440
Testimonies for the Church Volume 3
A neglect on the part of woman to follow God’s plan in her creation,
an effort to reach for important positions which He has not qualified
her to fill, leaves vacant the position that she could fill to acceptance. In
getting out of her sphere, she loses true womanly dignity and nobility.
When God created Eve, He designed that she should possess neither
inferiority nor superiority to the man, but that in all things she should
be his equal. The holy pair were to have no interest independent of
each other; and yet each had an individuality in thinking and acting.
But after Eve’s sin, as she was first in the transgression, the Lord told
her that Adam should rule over her. She was to be in subjection to
her husband, and this was a part of the curse. In many cases the curse
has made the lot of woman very grievous and her life a burden. The
superiority which God has given man he has abused in many respects
by exercising arbitrary power. Infinite wisdom devised the plan of
redemption, which places the race on a second probation by giving
them another trial.
Satan uses men as his agents to lead to presumption those who
love God; especially is this the case with those who are deluded by
spiritualism. Spiritualists generally do not accept Christ as the Son of
God, and through their infidelity they lead many souls to presumptuous
[485]
sins. They even claim superiority over Christ as did Satan in contesting
with the Prince of life. Spiritualists whose souls are dyed with sins
of a revolting character, and whose consciences are seared, dare to
take the name of the spotless Son of God in their polluted lips and
blasphemously unite His most exalted name with the vileness which
marks their own polluted natures.
Men who bring in these damnable heresies will dare those who
teach the word of God to enter into controversy with them, and some
who teach the truth have not had the courage to withstand a challenge
from this class, who are marked characters in the word of God. Some
of our ministers have not had the moral courage to say to these men:
God has warned us in His word in regard to you. He has given us a
faithful description of your character and of the heresies which you
hold. Some of our ministers, rather than give this class any occasion
to triumph or to charge them with cowardice, have met them in open
discussion. But in discussing with spiritualists they do not meet man
merely, but Satan and his angels. They place themselves in communi-