Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1858-03-23
COMMUNICATED.

III ~ ~ 80 49,
Of the Christian Churches to demand, exact,
or receive Usury~, "-appeared not long since
10 the Culpeper Observer, aid lis views and
positions have been uch talked Of, and ex'
cited no little attention 10 the neighboring
country, where it has been read. It's farther
extension amcng the people, for the consider,
alton OF all, is much desired, and its reput-
"licaii,n is therefore respectfully requested 10
the Alexandria Gazette. MANY.
CulEeper County, March Is, 1858.
In every civilized and christian country,
laws have been enacted in regari u interest,
and It's rates have been established. The
denoralIzing and corrupting influences OF
riches aud money lending, bave ever Teen
seen aud felt, and acknowledged by all good
people in all ages. Human nature is 81 sci.
fish and depraved, that the rich, unrestrsin-
ed, will o press the poor. The rich ruieth
over the poor, end the borrower is servant Il
the lender" In our Courts of Justice, all
agree as TO the proprlety aud wisdom OF the
usage, that "a man shall Dot be allowed ~
give testimony 10 his own case: SO, such Is
ibd y SoDiiiNI ~ ~ bhS SOSu thScb
humaneIy ard wisely decreed, both by divine
and human law, that each individual shall
not be permitted t. fix the interest or rate
of interest, ne Is to receive. Thus 1t was
expressly and clearly written 10 the Statute
b jok Of ii .ayen, By the divine Lawmaker
IF thou lend money to any Oi my people
that is poor, by thee, thou shalt not he TO
him rs a usurrr. neither shalt thou lay upon
hin ury."-Exodus. 22nd Cnapter and
25.h Verse. And again 1t IL written IN LIE
vItlcus, 2j,h Chapter and 30th Verse: "lt
thy bIother be waxen poor, aud fallen lr de-
cay with thee, then thou shalt relieve him,
yea, though he be a stranger aud sojourner,
that he may live With thee. TnOu shalt not
give hin thy money on usury, nor lend him
tiny ~yictuals Tor increase" About forty
,ears alter this period, as if to make the ex-
i,ting statute u little more comprehensive, In
Deuteronomy, 23rd Chapter and l9;h Verse,
| It is written: Thou shalt not lend upon
u,ury t. thy brother; usury OF money, usury
of ~vIctuals, usury OF any thing that is lent
upon usury. Unto a stranger thou mayest
lend upon usury; but unto thy brother thou
shalt tot lend upon usury; that the Lord thy
God may bless thee in oil that thou sette,h
thy hand to in the land whittier thou goeth
to possess IT," Nearly a thousand years az
ter tbs, God ~ his Prophet Ezekiel, 18th
Chapter aud 9th ers', describing the just
and good man, us,s this language: But If
a man be Just and d. that which is lawful
and right, aud hath not oppressed any, but
hath restored to the debtor HE pledge, hath
spilled none by violence, hath gwen his
i.,-I .. ,H. prr,rr .ni hath ,,Aral tha
naked with a garment; he that bath not
gwen forth upon usury, ueItaer hath taken
any increase, tbat hath Withdrawn bis hand
from lniquIty, hath executed true Judgment
between man and MAD, hath walked IN my
statues and hath kept my Judgments, ~
deal truly: he Is Just, he shall surely live,
saith the l. ri q a." The same Prophet, at
II latter date, Ezekiel, 22nd Chapter and
18th Verse, uses TINS stroug, denunciatOry
and emphatic language: Thou mast taken
u,ury ana increase, and thou hast grcedily
gained Of thy neighbors by extortiCn, aud
nast forgotten me, saith the Lord GJd. Be
hold. therefore, | have smitten my hand at
the dishonest gain which thou hast made,
ADD ut thy blood which hath been in the
midst Of these. C.n thy heart endure or
can thy bands be strong IN the days that l
shalI deal with thee :"
The Bible WAS the only law book of the
Jews, aud God, unlike the lawmakers of the
present day, intended that all the people
should clearly understlnd his will and,
therefore, not only enacted these pain and
simple laws, but at various subsequent pc
RODS, that there might be no possibility Of
mistake, coadesceuded through bis Prophets,
-.-- =, ..rn %, "a 4, "a rnr ar TO-
Ter. 10 this day these laws are literally in-
terpretei and acted upon by all coDscientl-
Gus Jows-they take no interest Of their
poor brethren, but only Of strangers.
Wien aud Where were these statues OF the
divine law-makcr ever repealeif The Eng
iisb laws, by which our colonies were gov
erned, are still 10 force among Us, except
such as have been repealed by express sta
tute; and So the Ola Testament statutes are
as binding as ever on Us, unless II can be
clearly shown that they have been repealed
under the New Testament dlspeDsatIOn.--
The word usury occurs only twice in the
New Testament and ia both instances in the
parable Of the tn pounds. See Matthew,
18th Chapter AID 2Ttb Verse, and Luke. 18th
Chapter and BIRD Verse. Under the figure
OF a noblemau, the Saviour rebuked the lazy,
lndUIent man, who did not improve bis
pound by trading, but kept it laid up 10 a
napkia, and show ed that the excuse offered
by this man Tor his conduct, was not the
true reason. The man said to the nsbleman,
| feared thee, because thou art an auslere
man, thou taketh up that thou layest not
down, and reapest that thou d!dst not SOW"
And the noD4eman said unto him, "Out Of
thine own mouth vii! | judge, Tor Condemn
theel chou wicket servant. Thou knewest
that | was al austere ua0 taking up that |
laid Dot down, and reaplng that | did BOT
SOW, (That au accurate description OF a usur-
er = wherefore, tea, gaSest not thou my
money into the Bauk that at my coming |
might nave required nine " with usuryr"
|. is clear that relther this nor any other
scripture authorizes the e1aCtlDg Ut Illegal
~Intercst either Of poor brethren or strangers.
The Saviour taught that the powers that Do
are ordained Of GJd, and that he that resis.
teth toe powers or laws, receiveth damna-
don" Under this instruction, II is NANTES:
that it Is tee duty OF every Christian to re-
sprct and otey strictly the laHs enacted by
tue ) ate. O4IS l., prJtesSedIy, at least, a
Christian NaslUG aud GJgernmeut. Our sta.
tuies aud laws in many Instances are almost
literally Transcribed from the Billie, and it
was originally Intended by our fathers that
its spirit and teachings Mould ever perVade
our institutions and laws. According to
- . 80 b. -. & IL