Usury forbidden even to the Gentiles.

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XVII.

into perils for usurious gains. How many have involved Matt. both themselves and others in extreme poverty through their 6-8. unspeakable covetousness!

For tell me not this, that he is pleased to receive, and is thankful for the loan. Why, this is a result of thy cruelty. Since Abraham too1, contriving how his plan might take with1 Gen. 12, 11. the Barbarians, did himself give up his wife to them; not however willingly, but through fear of Pharaoh. So also the poor man, because thou countest him not even worth so much money, is actually compelled to be thankful for cruelty.

And it seems to me as though, shouldest thou deliver him from dangers, thou wouldest exact of him a payment for this deliverance. "Away," saith he; "let it not be." What sayest thou? Delivering him from the greater evil, thou art unwilling to exact money, and for the lesser dost thou display so much inhumanity?

&c.

Seest thou not how great a punishment is appointed for the deed? hearest thou not that even in the old Law this is forbidden? But what is the plea of the many? “When I Exod.

22, 25. Lev. 25,

Deut.

have received the interest, I give to the poor;" one tells me. Speak reverently, O man; God desires not such sacrifices. 35. 36. Deal not subtilly with the Law. Better not give to a poor 23, 19. man, than give from that source; for the money that hath been collected by honest labours, thou often makest to become unlawful because of that wicked increase; as if one should compel a fair womb to give birth to scorpions.

And why do I speak of God's Law? Do not even ye call it "filth?" But if ye, the gainers, give your voice so, consider what suffrage God will pass upon you.

And if thou wilt ask the Gentile lawgivers too, thou wilt be told that even by them this thing is deemed a proof of the most utter shamelessness. Those, for example, who are in offices of honour, and belong to the great council, which they call the Senate, may not legally disgrace themselves with such gains; there being a law among them which prohibits the

same ".

a See Bingham, Antiq. vi. ii. 6. who refers to a Law of Honorius, A. D. 397. Cod. Theod. lib. 2. tit. 33. de usuris. leg. 3; and Gibbon, c. 44; who quotes several

of the Fathers to prove that all lending
with interest was forbidden; but most or
all of them seem to be speaking of exor-
bitant interest, or of lending to the poor.

HOMIL.
LVI.

770

Misery and Mischief of usurious Dealings.

How then is it not a horrible thing, if thou ascribe not even so much honour to the polity of Heaven, as the legislators to the council of the Romans; but Heaven is to obtain less than earth, and thou art not ashamed even of the very folly of the thing? For what could be more foolish than this, unless one without land, rain, or plough, were to insist upon sowing"? Tares therefore, to be committed to the fire, do they reap, who have devised this evil husbandry.

Why, are there not many honest trades? in the fields, the flocks, the herds, the breeding of cattle, in handicrafts, in care of property? Why rave and be frantic, cultivating thorns for no good? What if the fruits of the earth are subject to mischance; hail, and blight, and excessive rain? yet not to such an extent as are money dealings. For in whatsoever cases of that sort occur, the damage of course concerns the produce, but the principal remains, I mean, the land. But herein many often have suffered shipwreck in their principal; and before the loss too they are in continual dejection. For never doth the money-lender enjoy his possessions, nor find pleasure in them; but when the interest is brought, he rejoices not that he hath received gain, but is grieved that the interest hath not yet come up to the principal. And before this evil offspring is brought forth complete, he compels it also to bring forth, making the interest principal, and forcing it to bring forth its untimely and abortive brood of vipers. For of this nature are the gains of usury; more than those wild creatures do they devour and tear the souls of the wretched. This is the bond of iniquity: this the twisted knot of oppressive bargains.

Yea, "I give," he seems to say, "not for thee to receive, but that thou mayest repay more." And whereas God commands not even to receive what is given; (for give, saith He, to them from whom ye look not to receive1;) thou re

b So St. Basil, as quoted below. "The husbandman having reaped the ear, seeks not again the seed under the root. But thou having the fruits, still givest not up that of which they grew. Thou plantest without land, thou reapest without seed."

St. Basil, Hom. in Ps. 14, (15.) c. 3. "Interest upon interest, a bad offspring of bad parents. These may

be well called a generation of vipers, I mean what our usuries bring forth. Vipers, they say, are yeaned, eating through their mother's womb: and these usurious gains devour the debtors' houses, and so have their birth."

d There is here and afterwards a play upon the word róxos, gain, as a derivative of ríxruv, to bring forth, which can hardly be expressed in English.

