VOL. LVL
AN APPEAL TO REINSTATE THE ENGUffi
BIBLE AS A CODE OF KOMU
FOR CHURCH, SCHOOL, STATE AND NATION
(Reprinted from a booklet by the Rev. Robert Elliott Flicldn
ger, D< D., Rockwell City, Iowa.)
Article V.
‘‘All Scripture is given by in-i
spiration of God, and is profita
ble for doctrine, for reproof,
for correction, for instruction
in righteousness." ;
Jeiioiakim, who inherited the
throne of Judah from Josiah.
his God fearing father, did not
inherit his father’s faith in God
nor his respect fot the Word of
God. Approving idolatry, and
living luxuriously, he became
recklessly indifferent to the;
Word of God, and left his peo
ple a mutilated, incomplete copy
of the Scriptures. thus be
came the ‘‘Higher ^(destructive)
Critic” of thr Scriptures during
the Old Testament period.
The Authorized Version, of
the Bible carries with it the
guaranty that it is a complete,
approved, and an unprejudiced
copy of the Word of God. No
Other English version has ever
receivd a more general approv
al, or achieved so great results.
“By their fruits ye shall know
them."
Revised Versions
In the 16th century, there
were several individual transla
tions of the Hebrew Old Testa
ment, and the Greek New Tes
tament.
These early translations in
cluded the Latin Bible by Je
rome; the Anglo-Saxon Bible by
John Wycliff; the English Bi
ble by William Tyndale; the
Greek Testament by Erasmus;
--4jnthe*is Bible iiorvcffiSd? Jtha
Bishop’s Bible and several oth
er versions. These various in
dividual translations served to
preserve the integrity of the
Scriptures, by confirming the
record of its principal1 facts and
doctrines.
That there should be some
minor variations in these indi
vidual translations, was inevi
table. These greatly increased
the labor of those who taught
the Bible in Oxford University,
and the pastors of churches in
England.
Authorized Version and Cate
chism
King James I, to relieve this
perplexing condition, in 1604 is
sued a call for the learned men
of the nation to meet in public
assembly and prepare for all
English speaking people an ap
proved version of the Scriptures
The assembly of 47 learned
ministers and laymen met in
Westminster Hall, London, and
after seven years of labor and
conference, in 1611 published
the Bible that has since been
known as the Authorized Ver
sion, translated from the orig
inal Hebrew and Greek languag
es of the Old and New Testa
ments. A few months later they
published also the Shorter Cat
echism with proof texts* as a
helpful interpreter of the great
facts divinely revealed in (he
Scriptures of the Old and New
Testaments.
Confusion of New Testaments
In recent years several re
visions of the Scripture.? have
*gain made their appearance
and become more or less confus
ing. No one of them has %*$>*!>
adopted as a standard of good
morals for all nations- No one
of them has received the gen
eral approval that has been ac
corded the Authorized Version
of 16H.
The translations of Jerome,
Wycliff and Tyndale led to the
Reformation in Europe in the
16th century, and so impressed
Luther of the great need of
his countrymen, the German
people, he translated" the Bible
into the German language in his
spare moments for them, while
he served as a priest of the
Church of Rome. Luther after
wards said, he found the Bible
intended for the world, but hid
den under a bushel; while the
great commission of Christ to
his apostles was “to teach all
nations whatsoever 1 have com*
raanded you."
It was the good influence of
this Authorized Version, and
Luther’s German Bible in Eu
rope that led the Bible readers
of England, Switzerland; Ger
many and other countries,
when persecuted by the papal
church at Rome, in fleeing from'
their native lands in Europe, to
migrate tP America; and later
led them to ujrflte under jth^
starry flag of freedom, now the
patriotic, beautiful and signifi
cant banner of the United
States.
Progress Marvelous
The tithes haye changed. The
three million Bible reading,
Sabbath observing colonists in
one and a half century, serving
as a melting pot for the op
pressed, migrating from the
nations of the Old World, have
increased to 180,000,000,—with
other millions in Alaska, and our
island dependencies — Hawaii,
Guam, Porto Rico, an<T the Phil
ippines.
Tacit Approval
The Authorized Bible has
hitherto been tacitly understood
to be the standard of good mor
als by the leaders in thought
and action in both Church and
State, as in the pioneer days.
American Bible Society
011>1 B IJ jl
New York, with its branches in
Detroit. Chicago, Atlanta, Dal
las, Sacramento, Shanghai and
Yeddo, did not exist at the time
of the birth of this nation. The
colonists obtained what few
Bibles they had from England.
