p. 76 | Gratuities and Wills by James White

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Aug 20, 1872

Gratuities and Wills.

By James White

The General Conference Address on gratuities and wills, which appeared in the REVIEW AND HERALD for Feb. 6, 1872, is from the highest earthly authority with our people, and is a candid and able statement of the principles of the subject. The address should be re-read, in the fear of God, by those who do not feel the importance of the principles therein set forth, with an earnest desire to learn duty, and a resolute will to perform.

But that which should be especially impressed upon the minds of the working men and women in the ranks of Seventh-day Adventists, is the consistency, and the real need, of acting the part of faithful stewards while they live, and while the cause of God can be benefited by the means in their hands. We are doubtless fast reaching the point of time when friends, many of them wealthy and liberal, shall be so numerous, and when there shall be so lively an interest throughout the ranks, that the treasuries of our different institutions and societies will overflow with means. In all probability, at the very close of our message to the world, hundreds of thousands of dollars will be urged upon the treasuries, for which there will be no room. This evidently will be the case, if we be allowed to reason from the past relative to the rise and progress of the work thus far.

Twenty years ago, the friends of the cause were very few, and most of these were poor. To start the work then, under such circumstances, demanded great exertion and sacrifice. A few noble men felt called upon to sell their only earthly homes, and use a considerable portion of their value to advance the infant cause. Among these we might mention the names of Hastings of New Hampshire, Edson of New York, and Smith, Lyon, and Kellogg, of Michigan. Others sacrificed, and donated to the cause liberally. Then, one dollar was worth as much to the cause, and told as much on the final result of its advancement and growth, and will tell as much in the reward in Heaven, as ten dollars put into the treasury ten years later, at the time the Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association was incorporated. All sensible men and women, who have real faith in the cause they profess, will approve the liberal course of those who sacrificed so much for the cause twenty years ago. In fact, it was absolutely necessary that somebody should do as these men did, or the cause could not have started by those instrumentalities, such as God has ever seen fit to employ. God showed himself able to set a table for the Israelites in the wilderness, and he may do the same for his people under like circumstances, but it has ever been his plan to draw upon the means in the hands of his servants when it was needed to advance his cause.

And God has had an especial care for those who sacrificed liberally at an early period in the history of the cause. Most of them have much more of this world's goods than they had before they sacrificed to the cause. Some of them have fourfold, and some tenfold, more. But the reward that awaits them in Heaven is above all computation.

Others in our feeble ranks, twenty years since, might have done as these trusting ones did, and could have received the same reward in this, and in the world to come, who drew back, and most of them are not with us. Had they “come up to the help of the Lord, to the help of the Lord against the mighty,” and used a portion of their means when it was so much needed, much more could have been done during the past twenty years to spread the truth, the influence of which would have increased in far greater proportion than compound interest, adding to their joy here as they see the cause advance, and increasing their reward in Heaven. But the golden opportunity is forever past. We do not say that God will not accept of their offerings, even now, if they repent of past neglect; but we do say that hundreds of dollars from their abundance now, cannot, from the very nature of the case, tell more on the cause on earth, and the reward in Heaven, than single dollars would have told had they been put into the scanty treasury twenty years since.

We come down to the time when our Publishing Association was formed, in 1861. Then, friends were comparatively few, yet fifteen thousand dollars were raised for the Office building, printing material, and stock, besides sustaining the cause in other departments. One hundred dollars appropriated to the cause, then, would tell as much upon the cause, in its final results, as one thousand dollars did ten years later, in 1871. Those who, from lack of faith in our message, or from covetousness, withheld means from the cause ten years since, let the golden opportunity pass, never to return. God may accept their free-will offerings even now; but ten dollars will not tell more in the cause in 1872, than one dollar, ten years since.

And in this proportion will the free-will offerings of God's people decrease in real value, until there shall be no room for them in the treasury, and they will be disposed of by those who withheld them until that time when, as expressed by the prophet, “They shall cast their silver in the streets, and their gold shall be removed. [Margin, for a separation, or uncleanness.] Their silver and their gold shall not be able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of the Lord.” Eze. 7:19. That will be a fearful day for those who have let the cause of God languish for want of the very means they might have given without experiencing the least want; but which they covetously withheld.

In view of the foregoing facts, we appeal to the friends of the Lord and his cause to do their duty, and to do present duty now. Whether you make your will, or do not make a will, in either case it is your duty to open your hands wide to the wants of the cause now, when your means can accomplish good. Hundreds of our people, who have had an indistinct idea that at some future time the words of Christ, “Sell that ye have, and give alms,” would be obeyed by all believers, have withheld from the treasury needed means, which they have used in making improvements, that their property might bring more money in the “selling time,” as it has been termed. This has been simply a delusion of the devil imposed upon them, in harmony with their feelings of covetousness. The “selling time,” so far as the extreme wants of the cause are concerned, and the great reward to be gained by so doing, is evidently in the past.

