6
1
6
download/literature/watchtower/1900-22.pdf
../literature/watchtower/1900/22/1900-22-1.html
(336-339)
ZION'S
WATCH
TOWER
ALLEGHENY,
PA,
possessors
of
these,
but
merely
the
stewards,
whose
privilege
it
is
to
use
them
as
best
they
may
know
how,
in
the
Master's
service.
and
to
the
forwarding
of
the
interests
of
righteousness
in
the
preparation
of
themselves
and
others
for
his
appearing
and
kingdom.
The
Apostle
speaks
of
our
Lord
Jesus
as
"our
great
God
and
Savior."
and
this
is
in
full
accord
with
the
general
teachIng'l
of
the
Scriptures.
Our
Lord
Jesus
is
a
mighty
one,
a
great
one
amongst
the
mighty
ones,
and
as
our
Lord
him
se
If
r!ecl:t
r(''l.
all
should
"honor
the
Son
even
as
they
honor
the
Father."-John
I:
I;
5
:22.
TIlf'
Apo~t1e
presents
in
another
consideration
why
we
should
be
exercised
by
this
blessed
hope
of
the
Lord's
second
COlIIlTll-(
and
our
gathering
togl'ther
to
him
as
hi.,
elect
church.
It.
i~
not
mcrply
that
w{'
should
think
of
life
everlasting
and
glory
In
whJ('h
\v{'
might
share;
but
that
we
should
think
also
that
this
One
commg
in
glory,
and
to
whom
we
hope
to
be
joined
evprlastingly,
as
mcmber'l
of
the
bride,
to
the
Bnde
groo!ll.-is
no
othpr
than
he
who
gave
hinlself
for
us,
who
sacrificed
his
own
life
in
our
redemption.
\Ve
are
to
remem
bpI',
too.
that
}:p
not
only
redpcmed
us
from
the
penalty
of
sin.
(1<'<lth.
hut
that
the
redemption
which
he
purpooes
and
pro\
Id("3
is
more
than
a
redemption
from
iniquity,
from
sin.
\YC'
ale
to
rrmem!Jpr
al'lo
that
this
purging
away
of
sin
and
the
in~truction
and
cleansing
which
the
\\'ord
of
truth
is
to
do
for
us,
as
the
Apostle
has
foregoing
set
forth,
is
to
the
intent
that
by
these
means
the
Lord
may
"purify
unto
him
self
a
peculiar
people"-a
people
different
from
others,
pos
sessed
of
a
special
love
for
that
which
is
just,
that
which
is
pure,
that
which
is
noble,
that
which
is
!lood;
and
who,
despite
the
imperfections
of
their
mortal
bodies,
are
striving
to
cultivate
these
graces
more
and
more
in
their
hearts,
and
to
keep
their
bodies
in
subjection.
Moreover,
says
the
Apostle,
these
peculiar
people
will
be
"zealous
of
good
works,"
earnest
ly
desirous
and
striving
to
do
good
unto
all
men
as
thpy
have
opportunity.
physically.
mentally,
morally,-and
especially
to
do
good
to
the
household
of
faith.
The
Apostle's
exhortation,
in
conclusion,
is
that
Titus
shall
speak
and
exhort
the
church
along
these
linl's
which
he
has
laid
down,
reproving
them,
whenever
necessary
(in
love
and
/!entleness,
and
yet
with
full
authority,
not
doubting
as
to
the
meaning
of
the
divine
instruction).
lIe
was
to
let
no
man
despise
him,
in
the
sense
that
he
was
to
declare
these
princi
ples
of
righteousness
governing
the
Lord's
people
in
a
plain,
positive
and
authoritative
manner.
He
was
to
Bpeak
with
authority
and
not
as
with
uncertainty
and
questioning.
And
so
lrt
us
speak,
each
and
all,
to
our"elve.,
and
to
others,
Brtting
forth
the
prinCIples
of
this
salvation
whir-h
has
appeared
to
us.
with
no
uncertain
sound,
that
thus
we
may
mini'lter
grare
to
the
hearerfl
and
glorify
our
Father
in
heaven
and
our
Re
deemer
and
Deliverer.
VOL.
