The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1920-03-11
THE SHORTER BIBLE"
AS VIEWED BY
REV. REDGRAVE

judged. only recently Mr.. Putnam,
the Banker Bible student whose ex-
Lcellent addresses delighted so many
of your readers, classed THE Shorter
Bible" with the blatant vituperations
of the infidel Ingersol and arraigned
its editors and publishers as foes to
the Scriptures and menace to the
Bible reading public, who were being
"gulle3 by such publications. In
particular, Mr. Putnam charged the.
editors with discrediting a large por-
ton Of the word of God. Without re-
fleGing at all upon the spirit and the
purpose of the critic, the writer new
ertheless considers him in serious err
ror respecting the purpose of the edi-
tors and publishers of this excellent
production. Moreover the prominence
of all concerned lifts the whole sub.
ject out of the commonplace.
quote briefly from the preface OF
THE Shorter Bible" "The Shorter
Bible does not aim to take the place
OF the complete text or of the time
honored versions, but simply to sin
gle out and set in logical, and, as far
as possible, in chronological, order
those parts of the Bible which are of
vital interest and practical value to
the present age.
In the Bible, accounts of the same
events or teachings are frequently
repeated The reader is often con-
fused by these different versions OF
same incidents and teachings. About
one-third of the Old Testament and
about two-thirds of the New repre-
sent what is most frequently read or
used by the average Bible student.
These passages contain the true heart
of the Bible that has proved the in
spiration of past generations and will
prove in increasing measure the guide
of those to come" Mr.. Editor, how
an intelligent, unbiased student could
ponder these words, and dip only here
and there into the body of the work
and then class The Shorter Bible with
the writings of voltaire, Paine and
lngersol, is beyond my comprehen-
sion.
THE Shorter Bible is simply an
arrangement of precious, pertinent,
practical, heart-searching, soul-in-
spring. selections from the worlds
best book, put in simple, terse, vigor
Gus English, and so bringing out the
thought of the biblical writer's that
commentaries are unnecessary A
worthy purpose and if successfully
carried out, an admirable product,
surely. Criticism that would discredi.
THE Shorter Bible would Danish
from our homes such works as "Hurl-
burt's Bible Stories" and every other
compilation of Scripture readings,
selected for the family altar, because
they give only partial or incomplete
quotations from the Book of Books
So for from discrediting the unquoted
portions of the Scriptures, the edi-
tors OF The Shorter Bible have in ev-
cry instance given the chapter and
verse of the biblical passages treated
so that the reader may compare the |
two as he reads.
These scholarly and Christian edi-
tors do not say actually or in effect,
as is charged against them. I'VE have
examined the old Bible and
find much therein to be uninspired,
and unsuited to the
needy world, so we present you with
an expurgated edition, shorter Bi
BILE, much better and truer than the
old Bible"
But they do say actually and in eff
feet, We have selected from the Book
Of Books certain portions that are
pre-eminently practical and full of
spiritual nourishment, ready for~as-
We commend these to YOU n
busy practical men, for your daily
meditation As you have
opportunity read the entire and COM
plete story given in varied forms and
by different writer's, and wisely so.
that in the mouth of two or three
witnesses every word may be estab-
ished"
The Shorter Bible is indeed a boon
% the busy man Of inestimable value
% the English reader, and particular
y so to our young people, too many
If whom find this divine classic a
dull, dry book.
My readers will find The Shorter
Bible very valuable addition to their
ibrarieS, the daily perusal of which
will build them up in their holy faith
md deepen their generation for the
Irvine word.