The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1899-07-03
DEMOCRACY OF The BIBLE.
IT Is THE BOOK OF ALL THE
PEOPLE.
Concluding Sermon Of the Series on
the Bible by Rev. J. b. #
silcox.

At the Congregational Church last
evening Rev. J. B. Silcox, the pastor,
concluded his series Of sermons on tho
Bible. His subject last evening was
The Democracy of the Bible He
took his text from II. Kings (23,2-3).
And the king went up into the house
of the Lord, and all the men of Judah,
and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem
with him, and the priests and the
prophets and all the people, both small
and great; and he read in their ears all
the words of the covenant which was
found in the house of the Lord. And
the king stood by pillar and made a
covenant before the Lord; and all the
people stood to the covenant"
This, said the speaker, is truly DEM
Ocratic assembly. All classes of the
community, the king representing the
State, the priest representing the
church. the prophet, who is more a
statesman than a churchman, and all
the people, small and great, plebian and
patrician, are convened to decide
matter of national Importance. 1t was
the Bible that called them together.
They agreed to accept and obey GER
tain laws which brought about ma
tional reforms. The movement was
strong and effective because it was
democratic. "All the people stood to
the covenant"
This incident is one of many that
might be cited to show how the Bible
creates and fosters democratic instftu-
tons. A democracy is a political sys-
tenn in which government is exercised
and controlled by the people. No bet
ter definition of democracy has been
given than that given by Lincoln; it is
government of the people by the people
and for the people. My proposition is
that the Bible is at the root of and
nurtures that sore of government. A
democratic form of government is GER.
tain to exist where the teachings Of
the Bible are understood and followed
by the people. We can further assert
that it is impossible to maintain
democracy without the teachings of tbs
bible. The two great nations of the
world to-day, Great Britain and the
United States, are the nations where
the. Bible has fullest sway, and they
are both democratic. The government
of Great Britain is as truly democracy
as is the government of the United
States. The people there, as we'll as
here, choose their executive and judi.
cial officers. England is a crowned re-
public. The throne stands because it -
'broad-hased upon the peoples will"
1t is a significant fact that the form
of government designed of God for His
ancient people when they came out OF
the slavery of Egypt, was a republic.
The judges from Moses to Samuel were
chosen by the people. The fittest man
was eligible to the leadership. There
was no royal family with exclusive
80 e,
ton resolved to change from a repub.
lie to monarchy, it was with the dis
approval of God.
The third volume of Green's History
of the English People" is taken up with
the study of Puritan England and the
Revolution. The first chapter is signii-
cant in the fact that it traces that
great political movement back to the
Bible. The author says: mo greater
moral change ever passed over a ma
ton than passed over England during
the years which parted the middle Of
the reign of Elizabeth from the begin.
ming of the Long Parliament. England
became the people of a book. and that
book was the Bible. 1t was as yet the
one English book which was familiar to
every Englishman: it was used at
church and read at home, and every
where its words as they fell on ears
which custom had not deadened kim
died q startling enthusiasm" The
writer goes on to show the literary eff
feet of the Bible in those days, how it's
phrases as we'll as it's spirit We're inter
woven into the literature and speech of
the people. The Bible was one of the
few books to which Shakespeare had
access and his writings show how ia
miliar he was with it's great ethical
principles and standards. But far
greater than it's effect on literature was
it's influence on the character of ths
people as a whole. AS Green points
out, Elizabeth could silence the pull
pits, but it was impossible to silence the
great preachers of justice, mercy and
truth" who spoke from the Bible which
had been opened for the people.
The historian is historically right in
placing the Bible in the fore front OF
that eventful period in England's his
tory. we may say. in Americas history,
for the movement which eliminated in
the creation of the American republic
in the closing years of the eighteenth