GIFT OF -<^* j ^->^ The New Bible-Country By Thomas Franklin Day Professor of Old Testament Languages and Literature in the San Francisco Theological Seminary JSew York Thomas Y. Crowell & Co. Publishers COPYRIGHT, 1910 BY THOMAS Y. CROWELL & Co. cy" TO THE MEMORY OF MY FATHER AND MOTHER DWELLERS IN THE OLD BIBLE-COUNTRY WHOSE CHRISTIAN FAITH I SHARE WHILE LIVING IN THE NEW FOREWORD SOME there are who still look askance at the modern view of the Bible, fearing lest it should result in the shipwreck of faith. Others, less fearful, are too busy to read exten- sively in a field that has grown so large as to be embarrassing to the non-technical reader. It is hoped that both classes will find help from the following pages. T. F. D. SAN ANSELMO, CALIFORNIA, AUGUST 24, 1909. The New Bible-Country 1 Thine eyes . . . shall behold a land that reacheth afar. (A. R. V.) ISAIAH xxxiii. 17. MY reason for choosing this theme will appear as I proceed. The topic for this evening in the program for the Week of Prayer calls for a consideration of the present situation respecting the Bible. We are reminded that the Bible has undergone a "searching inquiry"; that it has passed safely through "the flame of criticism." Whether the escape from destruction was due to the efforts made to put out the fire, or whether it was because of the indestructibility of the Bible, we are not informed. We naturally infer that the latter is the real reason. I recall certain books published some years ago which seemed to have been written in the glare of the conflagration; books hastily put forth by busy pastors for the purpose of quieting the fears of laymen who saw the red glow in the sky, and 1 An address delivered in the First Presbyterian Church, San Rafael, California, January 4, 1909. [7] The New Bible-Country who had confused notions as to the extent of the fire and the seriousness of its ravages. When a fire has occurred, an official report from the Fire Department is more informing and goes farther to confirm or remove our fears than the first impressions of spectators or the story told by the "Extra" which is hawked about the streets while the fire is in progress. But the report of the Fire Department, or for that matter any sane and full report of the affair, is not made till after the fire has spent its fury and the net loss has been ascertained. The signs all point to the present as a time when it is safe to venture into the burnt district and inquire how the Bible has endured the fire test, whether there has been any loss, and to what extent. But lo, we have scarcely arrived on the scene when the sights and sounds of reconstruc- tion meet us everywhere. Ignis fuit, the fire is a thing of the past, and the present is full of plans for rebuilding on more solid foundations and on a larger scale than before. It is time to explain these figures of speech before we discard them. There has been a fire? Yes. And the Bible went through it? Yes. And suffered loss ? Ah ! that 's the point ! Has the Bible taken hurt ? It will be found, I think, that the Bible itself has not been injured, but, on [8] The New Bible-Country the contrary, that it has been burnished into rarer beauty by the flame that refined, but could not destroy, its gold. Yet something was de- stroyed ? Yes, of a truth, for the fire was fearsome while it lasted. Certain theories about the Bible, decisions of earlier critics, higher and lower, who had vast influence among the Jews and early Christians, were brought to book by later critics, lower and higher, whose influence in the world to- day is great; and it was these theories and deci- sions, with their corollaries and dependencies, which the consuming fire converted into smoke and ashes. The only reason why the Bible is ever made to pass through the fire is because the theories re- garding the Bible get so closely entwined about the book itself and borrow so lavishly of the sacred- ness that belongs to the Bible alone that only fire can separate the one from the other. The Bible is fire-proof, but our theories respecting it, even the books we write in defense of it, may not endure the fiery trial, for men's views concerning the Bible must suffer revision with every passing age. Fire is a cleanser, and many who watched the late conflagration which raged round the Bible say the net result is a better building spot for the reconstruction of Bible theory. And the reconstruction is now in progress; the "burnt [9] The New Bible-Country district" is alive with workmen and resonant with the music of their tools. A working theory olthe Bible has taken the place of that which the fire destroyed ; and on the broad lines of its construc- tive plan structure after structure is rising, in the departments of historical research, formulation of doctrine, and practical application of Bible truth. I am aware that to some of you this may sound quite cavalier. It looks as if some folks, having taken it into their heads to have a bonfire, had gone about gathering materials which were of no value to them, and tossed them into the blaze without asking leave of the owners. I wish to re- move this impression. It cannot be done by saying there has been no fire. But suppose we ask where the fire occurred. The answer must be: Not in any public place. No literal burning of books was essayed; that method of suppress- ing error has never been satisfactory. The fire was real, not imaginary; but it was mental, not material ; it occurred, and still occurs, only within the mind and with the mind's full consent. Our figure of speech, in short, means nothing more nor less than this: that as a result of the discussion which has been active in Great Britain and America for the last third of a century con- cerning the Bible its origin and nature many [10] The New Bible-Country