Usury Stated Overthrown, To the reader
A FEW WORDS To the Courteous READER.
AND, 1. About ſome chief things which were omitted; or, at leaſt, but ſlightly touched in this Writing againſt Uſury: viz. That the Expoſitors which have written upon the Ten Commandments, and others, have brought Uſury under the Eighth; which ſaith, Thou ſhalt not ſteal: Making it a Moral Evil, and breach of the Moral Law, which is eternal. At preſent I ſhall inſtance in (a)Who makes the Uſurer a Thief, l. de bono Mortis. Uſher, in his Body of Divinity, upon the eighth Commandment. Dod, upon the eighth Commandment.Ambroſe, Uſher; And two Germans; (b)Piſcator, in ſua Catecheſi, upon the eighth Commandment.Piſcator, who, expounding the eighth Commandment, ſaith expreſly, that God in the eighth Commandment commands us to lend to him that needs to borrow without Uſury. The other is a great German Divine too; famous (c)Urſin, p. 910. Peter Lombard may be added, ſaying, In the eighth Commandment is prohibited Uſury. Polanus alſo, in his Synt. And Biſhop Hall making it Theft. With Mr. Powel, in his Poſit. Bart. Weſthimerus, in Pſal. 15. And Mr. Smith; who ſaith, Chriſt expounding the Commandment which forbids ſtealing, ſaith, Luk. 6.35. Lend freely.Urſin: who, in his Sum of Chriſtian Religion, pag. 913. reckoning up the Vices forbidden by the eighth Commandment, names Uſury; ſaying, That it has not the loweſt place, and is that which is taken above the Principal, in regard of the Loan only. Beſides whom a very great number of Expoſitors, beſides thoſe in the Margin, will be brought hereafter, which in like manner bring in Uſury as a prohibited Theft by that Law. If now the Uſurer will adventure upon the breach of that Moral Precept, pretending that it is a prohibition of a political Law, he may to his own peril.
2. About the great and *So called by Dr. Bernard, in Uſher's Life, and Tho. Hall.moſt learned Spanhemius, my Couſin, becauſe he is as much ſtood upon as any Author, and extolled more than any by Uſuries Patrons, as if he were one of their beſt friends. I intended to ſet down his Opinion in my Title Page: but upon ſecond thoughts, reſolved to reſerve it for this place; ſetting down his own words, which he wrote after he had ſaid what he could ſay for Uſury, to ſhew, it may be, his Parts, and the Acumen and greatneſs of his wit, for which he was ſent abroad of purpoſe by the Prince Elector Palatine, into Foreign Countries, to greaten the ſame more and more. I ſay, that his own words I reſolved here to ſet down: viz. But this I ſhall freely ſay; that it muſt be confeſſed, that it is far better for thee to beſtow thy Money either in Husbandry, or in Merchandizing, or any other honeſt way to increaſe thine Eſtate, than to lend it upon Uſury. So that Spanhemius has left the poor Uſurer in the plain Field: which I greatly rejoyce at becauſe of his tranſcendent Parts and Excellencies, which made him ſo famous, as that the greateſt Proteſtant Divines in Chriſtendome (named in the Margin) deſired his Friendſhip, and were of his Acquaintance; beſides many great Noble Men: To whom may be added the renowned (a)Clark, p. 511.Queen of Sueden lier ſelf, which ſaluted him by her Ambaſſador, and wrote to him how much ſhe was delighted with his Works, and (b)Not to ſpeak of Uſher, Dr. Tuiſſe, Prideaux, Moulin, Rivet, Garriſotius, Meſtroſa, Drelincourt, Cameron, Toſſanus; all highly prizing him.eſteemed him.
3. About my future proceedings: That I intending to content my ſelf with my promiſed three practical Uſury Books, to whom three or four more will be added, I ſhall no more ſo immerſe my ſelf, as I have done, into the controverſial Sea of Uſury, becauſe I am ſo much ſtricken in age, and may, like aged Sea-men, well be excuſed from going to ſuch a Sea again; as one which deſires to labour for Heaven above all Terrene Concerns, and to end the remainder of his little time in a Calm; ſtriving moſt of all to enter into that everlaſting Reſt which is to come, by believing, and a practical maintaining of good works, according to Tit. 3.8.
