The Dawson journal., 1883-08-23
BE HONEST TOWARD GOD.

1.-THE following was written for
the Wesleyan Christian Advocate
by the Rev. Geo. S. Johnston. of
Dawson:
Mr.. EDIToR:-A few weeks ago
l read an exceptionally well writ
ten article in one of our leading
church papers, in which the wri-
ter INDUCED in some just and caus-
tic animadversions on the evils of
the times.
In the main, his points were
well taken, and his reasoning CO.
gent and ScripturaL and one could
not help admiring his honest cam
dor, and the epigrammatic point
with which he proclaimed against
moral dishonesty, a species of
which he claims to have discovered
within the pale of the church
But as little leaven leaveneth the
whole lump, and as single fly
may spoil the apothecary's pot of
ointment, even so did that writer
neutralize the good effect of an
otherwise well written article, by
the insertion of a paragraph con-
tanning erroneous teaching, and
very hurtful, because coming from
a high source. / do not propose a
review of said article, FOR, as al
ready intimated, with single but
serious exception, we agree with
the writer. AS our purpose is
therefore to correct error, and as
far as may be done, undo the evil
done, we shall avoid anything of a
personal character that would To-
cate the writer, unless the quota
ton of that isolated paragraph
should discover him. We are
goaded to this task because of the
fact that already the error Of the
writer referred to obtains to an
alarming and troublesome extent
in the church Of to-day.
In speaking Of the contributions
of members of the church to the
support Of the institutions of the
church, when they themselves are
in debt, he says: "a man in debt
ought to repent for disobediencet to
Gods plain commands, and then
live and dress plain, and give his
life and energy exclusively to the
payment of his debts. Such a
man has positively nothing to give
to the missionary or any other
cause. He is not only a poor man,
butiadebt. Theft is no part of
the Divine plans for converting
the world. One of the objects
God proposes to accomplish by
converting the world, is to make
men morally honest"
Now, to the first part Of this pa
ragraph [ can give my unqualified
endorsement, but, beginning with
the words, "such man has posi-
lively nothing to give to the mis-
sionary or any other cause" [ feel
called upon to demur in the inter
est of the church.
We maintain that this teaching
is hurtful in the extreme; men are
too ready now, and always have
been, to avail themselves Of the
most fimsy excuses for not contri-
buting of their substances to the
support of the church and her
institutions.
Besides, there is a difference of
opinion among men as to what
constitutes debt, what is meant by
being in debt. Instance: A few
months ago a pastor of a certain
charge called on one of his promi-
nent male members for a contribu-
ton to the conference and mission
airy collections. He replied that
he would not give anything, that
he "must be just before generous"
he said that he was in debt, that
he had recently bought Il tract of
land, for which he was to pay sew
eral thousand dollars, that he did
not intend to give anything to any
cause until he had met that obli-
cation and paid for that land,
when it was true that this man
owned more than one thousand
acres besides this new purchase.
When the preacher demonstrated
with this man, telling him that he
was not properly in debt, he re-
piled that he was, that he was
compelled to meet the obligation
in a given time, and that to all
practical intents and purposes, he
was debt. Now we undertake to
say that this man did not take an
extreme or uncommon view of the
subject of debt, and that he repre-
SCENTS very large class of men and
members Of the church: Finan-
cial men, Of every city, and town,
and hamlet, and rural district,
would call such contract debt.
By this class Of men the unfor-
tunate teaching constituting our
text will quickly be made to serve
the purpose of vindicating them
for not responding to the calls of
the church on their liberality.-
Yet, it is plainly to be seen that
pursuing the policy of the brother
referred to, a man might go
through The world, stretching his
| arms "lille seas to grasp in all the
Shore" till he should own all but
The last arre on this terraqueous