Every individual who determines to enter into our community, brings all his property into it, after having settled all his business in the world. This property, according to our principles will be taken in possession by the community; and if it is not money but other property, it will be valued according to a very moderate price, and its value and the amount of money if he brings any, will be put into the ledger of the community, and a receipt will be given to him or her under the provisions mentioned as follows: In the possible but not probable case, that he or she should return to the former fashion, the value of the property would be returned, although not directly, but when the community would find easy to do so. In the mean time they would exchange the receipt which he or she received at the delivery of their property, with a note containing the amount of money and the time when the community promise to pay according to the value or course of money at the time received and at the time in which it would be paid to him. For instance, if a dollar received would have at the time in which it would be paid, only the value of ten cents, ten cents would be paid to him or her instead of a dollar, without any interest; because the step should be made after earnest reflection and determination, and with this provision we must deter hypocrites from joining our Peace-Union; but to those who would be feeble, all possible assistance would be given to strenghten them in the work which they would commence. In the true community when it will flourish, everybody will enjoy as much of its riches as is required for his bodily strength and for such an intellectual and moral improvement as to enrich as much his spirit as his faculties will be prepared to receive, that after his departure he or she enters into a happy abode of our Peace Union.
I and other pioneers, who are preparing for the happy state which the Peace-Union community when flourishing will enjoy, must suffer many privations. But the spiritual treasures which during our great struggle with the opposition we acquire, we carry with us at our departure, and where our community will flourish, we will rejoice with them who will partake of the fruits of our labor, so that I will not be less happy than the happiest who will be born in our Peace-Union thousands of years after my departure. With this consolation every reader should follow my example and act with us for the introduction of the New Era.
After these hints some rules must be mentioned regarding the economy and management of affairs for the introduction and maintenance of the Peace-Union to realize what in Christ's peaceable reign on earth is expected.
As soon as circumstances will admit, a printing-office will be established on the place on which we commence our provisional Peace-Union centre, and a Periodical based on and directed by the principle of free discussion will be published, as the nature of the case, reason and arguments for the restoration of human rights demand. And previous steps, made before we are enabled to publish the Periodical, are subject to be criticized in the Periodical, and we undertake such enterprises or actions as we are ready to support before the tribunal of truth and righteousness.
This rule contains all that a sensible man or woman using his or her intellectual and moral faculties may demand. If we had used our whole book to develop our plan, we would not have finished our work, if the volume had been much larger than it is. But the points belonging to our plan, must be gradually developed in our Periodical, and those who comprehend this book and our mission, superabundance of credentials of which are contained here, will not tarry for a moment to co-operate with all their strength with us, and to draw their mortal and their departed friends into our Peace-Union.
Members of the Peace-Union agree to support whatever may be shown by free discussion through our Periodical to be suitable, practicable and necessary to promote the common welfare of the Peace-Union, which is the welfare of mankind. Those who would refuse to support it, had to show the contrary in the same Periodical, that it might be discussed, otherwise they would be disturbers, and if they could be by no means corrected, they would deserve to be excluded, and the Peace-Union, after having exhausted the means to bring them to the right order, would be compelled to declare them to be separated, and to give them the note or the certificate of their claim according to the rule above, and they return the receipt which they have obtained when they have brought their property into the Peace-Union.
