Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1869-09-18
a rnOu shall Not steal"

ment was to counterfeit the dlspO'
sitiun in man to trespasS upon the
property Of others. And when it
is remembered that more than half
of all the evils which have afflicted
the world in every age since the
fall of man, have grown out OF
this disposition, its Importance
cannot he questioned.
"To steal, is to take the property
of Others, without their knowledge
or consent, and apply it to our own
use. While robbery, house break
ing, pilferins, pmnder and pillage,
are the most fragrant breaches OF
the law, it may be violated in a
thousand ways of which human
laws seldom take cognizance. 1t
is violated by every species of
fraud by which our neighbor may
be injured in his wealth or prop
erty. In commerce, by false
weights and measures; selling &C.
Perforated commodities as sound
and coed; 10y an differentiation
of What we wish to purchase, and
concealing the defects of what we
wish to sell; by contracting debts
which we have no prospect of pay
ing, and neglectihg to pay them
when due; by breaches of trust,
in the case OF servants, guardians,
executors, or public officers, EN-
hczzling or sq%uandering any OF the
substance of others, or applying it
to their own use. 1t is violated
by trespaSsing on the property Of
others, ~ as to injure fences, gar
dcnS, orchards, plantations or corn.
fields; and by that disposition to
vulgar mischief which delights in
breaking lamps and windows; in
injuring on Gefacing public or pri-
vate buildings, walks and erna-
mental Improvements in hacking
and carving walls, wainscoting,
doors, signb0ardS and balustradeS,
1t is violated when we retain Dor
rOwed articles beyond a reasOna.
bic time, when we suffer them to
be ig,ug"d through negligence ;
when we circulate them from one
person to another, without the
knowledge or consent of the pro-
prietorS, and when we apply them
to purposes for which they We're
never intended, and which the
lender never contemplated. In
short this law is violated by every
species of idlencss, pride, vanity,
gaming and prodigality which has
Il tendency to %iniure the external
prosperity, either Of our own fam.
lily, or of the family of others"
Men fail to appreciate the nature
or the transcendant Importance Of
ne observance of this great fun
damental principle, "Ihou shalt
not steal,' in the economy of the
Ruler Of the Universe. While
they would, as jurymcn, condemn
. to the Penitentiary any one o
their fellows who should be proven
, guilty of stealing twenty dollars
they would be mortified if charged
with being equally guilty with TIL
condemned, by reason of a failur
to pay their debts, or by injurinj
the property Of their neighbOrc
Let all, especially those who pre-
; TESS to be christians, that is Christ
l like, be SIRE that taey are honest
for there is no such anomalous b.
, ing in TIE earth beneath or til
! heaven above, as dishonestchri
tan or saint. The man or woma
who expects to reach heaven wit
other mems property in their p0cl
2 cts, or that their moral Obligatio
1 to pay their debts can be cancelle
I by a corrupt bankrupt law, al
: morally insane and should b
t treated accordingly. 1t is ba
: enough for those who make n
9 pretensions to christianity to viz
: late The moral law, and thus il
tiict 3 wound upon the we'll bein
!, of soc'esT, but when those VIII
have taken upon themselves til
l name Of Christ "f0llow the multi
= tude to do evil" it is really blai
/, phemoGs. If men expect to e.
s cape the penalty which follows
h violation Of the divine law, by
5 compliance with human legisIi
> ton, that is inharmOnious with tn
requirements Of the moral Law
5 they will be undeceived when the
4 reach tie heavenly portals, b
having the enunciation thunderin
in their ears, "depart, We curse,
| never knew your Society ma
tolerate such violations of NOR;
law, and the churches may lowe
the standard of christian mora
:, beneath that which God has DE-,
scribed for the observance of a
l mankind, but 1t will not serve as
passport 10 the heavenly Canaa,
, for nothing impure can enter Their,