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VOL. LXXXVI1. RICHMC
"The Bible
An address delivered by 7?ev. J. & Hobson, of
"As 1 understand my theme, i am not expected
lo deliver a thesis on the contents of the Bible. 1
am not here to discuss the validity of its claims;
to deliver a dissertation, or discourse, on Inspiration,
Revelation, Inerrancy of the Scriptures, or
tlie historicity or connonicity of the Bible, hut to
culi attention, in u brief und popular way, to the
inlluence of the Bible in a nation's history, and
yet this proposition, if true, substantiates the
former hypothesis, for if the Bible has influenced
the world iU a way peculiar to itself, this within
itself establishes it as divine. The iirst thing that
appealed to me in the consideration of this subject
was the significance of the theme, 'The Bible
in a Nation's History.' Why the Bible in a nation's
history? Why not the Talmud, the Koran,
me Aena-a vesta.'' Why not discuss tlie relation
ot Judaism, Mohammedanism, Zoroastrianism to
the development of a nation? Why not consider
ihe relation of Christian Science, or Confucianism
in a nation's history? Why was the whole civilized
world interested in the tercentennial celebration
of the publication of the English Bible ? Why
lias the Bible been so marvellously preserved duriug
all the centuries from Celsus to Ingersoil,
and down to the present, although the iron heel of
Umperors has been placed upon it, and censorships
have been decreed against it? Why do we
iiud the Bible brought into requisition to solemnize
the nuptials at* the marriage altar, to soleni
nize and legalize an oath? Why the universal impression
and conviction, that no home is complete
without the Bible in that home? Why all this?
'The reason is obvious. As the blood is the very
life of the human being, coursing its way through
every part of the system, living, acting, and moving
in every vibration and pulsation of the being,
so the Bible is the verv life of a nation. It ton oh pa
tlu' nation at its vital spots, and is an indispensable
factor in all the relationships, and activities
of a nation's life. At the very heart of the nation,
living, breathing, acting, and speaking
through every part of the complex life of a great
nation, is the Bible. Our subject transposed,
would read, 'Christianity in a nation's history';
for the Bible is more than a book; it is a system,
an institution, a kingdom; the only system of
?j - ' - - - - ---
"?m, uua compendium oi doctrine which underlie
the foundation of civilization and stable government.
Iiet us ask then, in the first place, what
'3 the Bible's influence upon the home. As is the
home, so is the nation. No nation ever rises
higher than the complexion of the homes which
constitute that nation. Napoleon said, 'What
I'Vance needs, is more homes.' Tell me the type of
ihe home, and I will tell you what kind of civilizat[on
and government you have. The marital, conjugal,
parental; these are relations which constitute
the basis of home life. If these relationships
are weak, then your home life is not what it
should be. Any influence which tends to weaken
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)ND. NEW ORLEANS, /. %, ,'TA, OC
In A Natiui
Water Valley, Miss., before the Yalobusha cour
ana published by request
tlieae tiea at Una vital point, us a menace to government,
ami ia tlie entering wedge to tlie ultimate
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uuw muii oi me nauon. \\ nat tiien is Uie relation
of the Bible to the home? 1 let you answer that
question, as 1 urn sure it is already answered in
your own mind. 1 ask if the Bible in the home
tends to strengthen, exalt, dignify, and fortify the
home as the cornerstone in a nation's life? i believe
it was Greely who spoke of the man, who
started out, whether in reality, or in his imagination,
it doesn't matter, to locate the pivot of
civilization. He visited the world's busy marts, he
thought of the commerce of a nation, and was impressed
with its enormity and power; he visited the
great universities, and thought of the many noble
;vuug luoi nuu nuc ucmg ?e.Lii out to mess lue
world; he theu thought of the nation's standing
armies, and he said all this is grand, but 1 have
failed as yet to locate the pivot of civilization. On
his return home, he chanced to stop in an humble
home to spend the night. Before retiring he
looked upon an inspiring scene. A little family
group gathered around the altar engaged in worship;
there the father poured out his heart to God
in behalf of that family. 'All/ he said, 4 I have
at last found the pivot of civilization. It is the
home where the Bible is loved and taught.' Let us
ask again, what is the relation of the Bible to a
nation's liberty f Am 1 wrong when 1 answer4 the
Bible is the sheet-anchor of a nation's liberty. We
prize our freedom and liberty. It is dear to us.
