Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1826-10-13
FOR THE SPECTATOR.
TIE AMERICAN TRACT soclErY.

no o9uOt DC great anu IL sting OleSSlDg
10 the world. There is good reason to
believe that the circulation of religious
tracts has already been the means of
the conversion OF Thousands of the gully
sons and daughters o, Adam; who will
eternally bless God that such societies
ever existed.
Ii is DOT the object Of this society to
promote the peculiar tenets Of any de.
nom.Gation OF christians, as we learn
trorn the 9Th article of its constitution,
va :: That tie publishing committee
shal! contain no two members from the
same denomina,i \; and no tract shall
be published TO which any member oil
that committee shall object" How no.
bic, how praise worthy, how like the
genuine spirit OF the Gospel TO see SC
many different demon inaiions OF christ
Ians all agree 10 the ing and circu-
ialing, the same tract. This committee,
consisting OF FIVE persons, from as many
denominations, have already sanctioned
1875 different tracts in our language,
which make volumes.
In he first year OF lis operations the
society has printed sly goo tracts, which
contain S,o53,50o pages; have pu, 1877.
900 ,racts IN circulation, OF which l4o,
az have been sraiui;ous'y dislribu ed.
The American Tract Socis!y, Bos-
ton, has become branch OF this society,
and we may reasonably expect thai
Christ, the king and head OF the Church,
Is about 10 unl,e the eXertions OF the pl-
Gus of al! denominations, and thus push
his Kingdom till HE "shall have The
heather for his inheritance and the utter
nest parts of The earth Tor his posses
sion"
There is scarcely prayer offered in
public, in which God is not requested 10
extend the kingdom of his Son. Now
Tor a man TO pray that Christ's kngdom
may become universal, implies that he
wishes the bible to be read or heard BY
all--lhe gospel Of the kingdom 10 be
preached to all--and that good and use.
inl knowledge become universal; Tor
ne kingdom Of Christ canno, be esta.
oiished where heathenish ignorance or
superstition prevails. Ii is therefore as
0repos,erous for man to pray for the
xtension Of the Rcdeemer's kingdom
wlthout putting his hand TO the work lit
II be in his power) as to pray for a good
crop of wheat while the ground is mol
ploWed nor the seed sowed.
The American Tract Society has Sent
he subscriber 100 900 pages OF tracts
tor the benefit 0. this country they have
srrived, and are now ready to be dispos-
ID OF at the rate OF ten hages for one cent.
l. is anIiausly hoped that auxiliary So
O. ieties will be formed in various parts oil
ine state, for which there are Two very
important reasons, one is that we there.
ny spend our money to much better ad
vantage than we could otherwise do /; the
j,her is, we connect ourselves with those
that are able to help us. But there are
still higher reasons Of a moral nature
binding us to united exertions tor the
spread OF the Gospel.
Ministers oil the Gospel are invited to
call and receive tracts to carry with them
Tor gra,uitous distribution, while they
are travelling on missionary tours. They
are also invited TO use their influence in
favor OF SO good cause, by encouraging
the formatio Of auxiiaries through the
state. The following is copy of the
constitution OF an Auxiliary Tract So
ciety, prepared by the society, and pub
iished in its first annual reports:
CONSTITUTION.
.Hrt l. This Socie,y shall be called
" The Auxiliary Tract Society of ="
the object of which shall be to promote
the interest of evangelical religion and
sound morality in this vicinity, by the
circulation Of religious tracts; and TO aid
the American Tract Society instituted at
New York in 1925, in extending its
operations to destitute paris OF the Unit
ed States and of other countries.
.Art. Q. Each subscriber of or
more, annually, shall be member and
young persons by subscribing :.
Persons subscribing any stipulated sum,
annually, shall receive tracts on the same
terms as members. The payment OF
dollars, at ono time, shall consti-
tute member for life.
A-t. 3. Members Of the society may
have tracts at reduced prices to half the
amount Of their subscriptions and life
bers, annually, to the amount of one
eighth OF the sun paid in advance. One
fourth par, OF the annual r. ceipts OF the
society shall be transmitted to the trea-
sury Of the parent institution. The re-
Of the funds to be at the dispo-
sal OF tho board, to be appropriated by