: pigmy thinks himself a Hector, and the simpleton is in his own eyes a Solomon, it may be presuming too far, that others will submit themselves to my common sense and reason. I shall therefore take the authority of St. Thomas, Aristotle, Plato, and Plutarch. St. Thomas 2, 2, Q. 78, ad Im. • To receive usury for money is radically bad because a nonentity is sold it is to be understood that the use of certain things consists in their consumption: for instance, wine, oil, &c., are consumed by using them. We consume wine by using it for drink, and wheat by using it for food. Hence the use of these articles is inseparable from the things themselves; whosoever gets the use of them, gets also the things themselves; and consequently, in loan transactions, he receives the dominion of these articles. If a man, therefore, sell wine by itself, and the use of the wine by itself, he sells the same thing twice, or sells a nonentity; and therefore he sins against justice. He is also a sinner against justice, who lends wine, or wheat, demanding two recompenses, one as an equivalent for the thing that is lent; and the other as a price for the use, which is called usury. But in other articles the use does not consist in their consumption: as the use of a house lies in its conversion into a dwelling; but not in its destruction; and, consequently, the use and dominion may be separated in such articles: one may, for instance, set, or sell the dominion of his house, reserving the use for a time; or let the use, having retained the dominion. He may, therefore lawfully receive a price for the use of the house, and yet demand the house itself, according to the practice of house-letting. But money being principally invented as a circulating medium, its primary and principal use consists in its consumption, or application to human intercourse and social commerce. It is naturally illegal to receive any price for the use of money, which is called usury; and as man is bound to restore any other ill-gotten property, he is liable to restore any money he might have made by the practice of usury.' Aristotle says, It is optional to every person to acquire gain by fruit, or animals; but the mode of reaping money by money is justly to be reprehended, as being inconsistent with nature. Mois invented as a circulating medium, but usury goes to increase and multiply it. Hence the Greeks called it Tokos from the verb ney 6 siktein, to beget; and the Latins called it fænus from fœtus, offspring; for, in usury, money is the offspring of usury. Consequently this mode of acquiring money is abhorrent to nature. Some people engage in base practices, such as usurers, who give little, in order to receive more; their gain is sordid, unjust, and base; their ungenerous money transactions are rapine.' Plutarch, de vitando ære alieno, says, ' Are we not ashamed to pay usury ? Not contented within the limits of our own means, we do by giving pledges and entering into contracts, fabricate the yoke of our slavery; flee from the tyrant-usurers; the barbarians' debts beget before they conceive; they demand the very moment they lend; the usurious borrower heaps debts upon debts, and finally he sinks into complicated difficulties.' As Plato's sentiments are identically the same as the foregoing, it seems needless to insert his words. Let us not forget St. Thomas' saying, 'It is against the law of nature to receive any price for the use of money which is called usury; and as man is liable to restore any other ill-gotten goods, so he must restore any money he might have made by the practice of usury.' A single glance, indeed, upon his writings-the mighty Summa Theologia, would convince you, that no other author understood better the extent, limits, and bearings of the law of nature, or of the natural connexion of causes and effects, of premises and conclusions, and of the natural rights of the various members of the social body. It is written, Roм. ii. 14, The Gentiles who have not the law, do by nature those things that are of the law; show the work of the law imprinted in their heart, their conscience bearing witness to them. The Pagan Sages perceived from the law of nature that the usurer's mode of giving less and demanding more is abhorrent to nature; and that by throwing ourselves into the hands of the usurer, we fabricate the miserable yoke of our slavery.' What has blindfolded our modern usurers; will they never open their eyes and see the iniquity of their practices? God hath given them the spirit of insensibility; eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear. Let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see; and bow down their back always. The question is hitherto viewed with what is called common sense and reason, and with the law of nature, but now we are going to view it in the mirror of faith, or with revealed Religion. USURY, OR INTEREST CONDEMNED BY THE LAW OF GOD. EXOD. xxii. 25. If thou lend money to any of my people, that is poor, and that dwelleth with thee, thou shalt not be hard upon them, as an extortioner, nor oppress them with usury. LEVIT. xxv. 35. If thy brother be weak of hand, and thou receive him as a stranger and sojourner, and he live with thee, take not usury from him, nor more than thou gavest. Thou shalt not give him thy money upon usury, nor exact of him any increase of fruits. DEUT. xxiii. 