Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1871-11-07

prove tue PFWttce VI OIU 1aAci WIN FIHCtceu
usury on his brother Esau, and cheated,
swiudled him out Of his birthright for mess
of poitage That condemuable Instance Of
rascalty, however,-for it is condemned
throughout the whole Book has been too
faithfully initiated by mankind, from the era
Of jacob down through the ages to this day /;
SO prone arc all imitators to initiate the Uices
and not the VirtUeS Of Jacob or any body else
40 imitatoreS, scrvum recuS! at mihi sTpo
BileIn, sEpc jOcun veStri movirc tumultus."
We affirm, then, that the BibIc-Me Book
through the mouths Of all its law-givers,
judges, prophets kings, pSalmists, novelsts
aud poets, and philosophers, down to times of
the Saviour, who overturned the tables Of the
money.changCrs, md denounced them as
thieves, is standing monument Of the repro.
baton Of the Almighty Of all rsurCra and
usuiy' And, bo it remembered, When any
thing is denounced in the Bible, although the
reason may not BE- Rssigned, yet if VIC seek for
the reason it will always DO found consistent
with truth, justice, and the welfare Of man.
kind in this life and the ite to come. God
commands, aud though he does no! always US
Sign his reasons, his commands are always
based on Justice aud eternal truth Question
them when you will, you will not be able to
answer him one in L thousand y
TO begin, then, with the lawgiver, Moses,
who received this law against usury, as he did
the others FROM the mouth Of Gud, on Mount
Sinai in suoko and tire-aud when the words
used are "And the Lord spakc unto Moses"
you will fud Exodus 992d chap. 2jth verse
this law upon usury:
III thou lend money to my Of my people
that is poor by thee, thou shut not be to him
as usurcr, neither shalt thou lay upon him
usury y
Again, in Leviticus The same inspiration
continuing, and the sane God speaking, chap.
2jth, verses 50, Sc, 81:
And if thy brother be waxen poor. and
fallen into decay with thee then thou shalt
relieve him yru, MpNyh he be n stranger, or
u sojuu'ncr; that he may live with thee.
Take thou no usury of him, or increase
but fear thy God that thy brother may live
with thee.
Thou shalt rot give lin thy money upon
usury, nor lend him thy victnals Tor increasci"
Again, Deuteronomy, 23d chap, verses
10th and 2C;h:
"ThOu shalt not lend usury to thy brother;
usury or money usury or victuals, usury Of
any thing that is lent upon usury:
Unto Il stranger thou mayest lend upon
usury but uutJ thy brother thou shalt not
lend upon usury; that tho lord thy God may
bless thee in all that thou settest thy hand to
in the land whittier thou gOest to possess it"
before proceeding to iu,thCr quotations, I
will only remark here, that tho distinction
between lending upon usury to u "brother'
and 'fstrangcr' made in the foregoing is thus
explained by one OF the iuthcrs-St. Chrysos.
tom, think: lie says that it was the in;eu.
ton of God to destroy uII the IIcathens, whose
lands the chosen people were to occupy, with
fire aud sword and that he permitted usury
against them us moro dcs.ruGtivG-uS il is
than fire aud sword combined We, ourselves,
arc now feeling the force OF this reasoning
Neither fire or sword has yot destroyed US, in
the war wagel against us by the "ISaia!s;'
but if the eOntiscstiOu, III disguise, already
commenced against us, by contracting the cur.
rency from $40 to the head, to SlI.50 is con.
timed, and with usury Mt the ratio Of 10 per
cent whilo we only mako, by Wells report, .
per cent, or 81 ut most, our destruction will
bc speedily accomplished, and tho Saints"
will occupy our lands, just MS surely as The
chosen peop'c rooted out the llttieO, Ilivites
and Jcbusitcs
But to proceed with the quotations from
the book Again-and we now come to the
prophets; the men inspired by the Almighty
Il begin with Nchcmcah, aud will quote tho
9Th chap. down to tho Sth verse, rs it presents
vivid picture Of the Arvouriug curse Of usury
in tue destruction, uniOng, and ruin Of poo
pIs. This picture is now being repeated in
Virsinu, aud We here in West Va, will GER
tuinly have ours added to the list, unless tho
hand Of the uSurcr is stayed, and the stables
Of the money changers overturned "
"And there was great cry Of the people
and Of their wives against their brethren tho
Jews.
For these were that said. we, our sons, and
our daughters, arc many: therefore we take
up corn for them that We may cat, and live.
Some also there were that said, we have
morgagei our lands, vineyards, and houses,
that We might buy corn, because the dCarth.
These were also that said, We have borrowed
money for the King tribute, and that upon
our lands and vineyards.
Yet now our flesh is as the flesh Of our
brethGreu, our children rs their childen and
10, We bring into bondage our sons and our
daughters to bo servants, and some Of our
daughters are brought into bondage already:
neither is it in our power to redeem them
for other men have Our lands and vineyards.
And was very angry when | heard their
cry aud these words.
Then consulted with myself and 70.
buEed tho mobiles, and the rulers, md said
unto them, 20 exact WSary, every ono Of his
brother. And l set great assembly against
them"
Again in tho 10th verse: al pray you Let
US leave off tbs usuy"
Again, Ezekiel, 18th chap, md 9Th verse,
uttcring the message Of the lord, in regard to
tho "just man" who docs "that which is law
iul aud rights
"HC that hath not given forth upon u.ury,
neither hath taken any increase, that hath
Withdrawn his hand from iniquity, hath exc.
CutCd true judgment between man aud man, "
See Same, 18th verse. Also 22d chap:, 18th
verse. u
So much for the lawgiver and prophets, aud
now for tho psalmist, even David, the "man
after Gods own heart" la his beautiful de-
sCription Of tho man who should abide in tho
Lords tabernacle" aud dwell in his "holy