Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1889-04-12
THE BOOK OF TRUTH.
ASsIvERsAgY CELEBRATION OF TIE
BIBLE SOCIETY OF vfEGINIA.
Interesting Addrsssss Delivered at ST.
PauPs Last Night by Dra
Jackson and Curry.

The scventy-sixth anniversary Of the Bible
| Society OF Virginia was celebrated at 81. Psuls
church last night The evening was pleasant,
aud despite the Pickett concert and other attrac-
| tions there was quito large audience present,
embracing several hundred persons, tho great
| majority Of them being sundsy-school workers
aud Bible students.
Among those who occupied seats within the
chancei we're Hon. J. L. NJ. Curry and Rev. Dr.
! H. NJ. jackson the orators OF the evening; Drs.
Road NJ d. Hoge Robert z. Kerr. Charles Mn
| niger0dc, :. 5. Lambeth, and Rev. Landon A.
| Cutler.
Rev. DR.. Read. tho retiring president who de-
! clned reelection for another year, presided
OPENING EXERCISES.
The exercises we're opened with the singing OF
| Hymn No. SO, Word Of God incernate."
| Following the singing Rev. MIR Cdtler read the
| nineteenth Psalm and DR.. Hogo offered teryent
prayer invoking tho continuance OF ID Diyine
| blessing upon the great aud glorious wofk IN
which the society Is engaged.
Another hymn
| "Jesus shall reign whereer the sun
Does his successive Journeys run" -
| was sung, after which Secretary T. l. d. Wahord
| read his report giving account OF the Work
| during the past year aud appealing 70 the NOM
| bers OF the worthy Organization and the public
generally 20 contribute to the good work or put
ting The Bible Ia the homes OF the destitute.
| Among other things the report showed that
| during tho past three months one distributor
| has sold nearly one thousand Bibles, chiefly
| cheap volumes, in Richmond and Manchester.
| Tho field Is in proper condition, and all that -
need ed 10 forward the cause OF Christ by placing
the Word Of God In the hands Of tho poor at iis
| actual cost and giving 1t 10 the destitute Is
| money
THE FIRST ORATOR.
| Dr. Read now presented TO the audience tho
| first orator Of the evening, Rev. DR.. II. Nj. JACK
| son. who spoke about twenty-five minutes and
| delivered a chaste and elegant discourse.
Tho existence Of this society," said the
| speaker, land the presence here OF this audi
| ence are evidences Of the dsathiess hold which
| tho Book Of books has taken upon the affections
| Of mankind" lie spoke Of tho origin Of the tito
| OF the great Book and then invited his hearers
10 glance at tho formation and history Of the
| Book; compared the Word Of God with other
| writings. and showed how IL IN harmony and
! unity insnitcly eurpasses any other book elO-
quently described its ctviliziAE. eleYating, and
| lettering effects upon mankind Ia general, aud
in concluding said:
OUR PRESENT DUTY.
| In conclusion, let us reflect a moment upon
| our present duty with respect TO the BOOK. We
/ have spoken briefly OF It's composition; of its
crystal izstion Of many books into one com pieie
and harmonious revelation. We have glanced
at its mighty effects as Illustrative OF ITS power
] and the source OF rs power. New. this Book haa
come down 20 us from tho stored past as a
! priceless heritage. The generations that have
| gone have transmitted IL 10 US with scrupulOus
| care aud confded IL 10 our hands. What is our
| duty win respect 20 1t?
| DO not speak now OF that Individual use VIC
| must make Of II IN our own spiritual lie;
| speak OF the obligation imUo-ed upon us
| Of sending this BOOK, with It's treghted
| blessings. 10 the destitute. WAC will com
| pute the work done by tho Biblo societies
| OF Christian lands ? IL has now been translated
| into 3A languages. OF European languages,
| 7S OF Asiatc, l0j OF African, t2 OF Amer.-
| can 3S aud OF the languages of Oceanica, a..
1 10 a
| globe can now read tho words Of this Book IN
| thelr own tongue wherein thoy were born. II
| has gone forth into all lands 70 prove on every
| continent and among all peoples the corner
| stone Of new civilization. IL has demonstrated
| its power 10 win its way into the affections aud
| influence the lives Of men.
| read somewhere net long sgo an incident
| told b. a missionary whose sphere OF labor Il
In the northern part OF this continent within tho
| Arctic circle.
