<B CESERM2B>
<Q E2 IR SERM SMITH>
<N USURY1>
<A SMITH HENRY>
<C E2>
<O 1570-1640>
<M X>
<K X>
<D ENGLISH>
<V PROSE>
<T SERMON>
<G X>
<F X>
<W SCRIPT>
<X MALE>
<Y 20-40>
<H PROF>
<U X>
<E X>
<J X>
<I FORMAL>
<Z INSTR REL>
<S SAMPLE X>


[^SMITH, HENRY.
TEXT:  TWO SERMONS ON "OF USURIE".
A PREPARATIVE TO MARIAGE; OF THE LORDS
SUPPER; OF USURIE, 1591.
THE ENGLISH EXPERIENCE, 762.
AMSTERDAM: THEATRUM ORBIS TERRARUM,
LTD. AND NORWOOD, N. J.: WALTER J. JOHNSON,
INC., 1975 (FACSIMILE).
PP. B1V.10 - C2R.23      (SAMPLE 1)
PP. D7R.1  - F1R.5       (SAMPLE 2)^]

<S SAMPLE 1>
<P B1V>
   I haue spoken of Briberie and 
Simonie, and now I must speake 
of their sister Vsurie. Manie times
haue I thought to speake of this
Theame, but the argume~ts which
are alleaged for it, haue made mee
doubtfull what to say in it, because
it hath gone as it were vnder
a protection. At last you see
it falleth into my text, and therefore
now I cannot bauke it any
longer. Therefore if any heere
haue fauoured this occupation
before, let him now submit his
<P B2R>
thoughts vnto Gods thoughts; for
I will alleage nothing against it,
but that which is built vppon the
rocke.
   Vsurie is the sin which God wil
trie now whether you loue better
than his worde: that is, whether
you will leaue it if he forbid it: for
if hee flatly forbid it, and yet you
wilfully retaine it, then you loue
Vsurie better than Gods worde.
Therefore one saith well that our
Vsurers are Hereticks, because after
manie admonitions, yet they
maintaine their errour, and persist
in it obstinatly as Papists doo in
Poperie. For this cause I am glad
that I haue any occasion to griple
with this sin, where it hath made
so many spoyles, & where it hath
so many patrons: for it is said that
there be moe of this profession in
this Citie, than there bee in all the
<P B2V>
land beside. There be certaine sins
which are like an vnreasonable
enemie which will not be reconciled
to death, and this is one of
those euerlasting sins which liue
and die with a man. For when he
hath resigned his pride and his enuie
and his lust, yet Vsurie remaineth
with him, & he saith as (^Naaman^)
said, (^Let the Lord bee mercifull
vnto me in this^) : let me haue a dispensation
for this, as though this
were a necessarie sinne, and hee 
could not liue without it. There
be three sinnes which are counted
no sinnes, and yet they doo more
hurt than all their fellows, & those
are Briberie, Nonresidencie, and
Vsurie: these three because they
are gainful are turned from sinnes
to occupatio~s. How many of this
Citie for all that they are Vsurers,
yet would be counted honest me~,
<P B3R>
and would faine haue Vsurie esteemed
as a trade: whereas if it
were not so gainfull, it would bee
counted as great a sinne as any other,
and so it is counted of all but
them which liue by it. This is the
nature of pleasure and profite to
make sinnes seeme no sinnes, if we
gaine anything by them, but the
more gainfull a sinne is, the more
daungerous it is, and the more
gainfull Vsurie is, the more daungerous
it is. I will speake the more
of it, because happely you shall
not heare of this matter againe.
   First I will define what Vsurie
is, then I wil shew you what Vsurie
doth signifie: then I will shewe
the vnlawfulnes of it: then I will
shewe the kindes of it: then I will
shewe the arguments which are
alleaged for it: then I will shewe
the punishment of it: then I will
<P B3V>
shewe you what opinion wee
should holde of them which doo
not lend vpon Vsurie, but borrow
vpon Vsurie. Lastly, I will shewe
you what they should doo which
haue got their riches by Vsurie.
