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Thames Star, Volume XII, Issue 3814, 19 March 1881, Page 4

mon§|tic. .orders.^Jhe.&imple circulation of the Bible in all languages is the one commandment,vth^"one creed, the one - virtue, the one grace,- the one battle-cr^, the one banner, the one palladium, the test- of rising or' falling, State, the-way .to possess, < the earth and climb the skies: -Such is the sweet belief and balmy confidence of myriads, whom T no reasonable person would wish to dis- -' turb or rob of their life's joy. But it is /' not ■ giten to everybody either by nature or circumstances, to live entirely by tHe rule of blind faith and gregarious practice. What" is the volume by which the earth is being covered and fertilized ? It ig a collection of writings that have come to u;s from antiqnity in two main tongues, bat affecjedsin theiifisage and. inter|r|tatiob by^ran^tationtanq parapHxase intd.Y&.rious languages and dialects. It is impossible ? ,|p li^per|pr,m 4 ; uppn , them ; that ''duty of '^■jnvesjygationrwhich,- the;,translators and " disseminators declare tP bethe firstjduty of a Christian and; rational man without coming many problems each tof ,?:*[hicb iidaj" well joccupy &< -life^^ A*t the very entrance of such an investigation a ,Jipndred .fixed ideas give place to a^jmany "unceftainiies." It, becomes^ a matter of opinion,,, wherever; an opinion ; can bb entertSinedj'twltoI^ were' %lie aTi'thtirs of the atiwhaf date i they were written or, compiled, and how far they« represent \ tradition gathered long after the events recorded. The^mere reconciliatipn of the narftjtij^-iiiitjp 4 harmoni6usj|orn;| j is .often simply imjios'sible,. as they must sorrow-E-'fullyr scoifess who have giyeri years' to 1 the /attempt;J''Besides; this, there dre many t'jp&rtfsbf the book Which, itm^y be ssiid, are practically abandoned by some'or even all ordinaßy,;.readers.;' The 5 the ceremonial law are left to curious students ,and t>^o , divines $h -search of! types and 'emblems. Even well-informed Christians seldom look at some of,the minor Prophets, take no'.',trouble,,to follow.the arguments of Job, dismiss the Proverbs, as savouring too much of'the wisdom of this world, go delicately.and as if on stepping-stones ' "through;the Judges, and pick and choose '$$ their own discretion even in such books as Isaiah, and:Ezekel. Meanwhile this volume,, sown broadcast all over the wprldj Without]'the omission of oneljot; or tittle, has been excluded from the legaj.," 'XJoui'Sie , ibf -} instruction Jin our own- ■"elemeritary' schools. Yet. these goo'dfelks can honestly arid from the depth of. their simple hearts tell 'all world that the mere reception of this volume is ■the short and sure way to all excellence and happiness; that it is alike the food of bates, ■-saints,' and heroes. At home, in; our great cities, at the seats of industry, of learning, and of, .government, the volume if received and read is unsparingly; "scfutinised. It is treated as a .mass of: yaln'ablb and interestiiig.literature with,a; serious bearing on our spiritual destinies,; but the. first .thing we do is to,: put it to every kind of test. We examine the language, the'history, the doctrine, much as we shouldl the witnesses in an important catise.'- This we do ourselves, and for ourselves. Our good people present it to the lower forms of humanity in the heart of newly opened continents, just as it is, without note or comment, as requiring no commentary but a strong faith and willing heart. It has been the way in all ages, j Pppple have always been told that they were bound to accept and believe everything, whatever was then the secret of immortality. . r They. must accept the CfliircH/ifs Pope, its' councils \ its-dogmas, its traditions and customs. They must accept some, theory of Divine selection and 'acceptance. ' They^ must accept the Book in, its verbal integrity ai^d 1 entirety.' They 'must never think for themselves. It has always been excusable to take this course. with the people, because the people, oh' the whole, prefer'it, Und fall into sad blunders when they attempt to think for themselves. If the Church's trumpet, or the national trumpet, blows an uncertain sound, other trumpets ■ 'are; heard; about which there can be no uncertainty. The Bible Society carries out this programme'with the whole world. For the present it seems to answer, j though, ,when we are/ told of Gerniany receiving so maiay thousand copies of the bible, we should feel better satisfied if we heard also bf the moral and religious result. But all the world is accepting r the. gift, : J^Tot a saVage but will one dky have his bible. So far, well. But the day must come, as it has come even with a famous Zulu, when all the world will be asked questions and not be easily satisfied.!