Occultism cannot fcazc it "science, falsely so called," cannot drown it. The book upon which it is founded lives to-day in three hundred lan guages, coming to four-fifths of the human race in their own tongue. Three hundred million copies of it are in existence, and still the many. tongued press is busy in responding to the con stant demand.
It is itself calculated to awaken thought ; it frankly challenges a full investigation of its claims. ‘Vith notl•ing to fear and nothing to hide, it exhorts its own adherents to examine the foundations of their faith and to be able to give to every man a reason for their hope. Its great doctrine:. arc of such a character that when the nand apprehends them the mental faculties are stimulated and provoked to inquiry.
(2) Opposition. The book has always met with opposition because it opposes the selfish in• stincts of humanity. It denounces vice in all its forms; it is a foe to crime and oppression—nay, it even denies to its adherents a life of ease and pleasure. It demands the denying of self for the good of others and commands its followers to "deal justly and love mercy" at whatever cost or saci if:cc. It attacks the sins of governments as well as those of individuals and declares that "the nation and kingdom that will not serve thee shall perish—yea, those nations shall be utterly wasted." (3) Meets the Human Need. The book h i• not been superseded. The stern denunciations of sin which were delivered at the foot of the mink ing Mount arc still in force. The Psalms of David are still the comfort of wounded hearts. and they still voice the triumphant peans of vie The teachings of the Christ will never be outgrown. Untold millions of aching hearts have been comforted by his words. In trial and tribu lation, in sickness and in sorrow, in prison and torture, the loyal heart still turns to him, and never turns in vain.
If the nineteenth century has been more re markahle for intellectual activity than any other that the world has ever seen, the nineteenth century has also done more than any other to spread a knowledge of the Bible in all parts of the world.
Every human system has arisen because it was in harmony with the tendencies of the age, but the religion of the Bible has come into being in opposition to the natural tendencies of every age.
It has carried the symbol of the cross into the places of darkness and cruelty and it shall bear the banners of victory when "there shall be no more death, neither sorrow nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain, for the former things are passed away." (See the Divine Origin of the Religion of the Bible, by the Hon. James Monroe, LL. D., Bibliotheca Sacra, April and Oc tober, 1896.) 10. Various Versions and Translations.
Although the revelation of God's truth was first given to the race in Hebrew and Greek, it was designed to be extended to people of every tongue and nation. This truth was very early felt and acted upon by devout men. Even in the Old Testament times, as appears from Nehe miah viii :8, the sacred Hebrew books were ex plained in Chaldee for the benefit of the Jews, who had lost the knowledge of their native tongue during their captivity in Babylon. The GreeK version, called the Septuagint, was made before the Christian era. (See SEPTUAGINT.) A trans lation was made directly from the Hebrew into the Syriac. This version, called the Peshito, prob ably dates from the second century. At a very early period a Latin version was made from the Septuagint. and the Latin Vulgate of Jerome was made A. D. 385-4o5. This version was declared by the Council of Trent in 1563 to be of equal authority with the original Scriptures. The Ger man Bible now in use, the translation of Martin Luther, was first published in 1522, but before his time fourteen editions of the entire Bible had been printed and circulated in Germany. A French version made by Le Fevre was published at Antwerp in 1530. Other French versions have been made by Olivetan (a cousin of Calvin, who improved the translation), by Martin Ostervald, and by De Sacy. A Dutch version was ordered by the Synod of Dort, in 1619, which has been regarded as "the most accurate of all present modern versions." (1) Early English Translations. The story of the English Bible is one of the most remarkable in all the history of the Book of books since the manuscripts left the hands of the inspired writ ers.