Exposition of Ezekiel 14-19, Commentary on Ezechiel · Chapter 18 · Verse 8
VERS. 8.
He that hath not given forth upon uſury, neither hath taken any encreaſe, that hath with-drawn his hand from iniquity, hath executed true judgement between man and man.
OUr Prophet is upon declaring who is a righteous man, ſundry characters of ſuch an one he hath laid downe before, and here proceeds to adde more: and the firſt is, he meddles not with uſury, hee encreaſes not his eſtate that way. It's much in practiſe among the ſonnes of men, as if Scripture did rather authorize, then prohibit it.
Ʋpon uſury.
Neſheck is from foreign to bite; yea to bite like a Serpent; it's a kin to foreign a Serpent ſaith Avenar. A Serpent's biting is little felt at firſt; but after it enflames and ruines the man: ſo Uſury is not much felt at the beginning, but in time, eates up, and devoures a mans whole ſubſtance; or for that it makes a man reſtleſſe, ſleepleſſe, who is bitten with it, as the biting of a Serpent doth, or biting in that like a hungry Dog or Wolfe, by biting and devouring others, it feeds it ſelfe. Chryſ. ſuper illud, Math. 5. volenti mutuare, ſaith, the Ʋſurers money is like the biting of the Aſpe. A man bitten by the Aſp hath a delightful ſleepineſſe upon him, and dies ſleeping, becauſe poyſon ſweetly diffuſeth it ſelfe through his whole body: ſo the man that takes money of the Uſurer, pleaſes himſelf, thinking it a kindneſſe, & benefit unto him; but it quickly eates up a great part, if not his whole eſtate. Ʋſura eſt venenum, Polan. This kind of uſury many are againſt, but other ſorts of uſury they allow and practiſe. I ſhall therefore conſider what Uſury is, and then ſhew you whether the Scripture will warrant any uſury.
What uſury is.
It's the taking of any thing above the principall, ſaith Toſtat.
A receiving more then was lent, Cajet.
Si plus quam dediſti expectas accipere faenerator es. Aug. in Pſal. 36.Theſe are too ſtrict, excluding what ever any return freely by way of thankfulneſſe.
In uſury 3. things are conſiderable: Lending, Gaining, Covenanting.
To lend money for gaine, interpoſita pactione, that is uſurie.
When men put out their money to receive more then the principall by vertue of a Covenant, Contract or Compact, that makes them Uſurers.
Viſin ſaith. Ʋſura … qu… …ur ſolius mutuationis cauſa.It is gain taken meerely for the lending of a thing: Herein it's conceived lyes the formality of it, viz. the covenanting, agreeing, and contracting to have ſo much for what is lent. This the word points at, Exod. 22.25. lo teſimun alau neſbeck, thou ſhalt not put uſury upon him. The Sept. is, foreign and ſo Caſtal. and Piſcator, Ʋſuram ei ne imponito.and our Tranſlation is, thou ſhalt not lay upon him uſury.
Lucrum ex mutuo quaeſitum vi ipſius mutui.Ameſius ſaith it's gaine ſought after, aim'd at from what is lent, becauſe it's lent, and he includes in the word quaeſitum, not only reall uſury which is contracted for, but mentall uſury which is intended.
Uſury thus deſcribed I find no warrant for from the word of God, but much againſt it: Looke into theſe places, Exod. 22.35. Levit. 25.35, 36, 37. Deut. 23.19, 20. The great God of Heaven and Earth commands them not to be Uſurers, not to lend upon, or take uſury.
The anſwer and evaſion that ſome have and make here, is this; true, we muſt not lend upon uſury to the poor, who are mentioned in the two firſt places, and implyed in the 3d. but to the rich we may.
To take away this evaſion,
1. Conſider there be other places, where no mention of the poor is made, Pſal. 15.5. He that putteth not out his money to uſury. It's ſpoken indefinitely; they might not put it out to the poore, and who then were there to put it out to, but the rich? ſo in Jer. 15.10. Ezek. 22.12. Uſury is cenſur'd, and yet ther's no mention of the poor. Uſury ſeem'd a curſed thing.
2. Rich men were there brethren as well as the poore: and Deut. 23.20. Ʋnto thy brother thou ſhalt not lend upon uſury. Hee might not lend to a rich foe, onelyonly to a ſtranger.
