A Preparative to Marriage, Sermon 3
The first Sermon.
Psal. 15. vers. 1. & 5.
Lord, who shall dwell in thy tabernacle? Who shall rest in thine holie mountaine?
He that giueth not his money to Vsurie.
THese two verses must bee considered together, because one is the question, and the other is the answere: Dauid demands Verse 1.who shall come to heauen? and GOD tels him that Vsurers shall not come thether: as if hee should say, They shall goe to hell. Therefore as Paule taught Timothie to warne thē which are rich, 1. Tim. 6. 17.as though they had more neede to be warned than other: so this sentence seemeth to bee penned for a warning to the rich, because it strikes vponupon the rich mans vice.
I hauehave spoken of Briberie and Simonie, and now I must speake of their sister Vsurie. Manie times hauehave I thought to speake of this Theame, but the argumēts which are alleaged for it, hauehave made mee doubtfull what to say in it, because it hath gone as it were vnderunder a protection. At last you see it falleth into my text, and therefore now I cannot bauke it any longer. Therefore if any heere hauehave fauoured this occupation before, let him now submit his thoughts vntounto Gods thoughts; for I will alleage nothing against it, but that which is built vppon the rocke.
Vsurie is the sin which God wil trie now whether you louelove better than his worde: that is, whether you will leaue it if he forbid it: for if hee flatly forbid it, and yet you wilfully retaine it, then you louelove Vsurie better than Gods worde. Therefore one saith well that our Vsurers are Hereticks, because after Vsurers hereticks.manie admonitions, yet they maintaine their errour, and persist in it obstinatly as Papists doo in Poperie. For this cause I am glad that I hauehave any occasion to griple with this sin, where it hath made so many spoyles, & where it hath so many patrons: for it is said that there be moe of this profession in this Citie, than there bee in all the land beside. There be certaine sins which are like an vnreasonable enemie which will not be reconciled to death, and this is one of those euerlasting sins 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, Let the Lord bee mercifull 2. Kings. 5. 18.vntounto me in this: let me hauehave a dispensation for this, as though this were a necessarie sinne, and hee could not liue without it. There be three sinnes which are counted Three sins counted no sinnes.no sinnes, and yet they doo more hurt than all their fellows, & those are Briberie, Nonresidencie, and Vsurie: these three because they are gainful are turned from sinnes to occupatiōs. How many of this Citie for all that they are Vsurers, yet would be counted honest mē, and would faine hauehave Vsurie esteemed as a trade: whereas if it were not so gainfull, it would bee counted as great a sinne as any other, and so it is counted of all but them which liue by it. This is the nature of pleasure and profite to make sinnes seeme no sinnes, if we gaine any thing by them, but the more gainfull a sinne is, the more daungerous it is, and the more gainfull Vsurie is, the more daungerous it is. I will speake the more of it, because happely you shall not heare of this matter againe.
First I will define what Vsurie The contentes of this treatise.is, then I wil shew you what Vsurie doth signifie: then I will shewe the vnlawfulnes of it: then I will shewe the arguments which are alleaged for it: then I will shewe the punishment of it: then I will shewe you what opinion wee should holde of them which doo not lend vponupon Vsurie, but borrow vponupon Vsurie. Lastly, I will shewe you what they should doo which hauehave got their riches by Vsurie.
Touching the first, Vsurie is The definition of Vsurie.that gaine which is gotten by lending, for the vse of the thing which a man lendeth, couenanting before with the borrower to receaue more thā was borrowed: and therefore one calls the Vsurer a legall theefe, because before hee Vsurers steale by law.steale, he tels the partie how much hee will steale, as though hee stole by law. This word more, comes in like a sixt finger, which makes a monster, because it is more than should be. Another defining Vsurie, calleth it the Contrarie to Charitie: for Paule saith, LoueLove seeketh not her owne, but Vsurie seeketh an others which is not her owne▪ therfore Vsurie is farre from louelove, but God is LoueLove, saith Iohn, therefore …. Iohn. …. 8.Vsurie is farre from God too.
