Selected quad for the lemma: england_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
england_n	common_a	law_n	realm_n	3,126	5	8.8443	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A01704	The blessing of a good king Deliuered in eight sermons vpon the storie of the Queene of the south, her words to Salomon, magnifying the gouernment of his familie and kingdome. By Thomas Gibson, minister.	Gibson, Thomas, M.A.	1614 (1614)	STC 11841; ESTC S103127	203,984	514

but once for thirty pence but they sell Christ continually as often as they can Iudas restored that which he had vniustly taken but the vsurers neuer make restitution Some compare the vsurer to an hogge or pigge that while he liueth is profitable and good for nothing hee will euer be rooting vp the earth running through hedges and eating vp good corne So doth the vsurer much hurt while hee liueth Indeed when the hog is dead there is some profite So it may be when the vsurer dyeth the poore shall get somthing How many Sermons haue been preached in this and other places against vsury how many Bookes and Treatises both long since and of late haue beene written by the best learned men of our owne Countrey against this monstrous sinne Giue mee leaue to put you in minde of some of them to the further shame and condemnation of greedy vsurers Worthy and reuerend Iuell whose workes are now to be seene in euery Church writing vpon the Epistle of the Thessalonians the fourth chapter doth bitterly inueigh against vsury saying That no good and godly man will vse it that all that feare Gods iudgments abhorre and condemne it that it is filthy gaine and a worke of darknesse a monster in nature the ouerthrow of mighty kingdomes the destruction of flourishing states the decay of wealthy Citties the plague of the world the misery of the people It is theft the vsurer is worse then the thiefe it is the curse of God and the curse of the people this is vsury There was neuer any religion saith he nor sect nor state nor degree nor profession of men but they haue disliked it a Phylosophers Greekes Latines Lawyers Diuines Catholickes Heretickes all tongues and nations haue euer thought an vsurer as bad as a thiefe Nature proueth it if stones could speake they would say as much He threatneth to excommunicate all vsurers of that Citty where hee preached to publish their names shame them that all men may know them and abhorre them as the plagues monsters of the world And thus hee concludeth Tell mee thou wretched wight of the world thou vnkinde creature which art past all sence and feeling of God which knowest the will of God and doest the contrary how darest thou come into the Church It is the Church of God which hath said Thou shalt take no vsury How darest thou reade or heare the word of God It is the word of God that condemneth vsury and thou knowest it how darest thou come into the company of thy brethren vsury is the plague and destruction and vndoing of thy brethren and this thou knowest How darest thou look vpon thy children thou makest the wrath of God fall downe from heauen vpon them thy iniquity shall bee punished in thē to the third fourth generation this thou knowest How darest thou looke vp vnto the heauens thou hast no dwelling there Thou shalt haue no place in the tabernacle of the most high In many other Treatises vsury is arraigned conuicted condemned by sundry verdicts it is proued scandalous and of bad report against the law of God against the law of nations against iustice honesty and charity All shifts excuses obiections and exceptions are taken away and remoued And whereas some learned men do seeme to fauour in some sort to tollerate this sin yet it is with these and such like cautions and limitations To deale as he would be dealt withall to lend freely where they borrow vpon necessity and that the borrowers gaines be so much more as the interest at least that the Common-wealth haue no hurt by it But before the vsurer will be tied to these conditions exceptions he will first giue ouer his trade And that all that hath beene spoken might at least perswade some vsurers to lead a new course to restore their ill-gotten goods to lend freely in mercy loue and compassion These vsurers to whom Nehemiah spake were touched at this one speech and as it seemeth confessed their fault amended it and shall men which confesse Christ after so many bookes written and so many Sermons preached against them shall they yet continue in this enormious sin without repentance and restitution how shall they then escape the vengeance and damnation to come Howsoeuer let Magistrates as their duty requires them after the example of Nehemiah be carefull to ease their people of this heauy burden and oppression Let the Magistrate I say by counsel by example and reproofe and by all possible meanes that they can seeke if it may be to reforme these oppressors at least to shame and restraine them And pitty it is that there be not seuere sharp lawes for the punishment of these as well as of other notorious offenders We may wish as one long since Good Lord God send to England some Solon for the redresse of this who took away the vsurers bookes and their gaines from them and forbad such filthy lucre and brought in an easement of this burden for that all debters were discharged from all such creditors which had lent their money for vsury and gaine or at leastwise were eased from the vsury of it Thus did Solon in the detestation of vsury A sharpe kind of dealing no doubt and a strange but in great diseases sharpe corrosiues must needes bee vsed when lenitiue salues will not serue I reade that long before the Conquest King Edgar that iust gouernour and seuere Magistrate against all leud officers in this Land did amongst other his good deedes make proclamation that all the Wolues should bee killed in England and Wales because they were rauenous beasts and deuourers of sheepe and other cattel to the great hinderance and harme of his subiects And to haue this the beter done he apointed many to bring for their fines and reuenues Wolues heads yearly some more some lesse and such as could not bring Wolues heads in paid their fines and reuenues in money Now such force tooke this good order in this Land that within a while there was not a Wolfe to bee had nor found neither in England nor Wales That learned man wisheth that likewise all vsurers should suffer the paines of death or be banished this realme for euer that there might hereafter no more vsurers bee found in England then are Wolues to bee had this day He doth not see but that it is as necessary to haue a law against vsurers as against theeues and a great deale more for theeues steale many times for necessity whereas vsurers rob and vndo all men for greedy gluttony the one stealeth a crowne in the high way the other robbeth men in the high street of all that they haue the one stealeth a little to sustaine nature the other scratcheth vp the whole treasure of England to serue his owne couetous and wretched desire to the vtter vndoing of thousands And if these lawes seeme bloudy although the hanging of poore wretches for smal matters is counted nothing bloudy at all