   Touching the first, Vsurie is
that gaine which is gotten by lending,
for the vse of the thing
which a man lendeth, couenanting
before with the borrower to
receaue more tha~ was borrowed:
and therefore one calls the Vsurer
a legall theefe, because before hee
steale, he tels the partie how much
hee will steale, as though hee stole
by law. This word (^more^) , comes in
like a sixt finger, which makes a
monster, because it is more than
should be. Another defining Vsurie,
calleth it the (^Contrarie to Charitie^) :
for (^Paule^) saith, (^Loue seeketh not
her owne^) , but Vsurie seeketh an
<P B4R>
others which is not her owne:
therfore Vsurie is farre from loue,
but (^God is Loue^) , saith (^Iohn^) , therefore
Vsurie is farre from God too.
   Now, al the Commandements
of God are fulfilled by loue, which
Christ noteth when hee draweth
all the Commandements to one
Commandement, which is, (^Loue 
God aboue all things, and thy neighbour
as thy selfe^) : as if hee should
say, hee which loueth God, will
keepe all the Commaundements
which respect God, and he which
loueth his neighbour will keepe
all the Commaundements which
respect his neighbour: therefore
to maintaine loue, God forbiddeth
all things which hinder this
loue: and among the rest here hee
forbiddeth Vsurie, as one of her
deadliest enemies: for a man can
not loue and be an Vsurer, because
<P B4V>
Vsurie is a kinde of crueltie, and a 
kinde of extortion, and a kinde of
persecution, and therfore the want
of loue doth make Vsurers: for if
there were loue there would bee
no Vsurie, no deceit, no extortion,
no slaundering, no reuenging, no
oppression, but wee should liue in
peace and ioye and contentment
like the Angels; whereby you see
that all our sinnes are against our
selues: for if there were no deceit,
then we should not bee deceiued:
if there were no slander, then wee
should not bee slandered: if there
were no enuie, then wee should
not bee enuied: if there were no
extortion, then we should not bee
iniuried: if there were no Vsurie
then we should not bee oppressed.
Therfore Gods law had been better
for vs than our owne lawe: for
if his law did stand, the~ we should
<P B5R>
not be deceiued, nor slandered, nor
enuied, nor iniured, nor oppressed.
God hath commanded euery ma~ 
to lend freely, & who would not
borrowe freely? Therefore they
which brought in vsurie, brought
in a lawe against themselues.
   The first Vsurers which wee
reade of, were the (^Iewes^) , which
were forbidden to be Vsurers, yet
for want of faith and loue, (^Ezekiel
& Nehemiah^) doth shewe how the 
(^Iewes^) , euen the (^Iewes^) which receiued
this lawe from God himselfe,
did swarue from it as they did
from the rest. First, they did lend
vppon Vsurie to straungers; after
they began to lend vppon Vsurie
to their brethren, and now there
be no such Vsurers vppon earth as
the (^Iewes^) which were forbidden
to be Vsurers. Wherby you may
see how the malice of man hath
<P B5V>
turned mercie into crueltie. For
whereas lending was commaunded
for the benefite of men, Vsurie
hath turned it to the vndoing
of men: for they take when they
seeme to giue; they hurt when
they seeme to helpe; they damage
when they seeme to vauntage:
therefore it is well noted that Vsurie
hath her name of byting, and
she may well signifie byting; for
many haue not onely been bitten
by it, but deuoured by it, that is,
consumed all that they haue: therfore
as the Apostle saith, (^If you bite
one another, take heede you be not deuoured
one of another^) : so I may say
if you be Vsurers one to another,
take heede you bee not deuoured
one of another, for Vsurers are biters.
As the name of the Diuell
doth declare what an enemie he is;
so the name of Vsurie dooth declare
<P B6R>
what an enemie she is. That
you may knowe Vsurie for a byter,
her name doth signifie byting.
If there were one byting Vsurie,
and another healing Vsurie, then
Vsurie should haue two names;
one of byting, and another of healing:
but all Vsurie signifieth byting,
to shewe that al Vsurie is vnlawfull.
Now, you haue heard
what Vsurie is, and of what it is
deriued, you shall heare the vnlawfulnes 
of it.
   First, it is against the law of charitie,
because charitie biddeth vs
to giue euery man his owne, and
to require no more than our own;
but Vsurie requireth more than
her owne, and giues not to other
their owne. Charitie reioyceth to
communicate her goods to other,
and Vsurie reioyceth to gather other
mens goods to her selfe.
<P B6V>
   Secondly, it is against the lawe
of Natio~s; for euerie Nation hath
some lawe against Vsurie, and
some restraint against Vsurers, as
you shall heare when wee speake
of the punishment.
