The Examination of Usury, Sermon 1
To the Reader.
HEre thou hast the Sermons which hauehave bene often desired, because of the matter fit for this Citie. One saith, that he would neuer speake to Vsurers, and Bribemongers, but when they be vponupon their death-beds: for he which liueth by sinne, resolueth to sin, that he may liue. But when he goeth to hanging, Iudas himselfe will say, I hauehave sinned. Mat. 27. 4.If I speake not to Vsurers vponupon their death-bed, yet I speak to Vsurers which shal lie vponupon their death-bed. Three things do giuegive me hope. One is, that all hearts are in the hands of God, to call them at what houre he list, and therefore Saul may become an Apostle.Act. 9. 15. The next is, that the third crow doth waken mo then the former, and therefore after the crowing of other, this crow may happily be heard. The last is, that there is no sinne, but some men hauehave bene reclaimed from it, and so may Vsurers from their sinne.
Therefore go my booke like Dauid against Goliah, 1. Sam. 17. 51.and fight the Lords battels against Vsurers. The Lord giuegive that successe to his doctrine in these leaues, that it may consume Vsurers, as Ioshuah droue out the Chananites before him.Iosh. 5. 1. If I could take but this one weed out of the Londoners Gardē, I were answered for my health and my strength spent amongst them. Reade with thy best mind, & thou shall profit more.
Thine H. S.
The Examination of Vsurie, in two Sermons.
The first Sermon.
Psal. 15. vers. 1. & 5.
Lord, who shall dwell in thy Tabernacle?
Who shall rest in thine holy mountaine?
He that giueth not his money to Vsurie.
THese two verses must be considered togither, because one is the question, and the other is the aunswere: Vers. 1.Dauid demaunds who shall come to heauen? and God tels him that vsurers shal not come thither: as if he should say, they go to hell. Therefore as Paul taught Timothie to warne them which are rich, as though they had more need to be warned than other:1. Tim. 6. 17. so this sentence seemeth to be penned for a warning to the rich, because it strikes vponupon the rich mans vice.
I hauehave spoken of Bribery and symonie, and now I must speake of their sister Vsury. Many times hauehave I thought to speake of this Theame; but the arguments which are alleaged for it, hauehave made me doubtful what to say in it, because it hath gone as it were vnderunder protection. At last you see it falleth into my text, and therefore now I cannot bauke it any longer. Therefore if any here hauehave fauoured this occupation before, let him now submit his thoughts vntounto Gods thoughts; for I will alledge nothing against it, but that which is built vponupon the rocke.
Vsurie is the sinne which God will trie now whether you louelove better than his word: that is, whether you wil leaue it if he forbid it: for if he flatly forbid it, and yet you wilfully retain it, then you louelove Vsurie better than Gods word. Vsurers Heretikes.Therefore one saith wel that our Vsurers are Heretikes, because after manie admonitions, yet they maintaine their errour, & persist in it obstinatly as Papists do in Poperie. For this cause I am glad that I hauehave any occasion to griple with this sinne, where it hath made so many spoiles, and where it hath so many patrōs: for it is said that there be mo of this profession in this Citie, than there be in all the land beside. There be certain sinnes which are like an vnreasonable enimie which will not be reconciled to death, & this is one of those euerlasting sinnes which liue and die with a man. For when he hath resigned his pride and his enuie and his lust, yet Vsurie remaineth with him, & he saith as Naaman said,2. King. 5. 18. Let the Lord be mercifull vntounto me in this: let me hauehave a dispensation for this, as though this were a necessarie sin, & he could not liue without it. Three sinnes counted no sinnes.There be three sinnes which are coū ted no sins, and yet they do more hurt than all their fellowes, and those are Bribery, Nonresidencie, & Vsury: these three because they are gainfull are turned from sinnes to occupations. How many of this citie for all that they are Vsurers, yet would be counted honest men, & would faine hauehave Vsury esteemed as a trade: whereas if it were not so gainfull, it would be counted as great a sinne as any other, & so it is counted of all but thē which liue by it. This is the nature of pleasure and profite, to make sins seeme no sins if we gaine any thing by thē, but the more gainfull a sin is, the more dāgerous it is, & the more gainful vsurie is, the more dangerous it is. I will speake the more of it, because happely you shall not heare of this matter again.
