Publication date
3/1/05
Volume
26
Number
5
The WatchTower
The Great Delusion of our Day
../literature/watchtower/1905/5/1905-5-1.html
 
 
(63-67) 
ZION'S 
WATCH 
TOWER 
ALLI!GHI!NY, 
PA. 
great 
is 
the 
narvest, 
and 
few 
the 
laborers. 
"Pray 
ye 
therefore 
the 
Lord 
of 
the 
harvest 
to 
send 
more 
reapers 
into 
the 
field." 
Matt. 
9:37-38; 
John 
4:35. 
And 
so 
in 
harmony 
with 
these 
verses 
thankfully 
and 
humbly 
accept 
the 
Lord's 
invitation 
and 
say, 
Lord 
here 
am 
I, 
send 
me, 
send 
me. 
therefore 
await 
your 
pleasure 
in 
the 
assignment 
of 
terri­ 
tory, 
and 
by 
the 
Lord's 
grace 
am 
pleased 
to 
subscribe 
myself, 
fellow 
servant 
in 
the 
Redeemer, 
J. 
H. 
COLE. 
DEAR 
BROTHEB 
RUSSELL:- 
am 
just 
in 
receipt 
of 
"Heavenly 
Manna." 
It 
will 
s~rve 
to 
stir 
up 
the 
mind 
by 
way 
of 
remembrance 
day 
by 
day! 
brmg­ 
ing 
to 
our 
attention 
preclOus 
word~ 
ot 
doctrine, 
reproot, 
mstruc­ 
tion, 
admonition, 
warning, 
comfort, 
consolation 
and 
encourage­ 
ment 
from 
the 
divine 
storehouse 
provided 
by 
our 
heavenly 
Father, 
which 
trust 
he 
will 
bless 
to 
our 
good 
and 
develop­ 
ment 
into 
the 
Christ 
character. 
pray 
that 
our 
heavenly 
Father 
will 
continue 
to 
use 
you 
in 
the 
dispensing 
of 
"meat 
in 
due 
s€:ason" 
to 
the 
household 
of 
faith, 
and 
that 
he 
will 
continue 
to 
grant 
you 
abundant 
supplies 
of 
grace 
and 
strength 
to 
overcome 
all 
the 
trials 
and 
tempta· 
tions 
and 
persccutions 
incident 
to 
so 
prominent 
an 
office 
in 
the 
body 
of 
Christ. 
With 
much 
love 
and 
best 
wishes 
for 
the 
New 
Year 
to 
you, 
Dear 
Brother, 
am 
Yours 
in 
fellowship 
and 
service. 
A. 
E. 
BURGESS,-Michigan.. 
DEAR 
BROTHER 
IN 
CHRIST:- 
reeeived 
the 
"Heavenly 
Manna" 
book 
last 
evening. 
am 
sure 
it 
will 
be 
the 
source 
of 
many 
blessings 
to 
me 
through­ 
out 
the 
year. 
This 
morning 
we 
took 
the 
January 
20th 
text 
and 
read 
your 
words 
of 
comment, 
and 
as 
we 
realIzed 
that 
we 
were 
considering 
the 
same 
subject 
that 
you 
all 
at 
the 
"Bible 
House" 
were 
dis­ 
cussing, 
we 
enjoyed 
it 
the 
more, 
and 
were 
stirred 
to 
better 
thought: 
to 
greater 
endeavor 
to 
get 
every 
point 
fully 
before 
our 
minds. 
trust 
that 
as 
the 
year 
goes 
on 
we 
may 
become 
better 
able 
to 
get 
the 
full 
benefit 
of 
the 
subjects. 
All 
the 
family 
join 
with 
me 
in 
sending 
you 
our 
Christian 
love 
and 
best 
wishes 
that 
the 
present 
year 
may 
be 
filled 
with 
rich 
blessings 
for 
yourself 
and 
all 
the 
brethren 
there. 
Your 
Brother 
in 
the 
blessed 
Hope, 
W. 
S. 
McNAUGHT, 
Iowa. 
Dear 
Brethren 
of 
the 
WATCH 
TOWEB:- 
want 
to 
tell 
you 
the 
story 
of 
one 
little 
tract. 
few 
weeks 
ago 
heard 
that 
an 
old 
friend, 
that 
had 
not 
heard 
from 
for 
years 
until 
this 
fall, 
was 
in 
the 
hospital 
in 
Kansas 
City 
for 
treatment. 
wrote 
to 
him 
immedIately, 
sending 
him 
Tract 
No.7. 
