Lawful and Unlawful Usury Amongst Christians, Part 4
¶ Of the vſurie of them, which geue their monei for vſurie, either vntoo marchauntes or vntounto Princes.
HEtherto we hauehave cōſidered yt vſuri, by the which the pore is bondē vntounto ye ryche, & the goods of ye bare and nedy are ſupt vp: and of that kind of lending, bi the which Chriſt cōmaundeth vsus to ſuccour nedy brethren.
Now muſt we ſpeake of thoſe, which hauehave monei by inheritaūce or gottē otherwiſe, & lend it vntounto ryche men, marchauntes or princes, vponupon condition too receyue eueryevery monethmonth, or eueryevery yeare, ſome vſurie, the ſtocke in the mean time abiding whol, to be reſtored whē they wil cal for it. Here ſpringeth a queſtiō, what ſinne is cōmitted in this kind of vſurie. They ſaye neither is burdened, neither he yt geueth, nor he that taketh vſurie: but by good prouiſion they hauehave bothe profet. He, that geueth vſurye, doeth vſe his ſtocke wel, and gaineth ſo much of it, yt with oute any loſſe he can geue vſurie.
On the other ſide, he that taketh vſurie of his monei: he gathereth as it were a yearelye fruite, without any dekey of the ſtock, which bi theſe meās he mai reſerue hole vntounto his heires. When as therfore here is no hurt, howe can here be any ſinne againſte charitie? and there bee none, howe maye thys vſurie be called vnlawfull?
I aunſwer. That this muſte nedes be graunted: that there is not ſo greate ſinne in thys kinde of vſurie, as in that, by the which vſurie is taken of the pore, which crueltie is forbidden, not onelyonly, by the lawes of Chriſte, but alſoo by the lawes of nature.
For it is playn cruelnes, to ſeke after lukar, out of the labors, and calamites of the poore. Wherfore this vſurie, of the whiche we ſhall ſpeake now, differeth muche from that, which by no meanes can bee tollerable. Howbeit, in the mean ſeaſon it is not too be ſuppoſed, yt there is nothing, whiche can be reproued in the vſurie of ryche men. For the righteouſnes of a chriſten man doth not reſt in that he doth burden no man in any bargayn or buſines. Wherefore we muſte ſe, whiche be the circūſtances of this vſurie, for the which it may not be commended.
Fyrſt, this I ſuppoſe is ſure: yt there is in both, as wel in hi… yt geueth, as in hym that taketh vſurie, a reſpect of priuate profet. For neither the one for brotherly louelove lēdeth out his money vntounto a riche marchaunt, but for too receyue of it yearly or monethlye gayne: nor the other is ſo redy to geue vſury, that he wolde geue it, if he coulde kepe it with his owne aduantage. For as he ſaieth: The louelove of money groweth as much, as the money it ſelf groweth. Notwithſtā dinge he geueth vſurie withoute wranglinge, leſt that he ſhoulde bee forced too reſtore the whole ſtocke, or to be noted of euell credite.
There be many notable examples of this matter. Therefore, ſeinge that the rote alſo of thys vſurie is the louelove of priuate profite, I do not ſe, howe it can agree without blemiſh vntounto chriſtians, which ought to be furdeſt frome louelove of priuate profet. Let no mā ſeke thoſe, whiche bee his owne, ſayeth the Apoſtle, but thoſe whiche belonge vntounto others.
The louelove of priuate profet, with the loſſe of others, is ſo euil that it ought not to be ſuffered amongeſt the gentils: and to gape for gaine, although it be without domage to others, yet is it a thīg of it ſelf that ought to be farre frō chriſtians, euen as to liue delicatelye and idely, although a mā do ſo liue, not hurtinge nor hinderinge others. Wherfore as they ſinne, which liue delicately in the houſes of princes, of noble & ryche men, albeit they fele or perceiue no hurt of it: ſo a chriſten mā ſinneth, coueting priuate profet, albeit he go ſo aboute it, that he ſeke for hys owne gaine, not of the nede of poore men, but of the welth of the ryche.
Moreouer he, that taketh vſurie, muſt take good hede, whether he ſerue hys owne lack of beleue or not.
For it is not inough for a chriſten man, ſo too deale with hys neyghboure, that he can not complayne: but he muſte alſo conſider, what fayth he hathe towarde God, and how all thynges, which he doeth, agree, or diſagree wyth ſincere faith.
