Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1838-04-04
'Rey. Dr. Sham az Boston s - =

Rev. Or. Sharp OF Boston, is bY no
means alone in the opinion which he. has
publicly expressed, that 1.-THE Holy Spirit
employs to convert and sanctify men the
truths in which evangelical Christians
agree and not those about which ttev dit.
fer; and the happy:effect OF the res,ric-
ton imposed upon the American Sunday
School Union, by the peculiar principles
of its organization, is seen in the conGne.
ment of their publications to those great
and essentialtruths," instead of launch
ing out into the endless and improbable
controversies of technical theology.
If our five or six hundred volumes, as
O aohOle, do fully and fairly illustrate and
carry home to the mind and conscience
of the child, alt those grand truths OF our
divine religion, which the Holy Spirit
employs In the conversion of sinners
why do I'VE find them so few and far be-
tween in the Sabbath SCHOOLS of New
England
l have never heard of any objection to
the price of these books, and after careful
examination and inquiry am very sure
that the average price of them is as low
in proportion of their cost, as any other
books of the same class that are found'in
any Of our libraries. 1t is not necessary
TO show that they are lower, and tho the
mechanical process is not under nv i'm
mediate directIon-I think can say with
truth that there is no expense incurred in
their publication which could be avoided
without degree OF prejudice to the books
for which the saving would by no means
compensate. | have said that | do not
know of any similar books published in
the like quantity which are sold at prices
less than ours; neither have ever heard
that our books were on the whole not as
appropriate, as entertaining, and as use
full as any Sabbath school books that are
to be found. The variety is large, the
subjects are attractive, the style, of some
, of them, is regarded by competent and
, discriminating judges, as unsurpassed in
our language; and none of them could
be read properly, without. sensible, moral
and religious improvement If I know
any thing of the tastes, habits, and capac
tiles Of New England children and youth
can conceive of no collection OF books
which, as aohole, could be better suited
to their wants. The suggestion that they
are not eLerated enough fo~ their use, is az
: preposterous, as it would be to say, tina
e the type is not large enough for theil
= eyes!
: If these things are So why are not two
It or three hundred more of our five hun
, |dred books, in the sabbath school librarie
. of New England?
fit were admissible I could fiji on
side of your paper with testimonials from
y some of the wisest and best men in New
! Eng gland, or any other part of the land
J. 10 the purity, appropriateness and eIevat
S ed character of our publications.
n You have two or three publishing so
lr cieties, one sustained by Congregational
h lists, and the other by Baptists, and each
y of course, advocating the views Of thei
> respective denominations. If every SAT
% bath School in New England was attach
= ed to one or the other of these denomina
ID tions, and if each society could furnis
e. from its own press as many cheap and a
o good books as their schools need, it VOL
Sc still be well to enlarge the variety an
~ multiply the attractions of the Libraries
by selection of one or two hundred vo
~ umes more from our catalogue. So IA
n is this from being the case however, tn;
r" your schools resort to the stock of bool
be sellers and even pedlars; and, in the
al eagerness to secure a variety, introduc
what is unsuitable in size, character an
design, for the purpose-while our book
carefully prepared especially for that vel
object, and allowed even by our colde
!, friends to be on the whole very good ar
ns proper, are'overooked or rejected.
10 Have not wrong impressions been mac
on this subject ? (undesignedIy, | must b
o1 Ieive, for | would not impute selfish or 81
RS lister motives 10 any one): Is itnot a fact,t
es many good men have taken It for granite
a. without proper examination, that our bool
n may do well enough for the West al
be South, they are not what New-Englal
d. children want? On this subject belief
nd [ shall stand before any judicial tribun
as a disinterested witness. | have
49, personal or pecunary interest in the issr
us of this appeal to my New-England frien
' and fellow-citizens. My interest al
~ yours is one and the same. l know II
49, 'J general wants Of your schools, and kno
y the general character Of our publication
~ and am persuaded that the latter are We
A fitted to supply the former. That you ha
"a local or UNCONVENTIONAL purposes to a
~. swer by class of books which we do n
Is 1s' and cannot furnish, and which you ther
os fore make and sell for yourselves, l mi
"a readily admit, without impairing the for
'.u or pertinency of the question, why are n
!" the publications ofthe American s. S. Z
W ion in all the Sabbath school libraries