The Bible and Universal Pease

BY GEO. HOLLEY GILBERT, PH.D., D.D., Dartmouth mouth '78. Funk & Wagnalls Co. The book that is really timely finds a warm welcome. A book of this sort is Dr. Gilbert's "The Bible and Universal Peace."

In an age when apologists both for War and for Peace freely quote the Bible to support their arguments it is important to learn what the Bible really teaches respecting these matters.

The author's preface opens with these sentences: "No book has ever done so much for peace, or for war as the Bible. No book is now so dangerous as is the Bible, when read by devout ignorance and pious selfishness, in the stress of some real or imagined national peril. And no book has resources available for the abolition of war that are at all comparable to the resources of the Bible."

This is virtually the author's thesis, for he reveals how it is the misuse and misinterpretation of Scripture that is applied to support war, and that truly understood, in the spirit of Jesus, the Bible holds a cumulative and mighty argument for peace.

The book shows first how the earlier portion of the Bible is largely a story of war, and that indeed the ancient book of the "Wars of Jehovah, or Jahweh," is the nucleus of Israel's history.

For those then who use the Bible as a book to conjure with, or who hold to supernatural inspiration, the Bible has been a very arsenal, and Dr. Gilbert shows how many have drawn upon the narrative, the great songs, the martial odes, the prophetic literature, to justify war, for both parties in a conflict.

Manifestly, then, the reader may expect that under the interpretation of the author, the teaching of the New Testament and especially the teaching and spirit of Jesus, are not only not those of the Old Testament, but are not to be reconciled with them.

Dr. Gilbert is at home in New Testament interpretation and discusses several passages assigned to Jesus, where he seems to have favored conflict, or the use of "the sword," only to assure us that the conflicts and divisions were spiritual, proceeding from men's reaction upon Him and the truth, and that his recommendation that his follower's procure a sword, was a parable to incite "to preparedness"—but in a spiritual sense.

It is a fine service that Dr. Gilbert renders when he urges discrimination and intelligence in the use of the Scriptures, two qualities which the church itself has been slow to employ, not to speak of partisans in a great conflict. He affirms that "Christian people ought at last to agree that an appeal to any Scripture whose spirit is foreign to the Spirit of Jesus, is a most dangerous perversion of the Bible.

Our author is intensely and loyally Christian for he says if there can be a Christian doctrine of war, it "must be born in the spirit of Jesus, and move on the high plane of his gospel." So he argues for the leadership of the clergy of the Christian church in a campaign for universal peace.

The Bible at its highest, which means Jesus and His Gospel—stands for peace, and the individual must be brought to see the vision and practice its teaching.

A final chapter discusses the Modern Peace Movement, which Dr. Gilbert affirms, argues chiefly from the economic and humanitarian premises against war. He calls these not anti-Christian indeed, but non-Christian. These arguments are legitimate, easily grasped, and increasingly potent.

Dr. Gilbert's work, then, is timely and valuable because it discriminates in the use of Biblical material as a buttress for war or peace; because it demonstrates the fallacy and mischief of much that has become almost classic as war literature; "and because it shows that Peace Movements, Conventions, Hague Tribunals, and all similar machinery, to reach a final success, must operate through a vastly increasing number of individuals whose spirit is consonant with that of Jesus.

The Edson-Laing Readers, Books One to Five, by ANDREW W. EDSON '78 and Mary E. Laing, accompanied by A Manual for Teachers by A. W. Edson. Boston. Benjamin H. Sanborn and Company. 1913, 1914.

This new series of basal readers is compiled in accordance with the very latest developments in educational theory. Containing carefully selected and graded material, these volumes aim to teach the child to read easily and quickly by awakening his interest and by conserving his effort and energy. The series is unified by the nature of the selections, which have been chosen with a constant view to the developing social life of the child. The sub-titles of the successive books indicate this development: Book One, Busy Folk; Book Two, Lend a Hand; Book Three, Neighbors; Book Four, Working Together ; Book Five, Opportunity. Activity and service, industrial, social, and ethical ideals—these are the underlying themes of the fables, tales, folk-stories, legends, and verse which are to lead the child, indirectly and unconsciously, to a realization of his proper relation to the world around him. In the search for selections which shall accomplish this purpose, the authors have also kept in mind the necessity of securing literature of high rank as well as of social and ethical value, and have succeeded in gathering a notable amount of fresh and stimulating material. The books are excellently printed and bound, and most attractively illustrated.

Organising a Business. By Maurice H. Robinson '90. LaSalle Extension University, 1915.

This book gives a clear, well-arranged presentation of the economic and legal considerations involved in the various forms of business organization, including the steps necessary to their formation and the rights and duties of the several participants. The comparative efficiency of the different types of business association is appraised. The book is generously supplied with forms of legal documents employed in organization and management.

Gordon Hall Gerould '99 is the author of a story, "The Best Seller," in the September Scribner's.

Hon. Lyndon H. Smith 'BO has just issued a report of 416 pages as Attorney General of Minnesota.

The October number of the Bulletinof Bibliography in its series of biographical sketches of librarians and bibliographers has an article on M. D. Bisbee by Frederick Warren Jenkins '02. The frontispiece of the magazine contains an excellent likeness of Professor Bisbee.

F. K. Brown 'lO better known as "Al Priddy" is the author of "Soldiers of the Shops" in the Outlook for September 8.

Rev. Francis E. Clark '73 is the author of "Christ and the Young People," a series of articles appearing in the Christian Endeavor World.

"Report of the Celebration of the 150 th Anniversary of the Settlement of the Town of Orford, N. H., August 25, 1915" is largely composed of a valuable historical record of the town by Wm. R. Conant 'B3. This volume was printed at the Dartmouth Press.

Maurice H. Robinson '9O is the au- thor of "Report on Supervision of Corporations and Related Business." His "Organizing a Business" will be reviewed in a later issue.

"Questions on the Principles of Economics" by E. E. Day '05, and Joseph L. Davis, Macmillan & Co., will be reviewed in the next number of this magazine.

A valuable historical circular is "The Dartmouth Greys," by Fisher A. Baker '59. Mr. Baker was a member of this interesting military company established at Dartmouth in 1857.

The National Geographic Magazine for October contains an illustrated article, "Greece of Today" by George H. Moses '90.

Robbins W. Barstow '13, is the author of "A Turkish Market" in the November issue of the MissionaryHerald.

Two articles on "Taxation of Intangibles", the one by Albert O. Brown '78, and the other by Wm. B. Fellows 'BO, appear in Number 3 of Volume 4 of the Proceedings of the Bar Association of the State of New Hampshire.

"The Transformation of a Dangerous Hill" by W.F. Rugg '01, appears in the Highway Contractor and RoadBuilder for October, 1915.

"Christianizing the Bible" by George H. Gilbert '78 appears in the November issue of the Biblical World.