St_Gregory

Against Those Who Practice Usury

by Gregory of Nyssa

The homily of Gregory of Nyssa on this subject provides us with an
illuminating portrait of social justice during the fourth century.

Throughout the history of Christianity many Church authorities found it
difficult to reconcile the practice of loaning money with Gospel
principles, and Gregory is no certainly exception .
They justified their position through Christ's own words as applied to
God the Father: "Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our
debtors" (Mt 6.12). In fact, Gregory uses this passage in reference to
the remission of sin. Thus the practice of placing money at the
service of generating interest with the intention of accumulating
further capital has always been viewed as being in conflict with
Gospel principles.

St. Gregory is concerned with the creditor or person to whom the
money is owed. He is firm in his position which prohibits every form
of usury, for by it "You hinder the road of life and close the doors to
the kingdom [of heaven]".

" I ask my listeners neither to condemn my audacity nor lack of
understanding when they hear a person like me skilled in speaking
and philosophy and trained in every type of learning because I have
forsaken anything to do with usury. I will now [ descend to the contest
at hand; although I may be yoked to an ass or an ox, I am
nevertheless crowned with victory which has been obtained by a
horse. The small always appears with the great and the luminous
moon with the radiant sun. A merchant ship is carried along by the
wind and a small boat traverses the deep; trained athletes as well as
youths sprinkle sand over themselves before wrestling. With this in
mind, our comments should invite your reflection.

You whom I address, whomever you are, forsake the habits of a petty
thief. Love man, not riches, and resist this type of sin. Say with John
the Baptist to those who love usury, "Depart from me, 'you brood of
vipers'" . You are cursed by those who have you at their disposal.
Although you allow a trifling [pleasure] to delight you now, a
poisonous serpent later brings harm upon your soul. You hinder the
road of life and close the doors to the kingdom [of heaven].
Fascination with trivial matters makes your ears tingle and subjects
you to eternal distress. The following words which pertain to
accumulation [of wealth] and usury ought to inspire your love for the
poor: "Do not refuse him who would borrow from you" (Mt 5.42). The
destitute person is making supplication and is seated outside your
door; in his need he seeks your wealth to bring relief. However, you
do just the opposite and turn him into an adversary. You fail to assist
him and free him from necessity while you indulge in personal wealth.
Furthermore, you sow evils in this afflicted wretch, remove the clothes
from his nakedness, cause him harm and heap one care and grief
upon another. Whoever takes money from the practice of usury
secures a pledge of poverty and brings harm upon his home through
a superficial good deed. A [J.197] person burning with fever has an
unquenchable thirst and earnestly begs wine. Although the cup given
him out of charity satisfies for a while, the raging fever soon returns
[M.437] with a ten-fold vengeance. Thus whoever lends money to a
destitute person intensifies his misery instead of relieving distress.

Do not live with feigned charity nor be a murderous physician
with the pretence to heal for a profit; if you do this, a person trusting in
your skill can suffer great harm. Money lending has no value and is
rapacious. It is unfamiliar with such trades as agriculture and
commerce; like a beast, usury dwells in one place and delights in
banquets. Money lending wants everything to be wild and begets
whatever has been untilled. It has a reed for a plough, papyrus for a
field and black ink for seed. Rain and the passage of time yield
money while the scythe demands compensation. Usury's home is a
threshing-floor upon which the fortunes of the oppressed are
winnowed and where it considers everything as its own. It prays for
afflictions and misfortunes in order to destroy such persons. Money
lending despises people contented with their possessions and treats
them as enemies because they do not provide money. It watches
courts of law to find distress in persons who demand payment and
follows tax collectors who are a nest of vultures in battle array
prepared for war. Money lending carries a purse and dangles bait as
a wild beast to those in distress [J.198] in order to ensnare them in
their need. Daily it counts gain and cannot be satisfied. It is vexed by
gold hidden in a person's home because it remains idle and
unprofitable. Usury imitates farmers who immediately plant crops; it
takes and gives money without gain while transferring it from one
hand to another. You often see wealth and riches among persons
who lack a single coin. Instead their hope lies in a piece of paper
which represents their wealth by mutual agreement; these persons
have nothing yet possess everything. On the other hand we have the
Apostle's admonition concerning persons who give not through
charity but out of greed (cf. Mt 5.42). Usury opts for a convenient form
of destitution in order to have money as a constantly toiling slave. In
this manner money lending obtains what it has lent out. You can thus
observe how hope for the future empties one's house and renders
temporary wealth useless.

