28: 3, 4. A fall from their high estate, though it would impair their strength and power, cannot be supposed to have wholly deprived them of these qualities;therefore the fallen angels still have capabilities far superior to those of men. The only defense mankind has against them is found in Christ, who circumscribes their power (for they are kept in chains, 2 Peter 2: 4), and makes provision by which we may resist them. Eph. 6: 11; James 4: 6-8;1 John 5: 18. The question why they are permitted to continue finds solution in the thought that God is consistently giving to sin time and opportunity to develop itself, fully show its nature, and manifest its works, to all created intelligences, so that when it shall finally be wiped out of existence, with all its originators, aiders, and abetters, as in God's purpose it is to be (Rev. 20:14, l5; 2 Peter 3: 7, 13; Rev. 5:13), there will ever after remain an object-lesson sufficient to safeguard the universe against a repetition of the evil. Page 73WARNINGS AGAINST EVIL SPIRITS The Scriptures plainly point out the working of these agents of wickedness, and warn us against them. In 1 Tim. 4: 1, we read: "Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils." This shows that these spirits make it an object to seduce, or deceive, to draw men away from the true faith, and cause them to receive, instead, the doctrines they teach, which are called "doctrines of devils;" and this scripture is written to. put men on their guard against them.
Again Paul says: "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness [margin, "wicked spirits"] in high places." Eph. 6: 12. And he adjures his readers to put on the whole armor of God to be able to resist them.
The apostle Peter exhorts to the same purpose: "Be sober, be vigilant;because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: whom resist steadfast in the faith." 1 Peter 5: 8, 9. If our ears do not deceive us, a good deal of this roaring is heard in the ranks of Spiritualists, where, by invisible rapping, agitated furniture, clairvoyance, clairaudience, Page 74 writing, speaking, marvels, and wonders, he seeks to set the world on tiptoe of curiosity and expectation, and bewilder men into a departure from the faith and the acceptance of the doctrines of devils. He is cunning enough not to "roar" in a way to frighten and repel, but only to attract attention, and lead multitudes, through an overweening curiosity and wonder at the marvels, to come thoughtlessly within the sphere of his influence.
The prophet Isaiah also has something to say directly upon this subject:
"And when they shall say unto you, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep, and that mutter: should not a people seek unto their God? for the living to the dead?" Isa. 8: 19. That is, is it consistent for living people to go to dead ones for their knowledge? The following verse shows where we should go for light and truth: "To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them." The time has certainly come when many are saying just what the text points out, and seeking to the dead, to familiar spirits, and wizards, for knowledge. Those practices which in the Bible are enumerated as "charming," "enchantment," "sorcery," "witchcraft," "necromancy," "divination,""consulting with familiar spirits," etc., are more or less related, and are all really from one source. So in modern times different names indicate substantially the same thing. Thus Mr. Hudson, in "Psychic Phenomena,"p. v, says: -- Page 75 "It has, however, long been felt by the ablest thinkers of our time that all psychic manifestations of the human intellect, normal or abnormal, whether designated by the name of mesmerism, hypnotism, somnambulism, trance, spiritism, demonology, miracle, mental therapeutics, genius, or insanity, are in some way related." Seven, at least, of the foregoing names are no doubt in the warp and woof of Spiritualism; and he might have added mind-reading and Christian Science.
And Spiritualists admit that their work is the same as that described by the Bible terms above quoted. Thus, Allen Putnam, a Spiritualistic writer, says: -- "The doctrine that the oracles, soothsaying, and witchcraft of past ages were kindred to these manifestations of our day, I, for one, most fully believe." In a pamphlet by the same author, entitled, "Mesmerism, Spiritualism, Witchcraft, and Miracle," p. 6, he says:-- "As seen by me now, Mesmerism, Spiritualism, Witchcraft, Miracles, all belong to one family, all have a common root, and are developed by the same laws." To all these, therefore, the text under notice (Isa. 8: 19, 20) applies.
We are to bring them to the standard of "the law and the testimony," and "if they speak not according to this word . . . there is no light in them."The living should not seek to the dead.
In Rev. 16: 13, 14, the same spirits are again brought to view, and called "unclean spirits" and "spirits of devils." Their last work of deception is to go forth to the kings of the earth, and of the Page 76 whole world, to gather them to the battle of the great day of God Almighty.
Thus all that is revealed of them from beginning to end (and scriptures might be multiplied on the point) furnishes the most cogent reason why all should be keenly awake to their existence and their work, and be ever watchful against their influence and approach.
Modern Spiritualism: A Subject of Prophecy and a Sign of the Times.
