“And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the wild beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. For they are spirits of demons, performing signs, that go forth to the kings of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.” Rev. 16:13, 14. The “dragon,” “beast,” and “false prophet,” being regarded as symbols: the first, of the Roman empire previous to its subversion [pg 256] To the wild beast was given “a mouth, speaking great things and blasphemies,” the power of which was “to continue forty and two months,” Rev. 13:5. The agreement of this with the corresponding appendages of Daniel's “little horn” (Dan. 7:8), makes it evident that a “mouth” is a symbol of an ecclesiastical organization existing in a political one,—that it symbolizes the agency by which the people are taught, and is representative of ecclesiastics, who are the mouthpiece of the nation in all matters of faith and worship, p. 172. The religion of Rome imperial, when symbolized by the dragon, was Paganism; that of the ten kingdoms, was the Papacy; and that of the eastern empire, is Mohammedanism. From these three, then, emerge the “unclean spirits.” Diverse as their origin appears, they have no marked individual peculiarities. Being alike in their characteristics, they must symbolize some common agency:—a combination of religious teachers, whose views harmonize in a system of belief common to Paganism, Catholicism, and Mohammedanism. [pg 257]The character of these teachers, is shown by the declaration that “they are the spirits of devils working miracles.” There are two words rendered devils in the New Testament, viz.: da?????? (daimonion) or da??? (daimoon), and d?a???? (diabolus). The latter signifies the Devil, or Satan, who is the same as Beelzebub the prince of the demons, Matt. 12:25. He it was by whom Jesus was tempted in the wilderness, (Matt. 4:1-11); who sowed the tares in the field, (Matt, 13:39); and for whom, with his angels, the final punishment for the wicked is prepared, Matt. 25:41. The word here, is daimoon. It is used, in different forms, sixty-five times by our Lord and his apostles; and on no occasion do they hint that they use the word in a sense different from its then accepted signification; to learn which, recourse must be had to the testimony of the Pagan, Jewish, and Christian writers of those times.6 Hesiod taught that, “The spirits of departed mortals become demons when separated from their earthly bodies;” and Plutarch, that [pg 258] Among the Pagans, the term demon, as often represented a good as an evil spirit; but among the Jews, it generally, if not universally, denoted an unclean, malign, or wicked spirit. Thus Josephus says: “Demons are the spirits of wicked men.” Philo says that “The souls of dead men are called demons.” “The notion,” says Dr. Lardner, “of demons, or the souls of dead men, having power over living men, was universally prevalent among the heathen of these times [the first two centuries], and believed by many Christians.” Justin Martyr speaks of “those who are seized by the souls of the dead, whom we call demons and madmen.” Ignatius quotes the words of Christ to Peter thus: “Handle me and see; for I am not a daimoon asomaton,—a disembodied demon,”—i.e. a spirit without a body. The foregoing is evidence of the New Testament signification of the word daimoon, here improperly rendered devils,—spirits of which, the frog-like agencies are affirmed to be. [pg 259]Demon worship is a characteristic of the three religions referred to. As already shown, all Pagans regarded their gods as the ghosts of dead men; and the Bible speaks of them as devils, i.e. demons. Moses says of them, “Even their sons and their daughters they have burnt in the fire to their gods,” (Deut. 12:31); while the Psalmist affirms that “they sacrificed their sons and their daughters unto devils,” Ps. 106:37. “They sacrificed unto devils, not to God; to gods whom they knew not, to new gods that came newly up,” Deut. 32:17. Jeroboam “ordained him priests for the high places, and for the devils,” 2 Chron. 11:15. “The things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils. Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of devils; ye cannot be partakers of the Lord's table, and of the table of devils,”—i.e. of demons. Of the same kind are the gods of the heathen now. In the Youth's Day-Spring, for June, a missionary describing the alarm and grief of the Africans on the Gaboon river, at the near prospect of a death in their village, says: “The room was filled with women, who were weeping in the most piteous manner, and calling on the spirits of their fathers and of others who were dead, and upon all spirits in whom they believe, Ologo, [pg 260] The Mohammedans, while they recognize God, are also “taught by the Koran to believe the existence of an intermediate order of creatures, which they call Jin, or genii;” some of which are supposed to be good and others bad, and capable of communicating with men, and