Is the Devil a Myth?
By
C. F. WIMBERLY
Author of “The Vulture’s Claw,” “New Clothes for
the Old Man,” “The Cry in the Night,” “The
Winepress,” “The Lost Legacy,” Etc., Etc.
New York Chicago Toronto
Fleming H. Revell Company
London and Edinburgh
Copyright, 1913, by
FLEMING H. REVELL COMPANY
New York: 158 Fifth Avenue
Chicago: 17 North Wabash Ave.
London: 21 Paternoster Square
Edinburgh: 75 Princes Street
With the fondest recollections and appreciation
of one, “in age and feebleness
extreme,” who taught me the first lessons
about the Being of these studies; one
who contributed her all to the rearing of
noble ideals,
Martha M. Wimberly,
My Mother,
this book is lovingly dedicated by the
Author
Preface
It is the writer’s firm conviction, in these days when the mostenthusiastic “bookworm” cannot even keep up with the titles of the bookoutput, that an earnest, sensible reason should be given for addinganother to the already endless list of books. We have enough books to-day,“good, bad, indifferent,” with which, if they were collected, to buildanother Cyclops pyramid. The sage of the Old Testament declared in hisday, concerning the endless making of books; such a statement, comparedwith modern writing and publishing of books, sounds amusing.
Every possible subject, vagary, or ism, for which a book could be written,is overworked. Bible themes of all grades, from orthodoxy to ultra highercriticism, have flooded the land. Especially is the iconoclast in muchevidence; he is free lance, and shows no quarters. Cardinal tenets ofBible faith, so long unquestioned, are being smitten with a mercilesshand. Disintegration is the most obvious fact among us; nothing is toosacred for the crucible of what is termed “scholarship.”
But why this book? Let us take a little survey. Over against the modernidea, that the race is endowed with all the inherent elements of goodnessnecessary to its regeneration, there is a correspondent belief that evilis only an error. When the race[Pg 6] by social and mental evolution succeedsin eliminating all the superstitions and false dogmas, the body politicwill be self-curative, like the physical body, restoring itself by meansof inspiration, respiration, exercise, sleep, food, etc., once the causesof disease are eliminated from the system.
For several decades we have been approaching the doctrine which denies allPersonalism—either good or bad. When we repudiate the Bible teaching,that the source of all evil emanates from a great Personality, the Bibleteaching of the Incarnation suffers in the same proportion.
The title of this book is a question, and one by no means strained, ifconsidered from the view-point of modern thought. We have undertaken ananswer. If by reason and revelation we can arrive at a satisfactoryconclusion, the gain thereby cannot be overestimated. If the personalityof Satan can be successfully consigned to the religious junk pile, our