touch their hearts as deeply as does the Bible. All the genius and
learning of the ancient world, all the penetration of the profoundest
philosophers, have never been able to produce a book that was as widely
read, as voluminously commented on, as dearly loved, as this book,
neither have all the law-givers of all the lands, and of all ages, been
able to produce a code of law and ethics that was universally and as
implicitly followed as that of the law-giver, Moses.

The Bible is an emblem of Odd-Fellowship, because it is the
Odd-Fellows' text-book. Here we get our doctrines for faith and our
rules for practice in all the relations of life. As Odd-Fellows, we
believe the Bible is the word of God, because in their enmity humanity
has never been able to destroy it or rob it of its power; nor have any
who reject it given us a book to take its place. The intellect and
culture of our day can not improve the teachings of Christ, nor set
before us a nobler ideal life. As Odd-Fellows, we believe in this
beautiful emblem, because our hearts attest its truth. We need not be
told that the landscape is beautiful, or that the song of birds is
sweet. When we see the one and hear the other, we know it. As the eye
discerns the beautiful, and the ear discerns sweet sounds, so the heart
of man discerns the divineness of the Bible teachings and sets its seal
to their truth. As Odd-Fellows, we believe in the scriptures, because
the experiences of all true believers, of whatever name, or age, or
country, prove it to be the "bread of life" and the "water of life" to
a needy and suffering world. Age by age the evidence of experience is
accumulating, and growing stronger, and for a soul to distrust the
revelations made unto it, and the divine leading of the human race, is
as though the eye should disbelieve in the sun shining at mid-day. We
recognize the Bible as a precious boon to man, the gift of the Great
Father above. It is a "light to our feet and a lamp to our path." It