Owe No Man Anything by I. Sanborn

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Mar 26, 1872

Owe No Man Anything.

By I. Sanborn

“Owe no man anything,” says the apostle, “but to love one another.” Rom. 13: 8. This command must be as binding as any precept of the gospel.

As I look over the list of subscribers for the REVIEW in Wisconsin, I find about four hundred dollars due the Publishing Association, in sums varying from one dollar to nine; besides what is due on the Instructor and Health Reformer. Therefore, I hereby ask all the elders and deacons of churches, and all those who have been appointed leaders of meetings, to look after this matter.

I find that about two-thirds of this sum is due from those who have once been members with us, but, for some cause, have left the truth. You, who have the oversight of the work of the Lord, please call on all who are members, or have been, and see if they wish to continue to take the paper. If they do not, they can stop it as soon as they will pay what is due on it.

If the paster on their last paper is marked 39-1, they have paid to the first number of the present volume. But, if the figures are less than 39, they have not paid up to present volume. If, for instance, the figures are 36-1, that person is three volumes behind, and is owing three dollars, besides the fourteen papers on this present volume.

I see, by the list lying before me, that many of our brethren are behind, some two, others six, numbers on the present volume. We hope all will remember that if they get six months behind, it will be $2.50 a year instead of $2.00.

I hope all the brethren in Wisconsin will immediately attend to this matter and see that they do not owe for the paper they read. You expect the REVIEW to come to you every week whether you have paid for it or not. Please remember that the Association has to pay for the paper and ink and setting the type, even, while several thousand dollars are due from the readers of the REVIEW; and yet they are expected to send the paper to you as regularly as though you paid for it.

Now, do we not profess to love our neighbors as ourselves? And this, Jesus says, is to do unto our neighbor as we would have him do unto us. Are we doing this, when we are neglecting to send what we owe for the paper to the Office? Remember, Jesus says, “He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much; and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much. If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? And if ye have not been faithful in that which is another man’s, who shall give you that which is your own.” Luke 16: 10-13. May the Lord help all to read this thoughtfully and act accordingly.

I. SANBORN.