p. 38 | Tract Societies by W. O. Duncan

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jan 14, 1873

Tract Societies.

By W. O. Duncan

SOME object to a part of the laws as adopted by the Illinois Conference, especially the one in reference to the payment of one dollar in order to become a member. These can be reached, at a proper time, in our Conference. Then let those that are able imitate Christ, not change or break the law, but pay its penalty for our worthy poor. Others may object to this thing of buying or of being bought. If it is wrong to pay our poor brother’s way, because it would be buying him, then it would be wrong to pay for a tract or the REVIEW for them for the same reason. I am one that has been bought to the truth in this way. It does not affect my proud heart now, only to cause me to rejoice that I had dear friends that loved the truth, and me, and were willing to make some sacrifice in order to buy me from those terrible masters that formerly owned me. I feel that I have been slow in the service of my new master (the truth). I want a humble heart, that will accept what those who are growing gray in the precious cause may think best to offer, and try it faithfully, and then I shall be better qualified to judge of its merits and demerits.

I humbly hope that those fathers and mothers of Israel will forgive me if I have ever let my proud heart rise up and impose my objections or my opinions against their experience and knowledge, and thereby hindered the cause of present truth. May the Lord forgive and help all our infirmities.

Again, others may not see how our treasury will be kept up if we give our tracts away, and their opinion is, We have got to sell them to the members or we will be bankrupt. This would effectually cut off the poor, and some of those are our best workers. All, then, that our organization would do would be to annihilate the distance between the poor and the tracts, or means of information. He can now walk to the librarian, and look at the library, and that is all; for he has no scrip. The good object is to annihilate everything between the poor and the work of doing something in the Master’s cause in sending out the light of truth.

Let us exercise the faith of the poor widow when the meal is low, that it will not waste or diminish. I have strong faith in God, and our dear brethren, that this will be the case with our treasury. Some already are imitating Christ, and have by donation bought as high as ten members to the service of the Master, in the tract cause. Oh! for the widow’s faith in this matter. May we lose sight of our own opinions.

Again, there are those who do not see the economy of the societies. First, the reductions made by the Publishing Association; secondly, the economy of sending large packages by freight, over that of sending small packages by express or mail. If there are any of us on small streams, let us shut down the head-gates until we gather ahead. Be sure to get organized so as to turn all the little streams into the right channel.

Again, the importance of our taking hold in this weak Conference is to help bear some of the burdens resting heavily on a few. Our State is a large one, and the expense of transporting our tents over it is large; and all this has rested on our preachers, with other burdens of which it is not necessary to speak. The tract society ought, if judiciously managed, to be able to look after this and camp-meeting expenses, and delinquents, with other duties that are imposed on a few.

If reporting is the life of our organizations, it becomes necessary that every society reports to the Secretary, and he will report to the Treasurer, so that the records will show what we are doing. Do not be afraid of giving us some work to do. We learned to work while we were owned by other masters.

By the help of God, we will try to answer in the spirit of love, all inquiries in regard to this work, and do all we can to carry it forward. May this find a place in every worker’s heart, and we all find by faithful labor a place in the kingdom of love.

W. O. DUNCAN.