Spiritualism, a Satanic delusion, and a sign of the times

Front matter

B 6i SPIRITUALISM, opy 1

N

5ATANIC DELUSION,

Chapter I

Introduction. Scripture teachings concerning Spirit agency. Existence of Satan. His agents. His varied wiles. Their adaptation to circumstances. Men willing to be deceived. A Brahmin — <; A little Truth is hard, but a big Lie is easy to be believed." Satan helps to believe Falsehood. He is " the God of this World." He offered its kingdoms to Christ. Failed in his Scheme. His overthrow is predicted. His dethronement approaches. He is doing his last and his worst. Paganism is old and stale. New devices are needed. Free loveism. Mormonism. Revelations. A Good Time coming. A Babel-like Structure. God shall yet Redeem the World. pp. 9-20

Chapter II

The Case Stated. To the Law and the Testimony. Satan's Fall. His access to the Heavenly Places. His great Power. His subjection to Divine control. His agents can control Wicked Men. His working is increased as he approaches his overthrow. — Hence we are to watch. The working op Satan. The First Medium. His Nature — Crafty. Satan possessed an Animal. Controlled and changed its Character. Deceived an innocent person. She supposed her converse was with an Animal when it was with Satan. He can do the same now. The case of Job. Satan prompted to Robbery and Murder. Controlled Elements and caused peculiar Electrical Phenomena. Produced hurricanes and tempests — " Prince of the power of the air." Caused bodily and mental pain, disease, and disquietude. These manifestations common to both Jews and Gentiles, anciently. As common now as ever. The term Satan — its meaning — an Adversary. His titled. Diabolos — One Satan or Devil — Many Demons. 11 The Depths of Satan." Demons distinct from Satan, but under his control. " Deliver us from the Evil One." New Testament Accounts op Possessions. The Man in the Tombs. Author has lodged in Tomb3 while a Missionary in India. The Demons ejected. Swine drowned. Gadareenes loved swine more than Christ. Demoniac in the Synagogue. His cure. A spirit of infirmity. Bound by Satan eighteen years. Mary of Magdala not an harlot as is supposed, but a demoniac. Modern Man-

VI CONTENTS.

ifestAtions. Various and undeniable facts. A scene witnessed by the author in India. A Sacrifice to " Vetal," king of Demons, or the Devil. The Priestess a demoniac. Her exercises. Opinions of Mohammedans, — of the Hindoos. " Rackshus," or Evil Spirits. Worship of the Devil. A boy at Bombay. " Bootagrust, Sahib." The " Bhoots," or Demons. A converted Demoniac — 'I believe in Jesus, and they don't come near me any more." A demon expelled by Joseph Wolff, the noted Missionary, near Cabool. Witchcraft. Persecutions in England, Scotland, Sweden, and America. This crusade instigated by Satan. — He raised the storm, and guided it to bring reproach on the Gospel. Present Satanic Manifestations. Their Forms and Modes. Physical force. Intelligence. Rapping, Writing, Trance, &c. A Medium in Philadelphia. " Who moves

her hand ?" Answer — "Devil." Another Medium. "Sarah J ."

11 Prof. Webster." An Evil Spirit expelled in the name of the Lord. Other phenomena. What is the cause of these Manifestations 1 - 20^61

Chapter III

The Theories. Various, contradictory and absurd Explanations. " Trickery." Not reasonable or possible. Such positions strengthen the delusion. " Ventriloquism" — Indian Jugglers. Ventriloquism cannot explain the phenomena. "Electricity." "Galvanism." " Odic force." None of these are adequate causes. The human will insufficient. The Spiritualist's Theory. Departed Spirits of dead men. Spheres. Mediums. Unclean Spirits. Spirit Theology. "Try the Spirits." Pantheism. Athtism. Christ's Divinity Denied. The Bible " False"—" Without Inspiration" — " Horrible." Doctrines of Demons. Who are the Spirits ? Are they Angels ? Various meanings of the term. Some Angels have Sinned. Cast to Tartarus. Where is it? " Chains of darkness." Angels more ancient than men. Innumerable. Not the Spirits of just men. Good Angels have power. Can roll stones ; unlock and re-lock doors. Cannot Evil Angels do the same 1 ----- 61-81

