As the subject of usury has been on my mind for some time, I thought I would pen a few lines, hoping that it would lead others to investigate, that we might arrive at the truth; as I find it classed with the abomination that if a man did he should not live. We read in Ex. xxii, 25, If thou lend money to any of my people that is poor by thee thou shalt not be to him as an usurer, neither shalt thou lay upon him usury. Again, in Lev. xxv, 35-37, And if thy brother be waxen poor and farther in decay than thee, then thou shalt relieve him, yea, though he be a stranger 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 victuals for increase.
Deut. xxiii, 19, 20. Thou shalt not lend upon usury to thy brother, usury of money, usury of victuals, usury of anything that is lent upon usury. Unto a stranger thou mayest lend upon usury; but unto thy brother thou shalt not lend upon usury.
Neh. v, 7-10. Then I consulted with myself and I rebuked the nobles and the rulers, and said unto them, Ye exact usury every one of his brother; and I set a great assembly against them; and I said unto them, We after our ability have redeemed our brethren the Jews which were sold unto the heathen and will ye even sell your brethren, or shall they be sold unto us? Then held they their peace and found nothing to answer. Also I said, It is not good that ye do: ought ye not to walk in the fear of our God because of the reproach of the heathen our enemies? I likewise and my brethren and my servants might exact of them money and corn. I pray you let us leave off this usury.
In Ps. xv, is a question asked: "Lord, who shall abide in thy tabernacle, who shall dwell in thy holy hill?" Verse 5. He that putteth not out his money to usury, nor taketh reward against the innocent. He that doeth these things shall never be moved. The negative of this is, that if he does not do these things he cannot dwell in God's holy hill, but will be moved.
Solomon says, He that by usury and unjust gain increaseth his substance he shall gather it for him that will pity the poor. Prov. xxix, 8. And in Isa. xxiv, 2, we read, "And it shall be, as with the people so with the priest; as with the servant so with his master; as with the maid so with her mistress; as with the buyer so with the seller; as with the lender so with the borrower; as with the taker of usury so with the giver of usury to him." To know when this time is, read the next three verses.
Again, Jeremiah cries out in the bitterness of his soul and says, Wo is me! my mother, that thou hast born me a man of strife and a man of contention to the whole earth! I have neither lent on usury nor men have lent to me on usury; yet every one of them doth curse me. Jer. xv, 10.
And to make it still plainer, Ezekiel [chap. xviii, 8] says, He that hath not given forth upon usury, neither hath taken any increase, that hath withdrawn his hand from iniquity, hath executed true judgment between man and man, hath walked in my statutes, and hath kept my judgments to deal truly; he is just, he shall surely live saith the Lord God. Verse 13. If he hath given forth upon usury and hath taken increase; shall he then live? He shall not live: he hath done all these abominations; he shall surely die. Read verse 17.
Now in the places where usury occurs I have not been able to find but one witness in favor of lending money to strangers upon usury. And if any feel to justify themselves from the words of this one witness, let them read what the Saviour says: that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word shall be established. A word to the wise is sufficient.