The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-06-10
KNOWING THE BIBLE.
Proper Familiarity Can Only Come in
the Old Way.
New York Evening Post

New York Evening Post.
When he comes to suggesting remedies,
President Thwing has little but gen.
eral optimism to fall back on. His only
tangible suggestion, viz, that of ''ra-
tional treatment of it's contents" by print
ing the various sorts of literature-the his
tory, the poetry. the letters, the prophecy
in volumes by themselves, seems to us
to show misrepresentation of the real lit
erary value OF the English Bible, and to
be, indeed, only another symptom of the
grievous state of affairs We are consider
ing. Five years ago, in commenting on Mr..
Thwing's former inquiry, pointed out
that the most lamentable loss of the pres
ent generation is just the unreasoning,
Interpretations delight Of the child in
the wonderful stories and soaring imagery
which. trailing clouds of glory" surround
the book in the mans mind with a magical
glamour. A study of 1t begun in matur-
ity, no matter how sympathetic, can never
send out such deep roots of affection and
veneration. This old-fashioned love for the
book can be reached only in the old-fash-
Toned way, as Tennyson and Ruskin
reached 1t, through the sntranced, uncon-
scious abandonment of the child, with no
impertinent intrusion of the dissection and
divisions of the higher criticism.
For the real peril TO the Bible as a force
In literature is in the current habit of treat
ing it as a collection of examples of
Hebrew literature, or, briefly, in forgetting
the fact that the English Bible is larger
than it's parts, and different from its
Understanding the achievements of the
higher criticism. Ecclesiastical trials and
polychrome editions have spread a vague
belief that the word Bible in the singular
is misnomer In the meantime, men are
forgetting that the English Bible stands
for more than the scientific history of the
children of Israel, or sources Tor the study
of comparative religion. Our Bible is not a
library of books" Such an attitude
towards ii may be necessary for the stu
dent of Hebrew literature or for the spe-
cialist in Bible study; but 1t is fatal for any
one who would appreciate the part which
the book has played in shaping English
literature and the thought and action of
English-speaking races. To insist that
even irrational division into chapter and
verses is necessary to this understanding
would be fantastic, perhaps; but at any
rate one can see what the boy meant who
said that he would not believe the Bible II
it were printed in paragraphs like any
other book. Any paraphraSe or the Bible
into the thought of our generation will be
vanity and unprofitableness to our sons.
On the other hand, if they will read 1t as
our fathers did, II needs no one come from
the grave TO prophesy that to them and
their sons for many generations 1t will go
with the same great message OF inspiration
TO the higher life, and as the same great
monument of English literature. But the
way to its treasures lies, like the way into
the kingdom of God, not through any pride
or satisfaction of the intellect, but through
the simplicity and absorbed delight OF the
little child.
OF practical remedies for our present de-
plorable condition there seems little hope
lust now The blind conservatism OF some
of the churches has so irritated many peo-
pie of liberal views that they are ready
to forbid their children to have anything
to do with a book which is used to bolster
up what they consider monstrous doc
trines. And, on the other hand, the Roman
Catholic Church has not yet modified its
attitude towards undirected reading OF the
Bible. Between the two the Bible is disap-
pearing from the public schools, while at
home it has been swamped by the indif-
ference and hurry of modern life. The
best hope seems to be that we are in a
transition period, and that presently We
shall come to recognize again that the
Bible is the book of all books for children.
Then we shall restore it to its place in the
life of the child, without worrying our
selves to consider what modes of litera-
ture it includes, or to plan for its ''restora-
ton to the intellect" The first thing to
accomplish is to make ii again an mex
tricable port of the affections and the
thought of the growing child.