How does this situation arise? Anything written on paper is
guaranteed [M.440] to engender distress; you lend with interest and
must repay what you have gained. I am exhorting you now because
an indebted person is helpless and held by a bond, whereas God
who is rich and trustworthy will hear you (Lk 6.30). The Gospel
encourages us to give and make restitution with regard to any
recorded public debt (Lk 6.38). It speaks of a document written by
four people instead of a contract by one person whose testimony
belongs to all Christians starting from the time of their salvation. You
have the pledge of paradise and a worthy token. If you seek further,
[you can see that] the entire world is the possession of a fair Debtor
who wisely takes care to obtain abundance and wealth. The whole
earth is gold and belongs to your Debtor; [J.199] silver, copper and
every other material are subject to his authority. Consider the sky's
expanse, examine the boundless sea, learn from the earth's
magnitude and count the living beings which it nourishes. All are
subject and belong to him who transcends your comprehension. Oh
man, pay close attention. Do not insult God nor reckon him to be
worse than a money-changer. Make a pledge to him who is immortal
and believe in his reliable bond which can never be sundered. Do not
demand gain but give bountifully and without corruption (cf. Prov
19.17). Then you will see God who abundantly dispenses his grace.

If these words astonish you, God himself is a reliable
witness because his compensation is most generous. He [Christ]
responds to Peter's inquiry, "See, we have left everything and have
followed you. What then shall we have?" [Christ] answers, "Truly I say
to you that everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or
father or mother or wife or children or lands, will receive a
hundred-fold and will inherit eternal life" (Mt 19.27ff.). Are you aware
of his generosity and goodness? The money-lender labors without
shame in order to double his capital while God freely bestows a
hundred-fold to the person who does not afflict his brother. Thus
anyone advised to trust in God does no harm by refusing to indulge in
usury. Why do you harm yourself with anxiety by [M.441] calculating
days, months, the sum of money, dreaming of profit and fearing the
appointed day whose fruitful harvest brings hail? The money-lender is
inquisitive with regard to the activities of the person in his debt as
well as his personal travels, activities, movements and livelihood. If
he hears a bad report about anyone who has fallen among thieves or
whose good fortune has changed to destitution, the money-lender
sits with folded hands, groans continuously, weeps much, rolls up the
written bond, laments the gold it represents and makes a contract
which cuts off his son as though he were a garment. Such an
impatient disposition results in obsession. If the usurer has loaned to
a sailor, he would sit on the shore, worry about the wind's movement,
constantly examine their diminishment and await the report of a
wreck or some other misfortune. His soul is disquieted whenever he
sees the sea angered; he examines dreams and reveals his
disposition through the events which had transpired during the day.
With regard to this attitude we are obliged to say, "Do not allow, oh
man, anxiety to disturb you nor the desire for gain. Do not seek
monetary interest nor let the accumulation of money corrupt you.
Associate with the poor and amass their wealth if you wish to receive
abundance of wheat from a parched field, clusters from the vine after
hailed has rained down upon them, children from a barren womb or
nourishing milk from childless women." We are all familiar with these
experiences, so there is no reason to humiliate anyone. God alone is
all powerful and does not demand wealth because he provides us
with aspirations which transcend all our hopes. He summons a spring
to gush from the rock (Ex 17.6), rains down from heaven a new and
wondrous bread (Ex 16.15), sweetens the bitter water by a rod,
sends a child to barren Elizabeth (Lk 1.13), gives Samuel to Hannah
(1Sam 1.20) and the First Born to Mary in her virginity (Lk 2.7). All
these come from the hand of the all powerful [God].

