Lawful and Unlawful Usury Amongst Christians, Part 3
¶ But the vſurer replyeth.
IT is (ſaith he) common in eueryevery mans mouth: He yt is willing hath no wrong, I ſend for no man. I force no mā to take money of me. Thei cōe of their own accord, thei take my money, & do not aſke it of any other cōdiciō, but only of vſury? What do I in thys caſe offende? Let them leaue me my money to my ſelfe, if the dāmage of vſurye be ſo greuous vntounto thē. I anſwer, theſe are ye ſayinges not of a chriſtian man, but of a very heathen, yea of him that hath no mynde of man.
Nede is a ſharpe ſhaft. Theſe wretches forced by nede come vntounto thee, of whoſe wretchedneſſe thou cruelly & filthely takeſte thy vantage. The vſurer replieth agīe: But when as they receiued mony of me vponupon condiciō of vſury, thei wer glad and dyd geue thankes. What iniure can thys be, whyche cauſeth gladnes and thankes geuyng: I anſwere, that theſe wretches reioyce & geue thāks, not becauſe they doe fele a benifite, but becauſe they ſuppoſe yt by thys domage of vſurye, they maye eaſe ye greuous neceſſyte, whyche doeth oppreſſe them preſently. Surely they deſier rather ſimpli to borow money, thā to take it vpō vſurye. But for becauſe ſo gret inhumanite preuaileth, yt they can no where finde ſuch liberalite as lendeth frely, they ar glad to take money vpō vſury: but thys kynde of gladnes at ye laſt turneth into greateſt heauines. And whē they fle frō charibdis, thei fal into ſcilla, frō ye roke into ye gulfe. Chriſoſtome doeth well cōpare this gladnes of takyng vſurye moneye, vntounto the bitynge of a ſerpente called aſpis: for euen as he, whyche is bittē of the Aſpis, doeth gladlye fal onſlepe, & by the ſwetneſſe of deadly ſlūber dieth, becauſe in ſleping ye poiſon paſſeth to euerye mēber: ſo he yt taketh money of the vſurer is preſētly glad, as though he had a benefite, howbeit vſuri, hauing ſpedy paſſage to all yt he hath, turneth all into det. And Cato ye elder, being demaūded what it was to take vſurye, anſwered, the ſame yt it is to kill a mā. Thirdly they, which ſeme to hauehave ſome taſt of Chriſtes goſpel, do bryng that, not by thee which they may amende thē ſelues, but by ye which they would cloke their vngodlynes: but al ye ſūme of ye law and the prophets, as Chriſte witneſſeth, ſtādeth in this, yt what I would ſhould be done vntounto me, ye ſame I doe alſo vntounto others. VntoUnto mi ſelf I wold wiſh no other cōdiciō, but for one hundreth florens, to repay eueryevery yeare fiue. What ſine is it for me thē to take ſo much of others? For I my ſelfe take vponupon thys condicion ſo oft, as nede is. So many I geue to others, and agayne ſo many I take of others. I anſwer, it is moſte vngodlines to abuſe Chryſtes word, which ar ſo cōpared to mainteine not couetouſnes but brotherli louelove. Thou as is euidēt, doſt ye ſame toothers, whiche yu requireſt of others. If yu do this of a charitable ſprit, ſet thiſelf in ye place of ye pore & nedye, & cloth thiſelf wt the affectiō of hys nede, thinking, what yu, beyng in his caſe, woldeſt that ye rich ſhold do vntounto the, whether yt thei, ſhold lēd vntounto the wt vſury or wtout vſury? Vndoubtedly yu wouldeſt rather wtout vſury. For yt ſhoulde be more profitable vntounto the, thā if yu ſholdeſt be burdened wt chargeable vſury. Wherfore that ſayinge of chriſt: Do vntounto others, as thou woldeſt yt others ſhold dooe vntounto the, yt muſte yu vnderſtād to bee ſo ſpokē, as what yu woldeſte wiſhe dōe vntounto thee, being in ſuch caſe as thi neighbour is, ye ſame muſte yu do vntounto him, wt ye ſame frēdly louing affectiō, wt ye which yu art mī ded towards thyſelf. Search thyn own cōſcience & iudge indifferētly whether yu mayſt ſay truly yt thy pore nedy neighboure is ſo loued & helped of thee, as yu placed in his caſe woldeſt be loued & helped of others. Wherfore ſeing yu cāſt not truly ſay this of thyſelf, what availeth it deceitfulli to dali wt ye ſaying of Chriſt our ſauiour? Alſo yu geueſt vſury vntounto others, & takeſt of others. I heare this, & I beſech the tel me for what cauſe yu geueſt: & for