And to come to the trial of this matter, let hym thinke in him ſelf, which taketh vſurie, that it is better to take to him ſelf his own monei, and to put away the gayne of vſurie. But if he fayle in faith, then ſhall he ſoone falle in theſe thoughtes. If I ſhoulde lyue not vponupon vſurie, but vponupon the ſtock, it coulde not ſufficientlye diſcharge my neceſſary expēſes, throughout all my life, & then what coulde be left after my death vntounto my chyldren and ſucceſſors? where vponupon ſhoulde they liue, if I ſhould ſpēd all?
But theſe be thoughtes not of fayth, but of miſtruſt: and argumēts of a minde ſo geuē to vſury, that he ſuppoſeth, no way can be for him to liue, if he muſte forſake vſurie.
But they make this obiection: That the Lorde muſt not be tempted, as though it were a tempting of God by ſure truſt, accordinge to Gods worde, to hang vponupon his prouidence, and to forſake yt kinde of liuing, in the whiche men lyue idely, ſeking by vſurie to hauehave all thinges neceſſari. If it be a tempting of the Lorde, not to liue vpō vſurie: what excuſe is there for ſo many godly fathers, prophets, apoſtles and others, bothe of the olde teſtament and of the new, as did rather ſuffer pouertie and hū ger, thā embraſe vantage of vſurie? Doeth Chriſt teache this too tempt the Lord, when he cōman̄ deth them not too gather treaſure vntounto them ſelfes: and to lend, lokinge for nothinge therof? To tempt the Lord, is to truſte vntounto ye Lord, where as nothing is promiſed of the Lord: and to neglect the trades of liuinge and doinge, whiche he teacheth, and too vſe other.
But I finde no where, that the Lord hath promiſed too noriſhe & kepe vsus by vſurie in idelnes. Wherefore, this is rather a temptinge of God, to liue in idelnes, & alſo to cōſecrat chyldrē vntounto idelnes: and then to truſt, that money yelding yearly vſurie can be able continually to geue them enough, loſe rue not onli for neceſſares, but alſo for ſuperfluous pleaſured.
Wherefore alſo their reaſon is but vaine, whiche too cloke their vſurie ſaye: when as for vſurie I do committe my monei of truſte vntounto others, then do I let it forth to dāger. For it mai chāce that the marchaūt, which vſeth my money about his marchaundyſe buſines, either by miſfortune, or els by his owne negligēce fall into pouerte, and ſo my whole ſtock be loſte.
Wherefore whiles fortune fauoureth, it is not far amis that I take vſurie of him. So is the vſurer toſſed in vncertentes, and caſteth his goodes into ieoperdy, far vnlike vntounto them, which truſting to God occupye thē ſelfs honeſtly.
Gameners alſo ieoparde their monei in vncertente, & yet no wiſe man doth alow the louelove of Gamening in a chriſten man. After this ſorte, when as thei wil not be ſuch as tempte God, thei confeſſe by woorde and dede, that they caſte their monei into vncerten ſucceſſe & daungers, when thei let it forth for vſuri, and ſo thei tempt God.
Thirdly, thou ſhuldeſt cōſider, how that riche marchāt or prince behaueth him ſelf, whiche payeth thee vſurie. Thou thinkeſt it is a ſufficient excuſe for vſurie, that he is not ſo poore, as by payinge of vſurie to hinder him ſelf. But if thou make a good rekeninge, thou ſhalt perceiue beſides theſe, other thinges to be conſidered.
But if he laboure, by the abuſt of thy monei, to get great ryches, eyther vntounto pryde and riot, or els vntounto the practiſe of tirannye and warres, to lay waſte & oppreſſe other contries, and alſo his …ne: then I praye the, how canſt thou glorie, that thy taking of vſurie is blame leſſe: ſeinge that for it thou arte made to ſerue other mennes ſinnes, in makinge thy money ſubiect vntounto ſuche mēs luſtes? Thinkeſt thou, that thou mayſte frelye let out thy money vntounto any vſe, ſo that it be don to thy nown gaine? Is not moneye letten oute of vſurers the greateſt cauſe of riotteouſnes dayely increſſinge in thys our age, of pride more than is amongeſt the Heathen, of ſhamefull idelnes of many thouſandes, of ſo many bloudy warres & ſpoiled ſubiectes? If thou be a chriſten man, how canſt thou kepe no rekeninge of theſe thinges?
