FOrasmuche as in thys place we demaunde, whether that vsurie be lawful or vnlawfull, not afore y^e world but afore God, and y^t ther­fore the pretence of ciuill lawes, or of any ordynaunces of manne, can haue no place in this questiō the cause of Christian professyon constrayneth vs to heare euen Chryst Gods sonne, and to learne of his mouthe, howe Chrystians should lende and not sinne in the sight of y^e lord. For of this oughte we to be well perswaded, that no thyng can be lawfully dōe, which [Page]striueth against y^e doctrine of our sauiour. Wherfore we must consider how vsury agreeth w^t Christs word. But first I do protest, that I speake not vnto y^e childrē of this world, but vnto faythfull men, which be perswaded y^t the doctrīe of Christ is so godly, & cōteineth such a rule of true godlynesse and rightuousnes, that all they muste nedes displease god, which do not hartely yelde & applye thēselues vnto it. Math .5. Thus we reade, loke not frō hym, that woulde bo­rowe of thee. And Luke .6. lende, lookyng for nothyng therof. And if you shall lende, frō whence ye hope to receaue, what thāks haue ye? For synners lende vnto siners that they may receiue like. Bi these words Christ did teache his, how they ought to behaue thēselues in thys case, he putteth a difference [Page]betwixt thē & y^e children of thys world. First he cōman̄deth that they do not denye hym y^t woulde borowe. Vnderstande so, that ther be abilite for to lēd. For he which hath not himself, how can he be a­ble to lende vnto others? Hedoth not permit and suffer vnto hys, which haue the substance of this world, a liberte to lende or not to lende. That is to say, he sheweth y^t they ar straūgers frō y^e kingdō of god & frō true rightuousnes belō ­gyng vnto the children of God, which denye to lende vnto hym y^t nedeth & asketh. Therfore he warneth his, y^t they doe not y^t, if they wyll belong vnto him, & be in the nōber of gods chyldren. Thys cō ­maūdemēt y^e childrē of this world do not acknowledge, nor they ar not therto forced by ciuil lawes, [Page]but they wyl be at liberte to lende or not to lende: and they dooe not thynke that they synne, if they do denye hym that asketh, when as they may helpe hym. Wherfore if we haue pleasure in the professiō of Chrystes religion, we must take hede to bee otherwyse mynded, than they be.

It is a synne great enoughe, if we denye our help vnto him, that woulde borowe. But truelye it is farre to much, if, like as infidels, we doe not beleue any [...]sine to be done of vs, when as vpon a bro­ther, that would borowe, we doe not best owe the duety of charite, as though those were tryfles that Christ sayeth: Deny not hym that would borow of thee. They saye, these are no commaundements, but counsels. Vnto the Iewes it is commaunded playnly Deu .15. [Page]after this maner. If one of thi brethren, whych dwelleth within the gates of thy cite, in y^e lande which the lord thy God shall geue vnto thee, come vnto pouertye, y^u shalte not harden thy hart, nor pul in thy hande: but thou shalt open it vnto the poore, and lend that, whych thou seest he nedeth. How then can it be, that Moses law should haue more perfect ryghteousnes, than the gospell of Chryst? and that we maye freely doe, [...] leaue vndone the woorke of ch [...] whiche thyng was not free vnto the Iewes.

And then also if it had been spoken in stede of a counsell: de­nye not hym that would borowe of thee, howe is it mete for Chry­stians, that Chrystes counsel, so earnestly geuen, they maye cause to be taken vp or down, to or froo [Page]and to thynke that it beyng con­demned shal not be punished? He saith I speake vnto you whyche heare. Therfore they, that wyl be hearers of Christe, are bounde to obey his counsel, & they can not wynd thēselues frō it w^tout sinne and losse of their saluacion: euen as y^e sicke cannot neglect the coūsel of the phisiciō w^tout y^e domage of their helth. But in y^e .25. of Deut. It is manifest that they synne cō trary to gods wil, whych denye a br [...] askyng to borow. Lest y^t (saith he) he cry agaynst thee vn­to the lord, and it becōe sine vnto the. Afterwardes Christ prescri­beth vnto his how they ought for to lend. Lend (sayeth he) lokynge for nothing therof. The which many so vnderstād, y^t no profit, no lukar, no gayne, beesides y^t whyche was lent, shold be loked for, & receued: [Page]& this is y^t which is specialli required of him, which desireth to kepe his hands cleane frō vnpure vsury: but that is not y^e ful mennīg of Christ, whiche requireth of vs by thys place, y^t we also lende vn­to them, of whō we can not hope to receiue anye thing at all, whyche doth sufficiently appeare, by the wordes that he addeth, when he sayeth: if ye shal lend whereof ye hope to receiue again, what thāks haue ye? For so synners doe lend vnto siners to receiue like. See, he sayth not to receaue vsury, ouer­plus, some what besyds the sūme that was lent, but to receiue lyke. Wherefore also here he putteth a difference betwixte his, & those y^t do not belong vnto him: for he requireth his not only to lēde w^tout profet, seīg y^t siners do y^t sōe times but also with their own dāmage [Page]and losse of lente money, to helpe their neighbour and brother, and so to lende, that they maye pur­chase vnto themselues fauoure of God.