Christian scholars have found it impossible to accept certain conclusions which time had made venerable, because in their judgment these con- clusions are not in harmony with facts which a discriminating and impartial inquiry has brought to light; an inquiry pursued under more favor- able conditions and with better instruments of research than were possible in any previous age. This discarding of time-honored theories has been their own act, and in the first instance for themselves alone. They have, so to speak, kin- dled in their own minds the fire to whose flames they consigned these theories. Christian candor compelled them so to do; they kept their con- sciences void of offense in presence of what they believed to be truth. Sometimes it has cost them dear to break thus with their own intellectual past. Some have experienced the anguish of sus- pense and uncertainty which follows the surren- der of cherished convictions before the new light has fully dawned. Others hare felt the expulsive power of the new truth and have had clear visions from the first. But when they proclaimed the new doctrine they were called visionaries; their views were either thought "impossible" or con- demned as destructive of Christian faith. The story in full need not be repeated here ; it belongs to the history of the progress of thought. Such [11] The New Bible-Country struggles resemble the growing pains of child- hood and youth; they are incident to all intellec- tual and spiritual advancement. I spoke of discarding the figure of speech with which we began. Let us substitute for it one which has pleasanter associations; one that con- tains less fire and more land and water. Let us think of the new view of the Bible as a new coun- try which men have subdued and made habitable, and in which they may dwell in peace. This implies that there is still an old country in which those who wish to do so may continue to reside, seeing it is the land of their fathers, the land of their nativity, dear to affection and memory. I shall speak then of the old interpretation of the Bible, which is sanctioned by tradition and hallowed by ancestral faith, as "the old world," "the old country"; and the revised interpreta- tion, which claims to be in harmony with the spirit and method of Christ, and to be in direct line of descent from the best interpreters of the Christian centuries, I shall call "the new world," "the new country." If I depart from the figure at any time and speak in literal terms, it will be for our mutual convenience; the truth of the figure will abide. It is evident at the outset that when we speak of the "old world" and the "new world," we do not [12] The New Bible-Country mean lands situated on different planets. The old Bible-country and the new Bible-country widely separated as they are - are parts of one and the same Bible-globe. The Bible in each is practically the same; each contains sixty-six books; each has an Old Testament and a New Testament. Just as the soil of Europe is in gen- eral the same as that of America, so that flora can be transplanted from one to the other, even so the soil of the new Bible-country is as favorable to the growth of spiritual character as is that of the old Bible-country. And yet, just as the old world and the new world, between which the Atlantic rolls, differ from each other in many important respects, so do these two Bible-countries exhibit marked differences which the traveller cannot fail to observe. We may note some of these differences. If anything that is here said sur- prises you, remember that it belongs to the story of a new world. We must expect new countries to produce marvels of some sort. The new Bible- country is no exception. I find myself greatly embarrassed at just this point, because the field is wide and the time is short. I must ask you to take a swift overland journey, with brief stops at the most important points only. Details must for the most part be omitted. Suffice it to say that books, large and [13] The New Bible-Country small, have been written by many scholars of the new Bible-country, that treat exhaustively every phase mentioned in this hurried survey. I wish in a sentence or two to describe the in- struments and methods employed by biblical scholars of the "new land." They believe in God devoutly, and pray for the guidance of His Holy Spirit. They also use all the approved appliances known to men for the study of literary composi- tions. For example, they employ textual criti- cism, in order to determine the exact words of Scripture. They collate manuscripts and ver- sions, and select the best attested readings. They employ the higher criticism to fix precisely, if possible, or at least approximately, the author- ship, date, and historical environment of every document of Scripture. These critical methods are known and used in the "old country" also, the only difference being this, perhaps, that in the "new country" the Bible has been subjected to a more rigid cross-examination than in any pre- vious period of its history. The scholars of that land summon the Bible itself as the chief witness, and base their conclu- sions mainly upon its testimony. They are un- willing to affirm anything about the Bible until the facts which the Bible presents have been dili- gently scanned. Their method is not a priori but [14] The New Bible-Country a posteriori. They do not say beforehand that God in giving a revelation will proceed thus and so, and that the book which contains the revela- tion will be marked by such and such qualities; they first patiently interrogate the facts, and they then declare how God has actually revealed Him- self, and what characteristics the Bible actually exhibits. Among the most important conclusions at which modern scholars have arrived are these : 1. The Bible is a Divine-human book. The revelation it contains has its fountain-head in God. But the channels through which its various streams have flowed are the deep soul-experiences of men who had intimate fellowship with God. The Bible, therefore, is the record of human ex- perience, as elect spirits were illumined, instructed, and guided by the Spirit of God. It came straight from God, yet it came from God by way of man's spiritual insight and deep moral aspirations. It was not dictated. It grew. Every great litera- ture is the outgrowth of a rich and varied national experience. The Bible illustrates this universal law. The Bible touches human life at every point, because the life of a God-illumined race breathes from it through every pore. 2. Revelation, as recorded in the Bible, is pro- gressive, because it rests upon a progressive [15] The New Bible-Country human experience. God deals with men, even inspired men, as with children; He teaches truth in the measure in which they are able to receive it. Their ideas respecting the being and character of God necessarily changed from age to age. Con- sequently, the ethical and spiritual ideals which satisfied the men of one age were often supple- mented or even supplanted by ideals of a later age. The Bible faithfully records the various stages of this spiritual development. 3. The priority and predominance of the pro- phetic element in Scripture is commonly recognized by the men of the new school. The Bible is a preaching book, because its human authors were for the most part preeminently preachers and teachers. Prophecy is essentially preaching. It is preaching with authority, and comes there- fore with all the force of a divine law. The au- thority for the preacher's message is, " Thus saith Jehovah." The teaching and the preaching are imperative. They constitute the highest form of law. The prophetic "law" differs from the ceremonial law as the end differs from the means, as principle from rule, or sometimes, even more fundamentally, as substance differs from form, as spirit from letter. Prophecy sounds the deepest note in Hebrew religion and ethics. It is the original strain that differentiates the Hebrews, in [16] The New Bible-Country life and thought, from the surrounding nations. It is "the living wellspring of the divine self- communication." Prophecy, therefore, is the life- blood of the Old Testament. Prophecy prepares the way for Christ, not by uttering verbal pre- dictions of His coming (for the prophets nowhere predict the details of His earthly life) , but by doing its own work in its own day so grandly that Jesus when He came found a godly remnant, trained in the school of prophecy, ready to receive Him; and through the fulfillment in His own person of their spiritual hopes and desires, He was able to establish on earth His Heavenly Kingdom. Keeping in mind these general principles of interpretation, let us note some of the main con- clusions of the modern school respecting the com- position of the books of the Bible. Here I will ask you to allow me to draw my illustrations chiefly from the Old Testament, partly because I am more familiar with it, and partly because the Old Testament has been the principal battle ground of opinion during the last half century. 1. It is held in the " new country" that many of the books of the Old Testament are of composite structure. Various documents have entered into their formation. These documents have sometimes been blended so as to form a single narrative, or they stand side by side in practically their original [17] The New Bible-Country form as separate compositions. The story of the flood is an illustration of the first method, and the two stories of the creation in Genesis, chapters one and two, of the second method. 2. It is held that the biblical writers sometimes incorporated mythical and legendary materials, because these served their purpose as preachers of divine truth. Sometimes the myth stands out in high relief, as in the fragment found in Genesis vi. 1-4, which tells of the marriage of the sons of God with the daughters of men. As an example of the legend (which, be it remembered, may often rest on an historical basis) , one may refer to the genealogical tables in the book of Genesis. The feeling which sometimes exists in the minds of Bible readers that the presence of myth and legend would lessen the value of the Bible has no place in the minds of these men. They think of myths as the philosophy and science of peoples still in their childhood, and of legends as the primitive man's history, in which the creative imagination, working on a nucleus of dry fact, paints imperishable pictures and recites immortal epics that charm the mind and warm the heart, and keep the springs of human interest and sym- pathy from running dry. Among the Semites, as among other ancient peoples, myth and legend had a luxuriant growth. [18] The New Bible-Country In them the loftiest spiritual truths were en- shrined. For inquiring and thoughtful minds they furnished acceptable solutions of the deepest problems of life. The Hebrews came into posses- sion of them partly by inheritance, and partly through contact with other nations. A record of the ways of God in teaching His chosen people which should find no place for myth and legend would be incomplete, for it would leave in the shadow the most interesting period of Israel's history, the period of early childhood, when, as Hosea says, Jehovah taught Ephraim to walk, taking him up in His arms. If the truth of God in the early time embodied itself in myth and legend, the sanctity of the Bible is not desecrated by the appearance of these on its pages. It should be said, however, that the forms in which they appear in the Bible are free from the coarse mate- rialistic