The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1889-05-23

many uSurerS III NOitd OiiiOiiu OIc
had as well sit by the = sounding sea,
when its surface looks like the mirror
of the Almighty SO calm and pure
and sublime, in its awful majesty and
peace. and declare that it has never |
been lashed by the Storm God until its |
foam crested pillows leapt upon one |
another mountain high, while flash
after flash of angry lightning kept an
accompaniment to its mighty roar.
When my friend desires again to per-
petrate a joke upou the public he ought,
having due regard for the feelings of
his fellowman, to select some less Sc
rious subject, some subject that will
not present a spectre train OF shattered
hopes, blasted joys and damned and
ruined lives. Says he:
"In the parable OF the talents the
man that failed to put his money into
the Bank and get interest (usury) on it
was called a wicked and slOthful ser
vant.'"
The object Of my friend in citing the
parable Of the talents could be none
other than to produce the impression
that the talents represented real money,
and that the servant was condemned
for not putting it in real bank and
obtaining interest (usury) OH the same.
He seems to overlook the fact that
the parable was exactly what it was
called-a. parable-a figure of speech,
a narration taken from the ordinary af-
fairs of life to illustrate spiritual
truth. Says Lange:
''The parable is concerned with chris
tians and not with the world at large.
"The talents spoken Of in the parable,
are gifts OF mind, wisdom, learning, gifts
OF grace The servant was told that
/ he ought to have taken his talent to
the exchangers By that was meant,
that those spiritual talents with which
God had endowed him might have, if
properly used, been quickened by con-
/ TACT with earnest leaders and members
of the church"
! NV friend declares with some gusto,
! s'because the servant did not put his
money Into the bank and get interest
! (usury) on it he was called wicked
and slothful servant
Every cxigetical and critical re-
viewer of this parable declares that the
condemnation meant that 1.-the ser
want had been slothful in the service
Of the spirit.''
! To construe the parable literally
would be profanation indeed, and l am
sure that r. W. II. would not have
profaned such holy thing, by literal
interpretation if he had studied the
matter as one might have expected
him to have done, before attempting tC
; instruct or edify the Dublic.
But taking the parable literally, the
construction of r. w. II. cannot bt
: sustained.
When the Lord said:
"Thou wicked and slothful servant
' thou knewest that reap where l sOwet
l not and gather where have not strewed
= Thou oughtest therefore to have put m.
money to the exchangers and then at m.
: coming should have received mine witt
usury.'
e He meant, says Dew Wette, Campbell
V and Canant to express surprise and dis
q pleasure at the servants impudence an
e unjust charge against him, and the
say, 1.-the sentence should be marke
e with al interrogation point,'' as above
e With this proper amendation tn
# declaration Of the Lord upon which m
n friend relies so exultantly, would rea
something after this manner:
d "Thou wicked, slOthful, and impude,]
- servant, if thou thoughtest that l rea
, where SOW not and gather where hay
g not strewed, las the usurers dO) the
>. thou oughtest to have put my money t
the exchangers so that, l might upo
my coming have received my money wit
y interest (usury)."
le In the parable of the ten pieces
d silver duke, XIX, 11-24) the servaI
le made the same excuse and endeavOre
te to excuse his want of deligence /
it charging his Master with being a
e austere man. said he, thou takest l
that. thou layest not down, and rea
ut est that. thou didst not SOW and tt
rs Master said in substance, thou pro
er est thyself liar out Of thine ow
as mouth, for. if thou thoughtest me &
a hard. austere man. wherefore gave
at thou not my money, into the bank {
ly the usurers who are hard, austere mt
re would have done) so that at my comil
E. l might have required mine own wi
m usury?''
[y The parable of the talents, (Ma,
XIV. l4-3O) and that of the ten piec
of of silver duke, XIX. ll-24) are ditfe
We ent in many respects as to the trut
lr. taught Uange 443) and there are al
- marked differences as to- phraseolOg
The word Bank does not occur
~ the parable of the - talents.'' 1t do
a.l occur in that of the ten pieces of silve
~ NV friend in saying. :. In the parat
-, -, of the talents the man that failed
" put his money into the bank and g
interest on it. was called a wicked a.
r., slothful servant has not only p,
y famed the parable by literal corstrr
= ton. but has shown himself quite
"' stranger to the parallels, having mix
40 them up most inexcusably. or he h
~ discovered some new parable that h
~ escaped the attention of the Fathers
orthodoxy up tc date.
r. w. II. attempts to ridicule
statements that usurers are numerC
ILL in North Carolina. He says. that
in not only does not know any usure
lly but that he does not know Of any; tt
rly is. he does not know or know Of a
ke. man lin our midst: who charges mt
ro- than 8 per cent. for the use of mon'
He finally closes his article by
IVA mitting that there are usurers thou
are mot many'' and that we need furtl
mas protection from their ir6luities.
rs language is rs follows: MAKE