Therefore here is a difference to be made betwixte the heathen and the Christian. The heathen lendeth first vnto those, that be able to restore that, whyche they haue receaued. Then vnto those, whych some tymes haue lente or bee able to lende. Thirdlye vnto frendes and kinred. Fourthly vn­to those, of whom some kyndnes may be loked for. By these kinds of leandyng synne is not committed, howbeit as yet the righteousnes of the kingdome and sprite of Christ is not expressed. Wherfore they that be Chrystyans do thus lende.

First vnto them, that be not a­ble [Page]to restore. Then vnto them, y^t neuer did lende any thynge, nor can not geue agayne. Thyrdly not onely vnto frendes, but also vnto enmyes, not onely vnto kinsfolke but also vnto others and straun­gers. Forthly, wheras no thankes geuyng, much lesse any recōpēce, can be loked for. And in doynge these thynges they declare them selues to bee in dede his childrē, whyche bryngeth forth his sonne ouer the good and the bad, and raynneth vpon the thankful and vnthankful: whych also Chryste requireth of hys, saying: that ye maye be the children of your fa­ther. &c. Bryng therfore vnto this rule of Christian righteousnesse those, whyche lende vpon vsury, and see howe farre they be from the rule of Chrystes word, which is so sette vnto all Chrystyans, y^t [Page]except they do cōforme thēselfes vnto it, they ought to be rekoned amōg sinners, & not amōg Gods childrē: yea they bee not so iuste as sinners. For so much rightuousnes is attributed vnto synners, y^t the lend w^t out vsury, & that they desier to receiue nothinge in the sted of lukar, but onely y^t whiche they did lend. Therefore by thys conferēce, we, whych loke vnto y^e rightuousnes of Chrystes kynge­dōe, vnto y^e prescriptiō of christes words, and vnto the professyd of christian religiō may easely iudge how vnlawful vsury is vnto thē, whych haue yelded them selues vnto chryste, and would be taken to be chrystyans. It is not belon­gyng vnto vs to iudge others. It belongeth to a Christiā to answer to his professiō, & not otherwise to iudge of things, whether they [Page]lawful or vnlawful, but acording to the prescription of Christs doctrine: and not so to behaue hym­selfe in the triall of rightuousnes as afore a worldly iudge, but as in the sight of god, that he may be quitt of vnrightuousnes. Where­fore agreably wyth holye scrip­tures and Chrystes wordes we cō clude, that that vsury, which mar­ueylously in thys last time hath growen in the church of Christ, is not lawfull but damnable and very farre from the profession of Chrysts rightwisnes. How wic­ked a thyng vsury is to be seen in it selfe, any mā may easely iudge excepte onelye suche menne, as thinke the sauour of lukar to bee swete, of what thyng soeuer it is gotten, the eies of whose myndes be vtterly blinded wyth the loue of couetousues. [Page]First, the vice of couetousnesse hath euer been iudged most vyle, not onely amongest Chrystyans, but also amongest heathens. And that is the rote of vsurye. Take a­way y^e loue of money & couetous­nes, & we shal haue no vsurers in Christes churche. Secondarelye, who doeth not see, howe wicked a thyng it is, to hunte for gayne, gotten by the laboure and swete of others? For vsurie, whyche is geuen, commeth not of the care & trauell of the vsurer, but of hym, that payeth, foenus, vantage.

Thirdly, thys is farre from e­quite, that the vsurer, wythout a­ny losse or danger of his mony, receiueth lukar, so y^t he is in daūger of no dāmage, what soeuer chāce of y^e dice cōmeth: but y^e miserable mā, which paieth vsurie, is forced to beare y^e losse of misfortune and [Page]chance. He hath all the hurte that happeneth, the vsurer hath no thyng but the gayne that is taken, and the stoke that is saued.

Fourthly: Thys is also more o­uer, that howe greate vsurie, and how many yeares so euer the det­ter paieth, yet not w^tstanding the whole stok remaineth & is nothīg lesned or worne by occupyinge. But howe sore these thīges dooe greue y^e mind, & decaye the abilite of y^e payer, I nede not to geue ani aduertisemēt, seyng by experiēce y^e thing is euidēt. Whē he that is in such case, perceaueth that thys pestilēt euil can not be ouercomē, thē being vtterly discouraged he for­saketh wyfe & childrē, & leaueth what other goods so euer he hath vnto y^e vnsaciable violēt couetous vsurer. So .1. Sam .22. We reade that they did, which oppressed w^t det cōueihed thēselues vnto Da­uid [Page]an exile. Such sightes, whē as magistrates winke, godlye men beholde dayly afore theyr eies with sorow & sighinge. And that which is most greuous, in the sāe season whē as such vsurers ought to haue no place amongst citizēs, then doe they inioye honours in the church and in the citie.

IT is (saith he) common in euery mans mouth: He y^t is willing hath no wrong, I send for no man. I force no mā to take money of me. Thei cōe of their own accord, thei take my money, & do not aske it of any other cōdiciō, but only of vsury? What do I in thys case offende? [Page]Let them leaue me my money to my selfe, if the dāmage of vsurye be so greuous vnto thē. I answer, these are y^e sayinges not of a chri­stian man, but of a very heathen, yea of him that hath no mynde of man.