The contēts of this Treatise.First I will define what vsurie is: Secondly, I will shewe you what vsurie doth signifie: Thirdly, I will shew the vnlawfulnes of it: Fourthly: I will shew the kinds of it: Fiftly, I will shew the argumēts which are alledged for it: Sixtly, I will shew the punishment of it: Seuēthly, I will shew you what opiniō we should hold of thē which do not lend vpō vsurie, but borrow vpō vsury. Lastly, I will shew you what they should do which hauehave got their riches by vsurie.
The definition of Vsurie.Touching the first, Vsurie is that gaine which is gottē by lending, for the vse of the thing which a man lendeth, couenanting before with the borrower to receaue more than was borrowed: Vsurers steale by law.& therefore one calls the vsurer a legall theefe, because before he steale, he tells the partie how much he will steale, as though he stole by law. This word more, comes in like a sixt finger, which makes a monster, because it is more thā should be. Another defining vsurie, calleth it the Contrarie to charitie: for Paul saith, LoueLove seeketh not her owne, but vsurie seeketh anothers which is not her owne: therfore vsurie is farre from louelove, but God is louelove, saith Iohn, 1. Iohn. 48.therefore vsurie is farre from God to.
Now, all the Commaundements of God are fulfilled by louelove, which Christ noteth when he draweth all the Commaundements to one Cōmaundement, which is, LoueLove God aboue all things, and thy neighbour as thy selfe: Mat. 22. 37.as if he should say, he which loueth God, wil keepe all the Commaundements which respect God, & he which loueth his neighbour wil keepe all the cōmādemēts which respect his neighbour, therfore to maintaine louelove, God forbiddeth all things which hinder this louelove: and among the rest here he forbiddeth Vsurie, as one of her deadliest enemies: for a mā cānot louelove and be an Vsurer, because Vsurie is a kinde of crueltie, and a kind of extortion, and a kind of persecution, & therfore the want of louelove doth make Vsurers: for if there were louelove there would be no Vsurie, no deceit, no extortiō, no slaundering, no reuenging, no oppression, but we should liue in peace, & ioy, and contentment like the Angels; whereby you see that all our sinnes are against our selues: for if there were no deceit, then we should not be deceiued; if there were no slaunder, thē we should not be slaundered; if there were no enuie, then we should not be enuied; if there were no extortion, thē we should not be iniuried; if there were no Vsury, thē we should not be oppressed. Therfore Gods law had bene better for vsus then our owne law: for if his law did stand, then we should not be deceiued, nor slaūdered, nor enuied, nor iniuried, nor oppressed. God hath commaunded eueryevery man to lend freely,Luke. 6. 35. & who would not borrow freely? Therefore they which brought in Vsurie, brought in a law against themselues.
The first Vsurers which we read of, were the Iewes, which were forbidden to be Vsurers, yet for want of faith and louelove, Ezekiel and Nehemiah doth shew how the Iewes, euen the Iewes which receiued this law from God himself, did swarue from it as they did frō the rest.Ezech. 18. 22. Nehe. 2. 5. First, they did lend vponupon Vsurie to straungers; after they began to lend vponupon Vsurie to their brethren, and now there be no such Vsurers vponupon earth, as the Iewes which were forbidden to be Vsurers. Whereby you may see how the malice of man hath turned merciemercy into crueltie. For whereas lending was commaunded for the benefite of men,Deut. 15. 10. Vsurie hath turned it to the vndoing of men: for they take when they seeme to giuegive; they hurt when they seeme to helpe; they damage whē they seeme to vātage: therfore it is well noted that vsurie2 hath her name of byting, and she may wel signifie byting: for many hauehave not onelyonly bene bitten by it, but deuoured by it, that is, consumed all that they hauehave: therfore as the Apostle saith,Galat. 5. 15. If you bite one another, take heede you be not deuoured one of another: so I may say if you be vsurers one to another, take heede you be not deuoured one of another, for vsurers are byters. As the name of the deuill doth declare what an enemie he is; so the name of vsurie doth declare what an enemie she is.Because it signifieth an aduersarie. That you may know vsurie for a byter, her name doth signifie byting.Neschec. If there were one byting vsurie, and another healing vsurie, then vsurie should hauehave two names; one of byting, & another of healing: but all vsurie signifieth byting, to shewe that all vsurie is vnlawfull. Now, you hauehave heard what vsurie is, & of what it is deriued, you shall heare the vnlawfulnesse of it.
