Usury Stated Overthrown, Treatise · Part 1 · Section 16 – Section 20
NUM. XVI.
2. (b)Second Objection anſwered.I anſwer to that other part of this Objection, which is, I hope I ſhall not be damned to the Flames of Hell, living under the New Teſtament, for Uſury thus. As that moſt Learned, moſt Pious, and moſt Famous Doctor PAREUS, my ancient Friend of bleſſed Memory, who alſo was an Enemy to Uſury, as many others are, when he was writing his Learned Commentary upon the Revelations (the beſt of all which I have ſeen) had a Propheſie ſent him concerning the Deſtruction of the Pope and Turk, with the Effigies or Deſcription of that great Monarch who ſhould deſtroy both, (c)Pareus upon Rev. 17.which he inſerted, and ſet down in his Book. So, as I was writing this Book, a Letter was written by an Able, Noted and Godly Miniſter, living at a great diſtance from me, after he had read my late Book, and therein, The Uſurer Caſt, I ſay, a Letter was written for my encouragement in my proceedings, and ſent me concerning a late great Uſurer's Damnation. Which Letter I will alſo, like PAREUS, here inſert and communicate, that Men may ſee, and Uſurers eſpecially, what becomes of Uſurers under the New Teſtament, as well as under the Old.
The Letter it ſelf now follows, containing this Narrative.
Mr. Greſham, a Merchant, failing from Falerno, where dwelt the aforeſaid great Uſurer, called Antonio the Rich; who at one time had two Kingdoms mortgaged to him by the King of Spain (who is a great Borrower) and being croſſed by contrary Winds, was conſtrained to Anchor near Mount Aetna. Now, about Mid-day, when for certain hours it accuſtomarily forbeareth to flame, he aſcended the Mount with eight of the Sailers; and approaching as near the Vent as they durſt, amongſt other noiſes, they heard a Voice cry aloud, Diſpatch, diſpatch; the rich Antonio is a coming. Terrified therewith, they deſcended; and anon the Mountain evaporated Fire: but from ſo diſmal a place they made all the haſte they could when the Winds were ſtill. And deſiring much to know more of this matter, they returned to Falerno: and forthwith enquiring of ANTONIO, it was told them, that he was dead; and computing the time, did find it to agree with the very Inſtant that the Voice was heard by them. Greſham reported this, at his Return, to the King; and the Mariners being called before him, confirmed by Oath the Narration. In Greſham himſelf (as it was reported) it wrought ſo deep an Impreſſion, that he gave over all Traffick; diſtributing his Goods, a part to his Kindſ-folk, the reſt to good Uſes, retaining only a Competency for himſelf; and ſo ſpent his time in a voluntary Devotion.
Oh dreadful! Oh, that the poor condemned Uſurer would ſeriouſly mind all this, and give over his damnable Uſury, that he may not come and be caſt into theſe everlaſting Burnings! for that will be the Portion of every impenitent Uſurer; after he hath breathed out his laſt, moſt ugly Devils will immediately carry his Soul into that Lake that flameth like Mount Aetna, and burneth with Fire and Brimſtone, which is the Second Death, threatned againſt the Uſurer, which takes Biting and ENCREASE, Ezek. 18.13. Confeſs I do, that the more cruel a Biter any Uſurer is, the hotter (if any can be) and the deeper Damnation he will have for his Part and Portion: but he that ſhall have the leaſt Torment in that woful place, and mercileſs fire, ſhall have ſo much as will make him cry out with horrid and helliſh Anguiſh; Who can dwell in theſe everlaſting Burnings. Iſa. 33.12. And therefore, as that Merchant called Greſham, hearing what was ſaid of Antonio's, that great Uſurer's, coming and bringing to Hell, was quite changed and converted, ſo let the threatningly condemned Uſurer repent and live; for why will he die, poor Uſurer? that to him I may apply that in Ezek. 18.21.
NUM. XVII.
But I deſire to anſwer yet farther to his charging me with monſtrous Uncharitableneſs; as thus, that I cannot but wonder how an Uſurer can cenſure one which is no Uſurer for Uncharitableneſs, when in very deed THE USURER ſtandeth deeply charged for his Cruelty and Uncharitableneſs by a number of grea… and famous (a)As Doctor Rainold, Who in his Book of Divorce, p. 8. holds, that diſtinction between Biting and not Biting Uſury, uſed by ſome late Divines, to be but a meer flam.Authors, which tell him that his Uſury is directly againſt Charity, and that there is no ſuch Toothleſs Uſury as is talked of by ſome, becauſe either the Borrower or Commonwealth is bitten; for which cauſe he is called a Biter, foreign, and the Borrower, foreign, that is, Bitten.
