The Natchitoches enterprise., 1899-03-02
THE SLAVERY OF DEBTS.


The second blessing OF labor Is TO
keep man free from debts. IndeDeEd-
ent. never slave 10 anybody-Wbai!
will exclaIm touchy gentleman who
81 les not by The sweat of his brow; a
%EsOf living which he considers rather
fc0snsfI5s7 an. but bs es1ifTucting
what he calls his honorable <debtsAand
never paying; way of living which ne
considers more consonaDt With ''hOnOr
bright" and enlightened self interest,"
What! The idea Gf nv being slave 10
anybody! / am every inch free man.
My friend, man who owes TO an
other man, is in true sense slave to
that man, and that is. all the world over
called tie slavery Of debIs.-Whvl will
he reply; thought that a man is
slave only when he belongs body and
soul TO another many. You are mis-
taken, my friend. IA man cannot and can
neveI belong BODY ard soul 10 another
man; only his work belonged TO an
other man until he could be redeemed,
and for that be was slave 10 him In
like manner YOUR work belongs 10 your
creditor, and until you pAJ, you are
likewise. in true sense slave to hin.
The old slave was bound to work for his
master until redemption or death; the
debt ridden man Is bound to work for
bis creditor until payment or death.
Some people doubt whether the old
slave WIS IN conscience bound 10 work
fer bis master; nobody doubts that the
debt ridden man IL bound to work for
his creditor. You are no more every
Inch free man, when you sink one
inch into debts; and as you sink deeper
1u,H -
man, Can that man talk of his freedom
when shame compels him to stand back
out Of tue way of mis- creditor, not to go
his Own way straight on, but to turn
round and round In order NOT to meet
bis trowRing creditor Can that man
talk Of his freedom WREN shame CON-
pels him to keep away from the society
of his friends as AN outcast because be
borrowed money from them and cannot
pay? Can that man talk Of his freedom
when anxiety for debts lie pryIng on him
day and night; man can sleep of the
WEAKNESS of labor, but he cannot sleep
OF the wearinees of debts; "that Ghost
will not down. The Apostle ST. Paul
gives rule for the wise; here is the
rule: lowe no man anything but
Charity. Do you want to be every Inch
ArC Iudu OW0 HO ulSu 0uytUID0 Dut
charity. Do You cherish your hofor
and the honor of your family, owe no
man snythiE& butieharity. 40 you wiah
10 i've and die In peace owe no man
anything but charity. For the love of
God can be the servant of all bat the
slave to anybody, never! and that means
simply that must and shall keep out
Of debts.
THE DIOCESE OF NATCHITocHEs FREE
FROM DEBT.
It's stubborn fact that, except in
honest meTchaniIle transactions, debts
are slavery and humiliation. THANKS
to God, the Diocese of Natchttoches
steers clear of that slavery and humiIl-
alton. The only man who has q right
to put debt, mortgage or servItude on
Church property Is the Bishop; and,
before bow down to that slavery and
humiliation, | will 90 down to nv grave.
A debt ON Church property | do not
make. do not allow and I do not re-
cognize; and. that settles 1t.
THE CURSE OF DEBTS.
Now, | make an appeal to our fam
iliea, an earnest appeal 10 stand as free
from debts az their Church Is. Our
Christian homes should not be under