ought to be acquired, used and disposed of in strict accordance with the dictates of justice and charity. Therefore the members of this Republic shall consider themselves stewards in trust, under God, of all property coming into their possession, and, as such, imperatively bound not to consume it in the gratification of their own inordinate lusts, nor to hoard it up as a mere treasure, nor to employ it to the injury of any human being, nor to withhold it from the relief of distressed fellow creatures, but always to use it as not abusing it, for strictly just, benevolent and commendable purposes.

Sec. 2. It shall not be deemed compatible with justice for the people of this Republic, in their pecuniary commerce with each other, to demand, in any case, as a compensation for their mere personal service, labor or attendance, a higher price per cent., per piece, per day, week, month or year, than the average paid to the first class of operatives in the Community, or general vicinity, where the service is rendered. Nor shall it be deemed compatible with justice for the members, in such commerce, to demand, as a price for anything sold or exchanged, more than the fair cost value thereof, as nearly as the same can be estimated, reckoning prime cost, labor or attention, incidental expenses, contingent waste, depreciation and average risks of sale; nor to demand for the mere use of capital, except as partners in the risk of its management, any clear interest or profit whatsoever exceeding four per cent. per

annum.

Sec. 3. It shall not be deemed compatible with the welfare and honor of this Republic, for the people thereof to owe debts outside of the same exceeding three-fourths of their available property, rated at a moderate valuation by disinterested persons; nor to give or receive long credits, except on real estate security; nor to manufacture, fabricate or sell shammy and unreliable productions; nor to make business engagements, or hold out expectations, which are of doubtful fulfillment.

Sec. 4. Whenever the population and resources of this Republic shall warrant the formation of the first Communal Nation, and the government thereof shall have been organized, a uniform system of Mutual Banking shall be established,

based mainly on real estate securities, which shall afford loans at the mere cost of operations. Also, a uniform system of Mutual Insurance, which shall reduce all kinds of insurance to the lowest terms. Also, a uniform system of reciprocal Commercial Exchange which shall preclude all needless interventions between producers and consumers, all extra risks of property, all extortionate speculations, all inequitable profits on exchange, and all demoralizing expedients of trade. Also, Regulations providing for the just encouragement of useful industry, and the practical equalization of all social advantages, so far as the same can be done without infracting individual rights. And all the members shall be considered under sacred moral obligations to coöperate adhesively and persistently in every righteous measure for the accomplishment of these objects.

ARTICLE XI. POLICY.

It shall be the fundamental, uniform and established policy of this Republic:

1. To govern, succor and protect its own people, to the utmost of its ability, in all matters and cases whatsoever, not involving anti-Christian conflict with the sword-sustained governments of the world under which its members live.

2. To avoid all unnecessary conflicts whatsoever with these governments, by conforming to all their laws and requirements which are not repugnant to the sovereignty of divine principles.

3. To abstain from all participation in the working of their political machinery, and to be connected as little as possible with their systems of governmental operation.

4. To protest, remonstrate and testify conscientiously against their sins on moral grounds alone; but never to plot schemes of revolutionary agitation, intrigue or violence against them, nor be implicated in countenancing the least resistance to their authority by injurious force.

5. If compelled in any case, by divine principles, to disobey their requirements, or passively to withstand their unrighteous exactions, and thus incur their penal vengeance, to act openly, and suffer with true moral heroism.

6. Never to ask their protection, even in favor of injured innocence, or threatened rights, when it can be interposed only by means which are condemned by divine principles.

7. To live in peace, so far as can innocently be done, with all mankind outside of this Republic, whether individuals, associations, corporations, sects, classes, parties, states or nations; also to accredit and encourage whatever is truly good in all; yet to fellowship iniquity in none, be enslaved by none, be amalgamated with none, be morally responsible for none, but ever be distinctly, unequivocally and uncompromisingly The Practical Christian Republic, until the complete regeneration of the world.