Laſtly, who will believe this Man, that I am ſo uncharitable towards the poor Uſurer as he makes me, and tha… he is charitable, when he doth his utmoſt to harden him in his Sin? For, how do they rejoyce that one is come to defend. Uſurers, by ſo many others condemned? taking themſelves to be but moderate Takers of Uſury after Six in the Hundred; and how I am told, where I come abroad, that my Book is anſwered and confuted? And how they name Grotius, a Foreign Divine, who hath written ſomewhat favourably of ſome Uſury; as ſome few others, with Cautions and Limitations; which none of our common Uſurers do obſerve, whereas they never heard of ſuch a Man, before my Adverſaries Pamphlet was brought among them, which maketh mention of him. So that my former Labours would prove altogether fruitleſs and abortive, if I ſhould not anſwer him; telling the condemned Uſurer, that my Charity towards him is ſuch, as that … labour to my utmoſt to convince, to convert, and Miniſterially to ſave his Soul from Hell, and his Eſtate from Ruin, according to my Cordial: So that he will find in the end, that I am one of his beſt Friends which he has in the World, becauſe of both, and eſpecially becauſe of that which I have written of Reſtitution, which will undo the richeſt Uſurer in Devon, unleſs he be forgiven; becauſe, being an Heir to a departed Uſurer, he muſt reſtore that alſo which by Uſury was gotten, as Mr. (a)The Canon Law, l. 4. tit. 7. p. 469. And Gregor. de Val. To. 3. Diſp. 5. q. 21. punct. 3. Gabriel Powel, in his Poſitions, p. 70. And Capel, in his Treatiſe of Uſury, p. 268.Powel giveth his Reaſons for it.
Of other Biters, which my Adverſary ſpeaks of, I intend to write hereafter.
All this while I have anſwered but one ſide and a little more of the Champion's firſt Leaf, and ſpinning out the thread of my Diſcourſe to ſuch a more than ordinary length, by reaſon of his extraordinary charging me with a confuſed Chaos, and with monſtrous Uncharitableneſs; telling the World, that I ſend the whole Nation, except two or three, to the Flames of Hell. So that of neceſſity I muſt crave the gentle Reader's Pardon, promiſing to ſtudy Brevity for the time to come.
NUM. XVIII.
My next work will be to come to the ſtrange Viſion which this ſtrange Man writeth of; ſaying, It ill becomes Mr. Jelinger, upon that late Viſion, wherein he was ſeen mounting Triumphant to Heaven (he knoweth what I mean) to be ſo far lifted up with Self-conceit, as to cenſure and condemn ſo many of his Brethren to Hell, for the things here under debate: to me its no doubt, but that of our Saviour meets with ſuch as theſe, viz. Judge not, that …e be not judged. Whereupon he brings in, as he ſuppoſeth, againſt me Mr. Vines, writing thus; To render a Sin manifeſt and notorious, I ſuppoſe, firſt it is requiſite that it be manifeſtly a Sin; and this is Quaeſtio Juris: For a thing may be commonly cried down under the name of an Enormous Crime, and yet indeed be very doubtful: I inſtance in Uſury, &c. Thus Mr. Vines; who, no doubt, had as much skill and ability to weigh what was written on both ſides concerning this Subject, as Mr. Jelinger.
To all which I anſwer thus. And,
1. To the Viſion.
2. To Mr. Vines Saying.
3. To what he ſaith concerneth my Skill and Ability compared with Mr. Vines.
1. As for the Viſion; that I will relate firſt, and ſo clear up. Which done, I ſhall add ſome Obſervations.
For the firſt, Let me tell the courteous Reader, that there was a certain Man of great Parts and Gifts, for whom, being fallen ſick, and like to die, I was ſent for to viſit him, and to pray with and for him. Whereupon (to be ſhort, he being recovered the ſame Night, ſent for me the next Morning to give me thanks; telling me, that he had ſeen me in Heaven, &c. and wrote a Book of it, and left it with me, but what became of his Book I know not. Which ſheweth what confidence I placed in it.
Now, let the Reader judge what fault I have committed in this. Suppoſe twenty more ſhould tell me the ſame, that they ſaw me Triumphant in Heaven, can I help that?
NUM. XIX.
