The evening times., 1896-04-23
Earnest and Interesting Papers
Read BY Ministers.
BEST BOOK In THE WORLD
The st yle of the Writing and Wisdom
Continued In 1t Cannot BE Sur
passedby Any Other w or ks. Ancient
or MOdern-Reports From Colleges
Of the Use Made of 1t

i'll questions of religious education. The
meetings Of the First National Congress or
Religious Education. in progress during this
week. have not at any time been crowded,
and this morning, when Rev. W. W. Van
Arsdale, in charge of the devotional exer-
ciscs. at S:i5 O'Clock gave out Rock of
Ages TO sing. there were only thirty per
sons in the room to respond. and it was a
full quarter of an hour after the hour OF
opening at that.
TIE meetings are under the auspices OF
one of the great religious organizations OF
the Countrywide American Society of Re
Iigious Education-and the program has on
il some OF the great names in the religious
world. and is under the direction Of Gen.
Jobs Eaton. OF national reputation as Com
missioner of Education and father OF the
civil service reform. The lack appears to
be in I he people. not in the rank ar>i quality
of intellectual entertainment and edifica-
ton Offered.
When DR.. Van Ars'!alc had read from the
scriptures and invoked the blessing of
God, Gen. Eaton, who presided, intro
duced Prof. l.. L. Gould, of the Pbila-
dclphia Divinity school, who read a
paper on The Bible in Higher Insiitu-
tons OF Learning.
INSPIRATION OF THE BIBLE.
He treated of the literary inspiration CT
the Bible. He said the writers Were inevi-
tably provincial; for prOvincialism Is OF
the jew. The writings lack IightneSs and
dcliCacy OF touch but they have nobility
and strength.
The account OF the creation is noble
work, and the Book of Job has been in
all time a type OF sublime writing. The
prophets are the oratory of religion. while
the proverbs come do.u 10 common, every
day life in plain garh. but with homeiy
strength and telling effect.
The New Testament opens a new field,
beginning with history and closing with
the revelation OF the apocalypse The ah-
scncc of colonng in the gospels. esnc-
cially in the telling of such life as that
OF our Lcrd is the perfection OF art.
They are models of seif-restrhint and self
effaccment.
The life behind tie epist!eS Is rich ana
strong. and is revealed in them. Few
things are finer than Paul's culOgy OF
love.
With such literary merit so universally
list ribut,tI it is Impossible that the Bible
should be left out OF any well planned col
.egc or university coursn.
The life of these people is in large part
responsible for the character of the Scrip
-ur. The Jews were. during "A great part
of their national life. shut up from the
management of affairs. They boomed as
urophets poets. and lawgivars, not admin
js.rators. The life of the people was
schoolcd in disa ster, aud thus became
swce, and strong. Its last word was al
ways duty.
But Judaism finds it, highest, not in the
if. of the people. but in tie Messiah. H."
set himself great task, aud the history
of the world has ever since been mainly
a record OF the slow progress of his ideas.
No literature is so worthy OF study rs that
which has grown up in connection with
That progress.
Paul also had n great task. He was to
break up proviucialism in the Christian
world and bring universaiism. He accom-
pli shed this by combating the multiplicity
Of rules that was springing with the ut
mo $, simplicity. Itwas Il boididea toattempt
20 plant Christian thought in the heart OF
,hc Roman world. The success was mar
yclcus, when Paurs reliance upon bis
own steady life in his humble station teach
ing the words OF Christ is found to he
MS sole means OF accomplishing II.
literature tina. moves in the circle OF
he gand ideas OF religious life must have
a lofty Inspiration. not divine inspiration,
,u, such as is found in shakespeare. In
spiratiun is drawn from another source.
and the two are mixed in Just proportions
to produce n grand result.
After all. the chief inspiration is the
divine man. The ideal human life must
Furnish a story more living and vital than
anv other in the world.
CoMPLIMENTED THE AUTHOR.
At the conclusion of the paper Gen.
Eaton said the right of the Bible to a
place in every college course had never
before been so thoroughly and ably pre-
sentcd TO his mind.
Dr. C. W. Dabney of the Department of
Agriculture who was to discuss the paper,
was absent because Secretary Morton was
called out of town yesterday.
Prof Montague of Columbian Univer
versity read a fifteen minute paper tonch-
ing upon the thoughts presented by Prof.
Gould
In the pages of the Bible. he said, the
profoundest intellect may find wisdom.
Apart from the Obligation presented TO
every Christian 20 lead men 10 Christ, the
Bible presents n grand literature.
In Luke the Greek student will find a
fine idomaric use of that tongue. In the
episties are noble passages that rival the
best in the classics. He compared the deaths
of Demosthenes and other worthless to the
triumphal close of Paul's life and his grand
defiance of death.
The glorious efforts of DpmOsthenes when
In the DE Corona he vanquished Aeschmes:
of Cicero in his denunciation of Catiiine
do not surpaSs the defense of Paul before
Felix.
For finish of style and perfection Of
strength. Paul compares with the best
work OF the Greek and Latin writers.
Prof Montague compared. with the ad-
vantage for the Scriptural writings, scme
Of the finest narrative and descriptive
passages of Virgil and Horace and Ovid
with the simple. direct reports of journeys
and clear, easy descriptions of Luke and
Peter and Paul in the Acts and in the
Epistles.
He showed low the philosophy OF Paul
with the Christian thought as its basis
excels the nOblest thoughts of Seneca
"A Aurelins and Horace. Horace said only
n part of him should die. hut he meant
only that his thoughts would live in the