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 most enthusiastic "bookworm" cannot even keep up with the titles of the book output, that an earnest, sensible reason should be given for adding another to the already endless list of books. We have enough books to-day, "good, bad, indifferent," with which, if they were collected, to build another Cyclops pyramid. The sage of the Old Testament declared in his day, concerning the endless making of books; such a statement, compared with 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 higher criticism, have flooded the land. Especially is the iconoclast in much evidence; he is free lance, and shows no quarters. Cardinal tenets of Bible faith, so long unquestioned, are being smitten with a merciless hand. Disintegration is the most obvious fact among us; nothing is too sacred for the crucible of what is termed "scholarship." But why this book? Let us take a little survey. Over against the modern idea, that the race is endowed with all the inherent elements of goodness necessary to its regeneration, there is a correspondent belief that _evil_ is only an error. When the race by social and mental evolution succeeds in eliminating all the superstitions and false dogmas, the body politic will be self-curative, like the physical body, restoring itself by means of inspiration, respiration, exercise, sleep, food, etc., once the causes of disease are eliminated from the system. For several decades we have been approaching the doctrine which denies all Personalism--either good or bad. When we repudiate the Bible teaching, that the source of all evil emanates from a great Personality, the Bible teaching of the Incarnation suffers in the same proportion.