SYSTEMATIC ACTION by James White

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Nov 16, 1876

SYSTEMATIC ACTION.

By James White

Above all other enterprises in this world, the cause of Bible religion demands systematic action. For nearly a score of years the REVIEW has been an ardent advocate of system in raising means to support the proclamation of the third angel’s message. And our people generally have in profession adopted the plan of what is termed Systematic Benevolence. And while a few only have adopted this plan in their practice, the majority have failed as yet to come fully up to the plan.

We have labored to defend the plan adopted for the reason that it is equitable. It hardly touches those who have but little property, and whose income is small. It does not burden those who have a moderate competency, and if it calls for sums of considerable importance from the rich, it takes from their full purses only one-tenth of their income and increase, leaving nine-tenths of these, and also all the principal, untouched. Surely the wealthy brother should blush to falter a moment in complying with the system adopted by our people.

We plead for equality. This should be carried out in proportion to the ability to give, and all should be anxious to bear their part. There should be one general system only, and all, with proper exceptions, should enter into that system. All our scattered people should be anxious to more fully connect themselves to the Lord and to his people by practically adopting the system. And those who are daily receiving into their minds and hearts the glorious gospel of the last message should be encouraged to prove their gratitude to God, and their love to the cause they have newly espoused, by bringing their tithes and offerings to the Lord to advance his cause. We have not sufficient space here to fully set forth the plan adopted at the late Conference. This, however, will appear soon.

But why talk of system in raising means to support the preaching of the word only? Can any good reason be given why the same system should not be carried out to raise means for the T. and M. work, to bring a College into existence, or to establish the press in California and in Europe, and to build up a Health Institute? If such reasons exist, let them be produced. We plead for equality. Paul pleaded for equality in bearing the burdens of the way in his time. Though dead, “he speaketh” in behalf of equality.

God has been helping his servants at the late Conference to dig down to the very bottom of things. The first work before us is to bring our people all up to the correct figures of S. B. When that shall be completed, the present figures on S. B. in this country will be $100,000. With this sum, raised from $44,000 to $100,000, we could send colporteurs into all the cities and towns, and scatter our periodicals and publications like the autumn leaves. When we, as a people everywhere, have reached the plan, and the proper figures on S. B., then we are prepared to apportion to each State, and to each church, and to each person, the proportion of any amount to be raised for any necessary object, like founding a new school, or establishing a new printing house. In accordance with this design, the General Conference recommends all our Conferences to raise a sum equal to one-third of their S. B., to circulate periodicals and do T. and M. work generally. Here is equality again, and that, too, which will, if strictly carried out by all our Conferences, supersede the necessity of those disagreeable calls for means, which are never responded to on the basis of equality. The poor will never complain of equality on our S. B. plan. Those in moderate circumstances will be the first to plead for equality. And if the rich refuse to practically acknowledge it from their abundance, they should have no place with our people. Second to the law of God, there is no truth set forth in the New Testament in so full and testing a manner as the duty for Christians to use their means liberally to support the cause of God. It is time that our ministers give this important duty of the church that place in their discourses which accords with its comparative importance with other doctrines.

Having found rock bottom on which to stand, and a basis on which to raise means in an equitable manner to carry forward the cause we love, the brethren go to their several fields of labor full of hope of complete success. Existing plans have been made in full view of labor necessary to their complete execution. But with courage they buckle the armor on anew for the battle of truth and the right. And we wait in hope for one united amen, from all our ministers, from all our churches, and from all our scattered brethren, to be expressed not only by their lips, but by their hands and purses, and from their hearts. J. W.