—(^Mill. Hist, of Jews, Vol. iii., p. 407.)
occidere. Ergo ubi jus belli ibi, etiam jus usurse." ^ And Sir Edward Coke, in speakii^g of this same text, describes it as a " mean confided to tbe Jews either to exterminate or depauperate their enemies, so that they should not be able to invade or injure God's people."^ To these interpretations, however, we cannot as- sent, for they are opposed to the spirit of the injunc- tions addressed to the Jews in the New Testament :
" Love ye your enemies, and lend hoping for nothing again, and your reward shall be great."^ And else- where in the Scriptures we find the text in question explained to mean a blessing and reward which God bestowed upon his chosen people, for their temporal advantage. " For the Lord thy God blesseth thee, as he promiseth thee ; and thou shalt lend unto many nations, but thou shalt not borrow." * The " strangers" alluded to in the text were the Canaanites, and those neighboring tribes with whom the Jews might trade for their mutual advantage, and the permission to take usury of them was not a mere instrument of vengeance, as Sir Edward Coke has supposed, to be used against them; while on the other hand the loans which were permitted to be made "unto many nations," were not, as the enemies of interest have contended, to be made without interest or profit; for then they would not be a ' Lib. de Toh., c. 15. =3 Inst., 151. ^ Matthew, 42. Luke vi., 35. * Deut. XV., 6 : lb. xxviii., 12, 44.
CLERICAL INFLUENCE. 21 " blessing and reward " to the Jews, but a detriment and loss ; and all the advantage would have been on the side of the borrowers. Therefore these pro- hibitions, blessings, and promises, can only be ex- plained by the doctrine of loans upon interest. The