3. What countenance, warrant, or encouragement doe you find in holy writ for lending moneys to rich and wealthy men, eſpecially with expectation of gaine, Luke 6.34. If ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receive, what thank have you; for ſinners alſo lend to ſinners, to receive as much againe. Wicked men, the worſt of all, who have no feare of God in them wil doe that; therefore ſaith Chriſt, lend, hoping for nothing again. Here is ſhewn who ſhould lend, and to whom. Rich men are to lend, not to borrow; and to thoſe the lending ſhould be, who are not able to maintain their charge, drive on their callings without help; to theſe rich men ſhould lend freely, and to others that are Beggars, truly poore, they ſhould give. Matth. 5.42. Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee, turn thou not away. It's a duty for rich men to lend, not to borrow: and becauſe they let many Families ſink theſe hard times, which would doe well enough, had they a little ſupport from the rich, it will ſtand upon their account one day.
This is the evill of rich men, becauſe they ſee ſuch a man decaying, therefore they will not lend him: but becauſe he is upon decaying, therefore they ſhould lend him that he may not utterly decay, Deut. 15.7, 8.
2d. Evaſion men have is this: Uſury when it's biting, hath the Serpents ſting & teeth in it; prejudiceth, and doth not profit, advantage a man, then it's unlawfull; but if a man be a gainer by it, it's not unwarrantable; and ſo they diſtinguiſh between biting uſury, and profiting uſury.
Anſw. Diſtinctions and arguments from Etymologies are inſufficient and weake, foreign, a deceitfull witneſſe. Abſhalom ſignifies a father of peace, or the fathers peace; but he was a father of War, and his fathers trouble; lucus quia minime lucet. As for Uſury, the Scripture knows no ſuch diſtinction, as biting, and profiting uſury; it's an humane invention to make way for the ſatisfaction of mens covetous and greedy deſires. Men think they are ſafe if they take uſury of the rich, not of the poore; but ſee how the Lord ſtrangles & cuts off this diſtinction by the next words in the Verſ.
Neither hath taken any encreaſe.
He muſt not be a biting Uſurer, which they grant, neither muſt he be an increaſing Uſurer: this is forbidden by the ſame Authority that the other is: The word is, foreign from foreign to multiply and encreaſe, and is rendred by Montan: Amplius, ſo Vatablus and Jerom; he is a juſt man that takes no more then he lends. Some would have this word to be exegetical, and ſo think to avoid the force of it. But though the wiſdom of man be inventive to promote it's own intereſts, yet it muſt not null the wiſdome of God. Let us grant it exegeticall, it is of more force againſt them; for the latter word muſt expound the former, and ſo any encreaſe is the meaning of uſury; upon this account then, he is an Uſurer takes any encreaſe.
But this likes not thoſe plead for it: by encreaſe they would have ſuch encreaſe, as burdens, bites, oppreſſes, and conſumes him that gives it.
This is forcing of the word Tarbith, which notes ſimply any encreaſe or multiplication; not biting, oppreſſing, undoing encreaſe. As they therefore ſtick to the word Neſheck, to make one ſort of uſury unlawfull: ſo may wee ſticke to the word Tarbith, to make that other ſort of uſury unlawfull, becauſe it's ſaid, he that hath not given forth to uſury, neither hath taken any encreaſe. The word notes encreaſe of victuals as well as of money. Levit. 25.37. Thou ſhalt not give him thy money upon uſury, nor lend him thy victuals for encreaſe.
There muſt not be increaſe of money or victuals; it's not meant a burthenſome encreaſe of victuals, but no encreaſe at all.
Some plead the lawfulneſſe of it, from Deut. 23.20. Ʋnto a ſtranger thou mayeſt lend upon uſury, but unto thy brother thou mayeſt not lend upon uſury. Hence they conclude, that uſury is not ſimply unlawfull but to a brother.
Anſw. God is above the law, and may authorize men to doe ſuch things as the letter of the law is againſt: He bade Abraham ſacrifice his ſonne, the Jewes to rob the Aegyptians. The law in Levit. 20.21. is againſt a man marrying his brothers wife; yet in Deut. 25.5. The brother muſt raiſe up ſeed to the brother; and 7. brethren had one woman, Matth. 22.24, 25, 26. And ſo here, the Lord might give way to the Jewes to take uſury, he is above the law.
2. Some anſwer it thus, and ſay, God permitted it unto them for the hardneſſe of their hearts, who would have taken of their brethren, if they had not had liberty thus to have done: As they were permitted to give a bill of divorce to their Wives, and ſend them away, ſo it was here. It was a permiſſion, thou mayeſt, &c. and permiſſion is of evill, not, of good.
