no embarrassments to hinder them from uniting together in community order, chuse to enjoy the benefits of that situation. These (for mutual safety) enter into a contract to devote their services, freely, to support the interest of the family of which they are members, so long as they continue in that order; stipulating, at the same time, to claim no pecuniary compensation for their services. But all the members of such families are mutually benefitted by the united interest and labors of the whole family, so long as they continue to support the order thereof; and they are amply provided for in health, sickness, and old age. These benefits are secured to them by contract. Members of this class have the privilege, at their option, by contract, to give freely, the improvement of any part or all of their property, to be used for the mutual benefit of the family to which they belong. The property itself may be resumed at any time, according to the contract; but no interest can be claimed for the use thereof; nor can any member of such family be employed therein for wages of any kind. Members of this class may retain the lawful ownership of all their own property, as long as they think it proper, and chuse so to do; but at any time, after having gained sufficient experience, to be able to act deliberately and understandingly, they may, if they chuse, dedicate and devote a part or the whole, and consecrate it forever, to the support of the institution. But this is a matter of free choice; no one is urged to do so, but they are rather advised, in such cases, to consider the matter well, so as not to do it until they have a full understanding of its consequences; lest they should do it prematurely, and afterwards repent of it. 3. The third, or senior class is composed of such persons as have had sufficient time and opportunity practically to prove the faith and manner of life practiced in the Society, and are thus prepared to enter fully, freely and voluntarily, into a united and consecrated interest. These covenant and agree to dedicate and devote themselves and services, with all that they possess, to the service of God and the support of the gospel forever, solemnly promising never to bring debt nor damage, claim nor demand, against the Society, nor against any member thereof, for any property or service which they have thus devoted to the uses and purposes of the insti tution. This class constitutes what is called church order, or church relation. To enter fully into this "order, is considered by the Society to be a matter of the utmost importance to the parties concerned, and therefore requires the most mature and deliberate consideration; for after having made such a dedication, according to the laws of justice and equity, there can be no ground for retraction. Nor can they, by those laws, recover any thing whatever which has been thus dedicated. Of this all are fully apprised before entering into the contract. Yet should any afterward withdraw, the Trustees have discretionary power to bestow upon them whatever may be thought reasonable, not on the ground of any just or legal claim, but merely as an act of charity. No person, however, who withdraws peaceably, is sent away empty. Children taken into the order of the church, are treated with care and tenderness. The government exercised over them is mild, gentle and beneficent, and usually excites in them those feelings of affection, confidence and respect towards their instructors which are not often found among other children, and generally produces a willing obedience to whatever is required of them. The practical exercise of mildness and gentleness of manners, is early and carefully cultivated among them. All churlishness and moroseness of temper, all harshness of language, all rough, unfeeling behavior, all unkind and uncivil deportment, and all mischievous and wicked propensities, are cautiously watched and reproved. Great pains are taken to lead them into the practical exercise of truth, honesty, kindness, benevolence, humanity and every moral virtue. The duties of obedience to their instructors, respect to their superiors, reverence to the aged, and kindness and civility to all, are strictly enjoined upon them. A good common school education is carefully provided for them, in which it is acknowledged that they generally excel children of their own age in the common schools of the country. Where traits of genius are discovered, their privilege of instruction, as occasion requires, is proportionably extended. They are carly led into the knowledge of the sacred scriptures, instructed in their history, and practically taught the divine precepts contained in them, particularly those of Jesus Christ and his apostles. They are always brought up to some manual occupation, by which they may be enabled to obtain a livelihood, whether they remain with the Society or not. During a period of more than forty years, since the permanent establishment of this Society, at New-Lebanon and Watervliet, there never has been a legal claim entered, by any person, for the recovery of property brought into the Society; but all claims of that nature, if any have existed, have been amicably settled to the satisfaction of the parties concerned. Complaints and legal prosecutions have not, hitherto, come from persons who brought property into the Institution; but from those who came destitute of property, and who, generally speaking, have been no benefit to the Society, in any way; but, on the contrary, after having enjoyed its hospitality, and brought no small share of trouble upon the people, have had the assurance to lay claim to wa ges which they never earned, or property to which they never had any just nor legal claim. No person can be received into this order until he shall have settled all just and legal claims, both of creditors and filial heirs; so that whatever property he may possess, may be justly and truly his own. Minors cannot be admitted as covenant members of this order; yet they may be received under its immediate care and protection. And when they shall have arrived at lawful age, if they should chuse to continue in the Society, and sign the covenant of the order, and support its principles, they are then admitted to all the privileges of members. The members of this order are all equally entitled to the benefits and privileges thereof, without any difference made on account of what any one may have contributed to the interest of the Society. All are equally entitled to their support and maintenance, 2 and to every necessary comfort, whether in health, sickness, or old age, so long as they continue to maintain the principles, and conform to the orders, rules and regulations of the institution. They therefore give their property and services for the most valuable of all temporal considerations: an ample security, during life, for every needful support, if they continue faithful to their contract and covenant, the nature of which they clearly understand before they enter into it. It may readily be seen, that such an order could not be supported, if its members, on withdrawing, should take whatever they have given, and have the avails of their labors restored to them. They have agreed to give it all to sacred and charitable purposes, claiming nothing but their own support from it. It has been disposed of according to their own desire; and the institution may therefore be no better able to refund it, than if such dedication had never been made. If, therefore, it should be returned to them, it would be literally taking it from those who remain faithful to their covenant, and giving it to covenant breakers. Who cannot see that this would be both unreasonable and unjust? Notwithstanding all reports to the contrary, we confidently assert that no person has been wronged, by any dedication of property ever made to the purposes of this Society; and that no person whatever, has any just or reasonable ground of complaint in this respect. This Society has served as a pattern for all the societies or branches of the community which have been established in various parts of the United States. In every place where the faith and testimony of the Society have been planted, the same orders and rules of government have been gradually established and mainlained; so that the Society and its members are now generally known; and from the striking peculiarities which distinguish them from all other professors of Christianity, no person need be deceived by impostors The perpetuity of the Society is the last thing to be considered, on which we offer the following remarks: We believe it will be generally granted, that the bis tory of the world does not furnish a single instance of any religious institution which has stood fifty years without a visible declension of the principles of the institution, in the general purity and integrity of its members. This has been generally acknowledged by the devotees of such institutions, and facts have fully verified it. But we would appeal to the candid judgment of those who have known this institution from the beginning, and have had a fair opportunity of observing the progress of its improvement, whether they have, in reality, found any declension, either in the external order and regulations of the Society, or in the purity and integrity of its members, in the general practice of the moral and christian duties; and whether they have not, on the contrary, discovered a visible and manifest increase in all these respects. And hence they may judge for themselves, whether the moral character of the Society, and its progressive improvement, can be ascribed to any other cause than the blessing, protection and government of Divine Power and Wisdom; and why its perpetuity should be called in question. Published in behalf of the Society, by CALVIN GREEN, and Committee of Publication. New-Lebanon, March 15th, 1830, |