Usury Stated Overthrown, Treatise · Part 1 · Section 47 – Section 52
NVM. XLVII.
And what doth he ſay of that?
1. The word ſignifieth Biting, quoth he, and ſo it is commonly granted; and it is thence argued on the other hand, that only Biting Uſury is forbidden: That there is a biting Uſury ſuch as deſerves that name, and that is unlawful and forbidden beyond doubt; but that any Emphaſis is to be placed in the word Neſheck, I cannot be perſuaded, becauſe Encreaſe is frequently joyned with it. And whatſoever the import of the word be by derivation, yet it ſeems to me that the Holy Ghoſt makes uſe of this word in a moderate ſenſe. (And here cometh in his Darling again, Moderate Uſury) without placing any Emphaſis; as if it carried Biting in it by way of Aggravation.
Queſt. And what ſay you to this?
I anſwer,
1. That I deny what he ſaith, that only Biting Vſury is forbidden, if he mean cruelly and vehemently biting Vſury, becauſe,
1. As I noted formerly, there is no Dageſh forte in the Original: ſo that it might take in all Vſury, though ſome doth not bite ſo vehemently as ſome.
2. And if this Criticiſm be ſlighted, then I ſay farther in plain terms, that all Uſury, as it is commonly practiſed, doth bite, as Experience ſheweth, actually or potentially, and therefore deſervedly is interdicted. Nor is it my Aſſertion only, but many more beſides me, affirm the ſame, as Biſhop Downam, Gabriel Powel, Mr. Smith, and others, as it will appear by their own words. And,
1. (a)Gabriel Powel in his Poſit. p. 29.Gabriel Powel, who ſaith, Uſury in Hebrew is termed Neſheck, Exod. 22.25. which ſignifieth Biting: derived of Naſhack, to bite, or to gnaw as Serpents and Mice do. So Uſury bites and devoureth a Man's Subſtance very ſpeedily.
2. (b)Mr. Smith in his firſt Sermon againſt Uſury, p. 96.So Mr. Smith, As the name of the Devil doth declare what an Enemy he is, ſo the name of Uſury doth declare what an Enemy ſhe is. That you may know Uſury for a Biter, her name doth ſignifie Biting. If there were one biting Uſury, and another healing Uſury, then Uſury ſhould have two Names; one of Biting, and another of Healing: but all Uſury ſignifieth Biting, to ſhew that all Uſury is unlawful.
3. And bleſſed (a)R. Bolton in his Diſcourſe concerning Vſury, p. 13.Bolton addeth, Biting is individual and eſſential both to the Name and Nature of Uſury; it ever biteth and ſtings one or other, leſs or more; either the Borrower, or the Commonwealth; either, like the Morning-Wolf, it ſucks out the Life, the Blood and the Marrow of a poor Man; or, like a Maſtiff, it ſnatches a piece and portion out of the Borrowers Subſtance; or like a Waſp, or the Dog-Fly, it ſtings him one way or other in his Eſtate. All ſorts of Uſury, even from that Centeſima, the hundredth part Monthly paid, which Nehemiah complaineth of, which is Twelve in the Hundred, unto that Semiuncianum, which is Ten Shillings in the Hundred, has Teeth; ſome more empoyſoned bloody than other, but all bite. In every Tarbith there is a Neſheck, a Tooth in every Uſury.
Thus Mr. Bolton, that Holy and Learned Author, now triumphing in Heaven, after his Glorious Victory won and gotten over his Adverſary, M. S.
(b)Ide…, p. 11.Again he ſaith,
Neſheck is the common and ordinary Name whereby all Uſury is ſignified in the Hebrew Tongue, &c.
4. I add Learned and Famous (c)Mr. Trap upon Prov.Mr. Trap, mentioned in my Vſurer Caſt.
5. In cometh (d)Mr. Turner in his Sermon againſt Vſury.Mr. Turner, There is no Vſury but bites more or leſs: that which is but moderated, or qualified (as Men think) perhaps Five in the Hundred; yet, what is this but as it is in the Greek Proverb, to ſhave to the very Skin; and like the Dog-Fly, to draw ſome Blood? So that although all kind of Uſury bite not alike, yet there is no Vſury at all that is toothleſs. Thus he. Many more Ancient as well as Modern Writers I could cite, but theſe few may now ſuffice, becauſe I muſt ſtrive to be briefer than I have been.
