Golden Valley chronicle. (Beach, Billings County, N.D.) 1905-1916, 1908-03-20

That you cultivate
an acquaintance
with. and a firm
belief in, the Holy Scriptures, for this
Is your certain interest"
Thomas Jefferson, who wrote the
Declaration of Independence" said:
Il have said, and always will say, that
the studious perusal OF the sacred vol
ume will make better citizens, bet
ter fathers and better husbands
Daniel Webster, than whom a BRAIN
Ter man has not lived under our flag.
said: "The Bible is the book of all
others for lawyers as we'll as divines,
and pity the man who cannot find
in 1t a rich supply of thought and rule
of conduct 1T is belief in the
Bible" wrote Goethe, (which has
served me as a guide of my moral and
literary life. No criticism will be able
to perplex the confidence we have in
writing whose contents have
stirred up and given vital life and
energy by its own. The further the
ages advance in civilization the more
the Bible will be used.''
Matthew Arnold has not been &C.
cused of sympathy with Christianity.
but he had brains and he wrote: "To
the Bible men will return because
they cannot do without it."
The Bible Essential.
Diderot, the French unbeliever,
when he looked from the ecclesiastical
machine which he had cause to criti-
else, to the Bible itself. wrote: mo
better lessons can l teach my child
than those of the Bible"
Even Prof. Huxley, though he had a
narrow, scientific spirit, was compelled
to write: Il have always been in
favor of secular education without the
ology, but must confess that l have
been no less seriously perplexed to
know by what practical methods the
religious feeling, which is the essen
tial basis of moral conduct, is to be
kept up in the present chaotic state of
opinion on these matters without the
use Of the Bible"
Rosseau, strong and independent.
though skeptical, wrote: ''Peruse the
books of philosophers, with all their
pomp of diction. How meager, how
contemplate are they when compared
with the Scriptures. The majesty OF
the Scriptures strikes me with ad-
miration."
We could fill volumes with quota
lions from famous Christian scholars,
but these are from skeptical men OF
brains and culture who view the Bible
simply as an intelligent, moral and ed
ucational force.
Great men, though not Christians,
give the same high estimate OF Jesus
Christ. Daniel Webster wrote: II
believe Jesus Christ to be the Son of
God. The miracles which he wrought
establish in my mind his personal au-
thority and render it proper for me
to believe what he asserts
Ralph Waldo Emerson said: "Jesus
is the most perfect of all men that
have yet appeared"
Napoleon Bonaparte, with a mind as
discriminating and logical as Web.
ster's, held the same view. Il know
men," said Napoleon, and l tell you
Jesus Christ was not man.
On one occasion Gen. Bertrand e.
pressed to Napoleon his doubt as to
the deity of Christ. IF you do not
believe that Jesus Christ was d.
vine," returned Napoleon, Il did
wrong to appoint you general"
Ernest Renan, who lost his profess
sorship in the University of Paris on
account of his infidelity, wrote of
Christ: "Al history is Incompetent.
sible without him. He created the OBJ
ject and fixed the starting point Of
the future faith Of humanity. He in
the Incompatible man to whom the
universal conscience mas decreed the
title of Son of God, and that with
Justice. In the first rank of this
grand family of true sons of God we
must place Jesus. The highest con.
seriousness of God that ever existed
In the breast of humanity was that e.
Jesus. Repose now in thy FL. ~.
noble founder. Thy work is finished.
Thy divinity is established. Thou
shalt become the corner stone of hu.
so entirely that to tsar thv
name from this world would rend. it to
It's foundations. Between thee and
God there will no longer be any dis.
tinction. Complete conqueror OF death.
AXE possession of thy kingdom, Whit.
er shall follow thee. by the royal road
which thou hast traced, ages Of
.doring wo1shipers."