The true Source of Wealth.

771

quirest even more than is given, and what thou gavest not, MATT. this, as a debt, thou constrainest the receiver to pay.

And thou indeed supposest thy substance to be increased hereby, but instead of substance thou art kindling the unquenchable fire.

That this therefore may not be, let us cut out the evil womb of usurious gains, let us deaden these lawless travailings, let us dry up this place of pernicious teeming, and let us pursue the true and great gains only. "But what are these?" Hear Paul saying, Godliness with contentment is great gain1.

Therefore in this wealth alone let us be rich, that we may both here enjoy security, and attain unto the good things to come, by the grace and love towards man of our Lord Jesus Christ, to Whom be glory and might with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and always, and world without end. Amen.

XVII. 9.

11 Tim.

6, 6.

HOMILY LVII.

MATT. xvii. 10.

And His disciples asked Him, saying, Why then say the
Scribes that Elias must first come?

NOT then from the Scriptures did they know this, but the Scribes used to explain themselves, and this saying was reported abroad amongst the ignorant people; as about Christ also.

Wherefore the Samaritan woman also said, Messiah cometh; 1 John when He is come, He will tell us all things1: and they themselves asked John, Art thou Elias, or the Prophet?? For

4, 25. 2 John

1, 21. the saying, as I said, prevailed, both that concerning the Christ and that concerning Elias, not however rightly interpreted by them.

For the Scriptures speak of two Advents of Christ, both this that is past, and that which is to come; and declaring these Paul said, The grace of God, that bringeth salvation, hath appeared, teaching us, that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, and righteously, and 3Titus 2, godly. Behold the one, hear how he declares the other 11. 12. also; for having said these things, he added, Looking for the blessed hope and appearing of our great God and Saviour 4 ibid. v. Jesus Christ. And the Prophets too mention both; of the one, however, that is, of the second, they say Elias will be the forerunner. For of the first, John was forerunner; whom Christ called also Elias, not because he was Elias, but because he was fulfilling the ministry of that Prophet. For as the one shall be forerunner of the second Advent, so was

13.

XVII.

11.

In what sense Elias is come, and not come. 773 the other too of the first. But the Scribes, confusing these MATT. things and perverting the people, made mention of that other only to the people, the second Advent, and said, "If This man' is the Christ, Elias ought to have come beforehand." Therefore the disciples too speak as follows, How then say the Scribes, Elias must first come?

Therefore also the Pharisees sent unto John, and asked him, Art thou Elias1? making no mention any where of the John former Advent.

What then is the solution, which Christ alleged? "Elias indeed cometh then, before My second Advent; and now too is Elias come;" so calling John.

1, 21.

In this sense Elias is come: but if thou wouldest seek the Tishbite, he is coming. Wherefore also He said, Elias truly v. 11. cometh, and shall restore all things. All what things? Such as the Prophet Malachi spake of; for I will send you, saith He, Elias the Tishbite, who shall restore the heart of father to son, lest I come and utterly smite the earth.

2 Mal. 4, 5. 6.

Seest thou the accuracy of prophetical language? how, xx because Christ called John, Elias, by reason of their community of office, lest thou shouldest suppose this to be the meaning of the Prophet too in this place, He added His country also, saying, the Tishbite; whereas John was not a Tishbite. And herewith He sets down another sign also, saying, Lest I come and utterly smite the earth, signifying His second and dreadful Advent. For in the first He came not to smite the earth. For, I came not, saith He, to judge the world, but to save the world 3.

To shew therefore that the Tishbite comes before that other Advent, which hath the Judgment, He said this. And the reason too of his coming He teaches withal. And what is this reason? That when He is come, he may persuade the Jews to believe in Christ, and that they may not all utterly perish at His coming. Wherefore He too, guiding them on to that remembrance, saith, And he shall restore all things ; that is, shall correct the unbelief of the Jews that are then in being.

3 John

12, 47.

Hence the extreme accuracy of his expression; in that he said not, "He will restore the heart of the son to the father," but of the father to the son1. For the Jews being See

4

LXX.