We illustrate the point with an example. I have given, for instance, some hints regarding the two departments of males separately and females separately, notwithstanding the true matrimony of one husband with one wife. When there is the right time for them to procreate a child, they will have a convenient place for the performance of the most responsible duty. This my hint, when sufficiently explained, will satisfy every friend of progression into truth, righteousness and happiness, and will give to the human affairs quite a new turn, and deliver both sexes from temptations, in which until now the whole human race succumbed and descended much under the degree of the nobler classes of brutes, and parents depraved and ruined themselves and children. From all the strange and unexpected things disclosed in this book readers may expect that I have also regarding the true matrimony and the restitution of mankind in such a condition in which they will be truly happy, a glorious message and such truths which when sufficiently explained, will satisfy all lovers of progression into the true happiness. But there may join with our Peace-Union some self-conceited person who would not give up what would be shown by us as necessary to be removed for the restoration of mankind to their true happiness, and what he would not be able to refute, and notwithstanding this he would remain in his bad habit. In this case he would compel us to remove him. At his removal he receives the note or certificate, while he returns the receipt which he had obtained for what he had put into the Peace-Union, as is explained above. But we have to add here, that if those who would be separated, had damaged the whole Peace-Union or some individual, the damage is to be deducted from their claim. And it is to be repeated, that nobody who joins with the Peace-Union, has any claim to any pay or reward for the labor performed in the Peace-Union, into which all men and women are invited to come and to remain in it in this mortal body and in all eternity, and to partake for him or her and their families of all riches, spiritual and physical in exchange for what they furnish. But what they brought in at their joining, is returned to them, with deduction of the damages, if they have caused any at their turn into enemies of the Peace-Union, or which originated by their fault, although it could not be proved, that they had a malicious intention in causing damages. This point is here to be remarked, that children before they acquire the legal age, if by whatever means they would be withdrawn from the Peace-Union, while their parents are living there or did not depart, should not receive the portion of the property brought for them into the Peace-Union, till they arrive at the legal age in which they have the right according to the laws of the country to depart from their parents; because the Peace-Union have the parental duties towards children who are received with their parents into the Peace-Union. Also this is to be mentioned, that no others except who come with their parents or with their children into the Peace-Union, have any claim to the property which they bring into it. They settle their business with all others, when they join with the Peace-Union, and in the same time they make their will, how much they themselves if they would leave the Peace-Union and some of their children would remain in it, and how much each of the children when in full legal age, would receive, if he or she would leave the Peace-Union.
We thought proper to concede so much to the feebleness of those who are desirous to join with the Peace Union, but imagine the possible case, that they might be turned out and lose their property. For them their property is secured, althought without interest, and their possible case is rather imagination, and they would become gradually so strong as to give good example to others. But we have mentioned a point which must terrify hypocrites to join to our Peace Union; because their hypocrisy would become in due time manifest, and then they could not stand and would be turned out with demand to repair damages. Therefore they should remain in Babylon till they have a sincere desire to join with us for their true conversion to our principles and corresponding acting with us. When they are determined to act for this purpose they should not be afraid to join the Peace Union on account of the possibility of being separated; because no person will be separated except such as deserves in consequence of immoral acts or gross omissions of what is absolutely necessary for obtaining the object of our association, after having been sufficiently instructed and exhorted that their toleration would ruin the Peace Union. A separate person, if he or she would think there was not sufficient cause for separation, will be permitted to publish in our Periodical the reason or reasons of his or her complaint. By doing so, however, he gives occasion for members of the Peace Union to publish their remarks on his reasons, that truth might be made manifest; because the object of the Peace Union is the restoration of human rights, and therefore her members engage and promise to correct any mistake, when it is shown and it is proven.
The nature and object of the Peace Union is, that science or knowledge in every department and every branch of enterprise directs and governs the work. Therefore the man or woman who is found to be most skilful in any art, business or work, is to be elected as foreman, and continues to act as such, till some one more skilful is found. And then to him the place is to be given, however, not before it is shown, that by exchanging the place sufficient advantage will accrue to the community. The member who thinks he is able to show this, may assemble members belonging to the branch of that business, or if the case is a general case, members in general, the body of females having their votes as well as the body of males in general affairs; in particular branches the body decide who belong to that branch. Whoever calls members together, shows them the case, and if the majority find his reasons to be sufficient, the person proposed obtains the office. But before votes are taken, those who are assembled, must also hear the objections. But if there is any member who thinks, that the decision was not made according to justice, he may announce the matter to the assembled, showing them their mistake and his duty that if they will not correct their mistake, he will make known the reasons of his complaint against the decision in the Periodical of the Peace Union. And the assembled, if they see that he is right, are bound to receive thankfully that which is right, but if they see that he is wrong, they are bound to show him this. But if he, notwithstanding this, publishes his reasons, those who do not agree with him, are bound to show in their replies that he will riot act according to sound reasons, but is disposed to make disturbance, deserving to be expelled. In this case if he continues to be obstinate against evidence, he should be expelled peaceably.
In the first place we need a centre. And according to the pattern of the centre as many settlements on other places will be established as will be needed to accommodate all who will find best to move from their present situation to a settlement of our Peace Union. But everywhere persons of our principles will be needed to instruct and strengthen the neighbours. The hints given here will be so modified to their situation as their circumstances will require.