“The devil is no single individual, but the whole combined evil world, speaking and acting through one medium. You seem surprised; but nothing is more common in the spiritual world than for a whole society of spirits, even millions in number, to think, feel, and express themselves simultaneously through one of their number.
“Do you not remember that when Jesus asked a certain maniac his name, the devil within him replied:
“ ‘My name is Legion: for we are many.’ ”
This led to the strange subject of demoniac possession. I told my father that the Greek philosophers and physicians, who were considered the profoundest thinkers in the world, scouted the idea of evil spirits taking possession of men. They attributed all such cases to the effect of physical disease.
“They know nothing whatever,” said my guide, “of the relation between spirit and matter. Their philosophy of man, history, and nature is superficial and false. Their boasted light is darkness to our spiritual perceptions, and their scientific verbiage the merest babble.
“It is true, my son, that devils are continually aspiring to break through from hell into the world of spirits; and by means of evil spirits in this world, especially those fresh from the earth, to possess and govern men in the natural world. If the divine hand were not put forth to arrest this influx of hell into the world of nature, three centuries would not elapse before [pg 227]all mankind would be imbecile or insane, and would destroy each other like wild beasts.”
“Mankind,” said I, “are totally ignorant of the fearful dangers which hang over them.”
“Of course they are. These dangers come from the unseen spiritual side. They know nothing and believe nothing of the unseen.”
“Can you tell me anything of the spiritual philosophy of magic?”
“A sphere inconceivably subtle and wicked! It obtained its first foothold in Egypt ages before the historic period, and has penetrated thence, under different forms and names, into all the countries of the world.”