The vnlawfulnesse of Vsurie.First, it is against the law of charitie, because charitie biddeth vsus to giuegive euerie man his owne, and to require no more than our owne; but Vsurie requireth more than her owne, and giues not to other their owne. Charitie reioyceth to cōmunicate her goods to other, and Vsurie reioyceth to gather other mens goods to her selfe.
Secondly, it is against the law of Nations; for euerie Nation hath some law against Vsurie, and some restraint against Vsurers, as you shall heare whē we speake of the punishment.
Thirdly, as it is against the law of Nations, so it is against the law of Nature, that is, the naturall compassion which should be among men. A similitude.You see a riuer whē it goeth by an emptie place, it will not passe vntill it hath filled that emptie place, & then it goeth forward to another emptie place and filleth it, & so to another emptie place & filleth it, alwayes filling the places which are empty: so should we, the rich should fill the poore, the full should fill the hūgry, they which abound should fill them which want, for the rich are but Gods Amners, & their riches are cōmitted to them of God to distribute and do good as God doth him selfe. As the water is charitable after a sort, so is the ayre, for it goeth to emptie places to, and filleth them as the water doth. Nature cannot abide that any place should be emptie, and therefore the ayre though it be a light body, and so naturally ascendeth vpward: yet rather than any place in the earth should be empty, the ayre will descend as it were from his throne, and go into caues, into dennes, and into dū geons, to fill them. If the rich were so good to their empty brethrē, as the ayre and water are to other emptie things; as there is no emptie place in the world, so there should be no emptie person in the world: that is, the rich in Israell would fill the poore in Israell, but the rich make the poore to fill them, for Vsurers feede vponupon the poore euen as great fishes deuoure the small. Therefore he which said. Let there not be a begger in Israell;Deut. 15. 4. sayd to, let there not be an Vsurer in Israell; for if there be Vsurers in Israell, there will be beggers in page missing another. For Christ said to his disciples, LoueLove one another as I hauehave loued you. Iohn. 13. 34.But it may be said of the Vsurer, see how he hateth other, and loueth himselfe. For when he saith that he lendeth for compassiō, he meaneth for cōpassion of him selfe, that he may gaine by his pitie. The Vsurer loueth the borrower, as the Iuye loueth the Oke: The Iuye loueth the Oke to grow vp by it, so the Vsurer loueth the borrower to grow rich by him. The Iuye claspeth the Oke like a louer, but it claspeth out all the iuyce and sap, that the Oke cannot thriue after: So the Vsurer lendeth like a friend, but he couenanteth like an enemie, for he claspeth the borrower with such bands, that euer after he diminisheth, as fast as the Vsurer encreaseth.
Vnderstand that his Sermon vponupon the mount, is an exposition of the Commādemēts, or else the text will not seeme to implie this. Luke. 19. 8.Christ expounding the commandement which forbiddeth to steale, saith, lend freely, shewing that Vsurie, because she lendeth not freely, is a kind of theft, & the Vsurers a kind of theeues, for else this expositiō were not right. Therfore Zacheus, as though he had stolne other mens goods, when he began to repent, he restored them agayne foure foulde, euen as theeues are inioyned to restore foure foulde for that which they hauehave stolne, so Zacheus restored foure fould, as though he had stolne.In some kind of theft. Exod. 22. It seemeth that Zacheus was no great theefe, because he restored foure foulde for all that he had gotten wrongfullie, for he got but the fourth part of his goods wrongfullie at the most, or else he could not hauehave restored foure foulde agayne. But now, if some should restore foure foulde, for all that they hauehave gotten wrongfullie, they should restore more than they hauehave, because all which vsurers get, they get wrongfullie: for their occupation is a sinne, and therefore one saith, Because they cannot restore foure foulde here, they shall suffer an hundreth foulde hereafter. 2. Chron. 25.Amaziah is forbidden to strengthen himselfe with the armies of Israell, onelyonly because Israell, had offended God; if Amaziah might not ioyne the armies of Israell with his armies to strengthen him, darest thou ioyne the goods of the poore with thy goods to enrich thee? When God set Adam his worke, he sayd, In the sweate of thy browes shalt thou liue:Gene. 3. 