Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1879-11-13
Vol. XIV. Whole No. 1921. No. 46.
The Church and the Mortgage.

We have no record that Solcmon's Tem-
pie had any mortgage on IL. Solomon
was . shrewd financer. and taxed the peo-
pile heavily = pay his enormous bills. To
| sell that Temple under foreclosure for de-
fault Ia payment OF interest would never
have been popular proceeding. Had a
foreign creditor attempted 1t he would
have had more difficulty than a modern
landlord In Ireland has In collecting rents
from dissatisfied tenants. The lsraelite
who would have tried 1t would have been
most unceremoniously run out Of Jeruss-
| lem.
| Our church builders have not been able
to command as much cash as Solomon
| found II easy to raise. Nor have they In
every case been blessed with the wisdom
| OF the royal financier. Solomon did not
build half a dozen competing temples in
each of the little towns In Palestine, TO
furnish fields of starvation for as many
| priests and levites. Hs did not rsiy for
his building funds on subscriptions taken
| under circumstances OF great enthusiasm
and subject to ninety per cent OF shrinka.e.
The builders OF the churches OF the present
generation have aimed at the Solomonlc
style OF ecclesiastical decoration, and when
charged with extravaganza In cut stone,
carved oak or colored window-2 lass, have
answered 10 the effect that they ought TO
give 10 the Lord the very best they have
aud that which cost them something.
Perhaps the more correct way 10 put this
would be to speak of giving the Lord the
very best they can lay hold OF and that
which cost their creditors a substantial
sum. For unfortunately in q msjJriiy Of
cases the architectural offerings are only
coustructiveiy the belongings of those who
thus dedicate them TO tho Lord. while
actually being the property Of people who
have not been paid for them.
1t often happens that church has not OF
itself sufficient credit with banks or insur-
ance companies to borrow what 1t needs.
In such case 1t has to ask some of its
wealthy members TO give their joint or In
dividual bonds. Many cases are on record
In which church members have kindly lent
their names TO this purpose aud have been
pounced upon by the church creditors. A
notable case of this kind occurred In Brook
lyu, where ten years ago half dozen men
who were then wealthy sigued their names
to 4 church bond to make the payment Of
the mortgage more secure. All these men
are now bankrupt, not one of them having
any property which legal proceedings can
reach. The church building has been tax
en- by the savings bank which held the
mortgage and cannot be sold at any price.
In New Jersey the latest development In
connection with church debt is the despair
and suicide of trustee, whose same Is on
a twenty thousand dollar church bond.
The Indebted church was unsuccessfn fni and
could not meet its interest. Foreclosure
followed, aud dissension among the breth-
ern. Legal complications intrude them
selves to such an extent as TO drown out
the voice OF prayer and praise. The un-
happy church Is in every condition 3
wreck.
From the pulpit ministers preach to their
congregations about ho6esiy and square
dealing. Advice is given To young men
and others To keep out of debt and 10 live
in ever so lowy way rather than to con-
tract Obligations which they may not be
able to meet. This counsel Is OF itself
good, bat comes with small force when de
Isered from the sacred desk OF a build
the lowest deptb of lbe- GQt~. cellar to n,e in..
These things ought not to be. The sooner
all our church affairs are put on cash
basis the happier Will be everybody con-
ccrned, unless perhaps it is Old Satan him
self, who loves church squabbles. smiles
approval at church endorsements and
howls with delight when a church fails in
business and has to close its doOrs.-Phil-
adelphia Times