Nede is a sharpe shaft. These wretches forced by nede come vnto thee, of whose wretchednesse thou cruelly & filthely takeste thy vantage. The vsurer replieth agīe: But when as they receiued mony of me vpon condiciō of vsury, thei wer glad and dyd geue thankes. What iniure can thys be, whyche causeth gladnes and thankes ge­uyng: I answere, that these wret­ches reioyce & geue thāks, not be­cause they doe fele a benifite, but because they suppose y^t by thys domage of vsurye, they maye ease y^e greuous necessyte, whyche doeth oppresse them presently. [Page]Surely they desier rather simpli to borow money, thā to take it v­pō vsurye. But for because so gret inhumanite preuaileth, y^t they can no where finde such liberalite as lendeth frely, they ar glad to take money vpō vsury: but thys kynde of gladnes at y^e last turneth into greatest heauines. And whē they fle frō charibdis, thei fal into scilla, frō y^e roke into y^e gulfe. Chriso­stome doeth well cōpare this gladnes of takyng vsurye moneye, vn­to the bitynge of a serpente called aspis: for euen as he, whyche is bittē of the Aspis, doeth gladlye fal onslepe, & by the swetnesse of deadly slūber dieth, because in sleping y^e poison passeth to euerye mēber: so he y^t taketh money of the vsurer is presētly glad, as though he had a benefite, howbeit vsuri, hauing spedy passage to all y^t he hath, turneth all into det. And Ca­to [Page]y^e elder, being demaūded what it was to take vsurye, answered, the same y^t it is to kill a mā. Thirdly they, which seme to haue some tast of Christes gospel, do bryng that, not by thee which they may amende thē selues, but by y^e which they would cloke their vngodly­nes: but al y^e sūme of y^e law and the prophets, as Christe witnesseth, stādeth in this, y^t what I would should be done vnto me, y^e same I doe also vnto others. Vnto mi self I wold wish no other cōdiciō, but for one hundreth florens, to repay euery yeare fiue. What sine is it for me thē to take so much of others? For I my selfe take vpon thys condicion so oft, as nede is. So many I geue to others, and agayne so many I take of others. I answer, it is moste vngodlines to abuse Chrystes word, which ar so cōpared to mainteine not coue­tousnes [Page]but brotherli loue. Thou as is euidēt, dost y^e same toothers, whiche y^u requirest of others. If y^u do this of a charitable sprit, set thiself in y^e place of y^e pore & nedye, & cloth thiself w^t the affectiō of hys nede, thinking, what y^u, beyng in his case, woldest that y^e rich shold do vnto the, whether y^t thei, shold lēd vnto the w^t vsury or w^tout vsury? Vndoubtedly y^u wouldest ra­ther w^tout vsury. For y^t shoulde be more profitable vnto the, thā if y^u sholdest be burdened w^t chargea­ble vsury. Wherfore that sayinge of christ: Do vnto others, as thou woldest y^t others shold dooe vnto the, y^t muste y^u vnderstād to bee so spokē, as what y^u woldeste wishe dōe vnto thee, being in such case as thi neighbour is, y^e same muste y^u do vnto him, w^t y^e same frēdly lo­uing affectiō, w^t y^e which y^u art mī ded towards thyself. Search thyn own cōscience & iudge indiffe­rētly [Page]whether y^u mayst say truly y^t thy pore nedy neighboure is so loued & helped of thee, as y^u placed in his case woldest be loued & helped of others. Wherfore seing y^u cāst not truly say this of thyself, what availeth it deceitfulli to dali w^t y^e saying of Christ our sauiour? Also y^u geuest vsury vnto others, & takest of others. I heare this, & I besech the tel me for what cause y^u geuest: & for what nede: for y^e sāe, for y^e whiche they doe geue of whō y^u takest? No, no. Thei beare y^e dāage of vsury forced bi nede y^u bearest no dāage, but for hope of greater gaīe, not for nede but for couetousnes, geuest .v. for an .c. to gain x. xv. xx: and y^u so geuest & ta­kest, as many sacrificīg priests ar wōt to offer a halpeny to kepe vp in y^e church y^e gaines of offering, & to prouoke the people to offer by their e [...]sāple: & by y^t wai for laiēg down one penie they take vp ten. [Page]So very wel doe vsurers & Sy­moniaks agree, because they are both caryed by one sprite of couetousnes. Forthly whā as y^e vsurer feleth himself in a strait, & seth no way to defend vsurye, he turneth towards other artes & saith: if v­sury be such a thyng, [...] I do sinne if I take, then I knowe what I wyll do. I will lende no parte of my money vnto any man. I wyll kepe it vnto my selfe, le [...]t that I shold be an vsurar. I answer, this is that escapyng of vsurye, for the which y^e Emperors lawes wolde not vtterly forbid vsury. Wilt y^u kepe thy money to thy self? Afore the courte of y^e world [...] is lawful, but it is vnlawful afore y^e court of Christ, by whose cōmaūdemēte y^u art boūdē, not to deny him y^t wold borow of thee, but to lend, lokīge to receaue nothyng: wherfore if y^u boest either of these, y^u declareste [Page]the self not to be a Christiā. Whether y^t thou w^tdraw lendyng vnto thy brother, [...] asketh whē y^u art a­ble, or whether y^t thou so lende as to take agayne: y^u synneste alyke, both agaynst Chryst and against thy next brother. If thou lend no­thing at al, y^u sinnest not in vsury: howbeit y^e rote of vsury, which is couetousnes, thou norishest in thi heart, and art a transgressoure of Chrystes worde. If thou lende vpon vsurie, then y^u synnest against the commaundement of Chryste. And to be short, as much as lyeth in thee, y^u destroyest thy neighbor aswell by not lending as by len­ding vpō vsury. If y^u w^tdraw len­ding, y^u art worse thā a hathen sinner: for sinners do lende vnto sinners, y^t they may receue lyke. If y^u do lende for vsury, so art y^u worse thā many heathē, which by y^e law of nature kepe thēselfes