Now the situation is very dif
ferent- The Bible Society, an
unsectarian organization, is
able to supply the moral and
spiritual needs of America with
the open Bible. Tt has grown
with the progress of the nation
and is now supplying the Bible
in many languages, including
the native language of the In
dians, Alaskans, Mexicans,
Philippines, Chinese and Japan
ese- Bibles also in raised letters
for the blind.
Immigration Period
During the reconstruction
period following the Civil War,
characterized by unusual rail
road building and homestead
occupation of the Middle West,
there came with the home
steaders from the Christian
States of Northern Europe, a
lot of the best people in the
world; and they settled on
farms. But when the gates
were thrown open for immi
grants, the States of Southern
Europe bordering on the Med
iterranean, began to send lots
of their rabble, who, locating in(
our cities, formed vicious slum
districts and centers of politi-i
cal corruption.
Organized Gangsters
The police are now grappling
with organizations of gangsters
and bootleggers, all conscious
violators of known laws. All
alike have lacked the deveop
ment of their moral factors by
Bible instruction in childhood
and youth. The daily papers are
filled with the records of high
crimes and misdemeanors.
Great strikes by laborers have
caused the loss of valuable
property and political corrup
tion is rife among the high
public officials of States and na
tion.
Sin—Clime
“The soul that sinneth it shall
die."—Ezek. 18:20.
“I will take heed to my ways
that I sin npt.”—David, King
of Israel
‘‘The wages of sin is death.”
-Gal. 6:23.
“Though hand join in hand
the wicked shall not be unpun
ished.”—Proverbs 12:21.
How does sin grip one? Sin
repeated means a bad habit A
bad habit is like those snakes
that coil so tightly around a
victim they can not be shaken
loose. They squeeze the very life
out of their victim.
Such a grip the devil had on
Judas, who betrayed his Lord
and Master with a kiss. David
felt his awful power, trying tq
drag him down. It brought him
low. In the bitterness of hid
soul he cried out: “Wash me
and I shall be clean/'
‘‘Have mercy upon me, 0
God according to thy loving
kindness. Wash me thoroughly!
from my iniquity and cleanse;
me from my sin. Wash me, and
I shall be whiter than snow.
Create in me a clean heart, 0
God, and renew a right spirit
within me. Cast me not away;
from thy presence, and take not
thy Holy Spirit from me.” —
Psalm 51:1-11* ( j
There is a great conflict rag
ing between God> their Creator,;
and Satan, for the mastery of
mankind. The earth is the;
scene of this conflict. Previous
to the flood, the punishment of
evil doers was administered by
by the Greater. The curse upon
the ground for the sin of oip
first parents is still visible in
man’s fallen nature, in garden,
orchard and field.
All evu aoers are servants ui
Satan, enemies of God- Evil do
ers have no use for their Crea
tor, nor for his commandments
until, like Saul of Tarsus, they
have’been bom “again.”
Open Bible Suppressed.
About 1340, some who ought
to have known better, succeed
ed inexcludingtheBiblefrom
the public schools oy tneen
actment of unfriendly
State
laws.
The present wave of crime is
a natural sequence of that folly
as it opened the door for all
sorts of teachers in elementary
schools, colleges and universi
ties.
THE INTERNATIONAL
CHRISTIAN ENDEAVOR
CONVENTION
Philadelphia, Pa., July 2. —
New Youth campaigns in evan
gelism, social reconstruction,
alcohol education and world
peace were proposed to 20,000
Christian Endeavor young peo
ple of North America tonight
by the Rev. Daniel A* Poling,
D. D., S. T. D. Dr. Poling, as
President of the World's Chris
tian Endeavor Union and the
International Society of Chris
tian Endeavor, gave the key
note address opening the Thir
ty-fifth International Conven
tion of the organization.
Other subjects opened to the
discussion and action of the
Youth Congress which continued
to Sunday evening, July 7, in
cluded new goals for public ed
ucation and a localized cam
paign to encourage clean and
wholesome literature.
“Another League of Decency
is justified by the growing tide
of suggestion, profanity and
even printed filth in many news
papers and maga2iines,” ,said
Dr. Poling.
Proposals for a united peace
action, to halt the “battle of
the peace-makers,” were re
ceived with marked enthusiasm
by the young people and the
counselors and religious educa
tors who are assisting in the
convention program. In Confer
ence sessions tomorrow and
thereafter until Saturday, these
and other major proposals made
in Dr. Poling's message will be
discussed by the youth dele
gates. Four young speakers will
be heard each morning in ex
pressions of the opinions
brought out in the conference
programs, in which several
thousand delegates participate.
