The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1893-09-19

l
stand men whom all the world acknowl-
edge to be strong intellectually and whose
evidence i'll any other courtroom would be
mcontrovertible. l will not call to the
witness stand any minister of the gospel,
for he might be prejudiced There are
two ways of taking an oath in court
room. One is by putting the lips to the
Bible and the other is by holding up the
right hand toward heaven. Now. as i'll
this case, it is the Bible that is on trial.
we will not ask the witness 10 put the
book to his lips. for that would imply that
the sanctity and divinity of the book is
settled, and that would be begging the
question. So ! shall ask each witness to
lift his hand toward heaven in atiirnla ton.
Samuel +. Chase, chief justice of the
by President Lincoln. will take the witness
stand. Chief Justice Chase, upon your
OATH please state what you have to say
about the book commonly called the Bible.
The witness replies: There came Il fine in
my life when doubted the divinity Of the
scriptures. and | resolved, as Il lawyer and
Judge. | would try the book as | would Try
anything i'll the courtroom, taking evidence
for and against. 1t was long and seri-
Gus and profound study. and using the
same principles of evidence in this relig-
ious matter as | always do in secular mat
tiers. ] have come to the decision that the
Bible is supernatural book. that it has
come from God, and that the only safety
for the human race is to follow its teach
ingS.' Judge. that will do. Go back
again to your pillow of dust on the banks
of the Ohio. Next | put unon the wit
ness stand president of the United States
John Quincy Adams president
Bible and Christianity" The president re
plies; Il have fer many Years made it Il
practice to read through the Bible once n
year. My custom is to read rour or five
i'm nYIi ut ~
arising from my bed. II employs about an
hour Of my time and seems 10 me the most
suitable manner of beginning the day. In
what hight sorVer we regard the Bible
whether with reference to revelation, to
history or to morality, it is an invaluable
and ineXhanstible mine of knowledge and
virtue Next | put upon the witness
stand Sir Isaac Newton. the author of the
'lrincipia' and the greatest natural philoS-
opher the world hats ever seen. Sir
Isaac. what have YOU to say concerning
the Bible?" The philosophers reply is;
We account The scriptures of God to be
the most sublime philosophy"
Next | put upon the witness stand the
enchantment OF letters, Sir Walter Scott:
and when | asked him what he thinks of
among other books. he replies: There is
but one book and that is the Bible" Next
! put upon the stand the most famous geOO-
gSt of all time, Hugh Miller, an elder of
DIR. Guthrie's Presbyterian church, in Edin-
bnrgh. and Faraday and Keppler, and they
all testify TO the same thing. They all
say the Bible is from God and that the
mi&htiest influence for good that ever
touched our world is Chrlstianty. Chan
ceilor Kent! What do Won think of the
touched our world is Christianity. Cham
Rblc?" Answer. NO other boob ever ad
dressed itself 50 authoritatively and 50
periodically TO the Judgment ana moral
sense Of mankind. Edmund Burke.
What 90 YOU think of the Bible?" Ans
Wer: Il have read the Bible morning. noon
and night. and have ever since been the
happier and the better man for such read
ing. Next / put upon the stand William
+. Gladstone, the head of the English gov
ernment and | hear him saving what he
said to me i'll January of 1880, when. in
reply to his telegram, Pray come to fia-
warden tomorrow I visited him Then
and there | asked him AS to whether, in
the passage of years, his faith in the holy
scriptures and Christianity was on the
increase or decrease and he turned upon
me with an emphasis and enthusiasm such
as no one who has not conyersed with bin
can fully appreciate, and expressed by voice
and gesture, and illumned countenance his
cYcI+ncrrasing faith i'll God and the Bible
and Christianity as the only hope of our
ruined world THAT is al. Mr. Gladstone
We will take of your time now, for. from
the reports Of what is going on in England
just now, | think you are very busy"
The next man | Put anon the witness stand
is the late earl al i>inlorp. and ! ask him
what he thinks of Christianity and he re-
plies WHY do you ask me thal? Did You
not hear me preach Christ in The Midnight
Mission. Of Iondon?" oh YES, I rcmcm.
ber"' But | see many witnesses present
today in the courtroom, and | call you to
The witness stand, but / have only sec
o'.41 Of time for any one of You. As YOU
pass along just give one sentence in regard