Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1922-12-11
POSSESSION OF BIBLE
IS C0D-G|vEN RIGHT
Il cv. Hugh w. Sublett
breaches in St. Johns Epis-
copal Church.

Re-. Hugh ". Sublett. rector OF 6,
Johns Episcopal Church. preached
yesterday morning. In part. AS fol-
lows
From child thou hast known
the Holy Scriptures, which are able
10 make thee wise unto gaIvat!on
through faith which Is in Christ
Jesus? Timothy I'll. 10
This abatement. made by st. Paul
or Timothy. IL true Of us an well. We
seldom reflect upon the matter enough
10 realize ho% great n blessing the
possession az the Bible Is. Ever since
we We're children wc have seen IL in
prominent position I'm The home In
church wc have seen IL in high posi- :
non exposed ana open on the lecturn.
IL was proud day when we found
ourselves the happy possessors OF our
own Individual volume given us by a
pious parent or friend or conferred! ns
a reward. Many OF us do not know
mat every day Christians long ago
did not have it ana know il as we.
rome was :" great and pow crfu! tha,
the idea has lived long after Tn. fall
"i the empire. Its language was tho
"hlS speech OF u vast proportion OF
va" chuTch. as indeed IL is even TODAY
ANA ia science and in other v.avs
mat wonderful Latin tongue is now
Tar from dead, though IL IL hartIy
used In conversation. But for cen
turtles before the Reformation. the
h'n'e was, so far as the everyday
i"IK were concerned. cmbalmcd in it,
covered with II as with the ceremcnts
OF death. and hidden therein, like
he
the stuff II was for the vast mass OF
men sealed book. II remained so.
Tor the clergy felt that il WAS not
Saie 10 trust II 10 the people some
times they were honest about il. and
some times they felt that their in
hucnce would be endangered.
Because o! the collect and epistlc
ana gospci for the Second Sunday in
Advent having 10 do with the word
or the words of God, this Sunday is
known as Bible Sunday. II is es-
pccIa!ly hitting that we should today
speak about the Bible. l want to saw
JUST Iittie about how We have re-
cciVed II In our native speech | want
To talk about the English Bible.
1T is our Cod given rich, ,bo, w.
should have II. one OF the first de-
sirrs or a people converted by mis-
sionary enterprise Is that they should
nave the scriptures in their native
speech. This was the fond desIre Of
inc remote ancestors OF the English
nation. The old British church de-
sired and possessed them. Yet %
dearly has the precious gift been won.
even thcn as Il prophecy OF persecu-
uons yet 10 come. they were burned in
british towns during the prosecutions
Of Diocletian.
ffnr
SaAons and Angles were dark and
dismal years. And then when. after
the coming OF Augustine, who had
been commissioned BY Gregory. never
iorBetful of the winsome beauty OF
'he fair-haired slave boys, who re-
MINDED him OF tho angels, things he
came brighter. Let the glorious Latin
service did not satisfy these early
English. Little by little they began
to receive fragments of the Divine
revelation I'm their native speech. The
Psalms-that voice the deepest feel
inss OF the human heart--the Ten
commandments. tho Lords Prayer be-
came the peoples very own. The
meek and pious Aidan on the night
oi whose death II Is said that ST.
outhoert saw shower OF falling
stars, ana afterwards thought that
they must have been the companv Of
ahBels come to carry that sainted
soui TO bliss. taught the Psalms to
MS associates by the use of either
written or oral North umb rInn
versions. And the time would fail
US to tell of Caedmon. inspired of
iod to sing tho creation of things In
tne verse OF the people, and Guthlac.
Ainheim, tho venerable Bede. the
translator of st. Johns Gospel, the
sood King Alfred. Aldred and Aelfrjc.
ana In tho later Norman period OF
orm, and William dc Schorham and
Richard Role. BY their hands mostly
there was given to tho people The
i'salms and the Gospels. But as vet
mere was hardly indeed an English
speech In which to translate the
precious words OF God. :"