He 
received 
it 
just 
as 
he 
was 
startmg 
to 
the 
doctor's 
office, 
so 
handed 
the 
tract 
to 
man 
in 
the 
same 
ward, 
lying 
there 
with 
an 
amputated 
leg 
and 
swearing. 
When 
my 
friend 
returned 
he 
found 
the 
swearing 
man 
with 
tears 
strcaming 
down 
his 
face. 
He 
said 
that 
was 
the 
best 
little 
book 
he 
ever 
saw, 
and 
wanted 
to 
keep 
it 
to 
hunt 
the 
references. 
He 
said 
he 
was 
done 
swearing. 
Now, 
the 
friend 
is 
here 
visiting 
us. 
We 
found 
him 
to 
be 
consecrated 
Christian, 
but 
in 
utter 
darkness 
as 
respects 
pres­ 
ent 
truth. 
Today 
he 
was 
with 
us 
in 
our 
little 
meeting 
and 
was 
much 
surprised 
to 
learn 
of 
our 
Lord's 
presence, 
but 
he 
seemed 
to 
have 
hearing 
ear, 
so 
we 
rejoice 
and 
point 
him 
to 
the 
helps 
our 
Lord 
has 
provided; 
for 
our 
tongues 
are 
80 
clumsy. 
do 
hope 
our 
Lord 
will 
some 
day 
loose 
my 
tongue, 
so 
can 
tell 
the 
blessed 
"old, 
old 
story" 
more 
smoothly. 
Yours 
in 
love 
of 
our 
Lord, 
MRS. 
S. 
B. 
STRATE,-IUinois. 
VOL. 
XXVI 
ALLEGHENY, 
A., 
MARCH 
1, 
1905 
THE 
GREAT 
DELUSION 
OF 
OUR 
TIME 
J. 
H. 
DENNISON 
IN 
"ATLANTIO 
MONTHLY." 
No.5 
It 
would 
be 
but 
human 
if 
this 
age 
were 
trifle 
supercilious, 
not 
to 
say 
deluded, 
concerning 
its 
own 
powers. 
Great 
things 
have 
been 
said 
of 
it, 
nor 
can 
it 
be 
denied 
that 
it 
has 
fallen 
heir 
to 
great 
things. 
At 
least 
it 
has 
enjoyed 
and 
tested 
beyond 
all 
other 
agcs 
the 
fruit 
of 
the 
tree 
of 
knowledge. 
"It 
is 
an 
epoch," 
says 
John 
Fiske, 
"the 
grandeur 
of 
which 
dwarfs 
all 
others 
that 
can 
be 
named 
since 
the 
beginning 
of 
the 
historic 
period, 
if 
not 
since 
man 
first 
became 
distinctively 
human. 
In 
their 
mental 
habits, 
in 
their 
methods 
of 
inquiry, 
and 
in 
the 
data 
at 
their 
command, 
the 
men 
of 
the 
present 
day 
who 
have 
fully 
kept 
pace 
with 
the 
scientific 
movement 
are 
separated 
from 
the 
men 
whose 
education 
ended 
in 
eighteen 
hundred 
and 
thirty 
by 
an 
immeas­ 
urably 
wider 
gulf 
than 
has 
ever 
before 
divided 
one 
progressive 
generation 
of 
men 
from 
their 
predecessors. 
The 
intellectual 
de­ 
velopment 
of 
the 
human 
race 
has 
been 
suddenly, 
almost 
abrupt­ 
ly, 
raisE'd 
to 
hig-hcr 
plane 
than 
that 
upon 
which 
it 
had 
pro­ 
ceeded 
from 
the 
days 
of 
the 
primitive 
troglodyte 
to 
the 
days 
of 
our 
great 
grandfathers." 
This 
statement 
is 
so 
far 
true 
that 
it 
is 
dangerous. 
Doubt­ 
less 
there 
are 
great 
many 
people, 
possibly 
majority 
of 
so­ 
called 
educated 
men, 
who 
would, 
without 
considering 
the 
limi­ 
tations 
of 
scientific 
knowledge, 
accept 
these 
words 
literally, 
who 
have 
formed 
the 
habit 
of 
thinking 
that 
the 
light 
which 
we 
possess 
today 
is, 
compared 
with 
that 
possessed 
by 
Luther 
or 
George 
Washington 
or 
Socrates, 
as 
sunlight 
to 
starlight. 
