Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1910-01-31
SCRIPTURES ARE
MONUMENT OF THE
AGES, SAYS PASTOR
No Other Work Was So Long in
Making or So Diversified in
influence, Is Statement.

9TH Greatest Monument of the
Ages was the subjest of a sermon de-
liyered by the Rev. Robert Scott Inglis
yesterday morning in the Third Pres
byterian Church. He said in part:
"The Holy Scriptures of Christianity
constitute the greatest monument of
the centuries. No other work has been
so long in the making, so varied In it's
sources and so diversified in its influ-
ence. Reverent scholars see in its in
ception and completion the divine
guidance that it claims. 1t is
Economically interesting, at least, to
see how a child taken from slave
parents belonging to a race that had
been led out of remote rural simplicity
into the most advanced civilization of
the day was put into the family of the
king and was taught in all the learn
ing of the Egyptians. No better equip
ment can be conceived for a naturally
great leader, who was to put in perma-
nent form the religious possessions of
his people, than Moses had.
mot many years ago those who
sought to evade the authority of a
supernatural revelation tried to dis
credit Moses-especially as being
capable of recording in writing at so
early a late the traditions of his race.
But now with the discovery in recent
years of records a%ntedating this time
by centuries that objection has lost
all its force. The books commonly at
tributed to Moses constitute the begin
ming of this marvellous book. They rep
resent the influence of the oldest civili-
cation that the world knows of-that
in the valley of the Nile. But later on
we see the additions of the historical
books of the early time of the Hebrews
and the stones of the desert have in
the last half century been crying out
after a silence of 5000 years, testifying
to the trustworthiness of their records.
"a little, later we find Daniel in Baby
lon and later still Ezra the scribe col
Letting the various religious books of
this peculiarly religious race, and we
see the band of ancient Babylon. The
scene of civilizations crest sweeps
westward to Greece Greek culture pre-
walls over all the Mediterranean coun-
| tries. A Greek city, Alexandria, is es-
tablished in Egypt. Hero the greatest
library in this world Is collected, and
here 227 years before Christ King Ptolo-
| mev' Philadelphus called a council of
great scholars-Greek and Hebrew
and their ancient writings are ran
lated into Greek. and all scholars be-
came acquainted with the marvellous
records of Moses, the psalmists and the
prophets.
Roman power supersedes Grecian,
but the Grecian culture prevails. The
followers of Jesus wrote their gospels,
histories, epistles and prophecies, con-
stituting the. New Testament, In Greek.
They wrote in Roman cities. and some
were Roman citizens, not to supplant
but to supplement the older records.
During the reign of Diocletion that
emperor struck a medal commemorate
ing the destruction of this new super
stition. as he called it. Imperial Rome
sat supreme on her seven hills. The
prosecuted believers in the divine au-
thority of these written records cow
cred in the catacombs below. Which
was the stronger? History tells us
When we come to later civilization we
see. the same dominant influence. On
the decline and fall of the Roman civ
ilization a new one arose n stood.
In Germany and in Britain a new cul-
ture appeared.
Never was a race so dominated by
any one thing as the Anglo-Saxon race
has been dominated by the Bible
Goodman, the ancient Saxon poet, sang
the story of creation n redemption
as it was read to him by the mis-
sionaries. In 1856 Bede, the greatest
Saxon scholar, died translating the last
words of the gospel of John. into the
Saxon tongue. Alfred the Great laid
the foundations of Great Britain, and
he laid them on the Ten Command
ments. and died translating the Psalms
of David into the tongue of his people
in the year 800.
John Wyclif, the morning star of the
Reformation, was born in 1924, but be-
fore he died had translated parts of
these same scriptures into the new
English tongue. Tyndale completed the
work in 1926. Printing had just been
invented and the first work of this
great aid to modern civilization was
the printing of the Bible.
For more than a century the Bible
was the one book of the German and
English peoples. 1t permeated their
thought-even their expressions of lam
gnage were drawn from it-and today
fhe greatest publications in the world.
towering in their totally above our
highest towers, are the Holy Scriptures
-nrinted In 500 tongues-carrying
hope and light and life to all who sit in
darkness.