The Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1863-1886, 1867-02-07
LANCASTER, February 3nd, 1867.
ADD RE So

AID ID IL e SIS.
When l came here this evening" I
;, receive this Office at your hands / wa
oppressed with feelings of persona
distIust and difidcnce but your kin
words of induction, Reverend Sir, hav
! inspired me with more confidence =.
They are advisory and worry signifcan
but al the same time they are words q
consolation. They have touched M,
heart, and assure you they will liv
in my memory.
would be doing great injustice [,
my own feelings, and it would be al
aiiront upon yours as friends of th,
Bible, did | not tell this large congre
cation that Appreciate with tender s. sen
slbility the honor conferred, in choos
ing me to be President of q Societ,
having for its fundamental object III,
circulation of the Holy Scriptures o
GOD. There is no man living who
would not be ennob!ed and honored il
becoming helper, no matter how
humble, in work so exalted and be-
nefcent as this; and it is the marye
and standing stigma of our enlighten
ed AEGEAN age so wonderfully pro
gressive in all the arts and sciences
and in every domain of human knowl.
edge-that a sentiment so self.evident
as this, is not popularized,- that il
does not strlulate into activity all the
forces of our social, moral and intel.
lectual organization.
Without the Bible Why, our World
would bo blank. No human aritb
metlc can aggregate its consequence
1t underlles every system of civiliza-
ton that is worth the name 1t is the
rock upon which is built the perpetui.
ty of the State, tho stability of the
church. the security of human rights
the retention of human happiness the
inviolabiIity of the family home,
and the substantiation of those catho.
lie, higher and heller motives of action
that will one day fuse into loving
brotherhood, the men of every tribe
and tongue, and climate and KINGDOM
under heaven. Now every intelligent
man and woman know all this. They af.
fect,to believe it, and the wonder of won.
derS is, that aside from higher and no.
bier considerations, the very impulses
of sclf-prcseryation, self.ntsrest, and
selflove do not compel. them into be
ing the jealous, active, and constant
friends of the Holy Scriptures.
But have not come before Won To
eulogise the Bible. | am not CONNIE.
tent to the task. You will learn this
evening from much ablcr lips than
mine, of its transccndent Importance
and its affecting claims; yet this |
will say, that whenever we elevate it
above the sordid atmosphere of our
material and animal life, e,-when it is
received as the demonstrator of the
deathless destiny of mankind, d,-as the
expositor of those grand truths that
cluster around Him, who is "The Way, |
the Truth, and the Lifo, " it may well be |
come the wisest, the best and the
purest of our race, to acknowledge
with bended head and shoeless feet
that he is treading upon holy ground,
and language itself becomes impo-
tent for expression; it is awed back in.
TO silence when the marvellous volume
,omest us, flashing from every page,
The mighty credentials 10 authenticate
he plentitude of its inspiration, as
record OF the thoughts, the counsels
md the doings of God.
The American Bible Society, among
,ther large plans of operation, have
'esolved that they will, during the
current year, place this Book of Life
within the reach of every family in
,ur land-and they will do it. I;
twill be accomplished in spite of
he apathy of protesting friends, and
n the face Of all banded opposition
Men may invent, and oppose every
Weapon of hostilty,-They may dis.
ort and disfgure--they may main &
Tound,-they may cruelty and bury
he truth if they will-but they can !,
ot destroy it. For every Protestant Il
bible that has been burned, thousands ii
ave leaped into being to supply its
oss, and the ashes of the Sacred Book, a
Ike the blood of the martyrs, became l'
he seed of the church. ~ =.
The auxilliarics everywhere have
aught the inspiration OF these great ST
entral movements, and are now send CT
lg back to the noble men of New York a.
ne sentiments, if not the words OF the IL
eautiful Bible Hymn We teach to our s,
hildren -
"Well not give up the Bible, n'
Butspreadi it far and widci &c
Until its saving voice be heard
Beyond the rolling tide; 81
Tho men should strive to wrest our prize, 70
By guile or cruel might; st
Wen suffer all that man can do, Ie
And Con defend the rightm OF
This is the mission of our Society.
is TO stand up for, to demand, and to
,act the circulation of a free Bible ..
see to it that this inestimable gift of ~
cd TO US is unmutilatod, sntrammel-