then would I that the old lawes of England were put in execution such as are called King Edwards lawes of the common lawes of England whereof one was that the goods of an vsurer after his discease should turne to the benefite of the Prince when twelue men had found by proofe that the party disceased was an vsurer in his life time Finally that learned man in that learned discourse against v●ury written so many yeares agoe alledgeth many sharpe punishments appointed by the ciuill common lawes And least he should seeme of small credit for to speake too hardly and without proofe let vs see what Mr Iuell in a letter speaketh of that booke What it should worke in others I cannot tell saith he for mine owne part if I were an vsurer neuer so greedily bent to spoile rauen as vsurers be yet would I thinke my selfe most vnhappy if such perswasions could not moue me for what man would not be afraid to liue desperately in that state of life that hee seeth manifestly condemned by Heathens by Christians by old Fathers by the ancient Councels by Emperours by Bishops by Cannons by Decrees by all Sects of all Religions by the Gospell of Christ by the mouth of God And if it be so is not vsury to be punished and restrained by all possible meanes It is the decree of a Counsel that a Cleargy man an vsurer should be degraded and therefore it is counted a deadly sin Another Councell condemneth all for Heretickes who held vsury lawfull Another decreed that manifest vsurers should bee depriued of the communion and fellowship of the Christians in their life and of Christian buriall after death till their heires had restored their vsury Considering therefore the danger and hurtfulnesse of this sin which so commonly reigneth amongst vs let all good Gouernours I say continually set before their eyes this worthy example of good Nehemiah hauing the like care and compassion that he had towards his people vsing all meanes they can to ease them of heauy burdens and to suppresse vsury extortion and all kinde of oppression whatsoeuer Herein they shall bee like God himselfe who is said to execute righteousnesse and iudgement to all that are oppressed And not onely such as be oppressed with wrongs and iniuries are to bee respected of the good Magistrate but also all they whosoeuer that be in want and necessity not being able to maintaine themselues All these I say are to be prouided for by the care and prouidence of good Gouernours and this is a part of Iustice Equity and Righteousnesse This is a speciall part of their office to relieue and helpe the poore by their example counsell and power to draw others and if need require to constraine them to the helping and aiding of the needy Magistrates are Pastors Fathers and Nurses they must see that all their sheepe and children bee fed and nourished God is the creator of the poore and by his prouidence they are poore Christ is their Redeemer and died for them as well as for the rich and therefore they must not bee contemned but much regarded as men yea as Christian men God is the God of the poore of the ●●iect of the fatherlesse and widdowes he is full of compassion to such hath a care of them hee hath made many lawes giueth many precepts for the defence and reliefe of the poore hath ordained Kings Iudges Magistrates and other officers in the Church Common-wealth for the comfort succour and help of the poore and needy and because there shall be alwayes some poore in the land therefore he commandeth saying Thou shalt open thy hand to thy brother to the needy to the poore in the land And he saith a litle before Thou shalt giue him and let it not grie●e thine heart to giue him for because of this the Lord thy God shall blesse thee in all thy workes and in all that thou doest take in hand to doe Salomon may be commended to bee the poore mans King for he doth commend the poore vnto vs by many exhortations and precepts There is saith hee that se●ttereth and is more increased but hee that spareth more then is right surely commeth to pouerty The liberall person shall haue plenty and he that watereth shall haue raine He that ●ppresseth the poore reproueth him that made him but hee honoureth him that hath mercy on the poore He that stoppeth his eare at the crying of the poore shall also cry and not be heard Hee that hath mercy on the poore lendeth vnto the Lord and the Lord will recompence him that which hee hath giuen Againe He that giueth vnto the poore shall not lacke but he that hideth his eyes shall haue many curses Many such counsels and prouerbes he deliuereth for the comforting and relieuing of the poore And as he gaue this counsell to others so hee was carefull to follow it himselfe Dauid his father prophesieth of him Hee shall deliuer the poore when hee crieth the needy also and him that hath no helper He shall be mercifull to the poore and needy and shall preserue the soule of the poore Christ the true Salomon giueth the like counsell touching the poore and practiseth the same in himselfe being a most liuely and perfect patterne of mercy and compassion to the distressed He faith Blessed are the mercifull for they shall obtaine mercy Againe Be mercifull as your father is also mercifull And in another place Giue almes of those things which are within and behold all things shall be cleane to you Sell that yee haue and giue almes make you bagges which waxe not old a treasure that can neuer faile in heauen where no thiefe commeth neither moth corrupteth And when wee make a feast hee biddeth vs call the poore the maimed the lame and the blinde and so saith he thou shalt bee blessed because they cannot recompence thee for thou shalt bee recompenced at the resurrection of the iust He sheweth the fearefull and damnable estate of the rich man who fared delicately euery day but yet had no care to relieue poore Lazarus And as the Lord Iesus doth perswade all men to mercy so hee himselfe was most mercifull ready and willing to do good to the bodies and soules of men Hee is touched with the feeling of our infirmities and ready to helpe in time of need When he saw the multitude hee had compassion vpon them because they were dispersed and scattered abroad as sheepe hauing no Sheapheard And when he saw another great multitude which had nothing to eate he called his Disciples to him and said vnto them I haue compassion on the multitude because they haue now continued with me three dayes and haue nothing to eate and if I send them away fasting to their owne houses they will faint by the way for some of them came from farre And presently hee wrought a miracle for with seuen loues and