19. not in the sweate of his browes, but in the sweate of thy browes; but the Vsurer liueth in the sweat of his browes, & her browes: that is, by the paines and cares, and labours of another, for he taketh no paines himselfe, but onelyonly expecteth the time when his interest will come in, like the belly which doth no worke, & yet eateth all the meate. Whē God had finished his creatiō, he said vntounto mā, and vntounto beasts, and vntounto fishes, Increase and multiplie, Gene. 1. 28.but he neuer said vntounto money, increase and multiplie, because it is a dead thing which hath no seede, and therefore is not fit to ingender. Therefore he which saith to his money, increase & multiply, begetteth a mōstrous birth, like Anah, Gene. 36. 24.which deuised a creature which GOD had not created before. Christ sayth to his Disciples,Mat. 5. 46. If you louelove but them which louelove you, what are you better than the Publicans, for they louelove their brethren: so I may say, if you will lend to none but to them which will pay you Vsurie for it, what are you better than the Iewes? for the Iewes would lend for Vsurie; & if you be no better than the Iewes, then you shall speede no better than they: for as Christ said,Mat. 5. 20. Except your righteousnesse do exceede the righteousnesse of the Pharisies, your reward shall not exceede the reward of the Pharisies: so, except your charitie doe exceede the charitie of the Iewes, your reward shal not exceede the reward of the Iewes. All this doth shew, that the Vsurer is like Esau, of whom God said,Mala. 1. 3. Esau hauehave I hated. Now in the 112. Psalme, you shall see who is like Iacob, of whom God saith,Vers. 5. Iacob hauehave I loued: for there Dauid saith, a good man is mercifull, and lendeth, and straight vpō it he setteth this crowne, he shall neuer be moued, but be had in perpetuall remembrance: as if he should say, this is the good mās Vsury, this is his increase, euē a good name, & euerlasting ioy. Again, in the 23. of Exod. it is said, Lēd vntounto him which wanteth without Vsurie, that the Lord may blesse thee: as if he should say, let the Lord pay the increase, feare not to be loosers by doing good, for God hath giuen his word to requite it him selfeMala. 3. 10.. As he saith to them which were afraide to pay tithes, and offer sacrifice,Deut. 25. 10. Trie me if I will not powre downe a blessing vponupon you: so he seemeth to say vntounto them which are afrayd to lēd, trie me if I will not powre downe a blessing vponupon you. Whō will you trust, if you do not trust your creator, your father, your redeemer, your preseruer, and your Sauiour?
Now you hauehave heard the vnlawfulnes of Vsurie, you shall heare how many kindes there be of it. As other crafts are called Mysteries, so I may fitly call it, the Mysterie of Vsurie, for they hauehave deuised mo sorts of Vsurie, thā there be trickes at cardes, I cannot recken halfe, and I am afrayde to shew you all, least I should teach you to be Vsurers, while I disswade you from Vsurie, yet I will bring forth some; and the same reasons which are alledged against these, shall condemne all the rest.
The kinds of Vsurers.Some will not take Vsurie, but they wil hauehave the vse of your pasture, or your land, or your orchard, or your teame, or your kine, vntill you pay the money agayne, which in that time will grow to a greater gayne to the Vsurer, and a greater losse to the borrower, than if he had paide more money than other vsurers are wont to take.
Some will not take vsurie, but they will take plate, and vessell, and tapistree, and bedding, and other houshold stuffe, to vse and weare, vntill their money come home, which will lose more in the wearing, than the interest of the money would come to. This vsurie is forbiddē in the 2. of Amos, where God complaineth faying, They lye downe vponupon the clothes which are laid to pledge: shewing, that we should not lye downe vpō such clothes, that is, we should not vse or weare the thing which is laid to pledge.
Some will take no Vsurie, but they will take a pawne which is better than the money which they lend, and then they will couenant, that if he bring not the money agayne by such a day, he forfetteth his pawne: which day the Vsurer knoweth, that the poore man is not able to keepe, and so keepeth the pawne for his money, which is worth twise his money. This Vsurie is forbidden in Leuit. 25. where it is sayd, Thou shalt not take Vsurie or vantage: as if he should say, thou shalt not take the forfeiture; for then thou takest vantage, when thou takest more than thou lendest.
