WESTERN TOUR by James White

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Mar 4, 1862

WESTERN TOUR.

By James White

We left Battle Creek for the West Feb. 19th, and found our lodgings at a hotel in Chicago some past midnight—at 8 o'clock next morning were on our way through the city on business—purchased type, paper, rubber suit for baptizing, and rubber clothing to keep off the storms, in all to the amount of $150—hastened back to the hotel weary—dinner ready, and cars to start in a few moments—ate, and hastened to the cars, and away we went—reached Janesville, Wis., about 5 P. M., where our good Bro. Loudon took us to his house for supper—hastened back to take the cars at 6 P. M. for Brodhead, where Bro. Wood took us to his house about 10, P. M.

Avon is six miles from the rail-road, a farming community. The brethren have a neat place of worship, twenty-eight by fifty. And although the Review containing our notice of the meeting was only about twenty-four hours ahead of us, at the usual hour of worship we found the seats full of attentive hearers, three-fourths Sabbath-keepers. We spoke with some freedom four times during Sabbath and first-day, and Mrs. W. gave her testimony three times. On first-day it was with some difficulty that all the people found seats. These were the readers of the Review, and those of their neighbors they could on short notice speak to. With two weeks' notice a large portion of the crowd would have had to remain out of the house.

On Monday a church of fifty members was organized. There are many more Sabbath-keepers in the community, and the number is constantly increasing. Some are waiting for baptism. There is a general interest in the community. The entire audience on first-day seemed to feel the force of truth.

Bro. Sanborn has labored judiciously and faithfully with this people. Some difficulties have arisen which have threatened the destruction of the body. Could Bro. S. have been left to manage them, much might have been saved. We deeply sympathize with this people, especially those who have erred the most. May God bring all the erring fully back to the fold. The brethren liberally helped us on our journey, and heaped upon our heads thanks for our timely visit, and well-wishes and blessings on our journey to other appointments.

We are enjoying usual health, and most perfect freedom o. spirit. We design to go forward by faith and do our duty fully, and instead of mourning over others' errors, seek for freedom, and let others feel the weight of their own wrongs. God has given us a testimony, and he will give us freedom and strength to bear it.

SYSTEMATIC BENEVOLENCE.

It is the duty of God's people to support his cause, and in order that none should be burdened it is necessary that there should be system employed in obtaining the means of that support; and I know of no plan so admirably adapted to that purpose as the plan of Systematic Benevolence, or of laying by in store as the Lord has prospered.

My position in the Office has enabled me to observe its workings, and to become acquainted with those churches and individuals who have adopted it, and my object in writing this article is to try to present this beautiful system of finance in its true light; not that it has not before been thoroughly and ably presented to the readers of the Review, but for the purpose of stirring up your minds by way of remembrance, in hope that those who have not yet acted upon it may see its beauty and consistency, and thereby be led to adopt it.

Systematic Benevolence is truly what its name imports—benevolence systematized. Every one gives something. Even the children esteem it a privilege to lay by in store their pennies upon the first day of the week, and when the Treasurer passes around they cast them into the treasury, so that the amount given by one person or family is small, usually much less than they formerly paid for tea and coffee, but the aggregate amounts to quite a sum.

For the purpose of showing its workings I will cite the church at Battle Creek, not because brethren here do more than in some other places, which is not the case, but for the reason that I am better acquainted with their circumstances. This church numbers seventy-two members, most of whom are poor, and all have to depend upon their daily labor for their support, and during the last year their contributions amounted to three hundred and sixty-two dollars and forty-five cents. The amounts given by individuals ranged from one to twenty cents a week as a personal donation, according to the circumstances of the donor. Some young sisters gave only one cent per week, while a few young men who had no families to support gave as high as twenty cents per week. These, however, were the extremes. The weekly donations by the majority ranged from three to ten cents, while others who had property, gave, in addition to their personal donations, the sum of two cents per week upon each hundred dollars they were worth in property. The result was the amount stated, and no one was burdened. Out of this amount they donated one hundred dollars to the Publishing Association, and after defraying all necessary expenses they had quite a sum remaining in the treasury. This church could, if necessary, from the S. B. fund alone support a tent in new fields during the entire tent season. And so could some other churches which I might name.

Before the plan of Systematic Benevolence was adopted, the treasuries of churches were bankrupt, and when preaching brethren visited them they either had to let them go away without any remuneration for their traveling expenses and labors, or had to resort to improper collections. In such cases it was the few who had to make up the amount, and it was often burdensome to them; but it is not the case now with those who have adopted the plan of Systematic Benevolence. When our messengers visit these churches their expenses are met out of the treasury, and no one is burdened, and there is no necessity of "gatherings when they come." A brother from one of the neighboring churches called at the Office a few days ago and handed in quite a liberal donation to the Publishing Association from the S. B. fund of the church. Bro. White remarked to him that there should not exhaust their treasury, but keep some time for messengers who might labor with them. He replied, "We have a care for that, we still have forty dollars in the treasury."

There has been donated to the Publishing Association since its organization the sum of seven hundred and fifty-four dollars and seventy-seven cents from the S. B. fund of different churches and individuals.

The plan of Systematic Benevolence has become a fixed fact among the Seventh-day Adventists, and is intimately connected with the third angel's message; and those churches who have acted upon it are united and prosperous, and those who have not fully adopted it are rent with divisions and dissensions. And I verily believe that they will continue to be thus shaken until all opposition to this reasonable and scriptural system be either shaken out or conformed to it. I see in it the system of finance which is to provide means to effectually carry out the loud cry of the third angel's message. Will not those of our brethren who have not yet adopted it, immediately enter into a covenant with the Lord to give of their means as the Lord has prospered them, to assist in carrying out this great work, even if necessary at some sacrifice, for the time is fast approaching when the Lord will say, "Gather my saints together unto me, those who have made a covenant with me by sacrifice." Ps. 1, 5.

E. S. WALKER.