EARLY CHRISTIANITY AND THE BLACK ART

I

SO far as the Gospels are concerned, perhaps as much has been said already as our present treatment of the subject will permit. See the preceding chapters on "Satan -- His Origin, History and Doom," and "Angels and Demons." But there is much in the Acts and the Epistles, and especially in the book of Revelation, that calls for particular attention.

Conybeare and Howson, and more recently, Sir William Ramsay1 are good authority for saying that a marked fact in the society of paganism during the period covered by the Acts was the influence of magicians and soothsayers.

They were extraordinarily numerous the latter tells us, there being but few cities in the Greeco-Roman world that did not possess several of them who catered to a large part of ordinary society. The more educated and thoughtful of the people believed them to be disreputable and maleficent and they warned young people against them, but this only went to prove their belief in the power they could exert.

And just as today, the people in those days resorted to magicians in the hope of procuring what they were unwilling to seek, or what they could not obtain, through prayer and acts of a purely religious character.

Religion was open and fair, but they preferred darkness and secrecy. Lovers sought charms or the means of enslaving the minds and possessing the persons of those they desired. Others sought the recovery of lost property, the cure of disease, business success or any of the thousand and one things that humanity covets. "There was a widespread and deep-seated feeling in the pagan mind, that the divine power was always ready and even desirous to communicate its will to men," and that the signs revealing that intention were visible all about for those who had eyes to see, i.e., through divination; or would be revealed to men through prophecy, i.e., oracles located at certain places which were ever ready to serve in that capacity for a given fee.

There was no class of opponents, Sir William assures us, with whom the earliest Christian aposties and missionaries were brought into collision so frequently, and whose antagonism was so obstinate and determined as the magicians.

At Samaria, at Paphos, at Philippi, and repeatedly at Ephesus, wizards of various kinds meet and are overcome by Peter and Paul. They had power, but the apostles are exhibited as always possessing more power.

Not that this is the only explanation of the attention given to such matters by the inspired historian, but rather is it for the purpose of refuting an accusation commonly brought against the Christians. The accusation was that they also, like the wizards and magicians, were maleficent and haters of the human race, practising secret rites and abominable hidden crimes ( I Peter II. 12). "There is no presbyter of the Christians that is not an astrologer, a diviner and a professional carer for people's physical condition/' is the testimony of the supposed letter of Emperor Hadrian to a Roman Consul, A.D. 134.

We thus have a point of similarity with the way in which spiritists of today compare their doings and their beliefs with Christ and the Christians of the first and second centuries. As we have previously pointed out, they commit the blasphemy of speaking of Christ as a Master Medium, and affirm that the phenomena of the séances are not different in origin, in character and in their objective from the marvels which Christians know to have been wrought by the power of the Holy Spirit at the hands of the first disciples.

Whereas the authorities of that day sought to dishonor those marvels by reducing them to the level of unlawful arts, so the practitioners of those arts today are seeking to elevate them to the plane of the holy and divine religion of Jesus Christ.

II

As we come to consider the record of the Acts, let the reader refresh his recollection by a perusal of the text.

Take the story of Simon Magus for example, VIII. 5-24. Still following Ramsay who has an original way of looking at the matter, it is to be borne in mind that Simon was not an impostor or a quack, just as we have seen that some, a very few perhaps, of the modern mediums are not to be so designated. He possessed real power, as do some of these, though it may be of a different kind from that which he possessed.

The Samaritans said, "This man is that power of God, which is called Great" (R.V.). "Power" (Greek, dunamis) was what the pagan devotees worshipped as divine. "Great" also had a strong religious characteristic. Hence in Simon they thought they had "an epiphany of that Supreme power of which even the gods themselves are only partial embodiments."

But Simon saw in Philip greater and different power from any that he possessed. The powers of this world always recognize the true power of God (James II. 19). Struck with astonishment at the position and influence acquired by Philip, he joined his company to learn more about it; and on discovering through Peter and John that it was to be procured and even passed on to others by the laying on of hands, he would pay for it if it could be bought.

As Ramsay carefully notes, in this first recorded collision with a practiser of magic arts, the stress is laid on his incapacity to understand the nature and character of the Christian truth. There is an essential antagonism between him and it, just as there is today between the exponents and the votaries of revived Spiritism and they who are truly witnessing for Jesus Christ. We class Simon with Spiritists, because "in such phenomena as that of Spiritism lay the powers of such magicians. "

As a matter of fact not only is Simon's proposal rejected by the Apostles, and with indignation and contempt, but Simon himself is rejected.

From the eighth chapter of the Acts, let the reader pass if he will to the thirteenth and to the story of "Elymas the Sorcerer."

Following further the author we have named, here is the only case in the New Testament in which the natural antagonism between the Christian teacher and the magician is carried to a direct conflict and trial of strength. Bar-Jesus (Arabic, Elymas) pits himself against Paul and forthwith his strength is withered. "The power of the Holy Spirit, looking through the eyes of Paul, pierces him to the soul and temporarily paralyses the nervous system so far as vision is concerned"; or to quote the inspired and less round-about language of the Bible itself, "Immediately there fell on him a mist and a darkness; and he went about seeking some one to lead him by the hand."