XXI
ALLEGHENY,
PA.,
NOVEMBER
15,
1900
VIEWS
FROM
THE
WATCH
TOWER
1'0.22
IS
NATURE
CRUEL?
societies
of
monkeys
to
be
found
in
the
lower
latitudeq
of
Asia
This
question
haq
already
been
answered
by
some
eminent
and
Africa;
the
numberless
herds
of
rC'indeer
in
the
far
authOl'ltil'~
in
tile
affinnatlvr,
and
the
belief
that
Bueh
an
North,
the
herds
of
mmk-oxen
and
the
innumerable
bands
of
an~\\
PI'
I~
the
correct
one
is
widespread.
Sir
Samuel
Baker
polar
foxes
still
farther
north;
th('
flocks
of
seals
and
morses
dec].lI'es
that
n,lture
"i~
a.
sY'ltem
of
terrori'lm
from
the
be-
and
sociable
eehceans
which
inhabit
the
ocean;
the
hen];;
of
ginnmg
to
the
end,"
and
John
Stuart
l\iill
assert'l
that
if
wild
horses,
donkeys,
camels
and
sheep
which
range
the
step
there
are
mfl
rk~
of
design
in
creation,
"one
of
the
things
most
pes
of
Central
Asia.
He
sayfl:
evi,lpntly
d('~igned
is
that
a
large
proportion
of
all
animals
"'How
trifling,
in
eompari~on
with
them,
are
the
num
f'houl,1
pa
~s
tlwir
e'd'ltC'nce
in
tormenting
and
dC'vouring
other
brrs
of
carnivora;
And
how
falflC',
thrrefore,
is
the
view
of
anima18."
If
"e
assume
nature
to
be
the
work
of
a
Being
those
who
speak
of
the
animal
world
as
if
nothing
were
to
of
infil11te
power,
he
conclude.,
that
"the
mo~t
atrocious
be
seen
in
it
but
lions
and
hyenas
plunging
their
bleeding
enOllllitips
of
the
worst
men
will
be
more
than
justified
by
the
teeth
into
the
flesh
of
the
victims!
On
might
as
well
im-
Hpp,llt'llt
111((
ntlOu
of
l'lO\i(!ellee
that
throughout
all
animated
agine
that
the
whole
of
human
life
is
nothing
but
a
succes-
lwture
the
strong
should
prey
on
the
weak."
These
radical
sion
of
Tel-el
Kebir
and
Geok
Tepe
maS'lfieres.'
:,
'~"I
t
Imh
arp
(-outI
o\l'rtpd
hy
.T.
C.
Hirst,
of
LIverpool,
Eng-
"Unless,
then,
death
is
an
inexcusable
incident
in
animal
land.
in
a.
book
"'hose
title
is
the
same
as
the
head
of
this
life,
it
would
seem
that
the
terror
of
death
to
be
inflicted
by
a
I
tll,le
(Londeu,
1
!lOa).
After
examining
the
experiences
of
the
c~rnivora
is
really
a
figment
of
the
imagination:
and
one
!IUUt,'1
~
of
hi;~
ganw,
he
concludes
in
the
first
place
that
Sir
might
rrasonably
adopt
the
language
of
lVfr.
Wallace,
that
'the
f'a
III
III
,I
Hakel'~
(lidmn
is
unb
ue.
'Ye
quote
from
a
review
supposed
torments
and
miseries
ot
animn
I"
have
little
real
in
(Jill'
,till/III/ted
Frlel/dS
(October)
the
following
absbact
of
existenre,
but
are
the
reflection
of
the
imagined
sensations
of
Ill"
II!..lldl"lIt·-
cultivated
men
and
women
in
similar
circumstaneefl,
and
that
,.\\
h('1
{'
t1H'l'e
i~
tCTTorisrn
there
must
be
terror,
and
terror
the
amount
of
actual
suffering
cllused
Inl
the
struggle
for
ex-
is
Oil"
of
th
..
1ll0'lt
horrIble
of
sufferingB.
Is
it
true,
then,
istenec
among
animals
is
altogether
insig,nificant.'''
tkll
tla'
:I\lllll:d~
11I0,t
l'~I'0setl
to
the
attacks
of
the
carni-
:Mr.
Hirst
does
not,
of
course,
deny
that
there
is
a
good
vor:t
<11if('1'
gn
ltly
from
terror?
\Ye
believe
that
it
is
al-
deal
of
e'!tm/!
and
being
caten
in
the
alllmal
kmgdom.
Thl'l
l1'o-t
(,,,tll,'1.\
1lI1tlllC.
Terror
in
human
beings
is
largely
due
however,
he
says,
is
not
cruelty,
and
he
devotes
much
space
to
thc
illl:lglilation
...•.