what nede: for ye ſāe, for ye whiche they doe geue of whō yu takeſt? No, no. Thei beare ye dāage of vſury forced bi nede yu beareſt no dāage, but for hope of greater gaīe, not for nede but for couetouſnes, geueſt .v. for an .c. to gain x. xv. xx: and yu ſo geueſt & takeſt, as many ſacrificīg prieſts ar wōt to offer a halpeny to kepe vp in ye church ye gaines of offering, & to prouoke the people to offer by their e…ſāple: & by yt wai for laiēg down one penie they take vp ten. So very wel doe vſurers & Symoniaks agree, becauſe they are both caryed by one ſprite of couetouſnes. Forthly whā as ye vſurer feleth himſelf in a ſtrait, & ſeth no way to defend vſurye, he turneth towards other artes & ſaith: if vſury be ſuch a thyng, … I do ſinne if I take, then I knowe what I wyll do. I will lende no parte of my money vntounto any man. I wyll kepe it vntounto my ſelfe, le…t that I ſhold be an vſurar. I anſwer, this is that eſcapyng of vſurye, for the which ye Emperors lawes wolde not vtterly forbid vſury. Wilt yu kepe thy money to thy ſelf? Afore the courte of ye world … is lawful, but it is vnlawful afore ye court of Chriſt, by whoſe cōmaūdemēte yu art boūdē, not to deny him yt wold borow of thee, but to lend, lokīge to receaue nothyng: wherfore if yu boeſt either of theſe, yu declareſte the ſelf not to be a Chriſtiā. Whether yt thou wtdraw lendyng vntounto thy brother, … aſketh whē yu art able, or whether yt thou ſo lende as to take agayne: yu ſynneſte alyke, both agaynſt Chryſt and againſt thy next brother. If thou lend nothing at al, yu ſinneſt not in vſury: howbeit ye rote of vſury, which is couetouſnes, thou noriſheſt in thi heart, and art a tranſgreſſoure of Chryſtes worde. If thou lende vponupon vſurie, then yu ſynneſt againſt the commaundement of Chryſte. And to be ſhort, as much as lyeth in thee, yu deſtroyeſt thy neighbor aſwell by not lending as by lending vpō vſury. If yu wtdraw lending, yu art worſe thā a hathen ſinner: for ſinners do lende vntounto ſinners, yt they may receue lyke. If yu do lende for vſury, ſo art yu worſe thā many heathē, which by ye law of nature kepe thēſelfes frō yt vice. Fiftly ye couetouſnes of ye vſure… wil reply after thys maner: if I lende wtout vſury yt, which is mīe own cā not be reſtored vntounto me: for ye pore hath nor ſo muche, yt he may rēder agayne ye hole ſumme. But if he ſhal geue eueryevery yeare a certein vſury, thē ſūme parte of my mony ſhalbe reſtored vntounto me I anſwere. Thou knoweſt ye pouerte of thy brother to be ſo great, yt he cā not rēder ye borowed mony: why thē doeſt not yu yelde vntounto ye words of chriſt? by ye which Lu .6 he ſaith: and your rewarde ſhalbe great in heauē. And ye ſhalbee the childrē of ye moſte higheſt. And Luk .14. And it ſhalbe rēdred vntounto thee in the regeneracion of the rightuous. How doeſte yu receiue nothing, whē as for earthly gaine …, which laſteth euer, ſhal bee rendred vntounto thee? Therfore this pretenſe is vtterlye contrarye vntounto Chryſts doctrine, which teacheſh euen therfore to do good vntounto ye poore, becauſe he hath nothynge to geue agayne, that the heauenly rewarde may be purchaſed. And thou euen for the ſelfe ſame cauſe wilt not lend vntounto ye pore, becauſe he hath not ſo much as to reſtore that, whiche he hath receaued of thee. Therfore ether yu doeſte not beleue that Chryſtes promyſe is true: or els yu doeſt more deſier tē poral gayne, than eternal, earthly than heauenly. Sixtly. All yt I hauehave (ſayeth he) I hauehave gotten wt great care and trauell, wherefore then ſhoulde I beſtowe them vponupon others in vayne? What is it to me, that others doe not ſo take hede vntounto theyr owne, as I doe? What owe I vntounto thē? I anſwer: Chriſt beſtowed no ſmal thing…, redemyng thee vpō the croſſe wt his bloud: & for thy ſake he becāe poore to make thee rich. Thē what is it to Chryſt yt we take no better hede vntounto our ſaluaciō: And beeſydes theſe, what thou oweſt vntounto thy brother, heare the Apoſtle: Ye owe nothing vntounto any manne ſayeth he, but that ye louelove one an other. Ro .13. Thou oweſt therfore