But if any ſhall oppoſe what I have already written againſt Uſury in this Book, and in my former, I may happily anſwer by a few Animadverſions upon that which was never before objected, and anſwered. And ſo I will cloſe up this third About, with that notable Saying of that moſt wiſe King; And further, by theſe, my Son, be admoniſhed, of making many Books there is no end; and much ſtudy is weariſomneſs of the Fleſh, [eſpecially about controverſial matters.] Eccleſ. 12.12.
4. About this preſent Writing, let the Reader take this Advertiſement. 1. That altogether unexpectedly, I have been aſſaulted and abuſed by cruel mockings, according to Heb. 11.36. and grievous charges of things which I never did or practiſed; and Uſury it ſelf by name: which made me ſtir for my defence, as the leaſt Worm that is will do when it is trod upon. 2. That his and other Men's Letters about Uſury ſent to me, I ſhall not (a)For juſt cauſes; imitating in it Dr. Stillingfleet: who alſo would not anſwer his Adverſaries Letter, but his Book called Sure Footing.anſwer here. 3. That I was ſent unto by a certain Meſſenger which is yet living; who told me expreſly, that I muſt anſwer firſt ſuch a one, who had written againſt me, before I did print my other three Books which are to come. So that I was even challenged and provoked to write, for the ſaving of my Credit. 4. That being informed how the ſame Pamphlet which was ſent to me, was ſent up to be printed, I ſtill waited to ſee it publiſhed very near two Years, that I might anſwer ſo as that we might not differ in Copies. But when I ſaw that no ſuch Pamphlet did come forth, I reſolved to tarry no longer, being ready, and much ſpurred on by others who did long to ſee my Anſwer to the ſaid Pamphlet, ſcattered up and down to my diſgrace, I reſolved to tarry no longer, but to proceed to the publiſhing of my Anſwer to the ſaid Manuſcript: but in civility, I would not divulge the Author's name, nor any others, which ſince the publiſhing my Treatiſe againſt Uſury, have written to me: imitating bleſſed Bolton, who did the like; contenting himſelf with putting down of theſe two Letters, M. S. only. I add, that I was willing to follow in this, B. Downam alſo; who, in his moſt excellent Book againſt Uſury, upon Pſal. 15. confutes a great part of a Manuſcript, without naming the Author thereof: and well known it is, that a number of other Writers beſides, have done the like. Now, my moſt hearty prayer to God is, that he will bedew this my Confutation with his Celeſtial Benediction; ſo as that his holy Name may be glorified, and many a poor Uſurer's Soul reſcued from everlaſting Burnings, and graciouſly entranced into God's holy Hill, called Heaven; there to dwell in fulneſs of Jucundity, unutterable tranquillity, bleſſed Immortality, immortal Felicity, to all Eternity.
But upon new Incomes, I muſt,
5. Declare yet farther, that in this my proceeding, I am reſolved to build and to depend principally upon the ſure foundation of the holy Scriptures; which my Adverſaries are deſtitute of: and not upon Man's Reaſon; though ſecondarily I uſe Reaſon too. If there were a difference between me and my Antagoniſts about Men's (a)About which, no certain form is preſcribed unto Chriſtians. Revius, de Uſu Capillitii, p. 254.Apparel, which the Scripture does not plainly inform us of, what form it muſt be of, (As there was ſuch a difference once between the Emperor Severus, who would have a diſtinction of Cloaths to be ordered for all ſorts of Men; and his Lawyers, Ulpian and Paulus, whoſe Reaſons were ſtronger than his againſt it; and made him yield to theirs) I ſhould be apt to yield to the Carnal Reaſons of Uſuries Defendants, as the ſaid Emperor did to thoſe of his skilful Lawyers: but in ſuch a weighty matter as Uſury is, I dare not. For how far Reaſon will go, and yet without deciding, that moſt learned Man, Doctor Cudworth, in his True Intellectual Syſtem on the Univerſe, ſheweth. For, notwithſtanding his indefatigable Labours and pains exantlated and taken therein, he muſt be a Sceptick in ſeveral things and places. I will inſtance but in two.
1. Notwithſtanding all which, ſaith he, that has been here ſuggeſted by us, we ſhall not our ſelves venture to determine any thing in ſo great a Point; but ſceptically leave it undecided.