   Thirdly, as it is against the law
of Nations, so it is against the law
of Nature, that is, the naturall
compassion which should bee among
men. You see a riuer when
it goeth by an emptie place, it will
not passe vntill it hath filled that
emptie place, & then it goeth forward
to another emptie place and
filleth it, and so to another emptie
place and filleth it, alwaies filling
the places which are emptie: so
should wee, the rich should fill the
poore, the ful should fill the hungrie,
they which abound should fill
them which want, for the rich are
but Gods Amners, and their riches
<P B7R>
are committed to them of God to
distribute and doo good as God
dooth himselfe: As the water is
charitable after a sorte, so is the
ayre, for it goeth to emptie places
too, and filleth them as the water
doth. Nature cannot abide that any
place should bee emptie, and
therefore the ayre though it bee a
light bodie, and so naturally ascendeth
vpward: yet rather than any
place in the earth shuld be emptie, 
the ayre wil descend as it were fro~
his throne, and goe into caues,
into dens, and into dungeons,
to fill them. If the rich were so
good to their emptie brethren, as
the ayre and water are to other
emptie things; as there is no emptie
place in the worlde, so there
should be no emptie person in the
world: that is, the rich in (^Israel^)
would fill the poore in (^Israel^) , but
<P B7V>
the riche make the poore to fill
them, for Vsurers feede vpon the
poore, euen as great fishes deuoure
the small. Therfore he which sayd
(^Let there not be a begger in Israel^) ,
sayd too, let there not be an Vsurer
in (^Israel^) , for if there be Vsurers 
in (^Israel^) , there wil be beggers
in (^Israel^) , for Vsurers make beggers,
euen as Lawyers make quarrellers.
   Fourthly, it is against the law of
God. First, it is forbidde~ in (^Exo.22.^)
where it is sayd, (^If thou lend money
vnto my people, that is, to the poore
with thee, thou shalt not oppresse them
with Vsurie^) : heere Vsurie is called
oppression, therefore if oppression 
be a sinne, Vsury is a sinne too.
Secondly, it is forbidde~ in (^Leu.25.36.^)
where it is sayd, (^Thou shalt not
giue thy money to Vsurie, nor lend thy
vittailes for increase^) . Heere you
<P B8R>
may see, that men may be Vsurers
of vittailes and other thinges, as
well as of money. Thirdly, it is
forbidden in (^Deut.23.^) where it is
sayde, (^Thou shalt not lende vnto thy
brother vpon Vsurie^) . And least you
shoulde saye, that he meaneth but
one kinde of Vsurie, he sheweth,
that he meaneth all kinds of Vsurie:
for after he sayth, (^as vsurie of
money, vsurie of vittailes, vsurie of
corne, or vsurie of any thing which is
giuen to Vsurie^) : because some are
not Vsurers of money, but some
are Vsurers of vittailes, some are
Vsurers of Cloth, some are Vsurers
of Corne, some are Vsurers
of Wine, some are Vsurers of
Oyle, and some of one thing, and
some of an other, and none would
bee counted Vsurers, but they
which lend money vpon Vsurie;
therefore God forbiddeth so preciselie
<P B8V>
Vsurie of any thing, shewing, 
that all Vsurie is vnlawfull.
It is a miserable occupation to liue
by sinne, and a great comfort to a
man when he looketh vpon his
Golde and Siluer, and his heart
telleth him, all this is well gotten,
and when he lieth vpon his deathbed,
and must leaue all to his children,
he can say vnto them, I leaue
you mine owne; but the Vsurer
cannot saye, I leaue you mine
own, but I leaue you other mens,
therefore the Vsurer can neuer
dye in peace, because if he dye before
he make restitution, he dyeth
in his sinne. When Christ raysed
(^Lazarus^) from death, after he had
layne foure dayes in the graue, he
wept so ouer his Sepulcher, that
the standers about sayd one to an
other, (^See how he loued him^) , As it 
may be sayde of Christ, See how
<P C1R>
he loueth vs, so it should be sayd
of vs, See how they loue their
breethren. For Christ sayd to his
Disciples, (^Loue one another, as I
haue loued you^) . But it may be sayde
of the Vsurer, See how hee hateth
hys breethren, and heare
how he loueth them: for hee loueth
them in wordes, and hateth 
them in deedes. He sayth that he
loueth them, and that he lendeth
for compassion, but it is for compassion
of himselfe, that he may
gaine by his lending. The Vsurer
loueth the borrower, as the Iuye
loueth the Oke: The Iuye loueth
the Oke to growe vp by it, so the
Vsurer loueth the borrower to
grow rich by him. The Iuye claspeth
the Oke like a louer, but it
claspeth out all the iuice and sap,
that the Oke can not thriue after:
So the Vsurer lendeth like a frie~d,
<P C1V>
but hee couenanteth like an enemye,
for he claspeth the borrower
with such bands, that euer after he
diminisheth, as fast as the other
encreaseth.
