A BENEVOLENT PEOPLE by James White

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Apr 29, 1862

A BENEVOLENT PEOPLE.

By James White

The Seventh-day Adventists are a benevolent people. There are several reasons why their liberalities abound.

1. They conscientiously adhere to unpopular truth for the truth's sake. Their highest interest on earth is its advancement, hence their liberality to sustain the different enterprises to advance the cause of truth.

2. They take the Bible as it reads, and tremble at its pointed testimony, and feel under the most sacred obligation to obey those injunctions relative to sustaining those who labor in word and doctrine.

3. Their faith and hope strikes at the root of earthly prospects, weans them from the things of this world, loosens their grasp of worldly treasures, thus enabling them to open wide the hand of benevolence.

Our active ministers are well sustained. Some, of little experience in this cause, have been injured by the liberalities of our people. And besides sustaining some half dozen Tents in the field, and all our active preachers well, and some who have done nothing for the cause, the Seventh-day Adventists have raised for their Publishing Association the past year the handsome sum of Seven Thousand Dollars.

When we compare the condition of the S. D. A. Publishing Association with that of other small associations of the kind, we see abundant cause of gratitude to God and to his faithful people.

Before us is the Advent Herald with its blank appeal, headed, "We leave a blank space here, which it is desirable to see filled with names and amounts, of pledges of annual payments." In connection with this singularly embarrassing blank (about five inches of white paper in one column, which has appeared for two months or more,) there is a call for yearly donations to the amount of five or six hundred dollars, which sum it is said is necessary, added to their receipts from subscribers to sustain the Herald. This branch of the Advent people have able ministers, and wealth, and their paper is conducted with ability. It has taken in many respects, a straightforward, consistent course, well calculated to secure the confidence and patronage of those who go as far as it goes, and no farther. But strange to record, its yearly donations have not yet reached the sum of one hundred dollars! Certainly, the blank appeal, and all connected therewith, gives one the impression that the Herald is "on its last legs."

The "World's Crisis," has been appealing to its numerous subscribers and friends, since last October, in behalf of "The Tract Fund of the Christian Publishing Association," and the amount of donations up to this time is only about five hundred dollars. The Bible Examiner has gone down, and the Millennial Harbinger, and Sabbath Recorder struggle hard for a mere existence. We do not exult over their adversity. In their success, in extending the doctrine of the second advent, immortality alone through Christ at his second coming, and the Sabbath, we see, to a certain extent, our own. These in many instances prepare the way for the third message. We mourn, rather, that they do not keep pace with the fulfillment of prophecy, and God's opening providence, so as to give to the household meat in due season, that they may witness prosperity in all their borders.

Systematic benevolence has saved us from a dead halt as to the progress of the cause. The lack of system among our people, and the pressure of the hard times, were drying up their benevolence, and some of our preachers began to look around for hand labor to support their families. Systematic benevolence has enabled us to push forward still more extensive operations, notwithstanding the hard times.

But there is to us a painful side to this question. Satan will if possible, turn the benevolence of God's people to a bad account. And as we have borne a pointed testimony on the subject of benevolence, so has Mrs. W. we feel it our duty to speak out plainly in regard to those unworthy persons who would take advantage of our testimony. Some go through this country as peddlers, sharing the benevolence of the brethren, and think it a sufficient reason for such conduct, because they profess to keep the Sabbath. Others pass around in the shape of loafers. They seem to have no definite object, only to be well entertained, and accomplish nothing in particular, only the wearing out of their welcome as they move from place to place. There are others who have not the least claim on the benevolence of the brethren, who will recklessly start off, bag and baggage, and perhaps with horses and cattle in midwinter, and throw themselves on some church, where they know they will be dependent on them. And some of our preachers of little experience and judgment, instead of reproving such a course, will rather encourage, or at least excuse such moves in their relatives. We have recently received from Deerfield and Cleveland, Minn., a most heart-sickening report of such recklessness. Such movements often disgust sensible men and drive them from the Sabbath.

Some preachers who have recently come in amongst us, who know nothing by experience of the work in which they profess to be engaged, and whose heaviest burden seems to be how they can be supported, by their indolence, or their injudicious movements, drive more men off from the Sabbath, than they ever get on. And it is our sad experience that nothing will sooner hurt such men than for the brethren by their benevolence to free them from all care and responsibility in regard to support. Those preachers among us whose labors have amounted to any definite sum have felt their way along, and, to a great extent, have borne their own weight, till they have established a reputation among our people as successful and judicious laborers. It is painful to write these things. But as we have taken the responsibility to push forward systematic benevolence, it is our duty to watch the result, and reprove a reckless expenditure of what is conscientiously put into the treasury of the Lord. Some will bear a pointed testimony in regard to this or that, and advise this or that course, without proper caution, or reference to the results, and appear to feel no responsibility in the matter ever afterwards. We repudiate such a course as unworthy any man who professes to "watch for souls as they that must give account." Our people have great confidence in their preachers, or, at least, should be able to safely confide in them. Their testimony has a decided influence upon them, hence our preachers should take a blameless course, and be exceedingly cautious in giving advice, especially outside of their calling.

Systematic benevolence with our people is a thrifty and tender plant. All our preachers should be guardians of it. Its definite object is the advancement of the third message. If our preachers appropriate it to other objects, they will discourage the brethren, and the system will go down. That tithe of all our increase, conscientiously and systematically cast into the treasury of the Lord, is a sacred trust. It is holy unto the Lord. Take care, then, friends, how you appropriate it. It is a most solemn duty of our brethren to know how their money is to be appropriated before handing it out; whether to meet immediate wants of preachers to enable them to bear the message, to spread abroad the truth; or whether to build houses, and improve lands, help unbelieving children, or to feed and clothe the indolent. We expect censure from a certain class for our plain remarks. What use to be always firing, and never hitting? The fluttering of the bird is the best proof that the shot has hit. We have been charged with selfish purposes in systematic benevolence. Facts for our friends may be proper. We pay more than thirty dollars annually into the B. C. treasury, from which we have never received a penny, and receive from other churches when laboring with them only to meet traveling expenses. All surplus has gone either into the missionary fund, or the Publishing Association. If any person, who shall read this, can point to one instance where we have been personally benefited by systematic benevolence, if they will write out the facts, we will give them in the Review. If they cannot, then let the mouth of him who "loveth and maketh a lie," be stopped.

Our efficient men, who have given their whole being to the cause, should be fully sustained, and every proper means should be used to encourage suitable men to enter the field; but in our opinion it is time that we as a people should cease paying a high price for untried men. There are those among us, some who have formerly been preachers, who could be efficient laborers could they enter the field with consecration and faith, who seem to be waiting for the church to set them free from worldly care, and send them out. But such can be of no real service to the cause until they feel "that woe is unto me if I preach not the gospel," and, under a deep sense of their duty to, and undying love for, their fellow men, they move out trusting in God. When they do their duty, and show themselves approved unto God, they will find their faithful brethren ready, to joyfully supply all their temporal wants.