The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1836-1851, 1849-05-30
From the American Messenger,
BEWARE OF BAD BOOKS.

- - "a
BEWARE OF BAD BOOKS. -, !,
Why, what harm will books do me The
same harm that personal intercourse would
with the bad men who wrote them. Thai "a
man is known by the company he keeps" is, an
old proverb but it is no more true Than that a
man. character may be determined by know.
ng what books he reads. II good book can
be read without making one better, a. bad hook
cannot he read without making one the worse
Lord Bacon makes the pithy remark, that
sin the body there are three degrees of that
we receive into il, aiment, medicine, and
poison; whereof aliment is that which the ma.
turc OF man can perfectly alter and overcome
by nature and partly convereth nature and
poison is that which worketh wholly upon nss.
ture, without nature being able TO work at all
upon it so in the mind, tchatsoencr knowledge
reason cannot al all arork upon and concerf. is d
mere INroxIcATIoN, and endangercth q dissola-
ton Of The mind and understanding. .,5.,
Bad books are like ardent spirits they fur
n;sh neither "aliment' nor ''medicne :" they
are "poison." Both intoricate-one the mind,
the other the body the thirst for each increas.-
es by being fed, andss never satisfied; bolh
rnin-one the intellect, the other the health, both &
together, the soul. The makers and yendess
of each equally guilty and equally Gorrsp.
,crs Of the community; and The Safeguard
against each is the same-totaI abstinence from
all that in,oricateS the mind or body. -,
Here we have definition Of what we mean
by "bud 6ooks ~ whatever books neither feed
the mind nor The heart but have the effect TO-
in'cr;cate the mind and corrupt the heart.
Works Of science, art, philosophy, history,.
theology. &C., furnish 'alment" or "medicine7
books of mere fancy romance, inideity, wal.
piracy, and murder, are "poiSon," diluted, and
are as much to be Stunned as the drunkard's
cup. They will "bite like q serpent, and sting
like an adder" -; ,.....
Books Of mere fiction and fancy are had in
their character and influence. Their authors
are commonly bad men do not often write good,
books. A stream does not rise higher than lis
fountain. Their principles are often corrupt;
encouraging notions Of chivalry, worldly honor.
and pleasure, at war with the only true code Of
moras.-rhey insult the understanding of the
reader, by representing as truth what is confess
cLIy false, and ny assuming that the great object"
Of reading is amusement instead Of instruction.
The effects are such as might be expected. A.
habit threading for amusement simply becomes
dali and tedious whatever requires thoaght"
and study is cast aside the Bible becomes a
wcarsomc book; religious ireaiscs, like those
of Baxter, Buuyan, Flavel, and Doddridge,
| though glowing with celestial FIRE, become IN:
! sipid and unnterestng; and sermons loose their
power; or il any religious impression is made
upon the conscience, the bewlchng novel,fur..
nishcs ready means Of sitting conviction and
grieving away the Spirit OF God The Gospe,
is thas undermined and souls lured 10 rtin'
by pleasant and easy, bu, straight road. BE.
ware oftNc habit of indiscriminate novel read.
irs. Although this may I've but the farmentef
beverage from the literary dram shop, it is 10.
toxica'ng and poisonous, and exciles thirst
for wha, is maddrnng and destructive. 49,
Rrwarc of bad books, because If you and
others like you, wW lei them alone, they aciN
soon cease 10 be published. Every such honk
YOU buy encourages the guilty publisher to make
another. Thus YOU not only endanser your
own morals, bu, pay premium on the means
of running others.
Beware of bad books, because your example IS
coniag gious. Your child, your servant, your
ncirhhor, may be led to read what will he In
jorious for time and eternity or not 10 "touch
| tnc unciPdi 'u'Hs' go y'"' >"'P'S 49,!
prompt, Which will you do
Beware, hccansc good books are plenty and
cLrap, and it is folly 10 feed on chaf, orpoisoh
when substantial, hcallhfu food may aswell be
obtained.
Beware of bad books because fkey icaste ;your
time. "Timc is money!-'tis more-t is eter-
aiiv, That time is redeemed. Can you
sGurder it on means of ruin?
Beware of bad books, because principles i'm.
hibrd and images gathered from them, 'faH
a5idc in the memory and Imagination forordr'
The mind once polluted is never freed from It's
uptun-ncrer.
From Il census recently taken by order OF
the Greek Government, 1t appears that the
total population Of Greece, including Pelo-
poncsns. continental Greece, and the Cycla-
dcs, is 993,35l.
Some ono looking al a Itch man, said,
u" Poor man, lie ,niled day and night until he
was lnrlv to gain his wealth, and he,has
been watching over itday and night, ever
s;uce, for his viclua!s and clothes"