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century from now say about the relative place of such books as we have
named； it is certain that they have influenced the movements mightily。 The
literary histories will say nothing at all about them。 They are not great
literature； but they were born of a passion of the times and voiced and
aroused it anew。
＇1＇ MacPhail； Essays on Puritanism； p。 278。
When； therefore； it is urged that the English Bible has influenced
history； it is not making an undue claim for it。 When it is further urged that
of all books in English literature it has been most influential； it has most
made history； it has most determined great movements； the argument only
claims for it the highest place among books。
And it would not be surprising if it should have such influence。 It is
the one great piece of English literature which is universal property。 Since
the day it was published it has been kept available for everybody。 No other
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book has ever had its chance。 English…speaking people have always been
essentially religious。 They have always had a profound regard for the
terms； the institutions； the purposes of religion。 Partly that has been
maintained by the Bible； but the Bible in its turn has been maintained by it。
So it has come about that English…speaking people； though they have
many books； are essentially people of one Book。 Wherever they are； the
Bible is。 Queen Victoria has it near by when the messenger from the
Orient appears； and lays her hand upon it to say that this is the foundation
of the prosperity of England。 But the poor housewife in the cottage； with
only a crust for food； stays her soul with it。 The Puritan creeps into hiding
with the Book； while his brother sails away to the new land with the Book。
The settler may have his Shakespeare； he will surely have his Bible。 As the
long wagon…train creeps across the plain to seek the Western shore； there
may be no other book in all the train； but the Bible will be there。 Find any
settlement of men who speak the English tongue； wherever they make
their home； and the Bible is among them。 When did any book have such a
chance to influence men？ It is the one undisturbed heritage of all who
speak the English tongue。 It binds the daughter and the mother country
together； and gathers into the same bond the scattered remnants of the
English…speaking race the world around。 Its language is the one speech
they all understand。 Strange it would be if it had not a profound influence
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