rewarding or punishing them. The 72d chapter of the Koran consists of a pretended communication from the genii to Mohammed. They are made to say: “There are some among us who are upright, and there are some among us who are otherwise;” and speaking of men: “If they tread in the way of truth, we will surely water them with abundance of rain,” i.e. will [pg 261] The Romanists also pretend to communicate with demons,—i.e. with departed spirits. They deify the Virgin Mary, and supplicate the intercessions of many departed saints; and some they supplicate, whose claim to saintship is somewhat equivocal. Their teachings in this particular, Protestants generally recognize as the subject of the following prediction: “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,”—demons, 1 Tim. 4:1. Demon-worship being common to Paganism, Mohammedanism, and Popery, when the frog-like agency emerges from them, the conditions of the symbol seem to require that it shall originate with, but shall pass beyond and outside the influence of those religions. The agency thus symbolized, was to “go forth unto the kings of the earth, and of the whole world.” Its fulfilment requires a wonderful and an alarming increase of those who teach and believe these doctrines; and as they are to work miracles, whereby the world will be [pg 262] The existence of demoniacal intelligences, capable of communicating with and acting on mortals, appears to be in accordance with the teachings of the Saviour and apostles. Demoniacal possessions are clearly distinguished from all diseases; and demons are shown, by the admissions of the New Testament, to be actual intelligences, capable of physical power. When the fame of Christ “went throughout all Syria, they brought unto him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments, and those which were possessed with devils, and those which were lunatic, and those which had the palsy; and he healed them,” Matt. 4:24. “When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none. Then he saith, I will return [pg 263] In all these instances, the demons are recognized as actual intelligences, performing given acts. Without the admission of this, it will be difficult to explain the meaning of a large class of scriptures. It cannot for a moment be supposed that the inspired writers would be permitted to use language which should directly mislead the common mind. Among the miracles which the apostles wrought, “unclean spirits, crying with a loud voice, came out of many possessed with them, and many taken with palsies, and that were [pg 266] The necromancy, divination, and witchcraft, forbidden in the Old Testament and practised by the heathen of those times, were all of a similar character. A necromancer was one who had, or pretended to have communication with the dead,—who sought “for [pg 267] They practised various arts, whereby they thought to protect themselves from evil, and to pry into the secrets of futurity. Because of these things, ancient Babylon was suddenly overwhelmed,—“for the multitude of thy sorceries, and for the great abundance of thine enchantments.” These could not save, as they supposed. Therefore God said to them: “Stand now with thine enchantments, and with the multitude of thy sorceries, wherein thou hast labored from thy youth; if so be thou shalt be able to profit, if so be thou mayest prevail. Thou art wearied in the multitude of thy counsels. Let now the astrologers, the star-gazers, the monthly prognosticators, stand up, and save thee from these things that shall come upon thee,” Isa. 47:12, 13. All these practices were forbidden by God, who said: “Neither shall ye use enchantments, nor observe times,” Lev. 19:26. Those who consulted with familiar spirits were termed wizards and witches,—the practice of which was also expressly forbidden. To make witchcraft a mere pretence, is to impute to Jehovah the making of laws against pretences and nonentities. To suppose that he would legislate against, and inflict capital punishment, because of mere pretences, is incredible! God said to Moses, “Thou shalt [pg 269] The manner in which the familiar spirit spoke, was by “peeping,” “muttering,” whispering out of the dust, &c. God said to Ariel, “And thou shalt be brought down, and shalt speak out of the ground, and thy speech shall be low out of the dust, and thy voice shall be as of one that hath a familiar spirit, out of the ground, and thy speech shall whisper out of the dust,” Isa. 29:4. “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!) to the law and to the testimony: if they speak not [pg 270] Saul had put away those that had familiar spirits, and the wizards, out of the land; but when he “inquired of the Lord, the Lord answered him not, neither by dreams, nor by Urim, nor by prophets. Then said Saul unto his servants, Seek a woman that hath a familiar spirit, that I may go to her, and inquire of her. And his servants said to him, Behold, there is a woman that hath a familiar spirit at En-dor. And