features which characterize the myths of other peoples. The Hebrew religious spirit, itself a gift from God, cleansed the vessels into which it poured its new wine and oil. 3. The facts also show, as the modern school believes, that the biblical writers sometimes idealized the past. They reconstructed the his- tory in the light of present knowledge. Though conforming in the main to the facts, they assumed the existence in the remoter past of institutions and [19] The New Bible-Country customs in the same developed form to which they were themselves accustomed. This fact gives no trouble to Bible readers in the new country. They recognize it as one of the instinctive tendencies of human nature; we all idealize the home of our childhood, the acquaintances of early youth, and our dearest friends; the farther they recede from us in time and become enshrined in loving memory, the more is this the case. Moreover, given the date of composition, and this idealizing process furnishes a clew to the ideals which were current in the time of the writer. Thus what at first sight might seem a blemish in the book becomes when more closely studied one of its highest excellences. Interesting examples of the idealizing process are afforded by the book of Deuteronomy, which was written from the prophetic, and by the books of Chronicles, which were written from the priestly, standpoint; the former idealizes the time of Moses, and the latter the period of the early monarchy. 4. Bible students in the new country believe also that they have discovered unimpeachable evidence that many of the books of the Old Tes- tament have undergone revision at the hands of later editors. When the conditions under which the book was originally composed were changed, its teachings were fitted to the new conditions by [20] The New Bible-Country such additions or modifications as the editors deemed necessary. The work of the editors was incorporated in the body of the work, or, in the case of minor changes, simply placed in the margin. But in the process of copying, these also were written in as integral parts of the book. The modern custom of throwing such matter into the form of foot-notes or of bracketing it with the editor's name or initials appended, was unknown to the ancients. Examples of such editorial revision are found in the books of Kings (revised in the light of the teachings of Deuteronomy) ; the discourses of the prophets (revised to bring them into har- mony with the conditions, or to make them appli- cable to the needs, of a later age) ; and the psalms, many of which bear the marks of such editing. This editorial work is looked upon with equa- nimity, for it furnishes proof of continuous liter- ary activity among the Hebrews through many generations, and helps us to trace the movements of religious thought along its main channel as well as its tributary streams. One who has his eye trained for this kind of work finds little diffi- culty in separating these later additions from the original text. Scholars may differ in their judg- ment as to individual instances, but all agree in their recognition of the fact that the editors have been at work on the text. [21] The New Bible-Country 5. Questions of authorship have engaged a large share of attention among men of the new school. It is well known that the Hebrews w r ere indifferent to the fame of authorship. Their in- terest was primarily in the truth, and not in their own literary reputation. They often wrote anony- mously. The same reluctance, which led some writers to suppress their names, influenced others to ascribe their writings to men of ancient renown. For example: Moses is represented as delivering farewell speeches to Israel a short time before his death, just as Thucydides puts speeches into the mouth of Pericles. The book of Daniel, also, is pseudonymous. Other instances might be given, but these will suffice. Some of the prophetical books were undoubtedly written by the men whose names they bear, but the writers of most of the Old Testament books have concealed their iden- tity beyond possibility of detection. And when the books are broken up into their constituent parts, and each is treated separately, the question becomes much more complicated; but while the number of authors is necessarily greatly multiplied, their identification becomes a negligible factor. Tradition has assigned names to some of the books and parts of books. For example, Moses* name is connected with the Pentateuch, David's with the Psalter, Solomon's with the book of [22] The New Bible-Country Proverbs, Isaiah's with the long book which goes by his name, and so on through the list. It is held by the new school that tradition is without authority unless it harmonizes with con- clusions based upon actual study of the facts. It is claimed that the facts prove the composite character of the Pentateuch, its component parts being separated from each other by centuries of time, its present form dating from the period subsequent to the exile. It is held that Isaiah is the author of certain chapters in the first part of the book, but that an unknown writer of the exilic period, living a century and a half after Isaiah, poured the glowing message of comfort for exiled Israel, found in chapters forty to fifty-five, out of a heart that had shared the griefs, and was there- fore fitted to raise the hopes, of his despairing countrymen. It is believed that similar con- vincing evidence compels us to separate other books into their constituent parts and to assign these with approximate certainty, not, as already said, to their individual authors, but to their re- spective periods of composition. As regards other Old Testament books, it is held that Jonah is best interpreted as an allegory, and Daniel as an apocalypse dating from