The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1911-05-17
CAMBRIDGE, MD, MAY Il, 1911.
Bible as a Library.

One of the most notable articles
on the tercentenary anniversary of
the Bible is that by DR.. Lyman Abb
bolt, published in the Outlook.
The article follows:
The Bible is not a book. 1t is
a library of Sc different books, writ
ten in its present form by 40 or so
different writer's, but contributed
to by many more. Its earliest book
the Book of the Covenant, con-
tanned in the present Book of Exc
before Christ; the Gospel of John,
one of the latest, was written at
the close of the first or the. begin
ming of the second century after
Christ. Thus for not less than
1000 or 1900 years was this Ii
brary in process of formation. 1t
contains all that is best in the liter
ature of an ancient people which
has survived the wrecks of time.
In it are found history, biography.
law, both political and ecclesiasti-
cal; fiction, poetry, drama, political
ethics, practical theology. Art, mu-
sic and science are conspicuously
absent, as is philosophy, except in
the latter portion of the New Tes-
lament, where it is philosophy used
for practical purposes and applied
to practical problems.
To specify more in detail: Gene
sis contains the prehistoric tradi-
lions Of this people, rewritten by
an unknown prophet, probably as an
Introduction to the collection; the
next four books are a collection of
the laws of this people as they were
gradually formed during a period
of centuries of their national life;
the books of history which follow
are compilations from pre-existing
materials, and it is possible now to
distinguish to some extent these
materials-the difference between
two chief sources of the compilation
coming out clearly in the parallel
but Independent narratives of Kings
and Chronicles; Job is what Profess
sor Genung has we'll called it, an
''epic of the inner life;'' the Psalms
are a collection of religious hymns,
some of which were used in the
temple service, others in the syna-
gogues, still others for private de-
votion; Proverbs and Ecclesiastics
are books of ethical culture, which
almost entirely ignore both the the
illogical doctrines and the eccleSiaS-
tical institutions of the people; the
Song of Songs is a love drama ,one
of the earliest as it is one of the
most beautiful in the worlds litera-
ture, and the prophetic books which
follow are collections of addresses
may be compared to the political ad,
dresses of the modern moral reform
ers and the sermons of the modern
practical preachers.
The New Testament contains four
biographies of Jesus of Nazareth,
largely compiled from previous oral
and documentary material; a his
tory of the beginning of the apostle
lie churches; letters from evange-
lists to the infant churches, and a
book of dream literature written
to encourage faith and hope in the
church in a period Of bitter perse-
cution. But they are al, from the
first chapter of Genesis to the last
chapter of Revelation, records of
human experiences. They are writ
ten not by amanuenses inscribing at
dictation something which they
could not have learned except by
miraculous information, but by men
of like passions as we ourselves are,
writing down what they have seen
and felt, and writing it down that
their readers may see and feel the
same life truths. The Bible is a
library of Enthusiastically human
experiences.