Evening Republican, Volume 17, Number 41, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 February 1913 — BIBLE SHOWS SPIRITISM TO BE DEMONISM [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

BIBLE SHOWS SPIRITISM TO BE DEMONISM

Mediums Deceived as Well as Their Followers, According to Pastor Russell. Spirit Communications Through Mediums Como Not From Dead Humans, but From tho Fallon Angola, Saya Pastor Russell —In the Bible Ho Traces Thair History—Satan Hfm- . Mlf Poaas as an Angel of Light—Tho Bible Is the Torch of Liberty and Intelligence, the Foe to Superstition, Ignorance and Demonism.

Jacksonville, Fla., February IS.—The Opera Hopse was crowded today to bear Pastor Russell. [ He spoke twice. We report one of his discourses from the text, “The angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, He hath reserved in lasting

restraints under the thick darkness for a judgment of the Great Day.” (Jnde 6.) He said: Last Sunday we discussed the fall of the angels. who succumbed to sin, first introduced by Satan’s rebellion, and continued by man’s fall from Divine favor. Man’s fall bad to do with the fall of the angels, and they In turn have had much to do with man’s further perversion mentally, morally and physically. St. Paul declared that we wrestle not with flesh and blood merely, but with wicked spirits in high positions.—Ephesians 6:12. Pastor Russell said that many who read his sermons in the newspapers will laugh at what may seem to be his superstitious belief that fallen angels are in close propinquity with humanity —a .continual power for evil, God and Truth opposing. Personally he knows nothing of Spiritism; for, obedient to the Divine command, he avoids everything occult. His knowledge of Spiritism comes mainly from the Bible, but is well supported by the testimony of many rescued from Spiritism. The Bible styles the fallen angels demons, translated devils in our Common Version. These demons, not our forefathers, have perverted the True Gospel, st Paul refers to their insidious teachings as "doctrines of demons.” These demons have blasphemed God b f teaching that He prepared for the everlasting torture of nearly all humanity—except the Elect—at the hands of fire-proof demons. Thus the human mind was turned against God in dread. Thus humanity learned to think of Satan and his associates as in some far-off place—not near them. Rut now. the Pastor said, that humanity are gradually learning that the thedry of a great torture place Is a hoax, these demons wonld lead truthseekers to the opposite extreme, and convince them that there is no such place, nor are there any demons. Cast Down to Tartarus. The Bible, however, teaches that these spirits are near us—in our atmosphere—and that they have power over ns only as we yield our wills to their suggestions, and our minds to sin. St Peter Bays that Satan goes about through the earth, seeking whom he may devour; and that his host of fallen angels are a present power for evil throughout the world. Jesus bids us pray, "Deliver us from the Evil One.” Pastor Russell said that St. Peter tells us that the fallen angels were cast down to Tartarus at the time of the Deluge. The word tartarua is used only once in the Bible, and mistranslated hell. We must not confound the Bible story of the fall of the angels with the symbolic picture of the Revelation, where Satan is cast out of heaven, said the speaker. This does not refer to the literal Heaven. It Is a figurative description of evehts which occurred long ago, when the Roman Empire was overthrown and Papacy set itself up, claiming to be Messiah’s Kingdom. B«tan's First Lis Perpetuated.

The Pastor then showed at some length that although God could have destroyed Satan at any time, yet He has permitted him to continue In his course for six thousand years, in order to demonstrate the evil character of sin, in contrast with the beauty of holiness. When men and angels shall have learned their lesson well, Satan and all who love Bin wilt die the Second Death. Note Satan’s persistency and effrontery, said the Pastor. God distinctly told Adam that disobedience would bring death. Satan contradicted the Almighty pointblank, declaring, “Ye shall not surely die.” When mankind experienced death, Satan continued to pervert God’s Word and men’s minds by saying that when men die, they do not die really; but that a dead men fa more alive than is s living one This absurdity has been repeated to oar race century after century, until all believe Satan’s lie and discredit God’s Word. The way back to God and to sanity of reasoning is to repudiate the lie. and believe God’s Truth: "The dead know not anything.” If the Truth prevailed, where would come in prayers and masses tor the dead? If the dead know not pnything, how can they suffer in bell or purgatory? Where would come in the belief of those who claim to have communication with the dead?