19. Thou shalt not lend to thy brother money at usury, nor corn, nor any other thing, but to a stranger. To thy brother thou shalt lend that which he wanteth without usury. PSALM XIV. 5. Lord, who shall dwell in thy tabernacle? Or who shall rest in thy holy hill? He that hath not put out his money to usury, nor hath taken bribes against the innocent. PSALM liv. Cast down, O Lord, and divide their tongues for I have seen iniquity and contradiction in the city : day and night shall iniquity surround it upon its walls; and in the midst thereof are labor and injustice; and usury and deceit have not departed from its streets. EZECH. Xviii. 8. The man that hath not lent upon usury, nor taken any increase; he is just, he shall surely live, saith the Lord God. And the man that giveth upon usury and that taketh an increase; shall such a one live? he shall not live; whereas he hath done all these detestable things, he shall surely die; his blood shall be upon him. The Prophet, let it be recollected, pictures from the 5th to the 9th verse of that 18th Chapter, the just man, that is destined for eternal happiness; and from the 9th to the 17th verse, he portrays the reprobate, who is doomed to death eternal. But lo, amidst all the lovely and shining features of the just man, is found this onenot lending at usury and not taking any increase. And amongst the ghastly and horrid features of the reprobate is found this one, to give upon usury, and to take an increase. Though he doth not all the terrific things that are specified in that chapter of the Prophet, (verse 11,) but hath done some one of them, he shall surely die, his blood shall be upon him. And the same Prophet recounting the manifold crimes that brought the wrath of God upon ancient Jerusalem speaks thus. EZECH. xxii. 12. They have taken gifts in thee to shed blood; thou hast taken usury and increase; and hast covetously oppressed thy neighbors; and thou hast forgotten me, saith the Lord God. Behold, I have clapped my hands at thy covetousness, which thou hast exercised. Shall thy heart endure, or shall thy hands prevail in the days, which I will bring upon thee? I, the Lord, have spoken, and I will do it; and I will disperse thee in the nations and will scatter thee among the countries. And her prophets have daubed them without tempering the mortar : the people of the land have used oppression and committed robbery; they have afflicted the needy and the poor. And I have poured out my indignation upon them; in the fire of my wrath I consumed them; I have rendered their way upon their own head. Remark that the Prophet ranks here again usury or taking increase, with the most horrible crimes-murder, idolatry, incest, oppression of the poor, of the widow, and orphan, pollution of the sanctuary, and of the Sabbath. 2 ESDRAS v. 1. There was a great cry of the people, and of their wives against their brethren, the Jews; and there were some that said, Let us mortgage our lands, and our vineyards, and our houses, and let us take corn because of the famine; and others said, Let us borrow money for the king's tribute, and let us give up our fields, and vineyards. Behold, we bring into bondage our sons; and our daughters, and some of our daughters are bond-women already; neither have we wherewith to redeem them; and our fields and our vineyards other men possess. And I was exceeding angry when I heard their cry according to these words; and I rebuked the nobles and magistrates, and said to them, Do you every one exact usury of your brethren? The thing you do is not good; why walk you not in the fear of our God, that we be not exposed to the reproaches of the Gentiles our enemies? Restore ye to them this day their fields, and their vineyards, and their olive-yards, and their houses; and the hundreth part of the money, and of the corn, the wine, and the oil, which you were wont to exact from them, give it rather for them. MATT. v. 42. Give to him, that asketh of thee, and from him that would borrow of thee, turn not away. LUKE vi. 35. If you lend to them from whom you hope to receive, what thanks have you for sinners also lend to sinners for to receive as much; but love ye your enemies; do good, and lend, hoping for nothing thereby, and your reward will be great, and you will be the sons of the Most High. : : Usury, indeed, or the practice of interest strikes at the very root of the Christian Religion, whose life and soul are works of mercy. When you reap the crop in the field and forget a sheaf, you shall not return to take it up; but let the stranger and the widow and the orphan, carry it away, that the Lord may bless you in your works: DEUT. xxiv. 19. Thou shalt not aggrieve the stranger, nor afflict him for thou wert also a stranger in the land of Egypt thou shalt not annoy the widow and the orphan : Exod. xxii. 22. Break thy bread to the hungry, and bring the harborless into thy house; when thou shalt see the naked, clothe him, and despise not thy own flesh: ISAI. lviii. 7. He shall give his bread to the hungry, and shall cover the naked with garment: he shall not lend at usury and shall not receive increase: EZECH. xviii. 7. Bear ye one another's burdens, and so will ye fulfil the law of Christ: GAL. vi. 2. The religion clear and spotless before God, the Father is this, to visit the orphans and the widows in their tribulations JAMES i. 27. He shall place the sheep on his right hand, and the goats on his left. Then shall the King say to those on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, possess the kingdom prepared for ye from the beginning of the world: for I was hungry and ye gave me to eat. Amen, I say to you as long as you did it |