Discourse Concerning Usury, Title page – To the reader
A SHORT AND PRIVATE Discourse betweene Mr. BOLTON and one M. S. concerning Usury.
Published by E. B. by Mr. BOLTONS owne Coppy.
DEVT. 23. 19.
Thou shalt not lend upon Vsury to thy Brother.
LONDON, Printed by GEORGE MILLER dwelling in Blacke-Friers, 1637.
To the Reader.
LOve (saith the Wisest ofCant. 8. 6. men) is as strong as death, the importuning whereof hath made me breake open those bars and once more awaken the spirit of M. Bolton, by exposing to publicke view these papers of his, written with his owne hand, for the convincing of the world of that profitable and wealthy sinne of Vsury; wherein though he and others have bestowed much paines: Yet so sweet is the gainefullnesse of that craft, as that it will never receive a finall conviction till the generall judgement.
This small Tract was written to one M. S. a man of no great note, and of lesse learning, occasioned upon a quarrell … tooke at a Sermon of his preached against Usury, which afterward brake forth into a set battell, though it prooved impar congressus to M. S. who by challenging M. Bolton, thrust himselfe upon the greatest infelicity of warre, as first to bee disarmed, and afterward to bee kill'd in the field with his owne weapons.
The gaine that M. S. made by that Silver Acts 19. 24.shrine, whetted his invention to maintaine by humane argument, what hee was loath to part with by divine commandement.
Had this Author lived, it was his purpose to have made this little Tract of Vsury a compleate Treatise, by stating the Question, by distinguishing it from other contracts and bargaines that are common amongst men (which though they equall that other contract by Vsury in point of gaine, yet doe not participate with it in point of Crime) by handling the many cases of conscience touching the point of restitution, wherein I know hee was acquainted with many rare experimen…s.
But death which determined his daies, put an end to this labour. So that I now present it to the Reader as I finde it in his owne coppy without addition or alteration, which can hardly bee done to any thing of his without wrong to the Worke. Neither should I (had it beene feosable) have given way unto it. For I had rather put any imperfect worke of his upon the Charity of the world, which it usually affoords to such interceptions by death, then abuse it, or the trust reposed in me, by publishing under his name any counterfeit stuffe.
In this little Worke I desire to put the Reader in minde of one or two things remarkable in this Author. The earnest indignation of his spirit against any manner of sinne, especially grosse sinne as this of Vsury. And then his sweet melting and compassionate heart in freeing men from it, which if all other instances which might be given of him in this kind should be lost and perish. This one passage of his written in the last worke that ever he put out, and uttered a little before his death would make it good. For having in that bookeInstructions for comforting afflicted consciences. pag. 108. &c. us que pag 130. proposed twenty considerations to keepe men from sinne (the best that ever I read) He thus in conclusion breaths out his affectionate spirit, page 130. Now my most thirsty desire and earnest entreaty is, that every one into whose hands by Gods providence this booke of mine shall fall, after the perusall of them, would pause a while upon purpose that he may more solemnely vow and resolve, that ever hereafter when he shall be set upon and assaulted by allurement unto any sinne, he will first have recourse unto these twenty considerations I have here recommended to him to helpe in such cases, and with a punctuall seriousnesse let them sinke into his heart before he proceed and pollute himselfe. I could bee content, if it were pleasing unto God, that these lines which thou now readest were writ with the warmest blood in my heart, to represent unto thine eye the deare affectionatenesse of my soule for thy spirituall and eternall good, so that thou wouldest be throughly perswaded, and now before thou passe any further sincerely promise so to doe. So that I may as truly say of him as was once said of Anselme, Nihil De vita Anselmi lib. 2. in Oper Ans.in mundo quantum peccare timebat, Hee feared nothing in the world so much as sinne.
Compare these times and the want of such a man in them, and then count how invaluable his losse is. For so highly was he esteemed in that Countrey where he bestowed his Ministeriall paines, that many of his hearers who beheld his white haires could point at him, and say with that famous Leontius, That when Sozem. Hist. Lib. 3.that Snow melted there would bee a flood: And so it prooved; For I dare boldly write it, There was not a Minister in Norhampton-shire that ever lived there more desired, or dyed more lamented.
I will looke no further into his quiet grave, I onelyonly desire my Reader kindely to accept of this worke for the Authors sake who meant it much better. And for my sake who meerely for the Readers good have undergone the paines to present it as it is. This is but Iustice and all the reward I looke for,
Middle Temple May 22. 1637. EDVVARD BAGSHAVVE.