Said Dr. Poling speaking on
the subject, “We Choose
Christ:”
‘‘Today the program of Jesus
is the only program that has
for youth jm attractiveness that
transcends, the program of the
dictators: :
‘‘Personal evangelism is ever
first We choose Christ, each of
us, as personal Saviour and
Lord and as the Captain and
Comrade of our lives We enter
into a solemn covenant to en
gage as nbefore to win our
personal friends, and all those
whom our lives may touch, to
this same personal allegiance.
We believe that the supreme
•business of tire church and of
the youth movement within the
church is the business of win
ning men ind women and little
children m Jesus Christ; edu
cating, training, and strength
ening them in the Christian way
of life, blpging them into all
the assodpions of the church,
and through these associations
into the voider service of society;
itself, sjjff
“ ‘Christian Youth Building
a New Yjnffld’ is the slogan and
the task jjj| what may become
the most' inspiring unity of
youth in, all the history of the
Protestaht Church in America.
This unita can be achieved only
in the whole-hearted acceptance
of the principle that there can be
no ‘new worlds’ without ‘new
world-builders,’ and that men
and women become new for such
a task by the grace of Jesutst
Christ done.
• isew worid-Diulders, new
men And women, reborn in the
Infinite Christ—and then, in
home, in' community, in the na
tion and in the world, through
all human relations, new worlds
rise and the divine destiny of
the human race approaches
more add more its fulfillment!
Christian Endeavor is discover
ing new
I
a new mspira
*ery
evangelize the
life of this generation.
“Through the enlistment of
personal workers, the organiza
tion of all classes for the study
of the Bible and for the train
ing of those who would win their
friends, by special community
efforts in the Lenten season,
with conferences and conven
tions, with a program and
eventually with an institution
of Christian education and
Christian leadership, we shall
address ourselves to that task.
“ ‘At whatever cost, we choose
Christ,’ said ovr comrades of
Christian Endeavor in another
lard. Let us not be self-deluded.
Thus to choose is to live dan
gerously. Christianity is not
easy; indeed, it may become
desperately, even tragically
hard.
• A great revolution repudiat
ed religion as ‘the opiate of
the people.’ The only answer
for Christianity is the declara
tion of an unyielding purpose
on the part of the Christian
Church to right ancient
wrongs, to purge the temple of
those who exploit either the
faith or the credulity of wor
shippers, and to make Christ
King not only of individual lives
but of social practices.
‘‘If we choose Christ and
choose him at whatever cost, we
inevitably organize our strength
,to defeat the plans that are not
Christian, whoever makes them;
to protest practices that are not
Christian, whoever proposes
them; and to replace institutions
that are not Christian, however
powerful and accredited they
may be.
“Poverty and underprivilege
for a multitude, with plenty and
the excesses of wealth for the
few must not exist side by side,
unprotested by the Christian
Church. More, these can not ex
ist side by side without violat
ing the Christian ethic and
without weakening presently
and destroying eventually the
government that condones and
sanctions the condition.”
"Jesus multiplied the loaves
and fishes to feed ah ungry mul
titude, and Christian youth
building a new world wfll ad
(Continued on page 3)
By Hr. Kelly Miller
In my last release I spoke of
the solution of the race probp
lean by silence as contrasted
to the solution by conscious ef
fort and agitation. Since recon*
struction times both of these
types of effort have been in op
eration. Negro leaders through
individual effort* and organized
endeavor, have sought to direct
the life of the race, but in spite
of it all the present trend is to
retrograde and no satisfactory
outcome is in sight This is the
conclusion arrived at by Dr.
DuBois, who for forty years has
been the foremost exponent of
the doctrine of rectification of
racial affairs by protest and ag
itation. The National Associa
tion for the Advancement of
Colored People for the last quar
ter of a century has. typifiea the.
spirit of agitation and protest
and has directed the organized
effort of the race in this behalf.
This militant organization has
undoubtedly accomplished sun
dry incidental results of consid
erable racial value and advan
tage; but comprehensively it
has not been able to remove a
single obstacle against which it
has directed its energies nor
yet to point out a plain path of
of procedure for tie future. Its
energies have been directed
against jim crow cars, disfran
chisement, separate ’schools,
segregation, lynchiig, and va
rious fogtos of economy and in
dustrial discrimination And
yet not a single jim crow tear*
has been taken from the tracks,
disfranchisement, to all intent
and purpose, is as rampant as
ever, segregation is all but com
piete, lyncning proceeds accord
ing to its own savage will, sep
arate schools are extending
Northward and Westward, legal1
and civil discriminations have
become the established vogue of
Federal and state governments,
organizations and individuals.
