The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1900-03-28

the hearts of hundreds Of millions.
What yet more, every year finds them
roofing themselves more securely in
the minds Of men and extending more
and more widely the sway Of their
dominant power.
'oltare is reported to have said
that he was tired Of hearing that II
Galilcan fishermen had established
Christianity and that he was going to
| show that one Frclichman was enough
to break il down. He succeeded in
breaking down the French nation; but
he did no, break down the Kingdom
Of God. The very house in Geneva
in which his infdc books were writ
ten, has been used in recent years as a
depository Of Bibles Tom Paine pre-.
dictcd that in 100 years from his time
the Bible would cease to be read The
hundred years have passed, and we
put over against his prediction the
fact that more Bibles have been pub
lishcd and circulated since his death
than had ever been in the world from
the creation down to his day. II all
the Bibles that have been made and
distributed since lainc's prediction
were loaded in wagons, 1000 to the
wagon, and started in procession
across the continent If 40 feet were
allowed to each wagon when the last
one left the city Of New York, the
front one would be 800 miles out in
the Pacific Ocean. In other words. it
would require l70, 900 wagons to trans
port these Bibles making procession
nearly 1000 miles long. 1t is stated
on goou authority that in foreign mis-
| slonary fields alone, more Bibles have
been distributed during the past ccntu-
ry than were in the world from Moses
to Martin Luther. All Of which goes
to show that Mr. Paine was a poor
prophet.
Other great changes have taken
place during this same period. Up to
the war Of the American Revolution,
the cheapest Bible on the market cost
-. Now the whole Bible, printed in
good type aud on good paper, and
fairly we'll bound, can be bought for
20 cents, and the New Testament for
nickel. The Bible has bucomc one
OF the cheapest books in the world. It
was 10 years after Tom Paine wrote
his cage of Reason" that the British
AID Foreign Bible Society was organ
lied, which was in 1904. A few years
subsequently,, several State societies
were organized in this country, and
these were merged. as auxiliaries. into
the American Bible Society in 1916.
In the 96 years of its existence, the
British and Foreign Society has pub
iished and circulated 16o, ,o0o,0 cop
les of the Scripture and parts therof.
The American Society has printed and
distributed 65,0OO,OOO. Other Bible
societies have added to these numbers
about 5O,0O0,OOO, making q grand ag-
gregate Of work done by all societies
275, 900, 900. Then, in addition to all
!. this there has been scores of millions
Of Bibles printed and circulated
through the regular channels Of trade
by private enterprises DIR. James
Dennis estimates that the whole num-
Der of Bibles scattered throughout
the world during the century that is
now closing, amounts to $50, ,000, 900.
These facts may be taken rs further
evidence that Tom Paine was a poor
prophet.
1t may be we'll to call special atten-
tion to tie scale on which the two
great societies carry on their work.
The annual issues from the press of
the Am erican Bible Society is nearly
100000 The issues of the British
and Foreign Society, is moro than dou-
bic this number. The two together
send out annually about 1900, 900.
This means about 1900 for every
working day of the wcck-60O every
hour, 10 every minute, day and night.
Thus there is issuing from these two
sources perennial stream of the Wa
ter of Life, and this stream is becom-
ing broader and deeper and swiftcr Ill
the while. When we wake and when
we sleep the stream flows on, carrying
life and vcrdure further and further
into the arid deserts of our sin smitten
earth. Silence every preacher. close
every church-only leave these two
mighty agencies untouched-and the
words Of Christ would mover pass
away. They travel as far as the seas
and oceans spread. They would board
t:yerv vessel of cOmmerce tnronr Nv