As these pages are passing through the press, I note an appeal for
money by the Religious Tract Society, which is running short of funds
to keep up the number and quality of the 6-7,000 Bibles annually
awarded as prizes to elementary school children. This advertisement
fills more than half a column of the _Times_ of March 25, 1920. It is
headed in bold type, PROFESSOR HUXLEY ON THE BIBLE, and, opening
with the words "All who value the teaching of the Holy Bible will
appreciate this wonderful description of the Bible by Professor
Huxley," proceeds to quote the eloquent passage, referred to above on
p. 54, from "The School Boards, etc." (_Coll. Ess_., iii, 396).
This testimony to the interest of the Bible outside its theological
applications is detached from its context as a spur to "all those who
value the Word of God... to send the Society help in [its] work of
extending Bible teaching in our Elementary Schools."
But these words were written with grave qualifications, especially
as to the need of excluding doctrinal teaching. By suppressing these
qualifications the Secretaries of the Religious Tract Society
approve themselves denizens of the world of half-truths, along with
puff-writers and similar experts.
X