OUR POSITION AND WORK by James White

Seventh-day Adventist Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Aug 4, 1881

OUR POSITION AND WORK.

By James White

"Order is Heaven's first law." This saying has gained wide acceptance, because order is so essential in the estimation of all that all could see that Heaven would not be Heaven without it. It is but the complement to a declaration coming from Heaven itself: "God is not the author of confusion." But with this truth before their eyes, some of the professed "children of the light" are not as wise as the men of this world. We do not write to offer praise or blame to any, but a consideration of important truths may always be made profitable to those who have to deliberate and counsel for the work of God in the earth.

It has been a reason of great reproach to the cause of the advent doctrine that so much confusion and disorder have existed among believers in the advent near. But when we look at their circumstances we feel to pity rather than to blame. Coming out of the various churches where their testimony was rejected, and where they could not enjoy "the blessed hope" and enjoy church fellowship at the same time, they feared organization as evil and oppressive in its nature. And as most of them brought some of their denominational preferences with them, it was only by a compromise—often by dropping the strictness even of healthy discipline—that they were able to unite as a body. Also, leaving the wealthy churches with their costly houses of worship, too many of them the temples of fashion and of mammon, and being subjected to the necessity of meeting in private houses or in the groves, many lost their respect for good order and system. Some became restless and could not bear restraint. Freedom was scarcely distinguished from anarchy; their idea of Christian liberty was that of unrestrained individualism, where each was a law unto himself; where each could preach his own views without a question, however crude and fanatical they might be. And yet, however much they were worthy of pity, under their circumstances, those coming after them can scarcely escape blame for perpetuating this state of things.

Those who early embraced the third angel's message were mostly trained under these influences and subject to such feelings. But God, who ever has a care for the honor of his truth, soon moved the hearts of those whom he had called to lead in this work, to plead for order, and system, and organization. Reform in this respect was not easy to effect, for many good brethren had sincere scruples against every form of organization; some believers rejected it entirely, thinking that to organize a church or Conference, and to maintain discipline, was to endanger their salvation and subject themselves to the plagues of Babylon, according to Rev. 18. They chose to remain in confusion for fear of going into Babylon!

But truth triumphed and order was established. Churches were organized, and elders and deacons were chosen and ordained, and clerks elected. State Conferences were formed, composed of delegates from the churches; and a General Conference was formed of delegates from the State Conferences. Of the latter the President and two associates were constituted an Executive Committee, having the oversight of all below them, and especially of all mission fields and missionary work. And so well have these several organizations served their purposes that scarcely ever has a case of appeal gone up to a Conference.

System was also adopted in regard to raising funds to carry on the work, called by our people, "systematic benevolence," but properly systematic beneficence, and thus avoiding the fashionable but highly objectionable methods of church parties, fairs, and festivals. This has been turned into the channel of tithing, as taught in the Scriptures.

Now all this has received the unqualified condemnation of many Adventists who do not accept the third angel's message, known as "First-day Adventists;" and yet the more thoughtful among them have often expressed regret that they were not able to adopt the same methods and secure the same order and system in their work.

But we soon found that all this was not enough to secure the most efficiency in our work. A two-fold lack was encountered. Our preachers were very few, and most of them were undisciplined in regard to the best methods of presenting the truth. Therefore means must be devised to increase the force of laborers, and to increase the efficiency of our ministry. To meet these wants Tract and Missionary Societies were formed whereby to enlist the services of all our members, as far as possible, in the work of carrying forth the message. And a school was established, denominational in one sense, but not in its educational facilities, where our young people, and others, could obtain literary qualifications for the ministry, and also receive instruction in Biblical knowledge.

Both these instrumentalities have been eminently successful. By these means the light of present truth is spread a hundred-fold in extent beyond what it would now be without them. We believe that the organization of our Missionary Societies is as nearly complete as may be. Fears have been expressed, and with good reason, that some might lose sight of the spiritual part of the work by attention only to the organic or mechanical; but the same danger exists in regard to all religious observances. The power may be sacrificed to the form in prayer and praise; the minister may lose the spirit of the truth in studying the best method of presenting it. But that the power is sometimes sacrificed to the form is no good reason why the form should be rejected. That a minister sometimes loses the spirit in studying the best methods of presenting the word of God, is no reason why the best method should not be studied and adopted. Because individuals have made mistakes, we may not therefore reject the means and methods they have devised, for mistakes have been made in everything connected with the work of God. Mistakes have been made in both our publishing houses, but we shall not give up our publishing work on that account. It is not always a matter for blame that mistakes are made; the great fault is in repeating the same mistake when it is discovered and made manifest.

We deplore the existence of formalism; we also fear fanaticism. The former is indicated by the form without the power; the latter is an effort to manifest the power without the form—it is rejecting order and system, and following impressions, and moving by feelings or impulses. This invariably leads to anarchy and confusion.

There are always found some who choose to work in their own way rather than in that way adopted by the body and sanctioned by the authority of our General Conference. But invariably theirs has proved not to be the best way. If they give to the cause it is not "systematic," or by tithing, but according to their feelings; and their feelings being variable, their service is spasmodic, guided by by no certain standard, and therefore inefficient.

At a late missionary meeting in Oakland one point in this subject was considered quite thoroughly. One person reported work in the cause, but without regard to the rules adopted by the society; perhaps feeling more free to labor as the mind should lead for the time. But it was decided that this was not only not the best way, but a not a good way. For, if all followed this plan, or acted thus without a plan, the work would be poorly done, and it could not be known what is being done. Some parts of the city would be utterly neglected, while others might be visited so often or by so many that the people would think the workers intrusive, and thus a prejudice be created. The city is districted by the society and canvassers appointed for each district; and it was decided that all ought to act in concert and each who works have a certain work assigned to him. Work out of order may prove worse than no work at all.