6. Only one more cometh now into my mind, which I muſt not omit, viz. (e)Juſt. Lipſius in Cornel. Tacit.Juſtus Lipſius; who, writing Annotations upon a Heathen Author, called Tacitus, which alſo was an Enemy to Vſury, as a multitude of Chriſtians are, has this Expreſſion; that By the Romans, after they had moderated Vſury, and brought it to Thirty Shillings in the Hundred, and ſaw the inconvenience of that moderated Vſury, all Vſury was taken away. So that the very Heathens were at laſt againſt all Vſury.
NUM. XLVIII.
But I muſt and ſhall haſten to that which is yet to be anſwered, and uncloath my mind therein with all poſſible brevity, becauſe I have been too prolix hitherto; and alſo, becauſe moſt things of greateſt moment are cleared up and anſwered in my former Diſcourſe: ſo that I ſhall not need to be ſo long as I have been, hereafter; and eſpecially, becauſe he is full of Tautologies; repeating the ſame things and Charges, which he chargeth me with, again and again; and citeth his Modern Authors, which are his chie…eſt Proofs (being deſtitute of Scriptural ones) in words of a great length, and in much Latin, only by him quoted; which, together with his frivolous Reviling, Jearing and opprobrious Languages, ſo fills up his Pamphlet, as that of neceſſity I muſt be the ſhorter.
Now, 2. I anſwer, that what I ſay of Aggravation is not my Saying only, but bleſſed Bolton's alſo; ſo that with him he muſt grapple, becauſe of him I have it. His words are, Neſheck doth metaphorically intimate and import the Aggravation of the Sin, not a Diſtinction of the kinds of Vſury: Epithets and Originals ſerve more to amplifie and exaggerate, than to diſtinguiſh.
3. As for the Stranger, I will ſay no more but this, (intending to handle that matter more largely in its proper place) That whereas he taketh the reſtraining of the Stranger to the Canaanite to be a groundleſs phanſie, I ſhall, beſides that which I have already written formerly about this, ſet againſt him firſt three famous Men indeed, who give that ſenſe of the Canaanite, viz. (a)To which three Fathers I add Paulus Fagius the Martyr, who, in his Annot. in the Chald. Paraphr. underſtands the Canaanite. And Learned Mr. Pool, Extraneo iſti, i. e. reliquis Canaanorum quos paulatim conſumi volebat, in Hebr. foreign, And Gabr. Powel, p. 42. By the name Stranger in that, are meant the curſed Canaanites, and God doth not licenſe the Jews to take Vſury of any but of their Enemies, whom they might kill.St. Ambroſe, St. Jerome and Tremellius; which I believe every impartial Reader will prefer before ſuch a Novice as he is, as being better grounded than he is, who calls their Expoſition a groundleſs Fancy. And if this be not enough, I will ſubjoyn famous Mr. Smith; who ſaith in Anſwer to what he quoteth out of Deut. 23. It is ſaid, Of a Stranger thou mayeſt take Vſury: I perceive no Scripture ſpeaketh for Vſury; Of a Stranger, ſaith God, thou mayeſt take Uſury: but thou takeſt Uſury of thy Brother, therefore this condemneth thee, becauſe thou uſeſt thy Brother like a Stranger. Here Stranger ſignifieth the Lord's Enemies, whom they were commanded to deſtroy. Therefore, mark how much this maketh againſt Uſury, which they object for Uſury. God doth not licenſe the Jews to take Uſury of any but their Enemies, whom they might kill: They might not be Uſurers to any, but to them of whom they might be Deſtroyers: Whom they might ſlay, of them only they might take Uſury. Shewing that Uſury is a kind of Puniſhment; and ſuch a kind of Puniſhment, as if we were to kill a Man, it were a very fit Puniſhment for him; and therefore the Jews might take Uſury of none but thoſe whom they might kill. I hope Uſurers will alledge this Scripture no more. Thus that renowned Author.
And will you, Champion, call this a groundleſs fancy too?
And Laſtly, In my Margin I quote three Authors more, viz. Paulus Fagius, Mr. Pool and G Powel, who ſecond me, and make ſeven great Authors that hold with me.
NVM. XLIX.
