LEAMINGTON SPA.
Dear Brother
Spencer,--I have heard it stated by some that the devil was bound, and we were
enjoying the thousand years' rest. But I think that what has taken place among
us will show, that instead of the devil being bound he is loose, and exercising
more power than he has done for some time past.
Our conference was
appointed to be held on Sunday, June 20th, at Coventry. In order to attend it,
brother and sister Freeman came with brother Currell, who had been proposed at
the council meeting at Stratford-on-Avon, to be ordained to the office of a priest.
But as soon as he had expressed his willingness to take the office, some evil
spirits (devils) entered him, and declared he should not be ordained, and if he
went to the conference they would go too. This was on the 15th, and on the 19th
they left home for Coventry, about 20 miles distant. On the road, the devils
entered brother C. several times, and four times while passing through the town
of Warwick, and were as often rebuked by Elder Freeman, in the presence at
Leamington Spa, in order to remain the night, but as soon as they entered the
house, the devils began to rage and swear. I got to the house about nine
o'clock in the evening. I had scarcely got in before they began to swear at me.
I rebuked them, and they came out of him; but as fast as one lot went another
came, declaring Currell should not go to Coventry, each party tearing him and
trying to kill him: thus they continued until one o'clock, when we lay down
until five, when another party came swearing that we should not take him to
conference, and tried to choke him. We cast out several lots until eight
o'clock, when five of us started to take him with us to Coventry, 10 miles
distant. Several times we cast them out on the road, but in coming to
Stoneleigh, the struggle was fearful. However, we rebuked them in the name of
Jesus, after they had declared we were the servants of the Most High God,
as many people were gazing at us we bore a faithful testimony to them, and went
on our way. As we drew near to the city, we attracted the attention of the
people who were walking out; for the devils came oftener and stronger, swearing
by the God that made us, we should not take him to conference. By this time a
number of the brethren from Coventry met us; I got them to carry brother
Currell, while I walked by his side, and rebuked the devils as far as they
came. We arrived at the room about half-past eleven o'clock, a great crowd
following us into the room. I endeavoured to speak to them, but the foul
spirits came so often, and what with the noise and confusion of the people, I
thought it best to close the meeting. While we were preparing for dinner, some
stronger devils took possession of brother C.; we expelled them, and in came
two policemen, and took brother Currell to the police-station. I went with him,
others following, amid the insults and hooting of the mob, to the station. The
superintendent, on hearing the case, ordered brother C. to be locked up for
having a devil, and me for casting him out, and thus causing a
disturbance. Bail was refused, and we were locked up in a filthy room
along with two drunken men. In about two hours we were let out on bail, the
police finding themselves wrong in refusing it. On our return from prison the
streets were lined with spectators, anxious to see the men who had been locked
up--one for having, and the other for casting out, a devil . . . On Monday, the
21st, we appeared before the mayor, and although the policemen did their best
to prosecute us, on our promising to take brother Currell from the town, the major
dismissed us. Instead of these things doing us any harm it has done us good,
and we feel to bless the name of God, to give him all the glory, and shout his
praise among the people, and to preach the gospel with renewed energy among the
sons of men; and pray for the time to come when the gospel shall have been
preached, the devil bound, the reign of righteousness come in, and the kingdom
of this world become the kingdom of our Lord and his Christ for ever and ever.
I should inform you
that when the devil found he was defeated in brother C. he entered a sister,
and kept coming in for several hours; as fast as one lot were expelled another
lot entered: at one time we counted 27 come out of her. When we rebuked them
they would come out, but as soon returned again. How was it they could
acknowledge the power, and would damn our power,--damn our gospel, and tear and
bite? The sights were awful, but it has done us all good.
I may as well say,
that some of the devils told us they were sent, some by Cain, some by Kite,
Judas, Kilo, Kelo, Kalmonia, and Lucifer; some of these, they informed us, were
presidents over seventies in Hell. The last that came previous to our going to
prison, told us he was Kilo, one of the presidents, and his six counsellors. We
cast them out thirty times, and had 319 devils, from 3 to 27 coming at a time.
I shall feel obliged
for any instruction you can give me on this subject.--Yours, THOS. SMITH. ("Conference
Minutes," Millennial Star volume 9 no. 15 [1 August 1847]:231-33)
