The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1836-1851, 1840-05-02
REGARD PAID TO THE SCRIPTURES BY
THE EARLY CHRISTIANS.

From Cares "Primitice Christianity"
"Their next care was dillgent'
ly and seriously to read the Scriptures to
be mighty in the divine oracles' as indeed
they had an invaluable esteem of and rev.
erence for the the word Of God, as the book
which they infinitely priced beyond all
others; upon which account Naz'anSs@
very severely chides his dear friend Greg
oru Nvssen, that having laid aside the holy
Scriptures (the most excellent writings IN
the worldly which he was wont to read
both privately to himself, and publicly to
the people, he had given up himself to the
study OF foreign and profane authors de-
.sirous rather to be accounted an orator
than christian. St. Augustine tell US,
that after his conversion, how meanly so.
ever, he had before thought of them, the
Scriptures had become the matter of his
most pure and chaste delight, in respect to
which all other books (even Cicero him.
self, which once he had so doated on) be-
came dry and unsayory to him. In the
study of this book it was that Christians
then mainly exercised themselves, as think
ing they could never fully enough under
stand it, or deeply enoug h imprint ltupon
their hearts and memories. Of young
er Theodocious they tell us, that rising
carly every morning, he, together with his
sisters, interchangeably sung psalms of
praise to God; the holy Scriptures he could
exactly repeat in any part of them with
the bishops that were at court, as readily
as if he had been an old bishop himself
We read of Origen, though child, that
when his father commanded him to COM
nit some places Of Scripture to memory,
he most willingly set himself to it, and
not content with the bare reading, he
began to inquire into the profound and
recondite meaning Of it, often asking his
father Ito his no less Joy than admirat;on)
"HdL tHe SeHSe VI thio VI th"1 paw Va
Scripture was, and his thirst after Divine
knowledge still continued and increased in
him all his life. St. Jerome, reporting 1t
out of letter of one who was his great
companion and benefactor, that he never
went to his meals without some part of
Scripture being read, never went to sleep,
till some about him had read them to him,
and that both by night and day, no sooner
had he done praying, but he betook him
selfte reading, and after reading returned
again to prayer. Valens, the deacon of
the church of Jerusalem, venerable old
man, had given himself up to the study of
the scriptures, thatit was all one to him to
read or repeat whole pages. The like we
End John, On Egyptian confessor, (whom
Eusebius saw and heard,) that though both
his eyes we're put out, and his body man.
gled with unheard Of cruelty, and yet he
was able at any time to repeat any places
or passages in the Old or New Testament;
which, when first heard him do in the pub
lie congregation, I supposed (says hey to
have been reading in book, till coming
near, and seeing how it was, was struck
with great admiration at it. Certainly
Christians then had no mean Of esteem Of
and took great delight in these sacred VOL
umes. For the sake of this book (which
he had chosen to be the companion and
counsellor of his life) Nazianzen profess
ses he had undervalued and relinquished
all other things; this was the mine where
they enriched themselves with divine trea-
sures, book where they furnished them
selves with true stock Of knowledge; as
St. Jerome speaks of Nepotian, that by
daily reading and meditation he had made
his soul library of Christ; and he tells US
of Blesilla, apious widow, that though she
was so far overrun with sickness and weak
ness, that her feot would scarce bear body,
or her neck sustain the burden of her head,
vet she was never found without q Bible
in her hand.