frō y^t vice. [Page]Fiftly y^e couetousnes of y^e vsure [...] wil reply after thys maner: if I lende w^tout vsury y^t, which is mīe own cā not be restored vnto me: for y^e pore hath nor so muche, y^t he may rēder agayne y^e hole summe. But if he shal geue euery yeare a certein vsury, thē sūme parte of my mony shalbe restored vnto me I answere. Thou knowest y^e pouerte of thy brother to be so great, y^t he cā not rēder y^e borowed mony: why thē doest not y^u yelde vnto y^e words of christ? by y^e which Lu .6 he saith: and your rewarde shalbe great in heauē. And ye shalbee the childrē of y^e moste highest. And Luk .14. And it shalbe rēdred vnto thee in the regeneracion of the rightuous. How doeste y^u receiue nothing, whē as for earthly gaine [...], which lasteth euer, shal bee ren­dred vnto thee? Therfore this pre­tense [Page]is vtterlye contrarye vnto Chrysts doctrine, which teachesh euen therfore to do good vnto y^e poore, because he hath nothynge to geue agayne, that the heauenly rewarde may be purchased. And thou euen for the selfe same cause wilt not lend vnto y^e pore, because he hath not so much as to restore that, whiche he hath receaued of thee. Therfore ether y^u doeste not beleue that Chrystes promyse is true: or els y^u doest more desier tē ­poral gayne, than eternal, earthly than heauenly. Sixtly. All y^t I haue (sayeth he) I haue gotten w^t great care and trauell, wherefore then shoulde I bestowe them v­pon others in vayne? What is it to me, that others doe not so take hede vnto theyr owne, as I doe? What owe I vnto thē? I answer: [Page]Christ bestowed no smal thing [...], redemyng thee vpō the crosse w^t his bloud: & for thy sake he becāe poore to make thee rich. Thē what is it to Chryst y^t we take no better hede vnto our saluaciō: And bee­sydes these, what thou owest vn­to thy brother, heare the Apostle: Ye owe nothing vnto any manne sayeth he, but that ye loue one an other. Ro .13. Thou owest therfore vnto thy nedy brother loue, & also vnto god y^u owest thy selfe, & not only money. Wherefore beecause Christ hath loued vs & geuē hym selfe for vs, therfore we ought to bestow our lyues for our brethrē 1. Io .3. We doe all muche fayle in thys thyng, y^t without the affection of true loue, we loke vpon the slendernesse and humilite of oure brethren, & not rather vpō the wil of god & his manifest commaun­dements, [Page]albeit I keepe in silēce the vnmeasurable worthynes of our free redempcion. Is the pore mā vnworthi, vnto whō y^u sholdst geue freely? But Christ is not vnworthy, which requireth thys of thee. The pore hath not deserued thys benefite. Chryst hath deser­ued it. Is not the poore able to restore that, whiche he receaueth? Christe is able to restore an hun­dreth folde, and to geue life euer­lasting, as he also hath promysed Mat .19. Sixtly because couetousnes is the most toughest wrangeler, the vsurer as yet replieth, say­ing: how should I live? How shal I prouyde for me and myne, if I must so lend y^t I receaue nothīg? I answer, it is said of y^e lord: first seke the kyngdome of God & the rightuousnesse thereof, and all these shalbe cast vnto you. And [Page]the gentils seke all these thinges. Therfore neither doeth thys w [...] ge [...]inge waywardnesse belong vnto Chrystians: neyther ought we to feare, lest [...], by helpyng nedye brethren, we doe not well prouide or see to our own thynges. For thus we reade Pro .11. Some dis­tribute their own and become rycher, some catche that, whyche is not their own, and be euer in nede The soule, which blesseth, that is to say, which doth good, shall bee fylled w^t fatnes: & he, whyche ge­ueth drynke, shalbe satisfied w^t drinke. And Esa .58. Breake vnto the hongery (sayeth he) thy bread and y^e nedy & wāderers leade into thy house. When y^u seest the naked clothe him, & doe not despice thy flesh. When as thou shalte haue powred forth thy [...]oule vnto the hongry, & refreshed the afflycted [Page]soule, then shalt thou be as a wa­tred gardē, & as a well of waters that neuer fayll. And the Apostle .2. Co .9. He hath dispersed, & ge­uen vnto y^e pore, & hys ryghteousnes abydeth for euer. He, which ministreth sede vnto y^e sower, wil also geue bread to be eatē. There­fore a fa [...]thful mā shold not feare fallyng into pouerte by helpynge thē y^t be poore. Howbeit I would not damne it if y^e Apostles saying might haue place: so y^t y^e abūdāce of y^e rich should help y^e lacke of brethrē .2. Co .8. But if of necessaries ther wer not so ready geuing vnto others, y^t might bee tollerable, so that y^e weaknes of fayth be not ex­cused but cōfessed. But who cā a­low this in y^e church of Christ, y^t in so great riotous wast of al things lack, is not feared, but whereas y^e nedines of brethrē should be rele­ued there it is feared? [Page]If we folowed that [...] rule, whyche is wrytten .1. T [...] 6 after thys sorte: hauyng what to eate, and wherwith to be clothed, let vs be contented, litell place shoulde remayne vnto this feare. Nature (as he sayeth) is sente a­way with a litle, but glotony beggeth vnmeasurably. See y^t honost labor bee exercised, idelnes auoyded, ryoteousnes layd a syde, & the abuse of al thinges shut forth: and we shalbe without care vnder the protection and prouydence of God, and there shalbe no nede to feare y^e necessite of penurie. Now whē as so great coostes are bestowed vpō proude & beautiful buildinges, vpō riotous apparel, vpō al maner of dainty meates, howebeit I speake not of innumerable other things not necessary, what maruel is it y^t pouerte is feared, if the gaine of vsurye should fayle? [Page]Suerely he must stand in nede of many thinges, whiche fedeth and clotheth those, that be hys, moste deliciously and gorgiously.

