Evening journal., 1914-05-01
Mr. Vending Describes ihSt
Bible as "7he Imperial Book

Another large audience heard
George r. Vending lecture in Grace
Church last night The subject was
The Imperial Book" Mr.. Vending
said in part:
"The Bible is a fit theme for plat
form discussion today. for aside from
religion, the book permeates and in
huences our laws. our poetry, music,
architecture. painting, and by far the
greater portion Of our periodical lit
erature. Its imprint is on the whole
course of civilization for 1900 years.
AS often before in history, that book
is again passing through crisis, and
sye must choose between its teach
ings and its philosophy, or the phil
osophy Of despair, must choose be-
tween hope and pessimism. What
conception shall thoughtful men in
the light Of today form OF the Bible is
the paramount problem OF our time.
Let us welcome this controversy, for
If investigation can destroy the book
and its enOrmols influence, we should
al rejoice at the downfall OF super
stition in any form. On the other
hand If the book energies victorious
ly from the great conflict, Il will be
more firmly fixed In the esteem and
affection Of men than ever before,
and will then give that new birth TO
art and poetry and philosophy for
(Which our age is longing, and there
{ by give a new and mighty uplift to
( the mind and heart of humanity.
"The best authority one can find
says that up 10 1911, over five hun
dred and twenty million copies of
the Bible in nearly 500 languages and
dialects have been printed. Why do
! thoughtful men still believe that the
book is Of divine origin? AS IL lies
before us the book seems to be
merely sixty-six pamphlets bound I'm
one cover, and If It is a thing OF
human fabrication, II is that and
nothing more But these &C PAM
phlets have strange unity, though
written at different times and In diff
\ erent countries through a period of
1900 years. A mysterious and SUI
peryising influence was at work
bringing them all into a pre-estab-
lished harmony An invisible archi-
tect has brought all the material in
to one harmonious whole, into one
mighty structure which the storms OF
many centuries have left unshaker
and unharmed Now il the Bible
contains a revelation for the human
race it must be a book Of universal
adaptation. How thoroughly II meets
that condition. Every race. every
people find comfort, enlightenment
and instruction I'm its pages. Car
any one name ten living authors who
can combine their efforts and write
a book that would interest and in
struct the old and the young, th'
rich and the poor, the cultured and
the uncultured on only one tentf
mart of the reading world?
Passing on now from the fact tha
the Bible all through its 1900 years
of preparation, is the product Of on
uniform supervising influence, and
that IL is adapted to each race, eacl
country, and to every physical ant
mental environment, consider tn
most remarkable fact that out of al
the millions of books IL is the onl.
book that knows and fully compre
! hends human nature and humal
weakness. WITH over FIVE hundre
rillior cQpifs ereul@ting all aroun
4 thc picre tte gnc1ticn cl why me
should went this book Is unanswer
Z able II 81 did not know and abundant
z ~ respond to the needs Of the hear
Z and mind and soul of man. But mel
Z also want this book because of tha
Z instructive dread of social and mora
: anarchy which pervades all humal
society Mankind must have an ac
Z cepted standard Of right and wrong
Z else society goes 70 pieces. Outsid
Z Of the Bible there are only fou
things to choose from in the light o
Z today: Buddhism, and it Is decadent
the Koran. and it is childish; Con
: fucianism, and It means stagnation