In other words, the race prob
lem in all its essential features
remains unbudged. I do not
mean to say that conditions
might not have been worse had
not the National Association for
the Advancement of Colored
People and like organized and
industrial effort exerted them
selves during the past fifty
years. They have at least kept
alive the spirit of protest.
In the meantime the racial life
has been impelled, in the main,
by unwilled forces. The influx
of the Negro population into
the North was unwilled and
unpurposed by any indi
vidual or organization; it
was the inevitable result of
uncontrolled conditions. The
shifting of political power from
South to North came as the in
cidental result of the shift of
population. A million Negroes
were thrust into Northern in
dustry as an incidental out
come of the World War, and
they were thrust out again as
soon as the war was over. The
development of machinery has
^produced an impasse in the in
industrial world. As a result mil
lions of workmen are thrown
out of employment, and incident
ally the Negro becomes the chief
victim of this displacement. The
Negro’s place in the life of the
nation is conditioned upon the
relative scarcity of unskilled
labor. Where this type of labor
is abundant, the Negro is cheap;
where it is scarce he is dear.
The Negro is cheap today in
both the North and the South
because there is no scarcity of
titye type of labor which he is
qualified to perform. The inven
tion of the cotton gin made the
Negro indispensable in the cot
ton growing industry of the
South, but the loom excluded
him' from the textile industry.
The invention of a successful
cotton picker would exclude him
from the cotton growing indus
try and make him as industri
ally unnecesary in the South as
he is in the North. All. of this
is the result of the unwiUetfl
factors over which the Negro
has no control.
Race prejudice is the out
standing factor in the race prob
lem in America, and indeed, in
the world. We have not yet
found an agency that can effect
ively grapple with this evil pas
sion or seriously modify its ma
lignant manifestations, try ever
so hard. Thus the Negro stands
ih the face of destiny like an
infant crying in the night, and
cry he must.
The theologians used to dis
cuss the relative parts played
by predestination and free will
in human destiny. Although we
have changed the terminology
we are still confronted by these
two factors of which social evo
lution is the joint outcome. We
hear much in this day and time
about social planning, which
must depend upon social fore
knowledge and the power to
control unforeseen factors.
No one is able to foresee or
foretell the destiny of the Ne
gro in the Western world, and,
therefore, all racial planning
must be haphazard and uncer
tain. But if we can not see the
distant scene, we can at least
guide and guard the immediate
step. Alter all, human concern
is with duty, not with destiny.
Each individual should perform
the duty which is vouchsafed
to him without reference to its
effect upon ultimate destiny.
The prophet sits on the wall and
sees the dust of danger on the
far 4i«t^it ^ej4«on and wArna
the multitude of the coming
danger, hut, alas, the race has
been woefully Iackingjn proph
ets. The individuals have had
to feel aft6r the right way, if
haply they might find it- There
is a certain school o£ philoso
phy which preaches that if the
individual looks after himself,
the race will look after itself.
This is but a half-truth, but an
important one.
When Denmark Veasy and
Nat Turner stirred up slave in
surrections, Booker T. Washing
ton launched his industrial
propaganda, W. E- B. DuBois
wrote ‘‘The Souls of Black
Folk,’’ Kelly Miller called the
Negro Sanhedrin, Marcus Gar
vey promoted his African em
pire—these all, by conscious ef
fort, were essaying a solution
of the race problem. But when
Phillis Wheatley and Paul Law
rence Dunbar courted the muse,
Benjamin Banneker and Ferdi
nand Wood invented mechanical
contrivances, Henry Tanner
painted pictures, Ira Aldridge,
Gilpin and Paul Robeson dis
played histrionic talent, Roland
Hayes and Ethel Waters ex
celled in song, Jesse Owens out
runs the world, Joe Louis heads
for kingship in the prize ring
—these were but performing
the immediate tasks which lay
before them without conscious
purpose of settling the race
problem. These two types of ef
fort indicate the relative effect
iveness of willed and unwilled
effort. The reformer and the
performer must both play their
part. Both are efficient. Neither
is sufficient.
NOTICE—A CORRECTION
Please allow me to make the
following corrections The soci
eties of Miranda Presbyterian
church paid their full assess
ment and were eligible for the
Honor Roll of Catawba Presby
terial, 1934-’35. We are indeed
sorry that their names were
omittted, as these g^e two of
our most loyal societies.
MRS. J. H. GAMBLE,
Corresponding ^Secretary.
The true test of an educa
tion is, ‘‘Has it made the edu
cated man more useful?”