Systematic Benevolence by John Norton Loughborough

California Conference of Seventh-day Adventists · Oakland, Cal. · Nov 12, 1874

Systematic Benevolence.

By John Norton Loughborough

Benevolence is from the Latin word benevolentia, from the root bene, well; and volo, to wish or to will. It is defined by Webster, “The disposition to do good; good will, kindness, charitableness; the love of mankind, accompanied with a desire to promote their happiness.”

A benevolent man, in the common use of the term, is one who uses his substance quite largely in seeking in some way either to relieve the sufferings, or to promote the interests of his fellow men around him. Persons may perform acts which benefit their fellows and yet not have the true spirit of benevolence in their hearts, but, instead, an ambition of gaining fame, and to be called of the world benevolent.

There are persons, doubtless, who might contribute $10,000 to some charitable institution whose fame would sound abroad their names, and yet these same persons might turn away in disgust from the solitary appeal of the widow and orphan.

True benevolence proceeds from the same principle, in kind, that led our Saviour to leave the realms of glory and come into our world to lead a life of self-denial, and to die at last, to save men—a love for the afflicted and needy.

Systematic benevolence, is doing benevolent acts by system, or principle, having our benevolence resolved into rules which regulate our course. Many men wish to do, but are at a loss, seemingly, to know how much, to what object, or at what time they should do.

System is important to success in any enterprise, and so system in giving helps to keep the channels of benevolence open in our own hearts. If we give by system or rule we are not so liable to settle down into the cart rut of sordid, selfish life, as when we have no rule and feel no special obligation resting upon us. On the contrary, having a benevolent object to accomplish we work towards that point. Having a stated time for bestowing our charities or paying our vows to God, we look forward to it, plan with reference to it, and get ready for it.

If we judge of duty by the Lord’s instructions to his people in the Bible, then it is pleasing to him that those who have a regard for sacred things should systematically dedicate of their substance to Him. This we see not only in the voluntary acts of his people anciently, but more especially in what he commanded them still later with reference to it.

When Abraham met Melchisedec, “Priest of the Most High God,” he gave him one tenth of the substance in his hands. This is called in the book of Hebrews, “paying tithes.” When we come to the system of worship established among the Lord’s ancient people, He commanded a regular system of raising means for the service of that religion, and the maintenance of those who gave their lives to his cause.

We read: “And all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land, or of the fruit of the tree, is the Lord’s: it is holy unto the Lord. And if a man will at all redeem ought of his tithes, he shall add thereto the fifth part thereof. And concerning the tithe of the herd, or of the flock, even of whatsoever passeth under the rod, the tenth shall be holy unto the Lord. He shall not search whether it be good or bad, neither shall he change it; and if he change it at all, then both it and the change thereof shall be holy; it shall not be redeemed.” Lev. 27:30–33.

By reading further, in Numbers, we shall see what was done with these tithes: “And the Lord spake unto Aaron, Thou shalt have no inheritance in their land, neither shalt thou have any part among them; I am thy part and thine inheritance among the children of Israel. And, behold, I have given the children of Levi all the tenth in Israel for an inheritance, for their service which they serve, even the service of the tabernacle of the congregation.” Num. 18:20, 21.

We see the Lord told them one tenth of all they had was his. In one sense, all is his, but in the sense of the above scriptures, while he has given us the privilege of using nine parts as we deem best, he claims one tenth of all our income as his own; and even on the nine parts he enjoins upon men to act as faithful stewards. If men, in renting soil, should pay even one fifth of the proceeds of that soil to the land holder they would think it exceedingly fair rent. God who created all and gives all our blessings demands a tenth. Not that he tells us to give it to him, but he says, “It’s mine.”

The apostle Paul, at that period in the history of the gospel church when it seemed necessary that some system of raising means should be adopted, says to the Corinthian church, “Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given order to the churches of Galatia, even so do ye. Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come.” 1 Cor. 16:1, 2.

