The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1916-05-16
CALLS THE BIBLE
AGENT OF PEACE
President Says the Scriptures
viii Unite World.
ITS APPEAL is UNIVERSAL.

Spread Means obIiteration of Antaqon-
| isms In All Countries--Praises Work
of Bible Societies as the Great Mon.
denonAinational Missionary Enter
| prise.
"Those who weave together the
thought and the ideas and the concep-
tions of mankind also weave together
its action" said President Wilson I'm
an address at the centennial celebra-
ton Of the American Bible society in
| Washington.
IF all the world had common lit
erature," he added, "many lines of
division would never have been Gre
ated, and many would now disappear"
The members of the American Bible
society, he declared, are engaged In
the work of furnishing the world a
common literature whose appeal is
universal. In part the president said:
at is a very interesting circumstance
perhaps 1 might add disappointing
circumstance-that the world should
have so late awakened to its obliga-
ton and opportunity in respect of the
spread Of the Scripture. We are cele-
brating the one hundredth anniversary
Of the American Bible society, and
there are other Bible societies older
than it, but 100 years is a very small
part of the history Of Christianity, and
this great Bible is the main vehicle Of
Christianity.
widespread, systematic missionary
endeavor is also modern and recent as
gauged by the measures Of history,
and it is with a sort of feeling that we
stand at the youth, at the beginning
of the hope of what may be accom-
plished by these means when we think
of this great work and of its rapid
progress and spread
Separation of Races.
"Those who weave together the
thought and the ideals and the concep-
tions of mankind also weave together
its action. They control the motive
forces of humanity If they can control
these things. One of the thlngs-al-
most the only thing - that separate
races and nations of men from one an
other IS difference of thought, differ
ence of point of view, prompted by
difference of tradition, difference Of ex-
perience, differences In instruction.
"If all the world had common liter
ature, IL all the world had drunk at the
same sources OF inspiration and sug-
gestion many lines of division would
never have been created and many
would now disappear, and those who
spread the Scriptures are engaged, as 1t
were, In drawing the world together
under the spell of one body of litera-
ture which belongs to no one race, to
no one civilization, to no one time In
the history OF the world, but whose ap-
peal is universal, which searches and IL
Eliminates all hearts alike.
"In proportion as men yield them
selves to the kindly light of the gospel
they are bound together In the bonds
of mutual understanding and assured
peace.
"Surely, therefore, one can easily kin
die ones enthusiasm at the fame that
burns upon the altar of society like
this. We are trying in the spread of
the gospel to make all the nations of
the world of one mind, of one enlight-
ennent, Of one motive, driven through
every effort of their lives by one devO-
ton and one allegiance. Could you con-
ceive greater enterprise than this2
Denominational Divisions.
'"rhe work of the Bible societies of
the world is the one great nondenomi-
national missionary enterprise. l sup
pose that you can discover the lines
that run between denominations I'm the
Bible, although must say have new
er been able to discover them. They
have been drawn out by differences OF
temperament and point of view which,
take leave to say, are external TO the
Bible itself.
"And this process of division and di-
versity ought surely to be Offset and
reversed by the process which sends
abroad through the earth this opportu-
nifty to drink directly at the sources Of
divine inspiration without overmuch In
terventlon and iHterpretation-to drink
directly from the Word of God itself
the suggestion which II inevitably bears
to the human spirit no matter where
you touch it,
$50 that to my mind the colporteurs,
the agents of the Bible society, the
men who tramping through country
sides or travelling by every sort OF con-
veyance in every sort of land, carry
with them little cargoes of books con-
, tanning the Word of God and spreading
them, seem like the shuttles In a great
loom that is weaving spirits OF men to-
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