The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1876-06-02
ELEMENTS OF CHRISTIANITY
A Sermon by Rev. w. F. Cook.

citizens, we publish the following
extract from a sermon delivered by
Rev. w. L, Cook, in Atlanta Trims
ty Methodist Church
Stephen, the Martyr, was a man
of "honest report" Christian man
must be scrupulously, scripturally
honest. If he is not an honest man.
his profession is a sham and his
prayers a mockery before God. He
is a Lppocritc aud deserves to be so
branded. Christianity has suffered
much in the past, and is suffering
much to day from the conduct of
members Of the church in this re-
spect that its position in this matter
cannot be too frequently and too en-
phatically stated. The man who is
unreliable il. the transaction of bust
ness, who would take advantage of
The ignorance or necessities of others
to increase his gains, wh3 would
make promises only to break them,
who borrows money not to be repaid
or buys goods OF supplies without a
probability of paying for them, or
who fails in business by course of
faIsehood and fraud to wrong his
creditors, that man is no christian,
and if he bears the name, he bears it
dishonesty, deceitfully, hypocriti-
cally. This is the test by which the
Christianity of our day is being
tried in all the important business
circles Of the country. 1t is the
hour and power of the evil one in
opening and smoothing the way for
men to turn aside from the path of
strict integrity. Never in the his
tory of the civilized world were such
facilities for avoiding the payment of
debts, and very rarely has it been SO
hard to keep out of debt Put these
two things together and how strong
the temptation to turn aside from the
right path.
There may be and doubtless are
some circumstances under which an
honest christian may have to avail
himself of the stay laws and banks
rupt acts. But there will not be the
slightest faint of fraud or falsehood
in the transactions, if he makes an
agreement, it will be an honest one in
the sight of God. If he compounds
with his creditors, it will only be to
deal fairly and equitabIy with all,
and if he accepts the legal discharges
he does it only that he may have the
better opportunity of meeting the
moral obligation, resting upon him to
pay the last farthing.
The spectacle that is sometimes
of men who have failed,
made assignments and been released
by compromising with honest credi,
tors, afterward living in elegance
and even ahIuence such as many of
their suffering and dcfrauded credi>
tors, never thought of utterly uncon-
cerncd about the losses they entailcd
upon others and with never
thought Of making restoration though
amply able to do so, is an unblushing
shame, a brazen impotence Of dis
honesty under every law, which
every true man in community
ought to resent with Indignation
That man may grow rich by a
failure in business and increase his
personal estate by selling his debts at
ten cents on the dollar, and yet
maintain his responsibility, is para
dox in political economy that only
Satan could have invented, and is a
libel upon the honor that should ex
list among thieves.
No, no, my brother; if yoa ever
had the property of another, and
used it, and it was lost by no fault of
his, and he suffered by yonr fault or
your misfortune, and you should
ever, in the Providence of God have
the means Of restoring it, and refuse
to do 50 because the law had releas~
ed you, you may certainly expect if
there is any force in the moral pre-,
cepts of the Bible, to answer at the
bar of God for a violation of the
EIGHT commandment.
And here is the rub in this matter.
A man is by no means, prima facie.
a dishonest man because he fails and
effects the best settlement he can.
But when a man feels free from NOR
al obligation TO pay what he owes,
simply because the law has cancelled
the legal obligation, he is either dis
honest at heart or culpably ignorant
Of what the law of God requires.
do not know that public sentiment
would go this for, but | can reach no
other conclusion as to what the re-
ligion Of the text requires, and it is
unsafe for a professed Christian to
relax his notions in this matter.
1t is to be feared tina. the chance
for compromising has superinduced
failures even where no intention to
defraud exists. Let man feel that
no law can release him that if he
fails he is still under obligation to
pay the last farthing, and he will
mind how lie takes risks where the
interest of others is at stake.
The Christian must be man OF
"honest report" He imperils his
soul and inAicts as painful most dams
aging reproach upon the cause of