These saints, as we shall see by looking at Paul’s letter which he addressed to the Romans a year later, were those who had by their sacrifice brought the gospel to the Corinthians. He says, “For it hath pleased them of Macedonia and Achaia to make a certain contribution for the poor saints which are at Jerusalem. It hath pleased them verily; and their debtors they are. For if the Gentiles have been made partakers of their spiritual things, their duty is also to minister unto them in carnal things.” Romans 15:26, 27.

That these “poor saints” constitute the same ones mentioned in 1 Cor. 16:1, is made still plainer by reference to 2 Cor. 9. “For I know the forwardness of your mind, for which I boast of you to them of Macedonia, that Achaia was ready a year ago; and your zeal hath provoked very many. Yet have I sent the brethren, lest our boasting of you should be in vain in this behalf; that as I said, ye may be ready; lest haply if they of Macedonia come with me, and find you unprepared, we (that we say not ye) should be ashamed in this same confident boasting. “Therefore I thought it necessary to exhort the brethren, that they would go before unto you, and make up beforehand your bounty, whereof ye had notice before, that the same might be ready as a matter of bounty, and not as of covetousness.” 2 Cor. 9:2–5.

In the previous chapter he said, “And herein I give my advice; for this is expedient for you, who have begun before, not only to do, but also to be forward (willing, margin) a year ago. Now therefore perform the doing of it; that, as there was a readiness to will, so there may be a performance also out of that which ye have.” 2 Cor. 8:10, 11.

On comparing carefully the above scriptures we find several facts are made to appear. 1. That Paul proceeds upon the ground that those who receive the gospel through the labors and sacrifices of the faithful servants of God are brought in debt to them, “Their debtors ye are.” 2. That in raising means by system for such purposes every individual should bear a part, “Let every one of you.” 3. That they should do according to their ability, “Lay by him in store as God hath prospered him.” 4. That they should have a regular set time to attend to it, “upon the first day of the week.”

This plan of the apostle comprehends, then, a pledge of a certain rate per week (although the plain inference is that it was not paid every week, but in the case quoted above, a whole year after it was pledged), and this pledge was to be made by each individual, according to their ability.

Seventh-day Adventists as a denomination have been carrying out this plan, over a dozen years, believing it to be reasonable, just, and scriptural. It has worked admirably and those who have entered heartily into the plan have realized to a greater or less extent the verification of the blessing of God upon the works of their hands, even as intimated in the apostle’s testimony would be the case. “But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity; for God loveth a cheerful giver.” “And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work; (as it is written, He hath dispersed abroad; he hath given to the poor; his righteousness remaineth forever. Now he that ministereth seed to the sower both minister bread for your food, and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness.)” 2 Cor. 9:6–10.

With the Jewish nation their system of tithing took once a year every tenth sheep, every tenth ox or goat, as well as every tenth bushel of everything to be measured. Beside this the first born of every beast was to be given. This was a constant channel of systematic giving for them, besides their individual sin-offerings and vows. This was a system which distributed the gifts for sustaining the service of God upon every individual according to their ability. And, so Paul’s systematic plan of sustaining the gospel, in principle involves the same as the ancient tithing system without going into all the machinery of that system. With this difference also, while that took the tithes once a year, this is a plan that keeps the matter constantly before us.

We suppose it is with reference to a plan of this kind that the prophet Malachi speaks in his prophecy of the last days. In chapter

4, he introduces the great burning day. In chapter 3 just before the end, when the Lord is about to come to judgment, he says, “Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. Ye are cursed with a curse; for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation. 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. And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the Lord of hosts.” Mal. 3:8–11.

The above scripture not only represents the tithing principle as recognized by the Lord in the last days, but as plainly depicts the almost universal departure of his professed people from it, and it also intimates the same as Paul did to the Corinthian brethren, that prosperity or adversity might be expected by Christians according as they dealt with a liberal hand, or through fear to trust God, or covetousness, they withheld their tithes.

