Omaha daily bee., 1896-08-21
BIBLE FOR THE YOUNG PEOPLE
DR.. Reid of PittsburE Presents Some
P~aIatnbIc Reflections 70 @


President Quay then introduced the vener-
He was to address the convention on The
Young Peoples Bible and as he advanced
to the center of the stage he was greeted
with great applause. Although the atmos-
phere was a trifle close, and though it was
necessary for the delegates to use their
fans constantly, the speaker was granted the
closest attention of all from the front boxes
to the furthest seat in the gallery. DR..
Reds address abounded with dry humor,
and its delivery was Interrupted with laugh
ter quite as often as by applause, which was
nothing If not liberal. 1t is not derogatory
to the previous speakers to say that none
of them held the rapt attention of the dele
gates as did DR.. Reid. His complete address
follows:
Mr.. President and Ladies and Gentlemen
of the Convention: We have all heard and
read of the woman's bible, a revised and
improved edition of the word of God; it
leaves out everything that reveals woman's
W9Me a ambiitie eHer sydrHtbin9 nat 95at f % Idf
in accordance with woman's taste, and it
contains only that which is pleasing to
those who occupy advanced ground in the
movements for woman's emancipation from
the tyranny of man and law and custom
an improved bible! 1t is an attempt won
derful in its folly and marvellous in its
daring; II is akin to the rebellion of the
angels. Whatever other lesson this attempt
may teach, it certainly seems to imply that
the fools are not all of the masculine gender.
daughter and applause.) Whatever other
lesson II teaches, 1t does seem to teach
the sorrowful lesson. Mr.. President, that
the fols are not all dead yet, and probably
will not be till We are in our graves. Qaugh-
ter and applause.)
But the project to prepare a woman's
bible and the failure of the project have
suggested that perhaps it might be a good
thing to have a young peoples bible, one
which would leave out everything hurtful
to the youth, everything not adapted to
their circumstances, and which would con-
tain only what was interesting and profit
able to them, Here is a great mass of ore;
let us melt It, and separate the precious
metal from its surroundings. Here Is IA
threshing floor; let us winnow the wheat
from the chaff. Here is a book; let us tear
essentially upon the plot and it's develop
ment. Here is "A book; let us take out of
so we shall have the purest gold and the
tirest wheat, and the most entertaining
volume, and a perfect bible; 1t seems to
me that such a project as this Is possible,
am quite confident, for the thing which
have outlined as my task this day is
to suggest such a bible for our young peo-
pie; and l am confident that this task viii
not be a failure, If l can suggest such
9 bible. demand for i from my young
most profound reverence. In order to as
slst my memory and yours, permit me to
the study of our young peoples bible.
CONTENTS OF THAT BIBLE.
In the hrst place. then, what must be
which is to contain only What IS profitabiie
and interesting to the young? 1t must
contain a fun revelation of human sinful
of true wisdom. The Syrian captain must
know that he is a leper, or he will not
Know That ne he 0f is blind aar' on he m twii
not walt for the coming physician
Peter must know he is sinking IN
help. Man must know that he is a
sinner, or he will never be delivered from
his sinfulness. And our young people arc
transgressors, for transgrassion is not lin
tied either TO the aged or to those in mid
S lille life wbo Therefore, eTss our pf m yeqH sm, peT %ns,
not omit the revelation of human sinful,
ness, 1t is. a hard thing to convince men
peated revelation Of human sinfulness.
know how sin was introduced into the
world. We must. therefore, give a place
of Of the = Ifa alL SI Which Si c hang: 20 tb 5ee G saI s1o[ 3,
Eden into, the Garden of Gethsemene, and
tore up the tree of life and planted the
to give a place 10 the development of sin
We cannot omit the story of the delqge
of the cities of the plain or of the eXtinc.
ton of the nations of Canaanites, or OF
he SaPtiyitSies Of Israel r or the ruins o.
know also the development and conse,
quences Of sin in the human life; and SC
TO the death OF Abel. to the curse of Cain
TO the cruelty of Pharaoh and the plaques
row Of his house and his Kingdom; to tn,
baldheaded prophet and to the irreyereni
and hooking children. We must give q
place to the story of Jereboam and Anal
and Jezebel, and those who made Israe
10. sin; the treachery of Judas and his sui
phira; and to many other incidents sucf
as these; and We must write in large letters
in our bible the precepts which reveal III,
power, the pollution, and the guilt of hu
man sin.
our young peoples bible must contain al
that is contained i'm the actual bible which
bears directly or indirectly upon the grea'
question of human sinfulness. DO you sa,
10 me that so much of the bible is takeI
up I'm this line that something of II may b'
omitted? Tell me, has the full revelation
ON this point kept men from SHINING, or ma.
II turned men from sin? In spite OF al
the precepts and examples, In spite of Nh
threatenings and the punishments, sin
abounds stlll, our proposed bible canno
omit the preeept or example or a single