3. It was to*By the word ſtranger, it is clear no other could be meāt but only thoſe 7. nations of the Hittites, Amorites, Jebuſites, &c. from whom God commanded them to take their lives alſo— & without all doubt, none of thoſe nations amōg whom they are at this preſent diſperſed, & ſuffered to inhabit, & do likewiſe receive all courteous uſage from the Princes of the ſeveral natiōs, eſpecially among the Chriſtians; ſeeing that to take uſury would be a crime, not only againſt the written law, but againſt that of nature alſo. Leo Modeno his Hiſt. of the rites of the Jewes. To take uſury of ſtrangers was not, ſaith Aquinas: ſecundum intentionem logis, ſed ex quadam permiſſione, propter pravitatem judaeorum, ad avaritiam; & ut magis pacifice ſe haberent ad extraneos a quibus lucrabantur 1… 2 ae q. 105. Artic. 3 ad 3. um. ſtrangers they might do it, and not to all ſtrangers, but Canaanites only, who were deſign'd of God to deſtruction: ſo that theſe they might deſtroy with the ſword, they might devour with uſury; ſo then, where men are not appointed to death, and to be cut off by War, they may not exerciſe uſury. Ʋbi jus belli ibi jus uſurae.
4. The diſtinction of ſtrangers is now taken away, the partition wall is broken downe, and we are all brethren; a ſtranger that was become a Proſelyte, and embraced the Iewiſh Religion, they might not take uſury of, hee was a brother, Levit. 25, 35, 36. They had all one father, Mal. 2.10. and ſo have we, and are brethren: This made‖In principio legis a fratribus tantum foenus tollitur; in propheta ab omnibus uſura prohibetur; in Evangelio, virtutis augmentum eſt praecipiente domino faeneramini his a quibus non ſperatis accipere. Jerome upon this place ſay, in the law, uſury was taken off from brethren; In the Prophets it's forbid to all; in the Goſpel is yet more vertue and favour; the Lord ſaith, lend to them from whom yee may expect nothing.
It is the blindneſſe of the Jewes to think they may take uſury of Chriſtians, when Chriſt hath made of both, one, Epheſ. 2.14. And it is our ſinfull covetouſneſſe to take uſury one of another when we are brethren: and therefore ſome affirme that in this place of Deut. that uſury towards ſtrangers is neither commanded nor permitted; but the Scripture would have us acknowledge all our neighbours and brethren; and that if wee doe exerciſe uſury towards any, we entreat them not as brethren or neighbours, but as enemies.
Some ground the lawfulneſſe, and ſo their practiſe of it upon Matth. 25. the parable of the Talents, verſ. 27. Oughteſt thou not to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my comming I ſhould have received mine owne with uſury. Hence they conclude, that Chriſt doth not onelyonly allow, but juſtifie uſury.
Anſw. 1. This is a parable, and ſolid arguments are ſeldome drawn from parables. Theologia ſymbolica, non eſt argumentativa.
2. Chriſt here ſpeaks not de juſticia rei, as if hee approved uſurious practices, whereby men of covetous minds doe encreaſe their eſtates; ſed de modo rei, the encreaſe that came by ſuch practiſes which hee propounds to be imitated in ſpirituall things: You ſee men of this world improve their moneys, and ſo ſhould you improve thoſe gifts and graces which are concredited and committed unto you: Chriſt here juſtifies uſury no more then he juſtifies the unjuſt Steward, Luke 16.8. where it is ſaid, hee commended the unjuſt Steward, becauſe he had done wiſely. Why, what had he done? In one account he had defrauded his Mr. of 50 meaſures of oyle; in another account he cut him ſhort of 20. meaſures of wheat; yet Chriſt ſaith he had done wiſely; that is, wiſely for himſelfe, though wickedly for his Mr. Chriſts commendation of him did not legitimate the action; if mens Stewards or Servants ſhould doe ſo now, and alledg this inſtance, they would not hold them excuſable, but have the law againſt them. Chriſt ſaith, that he will come as a Thiefe, Rev. 16.15. and that the day of the Lord comes as a thief in the night, 1 Theſ. 5.2. Doth this therefore countenance or juſtifie the every?
You ſee then no footing for uſury in the word of God; it ſeems to me to make void 3. great rules which our Lord and Saviour hath given us in the Goſpel.