Have
we
any
reason
to
believe
to
showinQ'
that
in
their
attacks
wild
creatures
cause
their
tll,t
tllr
1,"\pl
:IJlIIJI"I~
11:1\'l'
a
~illliJar
tellor
of
imagin,1tlOn'!
victims
little
pain,
altho
he
does
not
go
so
far
as
to
say
that
'\'1'
11.1\'p
~','rl,l
re,hon
to
believe
the
contrary.
Mr.
J.
D.
the
mancrled
ones
enjoy
it,
as
Wallace
maintained
of
the
flee-
1m
"1
:1'
ih'
j,1I,
tl:l'
folln\\
illg
ind(lent.
A
poor
donkey
was
ing-
antelope.
The
familiar
case
of
Dr.
Livingstone,
on
whom
'tl(-,j,,,1It':
tklt
is.
as
a
bait
for
a
lion.
The
lion
approached,
n
lion's
iaw
crunching
through
his
shoulder
a'cted
as
an
anes-
1'111,
tllp
h1lnt
p
r.
lonk!nc::
throllgh
his
peephole,
saw
the
donkey
thetic.
is
of
('ourse
cited,
lmd
supported
by
much
eviopnce
~j
'iI.li·:'!·
llnlJ'\'!I1rd,
v.],ilr
tIle
lion
wput
0n
growling.
It
WRS
along
the
same
line.
The
reviewer
reganl'l
the
case
as
hav-
nit.,
J.
11,]
,h,ro\'plf,,1
1,1
1
,11,
the
lion
hnd
artuallv
tried
to
throw
ing
been
made
out,
and
concludes
as
follows:
t1:
..
d
>'1
1
(q'
0\'('1'
with
hi,;
paw
ann
han
faj]~d,
altho
it
had
"So
then,
afl
the
result
of
this
mO'lt
interesting
investiga-
<l'1
,"
h,.l
j
hI'
d(ll1ke\'
on
thl'
innl'r
sirll'
of
the
leO'.
'But
tion,
we
may
reasonably
come
to
the
conclusion
that
nature
'j"
,'1'1'1
:1
f.",'
lIIi'lllt'('S
of
t1lp
donkey
beinO'
attaekrd."'it
was
is
by
no
means
the
system
of
terrorism
that
Sir
Samuel
Baker
('IlIl,l.-
(1t;n(!
,rhi('h
sho\\'C'11
its
ncn;ps
wc;e
not
affccted.'
makes
it
out
to
be;
that
it
does
not
justify
t11e
pessimistic
'''''I.
\\
:d!a('('
maillbins
that
'the
constant
effort
to
escape
and
almost
atheiRtic
conclusions
of
Mr.
J.
S.
Mill,
and
that
pll(iIIi,,'l.
tIle
p,:C'r-n'curring
strugrle
again',t
the
forces
of
it
is
not
the
horrible
commingling
of
devourers
and
devourrn
n:ltl1l".'
:'1p
'the
wrv
1l1C'ans
by
whi('h
much
of
the
be'luty
and
that
a
suprrexcited
imagination
is
preoisposed
to
paint
it.
On
h'll'lllr.nv
awl
enjoyment
of
naturp
arc
pro(luced.'
To
what
the
contrary,
we
may
believe
that
the
various
carnivorous
d·,p
j~
it
that
the
flel'tne~s
of
the
hor'le
and
of
the
many
enemies
of
the
,l!'rntler
races
of
animals
are
much
more
serv-
~JIl'l'i(.~
of
d('pr
aIHI
antplopes
is
dur?
To
what
else,
indeed,
ieeable
in
training
them
to
thr
finrst
exrrciBe
of
skill
and
hut
the
pl'rpdunl
stimulus
to
rxert
tl;pir
utmost
'lppcn,
which
fleetness
than
they
are
destructive
of
their
numbrrs
or
op-
i'l
(,:lIl~r',1
h.,'
thp
fp:lr
of
enemips?
But
is
not
this
fear
the
pressivcly
noxious
to
t11E'ir
happiness
of
animal
Iifp,
and
that
vprv
ter/'o/,
"lmh
Sir
~nnll1d
Baker
afTirms?
By
np
means.
in
a
world
in
which
death
is
necessarv.
drRt~
bv
the
as~all1t
of
~rr.
Frnnci'l
Galton
nd
only
agrees
with
Mr.