Now, al the Commandements of God are fulfilled by louelove, which Christ noteth when hee draweth all the Commandements to one Commandement, which is, LoueLove Matth. 22. 37.God aboue all things, and thy neighbour as thy selfe: as if hee should say, hee which loueth GOD, will keepe all the Commaundements which respect God, and he which loueth his neighbour will keepe all the Commaundements which respect his neighbour: therefore to maintaine louelove, GOD forbiddeth all things which hinder this louelove: and among the rest here hee forbiddeth Vsurie, as one of her deadliest enemies: for a man can not louelove and be an Vsurer, because Vsurie is a kinde of crueltie, and a kinde of extortion, and a kinde of persecution, and therfore the want of louelove doth make Vsurers: for if there were louelove there would bee no Vsurie, no deceit, no extortion, no slaundering, no reuenging, no oppression, but wee should liue in peace and ioye 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 bee deceiued: if there were no slander, then wee should not bee slandered: if there were no enuie, then wee should not bee enuied: if there were no extortion, then we should not bee iniuried: if there were no Vsurie, then we should not bee oppressed. Therfore Gods law had been better for vsus than our owne lawe: for if his law did stand, thē we should not be deceiued, nor slandered, nor enuied, nor iniured, nor oppressed. God hath commanded eueryevery mā to lend freely, & who would not Luke. 6. 35.borrowe freely? Therefore they which brought in vsurie, brought in a lawe against themselues.
The first Vsurers which wee reade of, were the Iewes, which were forbidden to be Vsurers, yet for want of faith and louelove, Ezekiel Ezek. 18. 22. Nehe. 25.& Nehemiah doth shewe how the Iewes, euen the Iewes which receiued this lawe from God himselfe, did swarue from it as they did from the rest. First, they did lend vppon Vsurie to straungers; after they began to lend vppon Vsurie to their brethren, and now there be no such Vsurers vppon earth as the Iewes which were forbidden to be Vsurers. Wherby you may see how the malice of man hath turned merciemercy into crueltie. For whereas lending was commaunded Deut. 15. 10.for the benefite of men, 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 when they seeme to vauntage: therefore it is well noted that Vsurie hath her name of byting, and 2.she may well signifie byting; for many hauehave not onelyonly been bitten by it, but deuoured by it, that is, consumed all that they hauehave: therfore as the Apostle saith, If you bite Galat. 5. 15one another, take heede you be not deuoured one of another: so I may say if you be Vsurers one to another, take heede you bee not deuoured one of another, for Vsurers are biters. As the name of the Diuell doth declare what an enemie he is; Because it signifiethso the name of Vsurie dooth declare what an enemie she is. That an aduersarie.you may knowe 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, and another of healing: but all Vsurie signifieth byting, to shewe that al Vsurie is vnlawfull. Now, you hauehave heard what Vsurie is, and of what it is deriued, you shall heare the vnlawfulnes of it.
First, it is against the law of charitie, 1. The vnlawfulnesse of Vsurie.because charitie biddeth vsus to giuegive eueryevery man his owne, and to require no more than our own; but Vsurie requireth more than her owne, and giues not to other their owne. Charitie reioyceth to communicate her goods to other, and Vsurie reioyceth to gather other mens goods to her selfe.
Secondly, it is against the lawe 2.of Natiōs; for euerie Nation hath some lawe against Vsurie, and some restraint against Vsurers, as you shall heare when wee speake of the punishment.