Saul disguised himself, and put on other raiment, and he went, and two men with him, and they came to the woman by night: and he said, I pray thee divine unto me by the familiar spirit, and bring me him up whom I shall name unto thee. And the woman said unto him, Behold, thou knowest what Saul hath done, how he hath cut off those that have familiar spirits, and the wizards out of the land; wherefore, then, layest thou a snare for my life, to cause me to die? And Saul sware unto her by the Lord, saying, As the Lord liveth, there shall no punishment happen to thee for this thing. Then said the woman, Whom shall I bring up to thee? And he said, Bring me up Samuel. And when the woman saw Samuel she cried with a loud voice: and the woman spake to Saul, saying, Why hast thou deceived me? for thou art Saul. And the king said unto her, Be not afraid: for what sawest [pg 271] Micaiah “saw the Lord sitting on his throne, and all the host of heaven standing by him on his right hand and on his left. And the Lord said, Who shall persuade Ahab, that he may go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead? And one said on this manner, and another said on that manner. And there came forth a spirit, and stood before the Lord, and said, I will persuade him. And the Lord said unto him, Wherewith? And he said, I will go forth, and I will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And he said, Thou shalt persuade him, and prevail also: go forth, and do so. Now therefore, behold, the Lord hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these thy prophets, and the Lord hath spoken evil concerning thee,” 1 Kings 22:19-23. When Paul was in the house of Lydia, he says, “It came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination, met us, which brought her masters much gain by her soothsaying: the same followed Paul and us, and cried, saying, These men are the servants of the most high God, which show unto us the way of salvation. And this she did many days. But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour,” Acts 16:16-18. [pg 273] By sorcery, enchantment, &c., they performed wonders, or miracles, either real or pretended. “There was a certain man called Simon, which beforetime in the same city used sorcery, and bewitched the people of Samaria, giving out that himself was some great one: to whom they all gave heed, from the least to the greatest, saying, This man is the great power of God. And to him they had regard, because that of long time he had bewitched them with sorceries,” Acts 8:9-11. When “Aaron cast down his rod before Pharaoh, and before his servants, and it became a serpent, then Pharaoh also called the wise men, and the sorcerers: now the magicians of Egypt they also did in like manner with their enchantments. For they cast down every man his rod, and they became serpents: but Aaron's rod swallowed up their rods,” Ex. 7:10-12. When Aaron turned the water of the river to blood, “the magicians did so with their enchantments,” v. 22. In like manner they “brought up frogs upon the land of Egypt,” 8:7. But when Aaron changed the dust to lice, the magicians attempted the same with their enchantments, “but they could not,” Ex. 8:18. These sorcerers who withstood Moses, we learn by Paul, were “Jannes and Jambres,” 2 Tim. 3:8. They belonged to an ancient profession in Egypt; for, when Pharaoh dreamed his dreams, he first “sent and called for all the [pg 274] These things were practised to some extent in Judah, but were all put away by Josiah. “Moreover, the workers with familiar spirits, and the wizards, and the images, and the idols, and all the abominations that were spied in the land of Judah and in Jerusalem, did Josiah put away, that he might perform the words of the law which were written in the book that Hilkiah the priest found in the house of the Lord,” 2 Kings 23:24. The acts and influences of demoniacal agencies are apparent from the foregoing; and the symbolization under the sixth seal, seems to indicate a revival of those teachings and manifestations at the present time. Within a few years, the curiosity of the community has been excited, and large numbers of persons greatly interested, in various phenomena, known as Mesmerism, Animal-Magnetism, Clairvoyance, Pathetism, Neurology, Psychology, Biology, Electro-Biology, &c. &c. Similar manifestations have been before exhibited, but not in modern times to the extent now [pg 275] These sounds were first heard near Rochester, New York, in 1847; and, at the present time (1852), they are affirmed to exist in hundreds of places in this country, and other sections of the globe. They are audible raps, the cause of which, aside from the hypothesis of spiritual agency, has never been satisfactorily accounted for. By these raps, unimpeached and credible witnesses testify that correct answers have been given to questions, the facts respecting which were known to no one at the time of answering. Since then, furniture has been seen to move about the room, and