He stādeth in nede of many thin­ges, whiche is purposed to leaue great ryches vnto his heyrs. He, that nedeth many thinges, vseth also many meanes, by righte & by wronge, to come to his purpose.

These thinges beinge taken a­waye, it will not seme very harde, neither to cast away these detestable usuries, neither by any meā to succour nedy brethren.

[Page]HEtherto we haue cōside­red y^t vsuri, by the which the pore is bondē vnto y^e ryche, & the goods of y^e bare and nedy are supt vp: and of that kind of lending, bi the which Christ cōmaundeth vs to succour nedy brethren.

Now must we speake of those, which haue monei by inheritaūce or gottē otherwise, & lend it vnto ryche men, marchauntes or prin­ces, vpon condition too receyue e­uery moneth, or euery yeare, some vsurie, the stocke in the mean time abiding whol, to be restored whē they wil cal for it. Here springeth a questiō, what sinne is cōmitted in this kind of vsurie. They saye neither is burdened, neither he y^t geueth, nor he that taketh vsurie: but by good prouision they haue bothe profet. He, that geueth vsu­rye, [Page]doeth vse his stocke wel, and gaineth so much of it, y^t with oute any losse he can geue vsurie.

On the other side, he that taketh vsurie of his monei: he gathereth as it were a yearelye fruite, with­out any dekey of the stock, which bi these meās he mai reserue hole vnto his heires. When as therfore here is no hurt, howe can here be any sinne againste charitie? and there bee none, howe maye thys vsurie be called vnlawfull?

I aunswer. That this muste nedes be graunted: that there is not so greate sinne in thys kinde of vsurie, as in that, by the which vsurie is taken of the pore, which crueltie is forbidden, not onely, by the lawes of Christe, but alsoo by the lawes of nature.

For it is playn cruelnes, to seke [Page]after lukar, out of the labors, and calamites of the poore. Wherfore this vsurie, of the whiche we shall speake now, differeth muche from that, which by no meanes can bee tollerable. Howbeit, in the mean season it is not too be supposed, y^t there is nothing, whiche can be reproued in the vsurie of ryche men. For the righteousnes of a christen man doth not rest in that he doth burden no man in any bargayn or busines. Wherefore we muste se, whiche be the circūstances of this vsurie, for the which it may not be commended.

Fyrst, this I suppose is sure: y^t there is in both, as wel in hi [...] y^t ge­ueth, as in hym that taketh vsurie, a respect of priuate profet. For neither the one for brotherly loue lēdeth out his money vnto a riche marchaunt, but for too receyue of [Page]it yearly or monethlye gayne: nor the other is so redy to geue vsury, that he wolde geue it, if he coulde kepe it with his owne aduantage. For as he saieth: The loue of mo­ney groweth as much, as the mo­ney it self groweth. Notwithstā ­dinge he geueth vsurie withoute wranglinge, lest that he shoulde bee forced too restore the whole stocke, or to be noted of euell cre­dite.

There be many notable exam­ples of this matter. Therefore, seinge that the rote also of thys vsurie is the loue of priuate pro­fite, I do not se, howe it can agree without blemish vnto christians, which ought to be furdest frome loue of priuate profet. Let no mā seke those, whiche bee his owne, sayeth the Apostle, but those whiche belonge vnto others.