Thirdly, as it is against the law of Nations, so it is against the law 3.of Nature, that is, the naturall compassion which should bee among men. You see a riuer when it goeth by an emptie place, it will A Similitude.not passe vntill it hath filled that emptie place, & then it goeth forward to another emptie place and filleth it, and so to another emptie place and filleth it, alwaies filling the places which are emptie: so should wee, the rich should fill the poore, the ful should fill the hungrie, they which abound should fill them which want, for the rich are but Gods Amners, and their riches are committed to them of God to distribute and doo good as GOD dooth himselfe: As the water is charitable after a sorte, so is the ayre, for it goeth to emptie places too, and filleth them as the water doth. Nature cannot abide that any place should bee emptie, and therefore the ayre though it bee a light bodie, and so naturally ascendeth vpward: yet rather than any place in the earth shuld be emptie, the ayre wil descend as it were frō his throne, and goe into caues, into dens, and into dungeons, to fill them. If the rich were so good to their emptie brethren, as the ayre and water are to other emptie things; as there is no emptie place in the worlde, so there should be no emptie person in the world: that is, the rich in Israel would fill the poore in Israel, but the riche make the poore to fill them, for Vsurers feede vponupon the poore, euen as great fishes deuoure the small. Therfore he which sayd Let there not be a begger in Israel, Deut. 15. 4.sayd too, let there not be an Vsurer in Israel, for if there be Vsurers in Israel, there wil be beggers in Israel, for Vsurers make beggers, euen as Lawyers make quarrellers.
Fourthly, it is against the law of God. First, it is forbiddē in Exo. 22. 4.where it is sayd, If thou lend money vntounto my people, that is, to the poore withthee, thou shalt not oppresse them with Vsurie: heere Vsurie is called oppression, therefore if oppression be a sinne, Vsury is a sinne too. Secondly, it is forbiddē in Leu. 25. 36. where it is sayd, Thou shalt not giuegive thy money to Vsurie, nor lend thy vittailes for increase. Heere you may see, that men may be Vsurers of vittailes and other thinges, as well as of money. Thirdly, it is forbidden in Deut. 23. where it is sayde, Thou shalt not lende vntounto thy brother vponupon Vsurie. And least you shoulde saye, that he meaneth but one kinde of Vsurie, he sheweth, that he meaneth all kinds of Vsurie: for after he sayth, as vsurie of money, vsurie of vittailes, vsurie of corne, or vsurie of any thing which is giuen to Vsurie: because some are not Vsurers of money, but some are Vsurers of vittailes, some are Vsurers of Cloth, some are Vsurers of Corne, some are Vsurers of Wine, some are Vsurers of Oyle, and some of one thing, and some of an other, and none would bee counted Vsurers, but they which lend money vponupon Vsurie; therefore God forbiddeth so preciselie Vsurie of any thing, shewing, that all Vsurie is vnlawfull. It is a miserable occupation to liue by sinne, and a great comfort to a man when he looketh vponupon his Golde and Siluer, and his heart telleth him, all this is well gotten, and when he lieth vponupon his death-bed, and must leaue all to his children, he can say vntounto them, I leaue you mine owne; but the Vsurer can not saye, I leaue you mine own, but I leaue you other mens, therefore the Vsurer can neuer dye in peace, because if he dye before he make restitution, he dyeth in his sinne. When Christ raysed Lazarus from death, after he had Ioh. 11. 37.layne foure dayes in the graue, he wept so ouer his Sepulcher, that the standers about sayd one to an other, See how he loued him, As it may be sayde of Christ, See how he loueth vsus, so it should be sayd of vsus, See how they louelove their breethren. For Christ sayd to his Disciples, LoueLove one an other, as I Ioh. 13. 34.hauehave loued you. But it may be sayde of the Vsurer, See how hee hateth hys breethren, and heare how he loueth them: for hee loueth them in wordes, and hateth them in deedes. He sayth that he loueth them, and that he lendeth for compassion, but it is for compassion of himselfe, that he may gaine by his lending. The Vsurer loueth the borrower, as the Iuye loueth the Oke: The Iuye loueth the Oke to growe 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 iuice and sap, that the Oke can not thriue after: So the Vsurer lendeth like a friēd, but hee couenanteth like an enemye, for he claspeth the borrower with such bands, that euer after he diminisheth, as fast as the other encreaseth.
