The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1869-06-26
CORRESPONDENCE.
Are We a Christian Nation +?

solution adopted by the New England labor
convention recently held in Boston Re
solved that We agree with the teachings or
The Christian Bible that those who tax,
interest ON money cannot enter the kingdom
81 IOd.' While iew have the presumptu
Jus folly 10 claim that We are a nation Of
Christians, there are thousands Who really
believe that we are a Christian nation
That is, that cur Institutions aud laws are
founded upon the moral laV, as given %
Moses through the inspiration Of God him
self and that they are Interpreted ana adj
ministered III the same spirit Of jus Aat
they we're ~ the prophets, and yg Christ
and his apostles, and by the rulers who
have mi1.bat, through tLo modern teachings
Of the church, and tie practice Of protesting
Christians, without stopping 70 question CT
examine tile foundation upon which X rests.
AIl Christians profess u accept tle Scrip
lures Of tie Ola and New Tesiaments Is
their rule Of faith and practice Paul sag
thst ~ Scripture II given by Inspiration ~
God, and Is profitable for doctrine, FOR re
proof, for correction, and for instr uction in
righteousness.
NOW, usu-y or interest i4 sanctioned ov
Cur avs, state ana national, permitted by
,he church, and praotlcei alike by rulers
aud people, by pro.essad Christians and
ay0v ~d udd.ls It may w proper ~ re-
mark az t..s point that the word a" usury, ="
AS employed n she Scriptures, means any
r4.u WI interest Or increase however low.
NaTt L1T tLe purpose ~ determining Ehe-
Cher OF not We are Christian nation, aud
whether .he declaration 10 The resolution i
supported by tbe doctrines vi the Bible,
vl proceed I. give the teachings u the
Scripture on usury Or interest " In the
sweat of tay iace shalt thou eat bread III
lr1u return WY lng ground" GeS. iIi, la.
Ffom th,s understand that labor Is ~ %
,ae laws ol our king, and that ne man las a
rga. Ky iva without work. or % aFpr- pirate
.ae products r the labor w others without
restoring au equivalent Remember toe
Sabbath pay N keep d holy. Thou
shaIt u5t AHL Thou slait not -aa- Tla
shalt aot coygt anything ttat is
chr neighbours" FIX. ks, s, I3, D. and n.
If, in the interprs .ation of the foregoing conf
mandments, wg apply the same ruie tAat the
Saviour Oh ,in explaining tie one f.rlddug
adultery, 30 win, think, be conceded laaf
usurv. Ur.I0tgrest. violates a.l 0t tutm-If,
indeed nJt tle whole dec4.uEue. lt aeCu-
initiates W. TIE Sal bath, steals from the
la5orers che products Of their toll, aud h.l-
chem by taking away their means lf sl1,i--
fence and M ~ tle yarv e.-cata uf envat-
business ana .luatrg. AlI 0i whfcl.w.. la
hereafter shown from the teaching of the
>rr ptures, and che practices q the prophets
Christ ana his apostles ana Jhg primitive
Christmas
lt tbau Tend money to any 0f mv people
that d, plor by thee, thou ,lal. not be 90
him al au,arHr, neither shalt thou Dam upon
tim u-urT" EE. XAH, -J. A- CHRISTIANS
ara Gods people. Aud f -ry brother ue
waycn poor ana fallen in decay with thee
thou shalt relieve bin, yea, llough he DE-
strang 0r ,Hilurner that le may lve
wfth rue. 1ake thau n0 usury from h.m
1r increase, but fsar Jhy Gld, that thy
brother may i've with thee. Thou shalt'nOt
give BAN tby money upon u,ury, nor lend
rtm tHy vietua.s I0r Increase,' Lav. NEy-
a6 3- ANA a--
Taou Shalt n1t lend upon usury to thy
brother; Usgry % money, uSury Of wctua s.;
u-ury No anything that Is lena upon uSury.
Blt ultu stranger thou mlresy le1d Up1n
u-ury hut Onto thy brother thou ,HaIl uot
lend upon u.urv As Nv this pas
sage, which is the only one in the Scrip
t4re- .hai authorizes the taxing M HsuTy or
interest, the luw- We're permitted tl take
usurr from strangers. ID becomes proper t1
show the manner IN which they were e0m-
ulnted 90 treat these strangers or heath lem
Ivy other respects. Both thy b0ndsman
lHi bmd.matis which thou shalt have. shall
le ~ the heatueu round about YOU 81 them
shall Sc buy boudsmen and bondsmaids.
Ard ye Shall take them as an inheritance f0r
yalr children after you l0 inherit them ANTI a
possession, they snail be your b0nisn-n
forever; but over your brethren tie children
Of Israeli yc shall not rule one over an0-
theI w.ta rg0r," Lev XIV, Az and 46-
Here WIN fnd that usury and slavery are
treated ss identical. TIE Jews were COM
maudod to enslave those from whom they
were permitted Oh take usury Or interest.
am persuaded Chat careful examination ol
.ue subject wiiI convince any disiute-es-el
mind CHAT tbc principle and pTsc cal results
M these two systems are one and the same
under aiL c.-umstances Blt there IN no-
ching iu these passages of Scripture t1 afford
the slightest grounds Of Justification for the
practice Of either usury 0r slavery by any
Cnustian, for, under the Gospel disper a.
l1n, DYE 4. bound ~ recognize and treat All
mankind as lis brethren. have thus DIV
scented a few 81 the precepts Of tn moral
hw upon the question Of usurv or interest
This law stands unrepcalet end Is a. bind
ire upon us as n was upon the g-ws. J EiI
show h0E these precepts were Interpreted
0y the prophets and administered by the
rulers VINO respected tue law.
David. in describing 4 citizan Va Zion.
says, hg that puttetn not ono hls money
% usarv nor taketh a reward against the
innocent shall never be moved" Is
hot The Inference p ain that he chat putteth
out his mo.ey E3 usury shall be moved -
that hs house ~ built upon the sand The
prophet, ia describing the just nan, says,
4 lie that hath not given forth upon usrry,
nJr ha.h taken increase no .s just
ap sba surely TIVE, saith the Lord Goa, w
Eek. xviii. s and g. TOE same prophet, n
his description of the reprobate, says, " He
.hat hath given forth upon usury- ami hath
taken increase, Shall he then livg lle shall
aot livo FL bath done All these ab9mina-
tons be shall surely die Bis blood shall
De upon him, r.ak xviii, Il B.
Jerusalem 4s the sea. 0f thc JEWISH
theocracy ~ government, and il frequently
used By the sacred writer's for the nation IT
people. he prophet, IN his catalogue Of
sins committed 10 Jerusalem or BY the Jew
ish nation, REGIONS usury among the most
aUvm,nabla crimes lie says, IN thee
have they taken usary and incr W. Thou
hast greedy gained q thy neghbor BY
axl0Ftion, ana hast forgotten me, saith the
LORD Col l,ehoid ! have smitten my hand
Ut thy dishonest gain which thou hast mad,
AID ~ IL. hlnnd WHICH hath heen In The