An appeal to the Christian public, on the evil and impolicy of the Church engaging in merchandise and setting forth the wrong done to booksellers, and the extravagance, inutility, and evil-working of charity publication societies: Difference between revisions

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5th. I say that twice as many religious books are published in the country as ought to be, whether we regard the interests of publishers or the interests of religion. No sooner is a good book issued than it is lost sight of indie clater about another, and thus the best books are displaced and little read. As mattering knowledge of each is even more than can be looked for in such a state of things; and these Societies are responsible for this redundancy. The two S. S. Unions publish twice as many books as can be useful. The multiplication of children’s books is the distinguishing folly of the age. It is an injury to the children in the first place, and in the second, it is an abominable waste of sacred funds. But these Societies must do and report a great business; and to please the children and make sales, they must embellish their works with gilt and pictures. Such a variety in their issues is a nuisance, and I believe is doing the children of the country more harm than good. I was once a child ,and I got up to manhood without these helps, and I do not know that it took me longer than it does children now-a-days; but this I know that the reading of such books is all going to make nobody wise. One seed of knowledge planted in the heart, one principle of truth mastered in the mind, is worth more as basis of moral and intellectual growth, than all these societies can do by all their fictions, and stories, and illustrations, a thousand fold more multiplied. A few first books and catechisms, and the societies could, with profit to the rising generation, be excused from doing any more; but they keep the mill grinding, and why? Because they must make money to sustain their expenses. All they make, it is said, goes to meet expenses; and hence if they sell ten instead of fifty thousand dollars worth of books in a year at one-third profit, it will make quite a difference with those who take the profits, and hence this flooding the church and country with juvenile books and those in a costly and saleable style. I know no other rational view of the case, if it is true that these societies do not lay up money and turn it into capital, and it seems to be admitted that they do not. The Methodist book concernn<nowiki>*</nowiki> has a sinking fund for the benefit of the ministry, and it is fast making it a business church, and its ministers book peddlers. The Presbyterian Board<nowiki>**</nowiki> has, or is about, I am told, to adopt the same plan.
5th. I say that twice as many religious books are published in the country as ought to be, whether we regard the interests of publishers or the interests of religion. No sooner is a good book issued than it is lost sight of indie clater about another, and thus the best books are displaced and little read. As mattering knowledge of each is even more than can be looked for in such a state of things; and these Societies are responsible for this redundancy. The two S. S. Unions publish twice as many books as can be useful. The multiplication of children’s books is the distinguishing folly of the age. It is an injury to the children in the first place, and in the second, it is an abominable waste of sacred funds. But these Societies must do and report a great business; and to please the children and make sales, they must embellish their works with gilt and pictures. Such a variety in their issues is a nuisance, and I believe is doing the children of the country more harm than good. I was once a child ,and I got up to manhood without these helps, and I do not know that it took me longer than it does children now-a-days; but this I know that the reading of such books is all going to make nobody wise. One seed of knowledge planted in the heart, one principle of truth mastered in the mind, is worth more as basis of moral and intellectual growth, than all these societies can do by all their fictions, and stories, and illustrations, a thousand fold more multiplied. A few first books and catechisms, and the societies could, with profit to the rising generation, be excused from doing any more; but they keep the mill grinding, and why? Because they must make money to sustain their expenses. All they make, it is said, goes to meet expenses; and hence if they sell ten instead of fifty thousand dollars worth of books in a year at one-third profit, it will make quite a difference with those who take the profits, and hence this flooding the church and country with juvenile books and those in a costly and saleable style. I know no other rational view of the case, if it is true that these societies do not lay up money and turn it into capital, and it seems to be admitted that they do not. The Methodist book concernn<nowiki>*</nowiki> has a sinking fund for the benefit of the ministry, and it is fast making it a business church, and its ministers book peddlers. The Presbyterian Board<nowiki>**</nowiki> has, or is about, I am told, to adopt the same plan.