Some will not take Vsurie, but they will buy some thing at a small price, and then couenant with the borrower that he buy the same agayne of the same price at such day, which day the vsurer knoweth that the borrower is not able to keepe, and so he getteth for a little, that which the other might hauehave sold for much more. This vsurie is condemned in the 1. Thessa. 4. where it is sayd, Let no man defraude or circumuent his brethren in any thing.
Some will not take vsurie, but they will lend out their money to occupiers, vponupon condition to be partakers in their gaines, but not in their losses: so one takes all the paines and abideth all the venture, and the other which takes no paines, reapeth halfe the profit. This vsurie is forbiddē in 2. Thes. 3. 10. where it is sayd, He which will not worke let him not eate.
Some will not take Vsurie, but if he be a Labourer, or a Mason, or a Carpē ter, which borroweth of him, he wil couenāt with him for so many days work, he shal labour with him so many dayes, or so many weekes for no money, but the loane of money. This Vsury is condemned in Luke. 10. 7. where it is said, The labourer is worthie of his hire.
Some will not take Vsurie, but if you hauehave not presēt money to pay for their wares, they will set a high price of them, for the forbearing of the time, and so they do not onelyonly sell their wares, but they sell time to: that is, they do not onelyonly sell their owne, but they sell Gods owne. Therefore one saith of these, When he selleth the day, he selleth the light, and when he selleth the night he selleth rest: therefore when he would hauehave the light of heauen, and the rest of Paradise, it shall be said vntounto him that he hath sold both alreadie. For he sold light when he sold the day, and he sold rest when he sold the night: and therefore now he can hauehave neither light nor rest. Hereafter let not the Londoners say that they giuegive time, but that they sell time.
There be other Vsurers which will not lend themselues, but giuegive leaue to their wiues, and they play like hucksters, that is, euerie monethmonth a peny for a shilling, which is one hundred for another in the yeare.
But that I was informed of them since this sermon was preached, I had left out our capitall Vsurers, which wil not lend any money, because they dare not require so much gain as they wold hauehave, but if you would borrow an hū dred pound, they will giuegive you wares worth three score pound, and you shall answere them an hundred pound for it. These are the Vsurers generall, which lurke about the the Citie like Rats, & Wesels, and Fulmers, of whom may be said the same which is said of the diuels, they seeke whom they may deuour.1. Pet. 5. 8.
10 Vsuries Cosins.There be other Cosins to vsurers, which are not counted vsurers, such as take money for that which they should giuegive freely: such as take as much for a counterfeit as for the best: such as take a fee of a Client & do him no pleasure: such as take money for Masses, & Dirges, and Trentals, and Pardons, & such like drugs, which do no more good thā fire out of the chimney. This is a kind of vsurie and deceit beside, which one day they will cast away as Iudas did his thirtie pence.
Obiections made by vsurers.Now you hauehave heard the kinds of vsurie, you shall heare the arguments which are deuised for vsurie.
Sinne is neuer complet vntil it be excused: this is the vantage which the diuell getteth by eueryevery sinne, whensoeuer he can fasten any temptation vponupon vsus, we giuegive him a sinne for it, and an excuse to boote as Adam our father did.Gen. 3. First he sinned, and then he excused: so first we sinne, and then we excuse: first an vsurer, and then an excuser. Therefore eueryevery vsurer wil defend vsury with his tongue, though he cōdemne it with his conscience. If the Image makers of Ephesus had not liued by Images,Act. 19. 25. they would hauehave spokē for Images, no more than the rest: for none stood for Images but the Image makers: so if the vsurers did not liue by vsury, they would speak for vsurie no more than the rest: for none stand for vsurie but vsurers.
It is an easie matter, if a man be disposed, to speak somthing for euerie vice, as some defend the Stewes: some defend treasō; some defend Nonresidēcy: some defend swearing by my faith: some defend bowling vponupon the Sabaoth: and some defend vsurie. But, will you pleade for Baal? (saith Ioash)Iud. 6. 31. that is, will you plead for sinne which wil plead against you? A sinne is a sinne when it is defended: nay, a sinne is two sins, when it is defended: for he which breaketh one of the least commandements (saith Christ)Matth. 5. 19. & teacheth others to doe so, is the least in the kingdome of heauen. A Squire of low degree is a Squire of no degree: so the least in the kingdome of heauen is none of the kingdome of heauen. Who thē is the least in the kingdome of heauen? not he which breaketh the least of the commandemēts, but he which teacheth others to do so: that is, he which by defending, and excusing, & minsing, and extenuating his sinne, incourageth others to sinne too.
