The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1806-11-28

ieives. t.lried he he that docs the ealt wrong
te the Granger, treat the Granger as yourief."
The reitretion then was applicable TO the
Granger, who reGded in Ifrael !; the fcripturc
puts him under the fafety of Cod-Thc fran
ger is facred eueff, whom God has command
ed us to treat as the widow and the orphan.
IL IS evident then that the text which fays &c en-
:" franco fsrnerabis ct .fratri tuo non fraerabiJ"
is to be applied only to foreign nations, with
whom we are engaged in commerce and in
this fenie the fcripture while allowing intercit
to he taken from the ftranger, does not mean
exceiiive intereh, opprefiive to him who pays,
and fcandalous to him who receives il. g Non
+" HeiGHs Ifraelites, Fay the Doctors, njitras i'm
" moderatas exigere 0b ex.raneiS, ethan dviti6ns,
" res Ell per Sc nota."
Notes in being the legillator of the Jews,
was not 70 for the world. The laws which he
gave to the people con6ded to him by God,
could not be fuppofed to be laws for all the
world. " You fhall not take any ntereit from
your brethren" What fecurity had he, that
in the relations which were to be formed be-
tween the Jews and foreign nations, that the
latter would renounce the cufoms of commerce,
and lend the Jews without intereft it could
not be fuppofed that he would facrifice the in
terefts of his own people who were poor, for
the purpofe of enrchng foreign nations. 1t
is abfurd to blame him for the reRri6lion made
in his precept of the Deuteronomy. What le-
giilator would not have conlidered it as princi-
pal of natural reciprocity? How greatly fupe-
rior IN this inttance is the legination of NOTES,
how much more Gmpe, more noble, more
ljnff, and more humane than that OF the Greeks
and Romans Were there ever feen among
the ancient Jews, any of thofe fcandalous and
cruel icenes occalioned by memorable creditors
Were there among the Greeks and Romans,
any of thofe frequent additions Of debts, for
4 he of &c
people, reduced to wrctchednefs and driven TO
defpair by the exactions of the Prsesors as were
feen among the Jews?
The legiflation of Notes, and its interpreters
have with laudable philanthropy dhinguifhed
the different ufrs of borrowed money. Ifitis
borrowed for the fupport of the family, the in
tereit is prohibited. 1t is permitted when the
| loanis made for commercial purpofes, which
endanger the capital of the lender This inte-
ref is permitted even from Jew to Jew. Lend
to the poor, fays Mofes, gratitude is in this cafe
the only intereft, and the reward for The fervice
rendered is the fatisfaction of having rendered
it. tits quite different with regard to the rich
who employ large capital in extenlive trade :
in this cafe, he allows the lender to become an
Allocate with the borrower and fince there
was fcarcely any trade among the Ifraelites,
who were exelutvely engaged in agriculture, &
iince what trade there was, was carried on with
foreigners, that is to fay, with neighbourns
nations, it was to partake with them in the pro.
fits ari(ing therefrom.
This caufed M. de Clermont Tonncre to de.
| liver thefe remarkable words in the conftitueni
aiiembIy. Sc Uiury, it is fsid, is permitted to
the Jews. This aiiertion retts only on the falfe
Interpretation of a principle of benevolence and
fraternity, which forbids them to lend on in.
tereft to each other. This opinion, is that
of Putfendorf and of many Jurifprudfs. It'll
incon,rovertibe that ntereft is permitted among
Jews when it is for mercantile purpofes, in
which the lender, by running ihare of the
hazards, which the borrower runs, Allocate.
himtefalfo with him for his profits. This i.
the opinion of all the Jewifh Doctors
1t may be noticed that the opinion contrary
to local morality which Rabbic may have
given, can by no means induce one to judg,
untavourably of the Jewih doctrine in general
no more than fmilar ideas pronounced b,
Catholic TheologiHs, would influence the Evan
gelical doctrines.
! The fame may be Eaid of the imputatior
fpread acsinft the Hebrews, that thew have 2
propeniity for the Infamous trade of ufurv. II
| cannot be denied that there are fome, vet 2
very Insignificant number, who follow tina,
ihametu! commerce prohibited by law; but il
very few deviate in that regard from the law. j.
1t not unlnft to charge 100000 individuals with
the fame vice? Would it not be uniui to
charge all the Chrifians with the fame becauir
Tome are guilty thereof?