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will place on the Bible will naturally be on its religious value； though its
moral value will take a close second place。 It is essential for the Church to
hold itself true to its religious foundations。 Only men who have some
position of leadership can realize the immense pressure that is on to…day to
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draw the Church into forms of activity and methods of service which are
much to be commended； but which have to be constantly guarded lest they
deprive it of power and concern in the things which are peculiar to its own
life and which it and it alone can contribute to the public good。 The
Church needs to develop for itself far better methods of instruction in the
Bible； so that it may as far as possible drill those who come under its
influence in the knowledge of the Bible for its distinctive religious value。
This is neither the time nor the place for a full statement of that
responsibility。 It is enough to see how the very logic of the life of the
Church requires that it return with renewed energy to its magnifying and
teaching of the Bible。
The second agency which may be called upon is the press。 The accent
of the press will be on the moral value of the Bible； the service which its
teaching renders to the national and personal life。 There seems to be a
hopeful returning tendency to allusions to the Scripture in newspaper and
magazine publications。 It is rare to find among the higher…level
newspapers an editorial page； where the most thoughtful writing appears；
in which on any day there do not appear Scripture allusions or references。
When that is seriously done； when Scripture is used for some other
purpose than to point a jest； it helps to restore the Bible to its place in
public thought。 In recent years there has been a noticeable return of the
greater magazines to consideration of the moral phases of the Scripture。
That has been inevitably connected with the development of a social sense
which condemns men for their evil courses because of their damage to
society。 The Old Testament prophets are living their lives again in these
days； and the more thoughtful men are being driven back to them for the
great principles on which they may live safely。
The third agency which needs to magnify the Bible is the school。 The
accent which it will choose will naturally be the literary value of the Bible；
though it will not overlook its moral value as well。 Incidental references
heretofore have suggested the importance of religion in a democracy。 But
there are none of the great branches of the teaching of the schools； public
or private； which do not involve the Bible。 It is impossible to teach history
fairly and fully without a frank recognition of the influence of the Bible。
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Study the Reformation； the Puritan movement； the Pilgrim journeys； the
whole of early American history！ We can leave the Bible out only by
trifling with the facts。 Certainly literature cannot be taught without it。 And
if it is the purpose of the schools to develop character and moral life； then
there is high authority for saying that the Bible ought to have place。
Forty years ago Mr。 Huxley； in his essay on 〃The School Boards： What
They Can Do； and What They May Do；〃 laid a broad foundation for
thinking at this point； and his words bear quoting at some length： 〃I have
always been strongly in favor of secular education； in the sense of
education without theology； but I must confess I have been no less
seriously perplexed to know by what practical measures the religious
feeling； which is the essential basis of conduct； was to be kept up； in the
present utterly chaotic state of opinion on these matters； without the use of
the Bible。 The pagan moralists lack life and color； and even the noble stoic；
Marcus Aurelius Antoninus； is too high and refined for an ordinary child。
Take the Bible as a whole； make the severest deductions which fair
criticism can dictate for shortcomings and positive errors； eliminate； as a
sensible lay teacher would do if left to himself； all that is not desirable for
children to occupy themselves with； and there still remains in this old
literature a vast residuum of moral beauty and grandeur。 And then consider
the great historical fact that； for three centuries； this Book has been woven
into the life of all that is best and noblest in English history； that it has
become the national epic of Britain； and is as familiar to noble and simple；
from John…o'…Groat's House to Land's End； as Dante and Tasso once were
to the Italians； that it is written in the noblest and purest English； and
abounds in exquisite beauties of mere literary form； and； finally； that it
forbids the veriest hind who never left his village to be ignorant of the
existence of other countries and other civilizations； and of a great past；
stretching back to the furthest limits of the oldest nations of the world。 By
the study of what other book could children be so much humanized and
made to feel that each figure in that vast historical procession fills； like
themselves； but a momentary space in the interval between two eternities；
and earns the blessings or the curses of all time； according to its effort to
do good and hate evil； even as they also are earning their payment for their
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work？ On the whole； then； I am in favor of reading the Bible； with such
grammatical； geographical； and historical explanations by a lay teacher as
may be needful； with rigid exclusion of any further theological teaching
than that contained in the Bible itself。〃 Mr。 Huxley is an Englishman；
though； as Professor Moulton says； 〃We divide him between England and
America。〃 But Professor Moulton himself is very urgent in this same
matter。 If the classics of Greece and Rome are in the nature of ancestral
literature； an equal position belongs to t