The 1. is that, Matth. 7.12. All things whatſoever you would that men ſhould doe unto you, doe yee even the ſame to them, for this is the law & the Prophets. Now is there any man in ſtreights, in neceſſities, that would not borrow freely, rather then be tyed to pay ſo much, not knowing whether he ſhall gaine any thing, or preſerve the principall: and if any ſhould deny it, I feare their owne conſciences would condemn them for it. It's true; through the cuſtome and practiſe of the times, men are willing to borrow upon ſuch rates and tearms, becauſe they cannot have moneys otherwiſe; but if men will lay aſide all reſpects of that kind, and look at the ſimple nature of the thing, they cannot but confeſſe they had rather have money freely then upon tearmes: and if ſo, then they ought to do ſo to others, and not lay the burthen of uſury upon them.
2. It's againſt that great rule and command, Luke 6.35. Lend, hoping for nothing againe. The Greek is, foreign men ſhould ſo lend as not to hope for, much leſſe covenant for any thing againe. Any thing for the lending their principal they may; for it's not ſaid, give, but lend, not foreign but foreign; and if you ſhould not have the principall againe, it were not foreign but foreign, not a lending, but a giving; lend, hoping for the principall, but nothing for the loane of it. Such lending is attributed to righteous and good men. Pſalm 37.26. Hee is ever mercifull, and lendeth. And Pſal. 112.5. A good man ſheweth favour, and lendeth. But the uſurer beneficentiam in maleficentiam pervertit, as Muſcul. in Pſalm. 15.
3. It's againſt that great rule and command, Heb. 13.5. Let your converſation be without covetouſneſſe. Should poore men be without covetouſneſſe who have little, and ſhould not rich men who have much? they uſually are the Uſurers, and …o moſt covetous. Uſury is the invention and practiſe of covetouſneſſe, and ſerves only to feed the appetite thereof. Covetouſneſſe is a grievous ſinne, it's idolatry, as you may ſee, Coloſſ. 3.5. It makes the times perillous, 2 Tim. 3.1, 2. It's the root of all evill, 1 Tim. 6.10. It makes a man unworthy of Chriſtian ſociety, 1 Cor. 5.11. To be abhor'd of God, Pſal. 10.3. and ſo to be ſhut out of the Kingdome of heaven, 1 Cor. 6.9, 10. Epheſ. 5.5. And ſurely ſuch as the Mother is, ſuch is the daughter. Pſal. 15.1. Lord, who ſhall abide in thy Tabernacle, who ſhall dwell in thy holy hill? Verſ. 5. That putteth not out his money to uſury. Of which words Luther in his Comentary upon that Pſalm ſaith, iſte locus non indiget explication… ſed impletione. Many Counſels have condemned it as unlawfull. In the 1. Nicene it was condemn'd for a mortall ſin, Can. 17. The firſt Carthaginian determined it to be turpe lucum, cap 13. The Lateran ſaith, uſury is not allowed to redeeme Captives; and this reaſon is given of it, ſi prohibetur pro alterius vita mentiri, multo magis uſuras accipere; ſo that it makes uſury worſe then lying. Concil: Viennenſe decrees him to be puniſhed as an Heretick who ſayes uſury is no ſinne. The Eliberine Councell degraded Clergy men, and caſt the people out of the Church who were Uſurers, Cap. 20. Not only Councels, but Fathers have been againſt it. Aug. upon the 36. Pſalm ſayes, ſi plus quam dediſti expectas accipere, faenerator es. And Bern. calls it, venenum patrimonij: inter praecepta famil: The very heathen have cenſur'd and condemn'd it. Ariſt. in 1 Polit. c. 7. ſaith, uſuraria acquiſitio eſt maxime contra naturam, becauſe it's barren, and not apt to bring forth: And Cato makes uſury equall to murther; illi faenerari idem fuit quod hominem occidere; Tul. 2. Offic. cited by Aret. in problem. Lycurgus, e tota Sparta uſurarios expulit, Phocil, foreign. Moll. in Pſal. 15.
Agis burnt all the Uſurers tables at Athens; which made Ageſilaus to ſay hee never ſaw a better or brighter light then that fire made, Alexan. ab Alexand: lib. 1. Gen. Dier. c. 7. Plato would have uſurers baniſht out of the Commonwealth, l. 5. de legib.
Let men threfore take heed how they meddle with uſury, ſeeing there is ſuch a cloud of Witneſſes againſt it, and not truſt to a diſtinction of mans brain, making biting uſury unlawfull, and other uſury lawfull, left by this diſtinction they get money in their coffers, and loſe their ſoules at laſt. For, as Alphonſus ſaith, faenus eſt animae funus, ſuch gaine is the ſepulchre of the ſoule; and he muſt not ſojourn in the Tabernacle of the Lord, that puts his money to uſury; and ſurely it's an ill trade that excludes a man from heaven.
