not be restrained, and made liberal offers, proposing to publish others books for the general good. But the managers replied at length, saying they were willing to publish such books belonging to other Sunday School associations, as were not sectarian, but urged various reasons why they could not consent to let their books be published by their reighbors, &c. The principle reason assigned by the Board for not consenting to have their books published by other Sunday School associations, is, there could be no interchange of ADVANTAGE accruing to this society." Now, the "advantage" intended in this remark is pecuniary. It is certainly a moral advantage to circulate a good book published by any association, though that association may not get a good book that they may circulate in turn. I should have supposed, that the great moral advantage is the first object with every public benevolent society. At least, they all make this profession, when they are soliciting the charities of the public. This paragraph, as well as many others in this same reply, intimates too strongly a sectional instead of a national character for the American Sunday School Union. The American Union has done some good, and might be the instrument of doing much more, in my humble opinion, if its policy were a liberal policy, and of a more benevolent rather than business character. The idea that the Methodist Church is opposed to the American Union, or any other American Society, while doing good, is unfounded, and has grown out of two facts;-her resistance to the principle of imposing a national character upon public benevolent societies, so as to merge all distinction of sects in their operation, which course she has ever thought, and still thinks unsafe and unwise.And her resistance to the strenuous efforts, and misrepresentations of most of their agents to induce the public, and especially her people to believe, that she is among their patrons. We are very gravely told by a correspondent in the Sunday School Journal, and also by their Board and numerous agents, that, if we (the Methodists) want their books we "can buy them ready made." But they know that we can never become regular customers to that Union, because we should have to pay higher for the same books than some other schools and persons. In the twelfth edition, 1832, of the catalogue of the American Sunday School Union books, we find, "all other societies, schools, or individuals, will be charged ONE-FOURTH ADVANCE!" The reason why the higher price to non-auxiliaries is now put on in "advance" instead of the old plan of discount to auxiliaries, no doubt exists some where; and if it were my province to account for it, I should say, the change has been made with a view to buy up schools. And in this respect, I most sincerely believe, that all certain politicians have said of the United States Bank, will apply with force to this institution-particularly of late. But I am very certain, that if their terms were now, and had been from the first, equally liberal to all Sunday School societies, this copy-right question might never have been raised. It is, however, an important fact in this investigation, that any Sunday School, not auxiliary to them, must pay twenty-five per cent, more for their books. And now, admitting their books to be cheap, this would make them come at a high price to others, and it is therefore, the interest of others to publish books, if they want them, rather than purchase of them under such circumstances. But it has been said, that it comes with an ill grace from Methodists to expect any advantages from the American Union, since they have not aided it by contributions. I reply-it would be found upon examination, that the members and congregations of the Methodist Episcopal Church, have contributed more money to the American Sunday School Union, than would replace every dollar they have paid out for copy-rights, with compound interest. Why then may we not claim some "advantage," if we choose to use it, from the effects of the many thousand dollars given by all denominations for the common good? There are no other benevolent societies in America, found protecting their issues by copy-right, but this business institution at Philadelphia. And wherefore? Because, no other benevolent society wishes to "force out of circulation" the books printed by those who are not of its fold. -- Again: The time has been, when the Methodists, Episcopalians, Baptists, &c. contributed largely to the support of the American Sunday School Union, although they were not connected with it; but this is no longer the case, since these denominations have organized Sunday School societies of their own. And though individual members of these churches still belong to the American Union, those denominations as such, are not now, nor never were attached to that Union, the repeated assertions of its numerous agents to the contrary notwithstanding. The Methodists and Episcopalians, have avowed their determination never to become auxiliary to the American Union-for reasons too, which must be obvious to every reflecting mind. It will not be denied by the Board themselves, but what the Calvinistic Churches, and the Calvinistic sections of the general Church, give their entire patronage to all the national societies; and hence of necessity have a preponderating influence in all their councils, and interest in them. The Arminian Churches, and Arminian sections of the Church saw clearly that their influence would be neutralized, and made to subserve the general cause of Calvinism, by joining in with the national societies. And if the national societies did not intend or wish to produce this result, such a result is nevertheless inevitable, from the very nature and relative influence of the various Churches. Hence the Arminian Churches have declined, and refused to be subscribers, for which they have been treated very uncourteously by the nationals. Now I ask an impartial public if those Churches can be blamed for declining? And I enquire again, as the American Union asks no money for schools in order to become auxiliary, would it not be the same to them to sell to all schools at the same price? If the friends of the Union say it would not, I ask the special favor of some one of them, to explain to me why it would not. The Union does not propose to gain any pecuniary advantage by this arrangement, but to confer an advantage of