Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1908-05-17
Ambassador Bryce's Tribute to the
Bible.
Cat Centennial Anniversary Bible
Society,"

In his forceful address Ambassador
Bryce called attention to the love and
reverence for the Bible that was
brought from England to the New
World by the early settlers, and said,
in part:
This is still a tie between your peo-
pie and ours, still one of those an
cient foundations of common thought
and knowledge which enables both
to retain a unity of intellectual life
and to understand one another. The
reverence for the Bible is also happ1-
ly one of the influences which IN
both countries draws together all the
various denominations of Christians.
These bodies may interpret Scripture
texts differently They may assign to
Scripture more or less exclusive au-
thority. But they all find in it
common source of life and joy. In
England the Bible Society has al
ways stood independent of any par
ticular denomination, enlisting the
services of earnest men who differed
on other matters. Such men recog-
nized that these differences were
small compared with the truths con-
tanned in the Scriptures on which they
were agreed.
Great Work of Societies
To diffuse knowledge has been the
great aim of the British Society, as
it is of your Pennsylvania Society.
But incidentally and besides the
religious work which it does as help
ing to spread the knowledge of the
Gospel, the Society has rendered to
learning and especially to the science
of language services which can hard
ly be Overrated. 1t has translated, or
aided missionaries to translate, the
Scriptures into hundreds of languages
and for that purpose has secured the
preparation of grdmmars and compil-
atoms of dictionaries of those Ian
guages. Many forms of speech that
are now vanishing, or in which moth
ing else has been printed, stand
recorded in these versions, and may
perhaps in future be known only
through them.
How closely the Bible has been
interviewer with the religious history
both of England and Scotland and of
America | need not tell you. 1t
has been inspired the tongue and pens
of our greatest preachers and theolo-
gical-writers. 1t has been the guide
of millions of simple trustful souls
who find in it's pages help and solace
in the troubles and sorrows of life.
For all the situations of human life
and for all the stages through which
each of us passes from youth to age
it contains something, and it is equal
ly fitted for all Whether it is now
as widely read and taught to child
rem either here or in England as it
was sixty years ago | know not. If
it is not so read, then the children of
the present day lose much which we
of the former generation enjoyed.
Inspired Many Great Men
The men of the seventeenth cen
fury in both countries, drew much
of the robust firmness of their char
acters from their familiarity with the
Bible and from the examples OF
fortitude and fidelity to principle
which it sets before us So did many
other men in other countries in mo-
ments of crisis and trial. The Bible
is not only a record of the history OF
Isreal and of the earliest days of the
Apostolic Church. 1t has been itself
a potent factor in history. 1t has
gone to the making of all ecclesiasti-
cal history and of a great deal of Sc
GUAR history also since the udyS vi
the Apostles. He who is ignorant OF
it will fail to comprehend some OF
the deepest and most powerful forces
that have moved the mind of men.
1t has often been pointed out that
the English translation of the Scrip
ture did more than anything else in
our literature to form the English
language and give it its present shape
That translation has during the last
three centuries stood as model OF
dignity, simplicity and strength. The
best masters of English style, and
some of our and your greatest ora
tors, have drunk deep at this pure
fountain All that has been said as
to what it has done for our literature
and our common tongue is true and
fit to eb remembered But far greater
and far more memorable is the in
fluence which the Bible has had or
this mind and life of men in both
countries, on the thoughts, the be-
liefs, the character of Americans ant
Englishmen. May that influence re-
main in it's beneficent power as Ions
as the sun shines upon your shores
and ours!