Usury Stated Overthrown, Treatise · Part 1 · Section 21 – Section 25
NUM. XXI.
2. And whereas Mr. Vines ſtands upon this, that its a Queſtion whether the Sin in Queſtion be Uſury, and what Uſury is; I ſhall cite againſt his Saying ſo cited,
1. The ſame Great and Learned Prelate even now mentioned, Biſhop (b)Idem ibid.Downam I mean, whoſe words are theſe; In Luther's time, and in all Ages before him, although many practiſed Uſury, as they did other kinds of Theft and Robbery, yet there was never any Controverſie among the Learned concerning the Lawfulneſs of Uſury more than other kinds of Thefts, but all with one conſent have condemned Uſury, and Uſurers to the Pit of Hell.
With him bleſſed (c)Bolton.Bolton doth Symphonize thus, The Covetouſneſs of theſe times has made a Controverſie, which in former Ages mas never doubted of. And what Rational Divine will not hearken to theſe two great Writers, rather than to Mr. Vines, in this thing?
2. To Mr. Vines great Names of Learning and Godlineſs, who deny all Uſury to be ſinful, I ſhall oppoſe far greater Names and Numbers, even (d)I had almoſt ſaid thouſands.hundreds, and hundreds, and hundreds, of as Learned and Pious Men, aſſembled in at leaſt thirteen Councils as ever Doctor Vines was; beſides an infinite number of particular Fathers, Doctors, (a)Viz. Emperors, Kings, Law-givers.publick Perſons, and (b)Chriſtian and Pagan.Who have all generally condemned all Uſury, properly ſo called, and by them defined to be that which is Uſuriouſly taken above the Principal, as I have already ſhewn it, and ſhall make good yet farther by theſe following Quotations of ſome of them; who have been even ſuper-eminent for depth of Learning, and height of Holineſs. As namely,
1. Renowned (c)Doctor Fenton, p. 142. with whom I may joyn the Holy and Learned Richard Capel, ſaying in his Tent. p. 5. Edit. p. 293. There is an Engliſh Manuſcript carried about from hand to hand, ſaid to be written by a Great Man, and Learned Clerk. He takes it for granted, that all Uſury is unlawful; which confutes, thoſe that ſay the contrary, and juſtifies me. And ſo great Toſtatus too; who ſaith, that All Modes of Uſury are unlawful, in Levit. p. 516.Doctor Fenton; There was never any Church or Church-man, carrying the name of a Chriſtian, who defended in writing ANY BRANCH of Uſury, for the ſpace of fifteen hundred Years after Chriſt: Neither was this for want of occaſion given; for it has been both practiſed and written againſt in all Ages. Neither can we with modeſty impute it to the ignorance of the Church: Her Writers in Caſes of Conſcience, for matters of Morality, were moſt exact.
2. With this Pious and deep Learned Doctor, I joyn alſo that aforeſaid great and highly eſteemed Prelate, Biſhop (d)Biſhop Downam upon Pſal. 15.5.Downam: Who, ſpeaking of our latter times, ſince the fifteen hundred Years ſpoken of by Doctor Fenton, elapſed, has let fall theſe words, The Godly Learned Divines of this Age; and namely, of this our Church, do for the moſt part inveigh againſt it.
3. (e)Oecolampadius, a German Divine, upon the Leſſer Prophets.Oecolampadius alſo declareth his mind againſt all Uſury, as ſimply …evil: And addeth, And this has been the general Judgment of the Church for above fifteen hundred Years, without oppoſition.
4. But leſt Uſurers ſhould deſpiſe theſe Sayings, as coming from ſome particular perſons againſt all Uſury, I will ſubjoyn the Judgment of a whole Engliſh (f)Jacobi, 13.Parliament, conſiſting of a moſt Wiſe and Learned King, viz. King James, and of moſt Judicious, Able and Erudite Biſhops, and other great, and deeply Literate Lords, beſides hundreds of Commons, Gentlemen of great Piety and Experience; who with one Conſent made a moſt noble Act againſt Uſury, to reſtrain it: with this Introduction, Foraſmuch as ALL USURY, being forbidden by the Law of God, is Sin, and deteſtable. —
What can you ſay to all this now, Champion? Will you ſpeak againſt all theſe Holy and Learned Men, which are againſt all Uſury; and againſt this Wiſe, Great and Glorious Parliament too, as you are againſt me? Are the Names which Mr. Vines ſo ſtands upon as great as theſe which I have named, and can name? Can they compare with mine for Godlineſs and Learning? Here let the Learned judge.