2. But I ſhall raiſe ſome Obſervations next upon this Viſion. And,
1. I obſerve my Adverſary's great Spight.
2. Great Indignation.
1. Spight, Which is ſuch, as that by this Viſion he thinks to render me and my Book contemptible. Which I hope he will never be able to do, becauſe I ſee the quite contrary already; ſome of Quality being lately, as well as others formorly, convinced by my firſt Book, and changed graciouſly.
2. I obſerve his Indignation againſt me, In that he laboureth by this Viſion to be revenged upon me for my writing againſt his DIANA, Being,
1. Like, therein, to his Grandfather, M. S. Who alſo was ſo angry (as he is) as to pick a Quarrel, and enter the Lifts for Uſury with that moſt Learned, moſt Godly, and moſt Famous Man, Mr. Bolton, of bleſſed Memory, for a Sermon of his preached againſt Uſury, as Mr. Bagſhaw reports it.
2. And like Demetrius and his Crafts-men, who ſo cried out againſt Paul, as he againſt me, becauſe he and they ſaw that by his preaching their Craft and Gain was like to go down: for ſo ſaid Demetrius, Sirs, you know that by this Craft we have our Wealth; meaning his and their making of Silver Shrines for Diana: which brought no ſmall Gain unto the Crafts-men, Act. 19.24, 25. …ven as Uſury doth now to Uſurers, who make a Trade of that great and grievons Sin. Moreover, you ſee, crieth he, that not only this our Craft is in danger to be ſet at naught; but alſo, that the Temple of the gre… Goddeſs Diana ſhould be deſpiſed. — And when they he… theſe Sayings, they were full of Wrath, and cried out, ſaying▪ Great is Diana of the Epheſians, verſ. 26, 27, 28. Eve… as now alſo our Uſurers, being full of Wrath when the… and their Uſury is ſpoken againſt by God's Pauls, as it h… been of old by all the holy Fathers, within the ſpace of fifte… hundred Years, cried out againſt. I ſay, Great is our Di… na, Great is our Gain which we make of our Uſury-money. I… the Viſion-teller apply all this as it may be applied, (I, for m… part, muſt be brief, becauſe I promiſed it) and let none bla… me for uſing this Compariſon; for ſo famous Mr. Bagſhaw, … Parliament-man, makes uſe of the ſame in bleſſed Bolton'… Caſe; ſaying, The Gain that M. S. made by that SILVER SHRINE whetted his Invention to maintain by Humane Arg… ment what he was loth to part with by Divine Commandmen… ▪ Where note withal, that he quoteth in the Margin this ſame, Act. 19.24.
NUM. XX.
2. As for his Citation of Mr. Vines; To that I anſw… thus.
1. That I ſay, as he, that to render a Sin manifeſt and notorious, it is requiſite that it be manifeſtly a Sin; adding withal, that ſo Uſury has been manifeſtly proved to be a Sin; I mean, both Neſheck and Tarbith; that is, (a)As Doctor Kinchus upon Ezek. 18.12, 13. doth make it clear, ſaying, that By that place Uſury is expreſſed what it is▪ namely, Encreaſe: that is to ſay, what is more than the Principal.Encreaſe, by God himſelf forbidding, and threatning both with Death and Damnation, Ezek. 18.13. and by a World of holy Writers▪ New and Old, which I ſhall bring againſt the condemne… Uſurer. At preſent I will name but
1. (b)Greg. Nyſſenus.Gregory Nyſſene, Apud Divinam Scripturam & f… nus & Uſura ſunt prohibita, (that is, both Encreaſe, which the (c)As ſaith a famous Author.Latins call Foenus Foenorios, and the Hebricians, Tarbith: And alſo, Uſury, which the Latins call Uſuram; the Grecians, foreign the Hebricians, Neſheck) are forbidden i… the Scriptures.
2. St. Ambroſe, upon Lev. 25. Generaliter omne ſortis excludit augmentum: that is, This Sentence of God doth generally exclude all Encreaſe above the Principal.
Whereunto, Thirdly, may be Repetitionally added Biſhop (a)Biſhop Downam upon Pſal. 15.5.Downam; (who, I hope, had as much Skill and Ability to judge of Uſury as Mr. Vines, and a little more) ſaying, My Aſſertion concerning Uſury is this, That all Uſury (which I have defined to be Mutation, or Lending for Gain) whether it be Mental, or Actual, whether Manifeſt or Covert, whether Simple or Compounded, is ſimply, and in its own Nature, utterly unlawful: however, ſome Uſury is worſe than other. And farther he ſaith, Which Aſſertion I will not only prove by Teſtimonies of Scripture, but alſo defend and maintain againſt the Objections of thoſe who hold the contrary Opinion. Which is more than ever Mr. Vines did, or could do.