A man was reading the "Millennial Dawn" when a friend remarked to him: "You would do better to put in your time reading the Bible." "But this helps me to, understand the Bible," replied the reader. "Yes, and it may also help you to misunderstand it." And here is the matter in a nutshell. Not only the Millennial Dawn, but all other religious literature advocating systems and theories are like Moses declared the bribe to be in its effect--"it blindeth the eyes and perverteth the judgment." It is contrary to man's best interest, and any man that values truth and his soul's salvation does well to renounce all this religio-philosophical stuff that is littering the world to-day. And I make no exceptions. Whenever even simple Christians feel called upon to promulgate theories and build up systems of doctrine, their work also should be discarded. We need no "theology;" or, if we do, let every man construct his own on the Scripture, and have it to himself alone before God, and not put colored glasses before his brother's eyes. I have a book which if a man read (granted he is unpre-possessed, open-minded, and not more versed in scripture and dialectics than the average) will make him a Catholic, another which will make him a Mormon, another which will make him a Christadelphian, another which will make him an Adventist. Our minds are plastic clay--let us take heed into what fashioning hands we commit them. Those theories and systems are each and [110] every one subtle and plausible and some even fascinating. Beware! I also have a book which if read and received by an open mind will make a man just a child of God, one of the Lord's people, a possessor of all truth. We know the name of that Book. How far different it is from the theories that have been spun around it, and what the distinction between the teaching of it and the teaching of a theory, may presently be seen.

      There are few things that hinder the truth more, that darken counsel, warp the eye, and sustain error so effectually as theory spinning and system building. It is easily done. A passage here and a passage there--the two fit admirably. Another passage or two--that is enough for the underpinnings. Upon that we build. Sleepers and joists of plausible conclusions and logical deductions come next. We reason of what can and what cannot be, granted this and that. On hypothetical premises we rear proud structures of absolutely certain conclusions. It could hardly be claimed that the building goes forward without sound of saw or hammer, for there is much work to be done. Contrary texts have to be spliced or sawed off, according as they are too long or too short to fit; rebellious passages must be hammered into submission. The plane and the chisel have to be plied, and that which God has not joined together must be united with the glue of human reasonings (that I say not guile), and that which God has joined together must be put asunder with maul and wedge. Then when it stands all finished and dovetailed, the builder wipes the sweat from his honest brow and comes in for merited praise from his admirers. It is so convincing it confirms him, himself, and--alas!--convinces [111] perhaps thousands of others. He glories in it, as Nebuchadnezzar over his fine city: "is not this great Babylon, which I have built . . . by the might of my power?" And if he could be cured by it, we could wish he, too, would go to grass for seven years.

[TAG 110-112]