Publications by Editor

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Mar 8, 1864

Publications.

By Editor

EVERY effort should be made to circulate the Association's publications. The number of Seventh-day Adventist ministers is small. The field is a wide one. Our efforts are scattered over a vast field, and the publications must do a large share of the work. May God bless our preachers, and strengthen them for their arduous labors in their wide field of toil in teaching those who are perishing for want of true knowledge. But the people must read, and will read, if the friends of truth do their duty.

Our publications have been prepared with much labor and care. They are books, pamphlets, and tracts, of thought, presented in a humble and candid style, adapted to the inquiring mind. They are scriptural sermons, though not of the most popular, yet of the highest order. If the many friends of the present truth cannot send the living preacher to their friends, there being so few of them, they can send these sermons with their prayers.

The Review, Instructor, and standard works generally, are offered at old prices, which, before the war, were always considered very low. Almost everything has risen in price; but the publications of the Association stand at old prices. Unless prices should go up much higher, the Association will be able to furnish its publications at old prices. At these prices the friends of truth who cannot send the living preachers forth to preach the word, because the laborers are few, can send out these printed preachers at railroad speed almost everywhere.

Again, present postal arrangements are very favorable. One-fourth of a pound of tracts and pamphlets can be sent to any portion of the United States for two cents; from one-fourth to one-half a pound for four cents, and so on. See condensed statement of postal law at the head of our publication column. And it may be worthy of note, that for the last three years, since the change of administration, our losses of money by mail have been next to nothing.

The Trustees design to establish repositories of publications at all points where they are needed for the more especial benefit of traveling preachers, who find it convenient to call at these repositories and make up their assortment. The Association pays the common freight, so that preachers can obtain them as cheap at any of these repositories, from Maine to Minnesota, as at the office of publication. There should be from one to a half-dozen repositories in each State, as needed, as general depots, where our preachers can call and get books, or from whom they can receive them by express or otherwise, at Office prices.

We would suggest for the State of Iowa as convenient places of deposit, Waukon, Marion, Richmond, Mount Pleasant or Knoxville. For Illinois, Rockton, Bro. R. F. Andrews, in Whiteside Co., and Princeville. Where Bro. Sanborn may suggest in Wisconsin. And we might here state that this matter should be taken into consideration by State Conference Committees. The location of publications for the Eastern Mission is left to Elders Loughborough, Pierce, and Cornell.

These publication agents should be prompt business men, who are able and willing to devote some time to their agency with little or no pay. Ministers, properly located, with business tact, are the most proper persons.

The Association has never offered to send out its publications on trust to strangers, and it is desirable to trust none but responsible agents, unless it be old and well-tried friends.

Vigorous action on the part of the friends of the cause of present truth, corresponding with the above-named advantages, will accomplish great good in circulating our publications. Money is easily obtained by the farmer, mechanic, and day-laborer. A day's work, a bushel of wheat, or a pound of wool, will buy nearly twice as many publications in 1864, as two years since.

We solemnly believe that the present is the time for the people of God to act. There is an ear to hear, and a desire to read our views, far exceeding any past time. And while the people are calling for preaching and for books, in our time to put forth vigorous efforts to supply the calls. The quota of men for the army from the different States is either full or fast filling, and there will probably be no draft to interrupt the work, and call for means, until after the Presidential election. A more favorable time to spread the truth we never have had, and probably never will have, than the present spring and coming summer.

If the friends of truth ever supply themselves with our publications, and furnish them to their friends, they can do it now when money is so plenty, and they are offered at old prices. Our small tracts should be scattered like the leaves of autumn, everywhere they will be read, at home and in the army. We fear that most of our brethren are asleep on this subject.

We are surprised to witness the lack of interest in the work so carefully prepared for the youth, entitled, Sabbath Readings. It shows a fearful lack of interest on the part of parents for their children. Here is a volume of 400 pages, neatly bound, with the choicest moral and religious lessons for the youth, offered, post-paid, for the small sum of 60 cents, yet we venture to say that not more than one-third of our Sabbath-keeping families are provided with it.

Again, we recommend to our friends such helps as Cruden's Concordance, the Bible Dictionary, Bible Atlas, Fables of Infidelity, Nelson on Infidelity, &c., for sale at this Office. Also we believe that the Prophetic Chart, with the Key, which is now ready, and the Law of God Chart, are among the most important publications offered to our people. If our friends ever expect to furnish themselves with these helps, now is their most favorable time.