   Christe expounding the commaundement 
which forbiddeth
to steale, sayth, (^lende freely^) , shewing
that Vsurie, because she lendeth 
not freely, is a kinde of theft,
and the Vsurers a kind of theeues,
for else this exposition were not
right. Therfore (^Zacheus^) , as though
he had stolne other mens goods,
when he began to repent, he restored 
them againe foure foulde, euen
as theeues are inioyned to
restore four fould for that which
they haue stolne, so (^Zacheus^) restored
foure foulde, as though he
had stolne. It seemeth that (^Zacheus^)
was no greate theefe, because
hee restored foure foulde
<P C2R>
for all that he had gotten wrongfully,
for hee got but the fourth
part of his goods wrongfully at
the most, or else he could not haue
restored foure fould againe. But
now, if some should restore foure
fould, for all that they haue gotten
wrongfully, they shoulde restore
more than they haue, because
all which Vsurers get, they get
wrongfully: for their occupation
is a sinne, and therefore one sayth,
Because they cannot restore foure
fould heere, they shall suffer an
hundreth fould heereafter. (^Amaziah^)
is forbidden to strengthen
himself with the armyes of (^Israel^) ,
onely because (^Israel^) had offended
God; if (^Amaziah^) might not ioyne
the armyes of (^Israel^) with his armyes
to strengthen him, darest
thou ioyne the goods of the poore
with thy goodes to inrich thee? 

<S SAMPLE 2>

<Q E2 IR SERM SMITH>
<N USURY2>
<A SMITH HENRY>
<C E2>
<O 1570-1640>
<M X>
<K X>
<D ENGLISH>
<V PROSE>
<T SERMON>
<G X>
<F X>
<W SCRIPT>
<X MALE>
<Y 20-40>
<H PROF>
<U X>
<E X>
<J X>
<I FORMAL>
<Z INSTR REL>

<P D7R>
   It remaineth that we 
speake of the Vsurers
punishment: Then,
what may be thought
of them which doo not take Vsurie,
but giue Vsurie. Lastly, what
they should doo, which haue got
their riches by Vsurie.
   To begin with the punishment,
not onely Gods lawe, but euen the
Cannon lawe doth so condemne
Vsurie, that first it dooth excommunicate
him from the Church,
<P D7V>
as though he had no communion
with Saints.
   Secondly, it dooth detaine him
from the Sacraments, as though
hee had no communion with
Christ.
   Thirdly, it dooth depriue him
of his Sepulcher, and will not suffer
him to be buried, as though he
were not worthie to lye in the
earth but to lye in hell.
   Lastly, it maketh his will to be
no will, as though his goods were
not his owne: for nothing is ours
but that which wee haue rightlie
got: and therefore wee say, It is
mine by right, as though it were
not ours, vnles it be ours by right.
This is the iudgement of mans
lawe.
   Now you shal heare the iudgement 
of Gods lawe. A Vsurer
dooth receiue two Incomes; one
<P D8R>
of the borrower, and another of
the reuenger; of the borrower he
lookes for gaine; but of the reuenger
hee lookes for punishment:
therefore al the Scripture prophecieth
euill vnto him, as (^Michaiah^)
did to (^Achab^) . (^Salomon^) saith, (^He
which increaseth his riches by Vsurie, 
gathereth for them which will
bee mercifull to the poore^) . As if he
should say, when hee hath loden
himselfe like a cart, he shall be vnloden
like a cart againe, and they
shall inherit his money for whom
hee did neuer gather it. For, hee
which is vnmerciful to the poore,
meaneth not to gather for them 
which will bee mercifull to the
poore: but (^Salomon^) saieth, That
they shall be his heires which will
bee mercifull as he was vnmercifull.