Since you are composed of copper and gold, neither seek usury,
force poverty upon those who are rich, nor [J.201] be greedy to
persons asking for money. Are you not aware that the need for a loan
is a request for mercy cheerfully bestowed? For this reason the
[divine] law constantly advises us with regard to piety and [M.444]
prohibits usury: "If you lend money to your brother, you must not be
too hard" (Ex 22.25). Grace is a fountain of abundant generosity
which prescribes remission of a fine as the following words say: "If
you make a loan, you hope to gain" (cf. Lk 6.34), and in another
parable, "[That servant] violently oppressed his fellow servant who
pleaded that he could not pay him. Neither did he remit one hundred
denarii, a small debt, when he had received remission for a thousand
talents (Mt 18.28-34)." As Teacher of our faith, our Savior introduced
a model of prayer and simple practice to his disciples when he
initiated them with words of supplication befitting God: "And forgive
us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us" (Mt
6.12). How can you pray like this, oh usurer? How can you make a
request from God in good conscience since he has everything and
[M.445] you do not know how to give? Do you not know that your
prayer consists of contemptuous words? What do you give and what
remission do you request? To whom do you show mercy and call it
mercy? If you demonstrate compassion, when do you give it? Are you
not exacting tribute from your hostility and hatred? Is it not from the
misfortunes, tears and lamentations of others? If the poor man had
known the source of his offer regarding mercy, he would not have
taken it as tasting his brother's flesh and the blood of his relatives. He
would wisely say to your forthright words, "Do not, oh man, sustain
yourself on your brother's tears [J.202] and do not give as food to the
hungry the groans of those who have suffered calamity. Restore to
your brother what you have wickedly stolen and be compassionate.
What purpose is there in afflicting many people with poverty while you
comfort one individual? If usury does not abound, then a multitude of
destitute persons would cease to exist. Dissolve your claim and be
generous in everything. Condemn all money lenders because they
lack healing through the Law, prophets and evangelists." The holy
Amos says, "Hear this, you who oppress the poor in the morning and
drive the needy of the earth saying, 'When will the month pass away
that we may sell'" (Amos 8.4-5)? Neither will fathers rejoice over their
sons as when money lenders rejoice at the completion of the months
[for exacting interest].

[Money lenders] label sin with fine names such as profit in imitation of
the Greeks who call upon demons or hateful murderers instead of
their true name Eumenides [the gracious goddesses]. Kindness
consists in not inflicting burdensome interest upon one's brethren,
distributing wealth and extending a generous hand to slaves who
have little happiness at the beginning [of their bondage] and suffer
bitterly later on in life. Usurers may be compared to persons intent
upon catching birds. At first birds delight in scattered seeds; they
frequent these places of abundant food and then perish in nets. So it
is with persons who receive a large amount of loaned money; for a
short time they have it in abundance and are later deprived of their
paternal [J.203] home. Mercy abandons those defiled and greedy
souls who are not at all moved to pity when they see a debtor's home
up for sale. Instead they beg [M.448] for the sale to pass in order to
make a quick profit and bind themselves more tightly to another
person's misery through the person who had made the loan. They
[money-lenders] are like insatiable hunters who have encircled one
particular valley with nets. Having caught everything there, they take
their nets to another nearby valley and repeat the process until every
place is devoid of prey.

If you resemble such persons, how can you look up to heaven? How
can you ask for the remission of sin? Are you doing in an imprudent
manner what the Savior has taught, "Forgive us our debts as we have
forgiven our debtors" (Mt 6.12)? So many people are ensnared
through usury and cast themselves headlong into torrential rivers!
This is a more tolerable death than [being indebted to] a
money-lender who has abandoned his children as orphans and has
destitution as an evil step-mother. But exacting usurers do not spare
an abandoned home; instead, they pursue the inheritors whose only
possession may be a noose and seek gold which to them is food
taken from a banquet. When they have been reproached, as for
example, at the death of a debtor and are ashamed at very mention
of a noose, they neither hide nor are terrified; instead, they speak
without shame in their bitterness. Is this injustice intrinsic to our
[human] nature because destiny has determined an ill-fated,
senseless and miserable birth ending in cruel death? Money-lenders
like to philosophize and show themselves disciples of Egyptian
magicians whenever one of them makes supplication for their
abominable deeds in defense of [J.204] such murderous behavior.
They speak to each other as follows: "You were born in ignimony and
are subject to the evil coercion of the stars. If you encourage mercy,
dismiss part of a debt and acquire a part with remission, you will not
despise life as burdensome nor partake of it. Then with what eyes will
you see what is condemned to death at the resurrection? You will
come to the judgment seat of Christ where usuries are not counted
but where lives are judged. You will respond to the incorruptible
Judge when he says to you, 'You have the Law, prophets and
Gospels. Have you heard them cry out in one voice about love and
compassion saying, 'To your brother you will not lend interest' (Dt
23.20), 'He has not given his money on usury' (Ps 14.5), 'If you loan
[M.449] to your brother, you will not be hard upon him' (Ex 22.24)?
But Matthew proclaims the Lord's words in parables: 'You wicked
servant! I forgave you all that debt because you besought me, and
should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy
on you? And in anger his lord delivered him to the torturers until he
should pay all his debt' (Mt 18.32-4). Then an ineffective repentance
accompanied by heavy groans and the inevitability of punishment will
seize you. In no way will gold assist you nor silver defend you since
the distribution of loaned money is a more bitter wrath. These words
are not intended to strike fear; rather, they are honest deeds which
testify to the trial at court and should be well guarded by prudence
and foresight."