the Maccabean period. The Song of Songs is re- garded either as a collection of independent love [23] The New Bible-Country lyrics, or as a semi-dramatic poem, the purpose of which is to celebrate the triumph of a pure woman's love under great temptation. You may now be ready to ask, what value the inhabitants of this new country place upon the Bible ? They would answer this question by call- ing attention to the evident purpose for which the Bible was given. What is that purpose ? Certainly the Bible was not intended to be a cyclopaedia of general information, nor an authoritative text book of natural science, nor a manual of historical information, nor yet a book of philosophy. In- deed, we could keep on indefinitely telling what the Bible was not intended to be. But how can we be sure of the correctness of these negative assertions ? Our appeal is to the facts. A can- did examination of the Bible results, it is af- firmed, in the conviction that none of these things constitute its ultimate purpose. I will not attempt to give all the reasons which support this conviction, but I will instance one or two. Its purpose cannot have been to unroll the panorama of history; for the way in which the Bible deals with historical events shows an utter indifference to order and proportion, such as the historian would naturally observe. There are unaccountable breaks in the narrative, wide gaps left for conjecture to fill up, redundancies, loiter- [24] The New Bible-Country ings by the way, expansion of personal details, which in a history proper would take a secondary place, if inserted at all. The interest of the biblical writers centered in just those things which charm us most, viz., personalia, individual traits of character, every-day happenings. These writers had access to documents from which they could have constructed a more extensive and orderly nar- rative of events. The fact that they did not choose so to use these documents, even while making selections from them, proves that they had an- other purpose in mind. Again, the purpose of the Bible is not to teach science. This almost seems too obvious to call for proof. One thing is certain, the inhabitants of the new country spend no time in seeking to harmonize the statements of the Bible with the conclusions of modern science, for the simple reason that such harmony is impossible and un- necessary. They think one might as well try to harmonize the Ptolemaic with the Copernican system of astronomy. The so-called science of the Bible is not science in the strict sense. It cannot be judged by the standards of the present day. The new-country scholars find it more profitable to study these primitive statements in the light of their own time than to indulge in what they regard as artificial and useless modes of har- [25] The New Bible-Country monization. If the purpose of the Bible was some- thing other than a scientific purpose, then why, say they, should we hold the Bible to strict account for its statements regarding matters that fall within the domain of science ? Keeping to the facts, and by their light inquir- ing what is the Bible's supreme purpose, they find it to be this, and this only: the revealing of God's character and will to men, and the recovery of sinful men to God. The Bible, it is believed, must be judged in the light of this purpose alone. Therefore, the men of the new country hold fast, in a large and luminous way, to the doctrine of inspiration. They judge the Bible by its fruits. They believe it to be the product of a unique inspiration, and therefore the supreme book of the world, because light from God shines from it most clearly, and in it man can read his duty most accurately. The Bible serves its purpose unerringly. It reveals the character and will of God, and it is the instrument of grace in recovering sinful men to God. This has been its history in the past ages, and this shall be its glory through all coming time. The Bible has not failed, it does not fail, and it never can fail, in the accomplishment of this one sovereign and gracious purpose. In this respect the Bible stands forever impregnable. [26] The New Bible-Country To speak of any other kind of inerrancy is quite aside from the Bible's real purpose. People who live in the new country are not sur- prised, therefore, when they are told that historical statements of the Bible are not always free from error, and that the science of the Bible cannot be brought into accord with the science of our time. It is true that in the days of our fathers the doc- trine of inspiration was so defined as to involve the absolute inerrancy of every part of Scripture. Such of their children, however, as live in the new country, hold that the Bible nowhere claims for itself such infallibility, but is itself a witness to the contrary. The infallibility lies in its power to accomplish its spiritual purpose. In fulfilling this purpose the Bible presses to the forefront of the world's literature and stands there forever in splendid isolation. It is infallible, not because it tells the story of the flood, or the story of David and Goliath with literal accuracy, but because it tells the story of God's self-revelation to man with satisfying fullness. The supreme position which the Bible holds to-day is due to the perfect revelation of divine wisdom and grace which it gives in its portraiture of Jesus Christ. In the transcendent personality of Christ is the real and final inerrancy. Infalli- bility is essentially the characteristic, not of a book, [27] The New Bible-Country but of a person, a spiritual person, a divine-human person. The doctrine of infallibility comes to rest in Jesus. What though the Bible be defec- tive in some of its historical statements, imperfect in its explanation of natural phenomena ? It