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general object is, "to establish a more attractive, economical, and productive system of industry." By good company, pleasant well-contrived workshops, fields and gardens, convenient implements, enlightened methods of operation, a proper distribution of time between different occupations, and a choice of pursuits, it will be no difficult achievement to render industry at once honorable and agreeable. If honorable and agreeable, it will be attractive. It is now too often repulsive and tedious. There is little to render it otherwise. By availing ourselves of the services of those among us who are best informed and most skilful in planning and arranging business, by the help of many labor saving machines, and by means of a hundred other advantages unattainable except in such a combination, we cannot fail to render our industry highly economical and productive. We shall be able to produce a great deal more than we now do, with much less of wearing effect to the body or mind, and consequently shall retain more power to promote the good of mankind at large.

Our fifth general object is, "to facilitate the honest acquisition of individual property for laudable purposes. In this we differ from the Shakers, and from all those Socialists so called, who make the individual dependent on the mass of their associates (or too often, perhaps, on the will of the few who govern that mass) for their food, clothing, and other personal conveniencies. We unite our property for certain great purposes, but hold it individually in negotiable shares. The whole of this Joint Stock Property is pledged, first, for the comfortable maintenance of all our members, and of their widows and orphans so long as they conform to our general rules and regulations; secondly, for the thorough education of all our children and youth; thirdly, for the relief and proper nursing of all our sick; forthly, for the sustaining of all necessary literary and religious privileges among us; fifthly, for the promulgation of our principles abroad as may be judged our duty; sixthly, the payment of the public taxes assessed upon us; and, finally, for defraying all incidental expenses, which may be necessary to keep our lands and buildings in a good condition. Beyond this each individual is the absolute disposer of his or her own property. Beyond this all profits are divided among the members, according to the capital invested and labor performed, as specified in article VIII. Each member may honorably leave the community at any time by communicating a written notice to the Secretary; in which case he or she is entitled to receive the par value of his or her shares in cash. And all the members may make such a use or disposal of their money, not contrary to express compact, as they severally judge expedient. Their associates may advise, reason with, and admonish them, as to the right use of their pecuniary means-as to the quantity, quality or fashion of their clothing-or as to the amount

they shall expend in visiting abroad, or in charity and alms, or for any other object; but further than this they cannot control them. We think this right and possession of individual property indispensable to a due degree of personal independence-and a great safeguard against the stealthy approaches of human despotism. If those who have least of this property are placed beyond the reach of want, and even enjoy great literary and religious privileges, we think no harm but much good will come of allowing others to hold and dispose of whatever they may ac quire for laudable purposes. And we believe that the facilities and economies of a Fraternal Community will be such, that very nearly all its members can acquire an ample competence. They will be able to do this honestly; not by depressing or degrading others; not by taking advantage, either of their necessities or misfortunes. As they raise others, they will themselves rise; and thus, in the true social state, it will become comparatively easy to do what is now so difficult-i. e. to love our neighhor as ourself to promote the good of each and of all by the same process.

Should these five general objects be successfully pursued, we can hardly conceive of the changes which must ultimately take place in society. The establishment of one community will succeed another, till whole countries, and perhaps we ought not to hesitate saying the whole face of the globe, will be dotted with peaceful and happy habitations. Their healthful industry will subdue and beautify the earth which receives their cheerful sweat, and a generous husbandry be repaid with superabundant products of all that man or beast may need. War, oppression, intemperance, debauchery, and ten thousand hateful vices now prevalent will gradually disappear, and man return to his primeval Eden.

Whatever may be the issue, we will hope and labor for at least the undying consciousness of upright intentions, and benevolent ends.

*

Without allowing ourselves to expatiate on the vast economies, the orderly arrangement, the religious, moral, and literary privileges, the attractive industry, the health, peace, and competence, the beautiful outward scenery, and above all the happy effect on general society, which we are confident will be wrought out by our communion; we close with a few remarks on the relation we shall sustain to government, and a brief notice of certain objections.

In the first place we shall be peaceable, inoffensive, and harmless-committing no great crimes, calling for no special assistance, abstaining from all political intrigues and commotions, occasioning no particular expense, and troubling neither the polls, the courts, nor legislatures with our interference. In the second

place, we shall educate our own children and youth, maintain our own poor, do what we can to relieve the distressed around us, and exert all our influence in favor of righteousness, order, and peace, every where.

In the third place, we shall quietly pay the taxes assured upon us; and thereby help to maintain those whom we never made poor, educate children and youth who have no special claims upon us, and make good highways for the people at large.

In the fourth place, we shall steadfastly refuse to do any thing required of us by government which we deem anti-christian, and bear an undying, uncompromising testimony against all sin, whether in the state or the church.

And finally, if government should not respect our conscientious scruples; but, overlooking all our usefulness and good influence on society, should fine, imprison, slay, or in any manner persecute us, we shall endeavor by the grace of God to endure it all, in the non-resisting, forgiving spirit of Christ, until deliverance come from on high, and we are permitted to rejoice in the triumphs of truth and love.

