# Der Lutheraner_St. Louis Missouri_1847 06 01_S110
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

or anything better. But whoever takes more or something better, that is usury, and is not to be called a service, but rather harm done to one's neighbor, as happens with stealing and robbing. Not everything that is called a service and a good deed to one's neighbor is actually a service and a good deed." p. 1029.

"But if the buyer thereby does a service, he does it to the wretched devil, even though a poor man in need requires such a service and must indeed accept it as a service and a kindness, so that he is not devoured entirely and completely." p. 1031.

"If Balthasar did not give back the 100 gulden by Michaelmas, and Hans on that account had to pay elsewhere and suffered loss, then Balthasar should reimburse him for the payment-loss according to civil law. If, in addition, this prevented Hans from being able to buy the garden, and Hans wishes to press the matter strictly, then Balthasar must also make some further concession." p. 1035—36.—"But it will not do to say: such damages could happen, that I could neither pay nor buy; rather it must be said: such damages have happened, that I was not able to pay nor to buy." p. 1037.

"The heathen Aristotle says that usury is against nature, for this reason: it always takes more than it gives.—Cato says: Dear friend, what else is the practice of usury than the murdering of people? This is what the heathen did and said; what then ought we Christians to do?" p. 1044—45.

"If the money-changers and usurers cry out here that one must keep to letters and seals — the theologians answer: letters and seals that some have given to the devil are nothing, even were they sealed and written with blood. For whatever is against God, right, and nature is a nullus (a nothing)." p. 1048.

"Here let us be bishops, that is, watch carefully and keep vigil. For our salvation is at stake. First, that we boldly rebuke and condemn usury from the pulpit, stating the text, as said above, diligently and plainly — namely, that whoever lends something and takes over and above it, or something better, is a usurer and stands condemned as a thief, robber, and murderer; ut supra. Second, when you know and are certain of such a person, that you not administer to him the sacrament nor the absolution, so long as he does not repent; otherwise you make yourself a partaker of his usury and sins, and travel with him to the devil for the sake of another's sins, even if, as regards your own sins, you were as pure and holy as St. John the Baptist. For thus says St. Paul to Timothy (1 Tim. 5:22): Lay hands on no one hastily, and do not make yourself a partaker of other men's sins. Likewise Rom. 1:32: They are not only worthy of death who do such things, but also those who consent to them or take pleasure in them. Third, that you let him lie in death like a heathen, and neither bury him among other Christians nor accompany him to the grave, if he has not repented beforehand." p. 1049—50.

"But how," if the case arose that, say, old people, poor widows or orphans, or other needy persons, who up to now had learned no other means of livelihood, had 1000 or 2000 florins out in trade; and if they were to give this up, they would otherwise have nothing and would have to warm their hands at the beggar's staff or die of hunger. Here I would gladly wish that the jurists would provide some mitigation of the strict law, and it should be considered that all the aforementioned princes and lords who curbed usury — such as Solon, Alexander, the Romans — were neither willing nor able to make everything entirely clean, and Nehemiah too did not have everything restored, 5:15. And here might belong the saying stated above, that the world cannot be without usury; yet in such a way that it would not be outright usury, nor yet fully lawful, but rather a little usury of necessity, almost half a work of mercy for the needy who would otherwise have nothing, and which would not particularly harm others. It might also be disputed whether there might not be here an interest, or compensation for loss, since they were misled and neglected, having learned nothing else in the meantime, and it would be unkind to make them beggars or let them die of hunger, since no one is helped by it, and it happens without ruin to one's neighbor — as with restitution left general. But this is not for me to judge, except that I would gladly wish to help give counsel, so that no one need despair in sin." p. 1052.

"Yes, you say, how can I give to everyone? Here 'everyone' does not mean that I should give to all people or all needy persons on earth; he well knows how impossible that would be. Rather, he speaks at that point against the Jewish understanding, which had this text of the Law before it, verse 43: You shall love your friend and hate your enemy. From this they taught and held that one must give not to everyone, but only to friends. Against this Christ says: You shall give to everyone, that is, not only to your friends, but also to your enemies. — Second, such 'everyone' does not mean someone who otherwise has enough or can have enough. Christ has not commanded that one give to such people, but only to the needy in your city, or around you, as Moses also teaches, Deut. 24:14 — those who cannot work, serve, and support themselves, or whose labor and service will not suffice. — Third, if a Christian is to give, he must first have something — and since he is also to give tomorrow, or the day after, or a year from now (for Christ commands me to give as long as I live), he cannot give everything away today. Against this Paul teaches the Corinthians, 1 Cor. 8:13—14, that he does not desire that they should suffer hardship while those to whom they give are comfortable. No, this is not what our Lord Christ desires — that I should make myself a beggar with my goods and make the beggar into a lord; rather, I should take up his need, and help him as much as I am able, so that the poor man eats with me, and not that I eat with the poor man, or take from my own household what they need and give it to strangers. — That is to say, he means: Give to everyone who asks you; but he cannot ask who does not dare to ask, but is bound to be a rogue instead." p. 1058—62.

"Second, concerning lending, one must speak just as was spoken about giving — that one lend to the needy, and not to the rogue or the lazy man, or the glutton, as Sirach says, 29:4: Some think that what they borrow is a windfall, and do not intend to give it back. Such lazy rascals abuse this commandment of Christ and rely on the fact that one is obligated to lend; therefore one should lend them nothing. Third, that one lend in such a way that one still has something to lend, and can also lend again tomorrow or a year from now. Otherwise the proverb holds true: If you do not give it back to me, then I can lend you nothing more — that is, I must indeed stop, because I no longer have anything to lend. — Therefore let everyone see to it according to his own conscience, when, where, how much, and to whom he should or must lend or give. In this matter no other measure can be set than the neighbor's need and the Christian love that God has commanded us to show our neighbor — as we would want shown to us in a like case by others, whether they be friend or foe. — Whatever you would [that men should do to you]. Now it is indeed certain that I would gladly wish that people would give to me, lend to me, help me in need. Again, it is certain that no one should give to me, lend to me, help me, where I have no need of it — where I am lazy, am a rogue, want to live as a glutton, will not work, will do or suffer nothing though I could well do it, am healthy, am strong, and lack nothing — except that people are too indulgent and give me enough, when they ought rather to have me whipped, driven out of the land, or hanged on the gallows." p. 1066—67.

III. From Luther's Opinion on Rent-Purchase, to Dr. Gregor Brück, Electoral Chancellor, from the year 1523.

"But the most dangerous thing in this little book is that he teaches that the rent-payer does not owe the debt to the usurer, since otherwise he would be consenting to the usurer and sinning along with him. That is not right. For the rent-payer has indeed done well, and is excused, when he declares the usury to the interest-lord and confesses the wrong; but nevertheless he should not boast of himself for it, but rather consent to give the unjust interest, or usury — just as I should be willing to give the murderer body, honor, and goods, Matt. 6:39—40. For indeed no rent-payer would ever consent to pay interest, if necessity did not compel him to it." p. 1090.

IV. From Luther's Opinion on Trade and Commerce, from the year 1524.

"For Christ himself, Luke 6:34, grasps such lending in this way and says: You shall lend in such a way that you hope for nothing thereby, that is, you shall lend freely and risk whether it be returned to you or not: if it is returned, take it; if it is not returned, count it as given. So that giving and lending have, according to the Gospel, no difference except this: that giving does not take anything back,