every band of reformers in the world. Now, his last great work is in Spiritualism. All we have to say is, Let him work. He has ever proved himself right, and we have confidence to believe it ever will be thus; that is, if he has figured as largely in every new movement as he has been accused of doing.

Now, admitting for the sake of the argument, the existence, power, and malignity of this almighty Devil, how is the fact to be harmonized with the existence, power, wisdom, and goodness of our loving Father? Whatever may be said of Spiritualists now, millions of them were once honest and earnest praying Christians. For years and years, they made it their daily duty to turn to their God and Bible: they have read again and again,

"And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For every one that asketh, receiveth; and he that seeketh, findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or, if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? or, if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children; how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?"— Luke xi. 9-13.

Is this the way the All-Father has answered their prayers after telling them that if they would ask they should receive? They have prayed earnestly for

the Holy Ghost, have ever been willing to take this prayer-hearing God at his word; and God has answered

their prayer by opening the infernal regions, and peopling the air with quintillions of devils, whose only object is to deceive and lead the elect to hell, our angel-friends meantime being shut up in heaven, away from earth, weeping to see us deluded by deceiving spirits, and that in answer to our most sincere and devout prayers a thousand times repeated. Is this the God our opposers worship? Is faith such a heartless cheat, baring the back thus for the Devil's rod? In Heaven's name, if God is such a knave as this idea represents, it is well to serve the Devil! We would not worship such a God if we could, and certainly could not if we would. That father who hands out myriads of scorpions and vipers to his weeping, starving children, is an angel of light compared with this treacherous knave called God, who thus deceives his trusting children.

Nay, we will go farther, and apply this argument even to the existence of his Satanic Majesty. If the Devil exists, he exists either by the will and power of Gɔd or contrary to it. If he exists by the power of God, then God is responsible for all of his actions: he permits him to act when he could prevent it. We consider ourself responsible for all the evil there is in the world which we could prevent: so of God. But if Satan is eternal and almighty, if he exists contrary to the will of God, then God lacks either the power or wisdom to prevent the Devil deceiving and leading the world to hell. In one case, God is wicked; in the other, weak.

If the Church has been wrong in its cry of "Devil!” after every reform, it may be in this. If, on the other hand, it was right, then we are proud of our leader: he has proved himself right in every instance, and we will

trust him in this. Progress is the order of the day; and one only needs to read his history to be convinced that he is not only a progressionist, but the author of progress. Commencing with his first work, which was to open the eyes of a pair of poor blind idiots in the garden of Eden, and teach them to know good from evil, and ending the drama with Spiritualism, we indorse every act of his. We are proud to-day to take our position beside "Michael the archangel," and not bring a "railing accusation against him." May he long live to put in motion all the latent machinery of human progress !

Reader, we can not close this chapter without saying, in all candor, your Devil is only a myth. Give the frontal brain the control of the back brain, and all the devils and satyrs will flee. They can not stand before well-developed causality and comparison.

That reader and writer may be enabled to resist all the devils growing out of a "lack of knowledge;" that we may be enabled to see the hand of God in the wide field of human progress, and co-operate with the powers beyond in leading the people out of the devilish bondage of ignorance and superstition, we most earnestly pray.

THE CONTRAST.

CHAPTER X.

WHAT IS SPIRITUALISM?

Author describes his own Spiritualism.— Division of the Subject. — Religion of Spiritualism. - Objections to the term Religion. - Ground of Objection. First Ideas, God a Spirit. Second, Man a Spiritual Being. — Is Man infinite. -"Communion of Saints." Revelation not infallible. - Some Parts of the Bible more important than others." Cause and Cure of Infidelity." — Rurgon on the Bible. What Spiritualism denies. — Total Depravity. - Who believes it. - Chicago Fire and its Lesson. - Atonement weighed in the Balance. -Man in the Garden. - Clark on Genesis ii. 16. Benson on Same. - Buck and the Confession of Faith on the Penalty. - "Spiritual Death" defined. Badly mixed. Adam and Eve in Court. A foolish Judge.-Adam's Dialogue with Men and Devils. -An unjust Judge.- The Principle applied to our Courts.- Conditions of vicarious Atonement. Did Jesus die a spiritual Death? -How can Man be vicariously redeemed from Hell? - Formal Worship and our Duty. Shall we ask the Blessing?- The Time for Worship and Sabbaths. Vocal Prayer. - Jesus on public Prayer. - The Brotherhood of Man and its Corollaries. — Our Duty to the Family.- Endless Progression. Man the Author of his own Heavens and Hells.- No Infallibility even among the Good. Spiritual Philosophy and Philosophy of Spiritualism. Source of Power. Philosophy of Entrancement. -The inward Monitor.- No perfect Standard.- Science of making People good.-Rules of Life developed out of Conditions, — The Treatment of Sin. Should Consumptives and Cripples be hung. - History of Spiritualism everywherc.-A. J. Davis's Prophecy. Rapid Advancement of the Cause. - Foretold Evils have not followed. The present Work. - Concluding Suggestions.

It can not be expected that the question at the head of this chapter can be fully answered in one chapter,