other wonders, or miracles, been performed, by invisible agency, at the command of mediums to attending spirits,—i.e. to demons. Mediums have written on paper, as they profess, involuntarily, lengthy communications, in poetry and prose, the subjects of which they claim to have been ignorant of, while the pen they held was moved independent of their own will. These exhibitions have been attested by hundreds of credible witnesses. By such manifestations large numbers of persons have given their adherence to these [pg 276] The reality and the credibility of these agencies are separate questions. Their reality is shown by their identity with similar manifestations of former times. The Bible affirms the existence of such: “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 in high places;” or “wicked spirits” in “heavenly places,” as the margin reads, Eph. 6:12. 1. The familiar spirits of old responded in a manner similar to these. They did “peep” and “mutter;” their speech was low out of the dust; they spoke out of the ground, and whispered; or, as in the margin, did “peep” or “chirp” out of the dust. These “rap” and mutter. They respond from beneath chairs, tables and floors. 2. They exercised similar physical powers. They threw down and tare the persons they possessed. They turned the swine into the sea, &c. These claim that chairs and tables, [pg 277] 3. They made similar pretensions to credibility. Simon Magus gave out “that himself was some great one;” and these, that they utter divine truths. 4. Similar regard was bestowed on those, which is claimed for these. To Simon “they all gave heed, from the least to the greatest, saying, This man is the great power of God.” Yet “he had bewitched them with sorceries.” Similar claims by, and regard for these modern pretenders to the same art, do not relieve them from the suspicion of a like agency. “For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore, it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness: whose end shall be according to their works,” 2 Cor. 11:13-15. 5. Both have given utterance to some truths. The legion of demons who were cast out of the man into a herd of swine, acknowledged Jesus to be “the Son of the Most High God;” and the pythonic spirit which so grieved Paul, declared the apostles to be “the servants of the Most High God, which show unto us the way of salvation.” Such communications with the invisible world being forbidden, their credibility is disproved. [pg 278]They claim that spirits of the departed are brought into direct and intelligent communication with the living, who desire to interrogate them. What more was claimed by the necromancers of old? Said Saul to the woman of Endor: “Divine unto me by the familiar spirit, and bring me him up whom I shall name unto thee,” 1 Sam. 28:8. They claim that not all, but only those persons are mediums who are peculiarly susceptible to spiritual influences. Wherein, then, admitting their claims, do the “mediums” differ from those of old, who divined by a familiar spirit? Their responses are frequently disproved by facts; and themselves admit the existence of unreliable spirits, which communicate like them. They give contradictory responses, and mutually criminate each other; but their reality is not disproved by any discrepancy, or want of truthfulness in their responses; for if they are spirits, none but unclean spirits would respond in a forbidden manner. These spirits are to be discredited, because they preach a different gospel from that preached by Paul, who says: “I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ, unto another gospel: which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto [pg 279] Because of these practices, the nations were driven out from before the children of Israel. And with the miracles to be wrought, the frog-like spirits are to go forth to “the whole world to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.” In the time of Abraham, “the iniquity of the Amorites was not yet full,” (Gen. 15:16); but in four hundred years they had practised all the abominations for which they were to be destroyed, and the practice of which God has expressly forbidden. He said to Israel, in the wilderness, “When thou art come into the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not learn to do after the abominations of those nation. There shall not be [pg 280] Similar pernicious practices and dangerous heresies, are to prepare the way for the final destruction of the nations who reject the claims of Jehovah. Peter declares that “there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not,” 2 Pet. 2:1-3. And Paul says of that wicked: “Whose coming is after the working of Satan, with all power, and signs, and lying wonders, [pg 281] “The battle of that great day of God Almighty,” it would seem, must commence by a conflict of opinions. Mind will war with mind, and puny man will stoutly contend against the truths of the Almighty. In this revival of demon-worship, the