Christe expounding the commaundement Vnderstand that his sermon vponupon the mount, is an exposition of the Commandements, or else the text will not seeme to implie this. Luc. 19. 8.which forbiddeth to steale, sayth, lende freely, shewing that Vsurie, because she lendeth not freely, is a kinde of theft, and the Vsurers a kind of theeues, for else this exposition were not right. Therfore Zacheus, as though he had stolne other mens goods, when he began to repent, he restored them againe foure foulde, euen as theeues are inioyned to restore four fould for that which Exod. 22.they hauehave stolne, so Zacheus restored foure foulde, as though he had stolne. It seemeth that Zacheus was no greate theefe, because hee restored foure foulde for all that he had gotten wrongfully, for hee got but the fourth part of his goods wrongfully at the most, or else he could not hauehave restored foure fould againe. But now, if some should restore foure fould, for all that they hauehave gotten wrongfully, they shoulde restore more than they hauehave, because all which Vsurers get, they get wrongfully: for their occupation is a sinne, and therefore one sayth, Because they cannot restore foure fould heere, they shall suffer an hundreth fould heereafter. Amaziah is forbidden to strengthen 2. Chro. 2….himself with the armyes of Israel, onelyonly because Israel had offended God; if Amaziah might not ioyne the armyes of Israel with his armyes to strengthen him, darest thou ioyne the goods of the poore with thy goodes to inrich thee? When God set Adam his work, he sayd, In the sweate of thy browes Gen. 3. 19.shalt thou liue: not in the sweate of his browes, but in the sweate of thy browes: but the Vsurer liueth in the sweate of his browes, and her browes: that is, by the paines and cares, and labours of an other, for he taketh no paines himselfe, but only expecteth the time when his interest will come in, like the belly which doeth no worke, and yet eateth all the meate. When God had finished his creation, he sayd vntounto man, and vntounto beastes, and vntounto foules, and vntounto fishes, increase and multiplie, but he neuer Gen. 1.saide 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 and multiplie, begetteth a monstrous birth, like Anah, which deuised a creature Gen 36. 24.which God had not created before. Christ saith to his Disciples, If you louelove but them which louelove you, Mat. 5. 46.what are you better then 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 thā the Iewes, for the Iewes would lend for Vsurie, and if you be no better than the Iewes, then you shall speede no better than they: for as Christ sayde, Except your Mat. 5. 20.righteousnes do exceede the righteousnes of the Pharisies, your reward shall not exceede the rewarde of the Pharisies, so, except your charitie do exceede the charitie of the Iewes, your reward shall not exceede the reward of the Iewes. All this doth shewe, that the Vsurer is like Esau, of whome God sayde, Esau hauehave I hated. Now in the 112. Psalme, Malac. 1. 3.you shall see who is like Iacob, of whome God sayth, Iacob hauehave I loued: for there Dauid sayth, a good man is mercifull, and lendeth, and Verse. 5.straight vppon it he setteth this crowne, he shall neuer be moued, but be had in perpetuall remembraunce: as if he should say, this is the good mans Vsurie, this is his increase, euen a good name, and euerlasting ioy. Againe in the 23. of Exod. it is said, Lend vntounto him which wanteth without Vsurie, that the Lorde 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 Malac. 3. 10.requite it himselfe. As he sayth to them which were afrayd to pay tythes, and offer sacrifice, Try me if I will not powre downe a blessing vponupon you: so he seemeth to say vntounto Deut. 15. 10.them which are afrayd to lend, try me if I will not powre downe a blessing vppon you. Whome will you trust, if you doe 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 moe sorts of Vsurie, than there be tricks at Cardes, I cannot recken halfe, and I am afraide to shewe you all, least I should teach you to be Vsurers, while I disswade you from Vsurie, yet I will shew you some, and the same reasons which are aledged against these, shall condemne all the rest.
Some will not take Vsurie, but they will hauehave the vse of your pasture, 1. The kinds of Vsurers.or your lande, or your orchard, or your teame, or your kine, vntill you pay the money againe, which in that time will grow to a greater gaine to the Vsurer, and a greater losse to the borower, than if he had paid more money than other Vsurers are wont to take.
