The Norfolk weekly news-journal. (Norfolk, Neb.) 1900-19??, 1911-02-24

nv 49, with wires and with
EfsS ,s a 8 Ks tf9H{sFE out-the masses nnd
nAzsAsrrisilL szssxsisfsE IL dift1cult TO believe
what tho Bible
teaches respecting spirit phenomena. YET
on the other hand, there In a class grow
ingly large which, under the name OF
spiritism and psychic phenomena, are be
ms, carried away, deceived by wicked spir-
It's who personate the dead ana who give
through spirit mediums. ClairVoyAnts, etc
various demonstrations OF intelligence ana
OF acquaintance with human affairs. Thss
class, within the last ten years. has gath
cred ~ It's number the names Of some
prominent scientists, both IN America and
Great Britain. These are telling the world
that they are not spirltuaIists, but seller.
tsts and that they are scientifically dem
onstrnting gradually, with more ana NOR
OF satisfaction, that they are IN toucN
with supcrhumRn intelligences.
Giving these scientists and tho spiVit
mediums whom they use fun credit for al
that they claim in the way Of manifesto
ton and full credit for sincerity, Pastor
Russell holds that the Bible gives . bet
ter explanation OF tho phonomena--a more
rational ono and, in his opinion, the onIs
satisfactory explanation of the findings
OF spirtualists and scientists along these
lines.
In heather lands magic and black art
are prsctised and, 10 considerable extent.
the demons are worshipped in china, for
instance, our ordinary irecrackers are
manufactured and used in great quantities
in endesyor TO ria themselves OF intrud-
ing spirits, who hsrass their lives and
even make some OF them insane through
obsession: many OF tho insane OF civ,liscd
lands are likewise merely obseSsed. 81
Paul tells us that the gods whom the
heather worship are demons and not sods
II Corinthians X, 90. Again he tels OF
Doctrines of demonsr Il Timothy ~. ~
All over hesthendom these false doctrines
have been more or less esta bl}shed, taking
one form or another TO suit the cond'
lions and prciudices OF the people. And
who viii say that Christendem has net
had its share OF these doctrines OF De
mons? who will say that some OF these
false doctrines did not get worked into All
OF our creeds of the dark ages" both
Catholic and Protestant?
Jesus Cast Out Demons
The Scriptures tell ne that not only
Jesus cast out demons, but that a. an
evidence OF their authority and his an
thority he gave this power TO his Apostles
when he sent them out to preach. Every
one Is familiar with the Bible narratives
respecting these demons-some OF them
very startling. For instance, our Lord,
where he was met by y crazed man
obsessed OF evil spirits. The Master ad-
dressed not the man, but the demons o.
whom legion had taken possession.
Grazing their victim by their various and
contradictory suggestions ana commands
A legion OF them were In him and they
requested that if they must come out they
be granted opportunity to go into the
herd OF swine ncarby--so anxious were
fl,axF 10 Ill
granted their request because swine
owning WIS forbidden to the Jew under
the Law The effect OF tho demoniacsl
obsession OF the swine was TO craze the
herd until they ran violently down stesp
place and were choked in the sea. The
object OF the demons may have been a de-
sire TO reside In and obsess the swine, or.
possibly, by destroying tho swine, 90
arouse Indignation against Jesus (Mark
V, 40.
Another remarkable instance was the
one when Fl. Paul commanded the eyiI
spirits 10 come out OF the obsessed wo-
man, who was a soothsayer or fortune
teller and prophesicd that Paul and Silas
were servants OF God. Although the mes
sage was an endorsement OF them, g.
Paul realized that an endorsement from a
demonisc source was unworthy of his
Master and OF his Gospel acts xvi, 1913.
acknowledge that many of the spirits
which communicate through them arc
wicked spirits and "seducing spirits"
just as ST. Paul said U Timothy 4: -.
But believing the spirits, that they repre-
sent dead human beings, the mediums
naturally suppose some OF them good
The Bible alone tells that they are eli
false, and that they arc not human spir
lie at all: that dead mon are dead and
know nothing and can communicate moth
ing, so long as they ere dead. and thai
they will remain dead until the resur
recton morning. when the sleeping hosts
OF humanity will hear the voice of ths
Son of Man.
Demons Once Holy Angelo
At one time, said Pastor Russell, all the
angels were holy. Satan being fret 10 DE-
feet. Early in mans experience as q
sinner the holy angels were permitted 90
have fellowship with him for a two-fold
purpose;
Q) To Civ. them the opportunity TO do
all in their power to lift up the fallen
race, so that, subsequently. u might be
seen that this was impossible ana that the
Plan devised by God Is not only tho best
but the only plan OF salvation for man
kind
C2) Addition ally, God wished to prove or
test the holy angels in respect to their
loyalty 10 nm ana inc principles OF mrs
government, as they never had been test
ed previously, because everything was
harmonious and sinlesH.
In ancient times tho angels appeared as
| men, assuming human bodies and cloth
| ing etc. Note, for instance, those who
came to Abraham at Msmro and who ate
with him, snd talked with him. but whom
he knew not TO be angels until the con
clusion OF their visit Genesis xVtiD
| And there are many other Scripturai &C
counts OF similar import. Be II noted
however, that, all the accounts of such
materisiizatons after the food were b.
holy angels, because, from that time on
| ward, the unholy angels, on account o.
sin, were deprived by the Almighty OF The
power OF naturalization. They were put
under restraints OF darkness, invisibility
AZ the Apostle says, Those angels which
kept not their first estate, He cast down
TO tlTt0rRs and reserved them IN chains OF
Darkness until the Judgment OF the great
day Oh Peter II, 4; Jude, 81. Elsewhere
they are referred Go as having been dis
| obedient in the days of Noah, while tho
ark was preparing q Peter ~, 2O).
The Sin Of the Fallen Angels
| The Apostle declares that their sin was
| In leaving their own habitation- BY thS-
was meant that they preferred to live IN
o InatsTiaiized form as human being
yAthsr than to live on the spirit plane
which was Gods WI ana provision for
them.