   Now marke whether this prophecie
<P D8V>
of (^Salomon^) be true, I know 
not how many in this Citie doo
increase by Vsurie; but this prophecie
seemeth to bee verified of
many: For it is noted, that the riches
and lands of Aldermen and
Merchants, and other in (^London^) , do
not last so long, nor indure so wel,
as the riches and lands of others in
the Countrey, and that their children
doo not prooue so well as others,
nor come to that place in the
Common weale, which for their
wealth their parents looked that
they should come to. I can giue no
reason for it but the reason of (^Salomon,
He which increaseth by Vsurie,
gathereth for them which will bee
mercifull to the poore^) . That is, their
riches shall goe from their heires
to Gods heires, according to that,
(^The riches of the sinner is laid vp for
the righteous^) : that is, the righteous
<P E1R>
shall inioy that which the wicked
gathereth. All riches are vncertaine,
but the riches which are
euill gotten, are most vncertaine:
They may bee called mooueable
goodes, for they are very mooueable,
like the clowdes which neuer
rest til they fall as they climed.
God saith, that he will smite the
Vsurer with his fist, not with the
palme of his hande, but with his
fist, which giueth a greater blow.
As his hands were shut against the
poore, so Gods hands shall be shut
against him, that his punishment
may be like his sinne. But if you
will heare their finall sentence,
(^Dauid^) saith heere, (^That they shall
not dwell in Gods temple, nor rest in
his holie mountaine^) . Then we will
seeke no moe punishments, for
this punishment is all punishme~ts,
If they shall not come to heauen,
<P E1V>
whose then shall those riches be?
nay, whose then shall the owner
be when that day commeth? If
he shall not rest in heauen, then he
shall rest in Hell where no rest is.
Then saith one, the Vsurer shall
crie vnto his children, Cursed be
you my children, because you
were the cause of these torments,
for least you should be poore, I
was an Vsurer, and robbed other,
to leaue riches vnto you. To
whome, the children shall replie
againe, nay, Cursed be you father,
for you were the cause of our torments;
for if you had not left vs
other mens goodes, we had not
kept other mens goodes. Thus
when they are cursed of God,
they shall curse one another, curse
the Lord for condemning them,
curse their sinnes for accusing
them, curse their parents for begetting
<P E2R>
them, and curse themselues,
because they cannot helpe
themselues. As they which are
blessed doe nothing but blesse, so
they which are cursed do nothing
but curse. This is the second Vsurie
which the Vsurer shall receiue 
of God, after he hath receiued
Vsurie of men, then the name
of Vsurie shall be fulfilled, as it
signifieth biting, so when it hath
bitten other, it shall bite the Vsurer
too, and neuer rest biting; then
they shall wish that they could restore
againe as (^Zacheus^) did, and
shall not restore because their money
is gone. Therefore if Christ
be come to your hearts, as he came
to (^Zacheus^) house, restore now as
(^Zacheus^) did, and escape this iudgment.
This is the end of the Vsurer 
and his money, if they stay together 
till death, yet at last there
<P E2V>
shall bee a diuision. The Deuill
shall take his soule, the earth shall
take his body, the strangers shall
take his goods, and the mourners
shall reioyce vnder their blackes,
and say, Wickednes is come to
the graue. Therefore, if thou
wouldest not be counted an Vsurer
then, refraine to be an Vsurer
now, for they which are Vsurers
now, shall be counted Vsurers
then. Thus you haue heard the
Vsurers payment.
   Now if you will know whether
it be vnlawfull to giue Vsurie, 
as it is vnlawfull to take Vsurie,
I wish that you could resolue
your selues, that I mighte not
speake of it: for I haue hearde
some Preachers say, that there be
some truthes which they would
be loth to preach, and so there be
some truthes which I would be
<P E3R>
loth to preache, because many
heare by halues, and some for malice
or ignorance will take things
otherwise than they are spoken,
yet because I haue promised, I
will speake some thing of it.
   Well then, may we neither
take Vsurie, nor giue Vsurie? I
knowe that (^Ieremy^) saith, (^I haue
not lent vpon Vsurie to others, neyther
haue others lent vpon Vsurie to
me^) ; as though both were vnlawfull,
not only to take Vsurie, but
to giue Vsurie. But thereby (^Ieremy^)
doeth signifie, that he was
no medler in the world, whereby
they should enuie him like other
men, and therefore hee cleareth
himselfe chiefely from Vsurie,
because Vsurers were most enuyed.
