9. For indeed a dreadful disease, beloved, dreadful and needing much attendance, hath fallen on the church. Those, namely, who are enjoined not even by honest labors to lay up treasures, but to open their houses to the needy, make a profit of other men's poverty, devising a specious robbery, a plausible covetousness.
For tell me not of the laws that are without; since even the publican fulfills the law that is without, but nevertheless is punished: which will be the case with us also, unless we refrain from oppressing the poor, and from using their need and necessity as an occasion for shameless trafficking.
For to this intent thou hast wealth, to relieve poverty, not to make a gain of poverty; but thou with show of relief makest the calamity greater, and sellest benevolence for money. Sell it, I forbid thee not, but for a heavenly kingdom. Receive not a small price for so good a deed, thy monthly one in the hundred, [2206] but that immortal life. Why art thou beggarly, and poor, and mean, selling thy great things for a little, even for goods that perish, when it should be for an everlasting kingdom? Why dost thou leave God, and get human gains? Why dost thou pass by the wealthy one, and trouble him that hath not? and leaving the sure paymaster make thy bargain with the unthankful? The other longs to repay, but this even grudges in the act of repaying. This hardly repays a hundredth part, but the other "an hundredfold and eternal life." This with insults and revilings, but the other with praises and auspicious words. This stirs up envy against thee, but the other even weaves for thee crowns. This hardly here, but the other both there and here.
Surely then is it not the utmost senselessness, not so much as to know how to gain? How many have lost their very principal for the interest's sake? How many have fallen into perils for usurious gains. How many have involved both themselves and others in extreme poverty through their 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 too, [2207] contriving how his plan might take with 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?
Seest thou not how great a punishment is appointed for the deed? hearest thou not that even in the old law this is forbidden? [2208] But what is the plea of the many? "When I have received the interest, I give to the poor;" one tells me. Speak reverently, O man; God desires not such sacrifices. Deal not subtilly with the law. Better not give to a poor man, than give from that source; for the money that hath been collected by honest labors, 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 honor, 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. [2209]
How then is it not a horrible thing, if thou ascribe not even so much honor 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? [2210] 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, [2211] 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. [2212] 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 receive"), [2213] thou requirest even more than is given, and what thou gavest not, 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 gain." [2214]
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.
[2161] [genne.]
[2162] Matt. xvi. 25.
[2163] Matt. xvi. 27. [tn prxin ato.]
[2164] Matt. xvii. 1.
[2165] Luke ix. 28.
[2166] [R.V. "his garments became," etc.]
[2167] Matt. xvii. 2, 3.
[2168] Matt. xx. 20, 22.
[2169] John ix. 16.
[2170] John x. 33.
[2171] dxan: in our copies of St. Luke exodon, but St. Chrysostom's reading is that of a good many mss. [None of the recent critical editions of the New Testament refer to any Greek mss., uncial or cursive, with this reading. Chrysostom alludes to it again in Homily LVIII. 1.--R.]
[2172] Luke ix. 31.
[2173] Exod. iv. 10.
[2174] Exod. xxxii. 32.
[2175] Luke ix. 54, 55. [The latter clause is omitted in the R.V. text.--R.]
[2176] Matt. v. 20.
[2177] Matt. xvi. 4.
[2178] Matt. xvi. 22.
[2179] John xiii. 37.
[2180] Matt. xxvi. 35.
[2181] pareboleueto. Comp. Philip. ii. 30.
[2182] [R.V., "I will make" (poiso) with the earliest mss. Mark and Luke: "Let us make."--R.]
[2183] Mark ix. 6.
[2184] Luke ix. 33.
[2185] Luke ix. 32. [R.V., margin, "having remained awake."]
[2186] Ps. xcvii. 2.
[2187] Is. xix. 1.
[2188] Ps. civ. 3.
[2189] Acts i. 9.
[2190] Dan. vii. 13.
[2191] Matt. xvii. 5.
[2192] Exod. xx. 21, xix. 18.
[2193] Ps. xviii. 11.
[2194] Matt. xvii. 6-8.
[2195] John xii. 28, 29.
[2196] Matt. xvii. 9. [In the last clause "the Son of Man" is omitted, and anast is substituted for egerthmesolabonto .
[2197] Matt. xxv. 34, 35.
[2198] Matt. xxv. 23.
[2199] Matt. xxv. 41.
[2200] Matt. xxv. 26.
[2201] Matt. xxii. 13.
[2202] Matt. xiii. 43.
[2203] Heb. iv. 13.
[2204] Is. lviii. 6.
[2205] Is. lviii. 7.
[2206] Tko katostiao, centesima usura, 1 per cent, per month.
[2207] Gen. xii. 11, etc.
[2208] Exod. xxii. 25; Lev. xxv. 35, 36; Deut. xxiii. 19.
[2209] 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 exorbitant interest, or of lending to the poor.
[2210] 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."
[2211] 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."
[2212] There is here and afterwards a play upon the word tko, gain, as a derivative of tktein, to bring forth, which can hardly be expressed in English.
[2213] Luke vi. 35. [Cited very freely.]
[2214] 1 Tim. vi. 6.