Interesting Items From the European Bible Headquarters by T. E. BOWEN

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Dec 17, 1914

Interesting Items From the European Bible Headquarters

By T. E. BOWEN

T. E. BOWEN

THE war has not put the British and Foreign Bible Society out of business, but, on the contrary, has increased the Bible output by multiplying opportunities for the society to do a greater work. “To cynical persons,” the society says in its November journal, “it may appear a very futile business to scatter the gospel of peace broadcast in the furrows of the battle field. Nevertheless, faithful Christians know that love, and love alone, is omnipotent and shall win the final victory.”

The following instance is then cited in proof of how eventually the word of God will win:—

“One of the society’s colporteurs in Morocco has described how he once found himself at Azimoor, where the people were in an excited and warlike state, as their neighbors of the Dukalla tribe had begun to raid them. So the common talk at Azimoor was all about fighting. Some said to him, ‘Bring us kortass [cartridges], and we will buy them; what do we want with kutoob [books]?’ He replied, ‘No, buy my kutoob and believe their message; then you will say, “Bring us more kutoob: what do we want with kortass?”’ Yes; the Book will conquer the cartridge at last. We shall overcome evil with good, if we have faith to oppose it with sheer and simple goodness, and with nothing else at all.”

The Bible in Belgium

During the Belgium siege good experiences came to the Bible society worker there. From a report from this colporteur, the society says:—

“Our veteran Belgian colporteur, J. C. Van Belleghem, has been residing at Antwerp with his wife and four children during the whole of September. Following out the instructions of our committee, he has distributed no fewer than 2,000 copies of the Scriptures—Gospels, Testaments, and occasionally Bibles—among the Belgian soldiers who are quartered in and around Antwerp.”

Van Belleghem records a few instances of how these gifts have been welcomed. At Beveran Waes, where he had been reading and talking to artillerymen in the barracks, one of their officers said, “Tell the Bible society that we thank it with all our hearts for so kindly thinking of us in such a way at this time of difficulty.” Soldiers belonging to the transport corps said, “Ah, now we shall be able to read; for we are tired, and it is the gospel that you are giving us.” A Belgian artilleryman took up a Gospel and said, “I know your work, for by its means and as the result of a Gospel which I one day purchased, my life has been transformed, and I have attached myself to Jesus Christ and his service.”

The bombardment of the cathedral at Rheims brings up incidents connected with the Catholic Bible—the “Douay Version,” as it is sometimes called:—

“The bombardment of Rheims recalls to our memories not only the heroic figure of Joan of Arc, but also the celebrated Rheims version of the New Testament in English. Early in the reign of Queen Elizabeth an English priest named William Allen—afterwards Cardinal Allen—established an English Roman Catholic college in connection with the newly founded University of Douai. The college was temporarily removed from Douai to Rheims in 1578, and continued there until 1593. It was during this period of residence at Rheims that an English version of the New Testament was prepared and published. The chief translator was Gregory Martin, sometime Fellow of St. John’s College, Oxford, working under the supervision of William Allen. The book was printed in 1582, under the shadow of Rheims’s cathedral. When the Old Testament in this version was subsequently published, in 1609-10, the college had returned to Douai. This accounts for the fact that the completed translation of this English Bible for Roman Catholics came to be known as the Douai [now spelled Douay]—or more correctly, the Rheims-Douai—Version.”