Mutual Obligation

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Oct 17, 1871

Mutual Obligation.

For a time, our articles upon the subject of mutual obligation have been suspended for want of time to prepare them. We now resume them again, in the hope that we may be able to give them regularly to the close.

Last week we mentioned the very liberal and commendable action of our State Conferences in becoming responsible for the payment of all dues on our publications. We stated that the plan upon which our publishing work is conducted, makes such action on the part of our people simply reciprocal, rather than disinterested benevolence. If our publishing was carried on by one man, or by a firm, who should realize profits from it, any action on the part of our Conferences to be responsible for the payment of our periodicals would be regarded as misplaced benevolence. But the entire property of the Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association belongs to our people, and not to one man, or any set of men. And those who labor at our publishing house, from the little girl who folds papers, to the editors, receive moderate wages.

The REVIEW, Reformer, and Instructor, are the property of our people, and we are their servants. Men and women who labor in our publishing house at the present time, do so with the spirit of sacrifice, for the truth’s sake, for the sake of perishing souls, and for Christ’s sake. And the noble action of the State Conferences moves these laborers to feelings of confidence, love, and profound respect.

Here we would state that God has greatly blessed and prospered the work in which we are engaged, during the past two years. When we returned from the western camp-meetings two years since, to commence our personal labors for our Publishing Association, the stock of publications was very low, there was not five hundred dollars’ worth of stock on hand, we had no deposits at the bank, and we were paying ten per cent interest on six thousand dollars.

By the blessing of God we have paid all interest-bearing notes, we have six thousand dollars’ worth of stock, we have added to our publications not less than nine thousand dollars’ worth, have cash on hand to pay all bills, and have the new Office building nearly ready for use, which, with the usual liberality of our people, will be paid for by New Years’. In short, the Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association has fully recovered from the results of bad management during our absence from it on account of sickness, and never was as prosperous as at the present time.

Twelve years since we commenced appealing to our people to legally organize a Publishing Association, and take stock in it, so as to create capital sufficient to conduct our increasing publishing work to the best advantage. We then stated that could we all unite in such a work, there would be a business saving of considerable amount, which could be donated in our valuable publications to distribute in new fields. That statement has proved true. We are now happy to report that the Association could donate one hundred dollars’ worth of its publications each week, with its present industry and economy, and not feel the least crippled in its work. Thank God that we have lived to see the time when we can make so cheering a report of the strength and efficiency of our Publishing Association. Let all the friends of this Association join in offering grateful thanks to God for the victories with which he has already crowned the efforts of his people in this branch of the great work. At the opening of our new building we shall hold dedicatory services, and shall probably invite all our friends to join us in our offerings of devout thanksgiving to God, at their respective places of worship, who has so signally blessed and prospered our publishing interests.

Thank Heaven that the people who “keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ,” [“The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy”] are a united people. Their union is their strength. And to no one thing are they so much indebted for their existing happy state of unity, as to the gift of prophecy. This gift manifested among them has done them no harm. It has done them good, and only good. “By their fruits ye shall know them.” JESUS.

This matter of the gift of prophecy has existed in the progress of the cause of present truth from the very commencement. It is of so long standing, and is so fully known, and so well understood, that the sneers of the enemies of the cause have ceased to have influence. They simply evince the weakness of the positions of our opponents. The people see that sneers and foul misrepresentations are used to supply the want of Bible argument. So that stale slanders and sneering untruths, uttered for the ninety-and-ninth time, especially in those communities where Mrs. W. may address the assembled thousands at our camp-meetings, or where her works are read, become disgusting to candid people.

Brethren and sisters, the battle goes well. It is ours to stand fast in the cause of unpopular truth, however cross-bearing it may be. The man or woman who will be turned from Bible truth, sustained by the best evidences in Christian experience, by a sneer, is not worthy of a place with the people of God. In all the history of God’s providential dealings with his people in all past time, he has used the simplest means, and we may expect that in the closing work of God’s great salvation, he will use means so simple, and so far removed from what unsanctified wisdom would devise, as to try the pride of his people to the very core.

Our people are well organized. Our Church organization, State Conferences, General Conference, Systematic Benevolence, and Publishing organizations can hardly be improved. To say the least, the machinery works well.

Our people are, comparatively speaking, a very liberal and faithful people in point of means. The ministry is fully supported. Missionaries are well sustained, and there is a readiness to back up with their means all good enterprises for the advancement of the cause. Two years since the General Conference was in debt three thousand dollars. At our next General Conference there will be not less than five hundred dollars in the treasury, after all missionaries shall be paid.

We called for two thousand dollars for the mission in Europe. It came promptly, and is nearly all on hand. We called for one thousand dollars for a library fund. That came. And after several purchases there is the sum of eleven hundred dollars on hand. We called for a Book Fund of a few thousand dollars, and already about twelve thousand dollars have been received, and there remains in the treasury about six thousand dollars. This is the result of that unity and harmony that gives confidence and stability to the work. We do not believe that there can be found in the history of the Church for two hundred years past a people so faithful and true in sustaining the cause they profess as the Seventh-day Adventists. And what makes this more remarkable is the fact that their great liberality has been abused by some ministers among them, and by some who have handled their liberalities at headquarters. May God bless our dear, trusting people, and may their faithfulness inspire all our ministers, and all who stand at the head of the work, to equal faithfulness in a self-sacrificing life of devotion to the cause.

But, dear brethren and sisters, there is a much higher position for us to take. While we thank God that by his grace we as a people have gained victories, and that he has blessed our feeble efforts, yet we have cause to mourn that we are no more like our divine Master, and that we are doing so little to advance his cause.