To defend Vsury, they distinguish vponupon it, as they distinguish of lying: as they say, there is a pernicious lye, and an officious lye, and a merry lye, and a godly lye: so they say, there is the Merchants Vsurie, and the Strangers Vsurie, and the Widdowes Vsurie, and the Orphanes Vsurie, and the poore mans Vsurie, and the biting Vsurie, and the charitable Vsurie, and the necessarie Vsurie. As God said,Gen. 2. yee shall dye, and the woman said, peraduenture yee shall dye, and the Serpent said, ye shall not dye; Three opinions of Vsury.so there be three opinions of Vsurie: some say like God, thou shalt dye, they thinke that Vsurie is vtterly vnlawful, because God hath vtterly forbid it: some say like the woman, peraduenture thou shalt die, they doubt whether Vsurie be vtterly vnlawfull or no, because it is so much tollerated: some say like the Serpent, thou shalt not die, Gen. 3.they thinke that Vsurie is lawful, because it is gainfull, as Saul thought that the Idolaters beasts shold not be killed, because they were fat. But as he was commanded to 1. Sam. 15. 9.kill the fat beast, as well as the leane, so we are commanded to kill fat sinnes as well as leane sinnes; gainfull sinnes as well as prodigall sinnes.
Obiections for Vsurie.They which plead for Vsurie, obiect these arguments. First they say, God doth allow some kinde of Vsurie, for in Deut. 23. it is said of a stranger thou mayest take Vsurie. I perceiue no scripture speaketh for Vsurers. Of a stranger (saith God) thou maist take Vsurie: but thou takest Vsury of thy brother, therfore this cōdemneth thee, because thou vsest thy brother like a stranger. Here stranger doth signifie the Iews enimies, whom they were commaunded to destroy: therefore marke how much this maketh against Vsurie, which they obiect for Vsurie. God doth not license the Iewes to take Vsurie of any, but their enimies, whom they might kill: They might not be Vsurers vntounto any, but to them of whom they might be destroyers, whom they might slay, of thē only they might take vsury: shewing that Vsury is a kind of punishmēt, and such a kind of punishment, as if we are to kill a man, it were a verie fit punishment for him, and therfore the Iews might take Vsurie of none, but them whom they might kill. I hope Vsurers will alledge this scripture no more.
Secondly, they say that they lend for compassion, & so make Vsurie a work of charitie. This were charitie not to be partakers in our gaines, but to be partakers in our losses; but Vsurers wil be partakers in our gaines, but not in our losses; nay, though we lose, yet they will gaine: is this charity? it is Vsurers charitie.
Thirdly, they say, if he gaine and I gaine too, is not this well? may he not consider my friendship, and be thankfull? yes, he may be thankfull, but no man is bound to be thankful, but when he hath receiued a good turne, then he is tried whether he will be thankfull or no: and if he requite thy curtesie, then he is thankfull, but if thou bind him to requite it, then thou art couetous.
Fourthly they say, Vsurie is necessarie for Orphans, and Widdowes, and Straungers, which hauehave no other way to get their liuing, and therefore some Vsurie must be tolerated. If Vsurie be necessarie for vsus, how did the Iewes without it? Did God thinke it good for the state of their common weale to be without Vsurers? and is it good for the state of our common weale to hauehave Vsurers? this is wisedome against God.
Fiftly they say: If I may not gaine by the money which I lend, I will lend no more, but keepe my mony to my selfe: nay, that is as bad to keepe thy money from them which need, as to lend thy mony for Vsurie. For Christ saithMatth. 5. 42., from him which borroweth turne not away thy face. Therefore thou art bound to lend. As he hath a cursse in Prou. 11. which keepeth his corne, when he should sel it to thē which hunger; so he hath a cursse in Eze. 18. which keepeth his mony whē he should lend it to them which want.
Sixtly they say, because Vsurie comes of biting, the biting vsurie is onelyonly forbidden, & none but the biting vsurie: why then all vsurie is forbidden, for all vsurie commeth of biting, so the wise God hath giuen it a name to condemne it.
