p. 5 | Last-Day Snares

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Washington, D.C. · Jun 23, 1904

Last-Day Snares

We learn from a recent issue of the Cincinnati Post that a new religious society has been formed in Ohio with “universal love” as one of its principal tenets. In the application of this most excellent principle the founder of this new sect tries to improve upon the Bible system, or we may perhaps better say that under this profession of “universal love” he attempts to cover the worst tendencies of human nature.

Carrying out his theory of “universal love,” the founder of this sect teaches that “there is no such thing as evil in this world.” He teaches that “marriage is not a necessity.” He does “not believe that a man should love one woman more than all others, nor . . . that a parent should love his or her children more than the children of other people.” He claims that he and his followers “have arrived at the state of mind where we are obedient to law without restraint.” This law he defines as “the law of nature.”

A commentary upon the actual experience of this kind of teaching may be found in the fact that the same paper which reports the principles of the new society gives an account of the visit of the sheriff and an angry father to the home of the society to recover the latter’s young daughter who had become infatuated with “the principles.”

This outbreak of “universal love” and this professed obedience to “the law of nature” is simply the extreme development of some of the principles which lie hidden under smooth words and apparently beautiful sentiments. “We are living in an age of great light; but much that is called light is opening the way for the wisdom and arts of Satan. Many things will be presented that appear to be true, and yet they need to be carefully considered with much prayer; for they may be specious devices of the enemy. The path of error often appears to lie close to the path of truth. It is hardly distinguishable from the path that leads to holiness and heaven. But the mind enlightened by the Holy Spirit may discern that it is diverging from the right way. After a while the two are seen to be widely separated.”

“The sophistries regarding God and nature that are flooding the world with skepticism are the inspiration of the fallen foe. . . . I have seen the results of these fanciful views of God, in apostasy, spiritualism, and free-lovism. The free-love tendency of these teachings was so concealed that at first it was difficult to make plain its real character. Until the Lord presented it to me, I knew not what to call it, but I was instructed to call it unholy spiritual love.” — “The Testimonies for the Church,” Vol. VIII, pages 290, 292.

The perils of the last days are here. The snares of Satan are on every side. An effort will be made to deceive even the elect. Our only safety is in the simplicity of the original gospel of Christ, without the additions or the interpretations of a false science. “Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.”