The Examination of Usury, Sermon 2
THE EXAMINATION of Vsurie.
The second Sermon.
IT remaineth that we speake of the vsurers punishment: Then, what may be thought of them which doe not take vsurie, but giuegive vsurie. Lastly, what they should do, which hauehave got their riches by vsurie.
The punishments of vsurers.To begin with the punishment, not onelyonly Gods law, but euen the Cannon law doth so condemne vsurie, that first it doth excommunicate him from the Church, as though he had no communion with Saints.
Secondly, it doth detaine him from the Sacraments, as though he had no communion with Christ.
Thirdly, it doth depriue him of his Sepulcher, and will not suffer him to be buried, as though he were not worthy to lye in the earth, but to lye in hel.
Lastly, it maketh his will to be no will, as though his goods were not his owne: for nothing is ours but that which we hauehave rightly got: & therefore we say, It is mine by right, as though it were not ours, vnles it be ours by right. This is the iudgement of mans law.
Now you shall heare the iudgement of Gods law. A vsurer doth receiue two Incomes; one of the borrower, and another of the reuēger; of the borrower he lookes for gaine; but of the reuenger he lookes for punishment: therefore all the Scripture prophesieth euill vntounto him, as Michatah did to Achab. Salomon saith.Prou. 28. 8. He which increaseth his riches by Vsury, gathereth for them which will be mercifull to the poore. As if he should say, whē he hath loden himselfe like a cart, he shall be vnloden like a cart againe, and they shall inherite his money for whom he did neuer gather it. For, he which is vnmercifull to the poore, meaneth not to gather for them which will be mercifull to the poore: but Salomon saith, That they shall be his heires which will be mercifull as he was vnmercifull.
Now mark whether this prophecie of Salomon be true, I know not how many in this Citie do increase by vsurie; but this prophesie seemeth to be verified of manie: For it is noted, that the riches and lands of Aldermen and Merchants, and other in London, do not last so long, nor indure so well, as the riches and lands of others in the countrey, & that their childrē do not proue so wel as others, nor come to that place in the Common weale, which for their welth their parents looked that they should come to, I can giuegive no reason for it, but the reason of Salomon, He which increaseth by Vsurie, gathereth for them which will be mercifull to the poore. That is, their riches shall go from their heires to Gods heires, according to that, The riches of the sinner is laid vp for the righteous:Prou. 13. 22. that is, the righteous shal inioy that which the wicked gathereth. All riches are vncertaine, but the riches which are euill gotten, are most vncertaine: They may be called moueable goods, for they are verie moueable, like the clowds which neuer rest till they fall as they climed. God saith,Ezec. 22. 13. that he will smite the vsurer with his fist, not with the palme of his hand, but with his fist, which giueth a greater blow. As his hands were shut against the poore, so Gods hands shall be shut against him, that his punishment may be like his sinne. But if you will heare their finall sentence, Dauid saith here, That they shall not dwell in Gods temple, nor rest in his holy mountain. Thē we wil seeke no moe punishments, for this punishment is all punishmēts. If they shal not come to heauē, whose thē shal those riches be? Nay, whose then shall the honour be when that day commeth? If he shall not rest in heauen, then he shal rest in hell where no rest is. Then saith one,Note. the vsurer shall crie vntounto his children, Cursed be you my children, because you were the cause of these torments, for least you should be poore, I was an vsurer, and robbed other, to leaue riches vntounto you. To whom, the children shall reply againe, nay, Cursed be you father, for you were the cause of our torments; for if you had not left vsus other mens goods, we had not kept other mens goods. Thus when they are cursed of God, they shall curse one an other, curse the Lord for condēning thē, curse their sinnes for accusing thē, curse their Parents for begetting them, and curse themselues, because they cannot helpe thēselues: As they which are blessed do nothing but blesse, so they which are cursed, do nothing but curse. This is the secōd Vsury which the Vsurer shal receiue of God, after he hath receiued Vsurie of men, then the name of Vsurie shalbe fulfilled, as it signifieth biting, so when it hath bitten other, it shall bite the Vsurer to, and neuer rest biting; then they shall wish that they could restore againe as Zacheus did, & shall not restore, because their money is gone. Therefore if Christ be come to your hearts, as he came to Zacheus house,Luke. 19. restore now as Zacheus did, & escape this iudgement. This is the end of the vsurer and his money, if they stay together till death, yet at last there shall be a diuision.Note. The deuill shall take his soule, the earth shall take his bodie, the strangers shall take his goods, and the mourners shall reioyce vnderunder their blackes, and say, wickednesse is come to the graue.
Therefore, if thou wouldest not be counted an Vsurer then, refraine to be an Vsurer now, for they which are Vsurers now, shall be counted Vsurers then. Thus you hauehave heard the vsurers payment.
