En el siglo quince apareció el gran Gerson, el teólogo más eminente y docto de su época, quien, a unas ideas amplias y liberales, sumaba una gran erudición, y escribió y habló sobre el tema de la usura con elocuencia, moderación y justicia.
Abordó el tema con gran detalle y, tras discutirlo desde todos los puntos de vista, expuso expresamente su conclusión de que todo interés que excediera el principal prestado no estaba prohibido por la ley de Dios, sino únicamente la usura opresiva.
Él dijo que el significado mismo del término «usura» parecía ser generalmente mal entendido y mal aplicado, no solo por el vulgo, sino por los eruditos y los hombres de estado, y explicó que la usura era solo pro- ' Epist. de St. Bernard, 322.
THE EEP0KMEB3 ON USUET.
81 perly so called when a greater increase was taken for the forbearance of the principal than was fixed by law.^ He seems also to have been of opinion that the regulation of the rate of interest or increase upon a loan, was a matter that did not properly rest with the Church ; and that if it belonged anywhere, other than to the parties themselves, it belonged to the State."
The most eminent of the reformers enters with spirit and zeal upon the subject of usury, and severely condemn its practice ; but it seems that by usury they always meant an act of oppression or extortion. Thus Calvin, though he said that it were to be wished that the very name of usury were banished from the world, expressed a decided opinion in favor of the lawfulness of usury; and added with great justice, that we should not form our opinions upon usury from any particular passage in Scripture, but rather suffer our ideas to be governed by the equity.