Chapter IV

The Truth. By what are these Manifestations caused S i. They are not caused by diseases of body or mind Diseases cannot frighten swine " a good way off." 2. They are not the work of Good Angels. They all have other duties. 3. They are not Spirits of the Dead. If Spirits are in Heaven, they are not here. If in Hades, they are not here. If Asleep, they are not here. Departed men have appeared on earth. Scriptural Examples. Always Good Men. Always appeared bodily and personally. Angels shall hereafter be manifested. What are Demons ? Opinions of the Heathen. Some believed them to be Soirits of the Dead, llesiod. Homer. Most thought otherwise. Thales. Plato. Clemens. Alexandria nus. Apuleius. Plutarch. Lucian. Josephus. Opinions of Karlt Christians. Believed in Demoniacal possessions. Cast out Demons. The reclaimed Demoniacs were a separate class in the Church. Demons were subject to Christ's name. Early Fathers often applied the term Demon to Satan, and especially to his Angels. Justin Martyr. Irenaeus. Tatian. Theophilus Antiochenus. Tertuliian. Cyprian. Arnobius. Lactantius. Eusebius. Ignatius. Origen. &c. Current view in early ages. Demons give evidence of their true character as intelligent agents. Nine

*r

% CONTENTS. VU

proofs of this. 1. They knew our Lord. 2. Spoke to Hiin. 3. Demoniacs were not always diseased. 4. Jesus distinguishes possession from disease. 5. Demoniacs, Jews, and Christ himself asserted the presence of Evil Spirits. 6. Demons were subjected to the control of the Disciples by Christ. 7. They had superhuman knowledge. 8. The Bible distinguishes between the devil and his angels. 9. Demons were cast down from Heaven. No other explanation solves the difficulties and mysteries in the case. Spirits are now subject to Christ and his Name — Wicked Men are not. These Spirits are emissaries of Satan- Proof. 1. They show supernatural intelligence. 2. They unsettle minds, and cause insanity, madness, and ruin. 3, They never have discovered or revealed an important Truth. 4. They never make men Christians. 5. They oppose th« Scriptures and God. 6. They say, like ancient Demons, "Jesus of Nazareth, let us alone ; what have we to do with Thee V An Objection — " They do good. Heal the sick. Would Satan do Good ?" This is but a bait. There is cunning here. Satanic Wisdom. These manifestations adapted to the age. God's Kingdom is at hand. Satan would forestall Christ's work. These are Signs of the Times. Spiritualism not a new thing. Old iniquities are re-modeled in it. The Medium at Endor. Probably Samuel did not appear. Eight Reasons. 1. God refused to answer Saul by Prophets. 2. Saul Worshipped the Spectre. 3. Dead Saints are not subject to the power of Witches. 4. The Spectre came as familiar Spirits do, from the Ground. 5. Saul was under the control of an Evil Spirit. 6. The communication concerning Saul was not entirely true. 7. Saul was slain for receiving the communication. 8. The statement concerning his sons was partly False, as usual. Conclusion. Our Duty. A Warning Voice. A strong Delusion. The whole armor. The Wiles of the Devil. Testimony of those who have believed in Spiritualism. Admonitions. " The God of Peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly." - 82-122

Copies of this interesting and important volume in cloth binding, will be sent by mail to any address on the receipt of 50 cts. in postage stamps.

Price in enameled paper covers, 25 cts. Those who wish to circulate so valuable and timely a book, can obtain copies at the following rates : — Five copies for $1. Thirty copies for $5. Fifty copies for $8. One Hundred copies for $15. Cash always with the order. Several other excellent ivories are for sale at similar rates. Send for a Catalogue.