The fields are all white ready for the harvest; but the laborers are few. It is a fact that we have less than fifty real efficient ministers, who have confidence and strength to meet opposition to unpopular Bible truth. Therefore it will not do for our people to wait until our preachers shall canvass the entire field. In fact, our people generally are comparatively feeble when they might be strong, and nothing will give them that spiritual strength they need but labor in the Master’s vineyard. There is missionary work for them to do which will benefit others, and result in equal good to themselves. And unless our people generally take hold of this work, it will remain undone.

Physical labor gives muscle and strength. There are thousands of invalids in our land waiting for the physicians to make them well, whose only hope of recovery is in action. Physicians may direct, and attendants may lift, and turn, and carry, and move them in wheel chairs, and take them out in carriages; but unless they use their own limbs and muscles, they will never regain strength.

The world is full of professors of Bible religion, who, in point of spiritual strength, are invalids. They wait for the minister to lift them on to Heaven. They are feeble, simply because they do not walk the heavenly way themselves. There are very many among our people who go the rounds of religious service in our meetings, and at home, who are utterly destitute of the spirit of labor for others. These are feeble because they do not work in the Master’s vineyard. They may get a good lift in the heavenly way at camp-meeting, or on other especial occasions, when the tide is setting strong heavenward; but they soon fall back to the old helpless position, there to remain until they are lifted again. These men and women will always remain spiritual invalids, with no real spiritual muscle, backbone, and strength, until they move out in the Master’s cause, and perform real labor in his vineyard.

We call attention to a plan upon which our people can all act in carrying forward missionary labor which is very much needed at this time. Already this work has commenced in different parts of the country. But we want the best plan, one that all our people, in all parts of the field, can adopt, and upon which they can put forth united and vigorous efforts. We now suggest the formation of societies in all parts of the field with the following:

CONSTITUTION.

ART. I. This Society shall be called the Christian Philanthropic Missionary Society of the Seventh-day Adventists of ———

ART. II. The objects of this Society shall be, 1. The proper distribution of our Tracts, Pamphlets, and Books. 2. Laboring, by correspondence and otherwise, for the encouragement and help of the scattered ones of like precious faith, for those who are falling back from discouragements, and to interest all within the reach of our influence in the great truths connected with the last message of mercy to the world. 3. To collect dues on our periodicals, and to obtain new subscribers.

ART. III. The officers of this Society shall be a President, Secretary, Treasurer, and an Executive Committee of ———, of which the President shall be one, and they shall be elected annually.

ART. IV. Any person may become a member of this Society, who is a member of a church of Seventh-day Adventists, by payment of the sum of ———.

ART. V. Each member shall keep a record of his or her labor, and report at such time as shall be required by the Executive Committee.

ART. VI. The funds to be employed by this Society shall consist of the money paid for memberships, and free-will offerings.

ART. VII. The Executive Committee shall have the general management and oversight of the work of this Society, both in disbursing funds and counseling in regard to labor.

ART. VIII. This constitution may be amended by a vote of two-thirds of the members present, at any annual meeting.

We have become fully convinced that tract distribution cannot be properly carried forward without an organized effort. It will not do to offer our publications to all who may ask for them, and send them out to strangers to scatter as they please. We have seen enough of this already. We learn from experience that the more careful ones, the very ones who would do this work best, are backward in asking for our publications, while those who would indiscriminately and carelessly throw our publications out, as you would feed chickens, are forward and urgent in their calls and demands for our publications. We say, let our publications go abroad everywhere, but let this work of distribution be done by societies well organized, whose officers shall have the oversight of it.

We have six thousand dollars’ worth of publications, all of them adapted to the wants of the cause at this time, that we offer to our people everywhere on the following terms, provided they will organize so as to properly do the work of distribution. We will first discount one third from advertised prices which will reduce the six thousand to four thousand. And then the Association will give one half, which will reduce the sum paid by organized societies to two thousand dollars, for six thousand dollars’ worth of publications. In other words, the Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association will furnish its publications to well-organized Missionary Societies at one-half the wholesale prices. And in those cases where their activity creates a large call for our publications, if there is a scarcity of means we will give more than one-half. For example, Bro. J. H. Cook of Mound City, Kan., writes:—

“Inclosed find $2.35, funds from our Tract Society; wish you to make selection as you think best.”

In view of the poverty of the great west in respect to ready cash we send forty dollars’ worth of publications to Bro. Cook, and give our brethren in that new and destitute field three-fourths of this sum.

Eld. C. O. Taylor sends us an order for $30 worth of publications accompanied with the cash. We forward $45 worth, and charge $15 to the Book Fund.

We have been thus explicit that all may understand our plans. If they meet the approval of our people, we shall expect a prompt and hearty response. Let the principle of mutual obligation be felt by all, and acted upon with vigilance.

We are brethren. God help us mutually to labor and faithfully toil, and sacrifice, and endure, till our work shall be done. The Constitution offered is simply suggested. We recommend uniformity, unless circumstances forbid.

In behalf of the Trustees of the Publishing Association, the writers and editors of our periodicals and books, and all the laborers and helpers at the publishing houses, we here say to our people everywhere, We are your servants, and solemnly promise to serve you, and labor in the cause of our adorable Redeemer, to the best of our ability.

And we ask of you your prompt and active co-operation, your prayers, and your liberalities as God has prospered you and shall put it into your hearts to give of your means to sustain the cause. Mutually let us labor, and battle for truth, victory and Heaven.