There is as it were a certen cōſpiracie betwixt them that geue, and them that take vſurie. For they lay their labors together, wherby thei ſerue, on either ſide, their own gaines or affections, and ſo they ioyne together one with the other to commit ſinne.
It is a heauy thinge, if any mā alone, and by hym ſelfe do ſinne: but howe muche more weightie ought it to be thought, if any man for priuate gaine doo ſo beſtowe his diligence towardes his neighbor, as to noriſhe him alſo in hys naughtines?
Fourthly alſo this is to be conſidered, how this kinde of vſurie letteth the workes of charite. As concerninge that money, which yt vſurer hath vnoccupied, and nedeth not to be beſtowed vponupon any neceſſary houſhold affaires, that it do not remayne idell and vnfruitefull, but that he maye take ſome profitte of it, he ſuppoſeth yt it oughte to be let oute vntounto ſome vſe. Therfore he letteth it forthe vntounto vſurie, and this way he thinketh that he doth wel prouide for his own profet. But I beſech you when ſhal he, being of this mind, help his neighbors roūde aboute him, that be pore and nedi? That, which he taketh vp of vſurie, he appointeth partly vntounto neceſſary vſes, and partly vntounto the gaine of vſurie, to increaſe his ſtock yearly by ſuche gaines, as he can gette. Whereof, can a man thinke, that he will geue vntounto the pore: wherof will he frely and without vſurie lend vntounto the pore that aſketh: of that, of the whiche he findeth him ſelf and his: No, I ſuppoſe: wherefore ſhoulde I geue, ſayeth he, vntounto others that, which I nede my ſelfe? Paul ſayeth: that youre abundaunce maye fille vp their want. Here is no abundāce, all that I hauehave is neceſſarye. I muſt take hede too beautefie thys eſtate, whiche I …eceyued of my ancetors, I muſt regard mi name and my honor, I muſte, as mere is, kepe my wife and chyldren not beggarly & barely, but liberally. Here is nede, not of a littell and common ſumme of money, but of a greate and notable. Will he geue of that, which he appointeth vntounto vſurie? No, no. Theſe he thinketh be holye thinges, not too be touched. What then remaineth, but that in ſuch a mā yt workes of charitie be ſuppreſſed by diligence to get monei: eſpecially if this vſurie be thought not vnlawful, ſo yt a mind, poſſeſſed wt louelove of monei, cā be nipped wt no felīg of ſinne, but as in a lawful matter thinketh there is no daunger.
And ſo we heare theſe aunſwers, when as any thinge is aſked to be borowed of ſuche men: I wolde lende ſaye thei, if I had money in a redines, but at this time I hauehave no monei, wherfore ye muſt be cō tent, albeit ſo I lende nothinge.
So thei neglect and excuſe a dede of charitie. But why hauehave they no money at hāde? Therfore, becauſe parte is appointed vntounto houſhold and dayly charges, part to enrich and increſſe the ſtocke,
And hereof we ſe it cōmeth oft to paſſe, that thei which be ſo minded vpō vſurie, do not out of hād paye the hire, which thei owe neither vntounto ſmiths, neither vntounto tailers, neither vntounto ſhomakers, but ſuffer it certē years to growe into great ſummes, leſt that they ſhuld be conſtrained to cut of ani portiō of monei, belonging either vntoo vſurie, or vntounto the familie: howeſoever thoſe worke men, unto the whiche thei be indetted, in ye mean time bē at home with nede oppreſſed. What thinge can be deuiſed worſe than this is?
Therfore, if thoſe be wel weyghed, whiche I hauehave heretofore recited, that is to …, how this vſurie is the nori…ente of pri…te profet, and ſerueth incredulite & miſtruſte vntoo ſuch abuſes, as monei let out vntounto vſurie ſerueth, and how that the dedes of charite be diſtroyed, by deſire, to gather monei: I thinke that it is euident enough, that this vſurie, which is exerciſed amongeſt ryche men, as thoughe it were lawefull, can not be alowed of them, which knowe what is required of ye profeſſors of chriſten faith, which bear ſuch a badge of brotherly charitie, and of contempte of ryches earthely, that withoute them, they can not be counted to be chriſtians.