Lastly, they alledge the Law of the land for it, and say, the Queenes statute doth allow vsus to take vponupon vsurie ten in the hundreth. These are like the Iewes, which said,Iohn. 19. 7. We hauehave a law, and by our law he shall die: whē they could not say by Gods law he shall die, then they said by our law he shall die: so when they cannot say by Gods law we may take vsurie, they say by mans law we may take vsurie, this is the poorest defence of all the rest: for if Gods law forbid thee, can any law of man excuse thee? As it would not serue Adam to say,Gen. 3. the woman bad me; so it will not serue the vsurer to say, the Law doth licence me. But he cannot say the Law doth license me: for though peraduenture our Law do tollerate more than should be tollerated, yet I would hauehave you know, that our Law doth not allow ten in the hū dreth, nor fiue in the hundreth, nor one in the hundreth, nor any vsurie at all: but there is a restraint in our Law, that no vsurer take aboue tenne in the hundreth, it doth not allow ten in the hundreth, but punisheth that tyrant which exacteth aboue ten in the hundreth. It is much like that tolleration which we reade of diuorces. For the hardnesse of mens hearts, Christ saith, that Moses did suffer the man and wife to part a sunder: So for the hardnesse of mens hearts,Matth. 19. 7. our Moses our Prince is faine to suffer as it were a kind of vsury, because otherwise no men would lend.
These are the best excuses which our Vsurers hauehave to plead for themselues, against they come before the tribunall of God; & if their reasons wil not stand before men nor their owne conscience, how will they stand before the Lord? And yet he which speaketh to these, maketh himselfe a mock. Christ preached many Sermons, and was neuer scorned at any, but when he preached against couetousnesse, thē it is said that he was mocked:Luk. 16. 14. shewing that these kind of men are most incorrigible and wedded to their sinne till death make them part. Yet for their greater condemnation, we are commāded to speak to them which wil not heare:Ezek. 2. 5. of which number is euerie reader of this Sermon if he be a Vsurer after.
What the vsurer is like.Now, you long to heare what the Vsurer is like. To what shal I likē this generatiō? They are like a Butlers box: for as all the counters at last come to the Butler; so all the mony at last commeth to the Vsurer, ten after ten, & ten after ten, and ten to ten, til at last he receiue not only ten for an hundreth, but an hundreth for ten. This is the onelyonly difference, that the Butler can receiue no more than he deliuered: but the Vsurer receiueth more than he deliuereth. They are like a Moth; euen as a Moth eateth a hole in cloath, so Vsury eateth a hole in siluer: If you hauehave a peece of siluer which is as much as an hūdred pounds, in one yeare vsury will eate a hole in it as big as ten pounds: in two yeares she will eate a hole as big as twentie pounds: in three yeares she wil eate a hole as big as thirty pounds. Nay, now they say, he is but a bad husband which cannot eate a hole as big as fiftie pounds in a yeare: that is, which cannot gain halfe in half: how many holes hauehave these Moths eaten in poore mens garments? They are like Nonresidēts, that is, such bad members, that no man speaketh for them but thēselues. As no mā standeth for Nonresidencie, but he which is a Nonresident, or he which would be a Nōresidēt: so no mā stādeth for Vsurie, but he which is an Vsurer, or he which would be an vsurer. They are like Iezabel, which said,1. King. 21. 7. Let me alone, I hauehave a way. If there be no way to liue (saith the false Steward) I know what to do I will deceiue: so if there be no way to liue (saith the vsurer) I know what to do, I will oppresse:Luk. 16. 4. If I cannot liue by buying, nor by selling, nor by flattering, nor by labouring, I will liue by oppression. But as one in his Cōmēt speakes to the false Steward. Thou saiest I know what to do, but doost thou know what thou shalt suffer? So I say to vsurers, you say you know what to do, but do you know what you shal suffer? In deed he knoweth not what to do, which knoweth not to do well: and therefore Christ said of his persecutors, that they knew not what they did. Luk 23. 34.Here I will end the first dayes examination.
Now I may conclude with Paul, 1. Cor. 7. 10.I hauehave not spoken, but the Lord: & therfore as the Lord said vntounto Saul, Act. 9. 22.that he persecuted him; so they which resist this doctrin do contemne him, and not me.
The end of the first Sermon.