Telegram-herald., 1891-01-12
IS THERE A DEVIL?
Eder Moore says Yes; Mrs. Rich
ings Says No.
IHE SPIRITS ANSWER The Elder
Hrs. Lssiss Riehisss Takes ~ he
Charges - lnmsraiity ef epirassaA.
tsts Preferred in the 6sF0en Ut
kldsx nssse-~GreAt opsseh-


lam Satanic Delusion' MAS instrumen-
tai in filling Elk's Hail last evening
with very large audience TO hear one
of the most eloquent and effective dis
courses that have ever been delivered
before the Society Of the Progressive
spiritualists. Mrs. Richings, of Boston,
had announced . reply by her s'con-
troll" to sermon of Elder Moore pub
lished in the TEIEoRAN.HERALp.
The speaker began by saying that the
elder had done nothing more than to
sing ad nauseam the same old cong
that had been sung for forty years.
The speaker then read from the pub
lished sermon very copiously, IN order
that the audience might know the very
charges that were to be met The SER
mon had quoted the words of Saint
Tim othy, as follows: "Now the spirit
speaketh expressly that in the latter
times, wears, some shall depart from
the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits
and doctrines of devils" etc. And the
minister, commenting on this, has said
that "the evidence is conclusive that
this text has its application in our
time." The first thing to be remarked
about this Is the enquiry whether or
not the good man is judging of "tIme"
as the church has always used the word.
We know that the Bible uses the words
times and seasons in very dark and in
comprehensive ways. Even the simple
word "day" as used in Genesis, has
been y4riously interpreted. On all
other points, the Bible has Its various
interpreters, and it is a pure assump-
ton 10 single out any particular period
of history and say that the indet~.-
inmate thing called "time." APP
plies to that period. The Bible has never
yet received the higher and better
interpretations of which it is suscept-
ible. As yet, men have contented
themselves with the mere husks of the
truth contained in the Bible. The book
itself warns men that at first men can
not receive the truth, and new revela-
tions of the light are coming
to the world age after age.
The truth, surely, IS Interchangeable,
but man is changeable. His
power to see and interpret increases
with his advancing years. So while the
truth is liked. it really seems TO change
by reason of our changing ways of
looking it at. This minister's way of
looking at the Bible is that of the dis
tant past, before spiritual knowledge
abounded III the world. 1t is the dark
and arbitrary inspiration of the latter
which kills, Ignoring the spirit OF II
which is the life OF 1t. 1t is possible Tor
suci narrow exegesls to live and thrive,
because they who hear such preaching
do not think for themselves. But the
day Is rapidly passing for any priest, or
minister. or convention, or ecumenical
synod to tell what their creed must be.
In reply to the charge that Spiritual
lists deny the existence of God, the
speaker said that the minister made a
great blunder in quoting as he did.
Some of his sources of information are
unreliable, and others are given only
in part, Take, for instance, what he
quotes from Mrs. Conant on the wor-
ship of Satan. 1t is wholly unfair. be-
cause it is taken ont from its context,
and made to stand alone and apart
from the general spirit or the occasion,
and tho other utterances of the occa-
sion. Standing thus, it is admitted
that the words sound terrible, and
their author would surely dIsavow
them as they stand in the minister's
sermon. 1t is not true that spiritual
ists worship what the elder means when
he says devil. The word devil COM
monty means an absolute principl. OF
evil as contradistingulshed from the
absolute spirit of good, and that this
evil principle IS fully represented IN a
roaming personality called Satan. Now
he who says that spIrltualists who wor-
ship Satan os that conception conn.,
mits a great blunder. There is no such
reality as an absolute evil. We believe
IN our spirit-one great cause. The
primal cause is God. All other causes,
however long the chain, have their
roots in Him. Nothing is but God. and
all that is. is some manifestation OF His
presence. God is ali in all, aud II there
be devil God is the cause of him.
But we deny that principle OF evil you
call the devil. Absolute good precludes
the existence of evil. We claim that
what you call evil IS one of the forms
through which good IS struggling 10
manifest itself and does manifest itself.
Evil is undeveloped good. Under the
law of evolution these lower forms are
necessary. Out OF what conditions
has come this beautiful pond l.iyg
Right up out of the muck and slime
and fifth OF the half stagBant
pond. But are you gong TO
call these conditions evil. or
shall We say tilat they are toe
lower which render the higher possible.
Nov one law reigns ever where IN all
worlds from the highest 70 the lowest.
so what you call evil conditions are
necessary. Nature works with planets
aud flowers and men ia the same vay.
| say nature, but God - the better
word, for nature Is bat the outward ex-
pTess.On OF God. 50 Gods laws work
ia nlan aS they work everywhere, and
these evil conditions IN man are neces-
sary for the better and tae higher.
Now an1 net argalng fer the com
msssioa of crime. / defend tne evil
only up 70 the point Of lts necess T..
For TIE very moment that these lower
conditions Of y0er life appear - you as
evil. then the laws Of lsfe Are dong
Eita Won what ths sunshine afd wgta
the pord lilly wben Il drss II Up ont
oF tie 81 ase- When q fower good T.af
on the sspect - yo0 81 esis, toen :
year fsaae for step N advance. ard
yoar sn. and voBf oz1y s.s. = - not
u king tlszt step wf1ea the tsase las been
thas revealed 70 y1a- Wien you per
celve thsng IS Hrone. then.-ree thst