NUM. XXII.
Object. If my Adverſary object, That theſe are Humane Authorities.
I Anſwer, And are not his too? as bleſſed Bolton anſwered M. S. and only Humane Authorities? But my chief Baſis is the Holy Scripture.
5. I Anſwer thus, becauſe the Champion adds to Mr Vines's Saying, theſe words are added. Firſt, With what a more tender Hand, and prudent candid Spirit did Mr. Vines write. And afterward it is ſaid, 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.
That 1. I will not gainſay what he ſaith of Mr. Vines's Hand, that it was tender, and his Spirit prudent and candid: But whoſe Hand was more tender, and Spirit more prudent and candid, muſt be left to God to judge, as himſelf faith in his words foregoi…g.
2. That he had as much skill and ability to weigh what was written on both ſides, concerning this Subject, as Mr. Jelinger; yea, more, I muſt in modeſty acknowledge. But even therefore, that Mr. Vines may be equally matched, and that the Truth which I am maintaining againſt the Damnable Sin of Uſury may not ſuffer through my Inſufficiency and Inability, I will oppoſe againſt his citing of Mr. Vines's words againſt me, the words of as great a Name and Divine as ever Mr. Vines was, to match him indeed; viz. Gabriel Powel, a famous Man, and great Scholar indeed: who, living at Oxford, in that Peerleſs and Famous Univerſity, wrote his Poſition againſt Uſury, which Men may ſee in Print, and was never anſwered, as far as ever I could Learn, though there were then, and are now ſo many Great and Learned Doctors and Scholars, which, as one ſhould think, would have taken the pains to confute him if they had thought it f…iſable. To be ſhort, his words are; I have read all that ever I could come by, Fathers, Canoniſts and Modern Writers, and made choice of wh…t I judged beſt out of them all; which I have couched together conciſely and methodically, ſo as the Reader may compendiouſly, as it were, with one Proſpect, take a view of what has been written concerning Uſury. After which words, he ſets down among his Poſitions, this Apodictical Syllogiſm in Barbara, A definitione rei, From the Definition of the thing. All Gain, that contrary te the Word of God, is expected, or exacted, above the Principal, for the very Duty of Lending, is unlawful and damnable.
Uſury is ſuch a Gain.
…rgo, Uſury is unlawful and damnable.
The Aſſumption he proves by ſix places of Scripture; Exod. 22.25. Levit. 25.37. Deut. 23.19. Pſal. 15.5. Ezek. 18.13. Luk. 6.34, 35. Where let the Judicious Reader chuſe whom he will believe; that great Oxford Scholar, who was never yet (b)Alſo Doctor Pye, writing a Book in Latin at Cambridge againſt Uſury, was never confuted: which is very remarkable, that in both the Univerſities none ſhould appear to take Uſury's part.confuted, as far as ever I could hear, being armed with his ſix holy Scriptures; or Mr. Vines, who brings no Scripture along with him at all.
NUM. XXIII,
6. And againſt Mr Vines's great Names, of Godlineſs in ſpecial; who, as he ſaith, deny what I now, and others heretofore, have aſſerted, of the ſinfulneſs of Uſury, properly ſo called, I can produce the Sayings and Names of Men as great for Godlineſs as any he could name; who have proved this my Aſſertion in Books at large. For, was not bleſſed Ambroſe, who wrote that excellent Book of Tobie againſt Uſury; defining Uſury thus, Whatſoever is more than the Principal, is Uſury. (a)Which Calvin counts the beſt way of Arguing.An extraordinary holy Man? Oh, yes; if we will believe his Maſter, the Emperor Theodoſius; who told his Courtiers, who would have him go to receive the Sacrament of him, after he had been kept from it a great while; I know bim to be ſuch an Holy Man▪ that he will not admit me. He is ſuch an Holy Man.
And what may we think of (a)Hierom on Ezek. 18.Hierom, who writes of Uſury thus? Some think that Uſury conſiſts in Money only; which the Divine Scripture foreſeeing, takes off all that is over and above that which is lent, from every thing lent, that a Man ſhould take no more than he gave. Was not he a holy Man? Oh, yes; if we will believe what he writes of himſelf; That when, to live a more Godly Life than he could live at Rome, he lived in Eremo, a Wilderneſs, and ſaw Viſions.
