Usury Stated Overthrown, Treatise · Part 1 · Section 13 – Section 15
NUM. XIII.
Sixthly, And this brings me to thoſe which I chiefly aim at in this my Subject, viz. profeſſed common, impenitent, reſolute, obſtinate, convinced Uſurers; who, though their Conſciences check them, and accuſe them for their ſinful practice, yet go on in that damnable Sin, and will not forſake it; of whom (being compared and conferred with ſome good people, who obſerving the Godly Cautions preſcribed by Godly Divines, whom I ſhall ever highly honour, lend their Money, and take ſome Profit as a Gratuity of the Borrower, or ignorantly expect Gain for Money lent, as not being convinced yet, that even the expectation of ſome Uſury and Increaſe is Uſury) I ſhall ſay as Joab once, to the wiſe Woman of Abel ſaid, of Sheba the Son of Bichrie, 2 Sam. 20.20, 21. Far be it from me, that I ſhould ſwallow up and deſtroy, meaning that peaceable People of Abel. The matter is not ſo: but Sheba the Son of Bichrie has lifted up his hand againſt the King, even againſt David. So, far be it, far be it from me, that I ſhould ſwallow up, by my preaching againſt impenitent Uſurers, Death and Damnation; or deſtroy, or go to hit the peaceable People of God, who truly fear God, and intend no War at all againſt God by any wilful Uſury. The matter is not ſo; but Sheba the Son of Bichrie, the wilful and obſtinate Uſurer I mean; otherwiſe, the common Uſurer who makes a Trade of that Uſury which God interdicts and condemneth, called Neſheck and Tarbith; that is, Uſurious Encreaſe, Ezek. 18.13. who lifts up himſelf againſt the King of Kings, and rebelleth againſt him, and his Commands concerning Uſury; againſt him I preach Damnation, as one who may well be called Sheba, becauſe he hath Seven Abominations in his heart, as the Scripture ſpeaketh of the Wicked, as he is, if any be among us, the Son of Bichrie, as ſome read it, becauſe he is in Aries, which is not only a Celeſtial Sign, but alſo a Warlike Inſtrument uſed againſt a place or King beſieged, and rebelled againſt, as the Uſurer is, who is an Inſtrument acted by Satan, and uſed againſt the Great King, againſt whom he fighteth: againſt him, even this Uſurer, I ſay, that I am; telling him, that except he repent, he ſhall ſurely die; that is, he ſhall be damned, and burn in the flames of Hell everlaſtingly, Ezek. 18.13. and never dwell in God's Holy Hill above, as thoſe who do not put forth their Money to Uſury, Pſal. 15. Nor am I alone in this; for, beſides theſe holy Scriptures, I ſhall bring againſt impenitent and common Uſurers ſeveral Great, Learned, Pious and Renowned Writers, and their Writings; who ſay the ſame, and condemn the Uſurer to the flames of Hell, as well as my ſelf; viz.
1. (a)Chriſoſt. in cap. 1. Math. Hom. 5.St. Chriſoſtom, Who ſaith, Uſuries prepare Hell, without diſtinguiſhing, or once naming Griping Uſury.
2. (b)Ambroſe, lib. de Bono Mortis, & habetur, 14 q. Can. 4.St Ambroſe, If any Man takes Uſury, he commits Rapine, he ſhall not live. Which is alſo cited by others for ſuch a purpoſe as well as by me.
3. (a)Leo de Jejunio Decim. menſis, Serm. 6.Leo, We are to flee that Iniquity of Uſury, becauſe the Uſury of Money is the Funeral of the Soul. Thus he.
4. But why do I name but theſe Three Fathers.
Famous Biſhop (b)Biſhop Downam, in Pſal. 15.5.Downam tells us, The Fathers of the Church have with one conſent condemned Uſury, even TO THE PIT OF HELL.
5. (c)Adams, in his Works, pag. 15.Adams alſo hath theſe dreadful words againſt the Uſurer, condemning him to the Flames of Hell: Infinite Excuſes, Evaſions, Diſtinctions, Paintings, are invented to countenance on Earth Heaven-exploded Uſury. God ſaith, Thou ſhalt not TAKE USURY: Go now, diſpute the matter with God, HELL FIRE ſhall decide the Queſtion.
6. Next to this famous Man, let bleſſed (d)Bolton, in his Diſcourſe of True Happineſs.Bolton paſs his Sentence. Out of the wideneſs of the Conſcience of ſome wicked Men proceedeth mincing and excuſing in many Interpretations, favourable Crnſtructions and diſtinctions of Sin. As for example, That Uſury is of two ſorts; Biting, and a Toothleſs, (as alſo ſaith the Champion and his Brethren) holding for it; when ALL KIND OF USURY IS MOST CERTAINLY DAMNED BY THE BOOK OF GOD.
7. (e)As his judicious Hearers informed me when I was putting forth this Treatiſe.Francis Whiddon the Elder preached the ſame, that The Uſurer's Portion will be ETERNAL DAMNATION.
8. Add (f)James Spotſwood, in his ſhort Diſcourſe concerning Uſury.James Spotwood, who from Pſal. 15.5. tells us, that Uſurers are excluded from Eternal Life.