Address orders, with directions for sending the Books, to the Publisher,

H. L. HASTINGS, Providence, H. L

I a~t>

SPIRITUALISM

A

SATANIC DELUSION.

CHAPTER I. Introduction

The object of the present investigation is, to ascertain the character of modern Spiritualism and its significance as a sign of the Times.

This subject is one that presents to the mind of the thoughtful reader of the Word of G-od, and the careful observer of the workiDgs of Satan in these last days, such a wide field for remark, that we scarcely know where to begin, what facts to select, or where to end, It is certain that we are now living in strange and eventful times. There are agencies at work in our world other than can be seen by the eye of man. But this has always been the case.— The facts in reference to the fall of man, and his redemption by Christ, show us most clearly, that there are opposing agencies at work in reference to his present and future state that are outside of himself; and that man is that most importent being who concentrates the thoughts of the whole invisible world upon him.

The educational training of some, and the manifest ignorance of others of the truths of the Bible, the only true revelation of the will of God to man, hinder multitudes from admitting, in all their literality and distinctness, the statements of the Word of God on the subject of Spirit-agency ^ In consequence of this, reasonings on this subject, the most false, puerile, and stupid, often pass at par for sound logic and good scriptural argument, provided they be clothed in the garb of scientific words and technical phraseology, the true meaning of which the people cannot comprehend, and one grand design of which is, in reality, to conceal the ignorance of the men themselves, who attempt to explain what they do not understand, and who are, though unconscious to themselves, another illustration of the wonderful power of that influence, the very existence of which they so stoutly deny.

There are many good men in our midst, highly gifted, and deservedly esteemed for their scientific researches and their patient investigation of the causes of things, who are bold to say that the phenomena of Modern Spiritualism, are mere optical illusions, or juggling tricks, and that all of them can easily be explained upon scientific principles, and are well understood by those who perform them. Yea, more ; boasting of their fancied wisdom and knowledge of things beyond their reach, they are not slow to say that to believe in the facts as they exist is a sad proof of a defective education, if not of imbecility of mind. But these persons, with more correctness, might say that the solutions which they and their philosophic expounders give of these latter day wonders, ascribing them all to mere natural agents, as electricity, magnetism, odic force, and we know not what else, are still more striking illustrations of the very deficiency which they 60 feelingly lament in the case of others.

At all events, one thing is certain : those who hold that there is a spiritual agency in connection with these manifestations, have a cause which is adequate to the production of these effects — yea, and, if need be, of others far more wonderful than any that have as yet been exhibited. They go to the Word of God for a clear and proper solution of all these phenomena, and not to the mysterious workings of some hidden law of nature, nor to the teachings of an Infidel or Atheistic PhilosojDhy.

The writers of the Sacred Scriptures nowhere attempt to prove the existence of God. Moses takes it for granted, and proceeds to state, in the first chapters of Genesis, what God has created. Nor do they attempt to prove the existence of a Spiritual Being, whom they call in the Hebrew, Satan ; which means an opposer, a foe, an enemy. They speak of it as a fact that needs no proof; for the world is full of the evidences of his real, personal existence, and of his mighty power, and unremitted hatred of God and of man. We are fully aware of the fact that the personal existence of Satan is admitted by nearly all those who bear the Christian name. It is at least among the articles of their faith. But by the great majority of professing Christians of the present day, it is so feebly realized, and so superficially regarded, that their faith is, in a great degree, inoperative, and the fact of his existence, and influence upon the minds of the people, is virtually disbelieved. One striking difference between the experience of Christians, aa recorded in the New Testament, and the frequent exhortations of our Lord and his apostles to resist the Devil, and to guard against his wiles,- and the experience of Christians of our day, and the exhortations we hear on the subject now, warning us not to be ignorant of his devices, must be manifest to every

12 SPIRITUALISM, A SATANIC DELESXJN.

one who will give the subject a m; merit's reflection. They felt and acted as if there was a great and mighty adversary for them to oppose ; and they speak of their spiritual conflicts with him ; but the wisdom and philosophy of our day have looked upon his existence as a myth, or at best, but another name for the wayward disposition of man.

