OUR RESPONSIBILITIES by Jos. Clarke

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jun 26, 1879

OUR RESPONSIBILITIES.

By Jos. Clarke

To understand properly what our responsibilities are, we must have a correct view of our moral, social, and political obligations. Moral includes, essentially, the claims of God upon us; social embraces the claims of society; while political refers to the claims of the government under which we live. These three authorities are all to be recognized in their proper spheres.

However, there is a power which, being in itself a self-constituted, mutinous, rebellious, piratical power, must be recognized as such; not because it has in itself any right to exist, but because it does by permission exist for a limited time. To ignore this power would be fatal, because it is an open enemy to the other three,—the moral, social, and political. This power is the satanic: Satan is its head.

To properly understand our responsibilities, then, we should examine closely the nature and proper relations of each of the above mentioned powers,—the moral, social, and political; not forgetting the hostile satanic power against which we have to contend. A proper view of our responsibilities obliges us to recognize only such authority as is backed by proper claims upon us. Sometimes these powers conflict in their instructions and laws; and hence we must view each from a correct standpoint. Thus, if we have a political bias, we shall be forever testing the moral and social by that; and by giving too much weight to this, we shall be in danger of relying upon the political power, to the neglect of the moral, which should be placed first of all. And if we view everything from the standpoint of mere social life, and look only upon the claims of society, and friends around us, our extent of vision will be far too narrow, and our mistakes many and fatal.

Moral law should hold the first place everywhere; and by this all other laws should be tested; and no law, social or political, should be considered valid unless based upon moral law. Such a decision, carried out, would enhance human happiness, and tend to a proper development of character.

But the great difficulty lies in the fact that a rebellious power has arisen, at war with moral law, and, by infusing its poison, has tainted the social and political powers to such an extent that they do not fully recognize the moral power. Being thus blinded, moral distinctions are often lost sight of in the desire for present convenience, and what is deemed utility, or the good of the whole. The power which has done and is doing all this mischief is the satanic power, and must be viewed as wholly independent of the first three,—the moral, social, and political.

There are many reasons why we must view the satanic power as an isolated and exceptional one. The second and third are necessary and good in themselves, when regulated by moral power; and they are evil only when, by the instigation of the satanic power, they enact laws and customs which conflict with

moral law; and we see, too, that the moral, social, and political powers might all of them exist harmoniously together, were it not for the fact that the satanic power is constantly fomenting discord.

One great reason why we should view the satanic power as an isolated one, is that Satan himself, the head of this power, is continually at work to deceive the people by making them believe that evil is a necessary element in the constitution of God’s government, and that happiness and good are the result of his (Satan’s) work; and consequently that evil and good must somehow or other combine and work in harmony; and that he, the “father of lies,” is in fact as much in his place and duty as any other power, a necessary appendage to the court of the universe: when at the same time he is a blot, a curse, a sore plague, an enemy to all happiness and to all good.

Having now arrived at this only legitimate conclusion, that the empire of Satan is limited, is isolated; that it is evil, and only evil; that it is a deadly enemy to man in all his interests; that his work is unnecessary and immoral; that it is debasing in every respect; and that his influence is constantly used to promote rebellion, and to cause the social and political powers to be at enmity with the moral power; I say, when we come to this conclusion, deliberately and understandingly, we are far on the way to see what our responsibilities are. Please read the work, “Origin and Destiny of Satan, and Ministration of Angels,” published at the REVIEW Office.

To see our grave and important responsibilities at the present time, it is also necessary to understand the prophecies of the Old and New Testaments, and to drink deeply of the Spirit which actuated those holy men, who were inspired of God to write out those precious words of truth for the last generation of our race, which would be so highly privileged as to be enlightened on these subjects once so dark and mysterious. But we are here. The court of Heaven is in session. Reader, you and I have each a case in that court. Shall we not give it prayerful and solemn attention? Read “Our Faith and Hope,” also “Spirit of Prophecy.”

In order further to realize the responsibilities resting upon us, we need to acquaint ourselves, as far as in our power, with the Bible, its history, its doctrines, and its spirit, and prayerfully and diligently seek aid from God in all our investigations. A general knowledge of profane history will give interest in this work, and stimulate inquiry. We need constantly to consider the work of God, and the work of the enemy, and to carefully discriminate; for Satan’s power has arisen, by trying to combine evil with good. There is a great difference between good and evil—“a great gulf fixed;” but Satan has succeeded in blinding the multitudes, until evil is called good, and good is called evil; virtue is branded vice, and vice is called virtue; darkness is called light, and light is called darkness; and thus, things are turned upside down, and the moral sense of our race is perverted, because of error and sin. Error leads on to or excuses sin, and sin again strengthens the error from which it sprang, and thus, by mutual attraction and affinity, a strong web is woven, which holds its victims securely in its grasp.

Mohammed was not more deceived than are men now, in upholding milder forms of error, but from their plausibility all the more fatal; our fathers did thus and so, and if they did so, and were still good men, why may not their sons do the same and be saved?

Error perverts the judgments of men, and bends the will. The papist becomes a sincere worshiper of the pope, and calls him infallible, when he knows it is not in man to be perfect in judgment. The Protestant condemns popery, yet upholds its strongest props; the Protestant honors the reforms of the sixteenth century, yet opposes the reforms of the nineteenth century. A film is upon all eyes, and all hearts are hardened by error.

To remove this blindness of mind, and this hardness of heart, is the work of all who would realize their responsibilities. Light is shining brilliantly upon the path of the righteous, and the pages of prophecy are all aglow with life. Reader, can you neglect so interesting and profitable employment as reading upon prophecy, such works as “Matthew Twenty-Four,” “Signs of the Times,” “Sanctuary and Twenty-three Hundred Days,” “Thoughts on Revelation,” and “Thoughts on Daniel”?

Again, to realize our great responsibilities, we need to draw near the Lord in earnest prayer and praise, and to live near to him from day to day. We should now seek and strive for a condition in the Christian life far in advance of the piety of the present age; an age which accepts the profession and the gloss, but is content with bombast and shams. We must maintain a humble walk with God, and like Enoch have the testimony that we please God. We have been on the enemy’s ground as long as we have been careless and lukewarm. Let us arise and see things as they are. Satan’s wish is to have the care of our eyes. He prepares an ointment which he applies; but instead of that we need the true eye-salve, the enlightening influence of God’s Spirit, and we need the white raiment, and the fine gold.

Perhaps you have talents; haste to put them to proper use. Have you wealth, haste to put it into the work. Give by the tens, or hundreds, or thousands. Do not think it hard to give according to your ability. Ought a Wesley to be content with being a teacher in a primary school, when he is fit to preach to an emperor? Or should a Washington serve as corporal in the ranks, when he is fit for a commander? No more should a rich man be content to give the gifts of a poor man. Look at the gifts of Barzillai to an army; or the great gifts of David and his lords to the temple, while it was yet upon paper; or of Moses who gave his lifetime, without even an item of salary, or a sinecure for his sons. Gifts! how they came in to the Bible society on its formation. And see the amounts: $5,000 from one; from another $10,000; from another $20,000, and so on.

And shall we not give our hearts, our souls, unreservedly to the work of the Lord? Shall we let the golden opportunity slip? Shall the man of mind and ability stand still while the Master calls for reapers? Shall the rich man throw his silver and gold into the streets, which might have been sent on to the bank of Heaven? Jos. Clarke.