Mutual Obligation by John Norton Loughborough

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jan 16, 1872

Mutual Obligation.

By John Norton Loughborough

TO THE CHURCHES IN CALIFORNIA.

We have all read with interest, and I trust with design to profit thereby, the articles of Bro. White, in the REVIEW, on the subject of “Mutual Obligation.” I believe the principle set forth in those articles is “rock” from the eternal quarry of truth.

God is pleased that his creatures should all realize that they are alike creatures of his creation, care, and preservation, and he best fulfills the will of God who seeks to understand the relation existing between him and his fellow-men, and, in love, faithfully discharges the duties growing out of those relations.

Does the Lord say to you, “Love thy neighbor as thyself”? he says it equally to thy neighbor. If our neighbor fails to recognize and obey that command, it is no excuse for us to disobey it. In many cases, in the Bible, the mutual obligation principle is clearly expressed. It is so in the obligations of husband and wife, parents and children. Paul says: “Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.” “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it. Eph. 5:21, 25. Again he says: “Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them.” Col. 3:18, 19. Of parents and children we read: “Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. Honor thy father and mother: which is the first commandment with promise: that it may be well with thee, and that thou mayest live long on the earth. And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath; but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.” Eph. 6:1–4. Again he says: “Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord. Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged.” Col. 3:20, 21.

These scriptures show the mutual obligation growing out of mutual relations. Bro. White has beautifully, and forcibly illustrated how this principle underlies all mutual relations. God grant that his words may not lose their force upon all our hearts. Has God called and thrust out men to take heavy responsibilities and burdens in the cause, whose prosperity concerns all of us? Then is it the duty of his people to hold up their hands and sustain them in the work.

John speaks of some who had gone forth with a spirit of sacrifice to forward the truth, and said to the church, “We therefore ought to receive such, that we might be fellow-helpers to the truth.” 3 John 8. The receiving them was staying up their hands in HELPING them. God has evidently led out in establishing institutions like the Health Institute, the Publishing Association. The General Conference with its missionary operations, &c.

I have feared that here in California many would let these appeals in Bro. White’s articles pass over them, and think that these institutions are very far away, and that if we built our meeting-houses and carried on our operations here, we should be excused from aiding in any of these institutions.

If you are thus making these enterprises a distant object, let a sense of the mutual-obligation plan bring them nearer home. The cause is one. As Bro. White quoted, “We are brethren.” It is as much our interest, here in California, in proportion to our numbers and ability, to see the cause advanced, as it is for any one else. The prosperity of these institutions is our prosperity. Are we not under obligations to lift in these things according to our ability? Are any of you inclined to excuse yourselves from doing in these enterprises? I have an appeal to make to you which comes a little closer still. Paul said of the Gentiles who had received the gospel through the sacrifice of the church at Jerusalem, “If the Gentiles have been made partakers of their spiritual things, their duty is also to minister unto them in carnal things.” Rom. 15:27. The church at Jerusalem had contributed of their substance to get the truth among the Gentiles. Now there came a time when it needed some one to lift with them in their burdens. “Their duty is also to minister unto them in carnal things.”

The mutual-obligation plan would suggest that the Gentiles should, in consideration of benefits received in turn, lift with the Jerusalem church to benefit others. But could it be really called a “mutual” burden until they had made whole what it had cost to get the gospel unto them? “Their DEBTORS they are.” Verse 27.

Some of you have said to me, “We must be just before we are charitable.” That is true, and I am going to apply that principle in this article. It is just to pay our debts. Paul’s reasoning was, that a sacrifice made by one church to get the truth to others, brought those receiving the truth in debt to that church. If that church was in need, it would be strange if they could not be induced to pay them the debt. If that church was not in actual need of the necessities of life for themselves, but was making earnest effort to benefit others still, would not the mutual-obligation plan suggest to those benefited by that church, as follows: “Now, as they made a sacrifice to get the truth to us, here is a chance to show our appreciation of their efforts to us, and to do our Christian duty in taking hold to lift with them.”

Well, you are ready to ask, How does this affect us here in California? I will tell you. If I am not mistaken, there is a debt to the general interests of the cause, undischarged, hanging over California; and it is not meet for us to settle down in ease, as though we had nothing to do, until something has been done toward lifting that debt. “Well,” say you, “but I thought we were out of debt, and had some funds in our State treasury.” Yes, so far as matters in the State are concerned, that is so. But I am going to speak now of our relation to this cause as a whole. The cause is one. Is it meet, that, in its general burdens, some of its workers be eased to have others bear all the burdens? Nay, verily.

Well, to the point: By the General Conference Committee, in the month of June, 1868, a call was made for means to purchase a tent, and open a mission in California. The tent was bought, the missionaries came, you received the truth. With some realizing sense of what had been done for you, you took hold nobly and with promptness in your pledges and payments on S. B. You have made this cause self-sustaining, and have some means in your treasury, and encouraging pledges to the State fund for the year to come. Now is certainly a favorable time to look about us and consider our general relations to this cause as a whole. Our meeting places are nearly all clear of debt; and this has cost some effort and perseverance. We have great reason to thank God for his blessing that has favored all our enterprises in the State, and I think with many, when they consider their present financial condition, compared with what it was when they embraced the truth, that they have reason to make thank-offerings to God, as also for his goodness in giving them the truth.

The call of the General Conference raised over $1700.00 to purchase the tent, send laborers here, sustain the work here for eleven months, and furnish us $100.00 worth of books that were given away from the general book fund. What have we done to refund to the general interests of this cause even what we have received from it?

There have been raised for the general book fund $100.00; shares in Health Institute, $25.00; shares in Publishing Association, $30.00; donations to send REVIEW to the poor, $12.00. You see, brethren, how it stands. Is there not evidently something for us to do, if, indeed, we would act on the great plan of mutual interest in this work?

I do not write this to censure any one, but to get the facts before you for consideration and action. Your forwardness to do in other enterprises that have come up gives us confidence that you will do in this also. Can we consistently call the California tent and mission “our work” until we have discharged the debt that started the work here? The same spirit of sacrifice, prayerful consideration of the wants of the cause, and self-denial that characterized those who contributed of their means to get the cause to California, will enable us as a people to do something toward these enterprises that concern the general welfare of the cause, and thus give proof of the sincerity of our love to God and our fellow-men, as well as our recognition of the great principle of mutual obligation. But I design to say more to you hereafter. Pray over it, think upon it, and be ready to act.

J. N. LOUGHBOROUGH.