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Pacific Press Publishing Company · New York · June 12, 1890

FromThe American Sentinel, Vol. 5, No. 24

A Good Thing Spoiled.

At the recent anniversary of the Garrett Biblical Institute, in Chicago, Dr. C. W. Bennett, of the Chair of Historical Theology, preached the Baccalaureate sermon from Mark 4:28; subject: “The Era of Religious Harmony. What Signs of Its Approach? What Can We Do to Hasten It?” Among other things, the Doctor thought this era might be hastened “by recognizing that we cannot produce moral effects by mechanical contrivances, cannot make men moral by statute. Placing the name of God in the Constitution and the Bible in the public schools will not make the Nation righteous.”

This is good; but the speaker spoiled it all by saying: “There should be a conference of all the churches to select suitable moral precepts from the Bible for a text-book on which all can agree for use in the public schools.” “The Bible,” said he, “may be so used by godless teachers as to promote skepticism.” Just so; “godless teachers” are incompetent to give religious instruction; and for this reason, if for no other, teaching the Bible, either in whole or in part, should not be attempted by the State, but should be left to the Church and the home.