In seeking to recognize the principle of these scriptures, Seventh-day Adventists generally enter their names on a book, stating the sum they will give per week to raise a fund to be used in sustaining the ministry in the State, meeting tent expenses, and traveling expenses of our ministers. The minister goes out to labor where he thinks most good can be done with no reference to the money. He is settled with from this fund when his year’s labor is done and reported. The sum he is to receive for his labor is then decided by a committee of six laymen who are chosen by the conference to act with the conference committee for that purpose. To this committee he reports his labors, receipts and expenses.

A treasurer is selected in each church, who in this State collects the funds at the close of each quarter and sends it to the State Treasurer of the conference. It is only paid out of the State Treasury in the interval between sessions of the conference, by an order from the executive committee, so that the funds are guarded sacredly, and judiciously expended.

Surplus funds of the State, after cancelling its own obligations, are usually voted to the General Conference funds of Seventh-day Adventists to be used by that body in sustaining its general conference laborers, and in opening new missions. On this latter point, it is decided by vote of the State Conference, as to the amount of their funds they wish to give to the General Conference, or whether they will give any.

In the case of the pledges of individuals to the S. B. fund, each one is left to make their own figures, after the matter is set forth before them. Still they are given to understand that the scriptures set forth the tithing system as a guide to our minds in deciding what we should give, as individuals, to the work of sustaining the ministry and extending the limits of the church.

What has been the practical working of this system with us as a people? Perhaps all have not come up fully to the requirements of the plan, but so far as it has been adopted it has drawn the blessing of God upon us, and served to open the channels of benevolence in our hearts so that there is no lack of means to carry out any enterprise which is needful for the extension of the truth. Our ministry go out without embarrassment as to means, yet they themselves seek to move with a spirit of economy and sacrifice, “being ensamples to the flock” in those things they would have them carry out.

Another result has been, that there has never been known among Seventh-day Adventists a “donation party,” a “mite society,” a “church festival,” a “fair,” for the glory of God, or a single one of the modern church inventions of “grab-bags,” “post-offices,” “ring and guess cakes,” or any of that sort of thing which worldly men who use the cards and dice, think very much resembles their “gambling.”

Further it has been a matter of astonishment to the people how it is, that this cause with all its opposition is working its way up, and succeeding. Some ten years since, a minister of one of the denominations of the day said to one of our ministers as he saw what was beginning to result from this system among us, “I wish our church would adopt the systematic benevolence.” Well, said our minister, “Brother, they might adopt the Systematic, but I am afraid it would lack the Benevolence.” That is just the difficulty. The first thing in this system is to have our hearts awakened to a sense of the magnitude of the Christian work and the claims which God has upon us. To get our hearts open. To be really benevolent. To get our hearts imbued with the love that inspired the Son of God, and moved him to leave Heaven and die for us. When thus awakened, we are glad to learn of a system that will give us a constant opportunity to manifest that love and faith by our works, in that we take hold to use of our substance to extend the cause of that Saviour who died and rose from the dead for us.

Other denominations, seeing how this thing is working among S. D. Adventists, are adopting what they call the envelope system. Distributing envelopes in their churches with cards on which they wish each individual to pledge what they will do per week to carry on their work. The System part, as might be expected, raises their funds so that they are greatly encouraged with the result.

Were their members really to adopt the plan of systematic benevolence, with the true spirit of benevolence, in harmony with the tithing system, they would not only be pleased, and astonished, but confounded at the result of their own efforts. Such a point gained would furnish means to sustain all their ministers well, support all their missionaries, home and foreign, fill the treasuries of their Tract and Bible Societies; sweep away church-fairs, festivals, grab-bags and other modern money-making schemes from the church like dew fleeing before the sun, and it would also leave a large margin of funds on hand for indigent ministers, the worthy poor of their own, and suffering humanity in general, around them.

