New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-05-12
CHRISTIAN LITERATURE.
HOW To ARM AGAINST THE 1NFIDEL.

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Primo presided and offered prayer On the pat
form were also the pastor of the church, the Rev.
p : Macarthur and the secretary of the Tract so
.;otv the Rev George L. SheSrer There was
large audience in the church, and the sermon was
Iistened to with deep attention. Or. WlthroW tooA
for his text LIST Timothy. w. 10: GIVE attendance
To reading" The following are the most sahent
points of the sermon;
THE SERMON.
As 70 reading in general 1t might be thought waste
n, words 70 urge IT, For IL not the age when
evervbody readst II is begun early in life The miss
and the master devour books they do candy Almost
the poorest families have library The growth OF uora-
ries suypasses appreciation Whatever Solomon saw IN
his day 10 Justify remark: Of making DOCKS tne
no enc" do not know. for at most the taOets o
ruins Of Sneyeh cCun. but ss a@sd library OF Alex
andra Is catalogued after eur modern boar
5OOOO volumes all 1t had Now single noIaiies h Oea
millions on their shelves America two and three
quarter old before had thirty ree0g%eu AZ
fSs Incoming Of this peerless century Of human
Of booksi In the year that celebrated the centennial
of our National independence we counted 4,14V ny
collections Departments Of knowledge, which ull TINS
century had scarce recognition beyond narrow circle
people high places have been ope d 70
this that copy of the most valuable book when Ine eye
., man cents Inc tariff may be said to entirely of
the commerce OF Intelligence Free trade IS es'oHsneu
IN the world Of thought.
WHY BOOKS SHOULD BE ENCOURAGED.
Az To the reasons why should give so much attention
10 books: There much to be had Tor so little III
scant knowledge which is attanable by the ears only.
Until in modern times the blind were given the page OF
rasd LETTERS on which their swiftmOving fingers serve
for eyes it was but apitifuy slight attainment when
the brightest minded them could make. We think that
nv travelling one can learn moro than by thumolng
books The swiftest progress of travelling requires
eeyenty-fve days circumnavgste the globe but WIZ
map history and biography belt it in an hour we
enter without guide of instruction the cryps
the past and the courts OF the present nr tbsIr
their opinions and lights for their latest IDEAS
This too is true that truth is cheaper than error as
found In the types to-day. You may have neard tne
statement made by good man that error ana
evil get the best OF because their BOOKS
are scattered broadcast at the lowest cost
1t seems 10 the very opposite
IS For 800 may carry away rom tine AmePi
paror collection that will cover every great supect OF
.gT SRs st. @ But
good books are very much cheaper than dirt For you
take .a4 4S price tn Of city, lew Which
yielding neither bread nor interest u tr wtb
against which not single prevalent and e0 OF
stand And can sny5ng sg9a sae Good books
do Pure publications belong TO the h 81
s OF s as is oaered every dear DID
NSish have been started in the service Of
within the fOryfOur years since the Asr'f TSs
fact be that excepting such puDeaaons as tne
utterly perhdou Age Of Reason ana I'm. tine ' All no
enough readers found support publishers in furnishing
tnndel views TO the public.
MODERN FACILITIES FOR READING.
Reading il made more and more readable, and es-
pecalv reading of the best These who had taste
for philosophy the days of Plato for poetry IN the
DAYS Of ChauceT for history the days Of GiDoon Tor
netaphvsics IN the time of Locke, for
sacred learning in the ages when monasteries
had all the books and students-at what trouble every
learner of times to obtain Intelligence BY con-
trast how accessible is every kind OF knowledge now
partment of even the most abstruse OF learnngi We
speak despondinsy OF what mas been written
homeless pessims by believers in the absurdiues OF ag
H mos love dnTEness rather than light We do
wisely. II is safe to say; Iney 's"' rr y in All
departments is more readable and accessible cqnul
me mems OF those who would for consideration turn
soul OF track Of eternal lie Ihtr are no wIois ~
plain way Of putting things and whose captivating
powers Of illustration snrpass, they equal th9se WIG
t. III the fues; fair in the supernatural ana Ieveaeu
r. ION More and re is IL true that learning Is
o' 62aeGce of p e.ss' and grace VIVA,
needed 20 be re5d TO , maze ma Z, raSer Vas
For single cent you can buy rtle publication of me
American Tract Society which any one VINO car daG a.
chid's primer may go over IN rev minutes ana mat
one cent tract does completely quench all the argu-
Yents aganst the doctrine OF miracles which have been
yritTen rom the days of David untl this hour,
you would quench the gashght by turning the button
But the perpextty may be with some one not so much
how obtain reading, as what to read me very
abundance bewiders one should read no more than ne
takes time to mediate ea t6o2 PaSS bo To
1oe swallowed whole. To get single truth at ones
service handle IL skiluily az David dld ms slhg
az anu sanTs armoT. There is such a hing
OF ] TOO a,aDv th,n1s Iittle md nothing thorough
w. The most voracious reader ever had for an &C
ouaintance seemed unable TO serve It out as an
artist be 70 sPg ILr OF Ralph Mado Emerson worth IL
literature he earned 1t not in reading much 0ut III read
Is not the rule good one that only much reading is
really useful as one thinks over IsEe any GePaIIhe
in the upper rank Of knOWledge say IA Christian 10
dence With little trouble single book or TWO can pc
found which, il 1t be mastered viii make one connGent
10 holiness concerning reasons for his faith what
T. il that makes the rafting scePuc' "H H,S
ing house, than a match for the average
church member Here lies ms streegn; tnaI DUgyS sd
thorOuehly mastering the nhdel objections ag$ t
be uses Tor all they are worth in frightening poorly
informed Christian on. !sDs OF sva 81 wsrIare "H'n
the only system Of tactics Which can ever De ski
and the adversary II is not possible Tor me mass
disciples to master the intricacles and techni
concerns the chieest facts Of human knowledge the
far1ng need not err IN them n he be equipped with
tons which world the flesh and the devil persist In
propOunding.
NO NEED OF CHRISTIAN FEARS.
II seems no than objectionable concession to ad-
ithat everything in this and unstable,
and that stability add certainty are found ii the
realm of religion and requirements OF faith WAat rght
or reason there calling Christians to constant re-
examination Of their grounds of confidence IN the
great writers the Gospels Because in the geology or
Yesterday discarded to-day, and the laws OF nature In
the proce SONS Of the planets aud in the production OF life
on the earth much better understood now than
arabian astronomers Egyptian Dotansts understood
When the still young science OF geology snail have
passed through as many seven tnes neato ti
conflict in opposing schools as the great iunuAileh al
1acts of the Holy Book OF COD nave uohe'
we NAV expect will have recorded some thhgs az set
fled while sun and moon endure. We Dear WIN e1-
euplary patience, but with little coaposITe .rs snG~