Pacific Grove Retreat Association minute book

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Pacific Grove Retreat Association minute book between 1875-1857

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INTRODUCTION

We are happy to introduce to the notice of the public a new Commonplace-Book, which the enterprising Agents of the Methodist Episcopal Book Concern, with a wise regard to the wants of their patrons, have provided, to accompany their large and constantly increasing list of interesting and valuable works.

The plan of the work is simple, and by reason of its simplicity is the better adapted for general use.

It contains an index, in which, under its appropriate alphabetical head, the topic or subject of each extract or reference may be entered, together with the page in the book where the same may be found; and the Commonplace-Book itself is paged and ruled with a wide margin, in which, against each extract, the subject may be written.

This is the plan, perfectly simple, and yet containing all that is necessary to make the volume what it professes to be, a Commonplace-Book; which, we are told by the authorities, "denotes among the learned a register or orderly collection of things which occur worthy to be noted and retained in the course of a man's reading or study, so disposed, as that among a multiplicity of subjects any one may be easily found."

Every student has felt the difficulty of retaining in the memory the mass of valuable information which he has not met with in books, or heard in lectures or conversations. Every one is aware how large a portion of all the knowledge acquired by these various methods fades from the mind with the lapse of years. How often we wish to recall some interesting fact, convincing argument, beautiful sentiment, or appropriate illustration, which we have once read or heard, the dim shadow of which remains in our minds, but which we endeavor in vain to call up with distinctness. And yet, as the occasions for their use arise, these lost treasures, if available, would often be to us of almost inestimable value.

Hence the utility of any invention which will enable the student to retain the knowledge once secured, and to have it ready for use whenever circumstances may require. The advantages of a Commonplace-Book for this purpose are manifest. It is a kind of storehouse in which to deposit the most valuable facts, arguments, and illustrations of authors, to be ready at hand when wanted.

But the Commonplace-Book, if freely used in connection with a course of reading or study, is valuable in other aspects. The practice of making abstracts, or of transcribing the most important parts of an author, will lead to habits of accuracy and attention in reading, and fix the information thus acquired more permanently in the mind.

Let the experiment be tried of reading in this method with the Commonplace-Book at hand, and reading in the ordinary way without transcribing, and you will find that there is a manifest difference. The works which you have read with pen in hand and your Commonplace-Book by your side will stand out prominent in your recollection, and their most important thoughts will not only be ready in your Commonplace-Book for use, but will come up in your memory with a surprising distinctness which will demonstrate at once the utility of the plan. The celebrated historian, Gibbon, attributed, it is said, much of the success of his writing to the influence of this practice.

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iv INTRODUCTION.

But the utility of Commonplace-Books in some form is now so universally admitted that arguments in their favor are almost superfluous. Scarcely a scholar can be found of reputation in any department of study, or a professional man of any class, who has not found their use a necessity, and proved their value in his own experience.

Various plans have been suggested for their arrangement. The method of Locke has, perhaps, been more highly recommended than any other, and has been adopted by a greater number; but the index prefixed to the Commonplace-Book of Locke, in which indeed the whole secret of his method consists, is too complicated for general use.

The "Theological Commonplace-Book," published at Cambridge, is limited in its range, as its title indicates; and the student is embarrassed rather than otherwise by a printed index of subjects designed only for professional reading, containing many unsuited to his purpose, and wanting many he would desire to use.

The Index Rerum of Dr. Todd, constructed mainly on the principle of the index to Locke's Commonplace-Book, is what it claims to be, simply an "Index of things," and as such is of great value. If properly and faithfully used, it will place at command the stores of knowledge contained in one's own library, or in books which are always accessible. But though valuable in its place and desirable in connection with Commonplace-Books, it does not supersede them, for it fails to secure to us the stores of information derived from the reading of books which are not always or usually within our reach, or acquired by listening to lectures, or in conversation with men of cultivated or gifted minds. But knowledge obtained in all these ways, if transcribed to a Common-Book with a suitable index like the one we have described, and which it is our present purpose to recommend, will be thus retained and made available for future use as occasion may require. And although the process of copying with sufficient fullness of detail the facts or arguments thus obtained may involve considerable labor, yet the result will be found to repay abundantly for the time and the toil that is bestowed upon it.

A Commonplace-Book of this kind may also be made of great service not only as a record or repository of facts, arguments, and illustrations, which are brought to our view in the course of our reading, or by the other methods suggested, but also as a register of our own thoughts and reflections upon various subjects as they are thus presented to our notice.

We recommend then this work of our Book Agents to the student and the general reader, as free from the objectionable features to which we have referred, more simple in its plan, and better adapted than any we have seen to the object for which it was intended. We cannot too strongly commend its use to those who are just commencing a course of reading and study preparatory to professional life. The publishers have done good service to the public and to the Church in its preparation. We trust it will be widely circulated and extensively used, and we are confident that the results will be highly satisfactory. W. R.

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DIRECTIONS.

Though the Introduction contains significant suggestions on the manner of using this book, it may not be sufficiently explicit to meet all cases. To make the matter entirely clear, we present the following as specimens of entries to be made and the manner of making them:

ALPHABET invented by Memnon—introduced into Greece by Cadmus, etc.— Whelpley's Compend, p. 31.

APOSTOLIC authority described. See Perpetuity of the Sabbath, by Rev. A. Phelps, pp. 24-31.

ASBURY. Bishop Asbury was a preacher fifty years—forty-five in this country. Usually traveled six thousand miles a year. When he commenced his labors in this country the Methodist Church embraced six hundred members; when he died it contained two hundred and twelve thousand. He was the Washington of the Church. Continued in the field until he could not get into his carriage without help, and preached until he could not stand in the pulpit.—Zion's Herald, Dec. 16, 1840.

BOOKS. "Thou mayest as well expect to grow stronger by always eating, as wiser by always reading. Too much overcharges nature, and turns more into disease than nourishment. 'Tis thought and digestion which makes books serviceable, and gives health and vigor to the mind."— FULLER.

FOREKNOWLEDGE shown not to necessitate events.—Watson's Institutes, vol. i, p. 93

LITERARY MEN. Lord Brougham, the most indefatigable man in England, often does not quit his study before midnight, and he is always up at four in the morning. Dr. Cotton Mather, who knew the value of time in everything, was never willing to lose a moment. Hence he wrote over the door of his study, "Be brief." The learned Scaliger placed the following upon the door of his cabinet: "My time is my estate." For these and other examples see Christian Advocate and Journal, No. 535, Dec. 3, 1835.

Now, to make these and other notes and references available, the words in the margin must be written in the index under their appropriate letters, with the figures indicating the page or pages where the record is to be found. By making these references and records in this way one can treasure up all that he hears, thinks, or reads worth preserving, and hold it at his command to meet future necessities. The page upon which the first entry is made on any topic may be reserved for future entries on the same, or it may be devoted to others. The latter course is the more economical way of using the book, and is as convenient, provided the Index is properly kept so as to mark the page where each entry is made.

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INDEX.

[Column 1] A New Assembly Hall 134

[Column 2] A

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