The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1911-04-09
Great Gathering of Sunday School
WOrEera


men is a Sunday school association, and
it meets in a delegated convention in San
Francisco at the end of June; the 10Th to
9th is the exact date. While co-operat-
ing with men in other countries and es-
pecially men of England, and its COM
mittees Bible selections are studied
everywhere, this Sunday school enter
prise is in largest part the product of
American vision and push.
1t is nearly forty years since the asso-
citation was formed. Later there was
formed also a world association, and it
holds conventions. The international
gathering, like the one in San Francisco
in June, meets once in three years. This
year the topic is An open Bible and the
Uplifted cross" and special emphasis is
to be placed upon the spiritual phase Of
Christian education. Foremost speakers
will be heard on soul-winning and also
on Christian culture, and there will be a
conservation service at the final session.
In a sense never before attained the
San Francisco convention will be a gath
ering of educational experts. The child
and its training, the Bible and its parts.
the relation of the Sunday school to mis-
sions at home and abroad, and the re-
sponsibility Of missions for proper edu-
cation of children. all these and many
other vital phases of the complex work
changed. 1t is not a mere mass meeting.
Such meetings have largely passed away.
America is too busy, too practical I'm
provement, growth, and how to attain
both are the purposes for which time
and money of Sunday school workers are
spent
There will be reports from many lands
and from many forms of effort, to the
end that a tally of results, also of de-
fects, may be had. Preceding the regu-
lar convention will be conferences of
home mission interests on the Pacific
Coast. All Protestant bodies will take
part, for Christian unity has progressed
to that practical point. Throughout the
Rocky Mountain and Coast States much
hard work is being done for Christian
foundations; most of it well done. Sum-
day schools are playing an important
part. Cooperation with ether interests
is had and money is not wasted Indeed,
business men wonder constantly how so
much work is accomplished on so small
a money outlay.
There will be greetings from the Sun
day schools of nearly all the world, but
the list of leaders who will be in the
Coast city and take part is almost a ros-
ter of the great Christian leaders of
America especially those identified with
education. Bishop Hendrix the head of
the Federal Council; Bishop Nichols, the
Episcopal OnuTCn ledueT lot MlOule
California;; Bishop Bell. United Brethren
leader in Southern California, who is
also president of the California Sunday
School Association; former Gov. Glenn.
of North Carolina; Mr.. F. B. Smith, of
the men and religion campaign; Prof.
Hamill, of Nashville, head of the teacher
Training work of Methodists South: Miss
Margaret Slattery, known by everybody
who goes to Mortified in summer; the
Rev. Dr. William l. Ravens. of the
American Bible Society; President Baer,
Of Occidental College, formerly secretary
OF Christian EndeavOr-a roster. indeed,
of the vast array of American talent and
experience in religious education.
The men who select the Bible lessons
do not comment upon them. The COM
E1ents which children study in the schools
are made by Sunday school editors rep
resenting various religious bodies by
publishers who issue on their own aC-
count lessons and charts for children
helps. So there will he At San Francisco
this year lesson editors and writer's. pub
fishers and secretaries, and superintend-
ents of education in many States, for
Sunday schools in America are organized
in a way hardly eXCelled by any COM
merCial or professional line. The total
attendance will run into the thousands.
delegates and alternateS alone going to
almost 5000 probably the greatest as
sembly of Christian educational experts
the world has yet seen. certainly so In
the institute phase rather than the pub
lie meeting one.
Proposed Revision of English Cath
Ollie Bible.
English-speaking Catholic scholars are
agitating the matter of revision of the
English Catholic Bible. Within the last
few weeks several American bishops and
other prelates have received letters from
Catholic scholars in England inviting
American cooperation. Mention is made
of the tercentenary celebrations of the
King James version, and some regret is
expressed. especially on the part of Eng
lish Catholics, that the year 1882, the ter
centenary of the publication of the
Rheims New Testament and 1909. the
same of the appearance of the Old Testa-
ment at Douay, should have been al
lowed to pass without notice.
Among many, Rev. Joseph Heating,
S. J.; Very Rev. Canon Mcintyre, and
Rev. DR.. William c. Barry, all English
Catholic scholars of note, are leading in
the proposed translation and revision,
and from the first named is reported to
have come the invitations to American
Catholic scholars to have part. 1t is
stated by these English Catholics that
no formal action by the church is essen
tial beyond the assurance of the good
will of the Vatican, and in view of the
appointment of one papal Bible commits
sion by the present Pope, such assurance
can be secured, il is said.
The papal commission, membership in
which is accorded to some American
scholars, is for a revision of the Vul-
gate In no way does it have to do
with an English translation. Pending
a revision of the VuIgate, some favor
postponement of revision in English, but
the British scholars, in their appeal to
American ones, point out that a genera
ton may elapse before the Vulgate re-
vision is finished, possibly two of them.
Rev. Father Heating, well-known
English scholar. says in his appeal for
revision that two radical improvements
are needed in the English Catholic
Bible. One is the text. He says the
meaning is often obscure, and words are
frequently employed that have lost COM
pletely their one-time meaning The
English Bible is based on the Vulgate,
and the Vulgate is itself under revision. |
The other is the printing and the general
makeup of the book. Father Heating
declares that other works, even fiction, |
binding, while the Word of God is put |
up. in Continental Europe, as in Eng |
land, in about as dull and unattract!ve
form as can well be imagined.
A hundred and fifty years ago, the |
shortcomings of the English Catholic |
Bible were recognized. Some attempts !