shows us unerringly Him who is the life and truth and grace of God incarnate, and we come to faim that we may have life, that we may know the truth, that we may be saved by grace. Jesus' own attitude to the Old Testament, it is claimed, confirms this view. For He repealed outright certain long-standing doctrines, some of them having Old Testament sanction. "It was said to them of old time but I say unto you." If we believe in the infallibility of Jesus, we cannot believe even in the moral infallibility of every particular passage of Scripture. The foregoing recital does not include all the beliefs that are current among the inhabitants of the new Bible-country. It was not my intention to describe these exhaustively. I fear that what I have presented to you will occasion misunder- standing, and possibly create alarm; and some of you, perhaps, may think that it is a very unsafe country to live in. You may suspect that the government is unstable, that the people are lawless and indifferent to sacred things. You may at least think that the climate must be variable and [28] The New Bible-Country changes of weather frequent. You may possibly entertain a suspicion that there are no safeguards against intellectual vagaries, that every man can think as he pleases, and that opinions change incessantly. It is true that in the new country a greater de- gree of freedom prevails than in the old country, but it is a freedom sanctioned and regulated by law. The government of the old country may be likened to an absolute monarchy, while that of the new country is framed after the model of a republic. The interpretation of the Bible is dominated in the old country by a more rigid theory of inspiration than that which prevails in the new country. A larger measure of liberty, therefore, is accorded to criticism and private judgment in the new country than would be thought advisable in the old country. It is a common objection that the new-country folk are greatly given to controversies among themselves, and are often at a disagreement in important matters. The same might be said of the American Republic. But all who live under the Stars and Stripes are content with their surround- ings, despite the conflict of parties. The old coun- try has perplexing problems of its own to deal with, and many real difficulties to face. To some minds these problems become insoluble, and the diffi- [29] The New Bible-Country culties unbearable, and the only way of escape is through emigration. Without stopping to argue whether the old Bible- country or the new is the better country to live in, it only remains to be said that the new country is rapidly filling up with emigrants from the old. Speaking geographically, England, Scotland, Ger- many, Canada, and the United States have sent large and influential companies of settlers, who have made their home in the new country. Within recent years the flow of emigration has been de- cidedly on the increase. The new country is "a far-stretching land," and offers unlimited possibilities of growth. In extent it is larger than the old country, but much of it is still unexplored and promises rich results to the enthusiastic and diligent laborer. It is a land where hard and honest toil will reap great rewards. The facilities for extensive and success- ful study are abundant. Libraries abound. Books and periodicals circulate freely. The people point with pride to their eminent scholars and to the vast array of great books which are the product of their untiring industry. Though it is a land of magnificent distances, travelling is be- coming easier, and distant points are becoming more accessible. There was once bitter strife between the holders [30] The New Bible-Country of the new opinions and the champions of the old, as there was strife between Abram's herdmen and those of Lot. Now, as then, it has been discovered that the way of separation is the way of peace. By this I do not mean that the men of the new country have broken off social relations with their fellows, or left the church of their fathers, or forsaken the land of their birth. I mean simply that they have found room to dwell in, in the wide realm of thought, without engaging in personal disputes with their neighbors who do not agree with them. The boundaries of both coun- tries are so well defined that every man who thinks may soon discover to which he naturally belongs. The process of naturalization in the new country is sufficiently difficult to make exclusion laws unnecessary. So far as my knowledge goes, there are few, if any, " undesirable citizens." Intercommunication between the two countries is to be encouraged. Mutual acquaintance is de- sirable. The inhabitants of the old country, especially, ought to know the character and ways, the prevailing ideals and beliefs of the people who dwell in the new country. There can be no compulsory emigration, but the tourist should be in evidence on both sides of the dividing sea. If the old country, with its staid, old-fashioned and venerable customs, satisfies you ; if you dare [31] The 'New Bible-Country not risk the excitement and hardship incident to life in a new country, the only thing to do is to remain where you are, happy in the grace of God that shines from the open sky above you. But if you are dissatisfied with your present intellectual home ; if you feel restricted ; if difficulties attend your study of the Bible, which the traditional ex- planation fails to clear up ; if you would know the Bible as newly interpreted, you will find in the new country not less law but more freedom; and out of the same open sky, that now beams upon you, grace will flow from the same God whose chil- dren dwell both in the old land and in the new. [32] UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LIBRARY