And to shewe that he was
not an Vsurer, he saith, that he
was not a borrower, which is
<P E3V>
more lawfull than to be an Vsurer,
like a man which saith I doe
neither hate him, nor knowe
him. Why it was lawfull to
knowe him, but to proue that he
did not hate him, he sayth, he doth
not knowe him: So (^Ieremy^) , to
proue that he had not lent vppon
Vsurie, doth say, that hee neuer
borrowed vppon Vsurie, which
many will doe that will not lende.
The best Expositors giue this
sense of it. I knowe beside, that
Christ did cast forth the buyers
out of his temple, as well as the
sellers, but that was not for buying,
but for buying in the temple,
where they should not buy, but
pray: or else it was as lawfull to
buy any thing, as it is lawfull to
vse it.
   I know beside, that it is a common
saying, if there were no buyers,
<P E4R>
there would be no sellers, if
there were no bribe giuers, there
would be no bribe takers. But in
this case it may be rather sayd, if
there were no takers, there would
be no giuers, for the giuer doeth
not make the receiuer to take, but
the receiuer doth make the giuer
to giue, because he will not lende
vnlesse the other will giue him for
the lone: therefore as we say, the
receiuer makes a theefe: so I may
say, the receiuer of Vsurie makes
the giuer of Vsurie. Therefore I
would be loth to compare them
which are constrained to borrow
vppon Vsurie, vnto them which
did buy in the temple, and were
not constrayned more than they
which solde in the temple. Much
lesse may I compare them which
giue Vsurie, vnto them which
take Vsurie: for there is as great
<P E4V>
oddes betweene them, as there is
betweene giuing and taking, or
betweene couetousnesse and necessitie,
for one is couetousnesse,
and the other is necessitie. Hee
which lendeth for Vsurie, lendeth
for couetousnesse, but he which
borroweth vpon Vsurie, borroweth
for necessitie.
   Now, for necessitie God hath
allowed many things; as for necessitie
it was lawfull for (^Adams^) 
sonnes to marrie with (^Adams^)
daughters, because there were no
other women. For necessitie it
was lawfull for (^Dauid^) to eate the
Shew bread, because he had no other
foode. For necessitie it was
lawfull to worke, and heale, and
fight vppon the Saboath, which
was not lawfull, but for necessitie.
Therfore for necessitie why may
not a man pay more than he borrowed,
<P E5R>
seeing no Scripture doth
forbid vs to pay more than wee
borrow, but to require more than
wee lend. Some doo thinke that
as God did vse the ambition of
(^Absalom^) , and the malice of (^Pharaoh^) , 
& the trecherie of (^Iudas^) vnto
good; so men may vse the couetousnes
of vsurers vnto good: that
is, to helpe at a neede, when a man
is like to bee vndone, and his children
cast away, and his Lease forfeited,
and many inconueniences
beside like to insue (which you
knowe better than I) vnlesse hee
haue present money at some time
to preuent a mischiefe. For example 
hereof, I may alleage how
(^Iaacob^) did vse the sinne of (^Laban^) :
(^Laban^) did euill in swearing by Idolls,
but (^Iaacob^) did not euill in
receiuing such an oath of him,
though it was an vnlawfull oath.
<P E5V>
So, though the Vsurer doo euill in
taking Vsurie, yet a man doth not
euill in giuing Vsurie. Beside, I
may alleage the example of (^Abraham^)
and (^Abimelech^) : (^Abraham^)
made a couena~t with (^Abimelech^) ;
to confirme this couenant, (^Abraham^)
sware, and (^Abimelech^)
sware, (^Abraham^) sware by the true
God, but (^Abimelech^) sware by his
false Gods, and yet (^Abraham^) did
receiue this oath and sinned not. 
So, if her Maiestie and the Turke
should make a couenant, the Turk
would not sweare as the Queene
would sweare; for the Queene
would sweare by the Lorde, but
the Turke would sweare by Mahomet:
if it be lawfull then to receiue 
such an oath, though it bee
an vnlawfull oath, why may it not
bee lawfull for mee, to giue more
than I borrowed, though it bee
<P E6R>
vnlawfull for the Vsurer to take
more than hee lended? Beside, a
Prince may not pardon a wilfull
murderer, yet I think that no man
wil say in hast, that he which hath
committed murder may not take
a pardon. As this vnlawfull giuing
doth not make the taking vnlawfull;
so the other vnlawfull taking
doth not make the giuing vnlawfull.