[Page]The loue of priuate profet, with the losse of others, is so euil that it ought not to be suffered a­mongest the gentils: and to gape for gaine, although it be without domage to others, yet is it a thīg of it self that ought to be farre frō christians, euen as to liue delica­telye and idely, although a mā do so liue, not hurtinge nor hinde­ringe others. Wherfore as they sinne, which liue delicately in the houses of princes, of noble & ry­che men, albeit they fele or percei­ue no hurt of it: so a christen mā sinneth, coueting priuate profet, albeit he go so aboute it, that he seke for hys owne gaine, not of the nede of poore men, but of the welth of the ryche.

Moreouer he, that taketh vsurie, must take good hede, whe­ther [Page]he serue hys owne lack of be­leue or not.

For it is not inough for a christen man, so too deale with hys neyghboure, that he can not com­playne: but he muste also consi­der, what fayth he hathe towarde God, and how all thynges, which he doeth, agree, or disagree wyth sincere faith.

And to come to the trial of this matter, let hym thinke in him self, which taketh vsurie, that it is bet­ter to take to him self his own monei, and to put away the gayne of vsurie. But if he fayle in faith, then shall he soone falle in these thoughtes. If I shoulde lyue not vpon vsurie, but vpon the stock, it coulde not sufficientlye discharge my necessary expēses, throughout all my life, & then what coulde be [Page]left after my death vnto my chyl­dren and successors? where vpon shoulde they liue, if I should spēd all?

But these be thoughtes not of fayth, but of mistrust: and argu­mēts of a minde so geuē to vsury, that he supposeth, no way can be for him to liue, if he muste forsake vsurie.

But they make this obiection: That the Lorde must not be tempted, as though it were a tempting of God by sure trust, accordinge to Gods worde, to hang vpon his prouidence, and to forsake y^t kinde of liuing, in the whiche men lyue idely, seking by vsurie to haue all thinges necessari. If it be a temp­ting of the Lorde, not to liue vpō vsurie: what excuse is there for so many godly fathers, prophets, apostles and others, bothe of the [Page]olde testament and of the new, as did rather suffer pouertie and hū ­ger, thā embrase vantage of vsu­rie? Doeth Christ teache this too tempt the Lord, when he cōman̄ ­deth them not too gather treasure vnto them selfes: and to lend, lo­kinge for nothinge therof? To tempt the Lord, is to truste vnto y^e Lord, where as nothing is promised of the Lord: and to neglect the trades of liuinge and doinge, whiche he teacheth, and too vse other.

But I finde no where, that the Lord hath promised too norishe & kepe vs by vsurie in idelnes. Wherefore, this is rather a temp­tinge of God, to liue in idelnes, & also to cōsecrat chyldrē vnto idel­nes: and then to trust, that money yelding yearly vsurie can be able continually to geue them enough, [Page]lose rue not onli for necessares, but also for superfluous pleasured.

Wherefore also their reason is but vaine, whiche too cloke their vsurie saye: when as for vsurie I do committe my monei of truste vnto others, then do I let it forth to dāger. For it mai chāce that the marchaūt, which vseth my money about his marchaundyse busines, either by misfortune, or els by his owne negligēce fall into pouerte, and so my whole stock be loste.

Wherefore whiles fortune fauou­reth, it is not far amis that I take vsurie of him. So is the vsurer tossed in vncertentes, and casteth his goodes into ieoperdy, far vn­like vnto them, which trusting to God occupye thē selfs honestly.

Gameners also ieoparde their monei in vncertente, & yet no wise man doth alow the loue of Gamening [Page] in a christen man. After this sorte, when as thei wil not be such as tempte God, thei confesse by woorde and dede, that they caste their monei into vncerten successe & daungers, when thei let it forth for vsuri, and so thei tempt God.

Thirdly, thou shuldest cōsider, how that riche marchāt or prince behaueth him self, whiche payeth thee vsurie. Thou thinkest it is a sufficient excuse for vsurie, that he is not so poore, as by payinge of vsurie to hinder him self. But if thou make a good rekeninge, thou shalt perceiue besides these, other thinges to be considered.

But if he laboure, by the abust of thy monei, to get great ryches, eyther vnto pryde and riot, or els vnto the practise of tirannye and warres, to lay waste & oppresse o­ther contries, and also his [...]ne: [Page]then I praye the, how canst thou glorie, that thy taking of vsurie is blame lesse: seinge that for it thou arte made to serue other mennes sinnes, in makinge thy money subiect vnto suche mēs lustes? Thin­kest thou, that thou mayste frelye let out thy money vnto any vse, so that it be don to thy nown gaine? Is not moneye letten oute of vsu­rers the greatest cause of riotte­ousnes dayely incressinge in thys our age, of pride more than is a­mongest the Heathen, of shame­full idelnes of many thousandes, of so many bloudy warres & spoiled subiectes? If thou be a chri­sten man, how canst thou kepe no rekeninge of these thinges?

There is as it were a certen cōspi­racie betwixt them that geue, and them that take vsurie. For they lay their labors together, wherby [Page]thei serue, on either side, their own gaines or affections, and so they ioyne together one with the other to commit sinne.

