New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-02-14
PULPIT THEMES.
THE READING OF NOVELS.
The Rec. r. De Wit Tdlnage at ne Brooklyn Tdbefi
(PrfsbYtePtGa).

The Rer. r. De Wit Talmag, a. ne BrOosy" Ta'ef"de''
"Of the making of many books there is no
end" (Eccesiastes xii, l2) the which tho
Rev. T. Dc Witt Tamage, yesterday morning. In the
Brooklyn Tabernacle, based Il novel reading
The words were written. he said centuries before
printing invented, end In are when
books chiscled stone, baked IN clay
impressed in scratched on the bark
of trees and written parchment 1t was no unusual
thing In those days for 10 walk hundred miles
TO read book II In those ages lomon was amazed ut
the literature and said OF the making Of books
there is no end" what wULd he say now If ho could
make the tour Of the American and English publishing
houses The printing press ID the mightest
agency on earth for good evil. The min-
lister of the Gospel standing in pulpit
has O responsible position, but I do not think
1t lie responsible the position Of editor pub
Usher At what distant point OF tme at what far ont
circle Of eternity will the influence Of the four
great departed editors-Henry J. Raymond. Horace
reeley, James Gordon Bennett and William Cullen
Bryant Men de- but the literary influence they project
goes forever Take the single fact that our NewYork
daies have circulation OF 100000 per day and add
to 1t the fact that three of our weekly periodicals
have aggregate circulation OF about one Million and
then cipher you how far down and how far out
reach the influences of the American printing press.
believe the Lord intends the printing press to be the
means for worlds and evangelization. The
great last battle of the world will not be fought with
swords gns but with types and presses-a purified
and Gospel literature trampng down and crushing out
forever that which Is depraved Tho only way TO fight
a bad book is by printing q good one May God speed
the cylinders OF an honest Intelligent aggressive print
ing press. ~
put this morning question OF everlasting import
to you and your families What books and news
papers shall we readi You see group them together;
able shape Shall our minds be the receptacle OF every
make va" an ." intelligent O' and Christiau choice.
Snail we read novels There are novels SNnIs
aud cnnobing the life. But many Of the novels of
the day are baleul Destructive to tho last degree
us with the license and the assumed name OF poetry.
The world pay the debt which, It owes 70 such
writers OF fiction HAWTHORNE Mackenzie. Land0r.
Hunt. Arthur Marion Harland and others whose names
are familiar to all The f9es OF high lie were meyer
OF the past were never more faithfully embalmed t9an
Charles KnSslcy bus smitIen the morbidness OF the
word. Thackeray did great work In carcsnrfng the
built his own monument In his books Which are an
everlasting plea for the poor and an anahema agans,
IN right proportion with other books, cannot but be
ennobllng and purifying.
But alas Tor the oansome and impure literature that
has this country IN the shape OF novels They
cunning somo OF the most celebrated publishing
houses OF the country You nd them In the desk OF the
scnoo miss, ia the trunk OF the young man. There IL
aloof from all books that lalse pictures of human
lifc Men not all either kDaves or heroes.
eye this class literature life is ttul and fantastic
An iudrcrllnnate reader OF novels united for ordn
mother. sister daughter There she is hair disney
eed countenance vacant cheeks pale, hands trembling
bursting into at midnight tue fate Of some
fortunate lover. Abstain from oil bouks which are
partly good and partly bad The bad always
sticks TO you. II through curiosity you
plunge into evil book perform
feat as dangerous AZ the man did who too torch into
a powder nOuse 10 whether II would really blow up
Avoid all books which corrupt the imagination or arouse
Nilanous passion l speak Of that literature which
the law and Ia polished style and with
acute plot Years ago French lady came forth as an
Huthoress under the assumed II George sand"
She smoked cigars. she gentemeI's apparel
She slipped of the bonds OF decency. She wrote with
style ardent, eloquent. mighty IN Its gloom. horrible
in It's unchaslity, danable IN It's Influence she las
cOpysts all lands Cursed he the books tbat try
ippurty decent, crime attra tive and hyp0crsy
noble. Thy ISLANDERS on the human race and out
rap mn nj