And I will add to thoſe two Modern, moſt Learned, moſt Renowned, moſt Valued and Pious Biſhops.
1. (g)Biſhop Jewel, in 1 Theſ. p. 145.Biſhop jewel tells the Uſurer, How dareſt thou look up to Heaven? Thou haſt no Dwelling there. And, Uſurers ſhall die the Death, Ezek. 18.13. meaning the Death of the Soul.
And 2. (h)Biſhop Sand▪ Serm. upon Rom. 13.Biſhop Sands, beſides Biſhop Downam, already quoted.
And 9. I will now cloſe up this naming of Authors with that terrible Doom denounced againſt the Uſurer by Doctor (a)Doctor Williams, in his true Church, p. 438.Williams; who tells the Uſurer, that The puniſhment of Uſurers in Hell ſhall be greater than moſt Sinners. O dreadful! Tremble at it, O Uſurer.
NUM. XIV.
But when the Common Uſurer, who takes and expects Uſe above his Principal, hears this, that he is chiefly meant, he will be apt to make theſe two Objections.
Object. 1. That theſe Writers may and muſt be underſtood, as ſpeaking againſt Oppreſſive and cruelly Biting Uſe and Uſurers.
Whereunto I anſwer, That this cannot be their meaning, becauſe they alſo ſhew what that Uſury is, and thoſe Uſurers are, which they write againſt.
I'll inſtauce in two only, reſerving many more for another Anſwer, which is to come upon another account.
The firſt is, (b)Ambroſe, l. de Tol. c. 14.St. Ambroſe, whom but now I mentioned; and who ſaith expreſly, Et eſca Uſura eſt, & veſtis Uſura eſt, & quodcunque ſorti accedit Uſura eſt; that is, And Meat is Uſury, and a Veſtment is Uſury, and whatſoever exceedeth, or is taken above the Principal, is Uſury.
The Second is (c)Brentius Comment in Levit. 25.Brentius; ſaying, Men do define Uſury to be a Gain that is added to that which is lent; or, when over and beſides the Principal, any thing is paid for Lending. Which doth not croſs free Lending, and a free Gratuity, becauſe it is a Gain ariſing from the very Act of Lending; whereas a free Gratuity ariſeth from Thankfulneſs.
Object. 2. The condemned Uſurer will object and reply; I hope that I cannot be, nor ſhall be condemned to the flames of Hell, living under the New Teſtament, though Uſurers, living under the Old, were ſent to thoſe everlaſting Flames, becauſe the New Teſtament neither interdicts Uſury, nor condemneth the Uſurer.
Whereunto I return theſe Reſponſes.
1. That Uſury is interdicted in both Teſtaments. In the Old firſt, by a general conſent; and in the New alſo, as well as old, by the Verdict of whole Councils and Univerſities.
I'll inſtance in one of each. And,
1. In the Lateran Council, twice it is aſſerted by two hundred and ſixty Biſhops, or more, That Uſury is forbidden in both the Volumes of the Bible. And again, The Crime of Uſury is deteſted by both Teſtaments.
2. In the Univerſity of Wittenbergh: Whoſe words are in its firſt Theſis or Poſition, Foraſmuch as Uſuries, not only by a poſitive Law, but alſo by both the Old and New Teſtaments, are, as in themſelves evil, prohibited by God, &c. See the reſt in my Uſurer Caſt, p. 47.
Whereupon it followeth, that Damnation muſt needs follow, if what both affirm be proved. So that,
2. It may be made good by Arguments and Proofs, that in the New Teſtament, Uſury is interdicted, as well as in the Old; and ſo conſequently condemned as a breach of God's Prohibition.
NUM. XV.
Now, to prove it, I ſhall
1. Lay down this Poſition, That that is Scripture which, by a neceſſary Conſequence, is inferred from the Scripture; according to a Maxim which we have in Divinity, and which Gregory Nazianzen uſed againſt the Arrians; ſaying, That ſome things are ſaid to be, and are in the Scripture; and ſome are, and are not mentioned in Scripture; that is to ſay, conſequently. As for Example,
The prophaning of the Chriſtian Sabbath is not mentioned, nor interdicted expreſly, but conſequently, becauſe it is called The Lord's Day, Rev. 1.10. Whereupon it followeth, that we muſt do the Lord's Work; and not prophane it, by doing the Devil's work.
And the like may be ſaid of Uſury; that, at leaſt, conſequentially it is forbidden; Luk. 6.35. Lend, hoping for nothing again. For, as Beza worthily reaſoneth, if, as ſome ſay, we muſt not, by vertue of this place, look for the very Principal again, then much leſs muſt we look for Uſury. But yet let it be …emembred, that by a great number that place is underſtood thus, …oping for nothing again, that is, no Uſury. So that …amous Mr. (a)Mr. Pool, upon Luk. 16.35. naming his Author.Poole in the opening of that place, placeth this Expoſition firſt, Hoping for nothing again; that is, NO USURY; whereof more abundantly hereafter. For I ſhall, before I have done with this matter, in this very Book, bring a Cloud of Witneſſes, aſſerting that the meaning of that place in Luk. 6.35. even now mentioned, is this, Lend, hoping for nothing again; that is, No Uſury.