Whether it be vnlawfull to giuegive vsurie.Now if you will know whether it be vnlawful to giuegive vsury, as it is vnlawful to take vsurie, I wish that you could resolue your selues, that I might not speak of it: for I hauehave heard som preachers say, that there be some truthes which they would be loth to preach, & so there be some truthes which I would be loth to preach, because many heare by halues, & some for malice or ignorāce, wil take things otherwise then they are spoken, yet because I hauehave promised, I will speake some thing of it.
Wel then, may we neither take vsurie, nor giuegive vsurie? objection 1 I know that Ieremie saith,Iere. 15. 10. I hauehave not lent vponupon V surie to others, neither hauehave others lent vponupon V surie to me: as though both were vnlawful, not only to take vsury, but to giuegive vsurie. Answer. But thereby Ieremie doth signifie, that he was no medler in the world, wherby they shold enuy him like other men, & therefore he cleareth himselfe chiefly from vsury, because vsurers were most enuyed. And to shew that he was not an vsurer, he saith that he was not a borrower, which is more lawfull thē to be an vsurer, like a mā which saith, I do neither hate him nor know him. Why it was lawfull to know him, but to proue that he did not hate him, he saith, he doth not know him. So Ieremy, to proue that he had not lent vponupon vsurie, doth say, that he neuer borrowed vponupon vsury, which many will doe that wil not lend. objection 2 The best expositors giuegive this sence of it. I know beside, that Christ did cast forth the buyers out of the Temple, as well as the sellers, Answer. but that was not for buying, but for buying in the Temple, where they should not buy, but pray: or else it was as lawfull to buy any thing, as it is lawfull to vse it.
objection 3 I know beside, that it is a cōmō saying, if there were no buyers, there would be no sellers, if there were no bribe giuers, there would be no bribe takers. Answer. But in this case it may be rather sayd, if there were no takers, there would be no giuers, for the giuer doth not make the receiuer to take, but the receiuer doth make the giuer to giuegive, because he will not lend vnlesse the other will giuegive him for the loane: therfore as we say, the receiuer makes the theefe: so I may say, the receiuer of Vsurie, makes the giuer of Vsurie. Therefore I would be loth to compare thē which are constrained to borrow vponupon Vsurie, vntounto them which did buy in the Temple, and were not constrained more then they which sold in the Temple. Much lesse may I compare them which giuegive Vsurie vntounto thē which take Vsurie: for there is as great ods betweene thē, as there is between giuing and taking, or betweene couetousnesse and necessitie, for one is couetousnesse, and the other is necessitie. He which lendeth for vsurie, lendeth for couetousnesse, but he which borroweth vponupon vsurie, borroweth for necessitie.
Now, for necessitie God hath allowed many things, as for necessity it was lawfull for Adams sonnes to marie with Adās daughters, because there were no other women. For necessitie it was lawfull for Dauid to eate the shewbread,1. Sam. 21. 6. because he had no other foode. For necessitie it was lawfull to worke, and heale, & fight vpō the Saboth, which was not lawfull, but for necessitie.Luke. 13. 10. Therefore for necessitie why may not a man pay more then he borrowed, seeing no Scripture doth forbid vsus to pay more thā we borrowed, but to require more thē we lēd. Some do thinke, that as God did vse the ambition of Absalon, and the malice of Pharao, and the trecherie of Iudas vntounto good: so men may vse the couetousnes of vsurers vntounto good, that is, to helpe at a need whē a mā is like to be vndone, & his childrē cast away, & his lease forfeited, & many incōueniences beside like to ensue, which you know better than I, vnlesse he hauehave present money at somtime to preuēt a mischief. For example hereof, I may alledge how Iacob did vse the sin of Laban. Gene. 31. 53.Labā did euil in swearing by Idols, but Iacob did not euill in receiuing such an oth of him though it was an vnlawfull oth. So, though the vsurer do euill in taking vsurie, yet a mā doth not euill in giuing vsurie. Beside, I may alledge the example of Abrahā & Abimilech:Gene. 21. 31. Abraham made a couenant with Abimilech: to confirme this couenant Abraham sware, and Abimilech sware, Abraham sware by the true God, but Abimelech sware by his false Gods, and yet Abraham did receiue this oth and sinned not. So if her Maiestie and the Turke should make a couenant the Turke would not sweare as the Queene would sweare; for the Queene would sweare by the Lord, but the Turke would sweare by Mahomet: if it be lawfull then to receiue such an oth, though it be an vnlawful oth, why may it not be lawfull for me to giuegive more than I borrowed, though it be vnlawfull for the Vsurer to take more then he lended? Beside, a Prince may not pardon a wilfull murtherer, yet I thinke that no man will say in hast, that he which hath cōmitted murther may not take a pardon. As this vnlawful giuing doth not make the taking vnlawfull; so the other vnlawfull taking doth not make the giuing vnlawfull. Beside, it is lawfull to suffer iniurie, though it be vnlawful to offer iniurie: it is lawful to suffer iniurie, as Christ payd tribute,Mat. 17. 17. which was iniurie; but, it is not lawfull to offer iniurie, because there are sixe Commandements against it.