Some will not take Vsurie, but 2.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 forbidden in the 2. of Amos, where God cōplaineth saying, They lye downe vponupon the clothes which are layd to pledge: shewing, that wee shoulde not lye downe vppon such clothes, that is, wee should not vse or weare the thing which is layd to pledge.
Some will take no Vsurie, but 3.they will take a pawne which is better than the money which they lende, and then they will couenant, that if he bring not the money againe by such a day, he forfitteth his pawne: which day the Vsurer knoweth, that the poore man is not able to keepe, and so kepeth the pawne for his money, which is worth twise his money. This Vsurie is forbidden in Leuit. 25. where it is said, Thou shalt not take Vsurie or vauntage: as if he should say, thou shalt not take the forfeiture; for then thou takest vauntage, when thou takest more than thou lendest.
Some will not take Vsurie, but 4.they will buy some thing at a smal price, and then couenant with the borrower that he buy the same againe of the same price at such a day, which day the Vsurer knoweth that the borrower is not able to keepe, and so hee getteth for a little that which the other might hauehave solde for much more. This Vsurie is condēned in the 1. Thess. 4. where it is said, Let no man defraude or circumuent his brother in any thing.
Some will not take Vsurie, but they will lend out their money to 5.occupiers, vponupon condition to bee partakers in their gaines, but not in their losses: so one takes all the paines and abideth al the venture, & the other which takes no pains, reapeth halfe the profite. This Vsurie is forbidden in 2. Thessa. 3. 10. where it is saide, He which will not worke let him not eate.
Some will not take Vsurie, but 6.if he bee a Labourer, or a Mason, or a Carpenter, which borroweth of him, he will couenant with him for so many daies worke, he shall labour with him so manie daies, or so many weekes for no money, but the lone of money. This Vsury is condemned in Luk. 10. 7. where it is said, The labourer is worthie of his hire.
Some will not take Vsurie, but 7.if you hauehave not present money to pay for their wares, they will set a high price of them, for the forbearing of the time, and so they doo not onelyonly sell their wares, but they sell time too: that is, they doo 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 hee selleth the night hee 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 solde both alreadie. For he solde light when he sold the day, and he solde rest when he sold the night: and therefore now he can hauehave neither light nor rest.
There be other Vsurers which 8.will not lend themselues, but giuegive leaue to their wiues, and they play like hucksters, that is, euerie monethmonth a penny for a shilling, which is one hundred for another in the yeare.
But that I was informed of thē since this Sermon was preached, I 9.had left out our capitall Vsurers, which will not lend any money, because they dare not require so much gaine as they would hauehave: but if you would borrow an hundred pounde, they will giuegive you wares worth three score pounde, and you shal answer them an hundred pound for it. These are the Vsurers generall which lurke about the Citie like Rats, and Wesels, and Fulmers, of whom may bee said the same which is said of the diuels, they seeke whom they may deuoure.1. Pet. 5. 8.
There be other Cosins to Vsurers, 10.which are not counted Vsurers, such as take money for that which they shoulde giuegive freelie: such as take as much for a counterfeit as for the best: such as take a fee of a Client and doo him no pleasure: such as take money for Masses, and Dirges, and Trentalls, and Pardons, and such like drugs, which do no more good than fire out of the chimney. This is a kind of Vsury and deceit beside, which one day they will cast away as Iudas did his thirtie pence.
Now you hauehave heard the kinds of Vsurie, you shall heare the arguments Obiections made by Vsurers.which are deuised for Vsurie.