It is a heauy thinge, if any mā alone, and by hym selfe do sinne: but howe muche more weightie ought it to be thought, if any man for priuate gaine doo so bestowe his diligence towardes his neighbor, as to norishe him also in hys naughtines?

Fourthly also this is to be considered, how this kinde of vsurie letteth the workes of charite. As concerninge that money, which y^t vsurer hath vnoccupied, and ne­deth not to be bestowed vpon any necessary houshold affaires, that it do not remayne idell and vn­fruitefull, but that he maye take some profitte of it, he supposeth y^t it oughte to be let oute vnto some [Page]vse. Therfore he letteth it forthe vnto vsurie, and this way he thin­keth that he doth wel prouide for his own profet. But I besech you when shal he, being of this mind, help his neighbors roūde aboute him, that be pore and nedi? That, which he taketh vp of vsurie, he appointeth partly vnto necessary vses, and partly vnto the gaine of vsurie, to increase his stock yearly by suche gaines, as he can gette. Whereof, can a man thinke, that he will geue vnto the pore: wher­of will he frely and without vsu­rie lend vnto the pore that asketh: of that, of the whiche he findeth him self and his: No, I suppose: wherefore shoulde I geue, say­eth he, vnto others that, which I nede my selfe? Paul sayeth: that youre abundaunce maye fille vp their want. Here is no abundāce, [Page]all that I haue is necessarye. I must take hede too beautefie thys estate, whiche I [...]eceyued of my ancetors, I must regard mi name and my honor, I muste, as mere is, kepe my wife and chyldren not beggarly & barely, but liberally. Here is nede, not of a littell and common summe of money, but of a greate and notable. Will he geue of that, which he appointeth vnto vsurie? No, no. These he thinketh be holye thinges, not too be touched. What then remai­neth, but that in such a mā y^t wor­kes of charitie be suppressed by diligence to get monei: especially if this vsurie be thought not vnlawful, so y^t a mind, possessed w^t loue of monei, cā be nipped w^t no felīg of sinne, but as in a lawful matter thinketh there is no daunger.

And so we heare these aunswers, [Page]when as any thinge is asked to be borowed of suche men: I wolde lende saye thei, if I had money in a redines, but at this time I haue no monei, wherfore ye must be cō tent, albeit so I lende nothinge.

So thei neglect and excuse a dede of charitie. But why haue they no money at hāde? Therfore, because parte is appointed vnto houshold and dayly charges, part to enrich and incresse the stocke,

And hereof we se it cōmeth oft to passe, that thei which be so minded vpō vsurie, do not out of hād paye the hire, which thei owe nei­ther vnto smiths, neither vnto tailers, neither vnto shomakers, but suffer it certē years to growe into great summes, lest that they shuld be constrained to cut of ani portiō of monei, belonging either vntoo vsurie, or vnto the familie: howesoever [Page] those worke men, unto the whiche thei be indetted, in y^e mean time bē at home with nede oppressed. What thinge can be deuised worse than this is?

Therfore, if those be wel weyg­hed, whiche I haue heretofore re­cited, that is to [...], how this vsu­rie is the nori [...]ente of pri [...]te profet, and serueth incredulite & mistruste vntoo such abuses, as monei let out vnto vsurie serueth, and how that the dedes of charite be distroyed, by desire, to gather monei: I thinke that it is euident enough, that this vsurie, which is exercised amongest ryche men, as thoughe it were lawefull, can not be alowed of them, which knowe what is required of y^e professors of christen faith, which bear such a badge of brotherly charitie, and of contempte of ryches earthely, [Page]that withoute them, they can not be counted to be christians.

THey, that be tutors either of widowes or of the fa­therles moue here a ques­tion, concerning such mo­ney as is not their owne, but re­mayneth by enheritance vnto wi­dowes and orphanes, whether it be lawfull for them to let out that monei vnto vsurie, and deliuer it to be vsed of them, which without their owne hinderaunce may yea­rely repay some vsurie. They saye the monei is not oures, but we be trusted with it. That, whiche we do, is not for our owne gaine, but for the widowes and fatherlesse. [Page]Wherefore we are not in this too be blamed, as thoughe by takinge vsurie, we seke oure owne. For we seke not our owne, but the profet of others, widowes & fatherles: and so we fulfil the worke of cha­rite, and we do as we are bonden by promes vnto them.

I aunswere: I know that thys was a custome amongest oure fa­thers, afore pestilente vsurie had defiled the church, that y^t was permitted vnto widowes & orphāts, which was permitted vnto none other. All vsurie was called euil, except that of widowes & of y^e fa­therles. At the laste, all the gates were opened vnto this euell, and gaine of vsurie graunted too anye man. But how wel widowes and orphanes were prouided for, the corruption of the times folowing doeth euidently witnes. There [Page]coulde haue ben brought no euill more noysomme into the churche of Christe, by the whiche after­warde the goodes of widowes & fatherles began miserably too be wasted. For when as the fyre of vsurie hath eaten vp all the welth of a familie, after the death of the father of the familie, what rem­nant remaineth vnto widowes & fatherles, that maye be lette oute vnto vsurie.

