was represented as
white, to distinguish him from the
complexion of the people. Devils were
supposed to frequent all sorts of ''un-
canny" places, such as ruins, deserts
and caverns, while they were at hand
to battle man in all his worthy under
takings or to aid him in difficult enter
prises at the cost of his soul. Churches
were some times built in this way by
the DEVILS aid and the fashion has not
entirely gone out The devil usually
required bond which was signed with
blood, and Russian bible depicts Ad
am thus signing away his own soul and
the happiness Of mankind. Various
devices were framed to trick the devil
out of his due and the church theory
of vicarious sacrifice from 500 A. D. to
1900 A. D. represented all souls as the
property of Satan, which he consented
to liberate only on the condition that he
should have Christ in exchange. This
was agreed to, but on account of
Christ's double nature, Satan was de-
ceived and got only the body. 1t was
'pious fraud on gigantic scale
He always kept his word, setting good
example for Christians in this respect,
but all sorts of devices were resorted
to on their part to cheat him. A copy
of the gospel suspended around the
neck, rosary, relic of saint, or the
timely display of the cross was employ
ed to battle his designs. Since water
was supposed to be the only element
that escaped the prjmeval curse, it was
believed that devils, when pursuing
their victims, could not cross a stream,
and sprinkling water was supposed
to exercise evil spirits-of which
we have survival in the "holy water"
of the Catholic church.
Inthe Bible the devil goes by differ
ent names, as Tempter, Beelzebub,
Wicked One, Prince Of Devils. Yet in
the Old Testament ne is mentioned but
five times and never until we reach the
Book of Job where his name occurs
thrice. jobs Satan is not malig-
nant being. Heis simply an adversary,
sort of public prosecutor, putting
men on trial. In the later Hebrew
writings, like Zechariah and First
Chronicles, where the devil is men
toned twice, he first begins to take on
the character of the Persian Evil Spirit.
The Jews obtained their popular con-
ception of the devil during the Baby
lonish captivity, when they came 10
contact with Persian ideas. They i'm
ported the Iranian devil and propagated
the stock to such an extent that in the
time of Christ the existence of multi
tudes of devils was a common belief.
Jesus himself is reported to have been
tempted by one; and although it can
not be said that he really believed in
their existence, yet he undoubtedly hu-
mored the popular idea.
But while the conception of devil
thus took form and developed, we see
another process taking place in the hui
man mind. Better understanding the
laws of nature, becoming more rational
and humane, it began to emancipate
tself from the superstitition, to evolve
out of belief which it had evolved.
Now the devil is only shadow of it's
former self. On some of the old world
cathedrals, like York and Melrose, one
sees curious carved hideous looking
figures. These are gargoyles and repre-
sent devils; we only laugh at them.
They were placed there to typify the
expulsion of the native gods when Chris
tianity supplanted paganism. Thus in
the advance of the human mind, the
beliefs of yesterday become the sym
bOls of to-day. In the evangelical
churches the devil has still some recog-
milton, but he is on the outside and is
not at the heart Of the beliefs. By and
by he will be dispensed with altogether.
A more rational and philosophical re-
ligiOn recognizes evil, but as having no
existence in itself. 1t is the negative
of the positive gOod-the symptom of
our imperfect adjustment to the forces
that rule the universe. We believe in
truth, right, goodness as supreme; i'll
zone God, one law, one element.
And one far-on, divine event,
To which the whole creation moves"
In an interview between Henry Nj.
Stanley and newspaper correspondent,
Livingstone, the distinguished explorer,
IL L