The Debt Book, Chapter 1 – Chapter 2
CHAP. I. The words opened; and a diſcourſe touching Debts in generall, with reaſons why we ſhould not continue in them.
IN the words before, the Apoſtle exhorteth to render to eueryevery man his due, tribute, cuſtome, honour and feare to whom they belong, and in theſe things not to remaine debtors to any; but ſo farre as in vsus lyeth to yeeld to eueryevery man his right; from which particular enumeration, he proceedeth here to the generall admonition, to owe nothing to any man but louelove, this is foreign, ſayth Chryſostome, a Debt neuer fully paid, but alwaies to be yeelded and alwaies due; the Argument is thus. Debts muſt bee paid, but louelove is an vniuerſall and a perpetuall debt, therefore it muſt be yeelded to all: the Verſe is reſolued into two propoſitions.
Firſt, wee muſt not be in debt in ſuch things as can be diſcharged.
Secondly, we muſt alwaies continue and keepe on foote the debt of louelove. A reaſon is annexed of the latter Propoſition; Hee that loueth another hath fulfilled the Lawe. For the vnderſtanding of the former propoſition, we muſt conſider what Debt is. Debitum est quicquid obligatione aliqua alteri praestatur: Debt is whatſoeuer is performed to another, vponupon any bond or reaſonable conſideration: Now as is the obligation, ſuch is the debt; obligations are of three ſorts, of Nature, of Grace, and of Ciuill contract. Bonds of Nature and Grace are perpetuall, ſo long as the parties remaine, as a child oweth a perpetuall reſpect to the Parents, and they to him, euen by nature: ſo Chriſtians are vnited in the bonds of grace, which muſt not faile but ought to continue. Yet the ciuill bonds of debt, which come by borrowing and lending, by buying and ſelling, or any interchangeable duties and ſeruices, doe then ceaſe when they are payed and performed. The propoſition is to be vnderſtood of this third kind of debt as we may ſee by the exception in the Text, which keepes that debt on foot which cannot totally be diſcharged.
Now when he ſayth, Owe nothing to any man, I took it not to be a ſimple prohibition of all ciuill debts, which cannot bee auoided, while humane contracts ſtand; but it is an admonition duly and truly to diſcharge all ſuch debts, and ſo much as in vsus lyeth, not to continue in them. Hortatur, ſayth Chryſoſtome, vt nullius rei quám ſolius dilectionis debitores maneamus, ſoluentes ſcilicet quicquid rerum aliarum aut officiorum debemus. He exhorteth that wee remaine not debtors of any thing, but of louelove only, paying forthwith whatſoeuer other things or duties wee do owe; this doth Bucer follow, and other the beſt Expoſitors.
The inſtruction is this: That whatſoeuer ciuill debts or duties we owe to any, we muſt truly and duely pay them, and ſo much as in vsus lyeth not continue vnderunder that bond and obligation. GiueGive vntounto Caeſar that which is Caeſars, is an excellent rule, Mat. 22. 21. and is it not euen as true and as good; render to your neighbour that which is your neighbours? If the work-man be worthy his wages, Luke 10. 7. then euen the hireling muſt hauehave his due; the pooreſt labourer his due; ſpecially the labourer in the Lords harueſt. If it be a brand by Gods Spirit vponupon the wicked, that he borroweth, but paieth not againe, Pſal. 37. 21. Then ſhould euerie good man, ſo much as in him lyeth, pay eueryevery man his owne, and not willingly continue vnderunder the bond of debt.
Firſt, becauſe debt conſumes many a Reaſon. 1 mans eſtate, by the hard conditions vponupon which they are conſtrained to borrow; as vponupon vſurious contracts, or vponupon cruell bargaines, or vponupon ſuch pawns and Morgages and Obligations as vtterly vndoe a man in the forfeiture.
Secondly, in many caſes it is a ſeruile thing to be indebted: and therefore when the Lord will ſet downe an vnderling, hee deſcribes him by being a borrower, and not a lender. Deut. 28. 43. Hee ſhall lend to thee, but thou ſhalt not lend to him. Salomon is more peremptory; The borrower is a ſeruant to the lender, Prou. 22. 7. ſuppoſing them equall before, as we may ſee by his ſubmiſſiueneſſe and flatteries, and obſequiouſneſſe, and ſeruile obſeruations. By Debt a mans ſtate and perſon is in a manner mancipated to the lender. foreign, gifts for loane of money, make free men ſeruants, by turning, as I conceiue, the ſtate of him that ſo borroweth, from freedome to ſeruility.
Thirdly, by long continuance of a debt, freely lent, the Lender may be damnified greatly by the Borrower. A man by trading and turning the Stocke, may raiſe maintenance to himſelfe, and ſuch as depend vponupon him; whereas the money in another mans hand long deteined, is like aburied Talent, in reſpect of the owner.