Their 
view 
is 
not 
only 
that 
we 
know 
infinitely 
more 
than 
Geor~e 
Washington 
knew, 
but 
that 
we 
alone 
possess 
the 
final 
critena 
of 
knowledge. 
Socrates 
and 
Washington 
knew 
good 
deal, 
but 
they 
knew 
vaguely; 
they 
could 
not 
distinguish 
accurately 
between 
fact 
and 
delusion. 
Our 
supreme 
advantage 
is 
supposed 
to 
be 
not 
only 
that 
we 
know, 
but 
that 
we 
know 
we 
know. 
The 
egotistic 
cast 
or 
vogue 
of 
thou~l1t 
enyelops 
the 
mind 
of 
the 
age. 
It 
is 
more 
authoritative 
than 
Kaiser 
or 
Pope, 
than 
dogma 
or 
creed. 
It 
percolates 
through 
all 
classes, 
it 
penetrates 
our 
literature, 
its 
colors 
our 
judgment. 
It 
predetermines 
oor 
view, 
shapes 
the 
outline 
of 
our 
facts, 
and 
is 
interwoven 
with 
the 
texture 
of 
our 
thought. 
In 
considerable 
proportion 
of 
our 
typical 
men 
it 
has 
bred 
sense 
of 
supreme 
judicial 
qualifi­ 
cation. 
In 
the 
presence 
of 
magisterial 
equipment 
so 
vast 
and 
complete, 
mE'n 
of 
previous 
ages 
appear 
dwarfed; 
their 
efforts 
,"E'em 
infantile. 
Even 
Jesus 
appt>ars 
to 
~ope. 
Our 
Scientific 
Judiciary 
does 
indeed 
reverence 
the 
purity 
of 
his 
spirit; 
but 
when 
it 
comes 
to 
his 
authority, 
or 
his 
views 
about 
God, 
they 
tenderly 
but 
firmly 
put 
him 
out 
of 
court. 
"PRIDE 
GOETH 
BEFORE 
DESTRUOTION" 
Now 
this 
sovereign 
attitude 
of 
the 
human 
mind 
has 
in 
the 
course 
of 
history 
proved 
intoxicating, 
and 
therefore 
perilous. 
There 
was 
man 
once 
who 
said, 
"Is 
not 
this 
great 
Babylon, 
that 
have 
built 
1" 
Too 
much 
magistracy 
had 
begun 
to 
im­ 
pair 
the 
finer 
workings 
of 
his 
mind. 
His 
next 
step 
was 
to 
eat 
straw 
like 
an 
ox. 
He 
lost 
sight 
somehow 
of 
organic 
relations. 
This 
suggests 
vital 
question. 
Does 
our 
age 
actually 
possess 
the 
equipment 
for 
magisterial 
attitude! 
Let 
us 
apply 
test: 
Lilt 
us 
take 
those 
writers 
who 
most 
thoroughly 
represent 
the 
magisterial 
attitude 
of 
our 
times; 
let 
us 
see 
what 
light 
they 
throw 
on 
the 
Bocial 
problem, 
what 
that 
radiance 
is 
which 
has 
caused 
the 
glory 
of 
Socrates 
and 
of 
Jesus 
to 
grow 
pale, 
and 
has 
made 
the 
intellectual 
distance 
between 
Washington 
and 
oor­ 
selves 
so 
vast 
that 
we 
can 
hardly 
see 
him. 
quote 
from 
an 
article 
by 
Brooks 
Adams 
in 
the 
Atlantic 
Monthly 
for 
last 
No­ 
vember: 
TBE 
ABSl1RDITY 
OF 
• 
'EVOLUTION" 
SHOWN 
"From 
the 
humblest 
peasant 
to 
the 
mightiest 
empire 
hu­ 
manity 
is 
waging 
ceaseless 
and 
pitiless 
struggle 
for 
existence 
in 
which 
the 
unfit 
perish. 
This 
struggle 
is 
maintained 
with 
every 
weapon 
and 
by 
every 
artifice, 
and 
success 
is 
attained 
not 
only 
by 
endurance 
and 
sagacity, 
but 
by 
cunning 
and 
ferocity. 
Chief, 
however, 
among 
the 
faculties 
which 
have 
given 
superi­ 
ority, 
must 
rank 
the 
martial 
quality, 
for 
history 
teaches 
us 
that 
nothing 
can 
compensate 
community 
for 
defeat 
in 
battle. 