This, however, is not the scriptural representation of the matter. The Bible speaks of him as a mighty spirit, once holy, but now fallen through pride; as the deceiver of man ; as the usurper of the dominion of this world, and as the Prince of this world, and also of the power of the air, and the Spirit that worketh in the children of disobedience. — Through his influence and wiles, our first parents lost the image and the likeness of God in which they were Created, and also the dominion over the earth which God had bestowed on man. Satan deposed man, and took his place. Since then he has not ceased to exert his influence over man ; to enslave his mind by gross superstitions ; to debase and defile his body by vile affections ; to shut him out of Leaven by leaguing him in with himself in opposition to God. Accordingly we find that although the agent, Satan, is the same at all times, yet the mode of his operations differs in different ages and among different people, according to the degree of their intellectual culture, or the amount of Scriptural truth and knowledge they might possess.

The debasing and sensual rights of Paganism are well adapted to rivet the chains cf a spiritual bondage upon a people who have given up the knowledge of a true God, and who worship demons in His stead. But in an age like ours, where intellectualism and mammon are the gods to which the masses of the people bow in humble adoration, Satan must suit his wiles to the spirit of the age, and to the character of the people, if he would succeed in leading them to bow down to their gods, in the temple of reason, and to ignore their Creator and the revelation he has given them. Hence it is that no special form of Satanic delusion continues long at one time, or in one place. The Arch-Deceiver continually varies his wiles. Old forms of spiritual delusion pass away ; but from their seeds other forms spring up, which are just as far from the truth as the former. — Each successive age or generation boasts of its freedom from the follies of the past, and laughs at the ignorance and superstition of their fathers, while it is itself the victim of those Satanic delusions which are more in accordance with the circumstances, advanced knowledge, or philosophic spirit of the age. And just as we change our garments and adapt them to the season of the year upon which we may enter, while our nature remains the same — so will it be with these varied exhibitions of Satanic power ; their forms differ, but their essential features are the same ; and these varied manifestations will continue to come and to go, until the kingdom of Satan, on earth, be overthrown, the reign of sin be superseded by that of holiness, and the kingdoms of this world become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ.

As the sacred writers nowhere attempt to prove the personal existence of Satan, but always take it for granted, (and base their exhortations to resist his power and influence, upon the known fact of his existence and evil character,) we need not attempt it. Still, we might ask those who deny the personal existence of Satan, and maintain that we are to understand by the term only the evil principle, or the tendency to evil that exists in human nature, how they would explain, on their theory, the history of the fall

14 SPIRITUALISM, A SATANIC DEL SION.

of man, and the subsequent temptation of our Lord ? In the case of Adam, or rather of the woman, (for she was first in the transgression, she being deceived, while " Adam was not deceived" — 1. Tim. ii : 14 — but sinned understanding^,) there was evidently an influence outside of hereelf that was brought to bear upon her mind, so that she yielded to it and fell — she was conscious of that fact — and said so : nor is the truth of her statement called in question by the Lord when she, in the honesty of her heart, confessed the truth, saying, "the serpent beguiled me, and I did eat." The statement was admitted, in all its fullness, and upon that- statement the Lord proceeds, at once, to pronounce His sentence upon the serpent, and which remains upon it, to the present day, and will till time shall end. The Judge of all the earth certainly does right. And if there were no tempter outside of woman, why should the Lord pronounce His curse upon her, and an additional one on a being, distinct from her, if no such being did exist, and if he had not deceived her as she declared he did ?

