The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1890-05-17
Debts.


debts contracted by professors of re.
ligion, and. perhaps. 1t will not be
deemed an improper thing If l arcede
10 the request. If / speak pIai3ly;
You will recognize the perfect pro-
Driety of clear words. 1t Is not my
purpose to add. esq you on the debts
Of churches. Much might he said
about these that would meet with
general approval; hut the request
made to me had reference to personal
obligations. and so, without design.
Ing at all to intimate that the former
are undeSerying of earnest consider
alton, | address you particularly con-
cerning the latter.
1t il not to be assumed that every
AAs.sn- who falls to- pay, his bills i-sdis-
honest. There are peoDle who are
greatly distressed because Of their in
ability to discharge debts which they
have contracted. Debtors are not all
to b. included in one class. There
are tlOse who owe money who can
and will pay when the obligation
mature. 1t would be absolutely
unjust b say that such people are
not hOnet. There are those who.
when Observation-Disclosures made, had no
reason to hink that they would be
unable to satisfy the claim at the
proper tine, aud who designed to
satisfy it,; hut events over which
they have rot had control have pre-.
vented then from paying the debt,
and while lhey have made every
possible flor. thev have been unable
to meet the obligation. 1t is cruel
aS well AZ unjust to charge such debt.
Ors with dishonesty. There are 9th
ers who had no reason to suppose
when they created the debt, that
they could discharge it. and who, as
the result has shown, have never
been able to satisfy the claim. nor
made any strenuous exertion to do
so. Persons of this class are, rs |
think, to be adjudged as either in.
tentiOnaiiy or carelessly dishonest.
There are yet Others whJ never had
any special purpose of paying the
debt they were making; and these
are unquestionably criminals.
Your case is included in one ot
these classes. If you have been led,
despite honesty of intention and
of consideration, into the
tfru,~t,on. of obligations which you
are utterly unable to meet, you are
to be greatly pitied. aud you are de-
serving. not of words of censure, but
of words Of sympathy. God knows
how honest your heart Is, how ear
nestly you desire to pay what you
owe; and he has pity for you. and
utters no harsh words against you
But If you have been guilty of the
infraction of that excellen: provision
found in the Generai Rules of the
Methodist Episcopal Church. .-"Bor
rowing without a probability Ot
paying. or taking. up goods with
out probability of paying fol
them" ,"-and are in consequence ir
debt when you ought not to be, ther
fault is to be found with you. The
transaction may not include evers
element of dishonesty (for I recog
nize the possibility and the conse
quent fruits of an imDerfectly educat
ed or DEVELOPED moral faculty. bu
it is not too strong thing to say tina
the transaction is to be regarded a!
reprehensihle. and as deserving O
clear censure.
And If you haye debts which yol
can pay and will not, and which yOl
will make no effort to pay. there Il
no difficulty in determining the clas
to which you belong. You are {
dishonest person, and you are 80 re
garded by God and by man. Ant
the sooner you distinctly apprehent
this. the better it will be for you anG
for the church with which you ar
associated. You may not he aware
of it. but the community has no con
fidence In your religious profession
not even If you give to the suppOr
of the gospel. just as those whom yo'
have cheated have no confidence il
your business integrity. While yo'
may be making declarations of you
great love to God and to his church
the people are saying: PAY you
debts" And let me tell you further
that your profession will never d.
any good until you substa HtiatH 1t
honesty by honest dealing with you
fellow.men.
/ have heard these sentiments ad
Vanced wherever 1 have gone.
have learned that If a professor of re
ligion is notably dishonest, his pro
fession Is hurtful to the cause q
Christ, and / have reached thes
COnclURinna.