War 
is 
competition 
in 
its 
fiercest 
form." 
"Human 
destiny 
has 
been 
wrought 
out 
through 
war." 
"The 
first 
settlers 
slew 
the 
In­ 
dians, 
or 
were 
themselves 
slain. 
• 
To 
consolidate 
an 
homo­ 
geneous 
empire 
we 
crushed 
the 
social 
system 
of 
the 
South, 
and 
lastly 
we 
cast 
forth 
Spain. 
The 
story 
is 
written 
in 
blood, 
and 
common 
sense 
teaches 
us 
that 
as 
the 
past 
has 
been, 
so 
will 
bE 
the 
future." 
Applying 
this 
pitiless 
principle 
to 
our 
commercial 
relations, 
Mr. 
Adams 
argues 
that 
our 
only 
salvation 
is 
to 
maintain 
it 
to 
the 
bitter 
end. 
There 
is 
no 
hope 
o( 
improvement; 
the 
human 
organism 
must 
fight 
or 
die. 
"The 
evolution 
of 
human 
society, 
like 
that 
of 
the 
brute, 
must 
be 
alon~ 
lines 
of 
pitiless 
warfare." 
Notice 
in 
this 
quotation 
what 
the 
light 
of 
today 
is, 
according 
to 
Mr. 
Adams; 
it 
is 
the 
doctrine 
of 
Natural 
Selection. 
By 
its 
"pure 
white 
light" 
he 
discerns 
without 
any 
illusions 
the 
path­ 
way 
of 
society. 
"Human 
destiny 
has 
been 
wrought 
out 
through 
war." 
"Dreams 
of 
peace 
have 
always 
allured 
mankind 
to 
their 
undoing." 
"Nature 
has 
decreed 
that 
animals 
shall 
(3514] 
(63-67) great is the narvest, and few the laborers. “Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest to send more reapers into the field.” Matt. 9:37-38; John 4:35, And so in harmony with these verses I thankfully and humbly accept the Lord’s invitation and say, Lord here am I, send me, send me. I therefore await your pleasure in the assignment of territory, and by the Lord’s grace am pleased to subscribe myself, A fellow servant in the Redeemer, J. H. Coxe, DEAR BROTHER RUSSELL:— I am just in receipt of ‘Heavenly Manna.” It will serve to stir up the mind by way of remembrance day by day, bringing to our attention precious words ot doctrine, reproot, instruction, admonition, warning, comfort, consolation and encouragement from the divine storehouse provided by our heavenly Father, which I trust he will bless to our good and development into the Christ character. I pray that our heavenly Father will continue to use you in the dispensing of “meat in due season” to the household of faith, and that he will continue to grant you abundant supplies of grace and strength to overcome all the trials and temptations and persecutions incident to so prominent an office in the body of Christ. With much love and best wishes for the New Year to you, Dear Brother, I am Yours in fellowship and service, A, E, Burcess,—Michigan.. Dear BRorHER IN CHRIST:— I received the “Heavenly Manna” book last evening. I am sure it will be the source of many blessings to me throughout the year. This morning we took the January 20th text and read your words of comment, and as we realized that we were considering Vout. XXVI ZION’S WATCH TOWER ALLECHENY, Pa, the same subject that you all at the “Bible House” were discussing, we enjoyed it the more, and were stirred to better thought: to a greater endeavor to get every point fully before our minds, I trust that as the year goes on we may become better able to get the full benefit of the subjects. All the family join with me in sending you our Christian love and best wishes that the present year may be filled with rich blessings for yourself and all the brethren there. Your Brother in the blessed Hope, W. S. McoNavueut, Iowa, Dear Brethren of the WatcH TowER:— I want to tell you the story of one little tract. A few weeks ago I heard that an old friend, that I had not heard from for years until this fall, was in the hospital in Kansas City for treatment. I wrote to him immediately, sending him Tract No. 7. He received it just as he was starting to the doctor’s office, so handed the tract to a man in the same ward, lying there with an amputated leg and swearing. When my friend returned he found the swearing man with tears streaming down his face. He said that was the best little book he ever saw, and wanted to keep it to hunt the references. He said he was done swearing. Now, the friend is here visiting us. We found him to be a consecrated Christian, but in utter darkness as respects present truth. Today he was with us in our little meeting and was much surprised to learn of our Lord’s presence, but he seemed to have a hearing ear, so we rejoice and point him to the helps our Lord has provided; for our tongues are so clumsy. I do hope our Lord will some day loose my tongue, so I can tell the blessed “old, old story” more smoothly. Yours in love of our Lord, Mrs, S. B. STRATE,—Ilinois. ALLEGHENY, PA., MARCH 1, 1905 No. 5 THE GREAT DELUSION OF OUR TIME J. H. DENNISON IN “ATLANTIC MONTHLY.” It would be but human if this age were a trifle supercilious, not to say deluded, concerning its own powers. Great things have been said of it, nor can it be denied that it has fallen heir to great things, At least it has enjoyed and tested beyond all other