Lawful and Unlawful Usury Amongst Christians, Notice
✚ An aduertiſmente of the tranſlatoure. T. L.
LOncernyng lendyng, here maye any man eaſelye ſee, who, what, to whō and to what ende Chryſte hath taughte and commaūded to lend. Firſt he that hath receyued any talent at the Lordes hands, he him ſelfe muſt put it forth. Math .25. Luke .19. For if he doe not occupy it, then ſhal it be taken from hym and he be cōdemned for not vſing of it. Alſo he that hath, muſt dyſpoſe of that, whych he hath, vntounto hym that lacketh. Luke .3. And the ende of doyng good and lendyng vntounto hym, that lacketh & nedeth, muſt not be to hope or looke for glory, gayne or any thing thereof vntounto hym ſelfe. Luke .6. So he yt hath but onli to find his wife, childrē & family, or but only a ſufficient ſtocke for his own trade in his own vocacion: he muſt, as the ſower lendeth his ſede vntounto ye good groūde, ſo wt diligēce lay forthe & lend, he himſelfe hys owne ſtocke to hys own occupying. And he, yt beſydes ſuche a ſtocke hath any more he muſt reſerue and kepe ye reſidew to be in a readynes to bee geuen in almes, or ſent to releue others yt be nedy. And thys beyng done to ye ende yt god may be glorified, & the nedye releued, wtout any lokynge for of glorye or gayne worldly to himſelf, he ſhal be ſure to fynde thys a verye profitable and godly vſury: but if any man for worldly police, priuate profet or vayne glory, do pull from the finding of his familie, from the maintenaunce of his own exerciſe in hys own trade, or from the charitable relief of the nedy, to lend vntounto the riche and welthy, that is vncharitable, vnlawfull and vngodly. I doe not thynke that bying and ſellyng, lendynge or geuyng, or any indifferente bargeynynge amongeſt welthy rich men is euill: but as concerning vſurye I aduertiſe al them, that be wiſe and wel learned in other matters & yet cannot, or wil not ſee their owne daunger in this caſe, yt they wolde call too remembraunce the example of coueteous Balam, whiche beinge ſo wiſe a Prophet, that he could ſe many thinges lōg before to come vntounto others yet bi louelove and lokinge for the rewarde of wickednes, became much more dulle and blind than a veri Aſſe, to ſee in his own wayes hys own daūger. Nu .22. And I alſo aduertyſe thē, which geue coūfel cōcernyng vſury vntounto ſuche others, as wold hauehave an eaſy lyuing vponupon other mens labours, yt they make no cuſhens to lay vnderunder their elbows Eze .13. And that they be wel aduiſed afore they anſwere ſuch, as by the idol of couetous gaynes in their hartes do prouoke ye lord, to make thē anſwere ſo agreable vntounto the filthi meaning of their own myndes, as is appertaynyng vntounto the vtter perdicion of both the aſker & the anſwerer. Ez 14. And finally I aduertiſe eueryevery pryuate perſō, yt thei learne of Achā ye ſōne of Carmy not by vngodli gaines to polute ye whole finding of their familie, ye hole ſtoke of their trade any ye hole abūdāce of gods prouidēce in their handes, yea I aduertiſe eueryevery Chriſtē congregaciō as they deſyer to ſtād in the profeſſiō of Chriſtē religiō agaynſte their enemyes afore god, yt thei remember the word of god, my …eſſyng yt Alcan, by ioynyng vn… gaynes vntounto hys own ſtuffe, had poluted al the Iſraelits ſo yt they could not ſtande afore the face of their enemyes nor hauehave god to be wyth them, vntyll they had vtterly ro…ed oute that vngodlines frō amongeſt them.
The lord graunt, that charitable almes may vtterlye banyſh al couetous gaines from amongeſt faithful Chriſtians. AMEN.
End of the text · Wolfgang Musculus, Lawful and Unlawful Usury Amongst Christians (1556)