until St. Bernard's® time, when this illustrious Abbot, 1 Marc. Gato, de re rustica. " Tac. An., lib. 6, c. 4. ' For the opinion of Cato, respecting usury, see Ante, p. 12.
' Cic. de Off., lib., c. 42. ' A. D., 440. ^ St. Bernard was a most learned and pious Abbot of the monas- tery of Clairvoux, in the 12th century, and his opinions obtained great respect.
by means of his spirited eloquence, gave a new im- petus to the already ample horror against usury. He applied expressions of extreme disgust dressed in the most powerful language, and declared that usurers or extortioners were worse than Jews, and called them Jews baptized. " Taxxo quod sicuhi ; desunt Judcei [says he], pejvs judaizare dolemus Christianos fmneratores. Si tamen Christianos et non magis hap- tizatos Judceos, convenit appellwre.^'^ After his time came Pope Alexander III., and many other influen- tial characters, who held the same opinions on the subject of usury ; and it is, therefore, no matter for' surprise, that succeeding divines should have fol- lowed the example of those great authorities, and have emulated each other in the point and bitterness of their invectives against usurers.