a study of bible-第51部分

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often　an　apotheosis　of　the　sensuous；　which　degrade　divinity；　not　only　to　the　human　level；　but　to　the　lowest　level　of　humanity。　〃It　is　surely　good　that　our　youth　during　the　formative　period　should　have　displayed　to　them；　in　a　literary　dress　as　brilliant　as　that　of　Greek　literature；　a　people　dominated　by　an　utter　passion　for　righteousness；　a　people　whose　ideas　of　purity；　of　infinite　good；　of　universal　order；　of　faith　in　the　irresistible　downfall　of　moral　evil；　moved　to　a　poetic　passion　as　fervid　and　speech　as　musical　as　when　Sappho　sang　of　love　or　Eschylus　thundered　his　deep　notes　of　destiny。〃＇1＇


＇1＇　Literary　Study　of　the　Bible；　passim。


But　there　is　a　leading　American　voice　which　will　speak　in　that　behalf；　in　President　Nicholas　Murray　Butler；　of　Columbia　University。　In　his　address　as　President　of　the　National　Educational　Association；　President　Butler　makes　strong　plea　for　the　reading　of　the　Bible　even　in　public　schools。　〃His　reason　had　no　connection　with　religion。　It　was　based　on　altogether　different　ground。　He　regarded　an　acquaintance　with　the　Bible　as　absolutely　indispensable　to　the　proper　understanding　of　English　literature。〃　It　is　unfortunate　in　the　extreme；　he　thought；　that　so　many　young　men　are　growing　up　without　that　knowledge　of　the　Bible　which　every　one　must　have　if　he　means　to　be　capable　of　the　greatest　literary　pleasure　and　appreciation　of　the　literature　of　his　own　people。　Not　only　the　allusions；　but　the　whole　tone　and　bias　of　many　English　authors　will　become　to　one　who　is　ignorant　of　the　Bible　most　difficult　and　even　impossible　of　comprehension。

The　difficulties　of　calling　public　schools　to　this　task　appear　at　once。　It　would　be　monstrous　if　they　should　be　sectarian　or　proselytizing。　But　the　Bible　is　not　a　sectarian　Book。　It　is　the　Book　of　greatest　literature。　It　is　the　Book　of　mightiest　morals。　It　is　governing　history。　It　is　affecting　literature　as　nothing　else　has　done。　A　thousand　pities　that　any　petty　squabbling　or　differences　of　opinion　should　prevent　the　young　people　in　the　schools　from　realizing　the　grandeur　and　beauty　of　it！

But　the　final　and　most　important　agency。　which　will　magnify　the　influence　of　the　Bible　must　necessarily　be　the　home。　It　will　gather　up　all　its　traits；　religious；　moral；　and　literary。　Here　is　the　fundamental　opportunity　and　the　fundamental　obligation。　Robert　Burns　was　right　in　finding　the　secret　of　Scotia's　power　in　such　scenes　as　those　of　〃The　Cottar's　Saturday　Night。〃　One　can　almost　see　Carlyle　going　back　to　his　old　home　at　Ecclefechan　and　standing　outside　to　hear　his　old　mother　making　a　prayer　in　his　behalf。　A　newspaper　editorial　of　recent　date　says　this　decay　of　literary　allusion　is　traceable　in　part　to　the　gradual　abandonment　of　family　prayers。　Answering　President　Butler；　it　is　urged　that　it　is　not　so　important　that　the　Bible　be　in　the　public　schools　as　that　it　get　back　again　into　the　homes。　〃Thorough　acquaintance　with　the　Bible　is　desirable；　it　should　be　fostered。　The　person　who　will　have　to　foster　it；　though；〃　says　this　writer；　〃is　not　the　teacher；　but　the　parent。　The　parent　is　the　person　whom　Dr。　Butler　should　try　to　convert。〃　Well；　while　there　may　be　differences　about　the　school；　there　can　be　none　about　the　place　of　the　Bible　in　the　home。　It　needs　to　be　bound　up　with　the　earliest　impressions　and　intertwined　with　those　impressions　as　they　deepen　and　extend。

So；　by　the　Church；　which　will　accent　its　religious　value；　by　the　press；　which　will　accent　its　moral　power；　by　the　school；　which　will　spread　its　literary　influence；　and　by　the　home；　which　will　realize　all　three　and　make　it　seem　a　vital　concern　from　the　beginning　of　life；　the　Bible　will　be　put　and　held　in　the　place　of　power　to…day　which　it　has　had　in　the　years　that　are　gone；　and　will　steadily　gain　greater　power。





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