the leaven of error be detected by the Canonical Authorities, I shall, as a faithful, yet unworthy member of the Church of Christ, instantly make the necessary reparation. As my narative here closes, let us pray.

Cast me not away, O Lord, in the time of my old age; when my strength will fail, desert me not, because my enemies and those who were conspiring against my soul, have said, The Lord has abandoned him; persecute and arrest him, because there is not a man to rescue him from you. O God, be not far from me. O God, look to my aid. Amen.

USURY, OR LENDING AT INTEREST,

&c. &c.

WORDS, like all human institutions, are fickle and changeable; some of them that were obsolete, revive; some that were fashionable, disappear; and others that were never heard of, are daily invented. Things and thoughts, as if tired of their wonted garb, assume novel expressions. Indeed no object, or idea imaginable takes as many shapes and names as increase of money loans. It would certainly seem that the lovers thereof forget, or care not for the hell-fire that awaits them in the infernal regions, and look only for a good name in this world; it would indeed seem, that it is for the purpose of keeping out of sight the Divine Law, and for securing merely a good report among men, the usurers change thé scriptural term usury into the profane and barbarous names, Interest, Consols, Omniums, Funds, Debentures, Ceasing gain, Emergent loss, and so forth-names so absurd and strange, that hardly any man, but money-changers could understand their import. If the names be altered, will that alter the nature of things, or repeal the laws of God? However my aim and object in the following pages is not to examine the motives or intention of usurers for altering the names of their iniquitous practices; but this is my aim and object, to prove

That Usury, interest, or increase of money loans, whatever name be given thereto; whether that increase be paid in cash, or in any article that may be purchased or estimated by money, is condemned by the law of God; ruinous to souls; and destructive to Civil Society.

And whereas the word Usury will generally occur in the course of my observations, I shall here ascertain its import or definition, not from this or that private author, but from the Fathers and Coun

cils of the Church of Christ; and also, from the most approved Dictionaries.

Definition of Usury.

DECRETAL, GRATIAN. 14, Quest. 3, C. 1. "If you lend your money to a man from whom you expect more than you gave, not money alone, but any other thing, whether it be wheat, wine, oil, or any other article, if you expect to receive any more than you'gave, you are an usurer, and, in that respect, reprehensible, not praiseworthy" St. Augustine on Psalm xxxvi. An. 405.

C. 2. "Some persons imagine that usury obtains in money alone; but the Scriptures forseeing this, has exploded increase of all sorts; so that you cannot receive more than you gave. Others also have the habit of receiving presents of different sorts for the usurious loans, not understanding that the Scriptures calls usury also increase whatever it be, if they received any more than they had given :" St. Jerome on Ezech. C. 18. An. 410.

C. 3. "Many persons evading the precept of the law, when they give money to merchants, require the usury, not in specie, but take some of their goods in payment of the usury. Let them therefore hear what the law says. You shall not, it says, receive the usury of food, nor of any other thing: DEUT. xxiii. 19. The food is usury, the cloth is usury, whatever is added to the principal is usury ; whatever name you give it, it is usury:" St. Ambrose. Lib. De Tobias, C. 14. An. 390.

C. 4. "It is usury to receive any more than had been given; if you give, for instance, ten shillings and demand more; or if you give one cask of corn and require something more :" Con. Agatha, An. 806.

COUNCIL of TRENT'S CATECHISM. "Whatever is received above the principal lent, or that capital that was given, whether it be money or any thing else, that may be purchased or estimated for money, is usury for it is written in Ezech. 18, Thou shalt not take usury and increase; and, in Luke vi. 35, Our Lord says, Lend hoping for nothing thereby. Even among the Gentiles usury was always considered a most grievous and most odious crime."

May I say, in conclusion, that the definitions of the Holy Fathers,

Augustine, Ambrose, Jerome, and of the Council of Agatha, are in themselves great authority; but when incorporated, as they have been, with the S. Canons, they, as well as the Catechism of the Holy Council of Trent, became the Definition of the Holy Catholic Church, which is the pillar and ground of truth. With the Catholic Church in this definition of usury, accurately agree the Dictionaries, Johnson, Walker, Boyer, Littleton, Scrivelius; which say, 'that usury is money paid for the use of money; interest; the practice of taking interest.' Flattering myself that the import or signification of the word usury is already sufficiently clear, I shall now proceed to prove another point, to show, that USURY, OR INTEREST IS CONDEMNED BY THE LAW OF NATURE.

The Christian, believing that the Almighty God has absolute dominion over the Universe; that he transfers human life and property how, and when he pleases; that he deposes the powerful from their seats and exalts the humble; that he fills the hungry with good things, and sends the rich away empty, will not enter into a metaphysical discussion on the Divine attributes, or see whether it be consistent or inconsistent with God's justice and natural equity that a dispensation had been granted to the Hebrews, Exod. xii. 35, for plundering and overthrowing the Egyptians; and to the Jews, DEUT. xxiv. 1, for divorcing their wives; and, DEUT, xxiii. 19, for charging usury to strangers. Senseless man, will you call into question the decrees of your God. O the depth of the riches of the wisdom and of the knowledge of God! How incomprehensible are his judgments and how unsearchable his ways! For who hath known the mind of the Lord? Or who hath been his counsellor. The Christian will not thus set his mouth against heaven, Ps.lxxii. 9, nor will he question the natural equity of the Divine dispensations; but when he sees from the best of authorities that usury is destructive of that equality ordained by common sense and reason in the dealings of man with man, he will rest convinced that usury is against the law of nature. But as common sense and natural reason, apart from the Christian Rules-Scriptures and Tradition, is a precarious weapon in the field of controversy, where even the