Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1899-08-05
SATURDAY, AUGUST S.
COMMUNICATED.
To Preachers and Praying Men:

Permit me to call your attention
to q few passages of scripture for
your consideration. Mr.. Preacher,
II is your duty as an ordained min
lister possessing various rights,
honors, duties and privileges to de-
clare the whole counsel of God.
Have you done this? Have you
not been in the habit of going into
the pulpit, opening your bible and
reading a chapter to your flock,
and then proceed to expound the
passage accoding to your under.
standing? You have been able to
point out the way in many respects,
you have denounced sin in many
ways; you have denounced the sins
and crimes.of individuals, you have
denounced social and local sins.
Why not denounce the great dis
tressing aud expressing sin of our
nation? You have called the atten.
ton of your hearers to the Deca-
logue or Ten Commandments time
and again: Thou Shalt not Kill,
Thou Shalt not Commit Adultry,
Thou Shalt not Steal, etc., and now
my brethren in the ministry l en-
treat you to denounce sin in every
form and under all circumstances.
II 10 our only hope.
When slavery existed and men
and women were sold on the market
and families torn .asunder, there
was but little done to relieve those
in bondage until the clergymen
took hold aud began to cry loud
and spare not. Then relief came.
Open your bible and turn to Levitt
Gus 25:35:37. What do you find!
Does il not read: "And il thy broth.
err be waxen poor and fall into de-
cay with thee; then thou shalt re.
lieve him; yea though he be a stran-
ger or sojourner; 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 not give him thy money
upon usury nor lend him thy victu-
ais for increase" Who was it that
said this! The first verse OF the
chapter says that it was the Lord
who said it. and he said il to Moses
on Mount Sinai. now refer you to
Ezekial DIP.
Thou hast taken usury and in
crease and thou hast greedily
gained OF thy neighbor by extortion
and thou hast forgotten Me, saith
the Lord God"
This is one of the things that ia
enumerated in the catalogue of Je-
rusalem's sins. / now direct your
attention TO Deut. 23:i9.
Thou shalt not lend upon usury
to thy brother: usury of money. u.s.
ury of victuals usury of anything
that is lent upon usury."
Please read the 18th chapter Of
Ezekial, when saith the Lord God,
that he that taketh no usury shall
live and he that taketh usury shall
die again.
Listen to the words Of Jesus Mat
2l:2:13:
"And Jesus went into the temple
of God aud cast out all them that
sold and bought in the temple and
overthrow the tables of the money
changers and the seats of them that
sold doves, and said unto them it is
written My house shall be called a
house of prayer; but ye have made
il den of thieves"
Do you believe these things! IL
this the same God that you believe
in today? Are you preaching full
gospel or are you crippled or
cramped by the money power? II
you are afraid to give an exegesis
of any scriptures from which you
preach you had better surrender
your credentials. have read of a
few instances where clergymen
have been waited upon and in.
structed to keep quiet or they
would be dismissed. Oh for brave
ministry that will hew to the line;
money or no money, stick to the
truth. let il hit who IL may. Goa.
tend for the truth, the truth makes
us free. n today the same JeSus
whose bare feet tread the stony
roads of old Jerusalem should visit
the world aud find the money
changers within the temple of God
within the church where you preach
and pray. would He not cast them
out as he did nineteen hundred
years ago:
Did you ever stop to think of that
one word, usury? In reading your
bible have nat you discovered that
usury is classrd with the sins OF
idolatry, theft, murder. perjury and
other similar offrnses? 1t is use
less 10 tell you that usury means
any rate Of interest on money. how
ever small, although Il is a fact
that modern christianity has accus-
toned itself to the preiense that us-
ury mems excess of the legal rate
of interest. You know better be
cause you IRE q scholar and have
a..a A., 49,. hihlie.i and civil