The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1913-02-21

lRAsIoR RgssELp) own hahitation,
in lasting restraints under the thick
Day" dude g. He said:
Last Sunday we discussed the fall of
the angels. and saw that they Succumb-
ed to the leaven of sin. which was first
introduced by Satan'S pride and rebel
lion, and was continued and increased
by mans diSobedience and fall from
Divine favor Some might be inclined
ia say. Why preach about the angels
and their fall: Why not rather cOnfine
our consideration TO man: The an
sWer is that mans fall had to do with
the fail Of the angels. as we have seen;
and that since then the fallen angels
have had much To do with mans fur
Their peryerSion mentally. morally,
physically. St Paul was not in error
when he declared. I'VE wrestle not
with flesh and blood lmerelyl. but
with municipalities and pOwers-wicked
spirits in high positions. "-Eph. 6:l2.
am aware that many amongst the
millions who read my sermons in the
newspapers will he inclined to laugh
ut what may be designated my super
stitious belief that fallen spirit beings
are in close propinqnity with human
ity--a continual power for evil. seduc-
tive and el!Snaring, God and Truth OPP
posing. | have no practical knowledge
of SpiritiSm. because. Obedient To the
Divine command, would avoid every
thing occult. My knowledge of Spirit
ism comes mainly through the Bible,
but is well supported by the testimony
of many whom | have rescued from
the thralldom of Spiritism--a consid-
cradle number of these mediums.
We should either take the Bible ac-
count as whole, or should reject it as
q whole. 1t is my constant effort TO
bring my own thoughts and words and
conduct and those Of others into full
alignment with the Divine Instructions
titude TO be dangerous i'm the extreme.
The fallen angels the Bible styles
demOHS-rendered in our Common Yer
sion. devils. We charge these demons.
and not our forefathers. with having
perverted the true Message Of the
Gospel. This thought is substantiated
by the Apostle, who refers to their in
SidiOus teachings as 1.-The doctrines of
demons" BY every means they seek
to put darkness for light and light for
darkness. In the doctrines of the Dark
Ages, now discredited, these demons
blasphemed God by teaching that He
had prepared 4 torture chamber and
was overseeing the everlasting torture
of nearly all humanity-all except the
very Elect-at the hands OF fire-proof
devils With pitchforks.
Thus the human mind was turned
against the Almighty in dread Thus
humanity learned to think of Satan
and his associates as in some far-Off
place. Now. us greater illumination
comes. and humanity gradually ascer-
tains that the theory of a great torture
place beyond the bounds Of time and
place was hoax. these demons would
lead such seekers in an opposite direc-
ton. and convince them that as there
is no such torture chamber. neither are
there any demons.
But the Billie all the while has been
telling us that these evil spirits are
near US. in our atmosphere: and that
they have power over us in proportion
as we yield our wills to their sugges-
tons and our minds to sin So far
from telling of Satans being far off.
the Apostle declares that he goes about
through the earth, seeking whom he
may devOur; and that his host of fallen
angels are Il present power for evil
throughout the world. Similarly. Jesus
tells us TO pray, Deliver us from the
Evil One lie says that Satan was
"a murderer from the beginning. and
abode not in the Truth. John S:44
Cast Down to Tartarus.
st. Peter tells us that the fallen an
gels at the. time of the Deluge were
cast down to Tartarus. This word
fdit0iTS is used only once in the Bible.
and is mistnnslated he'll IT is gener-
nlly conceded To refer to the earth's at
mosphere. though ii may he used in a
hguratiNe way. much MS we use the
word tin'f0. n prison. a place or condi-
ton of restraint
We are not to cOnfound the Bible
story of the fall Of the angels and their
restraint in chains of darkness with
the symbpiical figure of Revelation,