Spirit of Free Love
Clothed in a cloak of religious
piety and feigned sanctity we find almost every vile
spirit that Satan is able to send forth; but it is
doubtful if any one is so stealthy in its approach as the
spirit of free love. With its charming glitter and
pretended innocency it has allured many unsuspecting souls
from the exalted plane of sexual purity to the depths of
sin and shame. By free love many happy homes have been
broken up and brought to disgrace; the tender affections
of man and wife have been turned into bitter hatred, and
the music of their household into strains of sorrow.
Before this vile spirit lies the land of purity and peace;
behind it lie blighted hopes, perverted passions, and ill
fame. Before it we see the peaceful and joyous reign of
Platonic love; behind it we see the confusion and sorrow
of ten thousand broken hearts. Oh, the sorrow and sadness
brought to the human heart by this vile enemy of peace! My
pen will not be able to picture the scene, nor trace the
minute outlines of free love as correctly as it deserves,
but I trust by the help of God to be able to point out
some of its worst features, that the reader may know that
there is such a spirit, and that it is earthly, sensual,
and devilish.
Free love is not confined to any
one class of people; young and old, married and unmarried,
rich and poor, and people in almost every walk of life
have by it been deceived and led astray. From cellar to
garret of human habitation we can trace its licentious
track, and those who do not believe me have but to read
and be convinced. Julius Caesar, one of the world's
greatest men, was tainted with free love; Cleopatra, the
beautiful queen of Egypt, was under its influence; and
Solomon, the wise man, was overtaken by this
"outlandish" spirit, and by it led astray. Many
others whose names glitter on the pages of history and
decorate the world's literature could be pointed out as
slaves of free love. Modern society in general is little
or no better, for almost every daily paper records some
disgraceful doings of free lovers.
Before going further it may be well
to define the term free love. Webster defines it as,
"The doctrine or practice of consorting with the
opposite sex at pleasure without marriage." There
sprung up in the sixteenth century a sect of people who
called themselves "Brethren of the Free Spirit."
Along with many other nefarious doctrines, they publicly
advocated the doctrine of free love. Every false doctrine
is accompanied by an evil spirit, and in case of free love
many have imbibed the spirit who do not publicly advocate
the doctrine. This accounts for the prevalence of free
love spirits while there are so few advocating the
doctrine of free love. While there are many under the
influence of a free love spirit, many have been accused of
free love when they were only troubled with their
perverted affections.
The Spirit and doctrine of free
love are of a much worse type than the simple perversion
of the natural affections. A person may allow his
affections to be perverted, and allow them to go out in a
way they should not; but unless a person becomes under
such an influence that he feels free to love different
ones, it cannot properly be termed free love. A free love
spirit leads to what the doctrine of free love teaches,
viz., consorting with the opposite sex at pleasure without
marriage. Some have made use of the term free love in a
very wrong way by applying it to almost every form of
trouble with the affections. This we should not do. There
is a difference in being for a short time slightly led
astray by the influence of undue affection, and being
under a free love spirit. Allowing the affections to go
uncontrolled, however, sometimes leads to free love, and
those who would keep themselves pure and keep themselves
out of reach of free love spirits should keep their
affections under perfect control.
Under a cloak of religion the
spirit of free love has destroyed many souls. The
doctrines of many religious bodies afford many advantages
to the devil on this line. If Satan can succeed in getting
people under the influence of the spirit of free love, it
matters little to him whether or not they publicly
advocate the doctrine. Catholicism, Spiritualism,
Shakerism, Mormonism, and many other like institutions
afford an excellent harbor for spirits of free love. A
profession of religion without salvation is also an
excellent hiding place for all such spirits, for they can
there carry on their unclean work for years without being
even suspected by the most people. Another suitable refuge
for such spirits is society. Those who stand high in
society, like those who are esteemed highly in religion,
are often guilty of harboring many things of which they
are not in the least suspected; consequently many society
circles become nothing but a rendezvous of wicked and
unclean spirits and yet pass as the best of society.
Thus a spirit of free love
encroached and secreted in the two most frequent walks of
life, society and religion, year after year gnaws away at
the vitals of true love and virtue, and destroys many
precious souls that are ignorant of its devices. Ministers
teachers, writers, and philanthropists should unite in
waging relentless war against free love doctrines and free
love spirits.
