The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1892-05-12
USURY.
HeraldIand Prcs6yter.

A lady writes: "We have 6. good
deal of agitation here in Kansas about
usury, some claiming that the Bible for
bids the taking of any interest whatever
Would you be so kind as to tell us what
your understanding of the word "usury'
in the Bible, and oblige
"a CONSTANT READER"
| The word "usury" occurs many times
in our common version of the Old Testa.
ment, but only twice in the New Testa-
ment-in Matt. XIV :27 and in Luke
1928. In both of these passages the re-
vised version substitutes Interest" for
usury, and very properly for usury,
which meant originally the fair and rea-
sonable premium for the use of money,
has come to mean, as Webster says, "in-
terest in excess of the legal rate exacted
by the lender of the borrower.
Our Saviour, in his parallels of the
talents (Matt. 25:27), and the pounds
| (Luke 1919, seems to justify the loan
ing of money on interest. The Greek
word that he uses is tokos, which means,
literally, "a child, an ofspring," The
Lord says to his servant: I put into
your hands that which was intended to
be productive money properly used OF
Invested ought to gain an increment.
You have failed to use it thus, and are
therefore guilty. The common sense
and legislation of the Christian world
have indorsed the Justice ofthis statement
Money is not to be boarded, but to be
used. And be who has the use Of anoth-
er's money, in order to make money by
it, ought to pay for that use as he pays
rent for farm, or hire for a horse. If
ne should make all payment for interest
illegal, nobody who had money would
lend it, and nobody who needed money
could borrow it. The result would be
staguation. The accumulated capital
Of the country would lie idle, and the
energy and enterprise of the country
would not have means to operate with.
But we are told that God did not allow
the Hebrews to lend money on interest.
In order to understand how far this was
80, or why 1t was so, ne must examine
the law itself and study the circumstan.
ces of the people to whom it was given.
The law is as follows:
"If thy brother is waxen poor, and his
hand fail with thee, then thou shalt up
hold him.. ;. Take thou no usuzy from
him or increase, but fear thy God, that
thy brother may live with thee. Thou
shalt not give him thy money upon usury
] nor give him thy victuals for increase.
I am the Lord your God which brought
you out of the land of Egypt to give you
the land of Canaan Lev. 25:35--3S)."
"Thou shalt not lend upon usury to
thy brother; usury Of money, usury Of
victuals, usury of anything that is lent
upon usury: unto foreigner thou may
est lend upon usury, bat unto thy broth
or thou shalt not lend upon usury (Deut
29:19-29)."
Here We see that the Hebrews were
not supposedto be borrowers unless they
became poor from sickness or some Other
cause. Then they we're objects of charity
and their prosperous brethren were
bound to help them and not to take ad-
vantage of their necessities. As a nation
they we're farmers, and not merchants
and spsculators. When they wanted
money, it was not to buy land with or
goods to sell at profit, but to buy food
And God had a right to say to the pros
porous, You must help the needy of your
tribe aud neighborhood, for you were all
bondmen in Egypt. brought you out
and gave you the land of Canaan. You
are all members of one family, and my
tenants. So have a right to enjoin
upon the rich among you the care of the
poor.
But when the foreigner came and want
ed to borrow money of the Hebrew,
God said: ITO him thou mayest lend
upon usury." He has not the same
claim upon you that your brethren have
He does not coma to you for charity, but
for the means to trade on. he expects
To make monty by using your money
and you have right to your share o
the profits. This exception in the case
of the foreigner shows Gods recognition
of the right of money to earn and tt
claim its increment, as we'll IS lands o
herds of cattle. Money is the represen
tative of value and be who has earned it,
or has come lawfully into the ownership
of tin any way, is not bound to lend
to whosoeyer would borrow it without
receiving any interest. 1t is cur duty
to help the poor, but not to furnish cap
ital gratuitously to the trader or tn
speculator. The bearing of the princi
pies involved in the Hebrew Legislation
in regard to usury is we'll stated by Dr
Gerlach in his commentary upon tn
Pentateuch:" :"
"The reason for the prohibition has re
spect to the oppression Of the poor, an
has perpetual meaning for all times an
countries. That the lender should re
ceive compensation for the risk he run
and the advantage he conters on tn
borrower is not only fair, but likews
mutually advantageous. A literal pre-
: hibition of usury (interest) would max
loans very rare, and thus act ipjuriousl
.. on the borrower, to whom the possibilit
of a loan on interest is of the creates
, service. But in its spirit the Christia
will still faithfully observe this Law. b
ought to regard himself as simply th
steward of goods that do not belong t
him but are simply entrusted to his keei
ING. Usury in general is forbidden, bu