qualified to fill, and in which he can improve his talents to the best advantage. This, however wise and economical, is not without serious objections, particularly on the ground of disorganizing families, and dissolving the ties of nature. But those who esteem the gospel relation as the most valuable treasure, must gain it, tho' it be at the expense of those partial affections so highly prized by the children of this world. 3. When a family, in gospel relation, is thus constituted, the next inquiry is, what step is taken to arrange their temporal interest and their mutual labors, so as to prevent confusion? What example has Christ given in that respect? Answer. In the first gathering of Believers, under the ministry of the Apostles, while they had all things common, there was cause of murmuring, till deacons were appointed to see that justice was done to all. According to this example, when property is united together and appropriated to common purposes, it is placed under the care and management of a deaconship, who are to be responsible for the same. A covenant is entered into between the parties, in which the use and benefit of the property, and the services of all and each are freely devoted to the common support of the family; but to prevent fraud or imposition, no transfer of property is made to the deacons or to any other person. As this order is merely probationary, the utmost caution is used to prevent imposition. Each individual who brings property with him, has it valued by disinterested men, takes an inventory of it signed by the appraisers, delivers it to the care and custody of the deacons, and if he should afterwards call for it, he receives it without interest, and gives a receipt and acquittance from all further demands, The reasons for retaining this joint property on the ground of individual and separate claims, are to afford each a sufficient time of trial, and to secure a just settlement of all individual accounts. As long as there is any ground of claim upon the individual, his property remains in his own power, liable for his debts and other personal purposes. It is therefore in this order that all matters are adjusted relating to the settlement of property, all accounts settled with creditors, and donations given or appropriations made to heirs: But above every temporal consideration, it is here that the following lines begin to be realized: Our flesh and sense must be denied, While justice, temp'rance truth and love Few objections are ever brought against the order of such a family, relative to their domestic economy; but the case of the withdrawing members sometimes excites the tender sympathies of the world. For such to receive barely what they brought in; no interest; no wages! How will this comport with the injunctions of scripture, not to defraud the hireling of his wages; or how will it bear the scrutiny of the laws of the land? Answer. We have ever, from the beginning, discarded the idea of hireing each other, or paying wages to any member of the Society; therefore, no objection can arise on the ground of defrauding a hireling; and as for paying interest, it is pointedly prohibited by the moral law. "Thou shalt not lend upon usury to thy brother, usury of money, usury of victuals, usury of any thing that is lent upon usury."-"Lord, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? Who shall dwell in thy holy hill?" Mark the answer. "He that putteth not out his money to usury." As for the laws of the land, they will be considered hereafter, in reference to a higher order, which is the next subject of inquiry. 4. The fourth and last step that is marked out for our journey through time, is into Church order, where the spirits of men are to be tried as by fire, "and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is;" their characters will be fairly tested, and their destiny for a future state decided. Every order short of this, is merely preparatory, and admits of some reserve; but whoever advances into church relation, ought to calcuDr. Watts. 1.Thes. iii : 13 late to make no reserve, and "to go no more out." He must enter this order as Noah entered the ark, to ride the foaming billows of time, and terminate his voyage on the peaceful shores of eternity. To this ark of safety, the true Believer steadily and gradually progresses, making strait paths for his feet, until he arrives at the door of admission. When a competent number have passed through a suf ficient trial of their faith in the junior order, and are unitedly prepared to establish and support church relation, they have only to ratify and confirm their inward agreement by executing what is, by way of eminence, called the Church Covenant. Our limits will not admit of inserting this Covenant entire; we shall therefore only state the outlines of its stipulations. The parties solemnly announce their faith, and the .object of their associating together in that order. They agree to live together as brethren and sisters of one family, possessing one consecrated interest, and equally enjoying the benefits of the same; to conform to the order of the Church heretofore known and approved.The several orders of ministry, elders, deacons, and trustees, and the duties of each are severally designated, as also the duties and obligations, rights and privileges of the members respectively. They further, in the most explicit terms, relinquish all claim to personal or private property, and wages for their services, and debar, not only themselves, but their heirs and assigns for ever, from all private claims to the said consecrated interest, on account of any property or service which they may have contributed and bestowed, and jointly secu ring to all and each, the unmolested enjoyment of all those benefits and privileges, spiritual and temporal during life, provided they perseveringly conform to the principles and rules of the institution. The visible fruits of the Senior order are the best comment on its principles. The world have little to say but in admiration. Nor would the most penetrating eye * Rev. iii: 12. dis cover, in all the arrangement, cause for complaint, or criminal charge, without the help of a Judas, to misrepresent and falsify. No trouble or calamity, worth naming, has ever arisen on this consecrated ground, but through the agency and instrumentality of those who violate their sacred engage ments, renounce the faith, and demand reparation, for the damages which they pretend to have sustained. But, as this is a subject of peculiar importance, we shall give it a distinct consideration. THE CLAIMS OF APOSTATES CONSIDERED. The case now under consideration having been briefly treated in the preceding part of this work, we shall continue the inquiry, under a general appeal to every rule of right, and see whether on any fair principle the community can be made liable for property so devoted, or labor performed under such conditions. Let us, then, in the first place, inquire: Is it just and right to retain such donations, in the eye of the law? The answer is clear, that if the law grants the liberty of bestowing a gift, it never can revoke the gift made under the sanction of that law; since all the blessings of a free government depend on the protection of life, liberty, and the enjoyment of property; the right of using property righteously acquired, must, of course, be accounted one of its blessings. We boast of our constitution, and it expressly prohibits the enacting of any law which would impair any bona fide contract or agreement whatever. When we undertake to prove that it is right, according to law, for any person (free from all incumbrances or lawful demands) to bestow his own property or services to any amount, and to whomsoever he sees fit, it seems like an undertaking to prove that two and two make four. The right to give alms and to make donations either in property or labor is guaranteed by the laws and usages of all nations. Landed property may, under some governments, be entailed, but even estates tail are considered by us as inconsistent with the genius of a free republic; because the possessor of such estate is restrained in his disposal of it. Even in England, legal finesse is resorted to, to break the shackles which had been antiently imposed upon the right of giving away property as the proprietor of it pleases. No one, we think, can seriously doubt of the legal right, which every man in this country possesses, of giving away and receiving property according to the very order and manner practised by the Church. Another inquiry is raised on the ground of equity. Admitting it is consistent with the rules and maxims of law, will it comport with the pure principles of justice and equity? Answer. In the first place, let us examine wherein there is, or may be a difference between law and equity. It may be supposed that the law, that is, our written or statute laws, are defective by reason of that universality of expression which nothing but a closer-going principle of equity can correct by reaching the minutest circumstance of every case. The written law cannot be made so explicit as to include in the strictest terms of expression, or fair implication, all that is necessary, in order to bring to justice the artful and designing, by tracing them through all their dark and crooked windings, and those subtle schemes which they invent to entrap and defraud the less artful or more honest. A court is therefore instituted for the relief of such sufferers, and this is called a court of equity. In this court the judge may decide according to evidence and the common or written law. Where there is no statute that will bear him through, he may select and apply the principles of common law to the case in hand; and where he can find none to suit, he takes such as are most analogous, and, according to his own scrutinizing judgment, raises up a new principle, or correcting law, by which he decides the case. This important subject requires a serious attention, in order to discover its just merits. The Church would be supposed to be so deeply interested, that a righteous decision could not, from that 3 |