So Great (b)Baſil Magnus.Baſil; who, beſides many other things written againſt Uſury, which, reading him, I have extracted, has penned and publiſhed a whole Sermon, made upon Pſal. 15. againſt it: and more eſpecially in his Homily againſt thoſe that will be rich, has let fall theſe words; What? Gold begets it ſelf, in that by Uſury it comes to an Encreaſe (which the Hebrew calls Tarbith.) Thus he. And was not he a Godly Man? Oh, yes, an extraordinary one; for he ſold his great Eſtate, and by it relieved the Poor in a time of great need.
And what ſhall I ſay of bleſſed Bolton, who has preached ſo much againſt all Uſury, as that he was forced to defend his Preaching againſt it, in and by that famous Book of his, called A Diſcourſe concerning Uſury; which I wiſh all good people, and Uſurers eſpecially, to read. Was not he a Godly Man? Oh, yes, if we may believe him who wrote his Life; and therein tells us, that he was wont to pray ſix times a day; twice with his Wife, twice with his Family, and twice by himſelf ſolemnly. And when he was dying, told his Pariſhioners, which were come to ſee him, I am as full of Chriſt as my heart can hold. All which, I wiſh Men would conſider, and ſuch as defend Heaven-exploded Uſury eſpecially; and that for this Conſideration alſo the rather, becauſe a great Name, both for Learning and Godlineſs, Biſhop (c)Biſhop Downam upon Pſal. 15.5.Downam I mean, has left theſe words for the Patrons of Uſury to pauſe upon: And I will, ou… of (d)Holy Authors againſt Uſury he meaneth.their Writings, manifeſtly demonſtrate before their eyes, that the Uſury which is practiſed in the World is not allowed of any GODLY DIVINE. Thus he.
6. I add, that becauſe I am ſo much cried down and blamed by this Champion, my Adverſary, for being ſo much againſt all Uſury, properly ſo called; and Mr. Vines ſo extolled; I will therefore produce,
NUM. XXIV.
Yet more, two great and famous Writers indeed, who will ſpeak as much for me, as poſſibly he can ſay againſt me; and that by way of Commendation: viz. (a)Beza, andBeza, and (b)Pool upon Luk. 6.35. Againſt whom ſome uſually object, that he is but a Collector. But then, why may not I quote him for my ſelf about Uſury, as well as M. B. for himſelf about the Senſe of the Spirit in Lev. 1.77. in his Syn. p. 104. Part 1?Poole. Both which joyn in one and the ſame Saying: The one ſpeaking, or rather, writing firſt; the other after. The Words are, and deſerve to be, printed in Letters of Gold.
Sed hac de re acturus (dicit Beza ) illud primum praefabor probare me eorum PIETATEM, qui totum hoc lucrandi genus ſublatum vellent e rebus humanis quando multa inde naſci mala manifeſtiſſimum eſt.