So also, in the case of our Lord. He had no sin. He was holy, harmless, undented, and separate from sinners. And yet He was tempted for forty days and forty nights in the wilderness of Judea. Demands were made of Him and proposals offered of such a character, as wholly to exelude the idea, (if we admit the record in the case to be true,) of these demands and proposals being the mere suggestions of our Lord's own mind. The thing is an impossibility. To suppose that the whole scene of the temptation as described by the inspired penman was a mere stretch of the imagination of our Lord ; that He thought He was tempted by some one ; that He thought the Tempter brought forth arguments based upon a false application of the Scriptures to induce Him to yield to hi.* suggestions ; and, that He thought He answered the Tempter by correct quotations from the Word of God, requires an amount of faith (if faith it may be called,) far surpassing any thing of the kind that is necessary to embrace the simple, truthful narration of the facts as they are. But it happens to be with such persons as it was with a Brahmin in India, who said to me once, " Sahib, a little truth is hard, but a big lie is easy to be believed." It is just so ; and we doubt not, that the father of lies assists them in their monstrous credulity as well as in their unreasonable unbelief.

We admit the fact, then, in all its fullness, that there is such a being as Satan, and we fully believe all the statements that the Sacred Scriptures give of him, and of his workings in our world. Our Lord calls him " the Prince of this world," and the " god of this world ;" and he is. That he will, ere long, be deposed, .and his usurped power will be taken from him, and he be cast out of this world, are facts clearly made known to us in the Word of God. He knows well that the kingdoms of this world will be taken from him, and that it will be done by Him who is " the seed of the woman." Hence it was that Satan offered to deliver up to our Lord the kingdoms of the world, which he then held, and still holds by usurpation, if He, the Messiah, would but fall down and do him honor, or thank him for them, or even accept them from his hand. We give Satan full credit for honesty in this case. Let him have his due. We believe he would have done just as he said he would do. He had the kingdoms of the world. He has them yet.* And he, doubtless, would have deliv-

* For Satan to offer that which he could not bestow, and over ered them to our Lord, and would have laid down the usurped sceptre of power over earth, if he could, by that act, have acquired a greater glory, and a more exalted sway. And who, in the matters of trade, and of seeking after the wealth and the honors of this world, would not part with the less for the sake of the greater ? So with Satan. The honor received from man, or from a world of men, would be as naught when compared with honor and obeisance from " the Son of man." Most cheerfully would he have parted with all this world for one act of obeisance from our Lord. But, that he must not have. Satan was foiled in his deep-laid scheme for the final and eternal ruin of all the human race. No compromise in the case can be made with the Son of man, the rightful heir to earth, and all upon it. Satan will not resign his usurped authority and power on earth of his own free will, nor can the Son of man lay aside the glory and the dignity of His exalted nature and office, to enter upon any efforts of negociation with Satan for the redemption of the world from his power. On the contrary, He will in due time, lay hold on the usurper, bind him in chains, and cast him out of the governments of this world for ever.

Satan is fully aware of this fact. He knew when our Lord was upon the earth, that that was not the time for

which he had no power, would be no temptation even to man % much less to Christ, who of course knew the facts in the case. — But Christ was really tempted,— therefore Satan had something of value to offer to him, namely, the kingdoms of the world and their glory. Christ was tempted in all points like as we are, and do we not see in the allurements of worldly ambition that seduce the heart from right and godliyiess, this same temptation of the adversary ? We are not ignorant of his devices.— Ed.

his dethronement. But the time is now at hand. This he knows; and hence it is that he is making special efforts ; in various ways, throughout the whole world, to retain his possession of the earth to the last moment, and to ruin for time and eternity all he can, before he himself shall be cast out, and be shut up in the bottomless pit for the thousand years.

Paganism and the gross forms of heathen idolatry, are not adapted to our present enlightened and social state. — The scenes of iniquity that have been witnessed in the public assembly, or in the secret chambers of heathen temples, in days past, would be too much at present for the eye of the refined of our day. But similar scenes may be witnessed, doubtless, even now, by those who are privileged to enter within the gates that shut them out from the vulgar gaze. It only needs another name : the name of " Love," or " Love" made " free," and the sanction of laws which Satan himself has helped to frame, to give currency and popularity to any forms of iniquity that have ever yet found favor in the eyes of a world at enmity with God. Some can be led as the willing slaves of their lusts. For these there is a lure in the shape of Socialism, Free-love-ism, and Mormonism, that last form of political iniquity that has been enthroned in our land, and which if it receives not the sanction of this mighty nation, is permitted to grow unmolested, and to flourish in our midst, under the fostering care of Satan himself.

