Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1885-12-24
THE. BIBLE AS AN EDUCATOR.

&.
Chin csc Literature and Pagan Morality
Coatrasted with the Educational Power
of the Eible.
The Educational Power of the
Bible" was one of the topics touched
upon by DR.. Ashmore, in his address at
the Indiana anniversaries recently.
What he said in expanding the thought
20 implied was the more significant as
the people of whom he was speaking
are one of those amongst whom there
is 4 literature, a proud civilization, and
a culture such as once led them to
lcok upon even the great Western ma
tons as '.barbarians. The Chinese are
very far from being an illiterate people,
while in fact all that certain sort of
pagan morality can do for a people
has been done for them. A nation
with Confucius and a Mencius for its
great teachers might be supposed to be
mighty favored; and whoever becomes
in any considerable degree familiar
with the writings attributed to Confu-
cius, or those of which Mencius was
the undoubted author, will say that
such '.classics as these deserve to be
treasured and studied by those to whom
they have descended as heritage.
And they are so; while in other re-
spects the Chinese have literature
which is by no means to be despised.
But somehow the educational power
of these books stops short OF the de-
sired result. They furnish no protec-
ton against degrading supersttions;
they fail to lay hold of either character
or life in a way to elevate and ennoble.
Whatever may be true in exceptional
cases of Chinese character, the mass of
the people remain from generation to
generation at the same dead level of
mere existence, living and dying with
out aspiration and without hope.
Hence the significance of what mission
aries like Dr. AShmOre tells us of the
surprising effect of Bible teaching.
when accepted in Christian way,
upon Chinese character. with the re-
Sultant effect on life. The Bible seems
to lay hold of them like some gracious
force. and lifts them into a wholly new
region of thought, of aspiration, of de-
sire and of hope. Those ''old things"
old indeed in this ancient nation, so
fixed in its ideas and habits-'.pass
away The pagan investment drops
and disappears. and it Is a new man, a
new woman. you see before You.
We suppose that what is thus said of
this one pagan people may be said of
all. One reason is that the Bible is so
peculiarly book for the people. Who
ever gives himself the trouble to look
into those so-called sacred books of the
Chinese. the Kings" of Confucius, or
into the writings of Mencius, finds no
doubt many things in these as a very
ancient literature to interest him. This
is how men have thought and have
tried to believe, and these are ideas of
duty and virtue of the world and of
life in times when Moses was writing
the moving story of 1.-The Man of SOr-
rows So with other of the old
pagan books. Persian, Brahman. Budd-
hi,tic But he who reads most of these
in search of what shall seem to him in
vested with any real human interest
will look in vain. Dry moralities,
cloudy speculationS. heartleSS rituals,
absurd mythologies-what are these to
human soul9 At almost every point
the Bible is in striking contrast with all
such. There is throb of Divine
sympathy in every word. There is an
expression of Divine interest alike in
law and in gospel. Very soon
does the interested pagan reader
find the great God revealed as the kind
Father. so that while this amazing
Personality comes forth out of mists of
pagan myth or unbelief. it is seen
clothed not more in splendor and aw-
fulness than in love and tenderness.
Those of us to whom the Bible is in
all ways so much. can we not under.
stand what it must be to converted
hesthen reading it with newly-opened
eyes?
And then, there as real "educa-
tional power in the Bible. Education
is not simply the knowing of many
things. 1t may exist where compare
lively few things are known. Can not
the reader recall some person within
his knowledge who had, as we some
times hear it said, but zone book?'
Little they knew of the sciences and
PHILOSOPHERS of their time. Small
learning had they in other languages
than their own; and small learning
even in that, so far as grammatical
or rhetorical principles and rules might
be concerned. But were they not in
telligent? Was there not elevation of
thought, as well as of character? Did
you not find them expressing sound
views upon great questions. and with
.out assuming to ''meddle with all wis
II -
the best educated people the writer of
this article ever knew were the people
.of one Book.