The True Christians T est, Part 2 · Meditation 32
MEDITAT. XXXII. Authorities for Uſury conſidered.
ALthough Uſury defend it ſelf moſtly by Arguments, yet of late it does ſomewhat inſiſt upon Authority too; and thoſe Divine and Humane: As for Divine Authority, I think they deſpair of finding any thing in the Old Teſtament to countenance it; but they have ſome hopes of better encouragement in the New. This, I confeſs, one would think ſtrange, that the Goſpel ſhould fall ſhort of the Law; and that Charity ſhould be more coldly recommended in that, than in this; and that Chriſtians ſhould be allowed a greater Severity againſt their Brethren than the Jews, who yet were allow'd them for the hardneſs of their hearts. This, I ſay, at the firſt ſight, may ſeem ſtrange; the moſt charitable Author in the Goſpel ſhould make void the Law in this point of Charity, who in all other things of Morality perfected and fulfilled it; that he that made angry words, and luſtful looks, to be Murder and Adultery, which never before were taken to be ſo, ſhould make Uſury not to be unlawful, which ever before was taken to be ſo. Not … did I ſay? Nay, if there be good Divinity in … Parabolical Argumentations, he makes it the duty … all his Followers. For ſo it muſt be inferr'd from the Parable, Mat. 25. 27. Thou oughteſt to have put my money to the Exchangers. If we will underſtand the Text literally, we muſt make it the undiſpenſible duty of all Chriſtians to be Uſurers; and we muſt ſay, that none but Uſurers ſhall be ſaved: For it follows, v. 30. Caſt the unprofitable Servant into outer dark…ſs. But theſe Doctrines the greateſt Uſurer in the world, I ſuppoſe, will think too too abominable. The meaning of the Parable then, is the ſame with that of the unjuſt Steward in Luke 16. and they are both no more than this, that if the men of this world are ſo ſet upon the world, that they will maintain and increaſe their Eſtates even by Uſury and Knavery, it will be an errand ſhame for Children of Light not to improve the Grace of God, and work out their own ſalvation with great Zeal and Diligence, and the Covetouſneſs and Craftineſs of earthly Mammoniſts about ſo mean a thing as an Eſtate or Livelihood, will at laſt condemn the coldneſs and careleſneſs of profeſſing Chriſtians about the important matters of Eternity. This is plainly the Scope of the Parable, which alone can be formed into a Doctrine: But if any witty Uſurer will needs raiſe Doctrines from the Parabolical Phraſe and Mode of Speech, let him preach thoſe two which I named at firſt, and let him add this third Doctrine, which ſeems moſt naturally to flow from the Conjunction Illative in the 27th verſe, That is it the manner and property of covetous and unjuſt men, to improve their money by Uſury. View the Context well, and ſee whether this be not the moſt natural Doctrine, Thou knoweſt that I reap where I ſowed not, and gather where I have not strew'd: That is, thou knew'ſt that I was a Greedy, Griping, Unjuſt Man; what then? How ſhouldſt thou have behav'd they ſelf, according to this apprehenſion that thou had'ſt of me? Why, thou oughteſt therefore to have put out my Money to Uſury. Now if any man will confeſs himſelf to be an unjuſt and rapacious Perſon, let him take Uſury by the authority of this Text; for it is of theſe alone that the Text declares, that it is their manner to put their Money to the Exchangers.
The Humane Authority that is brought for Uſury, is the Law of the Land, and ſome modern Writers.
As for the Law of Land, it is fit that great Reverence ſhould be had thereunto; and it is a thouſand pities, that ſo ſacred a thing as that ſhould eſtabliſh Iniquity. But what, does this Law command Uſury? No, that is not pretended. Does it allow it? Yea it ſeems to allow it, inaſmuch as it limits, and reſtrains it. This is no concluding Argument. If a Phyſician ſay to his Patient, You muſt not drink above ſuch a quantity of Wine, it will be your death if you do; it does not follow that he may ſafely drink ſo much: to may be for all that, that the Phyſician had rather he drunk none at all. I have not ſeen the Statute of the Queen, but I have read in good Authors, that that Statute forbids all Uſury, and afterwards lays a great Penalty upon all thoſe that exceed ſuch a meaſure. This amounts but to a very weak allowance. But ſuppoſe the Law of the Land had more expreſly allow'd Uſury for the hardneſs of Mens hearts, and for preventing the greater Exactions and Oppreſſions; 'tis onelyonly in purſuance of that known ſtate Maxime, Better an inconvenience than a miſchief. What if Uſury be, and be permitted in France, Spain, Italy, Rome, &c. What if it be every where and ſuffer'd; ſays Biſhop Jewel in the afore-quoted place? So the Devil is every where, and ſuffer'd: and ſo are the Stews ſuffer'd in France, Spain, Italy, Lombardy, Naples, Rome, and Venice. The Canaanites were among the People of God, and ſuffered: but they were as Goads in their ſides, and Thorns in their Eyes. As theſe was ſuffer'd and as the Stews and ſuffer'd, and as the Devil is ſuffer'd, ſo, and no otherwiſe are Uſurers.