2. He ſaith; Now, how theſe Praeludiums of an immortal Body can conſiſt with the Soul's continuance, after death, in a perfect ſeparation from all manner of Body, till the day of Judgment, is not eaſily conceivable. Which thing conſidered, minds me of a ſaying of great Eraſmus Roterdamus; who ſaith, I could ſay ſomething for Uſury too (meaning that he could according to carnal reaſon) but I dare not, becauſe of thoſe (a)Sitting upon thoſe Thrones, Rev. 20.4. Videatur Toſſanus, in Annot. ejus in Bibl. de illis thronis, quid ſint.immortal Souls, &c. In ſhort, he durſt not, becauſe the holy Prophets, and Fathers, and Martyrs are againſt it, and make me alſo to be againſt it, notwithſtanding all the carnal reaſons which the Wit of Man doth or can bring for it; I am for the holy Scriptures before all them.
6. But beſides, I cannot omit here a moſt memorable Narrative which was brought to me after the writing of this Book, concerning a certain Uſurer; who living not far from the place of mine aboad, and having got a very great Eſtate by Uſury, though (as I am told, he took Uſe but after the ordinary rate of this Land, and no more) fell ſick, and ſent for a moſt Godly and learned Miniſter, who was named to me; and confeſſing how heavy that Sin of Uſury lay upon his troubled Conſcience, deſired him, that as he would anſwer it at that great day of Judgment, he would declare unto him his judgment concerning that Sin. Whereunto the ſaid Godly Miniſter returned this Anſwer; that, Except he repented, and made reſtitution, he could not be ſaved. Whereupon he departed. As for his Eſtate, that as the Relater told me, did melt away. Which I deſire may awaken Uſurers, and deter them from their curſed practiſes.
7. I adviſe the Reader, if he be an Uſurer, that he will no longer delude himſelf with this, That multitudes follow that trade, and put out their Money upon Uſury: conſidering that multitudes alſo, both in England, and beyond the Seas, in France, in Germany, and in Holland eſpecially, break and prophane the Chriſtian Sabbath, by working, ſhooting, buying and ſelling, as I have ſeen; ſaying, that the Law which requireth ſuch a ſtrict keeping of the Sabbath as the fourth Commandment mentioneth, was given to the Jews, and does not bind us: and that thoſe which are ſo preciſe in the obſervation of our Lord's Day, do Judaize: Even as Uſuries Defendants and Committents ſay now, that the Law made againſt Uſury concerned the Jews, and doth not bind us. Both which I refer to anſwer for what they ſay, to that great day of the Lord, which is to come; adding no more to this Paragraph now, but this; that we muſt not follow a multitude to do evil.
8. I ſhall ſuper-add this; for that becauſe ſome may blame me becauſe I ſtand ſo overmuch in this Controverſie upon the ancient Fathers, which, with Eraſmus, I call thoſe Immortal Souls, joyning the holy Prophets with them; I ſhall therefore thus Apologize for my ſelf. If I were to diſpute of the Opinion of the old Millenaries whom the new ones follow, or of the time of Antichriſt's coming: which two things I name, becauſe of our late Fifth-Monarchy Men, and thoſe which hold that the Pope is not that Antichriſt which the Apoſtle ſpeaks of; (a)Which is confuted by Rev. 20.4.(but the ſame is yet to come) in the end of the World; I ſay again, if that were it, I ſhould not much inſiſt upon Fathers; becauſe in both, they write ſo one againſt another, and contradict one another. As, 1. In the Millenary Opinion, (b)Aug. de Civ. Dei, l. 20. c. 7.St. Auſtin writes againſt the Millenaries Opinion as fabulous: And contrarily, (c)Papias in Euſeb. l. 3. c. 33. Idem ibid.Papias, who is held to be the firſt, (d)Tertul. l. 3. contra Marc.Tertullian, (e)Juſtin Martyr, in Dial. contra Tryph.Juſtinus Martyr, (f)Nepos Ep. Aegypt. confut. à Dionyſ. Alex. in Euſeb. l. 7. c. 10.Nepos, (g)Lact. l. 7. Inſt. c …. Irenaeus l. 7. c 5. Feuardentius in princ. op.Lactantius, (i)Victorinus.Victorinus, (k)Pictavienſis in Apocal.Pictavienſis. Where, by the way, let me tell you how they contradict one another in this. Some ſay, that Papias, the firſt Author of the Millenary Opinion, was a Hearer of St. John, as if he had been ſo inſtructed by him, when as he himſelf confeſſes that he never ſaw nor heard the holy Apoſtle. 2. As for the time of Antichriſt's coming and reigning, loe, how they contradict one another alſo! (l)Irenaeus apud P. in Apoc. Juſtin Martyr in Dial. cum Tryp.Irenaeus holds (and it is ſaid, he had it of Papias too) that in the end of the World Antichriſt ſhould come, and hold it not full four Years. But Juſtinus, who is elder than he; yea, as ſome ſay, the eldeſt of the Fathers, denies it: and ſaith he is foreign, Even before the door. After whom, in cometh Tertullian, his foreign, affirming the ſame, that Antichriſt is even at hand. Next to him ſteps in St. Cyprian, aſſerting, that the times of Antichriſt are appropinquant, and very near come. Thus they diſagree in theſe two things; but as for all Uſury, that all the holy Fathers, with one mouth, one conſent, one ſpirit, condemn as unlawful, and interdicted by the holy Scriptures; and therefore I am ſo for thoſe immortal Souls, the holy Fathers I mean, which alſo moſt ſweetly harmonize with thoſe immortal Souls which we call the Lords …oly Prophets, Sitting upon Thrones, Rev. 20.4.