How WS8 it obtained? We ?re aeeiiatnmofl +hi?ilr
of national liberty in relation to the Declaration
of Independence, but 1 wish to affirm that liberty,
both civil and religious, came to us as a precious
heritage from God. Before the Declaration of Independence
was penned; before the old liberty bell
sounded out the joyful news, proclaiming liberty to
all the land; before the voice of Patrick Henry was
heard in the halls of Congress saying, 'Give me liberty
or give me death!' a declaration had been
drawn up by Mecklenburg Presbyterians in North
Carolina, settintr forth mnn's innlioTinhiM vinrhfj
u
under God's Constitution. It is remarkable to relate,
that the similarity of the two documents
raised the question as to which was which. This
Presbytery was composed of descendants of the
Scotch Covenanters, Huguenots, and Puritans, who
came to our shores in search of this God-given and
inalienable right, where they could plant home and
government upon the principles of the Bible. They
prized liberty of conscience, and the fenr of God
above everything, so when the old country began
to pile up burden and oppression, like the Israelites
of old, they groaned beneath their burdens;
God heard their cry, and in the strength of Christian
manhood, they threw off this yoke of bondage
and proclaimed themselves free American
citizens. So you see something as to the conception
and origin of that of which we boast today. Yes,
we owe our liberty to the Bible. 'The entrance of
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valPresbyter/an ,<r
JrtCJtN (THESE YTE/PJA&
TOBER 15, 1913. NO.
i s History "
ify Sunday school convention at Oakland, Miss.,
Thy words givetli light.' 'Ye shall kuow the truth
3 it - x xl_ I n ? - ?*
uuu uie iruin snail muKe you tree.' Where do we
find oppression, superstition, socialism, Anarchism,
today? Where ignorance of the llible prevails.
Study history and verify this truth. Take
an}* system of philosophy known to the world except
Christianity, and test it by its fruits. Confucianism,
Mohammedanism, Roman Catholicism.
Go to countries where these religions have prevailed
without hidrance for centuries, and what
do we find? Oppression, foot-binding, lawlessness,
darkness. Take the reins of government out of the
hands of the Christian religion, and put in the
Presidential chair a representative of any of these
religions, and the brightest star of hope and liberty
will set forever; the tires of Smithfield will
rage again: the Spanish Inquisition will do its
deadly work again; the old Dragonnade will again
I>e brought into requisition to crush out a nation's
hope, progress, and liberty; the massacre of St.
Bartholomew would again be enacted l>efore the
uoou-tide blaze of the twentieth century civilization;
let the Christian religion surrender the reins
of Government and the wheels of progress would
be reversed twenty-five hundred years, and the
blood-curdling scenes of the Dark Ages would be
enacted again. TiOvc the Bible; cherish the Bible;
honor the Bible, for it is the only guarantee of a
nation's liberty and life of the American citizen.
Once more we inquire as to the relation of the
Bible to a nation's Civilization and Government.
What is government? Probably, government is
the science of man's relation to man. It grows out
of man's complex relationships. Man is related
to home, business, society, State, Church; he is
father, husband, citizen, business man; these are
terms which express different phases of man's
complex relationships, and are the underlying
factors of government. Upon what is government
based? The idea of law, home, society, commerce,
State? Upon force, might, or sheer power?
.uost assuredly not, but upon principle, justice,
light, honor. So underlying the conception of
government is the individual unit, man. He is
the basis of home, society, commerce, State; in
fact, everything. Man's views of home, society,
citizenship, law, will predetermine the type of
our Government. So, after all, we must deal with
the man. Wc must have character. The noblest
product of the Christian religion is f>hnr?r?w
Rome and Greece attained the highest state of
civilization possible, without God; they wrought
wonders in letters and arts; they gave to the universities
their classics, but Cicero said: 'Philosophy
never reformed men.' Assassination and
treason ended the lives of most of the rulers of
Athens and Rome. You cannot make people moral
without training the conscience and heart. Socrates,
Brutus, Cassius, Cato justified suicide, and
some of them, child murder. Roman civilization
(Continued on page 11.)