p. 1 | Systematic Benevolence by James White

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Nov 29, 1864

Systematic Benevolence.

By James White

"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. xvi, 2. "For if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not. For I mean not that other men be eased, and ye burdened; but by an equality," &c. 2 Cor. viii, 12-14. "That the same might be ready, as a matter of bounty, and not of covetousness. 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 the cheerful giver." 2 Cor. ix, 5-7.

These texts relate to one purpose which the apostle was endeavoring to accomplish, which was, to send relief to the poor saints which dwelt at Jerusalem. We may learn from Acts ii, 44, 45; iv, 32-37, the reason why such assistance was needed by that church. They had expended their means in the cause of God at the very commencement of the work, and were thus reduced to poverty. Hence when Agabus stood up at Antioch, and signified by the Spirit that there should be a great dearth throughout the world, "the disciples, every man according to his ability, determined to send relief unto the brethren which dwelt in Judea; which also they did, and sent it to the elders by the hands of Barnabas and Paul." Acts xi, 27-30.

It was fifteen years after this, that Paul wrote to the Corinthians to engage them also in this benevolent work. In the text cited from 1 Cor. xvi, he proposes the method which should be adopted by the churches in the prosecution of this object. And in the texts quoted from the second epistle he shows the motives that should actuate them in this work. That the great apostle succeeded in this effort appears from Rom. xv, 25-31. "But now I go unto Jerusalem to minister unto the saints. For it hath pleased them of Macedonia and Achaia (Corinth was a city of Achaia) to make a certain contribution for the poor saints which are at Jerusalem." We have an account of Paul's visit to Jerusalem with this bounty for the saints. Acts xxi, 15. "And after those days we took up our carriages, and went up to Jerusalem." The word rendered carriage is literally baggage; and such was once the signification of the word in English. Thus much respecting the circumstances that stand connected with Paul's directions to the Corinthian church. It remains that we gather from these facts some instruction relative to our own duty.

If Paul found it essential to complete success, that method should be observed in raising means for benevolent purposes, it is certainly not unreasonable to conclude that we should find the same thing beneficial in promoting a similar object.

"Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store as God hath prospered him," &c. This implies, 1. A stated time for the business; viz., the first day of the week. 2. The concurrent action of each individual; for he adds, "let every one of you" lay by him in store. 3. And this is not a public collection, but a private act of setting apart for the Lord a portion of what one possesses. 4. The amount to be given is brought home to the conscience of each individual by the language, "as God hath prospered him."

The children of Israel were required to give a tithe, or tenth, of all their increase. See Lev. xxvii, 30-35; Num. xviii, 21, 24-32; Deut. xiv, 22-26, 28, 29; xxvi, 11-13; 2 Chron. xxxi, 5, 6; Neh. x, 38. And it cannot be supposed that the Lord requires less of his people when time is emphatically short, and a great work is to be accomplished in the use of their means in giving the last merciful message to the world.

Says the prophet, Mal. iii, 8-10: "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." It is time to cease robbing God, that we may receive the fullness of his blessing.

Who says that these "tithes and offerings" are merely speaking and praying in meeting? Away with such doubtful applications of Scripture. If the prophet Malachi is not here teaching the carrying out of the Israelitish system of tithing, he is certainly enforcing a duty of the same nature, and his words may come home to us with full force, and the principle be carried out by obedience to the language of Paul—"Upon the first day of the week, let every one of you lay by him in store," &c. Says our Lord, Luke xi, 42: "But woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass over judgment and the love of God: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone."

How may we reduce to practice these excellent suggestions? We recommend the following plan, which all, with very few exceptions, can adopt:

This illustration shows how the accounts are kept with the use of the Systematic Benevolence Blank Book. If the brethren give a tithe, or tenth, of their income, estimating their income at ten per cent. on what they possess, it will amount to about two cents weekly on each $100 of property. Besides this, let all who are able to do, give a personal donation for each week, more or less, according to their ability. This is necessary to include those who have but little or no property, yet have ability to earn, and should give a share of their earnings. While some widows, or aged and infirm, should be excused from personal, the young and active who have but little or no property, should put down a liberal weekly personal donation.

The above may do for a general rule, yet there are exceptions. Some of these we will name.

1. The aged, widows, and infirm, who are poor, and have but little or no income, should feel themselves exempt from this system of benevolence.

2. Those whose income is more than ten per cent. on their property can pay higher in proportion to the amount of their income. A tithe, or tenth, of their increase is just exactly one-tenth of the increase of their property. Has a brother or sister increased his or her property during the year the sum of $1000, a tithe would be just $100. Suppose they are worth but $3000, and place their figures no higher than those in the illustration, the draft on them would be only a little more than $30, when one-tenth of their increase is $100. If such, while professing to pay a tithe of their increase, place their figures no higher than illustrated, do they not annually rob God of more than $60? Can such expect continued prosperity in business,

and an overflowing blessing in their hearts?

