Lawful and Unlawful Usury Amongst Christians, Notice – Preface
Of the communion goſpel, and the ſcriptures of . god, are vntrue? God forbidde . Prieſt. Truly yonge man, I am ſorye for you. I am affrayde that I ſhall bee fayne to put you vp to my Lorde: then are ye vndone . Prentyſe. Dooe as ye ſhall thynke beſte. Fare ye well maſter perſon: God open youre hearte.
Be aſhamed of your doings ye Papyſtes.
✚ Of the lawful and vnlawful vſurie amōgeſt Chriſtians, added by Wolfgang Muſcul vntounto the ende of his booke vppon the Pſalmes.
¶ The Preface.
AMōgeſt other euils of this preſent tyme, alſo peſtilente vſurie is ſoo farre growen and towardes the vengeance of God, that I maye thincke it altogether in vaine too ſpeake any thinge agaynſt it, yea, though it were ſpoken with much earneſtnes, and ſingular endeuer.
For we hauehave knowen by experience, that this euill did then ſpecially encreaſe, whē as in our time it began to be openly blaſed & reproued by the preachinges & writinges of godly learned men: that almooſt euen as the diſeaſe of the Canker, after cuttinge groweth & ſpredeth more hurtfulli thā afore ſo after iuſte and deſerued reprouinge is thys becomen vncurable and mooſt noiſome.
Wherefore I mighte well bee thought to looſe my labor, and as it is ſayde by a prouerbe, to waſh tyle ſtones, if I were not bonden by promes, and forced by letters of my brethren.
Therefore that I maye in anye wyſe kepe promes, and pleaſe my brethren, I will ſoo farre ſpeake of vſurie, as maye bee profitable vntounto them that be godlye, and as yet not ſo much infected with this peſtilente diſeaſe, as is paſte all hope. I know at what tymes, and by what perſons there hathe ben diſputations concernynge vſurie, not onelyonly in Germany, but alſo in the ſcholes of other contries: but I will not meddel with ſcholerly ſhredinges, that be as faſte intangled one with an other, as the nature of vſurie it ſelf is inwrapped together, but I will ſimply vtter thoſe thinges, whiche are mete to be ſpoken, withoute anye cumberous contention.
Fyrſte I wil tell what vſurie is. And then that it may be ſene, if it can be lawful vntoo Chriſtians, I will cōferre it with the doctrine of Chryſte, and with the profeſſion of Chriſten religion.
¶ Of the lawefull and vnlawful vſurie.
Vvolfgang Muſculus.