THE PRESS AS A RELIGIOUS AGENCY 347 



taught therein; thus almost as soon as Christianity is attacked an 

 answer may be prepared, put upon the market, and, if compe- 

 tently done, it furnishes the antidote speedily after the poison is 

 introduced. 



In a similar manner working materials are furnished for minis- 

 ters, laymen, teachers in the Sunday-school and missionaries. 

 Only by means of the press can books of discipline be placed in the 

 hands of each communicant and hymnals in the hands of each 

 worshiper. 



Text-books of theology, critical and historical commentaries, 

 all kinds of books, elicited by the circumstances in which the 

 Bible is circulated or the Christian religion preached, and all the 

 various controversies which it always has evoked and always must 

 evoke, can be produced by thousands in a few weeks, and a supply 

 constantly be held in readiness. A remarkable instance was the 

 telegraphing from New York to Chicago of the Revised New Testa- 

 ment and its appearing in a daily paper a day or two later. 



As the Christian Church is divided into different religious organi- 

 zations, and these, while agreeing in the broad facts and founda- 

 tion principles of the system, disagree with one another in doctrine, 

 discipline, or ceremony, the uses of the art of printing are greatly 

 extended. A comprehensive example is the difference between the 

 Latin and Greek churches, between them both and the Arme- 

 nian church, and the controversies wherever they meet between 

 these three churches respectively and the different forms of Pro- 

 testantism. In the United States there are twenty-five distinct 

 families of Christians, making necessary practical repetitions of 

 a large class of the publications required for sustaining a necessary 

 and consistent propagandism. To these must be added the works 

 essential to set forth the distinctive marks of the sects composing 

 these families. To-day all forms of Christianity meet either in the 

 distinct Christian nations or in foreign mission fields. 



The constant study of the Bible causes differences of opinion 

 as to the mode and time of its origin, and the contents of each and 

 every book of the Bible. As the result of such studies, are formed 

 many hypotheses, divergent from or antagonistic to each other. 

 Intense curiosity is excited by publications upon these subjects, 

 each one from a responsible sburce, written with vigor and learning 

 sufficient to attract readers, speedily evoking several others. 



In many nations the progress of religion is impeded and circum- 

 scribed either by the dominance of one denomination or by a 

 general public indifference or hatred to religion. In the former 

 case without the press it would be impossible to unify the oppo- 

 nents of oppression, impossible to terrify the oppressors, and con- 

 sequently impossible to overthrow them. 