Wallace,
but
carnivorous
enemies
is
no
more
d~eadfuJ
but
is.
in
f",<,t,
l1l:lintllln'l
that
the
pedl
in
which
they
live
is
a
source
of
mu<'h
le'l'l
painful,
than
manv
othrr
methods
by
which
life
plpa~llre.
.
.
.
.
mav
he
pxtinguished."-Literary
Digest.
"Prin<'p
K
ronotkin
point.,
out
the
enormous
l'xaggrration
The
aboVl'
is
in
full
accord
with
our
prp'lpntation
on
the
of
thp
'tooth
and
<,law'
view
of
nature.
Thp
Prince
rrfers
to
~ubiect
in
our
issue
of
June
1,
page
165;
which
please
note
the
families
of
elephants,
rhinoceroses,
and
the
numberless
again.
[2726]
(336-339) possessors of these, but merely the stewards, whose privilege it is to use them as best they may know how, in the Master’s service, and to the forwarding of the interests of righteousness in the preparation of themselves and others for his appearing and kingdom. The Apostle speaks of our Lord Jesus as “our great God and Savior,” and this is in full accord with the general teachings of the Scriptures. Our Lord Jesus is a mighty one, a great one amongst the mighty ones, and as our Lord himself declares. all should “honor the Son even as they honor the Father.”—John 1:1; 5:22, The Apostle presents in another consideration why we should be exercised by this blessed hope of the Lord’s second coming and our gathering together to him as his elect church. It is not merely that we should think of life everlasting and glory in which we might share; but that we should think also that this One comimg in glory, and to whom we hope to he joined everlastingly, as members of the bride, to the Bridegroom—is no other than he who gave himself for us, who sacrificed his own life in our redemption. We are to remember, too, that he not only redeemed us from the penalty of sin, death, but that the redemption which he purposes and provides is more than a redemption from iniquity, from sin. We are to remember also that this purging away of sin and the instruction and cleansing which the Word of truth is to Vou. XX oa ZION’S WATCH TOWER ALLEGHENY, PA., NOVEMBER 15, 1900 ALLEcHENY, Pa. do for us, as the Apostle has foregoing set forth, is to the intent that by these means the Lord may “purify unto himself a peculiar people’—a people different from others, possessed of a special love for that which is just, that which is pure, that which is noble, that which is good; and who, despite the imperfections of their mortal bodies, are striving to cultivate these graces more and more in their hearts, and to keep their bodies in subjection. Moreover, says the Apostle, these peculiar people will be “zealous of good works,” earnestly desirous and striving to do good unto all men as they have opportunity, physically, mentally, morally,—and especially to do good to the household of faith. The Apostle’s exhortation, in conclusion, is that Titus shall speak and exhort the church along these lines which he has laid down, reproving them, whenever necessary (in love and gentleness, and yet with full authority, not doubting as to the meaning of the divine instruction). He was to let no man despise him, in the sense that he was to declare these principles of righteousness governing the Lord’s people in a plain, positive and authoritative manner. He was to speak with authority and not as with uncertainty and questioning. And so let us speak, each and all, to ourselves and to others, setting forth the principles of this salvation which has appeared to us, with no uncertain sound, that thus we may minister grace to the hearers and glorify our Father in heaven and our Redeemer and Deliverer. No. 22 VIEWS FROM THE WATCH TOWER IS NATURE CRUEL? This question has already been answered by some eminent authorities in the affirmative, and the belief that such an answer is the correct one is widespread. Sir Samuel Baker declares that nature “ig a system of terrorism from the beginning to the end,” and John Stuart Mill asserts that if there are marks of design in creation, “one of the things most evidently designed is that a large proportion of all animals should pass their existence in tormenting and devouring other animals.” If we assume nature to be the work of a Being of infinite power, he concludes that “the most atrocious enoimities of the worst men will be more than justified by the apparent 1tention of Providence that throughout all animated nature the strong should prey on the weak.” These radical usaertions are controverted by J, C. Hirst, of Liverpool, England, in a book whose title is the same as the head of this aiticle (Londen, 1900}, After examining the experiences of hunters of big game, he concludes in the first place that Sir Samuel Baker’. dictum is untiue. We quote from a review in Gur Aneonated Frinds (October) the following abstract of jas veument:>— “Where there is terrorism there must be terror, and terror is one of the most horrible of sufferings. Is it true, then, that the amuals most exposed to the attacks of the carnivora suffer grcitly from terror? We believe that it is alwot enticlh untiue. Terror in human beings is largely due to the imagiation..... Have we any reason to believe thit the lewer animals have a similar terior of imagination? We have geal reason to believe the contrary. Mr. J. D. inveraritv tals the folowing incident. A poor donkey was ‘tied-oud’?: that is. ag a bait for a lion. The lion approached, but the hunter, leoking through his peephole, saw the donkey stendiy unbarmed, while the lion went on growling. It was atterwuod Ciscevered that the lion had actually tried to throw the dontev over with his paw and had failed, altho it had seriched the donkey on the inner ‘ side of the leg. But within a few minutes of the donkey being attacked. it was euimly cating which showed its nerves were not affected.’ “sa. Weollace maiutains that ‘the constant effort to escape encmics, the ever-recurring strugele against the forces of nature” ore ‘the verv means by which much of the beauty and harmenv and enjoyment of nature are produced. To what else is it that the fieetness of the horse and of the many species of deer and antelopes is due? To what else, indeed, hut the perpetual stimulus to exert their utmost speed, which ig caused hy the fear of enemies? But is not this fear the very terror which Sir Samuel Baker affirms? By ne means. Mr, Francis Galton not only agrees with Mr. Wallace, but maintams that the peril in which they live is a source of pleasure. 2... “Prince Kronotkin points ont the enormous exaggeration of the ‘tooth and claw’ view of nature. The Prince refers to the families of elephants, rhinoceroses, and the numberless societies of monkeys to be found in the lower latitudes of Asia and Africa; the numberless herds of reindeer in the far North, the herds of musk-oxen and the innumerable bands of polar foxes still farther north; the flocks of seals and morses and sociable cetaceans which inhabit the ocean; the herds of wild horses, donkeys, camels and sheep which range the steppes of Central Asia. He says: “How trifling, in comparison with them, are the numbers of carnivora; And how false, therefore, is the view of those who speak of the animal world as if nothing were to be seen in it but Hons and hyenas plunging their bleeding teeth into the flesh of the victims! On might as well imagine that the whole of human life is nothing but a succession of Tel-el Kebir and Geok Tepe massacres.’ “Unless, then, death is an inexcusable incident in animal life, it would seem that the terror of death to be inflicted by the carnivora is really a figment of the imagination; and one might reasonably adopt the language of Mr. Wallace, that ‘the supposed torments and miseries of animals have little real existence, but are the reflection of the imagined sensations of cultivated men and women in similar circumstances, and that the amount of actual suffering caused by the struggle for existence among animals ig altogether insignificant.’ ” Mr. Hirst does not, of course, deny that there is a good deal of exiting and being eaten in the animal kingdom. This however, he says, is not cruelty, and he devotes much space to showing that in their attacks wild creatures cause their victims little pain, altho he does not go so far as to say that the mangled ones enjov it, as Wallace maintained of the fleeing antelope. The familiar case of Dr. Livingstone, on whom a lion’s jaw crunching through his shoulder acted as an anesthetie, is of course cited, and supported by much evidence along the same line. The reviewer regards the case as having been made out, and concludes as follows: “So then, as the result of this most interesting investigation, we may reasonably come to the conclusion that nature is by no means the system of terrorism that Sir Samuel Baker makes it out to be; that it does not justify the pessimistic and almost atheistic conclusions of Mr. J. 8S. Mill, and that it is not the horrible commingling of devourers and devoured that a superexcited imagination is predisposed to paint it. On the contrary, we may believe that the various carnivorous enemies of the gentler races of animals are much more serviceable in training them to the finest exercise of skill and fleetness than they are destructive of their numbers or oppressively noxious to their happiness of animal life, and that in a world in which death is necessary. death bv the assault of carnivorous enemies is no more dreadful but is. in fact, much Jess painful, than many other methods by which life mav be extinguished.”—IJnterary Digest. The above is in full accord with our presentation on the subject in our issue of June 1, page 165; which please note again. [2726]
To enhance your experience on our website, we use cookies and similar technologies. Some cookies are essential for the core functionality of our site and cannot be declined. You can choose to accept or decline additional cookies. We want to assure you that none of this data will be sold or used for marketing purposes. You can adjust your preferences at any time by accessing the Privacy Settings from the footer of the page. For more information, please refer to our
Privacy Policy
Terms of Use
.