The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1857-10-15

enclosed from FIVE of its founders, who have
ever since acted under its Constitution, show
ing that it can issue only publications IN ichicz
Evangelical Christians agree, whether on Bap
tam, Prelacy, Slavery, or any other subjec
whatever, and that all Christians ought to ac
cord TO it the right to carry out its own avowed
principles, to which all its funds are conss
Grated.
viii you be kind enough to give the article
to your readers, and oblige your brother in
Christ WILLIAM A. HALLocK, Secretary. 4
HISTORICAL FACTS OF THE AMERICAN
TRACT SOCIETY,
Limiting its Issues to Tracts in which Evangeli-
cal Christians agree.
/. The Society is not an individual, bat a
body corporate public trust, for an oIgecl
PRESCRIBED and LIMITED by its Constitution
An individual has liberty to use his money for
all purposes, or squander it, as he pleases. A
trustee is bound by the laws Of God and man
to fulfil his trust, not divertiDg farthing to
any other object The Bible Society can EN-.
ploy its means only to issue the Bible withori
note or COMMENT" the orphan asylum only
for orphans the executor only for the heirs
or legatees of the deceased.
2. What is the prescribed object of this So
ciety? It's Constitution defines it to be to
diffuse knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ
as the Redeemer of sinners, and to promote
the interests of vital goodness and sound mo.
rality."
3. BIZ ichat means and hnaitationsp Its
Constitution declares, "By the circulation OF
religious tracts calculated to receive the appro-
baton of ALL EVANGELICAL CHRISTIANS" This
carefully -seected language, five of the surviving
active fOunHora apd tho uphnia Rxanrt.va Tov,,
mittee, with the President and Secretaries testi-
Jy in public document, (Ann. Rep. 1865
p. 1913, was understood by the founders, and has
ever been understood and acted on by the Com
mittee, as binding the Society in good faith to
issue only such publications I" as Evangelical
Christians throughout our country do an fact
unite IN approving" In the same Annual Re-
port, page 70, the Executive Committee re af.
firm this sacred compact which binds the So
ciety to PEACE with all Gods redeemed people,
in seeking the glory of Christ in the salvation
of the perishing," and say it has been sd-
hered TO in all the Society's harmonious course,
on which the blessing of God has 80 richly
rested )" and they add, "Notbing can change
these historical verities." Evidently essential
as it was to avoid denominational contention,
il was and ever has been no less so to avoid
political, sectional, and other strifes, often
more violent and absorbing. That it was the
intent of the above language of the Constitu>
ton to guard against collision on any and
every subject sundering true Christians from
each other, is not known to have been ques-
toned by any one, through period of nearly
thirty years. If contemporaneous testimony
is valid in law" this would seem to be conclu-
sive.
AS further limitation, the Constitution pro-
vides that the Society shall annually elect a
Board Of Directors that this Board shall elect
an Executive, including Publishing Commit
tee; that "the Publishing Committee shall
contain no two members from the same eccle-
siastical connections; !" and that " no tract shall
be published to Iohich any member of that
COMMITTEE (now consisting of six pastors of
churches) shall object" By this prescribed
method, and this alone, can publications be
issued. With the free exercise of the judgment
of the respective members of this Committee,
thus accorded TO them in the Constitution, no
act of the Society has ever indicated any claim
or wish to interfere.
There is another implied limitation. delicate
and beautiful, though not expressed in terms,
Christian confidence, vital to the Society's ex.
istence IN its true character, and which God
graciously granted, and has long continued,
At the time of the Society's formation, such
harmony haG prevailed for twenty six years in
the parent Tract Society in London, and char.
acterized all the prominent benevolent institu.
tons then spriDging up in our country to bless
the world. So essential was such harmony.
that, without the expectation of it, this Society
would not have been formed. Its Executive
Committee have ever felt called of God to keep
the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace,1
in fulflment of the Saviour's prayer, "that
they all may be one, that the world may know
that thou hast sent me;" and this harmony
they have universally inculcated in every
branch of the Society's operations in all parts
OF the country. They have uttered no word of
unkindness to any carried no act into effect
in opposition to the known will of any one of
their number; and every act of the Society,
| till May, 1856, was unanimous.
4. These Limitations apply equally to sohat
| IS published on all subjects, whether Christian
doctrines or morals, church polity or ordi.
nances, intemperance, freemasonry, or slavery !;
and bind the Committee, in reference to any
subject whatever, to select and issue only such
tracts as promise usefulness and the harmoni-
GUS consent of evangelical Christians their ST.
lence as to errors lying beyond these limits in
no respect implying approval. In the conven.
ton which originally adopted the Constitu-
ton, and in the formation of the Society, Chris.
tians from the North and from the South were
| cordially united. 1t was then as distinctly I'M
| derstood that the above limitations applied to
tracts referring to Slavery as to any other top
| &c (; and the earlier publications show that the
Society was then as much restricted in its issues
on that subject as it has been in any part of
Its history. On this and all subjects, the Com
mittee have freely inculcated the una uestioned
teachings of the Bible-all its teachings. in.
deed, In the very words of Inspiration, with
plain scriptural comments and the various al.
| lusions to this subject in the great practical
treatises of Baxter, Bunyan, Flavel, Doddridge,
Edwards, and many others, selected for publ.
cation, have never, so far as known, been
either omitted or objected to by any. On these
| publications, circulated throughout our coun-
try, God has graciously set his seal, by the con.
vesting and sanctifying influences of his Holy
| Spirit.
These facts and principles are the basis on
| which this Society has stood and must stand
| to which all the contributions and legacies il
has received have been consecratsd ; and to
which it is pledged by the NEST solemn obliga-
tons man can assume.
The Publishing Committee have never under.
stood these principles and limitations as ex.
GLIDING from their attention suitable Tracts,
pertaining to any subject whatever. When il
had been urged that more ought be published
| on duties or evils connected with Slavery, they
said in the Annual Report, May 1856, that
while =" it seemed to have been understood BY
the whole community, that the subject of Sla-
very In Its aspects of political, national, and