Should it not haue ben better for the prouision of widowes & of y^e fatherles, if liberte of vsurie cold no where haue hadde any place a­monge christiās? Nowe, because gaine of vsurie is crepte in vnder y^e pretēce of widowes & orphāts, vnto them can not come of y^e vsu­rie of these times anye so greate gaynes, as hurt and hinderaunce, that is spronge oute of that suffe­raunce [Page]of oure ancitours.

Furthermore, it is euidente e­nough by reason of that sufferāce that vsurie was not therfore suffered vnto widowes and fatherles, because it was lawefull: for if it had ben taken as lawfull and fau­teles, wherfore should there haue ben any sufferāce and permissiō? but for that, which was vnlawful vnto others, was thought y^t ī such sort it might be suffred vnto wy­dowes and fatherles, whē as charite the mother of all liberalite, began in the churche, not onely to waxe colde and fruiteles, but vt­terly dead and vanquished.

But, & if the apostles precept, concerninge widowes .1. Timo .5. had ben kept, certenly thei mighte farre better, & more christian like haue ben prouided for, than by sufferance of vnlawfull vsurie.

[Page]If a yonge woman were a wy­dow, she should be occupied with some honest labor, and being of a basse stocke, she should be either a waiting, or a bonde seruaunt vnto her ancientes, vntill suche time as God did geue good occasion of conuenient mariage. If she were olde, she should liue simply of her owne, so longe as her owne good­des did laste: and after that they were spent, she should be fonde of her kinsfolke, or if thei were not able, then should she liue vpon the churche goodes, accordinge to the custom of the Apostolical church. When as at the beginning of the growinge of the church by faith­full contributors churche goodes were laid together, how were thei thē disposed? Thei were diuided, accordinge vnto euery mās nede, and were not let oute vnto vsurye [Page]for gains. That simplicite did wel agree with faithfull christianite: and did muche commēd y^t charite, by the which badge Christs scho­lers are knowen. But now in thys vsurers world and season, howe faithfully the nede of widowes & fatherles is prouided for, it is by ouer many exāples daili declared.

Howbeit, that vsurie might ea­sely be suffered, by the which it is thought that y^e nede of widowes, fatherles and power hospitals be prouided for, if the confuse heape of other vsuries and vnlawefull bargens mighte bee vtterly taken awaye, either by the authorite of gods worde amongest them, that wil be taught to feare God, or els by the power of the magistrates, whiche ought in these assembles, summoned by the Emperor, not to be leste regarded: if, as is pre­tended [Page]tended, so ther be indede any sekīg of y^e reformatiō of christes church.

Wherefore it is hartelye to be wished, that if all vsurie cā not vt­terly be bānished oute of Christes church: yet at the leste y^t this vsu­rie be not suffered, by the whiche the substāce of pore men be miserably, cōtrari vnto christē charite, pilled and piked, yea, supt vp and deuoured: I mean y^t vsurie, which the ryche doth require and take of him, whome he knoweth to be vn­able to beare the hinderaunce of vsurie, and vnto whome throughe the affection of true loue, accor­ding to the sentence of Christ our sauioure, he oughte either by ge­uynge or lendyng to streach forth hys handes, not too spoyle, but to helpe.

Againste this kinde of vsurie: The Canonist haue apointed certē [Page]penaltes besydes gods ponishe­ment, which the vsurers deserue. Firste that they bee noted of infa­mie, wyth infamye of the lawe, and that also by the ciuil lawe as wel as by the canon law. Furthermore that they bee not admytted vnto the communion of y^e church. Thirdly that they be imbarred of buriall belongynge vnto Chrysts churche.

Fourthly that theyr testamentes and willes be of nōe effect by any law, wyth manye others suche kyndes of iust penaltes. But these haue remayned in papers, and in the meane season vsurers in the church haue honors wyth vnlaw­ful gotten goods. And suche vn­shamfastnes hath preuayled vn­punished, y^t manye magistrates, princes, & other great personages doe geue liberte vnto the Iewes, [Page]in their dominions to exercyse not only simple vsurye, but also that, which is named vsury of vsurers & they doe not onely geue licence, but they also let out houses, & bargen w^t thē for certayne exaction, what they shall yearely paye for liberte to exercyse vsury, & moste vnrighteously they force their subiectes to be bounde to paie suche vsuries. And here is setled that bishoplike correction, which par­doneth rauēs, and plageth doues But here we make an ende of thys cōsideraciō of vsury. For as I said of the first it myght wel be thogh great folye, to be muche occupyed in such a mater, that, beynge lyke vnto the gowte, can be helped by no handes of any surgery. Thys euill is waxen so bygge, y^t after y^e admonition of many good menne it is becōe vncurable. For it hath [Page]corrupted euen the crownes of the heades of those, whyche oughte by their autorite to haue w^tstande such corrupcyon, and to haue kept and ordered the other lower members in the trade of true righteousnes. It is Chrystes saying: If the salt be vnsauery, what shalbe sea­soned therwyth? also: Ye are the light of the world. If the lyght, whych is in you, be darknes, how great shal the darknes of the bodi be? Ther remayneth nothyng els, but that we loke for the hande of the Lorde, whyche soone shall remoue oute of the churche all kynde of corrupcion. The Lorde come at once, and deliuer his Amen.