It is pertinent to observe that Sergius Paulus, the Roman deputy or pro-consul in this case, is described as u a prudent man," i.e., a man of understanding. His prudence and understanding were exhibited surely, in calling for Barnabas and Saul that he might hear the Word of God; and afterwards in judging that the results in the case of the false prophet who withstood them, were sufficient to accredit the truth of their testimony. "When he saw what was done, he believed, being astonished at the doctrine of the Lord."

Would to God that some of those now coming under the power of the false teaching of modern Spiritism were governed by a like prudence, especially when we reflect that Paul, under the impulse of the Spirit of God, rebuked this sorcerer as one who was "full of all subtility and mischief," a "child of the devil," and an "enemy of all righteousness" who was perverting "the right way of the Lord."

It intensifies the realism of this transaction to know that Sir William Ramsay has been able to identify this deputy by the monuments of Asia Minor, and also to corroborate in a most fascinating way the allusion to his conversion to the Christian religion.

IV

Leaving the story of Bar-Jesus we come to that of the "damsel possessed with a spirit of divination" in Acts XVI.

A maid having "a spirit, a Python" is the way we find it in the margin of the Revised Version. The King James' Version is more of a comment than a translation, and destroys the instruction which the passage was intended to give. That instruction is important as proving the supernatural character of the influences that formed and guided Paganism.

As Benjamin Wills Newton says in "Reflections on the Character and Spread of Spiritualism," this "damsel" was what men now call a medium, an intermediary between themselves and the powers of darkness -- a link connecting with hell whose fires shall never be quenched (Mark IX. 43-48). She had the spirit of "Pytho" that guided the Delphic oracle, and that oracle was not human, but superhuman and Satanic.

"This authoritative connection of Spiritualism with the ancient gods," says Pember, "is of peculiar importance at a time when Apollo, the god of Delphi, is re-appearing as a mighty angelic existence in poems which claim to be demoniacally inspired."

It is thus in part, that A. T. Schofield, M.D., the London neurologist and author, describes this scene:

"Look at the setting of the story. This was the first entry of Christianity into Europe, the most momentous event in its history!

"Who could discern the mighty importance of the landing of these three obscure travellers? Only two -- God and the Prince of Darkness! Mere men were busy with weightier affairs -- the gossip of the court at Rome, the rising influence of Greece, and the like; and yet through the power of the message of these three men both Empires were soon to fall beneath th sway of the crucified Nazarene! The Prince of Darkness was an unseen witness of the whole occurrence, and his plans were soon made.

"Probably the very next day, on their way to the river, his emissary, suitably disguised as an 'angel of light' met them, and gave the apostle a most hearty and unexpected welcome. She evidently knew all about their arrival and their gospel, and the part in the drama she had to play.

"Ancient Spiritism was too wise to seek to discredit the Christian gospel, after the fashion of the modern variety. On the contrary, she lauded it to the skies for days, declaring it to be 'the way of salvation/ and thus posed as another and a greater 'Lydia' -- the true and the false were side by side. And yet the apostle was not taken in! (for the spiritual man 'discerneth all things' (I Cor. II. 15).

"How different in these times! Nowadays, if the name of God is but so much as heard at a séance, even Christians feel it is all right. While, if one of the 'soothsayers' lauded the tenets of the Christian faith after the fashion of this maid, London would ring with the news the next day as proof of the godliness of Modern Spiritism!

"It is written that the apostle was 'sore troubled,' and no wonder, with this perplexing masterpiece of the enemy, masquerading before him and undeniably preaching day after day the truth of God!

"But 'in vain is the net spread in the sight of any bird,' and Paul, instructed by the Holy Spirit and 'discerning all things,' like his Master before him (Mark I. 25, 34), refused praise from the unclean source. He saw clearly the devil that 'possessed' this pseudo-evangelist, and said to it, 'I charge thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.' He never addressed one word to the poor victim, but spoke to the real power within her.

"Are not these things written for our instruction? And is there one single soul who reads these lines so blind as not to see the parallel, or so deaf as not to hear the warning?"

V

One more incident from the Acts will suffice, the story of the Diana worshippers at Ephesus, recorded in the nineteenth chapter.

Ephesus was renowned throughout the world for the worship of Diana and the practice of magic. Mysterious symbols engraved on the image of the goddess were regarded as a charm when pronounced, and their study was an elaborate science taught in books numerous and costly.

This circumstance throws light on the peculiar character of the miracles wrought by Paul in that city, though we are not to suppose that the apostles were always able to work miracles at will, any more than we know that their miracles were not always the same.

Here he was in the face of magicians like Moses and Aaron in Egypt, and it is expressly said that his miracles were "special" or extraordinary (Acts XIX. n).

A profound effect was produced on those who practised curious arts in the city, and especially certain travelling exorcists who, influenced by what they had seen and heard in Paul's work, and judging also by precedent in the case of the Diana worship, supposed that the Name of Jesus acted as a charm, and attempted by such means to cast put evil spirits as the Apostle had done. "But He to whom demons were subject and Who had given to His servants power and authority over them (Luke IX. 1) had shame and terror in store for those who thus presumed to take His holy Name in vain."

Among those who thus presumed, "were seven sons of one Sceva, a Jew," "and the man in whom the evil spirit was, leaped on them so that they fled out of the house naked and wounded."

The news spread, and fear fell on the people "and the Name of the Lord Jesus was magnified," by their confession of sin and the forsaking of their evil ways, even to the extent in many cases of the burning of their costly books whose loss amounted to as much as ten thousand dollars of our money.