a study of bible-第25部分
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o Cromwell reverence until Carlyle's BOOK gave him anew to the world。
There are instances squarely in our own time by which their mighty influence may be tested。 They are of books of almost ephemeral value save for the student of history。 As literature they will be quickly forgotten； but as FORCES they must be reckoned with。 There is Uncle Tom's Cabin。 It would be absurd to say that it brought the American Civil War； or freed the negroes； or saved the Union。 It did none of those great things。 Yet it is not at all absurd to name it among the potent powers in all three。 It is not to our purpose whether it is true or not as a statement of the whole fact。 Doubtless it was not true of the general and common circumstances of Southern slavery； but everything in it was possible； and even frequent enough so that it could not be questioned。 It pretended no more。 But its influence was simply tremendous。 In book form it became available in 1852； and within three years； 1855； it was common property of English…speaking people。 No other book ever produced so extraordinary an effect so quickly in the public mind。＇1＇ It held up slavery to judgment。 It crystallized the thoughts of common people。 The work of those strenuous years in the '60's could not have been done without the result of that book。 It made history。 Come nearer our own day。 We could not be long in London without feeling the concern of the better people for conditions in the East End。 A new social impulse has seized them。 To be sure； it lacks much yet of success； but more has been done than most people realize。 The new movement； the awakening of that social sense； traces back to the book of Gen。 William Booth； In Darkest England （1890）。 It has helped to change the life of a large part of London。
＇1＇ Rhodes； History of the United States； vol。 i； pp。 185…303。
On this side； the new concern for city conditions dates from the book of a newspaper reporter； Jacob A。 Riis； How the Other Half Lives。 It thrust the Other Half into such prominence that it has never been possible to forget it。 Marked advance in all American cities； in legislation and life； goes straight back to it。 Name one other book still in the field of social service； even so unpleasant； so terrible； so obnoxious a book as Upton Sinclair's The Jungle。 It started and sustained movements which have unsettled business and political life ever since it appeared。 It made some conditions vivid； unescapable。
Do not misunderstand the argument。 No man can tell what will be said in the histories a century from now about these lesser books。 We can never go beyond guesses as to the whole cause of any chain of events。＇1＇ As time passes； incidental elements in the causes gradually sink out of sight and a few great forces take the whole horizon。 Whatever the histories a century from now say about the relative place of such books as we have named； it is certain that they have influenced the movements mightily。 The literary histories will say nothing at all about them。 They are not great literature； but they were born of a passion of the times and voiced and aroused it anew。
＇1＇ MacPhail； Essays on Puritanism； p。 278。
When； therefore； it is urged that the English Bible has influenced history； it is not making an undue claim for it。 When it is further urged that of all books in English literature it has been most influential； it has most made history； it has most determined great movements； the argument only claims for it the highest place among books。
And it would not be surprising if it should have such influence。 It is the one great piece of English literature which is universal property。 Since the day it was published it has been kept available for everybody。 No other book has ever had its chance。 English…speaking people have always been essentially religious。 They have always had a profound regard for the terms； the institutions； the purposes of religion。 Partly that has been maintained by the Bible； but the Bible in its turn has been maintained by it。 So it has come about that English…speaking people； though they have many books； are essentially people of one Book。 Wherever they are； the Bible is。 Queen Victoria has it near by when the messenger from the Orient appears； and lays her hand upon it to say that this is the foundation of the prosperity of England。 But the poor housewife in the cottage； with only a crust for food； stays her soul with it。 The Puritan creeps into hiding with the Book； while his brother sails away to the new land with the Book。 The settler may have his Shakespeare； he will surely have his Bible。 As the long wagon…train creeps across the plain to seek the Western shore； there may be no other book in all the train； but the Bible will be there。 Find any settlement of men who speak the English tongue； wherever they make their home； and the Bible is among them。 When did any book have such a chance to influence men？ It is the one undisturbed heritage of all who speak the English tongue。 It binds the daughter and the mother country together； and gathers into the same bond the scattered remnants of the English…speaking race the world around。 Its language is the one speech they all understand。 Strange it would be if it had not a profound influence upon history！