Now, to take vsury, is as it were to offer iniurie: but to giuegive vsury, is as it were to suffer iniury, therfore though I may not take more than I borrowed, yet I may giuegive more than I borrowed.
Moreouer, I may cōpare giuing of vsury to swearing; if a mā sweare without cause, he sinneth, but if he sweare as the word teacheth him to sweare, he sinneth not: so, if a man borrow vpō vsurie, and borrow without cause, he sinneth, because he feedeth the vsurer: but else, as a man may sweare in some case, so in some case a man may borrow vponupon vsurie, that is, in case of necessitie, when a man must needs borrow, and can borrow of none but of vsurers.
Lastly, I may alledge that vsurie and vsurer, are neuer read in the Scripture, but they signifie him that takes vsurie, not him which giues vsurie: and therefore the Scripture seemeth to forbid taking, but not giuing.
Many reasōs more are alledged which I cānot refute, & therfore I will not cō tradict them: yet I meane not to decide the questiō, because I will not bemistakē; but if some should come vntounto me in that necessitie & extremitie which I cā imagine, & aske; may I borrow money of these vsurers to saue my life, or my credite, or my liuing, seeing no mā will lend me freely? I would answer him as the Prophet answered Naaman, neither do, nor do not, but go in peace. I will not forbid thee, nor I wil not condēne thee, but if thy consciēce condēne thee not, I thinke thy sinne one of the least sinnes; and as Naaman prayed,2. Reg. 5. 18. Lord be mercifull vntounto me in this: so I thinke the Lord will be mercifull vntounto thee in this: but if thy conscience go against it: then do it not, for it is sinne to thee, though it be free for another, because whatsoeuer is not done of faith is sinne.Rom. 14. 23. I charge you in the feare of God, that you do not mistake that which is sayd, for I know no learned Preacher, nor learned writer of other mind. Yet least you shuld mistake the matter, as I distinguished of lēders, so I will distinguish of borrowers.
Diuers kindes of borrowers.If some may borrow vponupon vsurie, it doth not follow that all may borrow vponupon vsurie, because all hauehave not the like cause: therefore do not say that I teach you to borrow vponupon vsury, for I thinke that the most in this citie which borrow vponupon vsurie, should not borrow as they do, because they rather maintaine vsurie, then supplie their necessitie. Some I know borrow for meere necessity; if any may be allowed, those are they: but there is a kinde of borrowers in this Citie, which feede Vsurers as the bellowes kindle the fire, for they hauehave no need to borrow, but because they would be rich, and richer, & richest of all: therfore they will imploy all the money which they cā borrow, thinking to get more by the vse of it, thē the vsurie of it doth come to. This maketh them sell their wares so deare, because they must not onelie gaine the price but the interest beside, & more than the interest to, or else they gaine nothing. These borrowers are in another predicament than those which borrow for necessitie, & therfore if they be not old enough to answer for thēselues, I am to young to answer for them. There are other borrowers as I hauehave heard, which for some secret cause wold seeme barer & needier than they are, either because they would not be charged deepely with Subsidies, or else because they would compound with their Creditors for a litle: therfore they will hauehave alwayes some thing for vsurie, that their creditors may thinke them bare of money, or that other may pitie them in their charges. These are like those foxes which hauehave wealth enough to pay their debts, & yet lye in prison because they would defraude their creditors. I doubt not but there be more sorts thē I know, I cānot hunt eueryevery corner because I wāt experience:Note. but this is my conclusion, I would hauehave no man pay interest vntounto vsurers but for necessitie, euen as a trauailer giueth his purse to a theefe, because he cannot chuse. Thus you hauehave heard what I can say of thē which take vsurie, and them which giuegive vsurie.