vntounto thy nedy brother louelove, & alſo vntounto god yu oweſt thy ſelfe, & not only money. Wherefore beecauſe Chriſt hath loued vsus & geuē hym ſelfe for vsus, therfore we ought to beſtow our lyues for our brethrē 1. Io .3. We doe all muche fayle in thys thyng, yt without the affection of true louelove, we loke vponupon the ſlenderneſſe and humilite of oure brethren, & not rather vpō the wil of god & his manifeſt commaundements, albeit I keepe in ſilēce the vnmeaſurable worthynes of our free redempcion. Is the pore mā vnworthi, vntounto whō yu ſholdſt geue freely? But Chriſt is not vnworthy, which requireth thys of thee. The pore hath not deſerued thys benefite. Chryſt hath deſerued it. Is not the poore able to reſtore that, whiche he receaueth? Chriſte is able to reſtore an hundreth folde, and to geue life euerlaſting, as he alſo hath promyſed Mat .19. Sixtly becauſe couetouſnes is the moſt tougheſt wrangeler, the vſurer as yet replieth, ſaying: how ſhould I live? How ſhal I prouyde for me and myne, if I muſt ſo lend yt I receaue nothīg? I anſwer, it is ſaid of ye lord: firſt ſeke the kyngdome of God & the rightuouſneſſe thereof, and all theſe ſhalbe caſt vntounto you. And the gentils ſeke all theſe thinges. Therfore neither doeth thys w… ge…inge waywardneſſe belong vntounto Chryſtians: neyther ought we to feare, leſt …, by helpyng nedye brethren, we doe not well prouide or ſee to our own thynges. For thus we reade Pro .11. Some diſtribute their own and become rycher, ſome catche that, whyche is not their own, and be euer in nede The ſoule, which bleſſeth, that is to ſay, which doth good, ſhall bee fylled wt fatnes: & he, whyche geueth drynke, ſhalbe ſatiſfied wt drinke. And Eſa .58. Breake vntounto the hongery (ſayeth he) thy bread and ye nedy & wāderers leade into thy houſe. When yu ſeeſt the naked clothe him, & doe not deſpice thy fleſh. When as thou ſhalte hauehave powred forth thy …oule vntounto the hongry, & refreſhed the afflycted ſoule, then ſhalt thou be as a watred gardē, & as a well of waters that neuer fayll. And the Apoſtle .2. Co .9. He hath diſperſed, & geuen vntounto ye pore, & hys ryghteouſnes abydeth for euer. He, which miniſtreth ſede vntounto ye ſower, wil alſo geue bread to be eatē. Therefore a fa…thful mā ſhold not feare fallyng into pouerte by helpynge thē yt be poore. Howbeit I would not damne it if ye Apoſtles ſaying might hauehave place: ſo yt ye abūdāce of ye rich ſhould help ye lacke of brethrē .2. Co .8. But if of neceſſaries ther wer not ſo ready geuing vntounto others, yt might bee tollerable, ſo that ye weaknes of fayth be not excuſed but cōfeſſed. But who cā alow this in ye church of Chriſt, yt in ſo great riotous waſt of al things lack, is not feared, but whereas ye nedines of brethrē ſhould be releued there it is feared? If we folowed that … rule, whyche is wrytten .1. T… 6 after thys ſorte: hauyng what to eate, and wherwith to be clothed, let vsus be contented, litell place ſhoulde remayne vntounto this feare. Nature (as he ſayeth) is ſente away with a litle, but glotony beggeth vnmeaſurably. See yt honoſt labor bee exerciſed, idelnes auoyded, ryoteouſnes layd a ſyde, & the abuſe of al thinges ſhut forth: and we ſhalbe without care vnderunder the protection and prouydence of God, and there ſhalbe no nede to feare ye neceſſite of penurie. Now whē as ſo great cooſtes are beſtowed vpō proude & beautiful buildinges, vpō riotous apparel, vpō al maner of dainty meates, howebeit I ſpeake not of innumerable other things not neceſſary, what maruel is it yt pouerte is feared, if the gaine of vſurye ſhould fayle? Suerely he muſt ſtand in nede of many thinges, whiche fedeth and clotheth thoſe, that be hys, moſte deliciouſly and gorgiouſly.
He ſtādeth in nede of many thinges, whiche is purpoſed to leaue great ryches vntounto his heyrs. He, that nedeth many thinges, vſeth alſo many meanes, by righte & by wronge, to come to his purpoſe.
Theſe thinges beinge taken awaye, it will not ſeme very harde, neither to caſt away theſe deteſtable uſuries, neither by any meā to ſuccour nedy brethren.