Another fact that has helped to give the Bible its great influence is the power of the preaching it has inspired。 The periods of greatest preaching have always been the periods of freest access to the Bible。 No one can overlook the immense power of the sermons of history。 There have been poor； inept； banal expositors； doubtless； but even they turned men's minds to the Bible。 Reading the Bible makes men thinkers； and so makes preachers inevitably。 Witness the Scotch。 James was raised in Scotland and believed in the power of preaching。 At one time he wanted to settle endowments for the maintenance of preaching under government control。 But Archbishop Whitgift convinced him that much preaching was 〃an innovation and dangerous；〃 since it is quite impossible to control a man's mouth once it is given a public chance。 Under Charles I。 the sermon was mighty in the service of the Puritans until it was suppressed or restricted。 Then men became lecturers and expounded the Bible or taught religious truth in public or private。 Rich men engaged private chaplains since public meetings could not be held。 Somehow they taught the Bible still。 Archbishop Laud forbade both。 Yet the leaven worked the more for its restriction。 At least one good cook I know says that if you want your dough to rise and the yeast to work； you must cover it。 Laud did not want it to rise； but he made the mistake of covering it。
There has never been a book which has provoked such incessant preaching and discussion as has the Bible。 The believers in the Koran teach it as it is； word for word。 Believers in the Bible have never stopped with that。 They have always tried to come together and hear it expounded。 Such gatherings and such constant pressure of the Book on groups of hearers would inevitably give the Bible great influence。 When it is remembered that in America alone there are each week approximately four hundred thousand gatherings of people which have for their avowed purpose instruction or inspiration in religion； and that the instruction and inspiration are professedly and openly drawn from the Bible； that more than three hundred thousand sermons are preached every week from it and passages of it read in all the gatherings； it appears that the Bible had and still has such a chance to influence life as no other book has had。 President Schurman traces a large part of our own stronger American life to the educative power of our Sundays。 But central in the education of those days is now； and has been from the first of our national history； the English Bible。
The influence of the Bible comes also from the fact that it makes its chief appeal to the deeper elements in life。 〃Human history in its real character is not an account of kings and of wars； it is the unfolding of the moral； the political； the artistic； the social； and the spiritual progress of the human family。 The time will yet come when the names of dynasties and of battles shall not form the titles of its chapters。 The truths revealed in the Bible have been the touchstone which has tried men's spirits。〃＇1＇
＇1＇ H。 B。 Smith； Faith and Philosophy； p。 54。
Those words go to the heart of the fact。 The influence of the English Bible on English… speaking history for the last three hundred years is only the influence of its fundamental truths。 It has moved with tremendous impact on the wills of men。 It has made the great human ideals clear and definite； it has made them beautiful and attractive； but that has not been enough。 It has reached also the springs of action。 It has given men a sense of need and also a sense of strength； a sense of outrage and a sense of power to correct the wrong。 There it has differed from most books。 Frederick Robertson said that he read only books with iron in them； and； as he read； their atoms of iron entered the blood； and it ran more red for them。 There is iron in this Book； and it has entered the blood of the human race。 Where it has entered most freely； the red has deepened； and nowhere has it deepened more than in our English…speaking races。 The iron of our blood is from this King James version。
Bismarck explained the victories of the Germans over the French by the fact that from childhood the Germans had been trained in the sense of duty； as the French had not been trained； and as soldiers had learned to feel that nothing could escape the Eye which ever watched their course。 They learned that； Bismarck said； from the religion which they had been taught。 There is no mistaking the power of religion in rousing and sharpening the sense of duty。 Webster spoke for the English…speaking races； and found his phrases in the Bible； when he said that this sense 〃pursues us ever。 It is omnipresent like the Deity。 If we take to ourselves the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea； duty performed or duty violated is still with us for our happiness or our misery。 If we say the darkness shall cover us； in the darkness as in the light our obligations are yet with us。 We cann