What Vsurers should doe with their gaines.Now you would vnderstand the last question. If you hauehave bene Vsurers alreadie, what you should doe with that money which you hauehave gained by vsurie? Surelie euen as Zacheus did, restore it agayne. If you cannot say as Samuell sayd, 1. Sam. 12. 3.whose goods hauehave I taken? then you must say as Zacheus sayd,Luke. 19. 8. whose goods hauehave I kept? The best thing is to doe no man wrong, but the next to that is, to make him amends. This God signifieth when he sayth.Iosh. 6. 18. Put away the execrable thing from you, that is, let no vnlawfull thing stay in your handes, like the wedge of Achā, which he had got by sin. The same law serueth for all which is got wrongfully, which was instituted against theeues, Restore it again:Exod. 22. the reason of this law is, because the sin is not remitted, vntill the debt be restored, for as humilitie is the repentance of pride, & abstinence is the repētance of surfet, and almes is the repētance of couetousnes, and forgiuenesse is the repentāce of malice, so restitution is the repētance of vsury; as he which is not hūble doth not repent his pride, he which doth not abstaine, doth not repent his gluttonie, he which doth not forgiue, doth not repēt his malice, so he which doth not restore, doth not repent his vsurie. For how cā he be said to repent for his vsury, which liueth by vsurie still. Therefore Daniell saith to Nabuchadnezzar, Dan. 4. 24.breake off thy sinnes by righteousnes, shewing, that nothing but rightuousnesse cā breake vnrighteousnes. As diseases are healed by the cōtrarie, so pride is healed by humilitie, gluttonie by abstinence, malice by forgiuenesse, couetousnesse by almes, & vsurie by restoring. This Paule calleth, The reuenge of a Christian, 2. Cor. 7. 11.whē he takes reuenge vponupon his sinnes, & punisheth his lustes, so that he maketh thē do contrarie to that which they would doe. Therfore you must restore that which you hauehave got by vsurie, or else you doe not repent of your vsurie. As a Camell whē he comes home casteth of his burthē at the doore, that he may enter into his stable, so they which are laden with other mēs goods, when they go to heauē, must leaue their burthen where they had it, least they be to grose to get in at the narrow gate. But as the disciples of Christ sayd,Iohn. 6. 60. This is a hard speach, so to thē which hauehave got most that they hauehave by vnlawfull meanes, this is a hard speach, to bid thē restore it againe, there be two great rubs in the way.
Two obiections.First, the losse which they shall sustaine, if they restore agayne all which they hauehave got vniustly. Then the difficultie to restore it agayne to the right parties. If you aske me, as Amaziah asked the Prophet,2. Chro. 25. 9. How shall we do for those hundreth tallents? How shall I liue when all is gone that I hauehave got wrongfully? I can say no more than the Prophet sayd to him, The Lord is able to giuegive thee more then this. Iuke. 19.Zacheus did not feare how he should liue, but Zacheus did feare to offende: so thou shouldest not feare to restore other mens goods, but thou shouldest feare to keepe other mens goods: and as Zacheus liued when he had restored, so thou shalt liue when thou hast restored. He which sayth,Mala. 3. 10. Trie me if I will not powre downe a blessing, trie him whether he will not powre downe a blessing; for he hath promised to blesse the lender as well as the Sacrificer. He which is the Lord of all, can giuegive thee more thā thou needest:Deut. 15. 10. but if you cannot restore to the owner, nor to his heires, then giuegive it to the poore, for they are the next heires, and repent that thou hast kept it so lōg: but in no wise thou mayst keepe it to thy selfe, because it is none of thine.
When Hezekiah was like to dye, Esay sayd vntounto him,Esay. 38. 6. Set thy things in order before thou dye. That which he aduised him, he aduiseth all; set your things in order before you dye. What is this to set things in order, but to restore vntounto euerie one his owne? When thou bequeathest thy bodie to the earth, then thy bodie is set in order: when thou bequeathest thy soule to God, then thy soule is set in order: when thou bequeathest thy goods to the owners, thē thy goods are set in order: therefore if thou dye with other mens goods in thy hand, then thou dyest before thou hast set things in order, and then thou dyest in thy sinnes, and then no promise in all the Scripture appertaineth vntounto thee, because nothing is promised vntounto sinners, but vntounto penitent sinners. Therfore that you may not dye in your sinnes, it is necessarie to make restitution before you dye, or else you dye in your sinne, and are crossed out of all the ioyes of heauen. Wherefore as Abner said to Ioab, 2. Sam. 2. 26.Knowest thou not that it will be bitternesse in the latter end? So remember whether this course will be sweete or bitter in the end. If they be condemned which giuegive not their owne goods to them which neede, like the rich glutton, how can they be saued which draw other mens goods from them, that hauehave more neede of theirs?
Thus you hauehave heard the definition of vsurie, & the deriuation of it, and the vnlawfulnesse of it, and the kinds of it, and the punishment of it, and the arguments which are alledged for it, & what may be thought of them which do not take vsurie but giuegive vsurie, & what they should do which hauehave got their liuing by vsurie.
Now, seing you may not be vsurers to men, let eueryevery man hereafter be an vsurer to God, which promiseth; If thou leaue father, or mother, or wife, or children, or house, or land for him, not ten in the hūdreth, but an hundreth for ten; may an hundred for one, & in the world to come, life euerlasting: that is, a thousand for one.Mat. 19. 26. That we may receiue this vsurie, let vsus pray that the words which we hauehave heard out of this Psalme, may dwell with vsus till we dwell in heauen.
FINIS.
End of the text · Henry Smith, The Examination of Usury (1591)