Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1854-08-02
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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. That
"a man is known by the company he keeps"
is an old proyerb but it is no more true than
that mans character may be determined by
knowing what books he reads. If a good
book can be read without making one better,
bad book cannot be read without making
one worse.
Bad books are like ardent spirits; they
furnish neither ''aliment' nor, ''medioine'--
they arc poison" Both intoxicate-one
the mind the other the body; the thirst for
each increases by being fed, and is never sat-
isGod both ruin-ono the intellect, the 9TH
er the health, and together the soul. The
makers and vanlers Of each arc equally gull
ty and equally corruptcrs of the community
and the safeguard against each is the same
total abstinence from all that intozicates
mind or body.
Here we have a definition of what We mean
by tbad books" whatever books neither
feed the mind nor purify the heart, bat in-
toxicate the mind and corrupt the heart
Works of art, science, history, theology, ect.,
furnish ''aliment' or "medicinc !" books of
fiction, romance, inGdelity, war, piracy, and
murder, are 'poison," mere or less diluted,
and are as much to be Stunned as the drunk
ards cup. They viii ''bite like serpent
and sting like an adder"
Books of mere fiction and fancy are gen.
orally bad in their character and inA uencc.
Their authors are commonly bad men, and
wicked men do not often write good books
A stream does not rise higher than its foun
tain. Their principles are often corrupt,
encouraging notions Of chivalry, worldly
honor and pleasure, at war with the only true
code of morals They insult the understand
ing of the reader, by assuming that the great
object of reading is amusement. The effects
are such as might be expected. Familiarity
with popular fiction gives disrelish for SIM
pie truth engenders habit Of reading
merely for amusement, which destroys the
love of sober investigation, and blasts the
hope Of mental Improvement renders scen
tic and historical reading tedious gives
false views of the perfectibility Of human ma
ture, thus leading to disappointments in the
relations OF life and dwarfs the intellectual
and moral powers, except the imagination,
which is rendered morbid and unhealthy by
constant excitement. The Bible becomes a
wcarisome book spiritual classics, like those
of Baxter, Bunyan, Flavel and Doddrige,
though glowing with celestial fire, become IN
sipid and embarrassing; and the influence
of the pulpit is undermined, by diverling the
attention from serious things, and lessening
tho probability that truth wiz take effect
upon the conscience or fit does for time,
the bewitchng novel furnishes a ready means
Of sitting conviction and growing away the
II lIll VI Aoo' n LheiVh@ut IA H. was uiluSt
conviction for sin,during revival ofroligion.
A pious friend called, and to his surprise,
found him engagcdinreading worthless novel
To his remonstrance against such triling, he
replied, ''I'm so interested in this book, |
must finish it, and then | will attend to the
affairs of my soul" lie finished the book,
lie attended to the concerns ofhis soul-neyerl
Thousands have persisted by similar seductive
influences.
Beware of the foul and exciting romance.
All that is said above will apply with tenfold
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