<blockquote><nowiki>*</nowiki> This concern is publishing a new hymn book which it is estimated will be a loss to that community of 200,000. No reason for this can be seen except that private enterprise by publishing in other sections of that body, is taking this business, measurably, out of the control of the concern, and hence this business church and its peddling ministry, must strike a blow which costs a half a million, in order to take all into their hands.</blockquote>
<blockquote><nowiki>*</nowiki> This concern is publishing a new hymn book which it is estimated will be a loss to that community of 200,000. No reason for this can be seen except that private enterprise by publishing in other sections of that body, is taking this business, measurably, out of the control of the concern, and hence this business church and its peddling ministry, must strike a blow which costs a half a million, in order to take all into their hands.</blockquote>
</blockquote><nowiki>**</nowiki>This Board has hit upon a pretty device to catch custom, in publishing a catalogue of its books, in which it proposes to give fifteen dollars worth of books or nearly at this rate, for every ten dollars worth purchased at a time. None but managers of charity could have thought of such a device, or had the effrontery to put it in execution. Suppose a neighbor had purchased a thousand dollars worth of these books with a view to sell again, and found, that by the action of this measure, he could only sell them at cost, and his time and expense be lost into the bargain. Could he think it an honest institution? Could any bookseller be thought decent in following this example? It would not be honest; it would be a breach of the faith on which all business transactions rest. It would wrong and undo men who depend on retailing their purchases. And yet this is the way these societies and their managers treat booksellers. They take their business out of their hands, cheapen their investments, and are utterly soulless and heartless about it. They do this in the name, and for the cause of religion, when there is not one of them who can say, it is doing to others as they would have others do to them. Where have they learned that they may do collectively what they should not do singly? When have these men reflected on what they are doing, or reflecting on it, found it was consistent with the easiest principles of our Saviour’s teaching? If I had not to deal with religious men, I should not expect to reform them or check them in any profitable or favorite career, but a wrong, an inconsideration like this, shall not go unexposed for want of my asserting it.</blockquote>
</blockquote>
<blockquote><nowiki>**</nowiki>This Board has hit upon a pretty device to catch custom, in publishing a catalogue of its books, in which it proposes to give fifteen dollars worth of books or nearly at this rate, for every ten dollars worth purchased at a time. None but managers of charity could have thought of such a device, or had the effrontery to put it in execution. Suppose a neighbor had purchased a thousand dollars worth of these books with a view to sell again, and found, that by the action of this measure, he could only sell them at cost, and his time and expense be lost into the bargain. Could he think it an honest institution? Could any bookseller be thought decent in following this example? It would not be honest; it would be a breach of the faith on which all business transactions rest. It would wrong and undo men who depend on retailing their purchases. And yet this is the way these societies and their managers treat booksellers. They take their business out of their hands, cheapen their investments, and are utterly soulless and heartless about it. They do this in the name, and for the cause of religion, when there is not one of them who can say, it is doing to others as they would have others do to them. Where have they learned that they may do collectively what they should not do singly? When have these men reflected on what they are doing, or reflecting on it, found it was consistent with the easiest principles of our Saviour’s teaching? If I had not to deal with religious men, I should not expect to reform them or check them in any profitable or favorite career, but a wrong, an inconsideration like this, shall not go unexposed for want of my asserting it.</blockquote>


Can it be possible that the wise fathers of that church are willing to hold out such a bait to its rising ministry? Instead of teaching them to rely for support on Christian liberality and the favour of Providence, it tempts them to become supporters of an Institution in which they have a selfish interest by becoming shareholders in its profits. It is a shocking perversion of the office and end of the Christian ministry, and the evil effects of it must sooner or later appear. I am willing that my character for wisdom should sink with the failure of this prediction. The wisdom of God’s designs will appear at last, however they may be obscured and flooded over with contrivances of our own. There is more sagacity in faith than in our invention, for well-doing. And if we acted