Beside, it is lawfull to suffer
iniurie, though it be vnlawfull to
offer iniurie: It is lawfull to suffer
iniurie, as Christ paide tribute,
which was iniurie; but it is not
lawfull to offer iniurie, because
there are sixe Commandements against
it.
   Now, to take Vsurie, is as it
were to offer iniurie; but to giue
Vsurie, is as it were to suffer iniurie:
therefore though I may not
take more than I borrowed, yet I
<P E6V>
may giue more than I borrowed.
   Moreouer, I may compare giuing
of Vsurie to swearing; if a
man sweare without cause he sinneth;
but if he sweare as the word
teacheth him to sweare, he sinneth
not: so, if a man borrow vpon Vsurie
and borrow without cause,
he sinneth, because he feedeth the
Vsurer: but els, as a man maye
sweare in some case, so in some
case a man may borrowe vpon Vsurie,
that is, in case of necessitie,
when a man must needes borrow,
and can borrowe of none but of
Vsurers.
   Lastly, I may alleage that Vsurie
and Vsurer are neuer read in
the scripture, but they signifie him
which takes Vsurie, not him
which giues Vsurie: and therfore
the Scripture seemeth to forbid
taking, but not giuing.
<P E7R>
   Many reasons moe are alleaged
which I cannot refute, and therefore
I will not contradict them:
yet I meane not to decide the question,
because I will not be mistaken; 
but if some should come vnto
me in that necessitie and extremitie 
which I can imagine, and
aske; may I borrowe money of
these Vsurers to saue my life, or
my credite, or my liuing, seeing
no man will lend mee freelie? I
would answere him as the Prophet
answered (^Naaman^) , neither
doo nor doo not, but (^goe in peace^) . I
will not forbid thee nor I will not
condemne thee, but if thy conscience
condemne thee not, I thinke
thy sinne one of the least sinnes;
& as (^Naaman^) praied, (^Lord be mercifull
vnto me in this^) : so I think the
Lord will bee mercifull vnto thee
in this: but if thy conscience goe
<P E7V>
against it: then doo it not, for it is
sinne to thee though it bee free for
another, because whatsoeuer is
not done of faith is sinne. I charge
you in the feare of God that you
do not mistake that which is said,
for I knowe no learned preacher,
nor learned writer of other mind.
Yet least you should mistake the
matter, as I distinguished of lenders,
so I will distinguish of borrowers.
   If some may borrow vpon Vsurie,
it dooth not followe that all
may borrowe vppon Vsurie, because
all haue not the like cause:
therefore doo not say that I teach
you to borrowe vpon Vsurie, for
I thinke that the most in this citie
which borrowe vppon Vsurie,
should not borrowe as they doo,
because they rather maintaine Vsurie,
than supplie their necessitie.
<P E8R>
Some I know borrow for meere
necessitie; if any may be allowed,
those are they: but there is a kind
of borrowers in this Citie which
feede Vsurers as the bellowes
kindle the fire; for they haue no
neede to borrow, but because they
would bee rich, and richer, and richest
of all: therfore they will imploy
al the money which they can
borrowe, thinking to get more by
the vse of it, than the Vsurie of it
doth come too. This maketh the~
sell their wares so deare, because
they must not only gaine the price
but the interest beside, and more
than the interest too, or els they
gaine nothing. These borrowers
are in another predicament than
those which borrowe for necessitie:
and therefore if they bee not
olde enough to answere for themselues,
I am too young to answere
<P E8V>
for them. There are other borrowers 
as I haue heard, which for
some secrete cause would seeme
barer and needier than they are, either
because they would not bee
charged deeplie with Subsidies, or
els because they would compou~d
with their Creditors for a little:
therefore they will haue alwaies
some thing for Vsurie, that their
Creditors may thinke them bare
of money, or that other may pitie
the~ in their charges. These are like
those Foxes which haue wealth
enough to pay their debts, and yet
lie in prison because they would
defraud their Creditors. I doubt
not but there bee moe sorts than I
knowe, I cannot hunt euerie corner
because I want experie~ce: but
this is my conclusion, I would
haue no man pay interest vnto Vsurers
but for necessitie, euen as a
<P F1R>
trauailer giueth his pursse to a
theefe, because he cannot choose.
Thus you haue heard what I can
say of them which take Vsurie,
and them which giue Vsurie.