We have had the same fact demonstrated to us in the work of the ministry. Our largest Conferences have found it advisable to district their territory, and to assign a certain minister to a certain district and to let him consider that his field. In it he is to see that churches are in working order, and that all branches of the work are kept in progress. This is according to the same idea of increasing the efficiency of the ministers by complete order and system. And how is it that all this can be carried out? It is that both our ministers and people acknowledge the authority of those whom they have thought worthy to fill the offices in their Conferences, and especially of the General Conference, which is acknowledged as the highest earthly authority amongst us. As long as this is the case we may hope to prosper; when this ceases to be the case, we cannot prosper, for "God is not the author of confusion," and no good cause will ever prosper in the midst of confusion, for the blessing of God cannot then attend it.

A writer in a First-day Adventist paper recently said: "There has been too much individualism, or a desire to be head, manifested by certain ones who have a very high appreciation of their own ability. . . A spirit of jealousy among the would-be leaders, which has created discord and confusion among the churches."

We do not copy this for the purpose of contrasting our position with theirs, but to "point a moral," and as a warning, that we may avoid the sands on which others have stranded.

In the Bible Banner of July 21, 1881, the editor comments upon the late Adventist "Ecumenical Council" held at Foreston, Ill., and points out, in well-timed remarks, the causes of failure among them, and said:—

"After 1843, the preachers of the Evangelical Advent class entered into an arrangement to study together for mutual improvement, and to-day, though few, they have a ministry who are a power in the world of intellectual and spiritual thought. So the S. D. Adventists have done, and they do not wait for the foreign nations to come here and preach what they believe to be the truth to them, as seemed to be the ambition at Foreston; they send their missionaries and tracts and papers at their homes in the other world across the ocean."

In the same paper we find a short article which we cannot refrain from publishing as an encouragement to our tract society workers, hoping that this "wise activity" may characterize them yet more and more:—

"A GOOD EXAMPLE OF WISE ACTIVITY.", "The Seventh-day Adventists are thoroughly organized for pushing their notions before the world. They have their tract and missionary society in every church, and are pledged to pay one-tenth of their income to scatter their publications and help their preachers to take the field. "Besides this, they individually send their papers to as many persons as they can. To get names they use the correspondence of other papers. Then when they have sent a paper they follow it with a postal card quietly and genteelly asking people to pass them around and ask for more. "The following is one of their cards sent to one of our subscribers: "'St. A— K—. Co., Ill., June 20, 1881. "'Dear Friend:—I send you by to-day's mail a copy of The Signs of the Times—a prophetic paper—thinking it might be of interest to you. Please read it carefully and let me know how you like it. I will send you more numbers to read, if you desire them. After reading them carefully, please hand to some friend to read. See Prov. 9:9. Very Respectfully, "'B. R. N—.' "Now these people's hearts are in their work—we do not sympathize with the peculiar prophetic views which they hold, nor with their claims to gifts and visions, or their devoted attachment to seventh day keeping. But we do admire their wise and energetic way of extending the knowledge of what they believe, and wish our association and subscribers could be aroused to emulate them."

Such work as this, carried on, not only in this country, but in every land where the English language is spoken, and in several other languages, could never be accomplished by so small a denomination without thorough organization—without a mutual interest and co-operation on the part of all the members of the body. The N. Y. Independent, among its notices of missionary work last winter, said that the S. D. Adventists have a better statistical knowledge of the work done in their missions than any other denomination. This is as it should be. A wise general will understand the condition of the work in the whole field; if he does not there will, as a matter of course, be weak, unprotected points, at the mercy of the enemy. We consider it a proof of the efficiency of our missionary organization that no part of the field within our ability to reach is neglected; or if a part is neglected that fact is easily known, so that the neglect may be remedied.

As we feel that the days of our active service in the field are past, we turn with increased interest and anxiety toward those upon whom the burden rests. Most of our life has been spent in the field of battle for the truth. In 1855, while on a visit to Michigan, we were requested by Brn. J. P. Kellogg, Cyrenius Smith, and D. R. Palmer to run the tent for the remainder of that season. Our answer was that if we could keep it in one place as long as we wished, we would do so. When asked how long that would be, our

reply was, Not less than four weeks. To this they could not consent, as the tent had never remained in one place longer than for a two-days' meeting. And when pointed to the fact that no appreciable fruit remained of the meetings so held, they were still unwilling, as the contemplated departure from all precedent was so great. But as circumstances would prevent the use of the tent if we did not take it, consent was finally given, and we pitched the tent in Parma, where it remained five weeks; and although the weather was very unfavorable, the meeting proved successful, and its influence is still felt upon the cause in the labors of those who then embraced the faith. It proved also to be the inauguration of a new system of tent labor. From that time forward for twenty years most of our summers were spent in tent labor, and it was not until 1878 that we decided never to hold another tent-meeting, but to leave that work to younger hands. We are aware of our infirmities, increasing with our age; we believe that the days of our efficiency as a preacher are in the past,—at least to labor as we were used to labor during the years of our ministry. Now we have no higher ambition than to stay up the hands and to strengthen the hearts of those who are striving to extend the knowledge of this precious truth. We can bring them good tidings, and encourage them with words of cheer. We entered upon the work when not only laborers, but friends, were few; and we have often proved the faithfulness of our God to support his people while engaged in his service. He has led in this work—he will lead in it to the end. And we shall rejoice in his glory as we now rejoice in his grace, if we hold fast that which we have that no man take our crown.