But, there are others, whose instinctive horror of bodily defilement would separate them forever from those, who 11 corrupt themselves in those things which, as brute beasts, they know naturally" (Jude 10). These Satan must secure by other means. Reason is their god. To them, the revelations of the Most High are, at least, but enigmatical

18 SPIRITUALISM, A SATANIC DELUSIOI*

hints of things they cannot comprehend. For tl e god of this world hath blinded their minds, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine into their hearts, and give them the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ, 2 Cor. iv. 4-6. They must hare certain knowledge, and such a knowledge of secret and future things, as God, in His infinite wisdom, withholds from man ; for he would have man " walk by faith, not by sight,' 1 2 Cor. v. 7. But, what God withholds, Satan offers to impart. They would lift the veil that hides the unseen world from them, and seek to know from those who inhabit it, the things which God has hidden from them, and purposes they shall not know. The knowledge of Satan is not like ours. We can know nothing of the invisible world from our own observation. Satan can and does. — The invisible world is all untrodden ground to us. To him

. it is all known and familiar. He, doubtless, does and can know facts, and reveal them too, which it would gratify the curiosity of our nature to know. Facts, long since transpired, even before the birth of any now on earth, are not blotted out of the memory of Satan, who, we may suppose, retains all the knowledge he has ever had of our world for the past 6000 years. These facts he may communicate to man, (and none can prove that he cannot) ; and these facts being found to be true, the door is now opened wide for the fall belief of any number, or any kind of real or supposed facts that Satan may see fit to communicate. The reality of one truth will pave the way for many falsehoods, all of

% which may be believed with equal faith. In this way, Satan will satisfy the minds of multitudes of the philosophically wise. And as they judge they can find that knowledge in and through his communications which they cannot

^6 obtain from the Word of God, the result is easily foreseen. They will reject the revelation which God has given them, as a work behind the age, and not meeting the demands of the times. If this be not so with those who now believe in the revelations that God has made to them in His Word, they will superadd to it these supposed revelations of facts by Satan, and thus will they virtually set aside the Word of God entirely as a rule of life.

As it is certainly revealed to us, that Satan will be cast out from this world, and as his efforts will be made untiringly to retain his hold upon the minds of the people, we may reasonably look for some special manifestations of his power and delusive workings before that event. These manifestations and miraculous workings will be so apparent to all those, who are savingly enlightened by the Spirit of God, that they will not fail to perceive, in due time, that they are of Satanic origin. " They that trust in the Lord shall be," in these times of coming trial, " as Mount Zion which cannot be removed, but abideth forever," Ps. cxxv. 1. While those who may trust to their own fallible reasoning and the desires of their hearts, will be as the chaif before the wind, or as the stubble before the flame.

By multitudes of Christians in our day, and of Christian ministers also, the study of the prophecies of God's Word is either neglected, or condemned. What God declares to be u a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn and the Day- Star arise" (2 Peter i. 19), they, in their presumption have declared to be impenetrable obscurity. — Hence the utter misapprehension which so extensively prevails in the Church at the present time, as to the character* and design and end of this dispensation. Peace, prosperity and stability are confidently predicted and fondly anticipated by the men of our progressive times, whereas confl'ct and destruction are distinctly foretold by the prophets of the Lord. And so intense is this deception, that, by many, the very workings of Satan are confounded with or taken for the operations of God's Spirit. They look for a coming glory and a brighter age for this world ; but it is not such as God predicts. They raise their superstructure, Babel-like, out of material which God purposes to destroy. There is a future glory in reserve for this world. 33ut, it is not to be effected by the wisdom of man, the progressive development of the age, nor by a careful observance and study of the mere laws of nature. It will be the work of the Spirit and power of the Lord.