To attain these results it would only be necessary to devote to the cause of God one-tenth of the actual income of church members. Should they do it for one year they would not feel it any more than the members of a church once did, who gave a miller permission to build a church with their means on condition that he should do it and they not know it. He did it. When called upon to explain, Why, said he, are any of you any poorer than you were? No. Have any of you missed anything? No. Well, said he, I have ground your grain for you the last year; when you brought your grain to the mill after taking out my toll for grinding, I took out the same toll for the Lord, and with that I have built the church.

They missed nothing. So with those who adopt the plan of S. B. for one year. While they do not miss it, they do find God’s blessing, the prospering hand of God on their undertakings, and the blessed satisfaction of trying to do good. When they have tried the experiment and done it once, they can do it again and again. So could all church members do if they would; but alas! So much covetousness prevails that their danger is, as Malachi represents it, “Robbing God.” With this state of things it is liable to be with them the systematic without the real benevolence.”

Still they seem somewhat encouraged with their own efforts. Before me lies a quarterly journal, called Our Work, the first number of which has just made its appearance in Oakland. Under the caption “Our Benevolent Collections,” they say:

“On the first of last March the church adopted the subscription and envelope system of weekly collections for benevolent purposes on trial for six months. The amount realized during that time was $1,764.43, including a special donation of $150 for mission work in nominally Christian lands. Not including the special donation, the amount received per Sunday was $59.80.”

“The amount collected in the same six months, March 1st to September 1st, in 1873 was $1,107.65, an increase under the present system of about 46 per cent.

“It should be borne in mind that just at the beginning of this trial six months, the Plymouth Avenue Church Colony left us, taking 32 members of the church, and more than 100 from the congregation; among these some of our most regular and liberal givers; so that under the old system our collections would naturally have been considerably less than during the same period last year.”

“At the annual meeting of the church, Sept. 9th, it was voted almost unanimously to continue the envelope and subscription system permanently; as in the opinion of all it is the easiest way to give, and the most successful as to results.”

The following from a late number of the Sabbath Recorder, published by our Seventh-day Baptist brethren, is to the point:

SYSTEMATIC BENEVOLENCE.

The support of the various branches of our denominational labor, and the best form of conducting our operations being subjects which are just now receiving attention, we take the following account of the action of the Triennial Council of Congregationalists which recently met in New Haven, Conn., on these subjects, from the Christian Statesman, hoping that the experience of others may throw some light upon our path.

Among the subjects of importance before the Council, was the report of a Committee which recommended the consolidation of various societies through which the Congregationalists carry on their church work. The American Home Missionary Society was recommended to enlarge its operations, so as to comprehend and supervise the now separate enterprises of Church Erection and Missionary Sabbath School work.

The subject of “consolidation” led to the earnest discussion of the subject of systematic beneficence. The argument for consolidating the different societies was the comparative expensiveness of a number of agencies. The argument against it was, that a variety of appeals from different societies secures more money from the people than would be possible if they were merged into one. Whereupon the pertinent remark was made, that “systematic giving” by the people would go to the root of the difficulty. The Hon. Henry P. Haven, of New London, Connecticut, representative of a “Society for the encouragement of systematic giving,” addressed the Council. He stated that this Society, though small, had, with almost no outside contributions, circulated more than 30,000 pamphlets on systematic benevolence, and many bound volumes. The principle involved was a great one. The impression that a sufficient proportion of income was regularly given, was shown to be untrue by the figures in the case. He knew of a church, the property of whose members aggregated $12,000,000, a tenth of the interest on which, at seven per cent., would be $84,000, but the Society’s annual contributions only reached $12,000, or a seventh of a “tithe.” He bespoke for the Society and its cause, the thoughtful consideration of the members of the Council. The following resolution on this subject was adopted:

WHEREAS, systematic giving is indispensible to the full development of Christian liberality, and can alone furnish a reliable basis for the plans and operations of our benevolent societies and no other system has been demonstrated to be so efficient as that of weekly offerings; therefore, Resolved, That we earnestly recommend that plan to individuals, and to all the churches represented by this body.”

May we all ponder these things prayerfully and no longer “rob God” but do our whole duty.

J. N. Loughborough.