ages the fruit of the tree of knowledge. “It is an epoch,” says John Fiske, “the grandeur of which dwarfs all others that can be named since the beginning of the historic period, if not since man first became distinctively human. In their mental habits, in their methods of inquiry, and in the data at their command, the men of the present day who have fully kept pace with the scientific movement are separated from the men whose education ended in eighteen hundred and thirty by an immeasurably wider gulf than has ever before divided one progressive generation of men from their predecessors. The intellectual development of the human race has been suddenly, almost abruptly, raised to a higher plane than that upon which it had proceeded from the days of the primitive troglodyte to the days of our great grandfathers.” This statement is so far true that it is dangerous. Doubtless there are a great many people, possibly a majority of socalled educated men, who would, without considering the limitations of scientifie knowledge, accept these words literally, who have formed the habit of thinking that the light which we possess today is, compared with that possessed by Luther or George Washington or Socrates, as sunlight to starlight. Their view is not only that we know infinitely more than George Washington knew, but that we alone possess the final criteria of knowledge. Socrates and Washington knew a good deal, but they knew vaguely; they could not distinguish accurately between fact and delusion. Our supreme advantage is supposed to be not only that we know, but that we know we know. The egotistic cast or vogue of thought envelops the mind of the age. It is more authoritative than Kaiser or Pope, than dogma or creed. It percolates through all classes, it penetrates our literature, its colors our judgment. It predetermines our view, shapes the outline of our facts, and is interwoven with the texture of our thought. In a considerable proportion of our typical men it has bred a sense of supreme judicial qualification. In the presence of a magisterial equipment so vast and complete, men of previous ages appear dwarfed; their efforts seem infantile. Even Jesus appears to grope. Our Scientific Judiciary does indeed reverence the purity of his spirit; but when it comes to his authority, or his views about God, they tenderly but firmly put him out of court. ‘‘PRIDE GOETH BEFORE DESTRUCTION’? Now this sovereign attitude of the human mind has in the course of history proved intoxicating, and therefore perilous. There was a man once who said, “Is not this great Babylon, that I have built?” Too much magistracy had begun to impair the finer workings of his mind. His next step was to eat straw like an ox. He lost sight somehow of organic relations. This suggests a vital question. Does our age actually possess the equipment for a magisterial attitude? Let us apply a test: Let us take those writers who most thoroughly represent the magisterial attitude of our times; let us see what light they throw on the social problem, what that radiance is which has caused the glory of Socrates and of Jesus to grow pale, and has made the intellectual distance between Washington and ourselves so vast that we can hardly see him. I quote from an article by Brooks Adams in the Atlantic Monthly for last November: THE ABSURDITY OF ‘‘EVOLUTION'’ SHOWN “From the humblest peasant to the mightiest empire humanity is waging a ceaseless and pitiless struggle for existence in which the unfit perish. This struggle is maintained with every weapon and by every artifice, and success is attained not only by endurance and sagacity, but by cunning and ferocity. Chief, however, among the faculties which have given superiority, must rank the martial quality, for history teaches us that nothing can compensate a community for defeat in battle. War is competition in its fiercest form.” “Human destiny has been wrought out through war.” “The first settlers slew the Indians, or were themselves slain. . . . To consolidate an homogeneous empire we crushed the social system of the South, and lastly we cast forth Spain. The story is written in blood, and common sense teaches us that as the past has been, so will be the future.” Applying this pitiless principle to our commercial relations, Mr. Adams argues that our only salvation is to maintain it to the bitter end. There is no hope of’ improvement; the human organism must fight or die. “The evolution of human society, like that of the brute, must be along lines of pitiless warfare.” Notice in this quotation what the light of today is, according to Mr. Adams; it is the doctrine of Natural Selection. By its “pure white light” he discerns without any illusions the pathway of society. “Human destiny has been wrought out through war.” “Dreams of peace have always allured mankind to their undoing.” “Nature has decreed that animals shall (3514)

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