Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-01-30

round terms that the fellows liberal
istic stuff is a lot of pretentious char
latanry. In their best estate the So
called critical theories to which such
half-educated pretenders give their
hasty adhesion are not worthy of the
highest esteem. and as for these sec
Ond hand goods which these academic
hucksters are putting on the market
they are worse than worthless. A
pawnshop would be endangered by
them If they were taken in without
first being thoroughly disinfected. Mi,
crobes of Voltaire's mental maladleS
penetrate them in every part.
BY the way, it was Voltaire, was 1t
not who said that while 1t required
II men to write Christianity up, he
would show that one man could write
it down? But the printing press at
Ferney, from which his virulent at
tacks on the Holy Scriptures were is
sued, was afterwards used at Geneva
for printing the Bible! And Hume
prophesied the utter extinction OF
Christianity by the beginning of the
nineteenth century. But who is dead?
Are not Voltaire and Hume tolerably
dead? Has the Bible persisted? Let US
see.
The American Bible Society was
founded in 1916, and during the IS
years of Its existence 1t has issued 65,-
959, asa copies of the Bible The British
and Foreign Bible Society was estab-
lished In 1904, and from the date of it's
establishment to March 81. 1900, 1t has
issued 165, 057 ,1S5 copies of the Bible.
So it appears that in less than CEN
fury these two societies alone have
issued 234,010,6l9 copies of the Bible.
Doubtless private publishers In the
Dws4N ,fv, =,
issued as many more. And in other
lands tens of thousands more have
been printed. Is this stupendous cir
culation that Of dead book?
Is 1t not strange that the writings
of Hume, Voltaire and Gibbon will not
sell like the writings of the ancient
foreigners who wrote the books OF the
Bible2
And then the effect Of these Biblical
writings has been as marvellous as
their circulation. Hear Thomas Car
lyle on that point. He says: The
period Of the Reformation was
Judgment day for Europe, when all the
nations were presented with an open
Bible, and all the emancipation Of
heart and intellect which an open
Bible involves. England. North Ger
many and other powers accepted the
boon, and they have been steadily
growing in national greatness and NOR
al influence ever since. France re-
jected 1t. and in it's place has had the
gospel of Voltaire with all the anarchy,
misery and bloodshed of those cease
less revolutions of which that gospel is
the parent"
In his Bunker Hill Grafton" Mr..
Webster. speaking of the fathers of
our great republic, said: The Bible
came with them. And it is not TO be
doubted that to the free and universal
reading OF the Bible is to be ascrfbed
IN that age, that men were indebted
for right views of civil liberty"
Now a few questions In conclusion:
Could this republic have been found
ed on the kind of Bible the critics seek
to impose on us? Can a qualified faith
in a modified Bible furnish a stable
foundation for any civil or social insti-
tuition of endurance and value?
Would the great Bible societies ever
have been founded by men who be-
leved the Scriptures are as badly
blemished as some of the critics say?
Can these great societies be maintain
ed by the churches If the views of
these critics should ever be generally
accepted?
The statesman may get the glory, but the