October 1927
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thinkers who would attempt to agree on the four points mentioned. And even should they agree and produce the new Bible, who would accept it? They would have greater difficulty getting men to agree upon it, than the Gospel preachers have ever had getting men to receive the Gospel. The whole proposal is laughable, and the funniest part of it is that it should come from such a serious thinker as Mr. Wells. If men could have produced anything to compare with the Bible, they would have done it ages ago. If the Bible we have was but the product of human minds, we should have had a new Bible with every generation. The fact is there is but one Book that has ever spoken to the hearts .of men with divine authority—but one message that carries in itself the power to live a holy and restful life. Let unbelievers explain it as they may, the Book still re
He comes to the conclusion that one necessity is a book which will do for the civilization of the future that which the Word of God has done for the civilization of the past. Even the admission that the Bible has been the moulding influence of civilization is most significant com ing from one who has so often revealed himself an enemy of the Bible. He frankly admits that civilization owes, not only its origin, but its preservation, to the Bible. Mr. Wells is an evolutionist and evolutionists are sup posed to look upon the Bible as the product of civilization. An evolutionist who confesses that “the civilization we possess could not have come into existence without the Bible’’ has gotten himself into;a corner. But why a new Bible? Mr. Wells thinks the old one has lost its influence. He declares that it is not so much that the Bible has lost its grip on men as it is that men
mains, to all believing souls, “the sword of the Spirit” ; it will never be superseded, and if civilization is kept from tottering to its ruin, it will only be because it comes to see that the mod ern attempts to discredit the Bible are just as futile as those of the first century. The Way to Unload “Bear ye one another’s bur dens and so fulfil the law of Christ” —Gal. 6:2. B Y bearing others’ bur dens you will lighten your own. Rogers, the poet, has preserved a story told him by a Piedmontese no bleman. “I was weary of life, and after a melana choly day was hurrying, along the street to the river, when I felt a sudden check. [ turned, and beheld a little boy who had caught the skirt of my cloak in his anxiety to solicit my notice. His look and manner were irresistible. Not less so was the lesson I learned. ‘There are six of us, and
have let go their hold on it. The grave aspect of the matter is, he says, that “nothing has arisen to take its place.” One cannot but wonder if Mr. Wells has ever pon dered the reasons why many men have “let go their hold” on the Bible. It certainly is not because the Gospel is no more “the power o f God unto salva tion,” for there are thou sands who bear testimony to its regenerating and ren ovating influences. Is it not because Mr. Wells himself (and many other influential and brilliant men) h a v e been doing everything pos sible to destroy the confi dence of men in the Bible? “C o u l d anything be m o r e insanely foolish,” asks the editor of The Bible Champion, “than for the responsible leaders of civi lization to destroy the foun dation of that great build ing before the new founda tion was ready?” Mr. Wells proposes the getting together of a com
we are dying for want of food.’ ‘Why should I not,’ said I to myself, ‘relieve this wretched family ? I have the means, and it will not delay me many minutes.’ The scene of misery he conducted me to I cannot describe. I threw them my purse, and their burst of gratitude overcame me. It filled my eyes; it went as a cordial to my heart. ‘I will call again tomorrow,’ I cried. Fool that I was to think of leaving a world where such pleasure was to be had. and so cheaply. There is many a load which only grows less by giv ing a lift to another. A dim Gospel makes a cold Chris tian ; a distant Saviour makes a halting, hesitating disciple.” JH The Ford “Retractor” (Headline borrowed from “The Los Angeles Times”) M R. Ford has offered his apologies to the Jews for the unfair articles which appeared in his newspaper against that race. He has frankly confessed that these articles contained statements which were absolutely un-
mittee to produce a new Bible. Who will appoint the committee ? It might be left to the University of Chicago; the association of scientists, or the American Association of Atheists to select the committee. These are among the outstanding institutions which seek to civilize men. What will the new Bible contain? Mr. Wells says it must have “a cosmogony.” The evolutionists already have that in shape, though it does not seem to be elevating the morals of the race to any extent. It must also have “a history of man.” Mr. Wells himself has already prepared that, and we are unaware of its having exerted any saving influences upon our tottering civilization. It must also contain “rules o f health.” Mrs. Eddy and one or two others have already furnished these and still people are dying off at a furious rate. Finally, it must contain “rules o f conduct.” There are various ideas as to what constitutes proper conduct. Nothing could furnish better material for the comic papers than the proceedings of “a committee” of modern
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