Articles
THE INFLUENCE OF THE BIBLE (Part 4)
LITERATURE INSPIRED
English literature began with the translation of the Bible. Shakespeare filled his
writings with Bible ideas and Bible phraseology. Milton and Dante borrowed freely
from the Bible. Addison, Steele, Browning, and Tennyson are filled with allusions to
the scriptures. Sir Walter Scott called the Bible “The Book.” Pilgrims Progress and
The Imitation of Christ have been perhaps the most widely read of any books
among men save the Bible and they closely follow the Bible in spirit. Daniel Web-
ster established his wonderful oratory upon the Bible and read the Bible through
once a year. Most literature that is enduring and permanent has been inspired by
the Bible. What great literary productions have been inspired by the books of infi-
dels?
EDUCATION PROMOTED
The most fundamental and necessary truths of modern scholarships are taught in
the Bible. Men who believe the Bible have founded practically all our colleges and
universities. Infidelity plants no schools. Ignorance is the lot of the people where
the Bible has not gone. Our own system of free schools for everybody owes its
origin and growth to the principles of Christianity. The Bible is counted as the out-
standing influence for education by many leading educators of the world. No other
book so completely sounds every depth and touches every shore of human intel-
lect and emotion. When the question “If you were cast on a desert island and could
have only one book, which would you choose?” was asked students at George
Peabody College, Nashville, Tennessee, they were almost unanimous in their
choice of the Bible. If one were interested only in literature what other book could
he choose? If he believed in the inspiration of the Bible what other book would he
choose? Well did Sir Isaac Newton say, “I count the scriptures of God to be the
most sublime philosophy.”
Skeptics have frequently charged that Christians seek to “bootleg” their religion
into the public schools. Bootleg, indeed! The Christians have founded practically all
our schools and are responsible for our school systems. The men who pay the bills
have a right to say what shall be taught in their schools. If skeptics want to teach
the various phases of infidelity let them build their own schools and stop
“bootlegging” their doctrines into the public schools.
