Another author whose books were formerly very popular was Bishop Oxenden. The one which had the biggest sale was "The Pathway of Safety," but most of his works sold by their tens of thousands. Mention should also be made of those by the Rev. Horatius Bonar, especially his "Hymns of Faith and Hope," each volume as it appeared passing through many editions.
The following names will bring back to many readers the titles of books which have been appreciated by young as well as old: the Rev. John Angell James, the Rev. Newman Hall (over a million of the latter's "Come to Jesus" have been disposed of), Miss Havergal, Miss Marsh, the Rev. James Hamilton, the Rev. W. Jay, and the Rev. C.H. Spurgeon. These names represent a few only out of the many writers of religious books which were then popular. Most of them have greatly decreased sales, while others have fallen out altogether and are probably quite unknown to the present generation. There were also issued about this time many religious works published anonymously. These caused a great stir, and met with an extensive demand. Amongst them were "Able to Save," "Pathway of Promise," "Meet for Heaven," "Throne of Grace," "Heaven our Home," but, like the works already noticed, they have also run their course.
The first half of the Victorian era was apparently the Golden Age for religious books, for besides those writers who issued their books independently there was at this period a large number of separate series and libraries in vogue which contained reissues of most of the leading works by the old divines.
To show the variety and range of these issues, a selected few might here be mentioned. The most important amongst them were "The Christian's Family Library." This was under the editorship of the Rev. Edward Bickersteth, and consisted of about fifty-two volumes, all of a theological character. Another was the "Biblical Cabinet," issued by Clark, of Edinburgh, in forty-six volumes. The "Lady's Closet Library" contained volumes on "The Marys," "The Marthas," "The Lydias," "The Hannahs," etc., of Scripture; "The Christian's Fireside Library," in which were such books as Bigg's "Handbook of Popery" and McIlvaine's "Evidences of Christianity"; "The Library of Christian Biography," edited by Rev. Robert Bickersteth, was another important series, whose general title indicates the class of literature it contained. Under the editorship of such well-known men as Dr. Pye Smith, Robert Southey, and James Montgomery, a series of "Sacred Classics" were very popular: so also was "The London Theological Library," containing such representative works as Lardner's "Credibility of Gospel History" and Milner's "Church of Christ."
The following titles of a few series out of many may be of interest: "Protestant's Sound Literature," "Pickering's Christian Classics," "Library of Puritan Divines," "The Sacred Family Library," "The Spiritual Library," and "The Practical Christian's Library." In most of these libraries there appeared an edition of some of these old-fashioned and now almost obsolete religious books represented by the following titles: Boston's "Crook in the Lot," Sutton's "Learning to Live, and Learning to Die," Ken's "Divine Love," Taylor's "Holy Living and Dying," Watson's "Apology," Baxter's "Saints' Rest," Magee on "The Atonement," Paley's "Evidences," and Law's "Serious Call." Most of these have now a very flickering existence, while for others there is no market whatever. How truly the wise and eloquent words of Bishop Carpenter in his Hulsean Lectures illustrate the reputation and influence of many of the writers of religious books, both ancient and modern, and of the books themselves, some of these having a vitality only during their authors' lives, while others, like their writers, shed influence through succeeding generations. The Bishop says:
"She [History] measures men not by the tawdry reputations of the hour, but by the influence they can diffuse; she watches the circling wave which forms as men cast their force into the great ocean of life, and she measures their power by the life of that wave; and she finds that few—few indeed—have been able to spread their influences beyond their age; she notes many exalted to the skies, and she sees that in the next generation their name is clean put out; she measures the greatness of men as men do the height of mountains, by the length of the shadows they cast upon the surface of the world; and, measuring thus, she bids those whose influence lives through the ages to sit like gods among the hills of time."
It is intended here to consider only those works or writers which were of a popular character. It would therefore be out of place to record the various volumes of sermons, biographies, or theological treatises on the various systems which have more or less occupied the attention of the religious world, and have to a large extent shaped the character of many of our denominations. In passing, however, it may be of interest to direct attention to that vast array of literature which sprang into existence through the religious controversies which have to a large extent influenced the English Church.
The greatest of these was that known as the Tractarian Movement, and centred round the illustrious names of Keble, Newman, and Pusey. An extensive library might be formed of the works brought forth by this polemic controversy. The publication of "Essays and Reviews," Seeley's "Ecce Homo," Gladstone's "Vatican Decrees," and "Lux Mundi," edited by Canon Gore, also produced a flood of literature which has left an indelible mark on religious thought and practice. To these may probably be traced that diffusion of religious influence which has entered into so many branches of our literature and even to our fiction.
Another branch of religious literature which shows a conspicuous decline is that of "Family Prayers." Years ago, no bookseller's shop would be complete without a copy of Oxenden's, Bickersteth's, Villiers', or Thornton's "Family Prayers"; and such old-fashioned volumes as Hawker's "Daily Portion," "The New Week's Preparation," Jenk's "Devotions," Fletcher's "Family Devotion," and the "Family Prayers" of Toplady and Reven, were all in constant demand. With these are associated a number of volumes of private devotion, Bishop Wilson's "Sacra Privata" and "Pietas Quotidiana" being the most popular. These, like the "Family Prayers," show a great decline both in their production and sale. It is difficult to suggest a reason for this decline other than that of the general evolution in religious thought which is continually changing the course of human progress and action. Religion is undoubtedly the greatest factor in influencing the character of a nation, so from this foundation there will probably spring up in the future a broad, reasonable, and intelligent class of writings which in their development and thought will be more cosmopolitan than doctrinal, and which will deserve to be classed as English literature.
In comparing the educational literature of this period the changes have also been very great; those were the days when the works edited by Dr. Smith took the lead in the higher branches of education. Colenso's Arithmetic was the most popular book on that subject, while Cornwell's Geography and his other books were great sellers. The "Child's Guide to Knowledge" sold in its thousands, Chambers's educational books were very popular, as were also Brewer's Guides, "Stepping Stones to Knowledge," Weale's Series, Pinnock's, Guy's, and Wilson's Catechisms and Gleig's School Series. Of not quite the same character but greatly used for educational purposes were "Line upon Line" and "Peep of Day." Of the latter, some 250,000 copies were sold in the early days of its publication. Spelling books were then a most important part of educational literature, the most popular being Butter's, but the following also had large sales, Guy's, Mavor's and Vyse's. The copyright of Vyse's sold for £2,500, with an annuity to the author of £50 per year. The change in this class of educational literature has been very great.