CAUSES OF FREE LOVE.—The most
potent cause of free love, and every other evil under the
sun is the influence of the devil and depraved human
nature; therefore in all cases of free love we may assign
the primary cause to an ungodly spirit and a depraved
heart; but there are different minor causes, or in other
words, different circumstances, under which the soul is
endangered to this vile spirit. Every man and woman has a
weak place, and Satan is not unacquainted with this fact,
so we must both watch and pray. Satan can get one person
into trouble in a way which he dare not approach another;
so he shifts his position to suit his subject; hence one
falls a prey to free love, while another is led into some
other trouble. Sometimes disappointment in marriage
affords the proper soil in which the devil soon sows the
seed of free love. Satan will come to the disappointed
party and point out the admirable qualities in this one
and that one and suggest that such would be a much more
suitable companion than the one chosen. These suggestions
are repeated until the tempted person loses all affection
for the wedded companion and burns with illegal desire for
first one and then another, till Satan has gotten the
heart completely under control of a free love spirit. The
affections of the human heart require attention, and the
man or woman who neglects to cultivate the affections of
his or her companion neglects a thing of more value than
silver or gold.
Undue familiarity also is a fertile
field for the working of free love spirits. This, of
course, opens up the way for both married and single
persons to be led astray. Every gentleman owes a certain
respect to all ladies, in his manners, speech, etc.; and
every lady owes to herself, as well as to God, a certain
reserve in all of her actions toward the opposite sex.
Long acquaintance, religious connections, or even kindred
ties should never induce either sex to overstep the bounds
of modesty. This reserve is not a false modesty. However,
private matters, and even things which are generally
considered as improper, may be talked of in a modest,
delicate way, without the slightest shadow of indecency or
forwardness. The motive which fills the heart and finds
its way into the manners and speech tells more than all
else.
The doctrine of so called social
purity is also err excellent instrument in the hands of
the devil to destroy natural affection and propagate free
love. The adherents of this false theory teach that the
rights of the conjugal relation should be indulged in only
for procreation, and often they change the natural use
into that which is contrary to nature and throw open the
door for discord and free love.
The approach of free love is often
so stealthy that the person affected is not aware where
Satan is leading until the vile spirit has almost gained
control. Its first suggestions are so polished and so
seemingly free from wrong that the unsuspecting are often
led astray a step at a time. Sometimes it requires years
of subtle and cunning work for Satan to accomplish his
design; but Satan, unlike many people, is never
discouraged; so if he is not detected and sternly rebuked
he toils on inch by inch, step by step, till he gains the
ground he desires.
The disgusting influence of a
person controlled by a spirit of free love can be felt by
others, and especially detected by the children of God who
are taught on these lines. Conscientious souls have often
been accused by the devil of being under a free love
spirit when they could feel this awful influence in some
one else. Of all abominable things to a pure man or woman,
the unclean looks and actions of a person under a free
love spirit are surely the most obnoxious.
EFFECTS OF FREE LOVE. If the spirit
of free love is allowed to have its course it invariably
leads to the depths of shame and disgrace and plunges the
soul into despair. A person under a free love spirit is
like a drunkard, who at times longs for deliverance, but
finds none. When in more considerate moments he views his
condition it naturally brings remorse attended by
despondency, and often it seems there is no way of escape.
When a person has been captured by the spirit of free love
one of four things generally occurs; the spirit and
doctrine are renounced and deliverance is gained,
prostitution is chosen, insanity ensues, or the despondent
soul gives way to suicide. A great many cases of murder
and suicide are caused directly or indirectly by the
influence of free love. When a person has become bound by
this spirit, a spirit of murder often accompanies it, and
when its wishes are interfered with the passions of free
love will often wade through blood to accomplish the
desired end.
REMEDY.—The best and only sure
remedy for free love, and every other work of the devil is
the blood of Jesus Christ. Resolution and reformation are
insufficient in most cases, to deliver the soul from the
doctrine and spirit of free love. The cleansing stream,
which if applied purifies the heart and cleanses the
perverted passions, is the only sure route to permanent
victory. The devil will often try to intimidate persons in
this condition by telling them that they are too weak on
this point to withstand him if they are set free. This is
the devil's "scarecrow," for well he knows that
if Jesus undertakes the case he is defeated. N is true
that some persons may be weaker on this line than others,
but to such God will give more grace. Christ, who has the
keys of death and hell, would lock the archfiend in his
den before He would suffer the least and weakest one who
trusts in Him to be overcome.