Whenever one-fourth of all the members of this Republic shall subscribe and publish a written proposition to alter, amend or revise this Constitution, such proposition, of whatsoever nature, shall be submitted to each Community for consideration. Returns shall then be made of all the votes cast in every Community, to the highest organized body of the Republic for the time being. And the concurrence of twothirds of all the votes shall determine the question or questions at issue. If the proposition shall have been a specific alteration or amendment of the Constitution, it shall thenceforth be established as such. If a Convention shall have been proposed to revise the Constitution, a Convention shall be summoned and held accordingly. But no alteration, amendment or revision of this Constitution shall take effect until sanctioned by two-thirds of all the members present and acting thereon in their respective Communities, at regular meetings duly notified for that purpose.

CONVERSATION II.

Inquirer expresses his admiration of the Constitution-Proposes questions, difficulties and objections which he has heard raised, to call out a full exposition of the Document-The title "Practical Christian Republic" explained and defended-Article I. defended against the objection that too much is proposed-too wide a grasp of objects attempted-Article II. taken up, "Principles"-Objections of a human governmentist, of an individual Sovereigntyite-Minor difficulties allowable as to explicatory ideas of fundamentals-Constitution open to amendment, progress a fundamental, secession a right-Creedo-phobia-Article III. taken up, "Rights"— Rights limited only by divine principles, broad scope of rights in this Republic-Property rights, the leveller's selfishness-Right to enjoy particular friendships.

Ing. I meet you again with pleasure. I have carefully examined the Constitution of your Practical Christian Republic. It has inspired me with profound admiration and interest. I feel incompetent to do justice to its merits, but trust I shall be able to converse on it understandingly, as an inquirer. I have shown it to numerous friends, most of whom have expressed a high opinion of the social scheme it unfolds. At the same time, many questions, objections and difficulties have been raised concerning it by these friends, the larger portion of which I have been able to solve to their satisfaction. I propose now to submit to you the substance of these questions, objections and difficulties, together with such as have arisen in my own mind. I do so to call out your own exposition of the Document, that I may be sure of its design, scope and bearings.

Ex. I will do the best I can to gratify you in these respects. Please proceed.

Ing. I will begin then at the beginning, with the name of your new Social Order, The Practical Christian Republic. Why have you chosen this name? and what is its true import?

Ex. We chose this name or title, because it seemed most

indicative and significant of the real nature of the thing designed. It is proposed to establish by voluntary association a new, grand and comprehensive body politic, such as has never heretofore existed on earth. It is not to be a mere church or ecclesiastical communion. Nor is it to be a mere civil government or political state. Nor yet a duplicate organization of church and state in mutual alliance. But it is to be a perfectly homogeneous organization, at once religious, social and civil in its inherent structural characteristics. It is intended to combine all the useful attributes of a true Christian church and a true civil state, to the utter exclusion of those malign forces which in past time have vitiated both church and state. It is to be preeminently a religious, social and civil Commonwealth, declaratively based on the essential divine principles taught and exemplified by Jesus Christ, and completely subordinate to the sovereignty of those principles. We call it a Republic, because its governmental functions are to be exercised for the common good of the people confederated in it through their chosen official servants. We call it a Christian Republic, because its acknowledged fundamental and sovereign principles are distinctively Christian. We call it a Practical Christian Republic, because it magnifies and insists on that personal, social and political righteousness which is absolutely practical, but treats as non-essential that mere external righteousness which consists in professions, forms, ceremonies and observances.

call it The Practical Christian Republic, because there is no other of the kind on earth. So much for the name. Could we have selected a better one?

Inq. Probably not. It is certainly very truthful, significant and appropriate. You have sufficiently justified the selection. I will proceed. Article I., entitled OBJECTS, is so lucid that I cannot ask you to make it more so by explanations and comments; especially as the prominent details involved in its seven grand particulars will come up for consideration further along. The principal objection I have heard made to this Article is, the gigantic magnitude of its propositions. Some have exclaimed, Here are objects vast as the habitable globe, which require ages for their attainment, and can hardly be