Sinne is neuer complet vntill it bee excused: this is the vauntage which the diuell getteth by eueryevery sinne, whensoeuer he can fasten any temptation vppon vsus, wee giuegive him a sinne for it, and an excuse to boote, as Adam our father did. First he sinned, and then he excused: Gen. 3.so first we sinne, and then we excuse: first an Vsurer, & then an excuser. Therefore euerie Vsurer will defend Vsurie with his tung, though hee condemne it with his conscience. If the Image makers of Ephesus had not liued by Images, they would hauehave spoken for All. 19. 25.Images no more than the rest: for none stood for Images but the Image makers: so if the Vsurers did not liue by Vsurie, they woulde 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 speake something for euerie vice; as some defende the Stewes: some defende Nonresidencie: some defende swearing by my faith: some defend bowling vppon the Saboath: and some defend Vsurie. But, will you pleade for Iud. 6. 31.Baal? (saith Ioash) that is, will you pleade for sinne which will pleade against you? A sin is a sin 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) and teacheth Math. 5. 19.others to doo so, is the least in the kingdom 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 then is the least in the kingdome of heauen? not he which breaketh the least of the Commandements, but he which teacheth others to doo so: that is, he which by defending, and excusing, and minsing, and extenuating his sinne, incourageth others to sinne too.
To defend Vsurie, they distinguish vppon it, as they distinguish of lying: as they say, there is a pernicious lye, and an officious lye, and a merrie 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 pooremans Vsurie, and the biting Vsurie, and the charitable Vsurie, and the necessarie Vsurie. As God said, ye shall die, & the woman Gen. 2.sayd, peraduenture ye shall dye, and the Serpent said, ye shall not dye; so there be three opinions of Vsurie: Three opinions of Vsurie.some say like God, thou shalt dye, they thinke that Vsurie is vtterly vnlawfull, because God hath vtterly forbid it: some say like the woman, peraduenture thou shalt dye, they doubt whether Vsurie be vtterly vnlawfull or no, because it is so much tollerated: some say like the Serpent, thou Gen 3.shalt not dye, they thinke that Vsurie is lawfull, because it is gainefull, as Saule thought that the Idolaters 1. Sam. 15. 9.beastes should not be killed because they were fat. But as he was commaunded to kill the fat beastes, as well as the leane, so we are commanded to kill fat sinnes as well as leane sinnes; gainefull sinnes as well as prodigall sinnes.
They which pleade for Vsurie, obiect these arguments. First they 1. Obiections for Vsurie.say, God doeth alow 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 (sayth God) thou mayest take Vsurie: but thou takest Vsurie of thy brother, therefore this condemneth thee, because thou vsest thy brother like a stranger. Here stranger doth signifie the Iewes enemies, whome they were commaunded to destroy: therefore marke how much this maketh against Vsurie, which they obiect for Vsurie. God doeth not license the Iewes to take Vsurie of any, but their enemies whome they might kill: They might not be Vsurers vntounto any, but to them of whom they might be destroyers, whome they might slay, of them only they might take Vsurie: shewing that Vsurie is a kind of punishment, and such a kind of punishment, as if we are to kill a man, it were a very fit punishment for him, and therefore the Iewes might take Vsurie of none, but them whom they might kill.
Secondly, they say that they lend for compassion, and so make Vsurie 2.a worke of charitie. This were charitie not to be partakers in our gaines, but to be partakers in our losses, but Vsurers will be partakers in our gaines, but not in our losses; nay, though we lose, yet they will gaine: is this charitie? it is colde charitie to partake in our gaines, and not in our losses.
Thirdly, they say, if he gaine 3.and I gaine too, is not this well, may he not consider my friendship and be thankefull? yes, hee may be thankfull, but no man is bound to be thankfull, but when he hath receiued a good turne, then he is tried whether he wil be thankfull or no: and if he requite thy curtesie, then he is thankefull, but if thou bind him to requite it, then thou art couetous.
Fourthly they say, Vsurie is necessarie for Orphanes and Widdowes, 4.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 wisdome against God.
