Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1869-06-25
Is 10 Erpedieitt, or a Matter OF
Indifference for Christians TO
mn I'm ToLf p

Owe no man anything. Let not the sun
60 down upon the hireling unpaid, lest h
cry unto God and il become sin unto thee
are sayings found in the Scriptures.
Besides these, we think the whole tenor
of the Sc iptures is in keeping with the idea
that VIC should keep free from delft. The
very law of love 10 ons another would seem
to stand in the way Of this, especially when
we consider the uncertainties of everything
of a temporal or Pecuniary character.
Aside from the Scripture, teaching directly
upon this subject, we think that the same
out from the consideration that whatever
Injuries us, either by destroying our happi-
ness or usefulness, is manifestly wrong -
Now, can it be shown that to involve our
selves in debt does this? Nothing, We think,
is palmer than that such is the case In
the first place, if the man who is indebted
to his fellow man aud unable to meet his
liabilities, is at all sensible of the obliga-
ton resting upon him TO pay, and perhaps
his creditor very much needs and desires il,
he cannot be otherwise thah an unhappy
man. And TO a conscience, we'll Informed,
inability TO pay will not be taken as an ac-
quittance or release from the obligation to
pay. SO long, then, as This inability is upon
him, or any other preventing cause, his
peace must be, TO say tho least, largely
curtailed, and in these cases where the
conscience Is rs sensitive as il should be,
The individual win be little less than miser-
able. Is IL not then, on this account, a
matter Of duty that We owe TO ourselves to
avoid that in which there is not only pos
sblity, but strong probability Of the things
so much TO te dreaded, being realized. =
Bat suppose that the individual involved in
debt is so dead 10 a sense Of his moral
obligations as not to be disturbed by the
presence of such n state of things as we
have contemplated, and still occupying the
high position Of member of the church,
what must be the effect upon tho mind OF
his creditors, but that he is unworthy of
the name and character Of a christian.
And just here | you'll state that in my
judgment, the absolution from liability 10
pay, secured through the az ney Of bank
rupt laws or by other means, never absolves
man from such obligation at the bar of his
own conscience, or that OF his creditors,
but that it only affords him himsy cover
ing for tho time, out of which he is con
stra ned 70 lnOk with fearful foreSodings to
that day 'when Justice shall be laid to the
line and Tighteossness to the plummet."
But as no man has right to sell his D,oral
influence for. good, any more than he
has 30 destroy his own happiness, and less,
IL possible, il must be regarded rs wrong
to be in debt in view Of this latter objection,
also.
But again, to SEQ that the. tendency Of
the thing objected TO in this report, ID evil
and that continually, we have only TO look
at It's influence upon society, and. the well
being Of communities at larl e.. lie who
allows himself to depart from this rule viii
too often find himself doing so with de-
gree Of prodigahsy, little in keeping with
his rcuinstencos, and the result Is too of
ten, tat his prodigality is wide extended in
It's influence upcn others, The opposite OF
what we insist upon has evca been foen 10
he in the strietcst keeping with the prime.
ples Of social n political economy.
But I must ,lsse by commencing this.