on this truth as a Church, and let publishing and business alone, our wisdom would appear. The ministry would be relieved from many temptations. Their time and sensibility could be more exclusively given to their work, and grateful and improved hearers would quickly attest the change. I am now prepared to offer the opinion that, if the Presbyterian and the Baptist Boards, the Methodist Book Concern, the Episcopal Sunday School Union, the Evangelical Knowledge Society, the American Tract Society,<nowiki>*</nowiki> the American Sunday School Union, the American Bible Society, were all blotted out of existence, and their stereotype plates sunk to the bottom of the sea, the cause of religion and the best welfare of society would not seriously suffer by it. The church’s millions of charity would be saved, and she restored to her scriptural vocation. Books of all descriptions would be as cheap and as plenty as they are now. Industry would be thriving in this branch of trade, and its capital would be vieing to suit the public taste in the style and cheapness of religious books. Sectarianism, stiffened in its back by the moral effect of these associations, so that it will sooner break than bend, would begin to melt away, and religion everywhere be more liberal. It would not appear before the world as if it had been run in some physical mould and was not accountable for its shape, but there would be a sky-openness about it, a largeness of view, in which it would approximate, as it does not now, to the stature of a perfect manhood in Christ Jesus. I now ask the religious public to withhold all their charities from these publishing institutions;<nowiki>**</nowiki> to force them to live by the economical management of their business, as other men do, or fail. This is the only course that can be just to men engaged in the same line of business. You have given them funds to begin with; that was more than your duty: let them now live by their own strength, and you will soon see if they make books cheaper, and learn what you pay for their service. You will earn that the only voice that calls on you for charity is tuned by the profits made in your employ.
Can it be possible that the wise fathers of that church are willing to hold out such a bait to its rising ministry? Instead of teaching them to rely for support on Christian liberality and the favour of Providence, it tempts them to become supporters of an Institution in which they have a selfish interest by becoming shareholders in its profits. It is a shocking perversion of the office and end of the Christian ministry, and the evil effects of it must sooner or later appear. I am willing that my character for wisdom should sink with the failure of this prediction. The wisdom of God’s designs will appear at last, however they may be obscured and flooded over with contrivances of our own. There is more sagacity in faith than in our invention, for well-doing. And if we acted on this truth as a Church, and let publishing and business alone, our wisdom would appear. The ministry would be relieved from many temptations. Their time and sensibility could be more exclusively given to their work, and grateful and improved hearers would quickly attest the change. I am now prepared to offer the opinion that, if the Presbyterian and the Baptist Boards, the Methodist Book Concern, the Episcopal Sunday School Union, the Evangelical Knowledge Society, the American Tract Society,<nowiki>*</nowiki> the American Sunday School Union, the American Bible Society, were all blotted out of existence, and their stereotype plates sunk to the bottom of the sea, the cause of religion and the best welfare of society would not seriously suffer by it. The church’s millions of charity would be saved, and she restored to her scriptural vocation. Books of all descriptions would be as cheap and as plenty as they are now. Industry would be thriving in this branch of trade, and its capital would be vieing to suit the public taste in the style and cheapness of religious books. Sectarianism, stiffened in its back by the moral effect of these associations, so that it will sooner break than bend, would begin to melt away, and religion everywhere be more liberal. It would not appear before the world as if it had been run in some physical mould and was not accountable for its shape, but there would be a sky-openness about it, a largeness of view, in which it would approximate, as it does not now, to the stature of a perfect manhood in Christ Jesus. I now ask the religious public to withhold all their charities from these publishing institutions;<nowiki>**</nowiki> to force them to live by the economical management of their business, as other men do, or fail. This is the only course that can be just to men engaged in the same line of business. You have given them funds to begin with; that was more than your duty: let them now live by their own strength, and you will soon see if they make books cheaper, and learn what you pay for their service. You will earn that the only voice that calls on you for charity is tuned by the profits made in your employ.
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