The overreaching, godless miser, may go on unchastened, and prosper, while the chastening rod of our heavenly Father may fall heavily in love and mercy upon his erring children, who withhold from him what his cause requires. If they through love of this world rob him, it will be an easy matter for him to bring down their increase to their stingy figures. They are the Lord's. Their hands, faculty to accumulate, facilities to do business, lands, &c., are the Lord's. And while they take nine-tenths of their increase to themselves, will they rob God of the tithe, or remaining one-tenth? Again hear the prophet, "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."

But let it be distinctly understood, that it is systematic benevolence, not systematic compulsion, that we are advocating. The scriptures of the Old and New Testaments require free-will offerings. Our people are invited, none compelled, to enter the arrangement, and then left to assess their own property, and give such a percentage as they choose. The subject is set before them as scriptural, and reasonable, and necessary, that there may be equality in sustaining the cause; then all are left to act in the fear of God.

This system casts no burden on the poor, and disarms the rich of every reasonable excuse. It tests the sincerity of the wealthy, develops covetousness, and manifests the real friends of the cause.

The draft upon the poor man, should he put down the highest figures, is so very light that he would be ashamed to complain. And the rich man, who professes to believe that the present is the period for the last message of mercy to the world, would appear to ill advantage, as the veriest hypocrite, complaining of a system which calls from him only about one per cent. annually of his wealth, to sustain the cause of truth. Such men usually add, annually, from five to fifty per cent. to their property. Let such blush to talk of sacrifice while their property increases. A sacrifice consumes.

The first design of our system of benevolence was to sustain the cause, as may be seen by the following from an address from the Battle Creek church to the churches and brethren and sisters in Michigan, published in the Review, Feb. 3d, 1859:

"Dear Brethren and Sisters: We wish to call your attention to a plan of systematic benevolence, to support the proclamation of the Third Angel's Message."

This was the original design of our plan of benevolence, and we regard it as a very great error in departing from it in any degree. Numerous have been the drafts upon the treasury of this system. And as we look at the present state of our country, we may expect that calls upon our liberality will greatly increase, and the only safe course is to return to, and strictly follow out, the first design of our system of benevolence: namely, That the treasury be opened only to the maintainance of the cause of the Third Angel's Message. It is proper to here state that most of our churches have adhered to this course, while some have opened their treasury to almost every trifling excuse, and have had little or nothing to help sustain the cause.

We would say to our brethren and sisters in the several States in which they live, that after they have paid their taxes to support our civil government, with its benevolent objects and ample means of sustaining the unfortunate and the poor, if they feel it their duty to do more for the poor, do it independent of that, sacredly set apart to sustain the cause of truth, even if they do less for the cause. If it be necessary to divide your liberality, then let that consecrated to the cause of God, though it be a small sum, remain untouched, sacredly devoted to the cause for which it was designed.

This course, and it will be admitted, we think, to be the only proper and safe course, will do away with the necessity of the churches' appropriating only a certain proportion of their funds to their State Conference, as they will have no other use for them. They can place the entire amount in the hands of their State treasurer. Scattered brethren, where there are no churches, can do the same, in those States where there is an organized Conference. In those localities where there are no State Conferences, the churches and brethren can place their entire systematic funds in the hands of the General Conference treasurer, at the disposal of the General Conference Committee, who have charge of Missionary labor in such localities.

We earnestly recommend our system of benevolence to all who love the cause of the third message. We also recommend to churches, and to scattered brethren and friends, that they devote the entire amount of their system of benevolence to the cause for which it was first designed, and that it be paid over monthly, or quarterly, to the State Conference treasurers or to the treasurer of the General Conference, as above suggested. If in this case, there should be a surplus of means in the State treasuries, the State Committees could appropriate the surplus to the Missionary treasury.

Those churches that have to build houses of worship, and meet the expenses of lights, fuel, &c., and do not feel able to come up to the figures in our illustration of systematic benevolence besides, can at their annual meeting appropriate by vote such a per cent. of their entire s. b. funds to such objects as they think proper. But it is supposed that the instances where such a course would be necessary would be very few.

We also recommend to churches, and to individuals also, to re-arrange their s. b. figures annually. As the commencement of the year seems a proper time for this. Property should be put down at what the owner would sell it for in bank notes, provided he or she wished to sell it. Has property risen with the depreciation of our currency? Then mark it up. "Will a man rob God?"

We trust that it will be the pleasure of all our people to commence the new year with figures equal to their prosperity. Promptness, and unanimity of action is the strength of the system. J. W.