Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1839-07-31
For the Telegraph.
OF INC IeIegraph.
The Bible must be Read--it MUST.--No. 2,

For the Telegraph.
The Bible must be Read--it MUST.--No. 2.
In the further presentation of facts,
showing that the reading and meditation
of the Bible is now lamentably neglected
in the church, it may be said that an ov-
erwhelming flood OF human aoTitingS, not
converting like the Bible, is swallowing
up the time which once was, and now
might be, devoted to the study of that ho-
ly, spiritual and most precious book
This evil is of comparatively recent ORR
gin. Three centuries ago, the art of
printing books was but just discovered, so
that very few books, of course, existed be-
sides the Bible and even the copies of
this must have been necessarily scarce
Yet when all kinds of writings were
scarce, the time of individuals and, fami-
lies was not naturally engrossed, SO but
there could be more time to study and
mediate the Bible, when even mere parts
of it could be obtained and read In manu-
script, or heard from their preachers on
public occasions.
Until the very late period of 1916, it is
religious paper in the whole world /; so
that previous to that time, the church and
friends of the Bible were not kept from
reading it, by their time being called
from it to religious newspapers, except in
a comparative few instances of pamphlet
magazines or monthly periodicals.. But
how is the scene changed in the short
space of twenty-three years, since the
commencement Of the Boston Recorder,
and the New Haven Religious lntelli
! gencer,' the former of which still lives
though the latter has quite recently ter
minated its existence. Now, every reli
gious family almost, who can sustain the
expense, has been led into the way of tax.
ing from one to six or more religious pc
riodicals, which have been crowding in
upon them more and more ; and while
their time for daily reading could not bt
expected to increase at all, they have nat
urally desired not to lose the use of theil
regular papers, and have seemingly fel
themselves obliged TO use the time which
otherwise might have been devoted to tn
!, reading of the Bible, to the reading o
: such periodicals.. And amid the rapit
: advancement of human inventions AM
, bookmaking by steam, as it were, 1t is no
) strange that the tables and shelves O
5 Christians are now loaded with the brill
liant authors of the age, where the Bibl
lay quietly and almost alone when tn
Puritans first came to America; whel
> Bunyan, Baxter, the Westminster Assem-
: ]biy, and others like them, adorned tn
church of their age, about two centurle
E ago. And how can the Bible be read II
the church as it once was, and should b
| still, while the multitude of human au
; thors claim and receive each their proper
3 tionate attention of individuals, withou
D an unwonted neglect of worldly buslnes;
$ which is not at present expected, or with
r out a considerable increase of the twenty
e four hours of the day2
/ While l would not say word agalns
!, uninspired commentaries, nor against an
e other religious book or periodical whic
. actually helps the church more readily {
1t understand, love, and obey the blesse
. Bible, may l not suggest the inquiry
e whether there be not something apparen
ly wrong, perhaps in the spirit of GU
II most modern rapidly increasing huma
e writings in the church, Whether II
: question be afirmatively or negatively d
e cided, is it not reasonable to believe, th
n had the Bible been read as much as
Il should have been, and with as much Sc
f licitude and prayer as should have accom- y,
IS panied the study, the church generall
M might have had far better and MOI
ID profitable knowledge of it than at presen
"A oven f no hooks nor papers had ever be-