But above all Arguments and Authorities, the Authority of ſome Modern Divines of great Note, has given the greateſt Encouragement to the Practice of Uſury. It cannot be deny'd but that Calvin, Bucer, Zanchy, and ſome other Divines of late, have ſpoken favourably of Uſury, and have found out ſome diſtinctions to juſtifie ſome kinds thereof, unknown to all the Learned Fathers that went before them. I will not ſtand to conſider what neceſſities in time of perſecution put them upon this great Project; but will a little conſider of Mr. Calvins mind in this matter; and then what a kind of Uſury, and how qualified it muſt be, that he allows.
It is very evident that Calvin had much rather there were no Uſury in the World then any, by what he ſays in one of his Epiſtles, In Rep. bene Conſtituta, &c. In a well conſtituted Common-wealth, no Uſury is to be endur'd; but ought altogether to be caſt out of the Society of Men: To practice Uſury is a diſingenuous way of Trading, and unbecoming a Pious and Honeſt Man. In his Harmony upon the Pentateuch, I read theſe words, Fieri vix poteſt quin foeno nis exactione exhauriantur inopes, & prope exugatur eorum ſanguis. Again, Permiſſum fuit gentibus foenerari, quod diſcrimen Lex Spiritualis non admittit. Again, Certe minime vid etur licitum filiis Dei, quod prophani quo que homines deteſtati ſunt. Scimus ubi que & ſemper exoſum & in fame fuiſſe foeneralorum nomen. And again, Foenus quidem exercere, cum inter pudendos & turpes quaeſtus duxerint profani Scriptores, multo minus tolerabile eſt inter filios Dei.
And after he had given his Opinion that all Uſury without exception is not to be condemn'd, and allow'd ſome Uſury, ſo it be exercis'd according to that Golden Rule, Do not to another what thou would'ſt not ſhould be done to thy ſelf; and had laid down two Caſes wherein he thinks Uſury lawful (which I will relate hereafter) fearing leſt any one ſhould incourage himſelf too far from what he had ſaid, Nolim quidem meo patrocinio Uſuras fovere, at que utinam nomen ipſum abolitum eſſet è mundo. By all which we plainly perceive what good opinion this learned Man had of Uſury, he would be accounted no Patron of it: But a Patron he muſt be, becauſe ſay the Uſurers, He does not ſimply condemn all Uſury. Well, if Mr. Calvin muſt againſt his will Patronize Uſury, I hope they will give him leave to determine what Uſury he Patronizes, and with what limitations; which is the ſecond thing I was to conſider.
To make Uſury Lawful, he lays down theſe following Rules:
1. That a man do not make a Trade or a Cuſtom of it.
2. That it be not practis'd upon the Needy.
3. If a man be not ſo addicted to gain, but that he be still ready furniſh't, and willing to furniſh his poor Neighbour freely.
4. That the Rule of Chriſt be ever our Touch-ſtone, to deal no otherwiſe then we would be dealt with.
5. That the Borrower's Gain be ſo much more at leaſt as the Uſurers Intereſt comes to.
6. That no prejudice be done to the Common-wealth.
7. That which never exceeds the Stint ſet by the Law.
And Zanchy another Patron of Uſury, ſays that the Uſury which he himſelf and Calvin and Bucer defended, was to be thus qualified, that if it appear the Borrower doth gain little or nothing, and if he loſe of the Principal, thou muſt bear part of the loſs.
And now I wiſh that every one that takes encouragement from the Arguments of theſe Divines to practice Uſury, would conſcientiouſly obſerve their Reſtrictions alſo in practiſing of it; and then I believe that though Uſury ſhould be found never ſo lawful, yet there would be no Uſurers.