Fourthly, Debt may prooue vncomfortable fortable to a mans owne Conſcience, for what if payment be ſo long deferred till a man be not able to pay? till he be compelled to ingage others? what if it be deferred till a man dye? then that which might hauehave beene ſatisfied by ones ſelfe, will verie hardly bee diſcharged by his Executors. A man well able to pay his owne debts, may leaue an Heire that ſhal not be bound to pay. Lands pay no debts, or not in haſt; not at a mans neede.
Fiftly, a man indebted cannot (while he ſo continueth) liue comfortably, becauſe, though otherwiſe frugall and induſtrious, yet hee enioyeth not the labour of his hands, but he ſoweth, and another reapeth; or hee reapeth to another that which he ſoweth: he earneth wages, but another mans bag muſt bee filled with it, and ſo he laboureth for the winde; ſpecially when hee borrowes vponupon vſury, for that will eate out all a mans increaſe. Nor can a man thus continuing, prepare to die contentedly, by ſetting his houſe and outward ſtate in order. For, if debts muſt firſt be paid, as vndoubtedly they ſhould, and then Legacies and Portions, what certainty can be aſſigned to the fatherleſſe and widow, when whatſoeuer is moſt precious in a mans houſe or ſubſtance, muſt bee drawne out to the ſatisfying of the Creditour, before they can bee ſure that they eate their owne bread? Many men ſeeming rich, are found poore and naked, when eueryevery bird hath her owne feather.
CHAP. 2. That we ſhould owe no man any thing.
THeſe grounds being thus laid, I proceed as the words lead me.
foreign.] Two negatiues in other languages make an affirmatiue, in the Greeke, Duae negativeae plerum que vehementiús negant, two negatiues for the moſt part doe more vehemently denie, as Heb. 13. 5. foreign: in this place in hand, each negatiue hath it's ſeuerall weight, for if we muſt owe foreign, to no man, then ſuum cuique redde, pay every man his owne: if we muſt owe, foreign, then wee muſt pay all fully, without compounding at an vnderunder-value, out of pretence of pouertie.
Firſt, be indebted to no man, ſo much as in you lyeth: not to a rich man, leaſt he draw you before the Tribunall: not to a poore man, leſt his maintenance detained be a crying ſin in you: not to a Landlord, leſt hee take occaſion to root out you and your Family: not to a Tenant, leſt his ſtocke in our hand, which might hauehave been improued vntounto profit, make him fall ſhort in paiment of his rent: not to a Miniſter, leſt hee be impoueriſhed, and inſtead of hoſpitality to others, be caſt vponupon the curteſies of a mercileſſe world: not to the fatherleſſe and widow, leſt in the bitterneſſe of their ſoule and ſenſe of their want, they make their moane to God, who wil certainly iudge their cauſe: not to a ſeruant leſt he bee diſcouraged, and put vponupon ſhiftes vncomfortable to himſelfe, vnprofitable to you. Owe nothing to a friend, leſt you be burdenous where you ſhould be helpfull, or leſt failing of payment proue a ſhip-wracke of friendſhip: not to a foe leſt he exact rigorouſly, and worke vponupon ſome vantage: Owe not to a Neighbour, leſt you loſe your liberty: not to a Stranger, leſt you fall into ſome ſnare: not to a buyer, leſt you diſapoint his owne neceſſity: not to a Seller, leſt hee enhance the price of his commodity: not to a free Lender, leſt you diſable him from managing his own affaires: not to an Vſurer, leſt he conſume you as a Cankar. Wee ſhould owe no man any thing, if wee be in caſe to pay it; no not our owne Fathers, to whom wee ſhould, vicem rependere, make requitall rather then run further vponupon that skore. By making too bold, euen with parents in this kind, many men hauehave loſt their very patrimony.
There is in borrowing, a kinde of obnoxious ill-liberality, which an ingenuous ſpirit brooketh not, if there be any other remedie. Beſides, there is ſuch a corruption in the hearts of men, that euen a free lender will thinke hee may well abate the fruite of his beneuolence ſome other way, and that makes him ceaſe to bee a free lender. Laſtly, by deepe and great debts, there is ſuch a world of cares vponupon the heart of the debtor, that it breakes his ſleepe, it diſtempers his affections, and afflicteth him ſo continually, that Auguſtus Caeſar, hearing of a man that died exceedingly in debt, deſired to buy the Pallet or Bed vponupon which a man ſo deepely indebted could ſleepe; intimating thereby, that great debt is ſuch a corraſiue as is able to moleſt the minde of any man, euen of an Emperour, and to make it reſtleſſe.