The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-10-17
QUOTES THE BIBLE.
C. l.. James Answer to Archbishop
Ireland,

To the Lord Archbishop of St Paul
Your Grace: i have read your letter on the
issues OF the political campaign, and was
struck by your frank ayowal that you did
not write as a churchman. Would 1t not |
needs must ask have beseenled one who is
and is known to be, a churchman of YOUR
standing, had you either suppressed your
name inseparable in the Imagination of thou
sands from your profession. your rank, and
your record; or else considered before so far
committing yourself whether the church has
anything to say on a question which | am
most happy to agree with you in pronouncing
moral? From the earliest to the latest period
of her history you must know, the church
has, with unfafiing consistency denounced
usury as an Illicit means of obtaining money
Under the old law this practice was forbidden
to the chosen people in their dealings with one
another. and permitted f'for the hardness of
mems hearts, " as regarded transactions with
the Gentiles only EXODUS xiii 25 Leviticus
XIV, So and 81; Deuteronomy xii 10 and 2M
The greatest saiDt-of the old law classed it
with SANDER. breach of faith and bribery
psalms XIV, 8 to 81. The restorer Of Israel
held it to void contracts nehemiah ", to
ID The wise king pronounced it accursed
proverbs xviii, b. The prophet of the
captivity made it a chief mark of difference
between wicked and righteous idolatry
adultery, extortion, robbery, murder and un-
natural vice Ezekiel xviii, 5 to 10; xii. IL
and 12). When the veil of the temple was
rent, and the expiring breath of the crucifed
Redeemer fused into one brotherhood all
souls, whether Jew or Gentle, who love the
name of Christ, the Mosaic prohibition of
usury extended to the dealings of all
Christians, whatever their nationality. Only
those unbelieying Jews who rejected the
Messiah still felt themselves at liberty to
practice it: and that not with their brethren
but only with US, whom they regarded as
heather or apostates. Our Lord Himself de-
clared that sinners-not saints. as the infdel
philosopher Turg0t attempted to make him
say-bGt even sinners lend. for to receive
as much D. v land more), else they
could not make the slightest pretension to be
Christian sinners duke vi, 3d. The posi-
ton of the church plainly stated by st.
Augustine in his third sermon on Psalms
xxxvi., where he condemns all usury on any
kind of loan. His thesis was incorporated
into the canon law; and is perfectly received
sContractus Trini'' Romae, 174S). The receiving
of interest on loans whether little or much
was justified only on those grounds known
rs damnum emergenS and lucrum cessans:
until after the Reformation. AT this late date,
/ am aware some Jesuit caSuists attempted
TO justify receiving the legal rate IN any
case; and that their teaching has found its
mon. But far from being approved at Rome
this doctrine has been condemned at Rome
and is, In short. a sufficiently notorious error.
Ter It involves this, that where there is
no legal rate the lender may take what
ever. profit ne can get; apropos 10 which that
great champion CT ancient Catholic virtue
Innocent XII. condemned this proposition:
exigitur tanquam ex benevolentia ct graft
tudine debiturn sed solum 81 exigatur tan
uuam ex justitIa delitum. t%Conferenccs
sur PUsure'' Paris, 1T4S) To like pur-
nose the Sorbonne, in 1871 decided ''ail
55roff and all gain derived from loan, how
ever small 1T may DO, is usury. DICT. dos
Gas de Conscience. Act Usure. PATS, isSs-)