Confederate Christians are ramping up production of Bibles and tracts for soldiers. In order to expedite the process, Protestant denominations are working together. A recent report from the Board of Colportage of the Baptist State Convention of South Carolina commends this ecumenical effort:
We appeal to every christian man, we circulate no Tract or Book which any christian man would object to, whether he be Presbyterian, Methodist, Episcopalian, Lutheran or Baptist. We therefore appeal to all christians throughout the city and country to aid in this common work. We pledge ourselves to meet the spiritual wants of our soldiers to the full extent of the means placed at our command.
Some North Carolina Baptists, however, are not pleased that Baptists are joining hands with other denominations, as noted by an editorial in this week’s Biblical Recorder:
We have not time or space to discuss the [South Carolina] proposition at length. We refer to it now, because we regret to see Baptists pledging themselves to ignore a part of the teachings of God’s Word.
We shall hereafter refer to this subject again, in connection with the general workings of the system of Army Colportage as conducted by the Baptists of several of the Southern States. The work is one of vast importance, and we hope it will go on, but we wish to see the Baptists maintain an independent position in carrying out their part of it.
Source: “Army Colportage–A Caution,” Biblical Recorder, February 19, 1862 (link)