9. But I muſt needs add this Codicil unto that which I have ſaid already about the holy Scriptures; that ſuch is the power thereof, as that when holy Nehemiah had ſpoken theſe words (which are part thereof) I pray you, let us leave off this Uſury, all the Uſurers in the Commonwealth of Iſrael, the Nobles not excepted, were convinced and converted; and ſo Uſury then was … For they ſaid, we will reſtore them, and will require …ching o… them: ſo will we do as thou haſt ſaid. So effectual was …he word of God ſpoken againſt Uſury there called foreign a burden, as it is; and not foreign biting, purpoſely; becauſe Uſurers ſtand ſo much upon Neſhek, biting, which they ſay is only forbidden.
So how powerful have been thoſe other places ſet down in holy Writ? as, Pſal. 15.5. Ezech. 18.12, 13. and in the new Teſtament, that famous ſaying of our Saviour, in Luk. 6.35. Lend, hoping for nothing from thence; in that all the holy Fathers and Councils, and all Antiquity have been convinced thereby of the unlawfulneſs of Uſury, and quoted thoſe places ſtill, and ſo put it down, as that an Uſurer then was, Rara avis in terris, A rare Man in the World, ſcarce one in a City, becauſe theſe places were ſtill brought againſt them: and ſo, ſince the Reformation, and when Luther lived, much above a hundred years ago, Godly Miniſters preached and wrote againſt it, (a)As B. Down. upon Pſal. 15. aſſerts it.ſtill bringing theſe very ſame Scriptures to bear upon them, ſo as th…t it was put down at Auguſta, by Charles the Fifth, and the whole Aſſembly of all the States of the Empire. O wonderful! for on a ſudden fell that great Babel called Uſury in all places of that great Empire, even as in one night all the Images in the Netherlands fell, and by the people were thrown down, and even in Antwerp it ſelf, to the aſtoniſhment of the Popiſh Party; as appears by that which Fabianus Strada has written of it, and that after and upon the preaching of Goſpel-Miniſters, which by the Scriptures cried them down. And may not the like be ſaid of England, wherein, in King Edward's time, all Uſury was put down by an Act of Parliament, which was impowred by the holy Scriptures ſo to do. For ſo that Parliament grounds the forbidding of all Uſury upon the holy Scripture in theſe words, ſaying expreſly, That Uſury is by the Word of God utterly prohibited, as a Vice moſt odious and deteſtable. Whereupon down tottered Uſury in England alſo, like the Popiſh Images aforeſaid in the Belgick Provinces: which ſhews the Power of God's Word ſeen in the putting down of Uſury, above all carnal and humane reaſon: Which makes me chiefly to ſtand upon it, becauſe I find it ſo experimentally, by my preaching and printing, how thereby it is thrown down.
10. And whereas ſome may miſlike my repeating of ſome chief and moſt notable ſayings of ſome renowned Authors by me quoted, I ſhall briefly apologize for my ſelf thus: That 1. My▪ Adverſary has compelled me ſo to do, by his frequent repeatings, and bringings in againſt me of Mr. Hughes, Dr. Rivet, Dr. Spanhemius, and their ad nauſeam uſque reiterated diſtinctions and expreſſions. 2. And did not Chriſt himſelf repent his own ſayings, Luk. 13.3, 5. and elſewhere? So Paul Gal. 1.8, 9. and John …0.30. and 21.25. See alſo Eccleſ. 1.2. and 2.15. how that King of Preachers repeats the ſelf ſame words: all which puts me in hope that the courteous Reader will pardon my neceſſary reiterations.