old gods of the heathen are to be set up against the claims of Jehovah. His declarations are to be made to give place to “doctrines of demons.” The teachings of God and of these spirits are to be brought into direct conflict. The followers of the spirits have baptized their new theological dogmas, “The Harmonial Philosophy,” of which Reason is the final umpire. Revelation no longer speaks to them in tones of authority. From the Bible, it is claimed, “the seal of infallibility must be broken away, before a new light and beauty can enliven and embellish the mystical disclosures of any seer, prophet, or evangelist.” So writes Andrew Jackson Davis, the Poughkeepsie seer, one of the leaders of this new school, who complains that “owing to the dogmatism of infallibility, the Bible is taught [pg 282] The Scriptures are, with those of his faith, only “the paper and ink relics of Christianity,” (Ib., p. 21); which they regard as “a foundation as impermanent as the changeful sand” (Ib. p. 24), and not adapted “to the wants or requirements of the nineteenth century,” Ib. p. 26. They reject Him, whom they style “the cruel and capricious God generally worshipped by the Bible Christians,” Ib. p. 47. “The Jewish God,” says Davis, “is cruel, capricious and tyrannical,” whose “kingdom is more despotic, and more contracted in principle, than the present government of the Russian empire,” Ib. p. 61. He adds, “The Old Testament idea of a Deity is the outgrowth of the despotic stage of human mental development,” and “a superannuated monotheistic conception,” Ib. p. 62. In their opinion, “the developments of republicanism, and of mental happiness among men, depend very much upon the absence of these dogmatical compilations, or fossil relics, of an old Hebrew and Chaldean theology,” Ib. p. 70. With them “the Bible account of creation is a very interesting myth,—mainly a plagiarism from the early traditions and cosmological doctrines of the ancient Persians and Chaldeans;” and, instead of being “a divine revelation of truth,” is “a pagan relic, which should no more command [pg 283] These “Harmonial Philosophers” are antagonistic to the teachings of Jehovah in nearly all their theological notions. They scout the idea that any actual evil exists in the universe. They deny the existence of the devil, and of evil spirits. “Everything,” says Davis, “is forever progressing in goodness and perfection,” Ib. p. 180. The salvation of all men, is with them as certain as the operation of fixed laws. They recognize no Saviour and no atonement in their system of faith. The teachings of spirits, and “a certain organization of labor, capital and talent,” they fancy, “will effect the desired cure” for all actual or supposed ills, Ib. p. 178. They recognize no responsibility in the sinner, but attribute his wrong-doings to ignorance and accident; and their laws of right, are the dictates of their own wisdom. Their system is essentially Pantheistic, all things being regarded by them as a part and parcel of Deity. They argue that “every object which has an existence in the universe must be in its nature good and pure, on the principle that the effect must partake of the nature of the cause, and the stream must be the corresponding emanation of the fountain from which it flows.”—Elements of Spiritual Philosophy, p. 55. They teach that human spirits are “formed primarily from the animating [pg 284] These assertions are put forth authoritatively; for the “Elements of Spiritual Philosophy” are attested by witnesses to be “written by Spirits of the Sixth Circle, R. P. Ambler, Medium.” And if they are met by the declarations written by those who spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost, they reply: “The Christian who deifies his Bible is as much an idolater as the heathen who burns his incense before his household image. It is surely attributing to the book what the Pagan attributes to his image.”—Shekinah, April No., p. 251. Christianity, they denominate, “learned scepticism, baptized in the name of Jesus,” &c., Ib., p. 301. Thus are they warring against the word of God, and placing themselves in direct conflict with the Almighty. This warfare is not only avowed to be against the God of the Bible, but is recognized by themselves as the last great conflict [pg 285] In another place he says: “You may be assured of the truth of this approaching crisis. The world must recognize it, because it will be accompanied with war; for politics are inseparably connected, all over the world, with religious systems. Religion will develop reason; but politics will impel the masses to unsheath the sword, and to stain the bosom of Nature with blood! Friends of progress! be not discouraged; for the FINAL CRISIS must come; then the strange interregnum,” [pg 286] Such are their delusive hopes, while setting themselves against the Lord, and against his Anointed. The Bible teaches that multitudes will be deceived by them, and, if it were possible, some of the elect; and hence: |