A Bible Hand-Book — Reading Notes

A Theologically Arranged Index

The book’s organizing principle is theological, not canonical. Book I treats “Doctrines Relating to God,” moving from existence and attributes to the Trinity and the divinity of Christ. Within each chapter, numbered subpoints (e.g., “6. Omnipresence”) are followed by scriptural citations in a two-column layout. The table of contents lists only major headings; many finer divisions—such as the six proofs of omnipotence—are omitted, making the index less navigable than its title suggests.

Holliday’s method is evident in the section on the Sabbath: a short exposition of the fourth commandment is followed by a list of verses from Exodus, Jeremiah, and elsewhere. The exposition itself is a miniature sermon, using rhetorical questions (“Is it not reasonable…?”) and tripartite reasoning. This pattern—brief doctrinal statement, then proof-texts—recurs throughout, giving the work a consistent rhythm of assertion and evidence.

Voice and Pacing in the Expository Passages

The expository paragraphs vary in length and intensity. In the Sabbath section, Holliday writes in measured, periodic sentences: “So this fourth commandment prescribes the time which God has been pleased to set apart for the more especial performance of acts of religious devotion and piety.” The pace is deliberate, building to a series of three reasons drawn from God’s example, the portion of time allotted, and the act of dedication.

Elsewhere, the voice becomes more urgent. In the preface, the author describes the work as “the result of the labor of such leisure moments as could be snatched from the more pressing duties of an active pastorate.” This personal note is rare; most of the book maintains a formal, homiletic tone. The pacing shifts between dense scriptural lists and these occasional explanatory passages, creating a pattern of compression and expansion that rewards careful reading.

Recurring Structural Details

Several structural features recur throughout the excerpts. First, the use of numbered subpoints within chapters—for example, the six proofs of omnipotence—creates a clear hierarchy of argument. Second, the two-column layout for scriptural references visually separates the author’s commentary from the biblical text. Third, the inclusion of multiple translations is not mentioned; the transcriber’s note states the source is “most probably the King James version,” and the excerpts confirm this.

The work also employs a distinctive system of cross-references: within the Sabbath section, Holliday cites Exodus 20, 23, 31, and 16, weaving them into a cumulative argument. This method of stacking verses from different books is typical of the proof-text genre. The result is a book that functions less as a linear read and more as a reference tool, where the same passage may appear under multiple doctrinal headings.

Readers approaching A Bible Hand-Book should treat it as a period reference work, not a modern concordance. Its theological arrangement reflects mid-19th-century Protestant orthodoxy, and its omissions—such as the lack of an index of scriptural passages—limit its use for topical study. However, the expository passages offer a window into Holliday’s pastoral voice, and the dense scriptural lists provide a snapshot of how proof-texts were marshaled in an era before digital search. For those interested in the history of biblical reference works, this hand-book is a compact example of a once-common genre.

Flipping through that old 1869 hand-book, I found its quiet, numbered proof-texts oddly comforting, a pastor’s orderly labor for weary students. It reminded me of a later, deeper reflection, Systematic Theology (Volume 3 of 3) — Text and Context, where the same patient threads are gathered again, not as lists, but as belonging to a single, larger fabric of thought.