He that puts not out his money at interest, nor takes reward against the innocent. He that does these things shall never be moved.
Read Chapter 15
Augustine of Hippo
AD 430
5. "Who sweareth unto his neighbour, and deceiveth him not." "Who hath not given his money upon usury, and hath not taken rewards against the innocent" (ver. 5). These are no great things: but he who is not able to do even this, much less able is he to speak the truth in his heart, and to practise no deceit in his tongue, but as the truth is in the heart, so to profess and have it in his mouth, "yea, yea; nay, nay;" and to do no evil to his neighbour, that is, to any man; and to entertain no slander against his neighbour: all which are the virtues of the perfect, in whose sight the malicious one hath been brought to nought. Yet he concludes even these lesser things thus, "Whoso doeth these things shall not be moved for ever:" that is, he shall attain unto those greater things, wherein is great and unshaken stability. For even the very tenses are, perhaps not without cause, so varied, as that in the conclusion above the past tense should be used, but in this the future. For there it was...
Usury. This was always blameable, though Moses tolerated it with respect to the Jews lending to the Chanaanites, Deuteronomy xxiii. 19., and Luke vi. 35. The Roman law condemned the guilty to pay double as much as the thief, who was to restore twice the value of what he had stolen. (Cato 1.)
Under the semblance of kindness it does a real injury; (St. Hilary) etiam his in visa quibus succurrere videtur. (Columel. præf.) (Calmet)
Bribes, (munera) "presents. "Even these are dangerous, as they tend to prepossess the judge. (Haydock)
Both usury and doing wrong for bribes exclude from heaven. (Worthington)
A judge must shake such things from his hands, (Isaias xxxiii. 15.) as he cannot take them to give either a just or a wrong sentence. His duty requires him to give the former; so that the innocent would thus be purchasing what was his own. (Calmet)
The same maxims must be applied to all in authority, (Haydock) to witnesses (Calmet)
Those who have not failed in any of these respects, ...
