Usury Stated Overthrown, Treatise · Part 1 · Section 26 – Section 28
NVM. XXVI.
4 And doth not God himſelf, who maketh, not only Neſheck; that is, Biting; but alſo, Tarbith; that is Encreaſe, Uſury, call the Vſurer an Extortioner in the Original, Pſal. 109.11. and couple him with Bribe-takers and Defrauders, Ezek. 22.12. and with Idolaters, Ezek. 18 12, 13. For ſo Tremellius reads that place by an Appoſition, Has lift up his eyes to Idols, committing Abomination, (and then it followeth immediately) giveth to Uſury and Encreaſe. Not Vſury only, called Neſheck; but alſo Encreaſe, called Tarbith. which Coupling, (b)St. Ambroſe de Tob. c. 15.St. Ambroſe alſo takes ſpecial notice of, ſaying, Lo, how the Prophet in this place has coupled an Uſurer with an Idolater, as if Uſury did run equal and parallel with Idolatry. Thus this holy Father.
I thought to end with God's Coupling and Calling; but becauſe ſome other Names afterward were brought to my mind, I hold it good to add them alſo, and ſo to go on.
And 5. I will name St. Chriſoſtom, who calls him Curſed; ſaying, The Uſurer is, above all Merchants, curſed.
And 6. After him I will cite (c)Mr. Wheatly, in his Caveat for the Covetous. p. 71.Mr. Wheatly, who calls him Unjuſt, (which the Champion ſaith, that I call him.) His Words at full are theſe, The Uſurer maketh ſure for himſelf to have part only, and infallibly, in the Profit; and therefore ſerveth himſelf alone, and not alſo his Brother. And for this cauſe, the Uſurer is ſet among thoſe who cannot dwell in the Mountain of God; which he ſhould not be, were he not unjuſt.
7. After this good and famous Man, in comes the Vniverſity of Wittenberg again; which calleth Vſurers Robbers and Hereticks.
And leſt ſome ſhould ſay, that it meaneth Oppreſſive and Exacting Vſurers, as the Champion is pleaſed to make the (a)Baſil Homil. in Diteſc. p. 152. Making Uſurers alſo worſe than Dogs.World believe, that when Writers call Vſurers ſuch Names, they mean ſuch; the ſame Vniverſity tells us, that thoſe which take but Five in the Hundred are Vſurers, &c. Its whole Deſcription of Vſurers the Reader may peruſe in my Uſurer Caſt, pag. 5.
8. (a)Lavater in Ezekiel, Hom. 5. Who alſo, in his 70th. Hom. defines Uſury to be Gain beyond the Principal.Lavater couples Vſury with Drunkenneſs and Adultery, and to make the Vſurer as bad as a Drunkard and Adulterer alſo.
9. And, as Auſtin, Jerom and Bernard made Vſury Theft in old time, ſo Reverend Mr. Dod did in his time: ſaying, In the ſame colourable Theft is that common Sin of VSVRY: And ſo making the Vſurer a Thief. After whom,
10. (c)Mr. Williams in his True Church.Mr. Williams makes the Vſurer the worſt of all THIEVES.
11. Famous Biſhop BABINGTON calls Vſurers (d)Biſhop Babington, upon Exod. 8. In Latin called Melolontha; which are Worms very fair and green, but of a devouring nature, as Calepinus writes: even as Uſurers, in like manner, are very fair alſo in their Speeches, making a great flouriſh, pretending much Kindneſs and Good, but devouring Creatures.Canker-Worms.
12. BALDVS the Lawyer calls the Vſurer a Defamed Perſon.
13. I will add to theſe a few Heathen Authors too. And,
1. (e)Plutarch, Hiſt. Natural, l. 33. c. 3.Plutarch who calls Vſurers Devils; ſaying, Theſe curſed Uſurers being turned into DEVILS.
2. (f)Ariſtotle apud Dr. Wilſon.Ariſtotle makes them Bawds: ſaying, Uſurers and Bawds may well go together.
3. Julius Caeſar, the firſt Emperor, I ſhall bring in hereafter.
By all which Names, the Reader may ſee how the Champion.
1. Wrongs me; ſaying, that I do ſo call the Vſurer, as if none elſe but I did give him ſuch Names, when ſuch worthy Men do ſo call him, and worſe too.
(b)Mr. Dod upon the Commandments, like Auſtin and Jerom, Bernard and2. How, through my ſides, he ſtriketh at theſe great and famous Authors (beſides God himſelf.) Among whom I will now leave him, chiding them, why they will call his dear Friend, Maſter VSVRER, ſuch woful NAMES. Adding,
3. But (a)Philip Caeſar in his General Diſcourſe againſt the Damnable Sect of Uſurers, p. 3. Saint Bridget.one great Author more, becauſe he is my Country-man, a German, and will be willing to ſecond me in this Combat, as one of his own Native Country. His words are, Uſurers are called Waſters, Pollers, Thieves, Murderers, Idolaters, Couſins to Fools, as ill as Mad-men, worſe than Pagans, which are without Religion, Wicked, not believing there is a God. To conclude, They are likened to poyſoned Serpents, to mad Dogs, to greedy Worms, to Woolves, Bears: he adds, yea, Luther doth almoſt think to be very Devils. O ſad! For Men to be turned into Devils. In a word, They are like to Veſſels full of ſtinking Carrion and Filth. Thus he, not only ſeconding me, but outgoing me; for I did not call the Vſurer ſo many names as theſe.