That those who profess the truth will sell, and many sell rashly, and for small considerations, and that the rapid increase and wide extension of the work will call for much means, we doubt not. But no one who will candidly consider the foregoing will fail to see that it is simply preposterous to neglect present duty in view of some future selling and giving time, when the cause cannot be advanced by their hoarded means. Then he who professes to believe that the last message of mercy is being given, and has a double, or triple competency, or even more, and withholds his hand from the cause, while he exerts himself to obtain still more for the fires of the last day, is simply insane. He is blinded by Satan, and is going directly from, and not in the way to, eternal life. And what makes the case appear most painful is the fact that blindness and stupor, resulting from neglect of present duty, come over these so that in all probability they will be aroused to the terrible mistake they are making only when it will be too late to make acceptable offerings to the Lord.

We cannot see that it is necessary for our people to sell their only homes at the present time, as some did twenty years ago. Should those in our ranks, who have more than a liberal competency, bring their surplus means to the treasury, a fiftieth part of it could not be used. Or, should all our people put into the treasury a tithe of their yearly increase there would be abundance. Instead of a tenth of their increase, the Seventh-day Adventists do not put into the treasury more than a fiftieth part of their annual increase. Let us see.

Probably the New England Conference comes up to the plan adopted by our people nearer than any other. That Conference averages on Systematic Benevolence alone, ten dollars to a member. See page 13, of the work entitled, “An Appeal to the Working Men and Women in the Ranks of S. D. Adventists,” advertised on the last page of this paper. And, probably, the Michigan Conference comes up to the figures as near as our other Conferences generally, and much better than some. Michigan has a membership of 1800, and pays only $6000 S. B., or three dollars to a member. Now suppose that the members of the New England Conference come up to the figures, and no more, and that the members of the Michigan Conference are worth as much as the members of the New England Conference, and no more, then the annual S. B. of the Michigan Conference should be the handsome sum of $18,000. But from actual knowledge of the facts in the case, to quite an extent, we are satisfied that the average wealth of the members of the Michigan Conference is at least one-half more than that of the New England Conference, so that, should Michigan come up to her own adopted figures, the S. B. of our State Conference would not be less than $27,000. If the foregoing is fairly stated, we have the humiliating fact that our Conference, whose S. B. is only about $6000 annually, comes up not one-fourth to her own adopted plan.

But let us look still more faithfully into this important subject. A tithe of our increase is a tenth part of the annual increase of our entire property. This is not reached by the man who puts down his property at $10,000, and pays only $100 during the year that his property increases to $12,000. His actual increase was $2000. A tithe of this increase is $200. He paid $100 only, and robbed the Lord of just $100. “Will a man rob God?” “Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of Heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.” Mal. 3:8-10.

We cannot expect the blessing of God upon our people, and that the cause of his down-trodden truth in our hands will prosper gloriously until we obey his voice in reference to tithes and offerings. And right here is one of the most important departments of the work of the officers of our Tract and Missionary Societies. It becomes their duty, according to the constitution, see page 15 of “Appeal,” “to bring about, as far as possible, equality among our people in the payment of Systematic Benevolence, in accordance with the plan adopted.” We solemnly believe that the S. B. of the Seventh-day Adventists scattered throughout the United States is not one-fiftieth of the actual annual increase of their property, or, on the whole, one-fifth of what it should be. Here is work to be done. To bring our people up to their own adopted figures will require patience, brotherly kindness, love, and energy. The power of moral suasion is the only earthly force that can be employed in harmony with the cause, Systematic Benevolence. But men who have not the moral courage, and the faithfulness to investigate, and leave no proper means untried to bring all our people up to the figures, are not worthy of offices in our Tract and Missionary Societies, or to go about from church to church as teachers of the people. There are but two departments of work for our ministers. One is to enter new fields and call out disciples. The other is to labor with our churches, to bring them up to correct positions, Systematic Benevolence not excepted. Those ministers who cannot do either, have no just claims on the treasury, and should turn to some other calling. We suggest that the duty of God's people relative to securing to the cause what God requires of them in point of means at this time may be summed up in the following order:

1. That they all come up to the figures on Systematic Benevolence adopted by our people. Let every man and woman assess his or her property at the figures they would ask for it in case they wished to sell. Then, acting upon the adopted plan, that the increase of property is equal to ten per cent interest, a tithe of our increase would be one per cent annually on all our property. Hence the man whose property is worth only one thousand dollars pays annually only the small sum of ten dollars, or about twenty cents each week, while the man who has ten thousand pays one hundred dollars annually, or about two dollars each week. And while the aged, and infirm, and widows, who are in limited circumstances, may be excused from coming up to the adopted plan, if they choose, the deficiency on their account should be made up tenfold by those young members of our churches whose wealth still remains in their strength to labor, and their ability to accumulate.