Fiftly they say: If I may not 5.gaine by the money which I lend, I will lend no more, but keepe my money to my selfe: nay, that is as bad to keepe thy money from them which neede, as to lend thy money for Vsurie. For Christ saith, from him which borroweth, Mat. 5. 42.turne not away thy face. Therefore thou art bound to lende. As he hath a cursse in Prou. 11. which keepeth his Corne when hee should fell it to them which hunger; so he hath a cursse in Eze. 18. which keepeth his money when he should lende it to them which want.
Sixtly they say, because Vsurie 6.comes of biting, the biting Vsurie is onelyonly forbidden, and none but the biting Vsurie: why then all Vsurie is forbidden, for all Vsurie commeth of biting, to shewe that all Vsurie is vnlawfull.
Lastly, they aleadge the Law of the land for it, and say, the Queens 7.Statute doeth allowe vsus to take vppon Vsurie tenne in the hundreth. These are like the Iewes which sayd, We hauehave a lawe, and by our lawe he shall dye: when they Iohn. 19. 7.coulde not saye by Gods lawe he shall die, then they said by our lawe he shall dye: so when they cannot say by Gods lawe 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 lawe forbid thee, can any lawe of man excuse thee? As it would not serue Adam to say, the woman bad me, so it will not serue Gen. 3.the Vsurer to say, the Lawe 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 lawe doeth not allow tenne in the hundreth, nor fiue in the hūdreth, 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 doeth not allow tenne in the hundreth, but punisheth that tyrant which exacteth aboue tenne in the hundreth. It is much like that tolleration which we reade of diuorces. For the hardnesse of mens hearts, Christ saith, that Mat. 19. 7.Moses did suffer the man and wife to part asunder: So for the hardnesse of mens hearts, our Moses our Prince is fame to suffer as it were a kinde of Vsurie, because otherwise no men would lende.
These are the best excuses which our Vsurers hauehave to pleade for themselues, against they come before the tribunall of GOD; and if their reasons will not stande before men nor their owne conscience, how will they stande before the Lorde?
Now, you long to heare what What the Vsurer is like.the Vsurer is like. To what shall I liken this generation? They are like a Butlers boxe: for as all the counters at last come to the Butler; so all the money at last commeth to the Vsurer, ten after ten, and ten after ten, and ten to ten, till at last he receiue not onelyonly ten for an hundreth, but an hundreth for ten. This is the onelyonly difference, that the Butler cā receiue no more than he deliuered: but the Vsurer receiueth more than hee deliuereth. They are like a Moth; euen as a Moth eateth a hole in cloath, so Vsurie eateth a hole in siluer: If you hauehave a peece of siluer which is as much as an hundreth pounds, in one yere Vsurie 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 will eate a hole as big as thirtie 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 gaine halfe in halfe: how manie holes hauehave these Moths eaten in poore mens garments? They are like Nonresidents, that is, such bad members that no man speaketh for them but themselues. As no man standeth for Nonresidencie but he which is a Nonresident, or he which would be a Nonresidēt: so no man standeth for Vsurie but hee which is an Vsurer, or hee which would be an Vsurer. They are like Iezabel, which said, Let me alone, I hauehave a way. If there bee no 1. King. 21. 7.way to liue (saieth the false Steward) I knowe what to doo, I wil deceiue: so if there bee no way to liue (saieth the Vsurer) I knowe what to doo, I will oppresse: If I Luk. 16. 4.cannot liue by buying, nor by selling, nor by flattering, nor by labouring, I will liue by oppression. But as one in his Comment speakes to the false Steward, Thou saiest I knowe what to doo, but doest thou knowe what thou shalt suffer? So I saye to Vsurers, you saye you knowe what to doo, but doo you knowe what you shall suffer? In deed he knoweth not what to do, which knoweth not to doo well: and therefore Christ saide of his persecutors, that they knewe not what they did.Luc. 23. 34.
Now I may conclude with Paul, I hauehave not spoken but the Lord… 1. Cor. 7. 10.and therefore as the Lord said vntounto Saul, that he persecuted him; so Act. 9. 22.they which resist this doctrine do contemne him, and not me.
The end of the first Sermon.