The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1897-03-17
Gladstone And The mbIe.


his equal IN scholarship nor brains, are
endeavoriug to get some cheap noloricty
by l'rpant criticisms
II is Mr. Gadstonc's conviction. de
rived, he says, from long observation,
that the Influence of the negative or
agnosic spirit eff the day has affected
st,tcsmen, "lhe class engaged in political
employment 10 a comparatively small
degree ''petsons who are hab,tHally
convefsant with human motive, conduct,
and concerns, he says, ''are very much
less borne down by s%eptit ism tlan
specialists ot various kinds aud those
whose pursuits have associated them with
the literature Of fancy. with abstract
speculation, or with the study, history
and framework OF inanimato nature.
Mt Gladstone does not find that there
is any disposition ON tue part of the world
to abatc allegiance TO the Bible. "lndeed, "
he exclaims, "it has been simultaneously
with the undermining and disintcgrating
movement that the religion OF Christ has
assumed mere visibly than ever com
handing position in the world Dwelling
upon this idea he contrasts the Bible with
the other sacred writings OF the world
Its claim to authority Is absolute. 1t
takes no notice whatever of these other
writings. The God 1t prociaims is the only
and the universal God
at is supremacy, not precedence, he
says, THAT we ask for the Bible it is
contrast, as well MS resemblance, that We
must feel compelled to insist on. The
Bible is stamped with specially Of origin,
and an immeasnrahle distance separates
1t from all competitors He proceeds in
the following words
"rhe Christian ereeds, like the Scrip.
lures as Christians 10 general hold them.
teach the doctrine Of the Holy Trinity,
but this doctrine of the Holy Trinity pre-
supposes. aud is based and built upon
the doctrine of the unity.
"Not only did those Scriptures teach
the unity of God, but they taught 1t with
an emphasis, persistency and authority
such MS no other work Of any period or
authorship has oqaalled, and the doc.
trinc Of the New Testament on this sub
ieet is really no more than an echo from
the doctrine OF the old II this truth was
thus taught by the Old Testament in the
law, and the prophets aud the Psalms 10
the Hebrew racc, and that through a long
course Of cedtutics, while ii was every
where else at least and more commonly
denied, we have only TO take further into
view the generally acknowledged truth,
that It supplies The only foundation on
which the fabric Of a pure religion can be
reared in order to make good, IA among
Al. i 4. 1 ..,
only the superior, but, so far AS regards
the very heart, root aud centre of divine
truth, the exclusive claim of The Bible.
81 do not, indeed, deny that
authentic traces OF this ma iestic truth are
to be found elsewhere in old hooks and
old religions, but II is amid n mass Of evil
and ruinous aeefelons, which grew pro
grcssively around il, and but too rapidly
stitled and suppressed II. This, then, does
not alter the parallel aud even more
undenlable fact lhal 1t is in all these cases
traced rather than recorded, recorded rather
than taught, aud, II taught at all, taught
with such utter lack of pcrspiculty,
peisistcncy and authority as to deprive il
of all motive power, tn shut II out from
practical religion, md To leave il, through
the long and weary centuries, in the cold
sleep of oblivion OF under storm OF over
whelming denial.
In development OF the same contrast
between the Bible and other sacred book
occurs the following passage
"Wbat may be held truly wonderful Il
that the Bible in translated from seem
not senHply To lose ils power. In Pales
tine, the Septuagint competed with III
original Hebrew In the English tongue
the authorized version bears, and ha
borne for centuries, the character of
powerful and splendid original. IL ha
greatly contributed both to mould and Il
fix the form Of the language. From Ger
many we hear somewlIat similar accoun
of Luthcr's Bible. In general, even a good
translation is like the copy OF some grea
picture 1t does not readily go home L
heart and mind. But who has ever felt, o,
has ever heard OF any one who felt, either
in reading in English or in other trans
latons Of the Bible, the comparative tame
ness and inellleiency which commonly at-
tach To change of vehicle between one
tongue aud another IA 1t believed TINT
the Epistles OF st. Paul in English have
StIlhHhlJ lFhA ny 1hbhAliAihh
to be represented In version At least it
mny he said with confidence TINT there
are no grauder passages in AL English
prose than some OF the passages OF those
translated cpistles. Such is the case OF the
Bible in its foreign dress, ! nm not compe
tent to pronounce That il loses nothing
But it retains all lie power to pierce liz,
thoughts OF the heart It still remains
sharper than two edged sword ii still
divides bone and marrow. 1t does its work
We turn to the other Eastern books-whnl
a contrast they representa- Certainly Tia,
same opportunities have not been afford
ed them Of operating through a varie',
of tongues which have been given to the
Holy Scriptures. But Gonfncius and tht
Koran were translated into Latin IN thu
seventeenth century and in English they
have been acCessibefor more thDn one gen
Grafton. They cnch assumed German
dress more than century ago. The pre-
sentation of these books in the mass to tn
modern world is, Of course, too recent Il
be lwclt upon. But the earlier facts SHOW
that, had these books been gifted will
any OF that energetic vitality which be
longs to the Bible, a beginning Of its man
Hesitation would long ago have been made
whereas there Is not sign that any on
Of them ia likely 10 exercise, beyond il
own traditional borders, any sensible O
widespread Influence They appear 10 sinI
into n caput mortuum n dcad letter. 1t !
a sublime prerogntiye If The Holy Bib
! thus to reverse The curse OF Babel. They
/ and they alone, supply the entire fami