I know what the Vſurer will ſay, I warrant you, this German was no Saint; if he had been, he would never have called any Man ſuch names. Whereunto I anſwer, that I can name a Saint, which alſo ſaith, That Uſurers do more ſtink in the ſight of God, than any Filth in the eyes of Men.
How uncivilly and cauſleſly he compareth me with the Quakers, calling Mr. Baxter Dog? for, did I ever call Mr. Baxter ſo; a Man whom I do moſt highly value and eſteem, for his Fame, Learning and Godlineſs.
NVM. XXVII.
I add, that he injureth me alſo very highly in that,
1. He caſts this Aſperſion upon me, that I have been at the pains to collect, or receive from ſome other hand, thoſe Expreſſions which the Fathers uſe againſt Vſurers.
For Anſwer whereunto, I muſt let him know, that I had no need to receive ſuch Expreſſions from ſome other hand, becauſe I have my ſelf read, not only Writers handling this Controverſie of Vſury, but the Councils alſo, and the principal Fathers throughout; and drawn them out of their great Volumes, into my common places; tying my ſelf, for the pervolving of them to ſo much an Hour, ſo much a Day, ſo much a Week, ſo much a Month, ſo much a Year: which had almoſt killed me, for it caſt me into a deſperate Sickneſs, wherein Phyſicians left me for dead, but God, who had mercy on me, was pleaſed to reſtore me, having more Work to do for me; and it may be this, which now I am doing.
2. As for the holy Fathers, and other Writers, how he injured them; aſſerting, that they intended the Sayings which in my former Book I cited, againſt oppreſſive Vſurers, and not others. That I ſhall evidence to the World in my following Anſwer to his Premiſe. Which is,
That there is a damnable Uſury which is condemned in Scripture, &c. and has been deſervedly made infamous by Laws, Puniſhments, Reſtraints, and by the Cenſures of Godly Perſons of the reſpective Ages, and then this … in a cruel Griping of the Poor, a mercileſs Exacting, &c. which is the Uſurer's old Song. So that I ſhall be forced to give ſome old Anſwers among new ones. And,
1. Seeing this his Premiſing conſiſts of two Parts.
1. Of a Confeſſion.
2. Application.
NVM. XXVIII.
To anſwer to his Confeſſion, I ſhall
1. Acknowledge that I am glad to hear him grant, that there is a Damnable Uſury, becauſe I know that he muſt prove it by the ſame Moral Law, and ſuch Scriptures which are quoted againſt all Vſury, prohibited by the ſame Scriptures.
2. And becauſe he and ſome of his Brethren do not ſpeak for or againſt any Vſury all the Year long, as their own …earers tell me, whom I appeal to in this thing. I, for my part, can witneſs this, that when I did preach once againſt Vſury, I was taxed for it, and told, that it was not uſual to ſpeak of ſuch a thing as Vſury is in the Pulpit: and ſo I muſt preach no more in their Pulpits, becauſe they ſuppoſe that I will cry out againſt their DIANA, and her SILVER SHRINES, like Mr. Bolton.
2. I anſwer, That, yet farther, I obſerve two things in this Confeſſion, which I muſt utter.
The Firſt is, That this Champion brings out this Damnable with a foreign, to ſpeak as the Hebrews do; that is to ſay, being low, and not very high nor hearty, as others that are againſt all damnable Vſury in earneſt, and cry it down indeed to the Pit of Hell, as Miniſters ought to do.
The Second thing is, That he wrongs thoſe Godly Perſons which he writeth of, that they made this damnable Vſury infamous in their reſpective Ages, if his meaning be, that they were againſt exceſſive Vſury (a)As it is like, that it is, to wreſt theſe holy Men's Writings, as it is an eaſie thing for a Contentious Perſon to do; as Calvin tells us of the Sayings of the Fathers. Inſt. l. 3. c. 4.only, which he calls a cruel Griping, a mercileſs Exacting of Money, a taking of all Advantages, an exceeding of thoſe Bounds which Law and Equity preſcribes, &c. Whereunto he adds, as it is taken notice of in the Expoſition of the Catechiſm, uſed both in the Low-Countries, and in his own Country, the Palatinate; wherein it is added, that we muſt make a difference between occupying of Vſury, and taking of Vſury, &c. I ſay, if this be his meaning, he is moſt injurious both to the Holy Scriptures, and thoſe Laws, and Godly Perſons; for I can make it good by ſufficient Proofs, that the Scriptures and the ſaid Godly Perſons have ſpoken againſt all Vſury and Vſurers, properly ſo called: and that accordingly, Laws, Reſtraints and Puniſhments were made and ordained to ſuppreſs the ſame in all their reſpective Ages. Whereof my Proofs are theſe,
Firſt, Scriptural, From the Holy Word of God.
I. Pſal. 15.1, 5. Lord, who ſhall abide in thy Tabernacle? &c. He that putteth not his Money to Uſury. Where,
1. Let it be noted, what a (b) famous Author writeth concerning this Scripture; becauſe ſome did ſay of him, that in his preaching againſt Vſury, he alledged, nor could alledge nothing but the fifteenth Pſalm; If I could alledge no more than the fifteenth Pſalm, yet were that alone ſufficient to ſtop the Mouths of all the Uſurers in the World. Thus he. And well he might ſay ſo: for, though ſome would ſhift off this Stripture, as if it did only make againſt cruelly Biting, and Oppreſſing Vſurers, becauſe the word foreign, is made uſe of therein, which ſignifies Biting; yet doth it not follow, that cruelly biting Vſury is only meant, but alſo Vſury, properly ſo called, and commonly practiſed. For theſe Reaſons.