Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1911-04-25

BISHOP WARREN A. GAMBLER.
The Authorized, or King James YER
sion, the tereentenary of which we cele-
brate this year, came out in 1911. BY
the kings order the Bishops Bible
was made the foundation of the new
translation, but it was saturated with
the words and spirit of the version of
rfndale. After the publication of the
King James Version the printing of the
Bishops Bible" ceased. The GenevaT.
Bible. which prior to the publication OF
the new version mad been more than
any other the L.ple of the English peo-
pie, held on some kwenty-five years, but
by that time the King James Version
Aad . entirely taken its place in the
homes and pulpits of the nation. 1t has
held the place it thus won until this
nour, and none of the recent revisionS
have been able to substitute it, or d.
minish in any measure its ever increas>
ing circulation. More copies OF it are
made and sold each year than are made
and sold of any other book in the world
Its pages have been scanned by more
human eyes, intent on finding God and
his truth, than have pored over the
pages of any other book in the posses
sion of mankind; for where ii mas gone
more people are able to read and more
people read it than in any other more
populous, but less enlightened and less re-
ligious lands. 1t has the property OF
opening blind eyes as well as supplying
light for eyes that see. In the nations
among whom it is circulated are round
common schools and an aggressive evan
geiism such as cannot be found else
where on the planet. They also bear the
largest part of the modern evangelical
movement of foreign missions to the pe-
nighted and belated nations of heathen-
ldom The book which has made them
great is thus contributing inspiration
for the remaking into nobler forms other
nations to whom they acknowledge
debt of brotnerly help. The oil ana
wine which these good Samaritans
among the nations use for the healing
Of the wounded peoples to whom they
go are the cleansing and comforting
truths which they themselves nave
drawn from this Book. The late Queen
Victoria did a beautiful and significant
thing when some years ago before she
died an embassy from Madagascar came
bearing to her costly gifts. and inqulr-
ing on behalf of their prince the secret
of England's greatness She procufeu
richly bound copy Of the tins James
Version of the Scriptures and sent IL
back with this message in response 10
the inquiry of the Prince, Tell me
Prince this Book is the seeeet Hf eng
lands greatness.
Quite in keeping with this message OF
the queenliest of women and the woman
lest of queens are the words OF FRO
lessor Thomas II. Huxley, man noto-
riously removed from any possible reli-
pious has in favour of the Book. He
is on record as saying. For three cen
turtles this book has 5een woven into the
life of all that is best and nobiest IN
English history
IT was at once the product and the
perfecter in England of the Reforma-
ton. of which Thomas Carlyle said.
THE period of. the Reformation was
judgement Day for Europe, when all the
nations were presented with an open
Bible. and all the emancipation of heart
and intellect which an open Bible in
wolves. England, North Germany, and
other powers accepted the boon, and
they have been steadily growing In ma
tional greatness and moral influence ever
since. France rejected it,. and In its
place has had the gospel of Voltaire
with all the anarchy, misery, and blood
shed of those ceaseless revolutions of
which that gospel is the parent.
Not less than the English are we in
debied for our national stability and
well being to this Book. When our Co
lonial ancestors came to the inhospitable
shores of North America they found and
seized no such treasures as the Spanish
invaders found in what we now call
Latin America. They came in poverty,
but in faith, and they brought the Bible
with them. Upon it they founded COM
monwealths from which has arisen this
rich and powerful nation. In few brief
centuries the Latin lands to the South
of us have fallen behind these great
States Only one of our American neigh
bour begins to approach the freedom and
happiness and tranquility which prevail
in our beloved country. and that nation,
Canada, has had the same Book. Why
have we attained such position of lead
ership and pre-eminence in the Western
world, II II be not on account of the
moral and religious conditions which
have sprung from this Book?
We do well to celebrate this transla-
ton of the Scriptures which has entered
so powerfully and So benignly into our
national life And while we celebrate
with thanksgiving and praise this gift of
God to our fathers and to us. we shall
do well to see to il that il is transmitted
to our children and childrens children,
and that 1t is given also 10 the multiplied
thousands who have come from other
lands not so favoured with the possess
sion of Gods Word. to dwell among us
The religion of the Bible is tie best men
struum for melting into one harmonious
whole the hard and heterogeneous ele-
ments which fill with people and with
peril the land we love.