The objections referred to, which we wish briefly to notice, are often brought against our associating in Fraternal Communities, and may be stated in the following terms.-You are going to withdraw from the world, and seclude yourselves like monks and nuns from the rest of mankind. You are going to extract and bury up the salt of general society, and leave the mass unrestrained and unblessed by your personal influence. You are going to fly from temptation and conflicts without, that you may enjoy ease and quietude in solitary retreat. You are going to

promote your own selfish ends, rather than the reformation and salvation of the human race. Is this right, is it wise, is it ehristian? All these objections arise from a misapprehension of the design, nature, and practical operation of our association. We are not going to retire into mountain glens and desolate places of the earth, and there establish our Communities. But we are going to locate them in the midst of the general population, each on a few hundred acres of land, surrounded at a little distance by the estates, dwellings, and villages of our fellow men, where we can at all times hold intercourse with our relatives, friends, and neighbors, for any and every christian purpose. Is this monasticism?

We are going to raise up and send forth around us, true-hearted missionaries of religion, morality, philanthropy, and useful knowledge, whose precepts and examples shall go hand in hand; whilst at the same time our Communities will be public demonstrations of the excellency, safety, and advantages of true righteousness. Is this extracting and burying up the salt of general society? Is this leaving the mass unrestrained and unblessed by

our influence? Must we needs be crushed by the mass in order to do them good? The mass need to see a specimen of practical christianity carried out by Communities. Then will they exclaim as of old, "Behold how these Christians love one another!" The mass cannot be reformed by seeing professed christians treat each other as they now do in their churches and societies. The fact is, our salt loses its savor by being ground, scattered, and mixed with the earth. It should be concentrated and applied in sufficient quantity to counteract moral putrefaction.

Again; we are flying from temptation and conflict with evil, that we may enjoy ease and quietude, and thus promote our own selfish ends, rather than the reformation and salvation of the human race! We cannot fly from all temptation and conflict with evil. We have to meet these, go where we will. But is there any merit in courting temptation-in augmenting temptationin running into temptation, or needlessly remaining it? If we pray God not to lead us into it, shall we falsify our own prayer by taking no pains to avoid it? Whatever of temptation and conflict with evil we can escape without deserting the post of duty, we ought to flee from. Than this we propose to do no more. Indeed, we retire a little from the field of public combat, that we may prepare ourselves for more vigorous and resistless onsets against the legions of darkness. And as to the selfishness of our ends, let God be our Judge-time the witness, and works our vindication.

And here we rest our case. We have laid our sentiments, principles and purposes undisguisedly open to the public, and commended ourselves to every man's conscience, without fear, favor or flattery. We now invoke the benediction of the Infinite Father on our Commur.ion, with a reverent hope that it may prove an instrument in his hand of great and everlasting good to the world.

In behalf of the Provisional Committee,

ADIN BALLOU.

THE BIBLE ITS OWN INTERPRETER, &c. (Continued from the September No. of the Messenger, for 1839.)

Having thus far in two former Numbers of your liberal Magazine, considered the nature and extent of the true Spirit of Prophecy, as contained in the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments; let us finally examine the grand and glorious end, for which these Prophecies were exhibited to mankind, and as the great fundamental principle of all truth, and the unerring foundation is there laid, for belief, for doctrine, and practice; in emerging from the delusions of every species of scepticism and

uncertainty, to build thereon the superstructure, with the most solid materials. The word of God, then, is sufficient to direct and guide us in all necessary inquiries in research of truth. This is the word, as we are assur ed upon the highest authority, which brought all things out of nothing, and which "commanded the light to shine out of darkness," and is the very identical word which still "brings a sinner from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, and creates him anew in Christ Jesus."

And it is a fact worthy of remark, and which we never perceive noticed by religious writers, that the self-same operations which have been displayed in the formation of the world and in the Redemption of man, by the spirit of God, have been like-" wise attributed in both cases to the word of God; so that the same power is ascribed to the one, that is to the other, and which renders them synonymous expressions. For a positive proof of this, we find at the framing of the natural world, that when "the Spirit or Breath of the Lord moved upon the face of the waters,' "he spoke, and it was done, he commanded and it stood fast." In the 33 Psalm, 6, it is more fully declared, "that by the word of God, the heavens were made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth." The same power we also perceive applied to the word and spirit of God as synonymous in the work of Redemption.

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In John 3, 6, we are informed that "a man must be born of water and of the spirit," and Peter and James expressly tell us, that "he must be born of the word, which liveth and abideth for ever, and which by the Gospel is preached unto us." See James 1. 21, and 1st Peter, 1. 23.

When the Lord sent forth his word to the ends of the earth, he declared "it should not return to him void, but accomplish the end for which he sent it;" and his word, he calls "his power." And in presenting this word to the world, and in calling upon all men to believe it, he addresses them as rational beings, as creatures of his own workmanship, with the declaration that it is that word which shall judge them, and irrevocably decide their doom at the last day, and by all means urges upon them the evidence and necessity of divine truth in recommending itself, in the allpowerful manifestation of the will of God, "by signs and wonders and mighty deeds," the various workings of miracles, raising the dead, restoring the blind to sight, and enabling the lame to walk, and soforth. These workings, are performances beyond our natural conceptions, and being unfathomable to our finite comprehensions, must be ascribed to a power superior to, and greater than that of man. For the occurrence of any events made known to us by Revelation, for which we cannot account by the ordinary laws of nature, we find called miracles, and it is upon the ground of evidence, and that upon no less authority than VOL. VIII----71.

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