2. That those who know that their actual increase is more than one per cent annually on their property, pay into the treasury cheerfully a tithe of all their increase, whatever it may be. With many it would be from two to five or more per cent of all they possessed at the end of the year.

3. That those who have robbed God in tithes and in offerings in past time immediately bring to the treasury their trespass offerings. The amount is stated in Lev. 5:15, 16.

4. That those who have received at the hand of the Lord great spiritual blessings on themselves, or on their families; or have been especially blest in the good things of this life, bring unto the Lord thank-offerings liberally, in the spirit of rejoicing and gladness of heart.

5. That all those who have more than a competency, whether they make a will or not, use their surplus means liberally, as the rapidly increasing cause, with its corresponding wants, demands. He who withholds his surplus means from the cause, and puts it into his will for the benefit of the cause by-and-by, after his decease, when perhaps it will not be worth to the cause of God a tithe what it is in 1872, and then to be handled by an administrator whom he would now hardly trust to transact business for him to the amount of twenty-five dollars, is, to say the least, making a great mistake. Why not appropriate your surplus means now, when it will tell the most for the cause of God, and while you live, and can see to its appropriation yourself? Why not! Oh, why not!

A brother in Oakland Co., Michigan, known to us only by name and the sensible manner (though not in all respects the most legal form) in which he is discharging his stewardship, sent to the REVIEW AND HERALD Office for a form of a will. He was informed that the specifications of wills were so various that, probably, no form had ever been printed, and that we could not fill his order. In a short time, however, a hundred dollars was received from the good brother, with the statement that it was a part of the amount he had willed to the Publishing Association. And in a short time he forwarded one hundred dollars more with the same statement. Sensible! He could not wait till he should be dead before the means in his hands designed for the advancement of the cause should be appropriated, and doing good. Certainly not; for now it is most needed, and will do the most good. And who could so well appropriate it as himself? Adopting the judicious maxim of Dr. Franklin, that “if you wish to have a thing half done, employ a hand; but if you would have it done, then do it yourself,” this brother was the very man to appropriate his surplus means while he was alive, and could attend to it himself.

6. That there are persons who should make their will, and thus secure to the cause of God that portion of their property they wish to be thus appropriated. These are of the following classes: (1) The wealthy who have more property in their hands than they wish to leave to children, or to more distant relatives. They should immediately decide upon a division of their property, as they would like to have it divided in case of their decease, then make their will legally, and then appropriate to the cause of their surplus means as the wants of the cause demand. If necessary, at any time, they can make another will, disannulling all former ones. A case comes to mind where a devoted sister lost her infidel husband, he leaving one hundred thousand dollars at least. Soon the sister died, leaving this amount of property to two or three inexperienced children. The influence of this amount of property upon those children could scarcely fail to ruin them, both for this life, and the life to come. We have no doubt but if the real wishes of this godly mother had been carried out, at least twenty-five thousand dollars of this property would now be in the treasury of the Lord. She should have made her will immediately on the death of her husband. She delayed a little too long, and her portion of that large estate fell to her children, whose portion was already too large for their safety. (2) Persons who have but a few thousand dollars, and have no children, and no near relatives they wish to share their property. These may be aged, or infirm, very liable to die suddenly. These should make their will. While they live, they should reserve enough to warrant them a support. When they die, their property can be used as they had designed.

It will be seen by referring to pages 73 and 92 of the “Appeal,” that the amount of legacies for the benefit of our institutions is very small.

At least three-fourths have been lost by imperfect wills, and considerable by unfaithfulness of administrators. If all those who have died in the faith the past ten years had made their wills, and had made them strictly legal, disposing of their property in the fear of God, in accordance with their own free choice, the legacies represented in this book would be twenty-fold what they now are.

Judging from those wills already administered, which secured legacies to our institutions, not one in ten of the wills, now on deposit by their living framers, excepting those drawn under competent legal advice, would stand the close test of law. We close by saying to all those persons who feel that in case of sudden decease their will should be made, be sure that it is not only made in season, and to your mind, but in strict conformity to the law of the State, kingdom, or province, where you reside. And to all, whether you do, or do not, make a will, we would say, the living, interesting, important present, demands your serious and prayerful consideration relative to the immediate appropriation of a liberal portion of your surplus means. While it may be the will of God that the very poor should cast the two mites into the treasury to test their love, and that all should take some part in the work of cheerful sacrifice to the Lord, it seems most in harmony with reason and the word of God that those who have a double or triple competency should at once commence to liberally cast into the treasury of their surplus means.

JAMES WHITE. Colorado Ter., Aug. 7, 1872.