Curiosmith Blog

What is a Colporter? Colporteur or Colporter—one who travels about selling and distributing religious tracts and books. See the Bible Institute Colportage Association page. Moody Colportage Library Dwight L. Moody saw a need to get good Christian literature in the hands of ordinary people. He published a list of popular books that were inexpensive at 15¢, so price would not hinder their circulation. These books could easily be distributed by the colporteurs working for Moody. They worked in prisons to change lives. They visited lumber camps. They gave lectures in churches and halls. They visited homes, conventions, and societies. They...

From: A Cyclopaedia of Illustrations of Moral and Religious Truths: Consisting of Definitions, Metaphors, Similes, Emblems, Contrasts, Analogies, Statistics, Synonyms, Anecdotes, etc. etc. by John Bate, 1865. The Influence of Good Books by Dr. Thomas.  It is recorded that Bunny's "Resolution" roused Richard Baxter to concern, and Sibbes' "Bruised Reed" led him to the Saviour. Baxter then wrote the "Call to the Unconverted," which was blessed to Philip Doddridge, who afterwards wrote the "Rise and Progress of Religion in the Soul." This book gave the first religious impressions to William Wilberforce, then M.P. for the county of York, who produced the...

Influence of Good Books. By Rev. W. M. PUNSHON, LL.D. I thought how an old Puritan doctor wrote a book years and years ago, called "The Bruised Reed," which fell just at the right time into the hands of Richard Baxter, and brought him under the influence of the enlightening power of the Spirit of God; and then Baxter's ministry was like the sun in his strength, and he wrote a book called "The Call to the Unconverted," which continued to speak long after Baxter himself had ceased to speak with human tongue. That "Call to the Unconverted" went preaching...

One hundred years ago as found in the Christian Worker's Magazine, June, 1916: The Precious Chain of Books That God has greatly used Christian literature is a fact of history. There are six books known as the “Precious Chain of Books," by which thousands and tens of thousands of souls have been converted and the work of these books is going on in the world at this time.   Years ago an old Puritan, Doctor Richard Sibbes, wrote a book called the “Bruised Reed,” which fell just at the right time into the hands of Richard Baxter, and brought him under...

Ernest C. Reisinger (1919-2004) was a pastor and writer who wrote Every Christian A Publisher (http://www.chapellibrary.org/files/1813/7643/3199/ecap.pdf) where he states "The ministry of books can be used to evangelize, teach, train and expel ignorance as it has done in the past." Also "A book by Richard Sibbes, one of the choicest of the Puritan writers, was read by Richard Baxter, who was greatly blessed by it. Baxter then wrote his Call To The Unconverted which deeply influenced Philip Doddridge, who in turn wrote The Rise and Progress of Religion in the Soul. This brought the young William Wilberforce, subsequent English statesman and...