His
works are full of truth, but it is truth turned into a lie, and made to
do the work of sin and death. It is Satan clad as an angel of light.
Every day a Sabbath, means no day a Sabbath. All places holy, means no
place holy. All things worship, means nothing worship. All honest labor
religious, means no labor religious. Freedom means license, contempt for
virtue, enslavement to vice. Progress means falling back. Elevation
means degradation. Liberality means leniency to error and evil, and
severity towards truth and goodness. In short, darkness means light, and
light means darkness; good means evil, and evil good; bitter means
sweet, and sweet bitter. Reform means revolution, and renovation means
degradation, and all these charming things mean wretchedness and ruin.
We must not be understood as condemning all the sentiments uttered by
the great deceiver. Many of them are true and good. They are Christian.
Satan is too wise to preach unmitigated falsehood. He understands too
well the art of using truth so as to serve the ends of falsehood. It is
enough for him if he can sever men's souls from Christ, and truth from
divine authority, and religion from Christianity, the Church, and the
Bible. Allow him to do this, and he will discourse and sing to you a
world of sweet words and lofty sentiments.
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