4. That place in Exod. 22.27. doth not patronize him, becauſe it concerns the Stranger converted, who is called foreign, Advena, a Dweller among the Jews, though he was no Jew; and therefore was not to be vexed nor oppreſſed by Uſury, as another Stranger of the ſeven Nations unconverted, and called foreign, which ſignifieth Hoſtem, an Enemy, otherwiſe an Alien. See Obad. 11. and Lament. 5.27. and one whom they might kill, Joſ. 3.24. contrarily whereunto, the Proſelited Stranger was not to be oppreſſed, becauſe he was become a Brother, Deut. 23.19. even as now alſo, a Convert is become a Brother by Religion. So that I wonder with what face he could make this Addition after theſe words, Thou ſhalt not vex him, and yet they might take Uſe of him; when there is not one word nor ſyllable there for Uſury, and when the word Vex doth abſolutely take off all taking of Uſe, becauſe Uſury is a vexing thing; becauſe it afflicts and brings low, as the Hebrew word foreign, denoteth it; becauſe it ſignifieth to afflict, and to bring low: ſo the word foreign, nor oppreſs him, takes off all Uſury, becauſe Vſury is Oppreſſion, yea, Extortion; becauſe the Vſurer will have his Vſe, and exact it. So as that an Vſurer is alſo called an Extortioner, Pſal. 109.11. an Extortioner in the Engliſh, and an Vſurer by all other Tranſlators. The like may be ſaid of Ezek. 27.7. His jeering me for my Rabbinical Learning I paſs by, being reſolved to make uſe of the Hebrew Punctations; not to make them my Foundation, but for Illuſtration, as my great Friend and Inſtructor Buxtorfius, that great Hebrician, has taught me: Let him jeer both him and me, we regard it not. What he ſaith of my Doctrine, Chap. 2. That no Uſurer, living and dying in the Sin of Uſury, can be ſaved: That it is made up of ſtrong Preſumption, raſh Judging, monſtrous Uncharitableneſs, &c. whether it be or no, let the Reader judge when he ſhall have read what I ſhall ſay about it, and to it. As namely,
1. That it is ſuch a Doctrine as has convinced and converted Souls. I will inſtance at preſent in one or two. A certain great Gentleman of mine Acquaintance, having heard this my very Doctrine, word for word, preached, and preſſed ſince my Book againſt Vſury came out; was thereby ſo convinced and converted, as that he left that damnable Sin of Vſury, (though he took but Six in the Hundred) and made Reſtitution: Whereupon, he died ſhortly after, and had a Funeral Sermon preached; at which it was publickly related, how he was converted, and reſtored his Vſury again. Which remarkable thing was told me by a Godly Man which heard both the firſt and ſecond Sermon, and will aſſert it to any for truth, and can bring many more that heard the ſame. And very lately, in this Year, 1679. about Midſummer, another was thereby ſo wrought upon, as that ſhe, being a Gentlewoman, reſolved to ſend her Reſtitution-money as far as London, where it is due.
2. That I ſhall deſire my Reader to peruſe, and to read over what I have formerly quoted. 1. Out of Ambroſe, thus Reaſoning in Pſal. 15. If he be bleſſed that has not put his Money to Uſury, then, doubtleſs, he is curſed that has. 2. Out of Biſhop Jewel, How dareſt thou (Vſurer) look to Heaven? Thou haſt no Dwelling there. 3. Out of Biſhop Sands, God, as he has threatned, excludes thee out of his Kingdom.
NUM. L.
VntoUnto which three great Men, I ſhall add two more. As,
1. Gabriel Powel; who writes thus. It is impoſſible for them that wittingly and willingly perſevere in this Sin of Uſury to be ſaved.
2. The pious Mr. Francis Whidden the Elder; who, having been an Vſurer, as I am informed, repented of it, and left it, and made Reſtitution, and afterward preached many Sermons againſt it; and delivered this this very Doctrine againſt it, The Uſurer's Portion will be Eternal Damnation.
Now judge, Courteous Reader, whether theſe great and holy Men do not deliver and maintain the ſame Doctrine which I have derived from my Text; and whether this Champion, cenſuring me and my Doctrine ſo raſhly as he doth, do not judge them ſo too, as well as me.
As for his Quotation out of Dixton, an obſcure Author, I need not value it much, as long as I have ſuch greater, and more illuſtrious, and famous ones on my ſide.
Nor indeed can Mr. Dixton's reaſoning from the Judicial Law, diſpoſing of Commodities, and from the Year of Jubilee, and from the end of ſix Years, and from lending to a Stranger, that obſolete, and ſo often and fully confuted Argument convince me, that Vſury is Lawful, and not Damnable; I ſay, me, who have proved it, and can and will prove it more ſtrongly hereafter, that the Law againſt Vſury is Moral, and not Judicial, than he can prove the contrary; inſtancing in diſpenſing of Commodities, &c.
