study of the king james bible(钦印〈圣经〉研究)-第39章
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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
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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
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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 cannot escape from their power or fly from their
presence。〃 It is religion which makes that sense of duty keen； and；
whatever religion has done among English…speaking races； the English
Bible has done； for it has been the text…book and the final authority of
those races in the moving things of their faith。
It would be easiest in making the argument to single out here and there
the striking events in which the Bible has figured and let them stand for
the whole。 There are many such events； and they are attractive。
We can imagine ourselves standing on the shore at Dover in 1660； fifty
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years after the version was issued； waiting with the crowd to see the
banished King return。 The civil war is over； the protectorate under
Cromwell is past。 Charles II。； thick…lipped； sensuous； 〃seeming to belong
rather to southern Europe than to Puritan England；〃 is about to land from
France； whence the people； wearied with Puritan excesses； have called
him back。 There is a great crowd； but they do not cheer wildly。 There is
something serious on hand。 They mean to welcome the King； but it is on
condition。 Their first act is when the Mayor of Dover places in his hands a
copy of the English Bible； which the King declares he loves above all
things in the world。 It proves only a sorry jest； but the English people
think it is meant for truth； and they go to their homes rejoicing。 They
rejoiced too soon； for this is that utterly faithless king for whom his witty
courtier proposed an epitaph：
〃Here lies our sovereign lord； the king； Whose word no man
relies on； Who never s