Money at firſt was invented for exchange of things uneaſie to be tranſported, not to beget money or a trade without labour; for the uſurers trade is moſt eaſie and gainfull. The ancient Grecians and Romans forbade all uſury above one penny for 100. in the year; and if any took above that rate, he was condemn'd to reſtore four-fold, and judg'd more vile then a Thiefe, who was condemn'd but in double as much; afterwards it was brought to a half-penny a yeare among the Romans, and not long after wholly taken away by the Gemut…ian law; and if it were brought to lower rates amongſt us, or rather wholly taken away, it were an honour to the Goſpel, and to our Nation.
That hath withdrawn his hand from iniquity.
Hebrew is, hath turn'd away his hand: ſo the Sept. foreign. Piſcat. retraxerit. The ſenſe of the phraſe is, that hath abſtain'd from do…ng evill, from unjuſt and ſinfull acts; not only that keeps his hand from taking bribes, as Polan: But from wronging any when it is in his power, and occaſions are preſented. If men be ſo minded, they ſhall have variety of occaſions to revenge themſelves upon their enemies, to cruſh the poore, to get the wealth and honour of the world, yea ſtrong temptations to things that are evill; but now when a man will not give way to ſuch temptations and occaſions; he is ſaid to withdraw, or turne his hand from iniquity. When Judah ſaid of Joſeph, what profit is it if we ſlay our brother and conceale his blood, let not our hand be upon him. Here he kept his owne, and his brothers hands from iniquity, Gen. 37.26, 27. Saul commands his Foot-men to kill the Prieſts, 1 Sam. 22.17. But they would not put forth their hand to fall upon the Prieſts of the Lord, they with-drew their hands from iniquity. Job profeſſes his innocencie in this kind, Chap. 31.21. If I have lift up my hand againſt the fatherleſſe when I ſaw my help in the gate, then let mine arm fall from my ſhoulders. He had opportunities and encouragement from others in place, to have wronged the fatherleſſe; but he would not doe it, he with-drew his hand from iniquity. Joſeph would not hearken unto his Miſtris: Daniel would not defile himſelfe with the Kings portion, Chap. 1.8. The 3. children would not bow to the Image, Chap. 3. They withdrew their hands and hearts from iniquity: and ſo David, he kept himſelfe from his iniquity, Pſal. 18.23. from that was moſt ſtirring in him. Wicked men with-draw not their hands from iniquity, but as Mic. 7.3. They doe euill with both hands, and that earneſtly. Evill is their element, and doing evill is their trade; but a righteous man withdraws his hand from iniquity, yea all iniquity; From all unwarrantable actions, preſcriptions, ſubſcriptions.
Hath executed true judgement between man and man.
Heb. is, the judgement of truth. Whether theſe words be referred to publique Magiſtrates, or private men choſen to end controverſies between men at variance, it matters not, both may be included; for whoſoever do judge, or execute judgement between man and man, they are to judge truly, and execute the judgement of truth. Zach. 8.16. It's written thus; execute the judgement of peace and truth in the gates: there is a judgment of truth, or as the Hebrew is, judge truth, ſee your judgement have nothing in it but truth; ſee it be according to the word of truth, approved by the God of truth, and then it will be judicium pacis, a judgment of peace, elſe it will breed more contention and heartburnings. The Scripture ſpeaks of perverting judgement, Pro. 17.23. Of turning aſide judgement, Iſa. 10.2. But thoſe are cal'd to that work, ſhould neither for feare or favour, hatred or love, warp from the rule ſet of God: No greatneſſe, no relation, no gifts, no reſpects whatſoever ſhould draw a man to wreſt, pervert, or turn aſide judgement of truth or true judgement Deut. 16.18, 19. They ſhall judge the people with juſt judgement, thou ſhalt not wreſt judgement; thou ſhalt not reſpect perſons, neither take a gift; for it blinds the eyes of the wiſe, and perverts the words of the righteous; that which is altogether juſt thou ſhalt follow. God loves true, righteous, and juſt judgement, and hates what is thereunto contrary. Deut. 27.19. Curſed be he that perverteth the judgement of the ſtranger, fatherleſſe, and widow. His hatred is ſo great, that he hath laid a curſe upon the perverters thereof.