As for my dear Couſin, Doctor Spanhemius, his words by him quoted, I hold with him in this; that David, in my Text, doth ſpeak, De foeneratore expilante fratres Uſurâ rodente; that is, of a Uſurer corroding his Brother with corroding Uſury. But I add withal, not only becauſe Neſheck, as I have already proved it, doth not only ſignifie Corroding and Biting Vſury; but all manner of Vſury. Nor doth my Couſin's Addition make good what is ſaid by him, that the words muſt be underſtood Limitate; that is, Limitately; as many other Aphoriſms in the ſame Pſalm; becauſe he doth not demonſtrate and prove it, but only ſaith it. Where I cannot but mind what a greater Man than my Couſin, viz. famous St. Auſtin, ſaith; If I prove what I ſay by the holy Scriptures, believe me; if not, believe me not.
And this I am the more bold to declare, becauſe divers Great and Learned Men have ſo learnedly confuted and contradicted this; viz.
1. Biſhop (a)Downam upon Pſal. 15.5.Downam, Let not us upon this frivolous Diſtinction build our Practice, or hazard the Eternal Salvation of our Souls.
2. Bleſſed (b)Bolton in his Diſcourſe of True Happineſs.Bolton, ſpeaking of and againſt diſtinguiſhing of Sin, ſaith, as for Example, They ſay there are two ſorts of Uſury, Biting and Toothleſs; when all ſorts of Vſury are certainly damned by God.
3. (c)Mr. Smith in his firſt Sermon upon Vſury, p. 105.Mr. Smith, They ſay, becauſe Vſury cometh of Biting, the Biting Vſury (by (d)Spanhem. in Dut. Evang.Doctor Spanhemius called Corroding) is only forbidden, and none but the biting Vſury: Why then all Vſury is forbidden, for all Vſury cometh of Biting.
4. In cometh next Learned (e)Mr. Turner in his Sermon upon Vſury.Mr. Turner, in his Sermon upon Vſury: Let not theſe poor Evaſions of Biting and Toothleſs Vſury deceive us; they are but as Fig-leaves ſhapen by ſome indulgent Wits, to cover the Nakedneſs of that which the Law of God, of Nature, and Equity have diſcovered to be deformed and naked in it ſelf: as if there were ſome Vſury without the meaning of God's Law; or, as if God had never meant to condemn Vſurers, but only to muzzle them.
Let me add, 5. (f)Dr. T.Dr. T. in his Progreſs of Saints, p. 96. Men deceive themſelves in their Diſtinctions.
NUM. LI.
To his Speech about my perſonating of David ſlaying Goliah, that it had been better I had let it alone, leſt I hit ſome that truly fear God, &c. and ſo be brought to Confeſſion and Recantation, with Job's Friends that ſpake not right of God, and to the Grief of his Servant Job. To this my Anſwer is, that I fear no ſuch thing, nor need to fear it, becauſe (g)To God's Glory be it written.I hear from ſeveral Parts in England, and out of England, where they underſtand Engliſh, by Letters, and by Confeſſions, Acknowledgments and Relations, of the Approbations of my Vſurer Caſt, and of the Convictions and Converſions of ſundry Perſons, both Miniſters and private Chriſtians, which have declared it to their (a)Which will be ready to atteſt it.Friends, and to my ſelf; giving me hearty thanks for it, and bleſſing God, who has wrought ſo great a Change in them, as that they have made Reſtitution of the Vſury-Money which they have taken. But of this more hereafter.
At preſent I will ſay a word or two concerning the two Diſciples which, Eliah-like, would call down Fire from Heaven upon the Samaritans, &c. becauſe he applieth that Narration to me. And my Anſwer to it is this, That thoſe two Diſciples did (as Calvin gloſſeth upon it in his Inſtitutions, Book. 3. chap. 20. p. 549.) inconſiderately do it, deſiring ſuch a thing out of an Emulation of Eliah; whereas I, for my part, had no ſuch emulous thoughts; but did conſiderately, and in the fear of God, I hope, and calling upon his Name (he is my Witneſs) write what I wrote concerning this matter; as knowing what Spirit I muſt be of, and how I muſt not raſhly condemn my guiltleſs and innocent Brother: The Vſurer being the Man, who, becauſe he putteth his Money upon Vſury, ſhall not dwell in God's holy Hill and Tabernacle.
NUM. LII.
I add, Nor do I fear that I have not ſpoken right of God, becauſe I have written juſt according to this very Scripture, which is the Word of God, and proceeded from the very Mouth of God, as an Oracle, or Anſwer to David's Queſtion, Lord, who ſhall dwell in thy Tabernacle? who ſhall dwell in thy holy Hill? He that has not put his Money to Vſury, Pſal. 15.1, 5.