The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-04-11

any four centuries in all human history.
diti0n again had spun its beautiful but
poisonous web over this splendid window
through which the light Of God streams III
upon the human race. The laws OF man had
taken the place of the laws OF God, and
traditional God had taken the place OF per-
sonal communion and fellowship with him.
Then IL was that monk discovered IN
monastery a copy of this old book and be-
gan 10 read II. he took its message 10 MS
heart and tried to reconcile ii with the ira
ditions BIZ which he was surrounded and
by which he was. as II were. enslaNed He
could not reconcile them and breaking
away from the tradition, he started out 10
proclaim the message of the book. He was
almost alone. But already Wicklffe, in
England. bad translated the book into Eng
fish. already the printing press nsld been
formed by which this book could be sent
into every town and hamlet. into every
home OF all German-speaking and English
speaking people. In half century the mes
sage OF this book had spread over half OF
Europe: il had brought with IL new life and
new light II had stirred the heart of Ger
many. IL had stirred the life OF England.
The translation OF this new book by Luther
created German literature which bears
date from the day of Luther. The transla-
ton OF the book into English created Eng
lish literature. which may almost be said
20 bear date from T'yndale,s translation of
the Bible. Where this open book went there
went A new life. Where this book remained
closed there life halted. stagnated
mained stationary. Italy had been the land
OF cicero ana cato. the land or philosophy
and poetry and thought. Ii was so no long
er Germany became the lard Of thought
Spain had been one of the greatest empires
IN Europe III was so no longer
EFFECT OF a CLOSED BIBLE
II shut the book to the eyes Of the Span
fish people. and to-day is SO feeble and de-
crepit that handful OF revolutionists i'm
the island of Cuba are more than q match
for all the military prestige that once DOM
mated Europe and threatened Great Brit
ain. Again this book had attested its
power, again it had borne witness 10 the
vitality that strangely resides within il.
We pass from the continent TO England.
There this book became more an open book
than even in Germany or in any other part
of Europe. The Puritans made it their text
book. They studied it for law; they studied
il for doctrine; they studied ii for institu-
tions; they paid ii a too slavish obedience.
They endeavored To transfer into modern
life not only the principles. but the specific
precepts that belonged to an ancient time
But they took into their heart of hearts the
message OF this book. BY their activity
by their faith in IL, by their battle for 1T
they reconSecrated England. Though l do
not attempt 10 read my own interpretation
you VIII pardon me II i read a little OF
professor Green's from the History of the
English People,"
So far as The nation at large concerned
history no romance, hardly any poetry save the
tnaflceT.
SIish tongue when the Bible was ordered 10 be
set up In churches sunday after Sunday. day
after day. the crowds that gathered round the
BlbIe IN the nave or ST Paul S. or the family
group that hung on its word in the devotional
exercises az home were leayened with new lit
erature. Legend and annal, war song and psalm.
state roll and blography: the mighty voices Of
mission Journeys, OF perils by the sea and among
the heather phiosophie arguments. apocalyptic
occupied for the most part by any rival learn
ing.
For the moment however its literary effect
was less than its social.
Such. i'm part-and have read but very
small part-as pictured by the most moder-
ate. the most thoughtful and the most
scholarly Of recent historians of Englands
life and people, was the effect of this Bible
on the English character. the English lit
erature and the English life. Indeed. it
is quite safe to say that Henry VIII would
i'm vain have declared the separation of
England from the Roman pontif. would in
vain have declared the liberty of the En-
glish people 10 frame their own ecclesias-
teal institutions. and the church would in
vain have followed his leadership and az
serted and attempted to maintain the &C.
cleSiastical liberty of self-government il
Wckliffe had not translated the Bible. if
Tyndale had not followed Wickliffe, if the
Bible had rot been chained in the church
pOrches and read in the ale houses, and
by the farmers. If the Bible. parts of H.
had not run it's course through the English
people and the English people had not
learned from the Bible the lesson which
them. This Puritan people. too literal, per-
haps too traditional even in their interpre-
tation of the Bible. nevertheless wrought
because they believed the message of the
Bible an effect on the English speaking
race which has never been lost till this
day. They formed their commonwealth on
the Hebrew model; they borrowed from the
Hebrew people the germs of their industrial
liberty: they borrowed from them the he
brew conception of the sovereignty of God
and therefore OF the liberty of man. Be
* therefore
peoDle sovereign. Because God Is the only
Father therefore all men are brethren.
But they borrowed more That We have
the homes we have to-day; tnat women
have in Anglo-Saxon communities the I'D
erty they have to-day; that the wife Is the
companion and not the serf or hef husoahd
to-day. is due 10 the Puritan revival-that
is 10 saw. TO the message of the Bible which
Puritanism brought 10 England. Lest YOU
should think again that in my enthusiasm
for book which IL has been supposed
am attempting 10 destroy. i may outrun
the bounds of legitimate statement
read another sentence from Green:
Home as We corrective it now. the creation
Of the Puritan. Wife and child rose from mere
dependents on the will II husband or fatheT as
e eef n9u fno hnoved Sy the touch of divine
spirit and called with divine ealing IKE ms
new teaderness and refinement to the common
family affections
THE BIBLE AND THE HOME.
IT is not too much to say that the family.
III we mean by the IdiniS inc JollhHS "a
husband and wife i'm equal love; that the
home if by the home we mean body knit
together. not by servtude. but by affec-
ton and mutual respect and reverence.
never have been known save i'm cOmmuni-
ties where the Bible has carried it's mes
sage IL was not known in ancient Greece,
il was not known In ancient Rome. il was
known in Judaism. II is not known to-day
in any ragan community. II is known wher-
ever the light OF love and trust. brotherhood
and piety have shOne from these pages. The
eighteenth century dawned on England
Again tradition. for il is busy as a spider.
had woven its cobwebs over this book and
over the life which the book had en-
kindled Revealed religion had almost died
out Of England. and what men are pleased
10 call natural religion had taken its place
Deism became the philosophy of England
entered the established church and filed
that with its baleful influences. But more
than that The established church had be-
come the prey OF place-hunters; IL had be-
come a place where the sons OF the nobility
could find nesting place, II was filed with
f0X-hunterS and gamblers. There were in
the English pulpits certainly. devout and
godly men. hut still. upon the whole. the
same tradition which has woven its smell
over the Jewish Church. which has woven
its spell over the church OF the middle ages
which had woven its spell over the church
~ Rome. had woven its spell over the es-
tabished church in England. Then IL was
one deVOut high ChurChman in Oxford be-