Author: John Ashton

Publisher: Library of Alexandria

Published: 2020-09-28

Total Pages: 421

ISBN-13: 1465599762

ÊThe belief in a good and evil influence has existed from the earliest ages, in every nation having a religion. The Egyptians had theirÊTypho, the Assyrians theirÊTi-a-matÊ(the Serpent), the Hebrews theirBeelzebub, orÊPrince of Flies,Êand the Scandinavians theirÊLoki. And many religions teach that the evil influence has a stronger hold upon mankind than the good influenceÑso great, indeed, as to nullify it in a large degree. Christianity especially teaches this: ÔEnter ye by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many be they that enter in thereby. For narrow is the gate, and straitened the way, that leadeth unto life, and few be they that find it.Õ This doctrine of the great power of the Devil, or evilÊinfluence over man, is preached from every pulpit, under every form of Christianity, throughout the world; and although at the present time it is only confined to the greaterÊmoralÊpower of the Devil over man, at an earlier period it was an article of belief that he was able to exercise a greaterÊphysicalÊpower. This was coincident with a belief in his personality; and it is only in modern times that that personality takes an alluring form. In the olden days the Devil was always depicted as ugly and repulsive as the artist could represent him, and yet he could have learned a great deal from the modern Chinese and Japanese. The Ôgreat God Pan,Õ although he was dead, was resuscitated in order to furnish a type for Ôthe Prince of DarknessÕ; and, accordingly, he was portrayed with horns, tail and cloven feet, making him an animal, according to aÊmotÊattributed to Cuvier, Ôgraminivorous, and decidedly ruminantÕ; while, to complete his classicalÊensemble, he was invested with the forked sceptre of Pluto, only supplemented with another tine.