twenty-five per cent, on such schools as will become auxiliary to them. Now as it gains nothing pecuniary by a school's becoming auxiliary, why charge such school "one-fourth advance," if it cannot conscientiously become auxiliary? This is the case with the schools under the care of both the Methodist and Episcopalian Churches. And yet, the schools of these Churches are said to be sectarian; and those under the American Union are represented as liberal beyond description! And the cause why the American Union offers an inducement of 25 per cent, for schools to become auxiliary to them, is another reason why the Methodist Church, and why large sections of almost every Church in the country, have declined. And the reason why and wherefore, the American Union acts thus, would at once discover the true cause of all this controversy. But to return: Art. 4th of the constitution of the American Union says, "The officers and managers shall be laymen, and shall be elected by ballot." Art. 9th of the by-laws says, "The committee of publication shall consist of eight members from at least four different denominations of Christians, and not more than two members from any one denomination." Eigth annual report, pp. 31, 32;"We do not pretend that denominations, as such, are repre sented (technically speaking) in our board.-We only CLAIM the confidence and SUPPORT of all denominations, on the ground that their members share in the management and control of all our business, and that the RIGHTS and views of each are consulted and respected, as far as they possibly can be under any circumstances, provided equal deference is paid to the rights and views of all." These are the passages usually read by agents in the west. And to all this liberality in letters I have no objections: and I am willing to admit, for the sake of argument, that the American Union intended to do all it promises. But I have shown above that it is impossible in the very nature of things to comply with these promises. It is impossible not to see that the Calvinistic interest, take the Union throughout, will predominate. We have sufficient proof of this in the report for 1832. Take the following sentence:-"The whole number of officers and managers of the board is seventy-six, of these there are Presbyterians, twenty-six; Episcopalians, fourteen; Baptists, ten; Methodists, ten; Congregationalists, eight; Reformed Dutch, four; Moravians, one; Friends, one; denominations unknown, two-seventy-six." Now the question is, how many of these seventy-six managers are Arminians? If we count the two unknown-Friends one--Moravians one-Methodists ten, we have the appalling number of FOURTEEN Arminians, and SIXTY-TWO Calvinists!! It may be said, and doubtless will be, that some of the individuals here reckoned Calvinists are not so, and some reckoned Arminians may not be so: I have reckoned them according to the doctrines of those churches and sections of churches to which they belong. It is well known that it is the Calvinistic section of the Protestant Episcopal Church, which favors the Union, and not the Arminian section of said church. Next, look at the list of "ministers members for life," in the eighth report, and the result will be astonishing! There are well on to five hundred, only one of which is a Methodist preacher, and he was made a member by a Presbyterian congregation! Now agreeably to the above state of things, what security have we for the character of the publications to be issued from that establishment? The committee of publication consists of eight members, representing four different denominations. They must be all laymen, nominated annually by two members, appointed by the board, who with the president, or acting vice-president, constitute a committee of nomination. From this most important committee, all ministers That none of the gospel, are excluded by the constitution. out lay men are capable and worthy of so great a trust, or that they are exempt from sectarian bias, and beyond the reach of sectarian influence, will hardly be argued by any one. Yet it is a singular anomaly, that under the same constitution, ministers are employed as missionaries, to instil "gospel truth" alias, Calvinism into the ears of children, and of Sabbath school teachers, and it is intended to continue to employ them to the utmost possible extent!" There is no security that a single member of the publishing committee will at any time be a Methodist. Or if one, or more, be this year, there is no security that any will be next year, or the year following. It may be composed of "four different denominations;" of which a majority may govern; or all of them may be Presbyterians, Dutch Reformed, and Baptists; or Protestant Episcopalians of the Calvinistic school. And this I say without any sort of disrespect to those denominations. But if a Methodist be on that committee, we have no security for his competency to its great duties, nor for his leisure and strength, to attend to them. Besides this, there are now, not more than ten Methodists in our whole country, actively engaged in connection with the American Union. And if there were even hundreds, the mere name of a Methodist on the committee, is a very small matter; and especially of one in whose selection the Church has had no voice; over whom she has no control; and who, for the performance of his duty, is in no way responsible to her. does not trust her own publications, among her own ministers, in so loose a way. Even those ministers selected by her General Conference, for the publication of her own books, are not allowed to issue any original work, without the previous sanction of an experienced standing Book Committee, or the recommendation of an Annual Conference. She But that feature in the organization of the board of managers of the American Sunday School, at which I have glanced in the above paragraph, has had much influence in inducing the Methodists and Episcopalians, to have no connexion with it. I mean the Committe of missions, within their body!" The report of May, 1826, now lying before me, states that, "Under their direction, thirty-one missionaries had been employed." And it was then resolved by the society, "that it be recommended to the managers to prosecute this department of their labors TO THE UTMOST POSSIBLE EXTENT!!! These missionaries are expected not only to apply their attention to the business of forming Sunday Schools, |