Pay close attention now in order that you may profit from what we are
about to say with regard to God's judgment and the times in which we
are living. Perhaps many of you are familiar with the subject matter
we are about to present.

A certain man lived in a city (I will not mention his name to avoid
ridiculing the dead) who was a usurer and profited from money
lending. He was miserly in his passion for money and for what he had
spent (this is how persons who love money behave). His table never
had enough food, and he always had sufficient clothing and other
possessions. This man failed to provide his children with life's
necessities and was reluctant to take a bath out of fear of paying
three obols. Furthermore, he was constantly intent upon accumulating
more and more money. He was not satisfied with letting his son,
slave, banker, key and seal guard his purse. Instead this usurer kept
his money in cracks in the wall and plastered over the outside with
mud to hide it. He moved his treasure from place to place and from
wall to wall, thereby skillfully concealing it. When he suddenly
departed this life, he revealed the hidden money to no family
member. Once he was buried, his gain remained hidden. But his
children hoped to achieve greater prominence in the city. They
searched everywhere for his wealth, questioned other persons,
inquired among family members, opened the floors of homes,
hollowed out walls, annoyed neighbors and friends, and moved every
stone. As the saying goes, his children did not find a single obol.
They went through [M.452] this present existence homeless and
destitute while each day loathing their father's inflated vanity.

Such is your friend and companion, oh money-lenders! You have
indeed ended your life with its vain pursuit of usury. Pains and hunger
trouble you as you accumulate an inheritance of [J.206] eternal
punishment and leave your children penniless. Neither are you aware
for whom you have gathered or toiled so hard. There are numerous
people who make false accusations, lay ambushes and commit
robbery on both land and sea. See that you refrain from acquiring
sins or gold. These words constitute a somber warning (For I know
that you are murmuring under your teeth) because they continuously
regulate our manner of life and conspire to make us poor through
good deeds. Be aware that we can no longer engage in money
lending. How do such deprived persons live? Our words suit their
deeds and offer a sound argument for persons shadowed by wealth's
gloom. Since they lack firm resolve and do not perceive our advice,
they focus attention upon the opposite. You would think that I wanted
them to refrain from lending money because with murmuring under
their lips, they threaten to shut their doors to persons in need. For my
part, I loudly proclaim acts of charity. I first advocate making loans (in
the second place loaning is a form of giving) without profit through
money lending as the divine word has decreed (cf. Lk 6.35). Equally
pernicious is the person who does not loan and gives with usury
since he is judged as a hateful, dishonest trader. Those who resort to
the other extreme disguise themselves under the pretext of giving.
This is indeed shameless behavior and an imprudent challenge to
justice which makes them contentious and hostile towards God. Such
a person says, "I will neither give nor make a contract without loaning
interest."

Our words pertaining to usury should suffice because the example of
persons condemned in [J.207] court is adequate for me. May God
bestow repentance upon them. But those who are quick to loan and
pierce themselves with hooks of money lending recklessly harm their
own lives. I remain silent in this matter because our holy father Basil's
advice is sufficient. He has wisely and abundantly furnished it in his
homily to persons who are foolish enough to make loans out of
greed.

PRAYER OF ST. GREGORY OF NYSSA
For God's Goodness To Us Sinners

Lord, from You flows true and continual kindness.
You had cast us off and justly so,
but in Your mercy You forgave us.
You were at odds with us,
and You reconciled us.
You had set a curse on us,
and You blessed us.
You had banished us from the garden,
and You called us back again.
You took away the fig leaves
that had been an unsuitable garment,
and You clothed us in a cloak of great value.
You flung wide the prison gates,
and You gave the condemned a pardon.
You sprinkled clean water on us,
and You washed away the dirt.