That is, (ſaith Beza) Being to treat of this thing, viz. USURY, I will firſt make this Preface. That I do commend their PIETY, who would have that WHOLE, mark, Whole Kind of Gaining to be taken away from among Men, becauſe it is moſt manifeſt, that much Evil comes by it. Which way doth the Champion now look, when he readeth theſe words? I, for my part, would not give them for much Silver; and I value theſe two famous Men above an hundred Uſuries Patrons. And yet I cannot but confeſs that I have a reverend Eſteem of Mr. Vines too; for I knew the Man, and heard him preach excellently well, and hope that he and I ſhall meet in Heaven hereafter; but yet I muſt prefer his Betters before him: for what is one ſuch Man to ſo many hundred Holy Men, met (c)Which is alſo Syllogiſtically ſaid, and ſet forth by Philip Caeſar plainly, and Rhetorically by Ockerfor in his Orations, and made good by Doctor Wilſon, that it is commendable.in at leaſt thirteen Councils, which, in my anſwering of his Sayings, I hinted at? And what is he to ſo many Godly Fathers, and Learned Writers more, both new and old, which are on my ſide, being all againſt all Uſury, properly ſo called? And Laſtly, What is one ſuch Divine brought againſt me, to thoſe two great Names which I named laſt, Poole and Beza: Poole being a Man, whoſe Learned and Laborious Commentaries upon the whole Bible will be famous over the whole European Orb; which Mr. Vines never can, nor will be; becauſe the one writ ſo much, and all in Latin; and the other ſo little, and in (a)Which beyond the Seas they do not underſtand.Engliſh, which few have yet ſeen, nor read in England? And as for Beza, who can commend him enough? I, for my part, and ſo all my Brethren, which hold with me in this Point of Uſury, have cauſe enough to commend him as much as we are able, becauſe he commends them, and their PIETY, for being againſt all that kind of Gain which comes by Uſury, and becauſe he is worthy of all Commendation: For, Oh, What a Man is he for Learning, for Fame, for Piety! For Learning firſt; For how his Learned Works are made uſe of in Printing, and Preaching, by our Tribe, even almoſt the whole Tribe of Levi? And when a Diſpute was to be maintained againſt, and with the Papiſts at Paris, before the King and Queen, Vivente Calvino, Calvin being yet alive; who muſt be ſent to carry on that Diſpute, but Learned Beza: And, for his fame, how? Oh, how it ſhines every where among the Proteſtants! And when the King of France's Army marched into Italy through and by Geneva, how the great Commanders went to ſee famous Beza? And Laſtly, Such was his Piety, as that, when the Sabandian Army had by a Scalade aſſaulted Geneva by Night, and was entred half way into the City, Beza, with Old Men, Women and Children, did betake himſelf into St. Peters, and there prayed; and praying, ſo prevailed, as that the Sabandians were beaten out again, and never returned (b)As more of this I ſhew in another Treatiſe.ſince. And thus much may ſuffice to be ſpoken about Beza's Commendation of thoſe Men's Piety, who are againſt all that WHOLE Kind of gaining by Uſury.
NUM. XXV.
In the next place, I will view and anſwer the Champion's Charge, whereby he charges me for being a Name caller. His words are, His Charity diſcovers it ſelf yet farther, in the Titles that he giveth the Men of his Indignation: Thoſe Expreſſions that any of the Fathers, or other Writers, intended againſt Oppreſſive Uſury, and Exacting Vſurers, he has been at the pains to collect (or receive from others hands) and Crown the Heads of all ſuch he calls Vſurers with: So that with him every Vſurer (i. e. every one that expects Advantage upon Money lent) is like the Devil, is a Dog, an Extortioner, an unjuſt Perſon, a Biter, a Thief, made equal with Adulterers, Covetous, a Deſtroyer, to be of the Generation of Vipers, a Mercileſs Perſon, is not in Caſe to give (a)Which I have learned to ſay of the famous Phllip Caeſar; who, in his Diſcourſe againſt Uſury, ſaith, that Alms received of Uſurers is Abominable. So St. Auſtin, Dona iniquorum non approbat Altiſſimus.Alms, is a Murderer, a Baptized Jew.
Whereto I anſwer,
1. That I am not (b)The Author of The Arraignment of Vſury has been ſo taxed alſo, p. 7.the firſt that has been ſo taxed for calling Names.
2. That for ſuch Names, I cannot only bring Fathers, and other Writers, but their Definitions and Deſcriptions alſo of Vſuries, and Vſurers, which they call by theſe Names. As for Example,
1. (c)Peraldus, that Learned B. in Spec. Avar.Peraldus, having defined manifeſt Vſury, what it is, viz. When a Man delivereth numbred Money, weighed or meaſured, with this Compact, that ſomething be given him beſides the Principal. I ſay, having ſo defined Vſury, he ſaith not only, that the Vſurer is like the Devil, but very like him; his words are, Eſt valde ſimilis Diabolo: Which is more than ever Mr. Jelinger ſaid yet. And therefore, Why is this Man ſo angry with me?
2. So (d)St. Ambroſe de Tob. c. 15.St. Ambroſe having ſaid, that Generally that place in Lev. 25. excludeth all Encreaſe, and Augmentation of the Principal, maketh the Vſurer a Murderer; ſaying with Cato, That to commit Uſury is to kill a Man.
3. And St. Baſil, having made Vſury to be an Encreaſe, calleth Vſurers Vipers; and their Vſuries, Generations of Vipers, upon Pſal. 15.5. which is my Text.