The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-02-03
DR.. Maclachan Com
mends Board for Di-
recting Reading.
NOT NOW OPENED
IN MANY HOMES
Minister Answers Those Who
Oppose Order, but Not I'M
kindly. Defending Use of
Scriptures in Public In
struction of the Young
of Richmond.

Broadly asserting ina, mere are
countless homes in Richmond in which
the Bible is never opened, Rev. H. d. c.
Maclachlan. d. D., pastor of the Sew
enth Street Christian Church. warmly
commended the City School Board in
his sermon last night for directing
that the Holy Book be read daily here
after in the public schools. The sub
ject was discussed without unkind
reference to those who have opposed
the ruling.
Dr. Maciachlan's text was: shall We
Have the Bible In Our Schools" He
said in part:
The great law of the decline and
fall Of nations set forth in our text
is this-that the decay of any people
is in direct proportion TO their poverty
in or neglect of revelation: and IL the
Bible stands for revelation in its high
est written form. il seems 10 follow
that the neglect of the Bible and the
bringing up of the rising generation
in ignorance of II is species or ma
tional apostasy-a treachery whose
baneful effects cannot be oyeresti-
mated.
"Of course we must not limit the
concept of vision TO written words
with any book, however sacred. That
has been one of the greatest mistakes
in Protestant Christianity, and has
led to a sort of bibliotry-a worship OF
the book-which has tended in the
direction of liberalism and unspiritual
religion. Not only the written word.
but the living word. is necessary for
national well-being in every age The
vision must be continuous. Prophetic
"a all0Ep cd
lapse: for precisely the greatest salt
ing. preserving. saving forces OF any
age have always been and are to-day
those prophetic men who, having re-
ceived a message from God. cannot
rest until they have passed il on to
their fellows
AT the same time. next to these
prophetic geniuses comes the record OF
the classic utterances of those other.
and 1--WE need not be afraid to say it,
greater prophetic men who led the
Hebrew people in their progress to-
wards fuller knowledge of God. and
above all, the record of the life of
Him whom even His enemies admit
to have been the greatest and highest
soul that ever spoke for God to man.
Take these records. G.. the Bible
out of our national life as an effective
force. and you lay the ak to the root
of the tree
COBKrafuIates school Board.
Last Monday evening. as you know.
the City School Board adopted a reso-
luton directing their teachers to open
their daily sessions with the reading
OF the Bible. That action was hailed
by many Richmond citizens. myself
among the number. as a great step
in advance distinct gain for the
moral and religious life of the city: and
we congratulated the School Board on
their courageous attitude But already
opposition-perfectly sincere opposi-
ton. I beiieEe-has developed, and II
behooves all of us who are interested
in the religious life of our community
to take a stand for what we believe
TO be right know, OF course, that
there are many good people who Will
not agree with what / shall further
say, but at least, I ask their indulgence
and careful consideration while / say
il
IN the first place. then. shall af-
firm that the Bible is the best OF all
textbooks of morality. ! do not quite
like the phrase. textbooks of moral
ity.' for in the last analysis. morality.
being a thing of the conscience and
will, cannot be taught theoretically.
but the word textbook is so
wrapped up with school life that IL
pest serves 10 CgIfc. luC liO0tht
mind In any case-the Bible-even
with the driest and most unspiritual
teacher or reader-can never DE only
a. textbook. but must always prove
to some extent an innovation and spir-
itual stimulus. And that Is just why
we need il in our schools Even the
least Christian of our modern educators
is realizing the defects in an educa-
ton that trains only the intellect and
emotions and leaves the conscience
and will untouched. Morals. they are
saying one to another. must be taught
in the national schools. They have
even made experiments Textbooks
in ethics have been provided-courses
of instruction in elementary morals
have been prepared. but with only in
different success. Something more and
other than q textbook is needed IL
is a book where the greatest OF moral
issues are laid bare in all their con
sequences for good and evil. not IN m
abstract proportional FORM nor yet by
Continued on Seventh Pase)