! One day as he was seated In bis hut
| door opened and group Of Indians 1led silently
| In after their manner and seated tn~msolvc'.
| Tho missionary raised his head and asked them
whence tney came. lhey had tourneysd four
| teon nights thoy said, from somewhere far Ia
| the interior OF that vast land. What DO you
| want Of me: asked tho missionary. We have
| come that you may tell us the meaning OF this
| Book. A copy OF the Bible in their oWn tongue
| had found it, way 20 that remote Indian village.
| The inhabitants had learned 10 read that they
might possess themselves OF It's coptenta But
| there was much they could hot understand !;
| mucn that wes an enigma ~ them necdlng
/ solution; and they had dispatched this
| deputxuon 10 travel fourteen daye' journey
| across the uacsloss SHOWS OF Arctic re-
| gions TO learn the meaning OF their Book. What
intereati What shame ind Tebuke TO Chris
/ tians whose Bibles are dust-coverod and moth
/ eaten from disusO -
NADAGAsCAR's EMANCIPATION.
! You all know the story Of msdagnscar's eman-
! cipation--one Of tho most splendid triumphs Of
: lafH NrfT fFFnF
! fnat In one Of tho reactions Of heaihen power,
| Que OF the refiuxes Of the incoming tide, tho
| IN ssionGries were expelled from tho island, and
! the churches were dismantled. But the written
| " ord OF God still romainedin the cherished pos
session Of the native Christmas, Snd DR.. Jilman,
! in a papsr on The Power Of ths Printed Bible"
tells US that in those DARK days the Scriptures
| were buried FOR safety and read by stealth, and
| when the supply OF pristed Bibles failed the ma
| tiyes copied cut portions with the pen. And yet
! during that period, whom there Was no preacner
| but the Bible itsolf bearing its own witness the
| number OF Christians Increased from l,oOO 10
| 1000 and the kingdom Of God increased with ST.
| lent might
TIE BIBLE POWER.
| Fellow Christians. the Bible is Itself power.
II is the Word OF God, and 1t cannot 60 forth i'm
! poionuy Dor return to Him void. This society
| whose anniversary you are here 10 celebrate
/ tonight Is engaged in sending IL abroad aud
| planting IL IN every household where IL 10 not
| Audis We ask What Is our duty with respect 10
|
suggested and 90 conclusive 70 the Christian con
| science as this duty Of Increasing its power and
multiplying It's influence among the sons OF this
| fAlea race
Ah Indian chief out on the western plains
! walked ono day iato tho house OF the Christian
| mlssionsrie- and laid down his offering.
| There said he, take that aud giue the G0spsl
| another push" Who Of you tonight will feel It
an honor and privilege 70 lay down your oher-
ing ana say: Give the Word OF God another
push?
Yea on, thou Word Of Ged on. in thy conquer
| ing career: on. under darksned roof-trees: on,
! among bsnighted peoples. bearing thy heaven
klndled torch Of light and illuminlng she path
way of eternal life. And when the last hour
! comes and the results OF human agency are
| summed up, may ii be recorded OF me and OF
| each one hOre. he helped on the Word OF God la
| It's glorious course.
DR.. cuREY's ADDRESS.
"Joy TO the World. the Lord Is Come" was
sung, and the President introduced Hon. j.
l.. N. Curry who occupied so'at taiFty lii5.yy
discourse on the Bible and the Chris
tsn religion which II teaches. lie said
that the inhdel literature and pretensiops OF the
present day sometimes condescendngly &C
| knOwledged the excellence OF Christianity and
| classified h among other religions equally en-
titlod 10 acceptance. There were undoubtedly
| connecting points In all religions Wnicn were eX-
| pressive Of the wants OF a common humSnity.
| What was deepest In the human heart would
record itself in obi ects and methods and acts Oh
| religious worship God was the creator Of man
| kind aud the Divine origin could not DO eiiaced
| altogether by any amount OF or persistence IN
| ignorance. superstition, and WtckedneSS. Wnai-
| ever might DO said of evolution from lower 10
| higher there was never any retroerossion from
| man 10 bruto. The feeling after the Creator was
| seen ia ceremonies and creeds1 however gross
! the worship might DO.
| UNJUST AND UNsCIENriFlC.
In the second place, the speaker said, the
| Classification OF Christianity with Brahminism,
! Buddhism MohaID nedanism, or the most ad-
| yauced cults in what Is called the science oil
| comparative religion, Was unjust and unscien-
| tinc In that tt omitted or excluded what Chrls-
| tianity possessed and what produced between IL
| and other religions an irreconclable contrast
| A comparison OF Christianity with the best OF
| connective religions in few particulars might
rot be Improbable
The speaker illustrated by referring to truth,
morality. and phhanthrophy as professed and
| practjced under the teachings Bnd influence OF
| Inherent religions. No denial was made OF much
| mat was excollcnt and laudablc in other reli-
| gions buf in the comprehension OF truth IN tue
standard oi ethtcs--in the recognition and prac-
| tice of bsnOhconce-tbere would be no conpari-
! son between the lower religions and what was
| taught and accomplished BY Christians.
THE SALVATION or SINNERS.
Thirdly. Superior es was Christianity 10 all
other religiens In these particulars. still these
did not constitute It's distinguishing e1eellencs