Catholicke or vniuersall Church For the Tabernacle signifieth the Church militant vpon earth the holy Mountaine the Church triumphant in heauen By sojourning in the Tabernacle is vnderstood the short and transitorie abode of Christians as it were pilgrims in the earth as in a strange land by dwelling in the Mountain of God is signified their perpetuall eternall rest in heauen as in their owne countrey Wherein the Prophet alludeth vnto that materiall Tabernacle which was called the Tabernacle of the assembly or congregation and to the mount Moriah where the Temple was placed the one whereof was a type of the Church militant vpon earth the other was a figure of the Church triumphant in heauen I am not ignorant that both members are by some expounded of the Church militant and by others of the Church triumphant but I follow that exposition which seemeth best to agree with the words and meaning of the holy ghost For the varietie of phrase plainely argueth diuersitie of matter sojourning in Gods Tabernacle being much different from dwelling in the Mountaine of his holinesse And the conclusion of the answere in the last words of the Psalme which without doubt doth render the true meaning of the question belongeth both to this life and to that which is to come He that doth these things shall not beremooued for euer that is he shall neither fall away from the grace of God in this life nor be excluded out of Gods glorious presence in the life to come The sence therefore and meaning of the question is this Lord thou searcher and trier of the hearts and reines of men who art acquainted with all secrets and best knowest who are thine for as much as there is so much vnsoundnesse and hipocrisie among them that professe thy name and frequent the places of thy worship that many deceiue others with a counterfeit shew and some beguile themselues with a false opinion of religion declare I beseech thee vnto thy Church some tokens and cognisances of a true and sound Christian whereby the sheepe may be discerned from the goats and the wheat from tares shew vs Lord who is a sound member of the Church militant here on earth and shal be an inheritor of glorie in the Church triumphant in heauen who is a true subject of thy kingdome of grace and shall be an heire of the kingdome of glory And this was the meaning of the question Now let vs come to the words of this text Wherein wee are to consider two things the parts of the question and the partie to whom it is propounded Of the parts wee are to speake first seuerally of either and then joyntly of both together The former part Lord who shall soiourne in thy Tabernacle By Tabernacle some as I said vnderstand heauen which elsewhere in the Scriptures is called Gods Tabernacle and not vnsitly seeing the Lord stretcheth out the heauens as a curtaine and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in But howsoeuer the name Tabernacles is sometimes figuratiuely vsed to signifie heauenly and euerlasting habitations Notwithstanding it more properly signifieth tents in warre and the flitting habitations of warfaring men And that by Tabernacle is here meant the Church militant the other word of soiourning doth import For heauenly Tabernacles are not tents to sojourne in but mansions of perpetuall habitation and euerlasting rest Basill by Tabernacle vnderstandeth our flesh which the Apostle calleth the â—arthly house of our Tabernacle for our bodies are not onely Tabernacles but Temples also of God As if this were the sence Lord who is he who hauing sojourned as a stranger in this flesh of ours shal at the length rest with thee in thine heauenly kingdome And surely the sence which he giueth is godly for it teacheth that those which shall for euer rest in the mountaine of Gods holinesse do liue in this flesh as pilgrims and strangers mortifying their earthly members Notwithstanding his exposition is not fit For according to this interpretation the former part of the question containeth the answere to the latter for so hee sayth He that hath soiourned as a pilgrim in the flesh he shall dwell in the holy mountaine Most fitly therefore by Tabernacle we may vnderstand the Church militant which elsewhere is called the Tabernacle of God and sometimes the house sometimes the Temple of God For a Tabernacle is a militarie mansion and as it were a portable house which hath no fixed seat or setled place Now whereas the holy ghost calleth the Church of God a Tabernacle we learn first that the life of a Christian is a warfare as Iob saith wherein we are to fight against the enemies of our saluation which fight against our soules namely the flesh the world and the diuell Whereupon the Church of God vpon earth is called the Church militant It behooueth therefore euery one of vs that would bee esteemed a true member of the Church to behaue our selues as Christian souldiours fighting vnder the banner of Christ. And for as much as our aduersarie the Diuell goeth about like a roaring Lion seeking whom he may deuour and seeing the flesh lusteth against the spirit sending out of the heart as it were a furnace the sparkles of foolish and noisome lusts which fight against our soules and the world likewise partly by the desires thereof partly by bad examples carrieth vs away to embrace the world to mind earthly things to serue Mammon and to place our paradise here on the earth It behooueth vs therfore both to prepare our selues to this combat and therefore not to bee secure or to sleepe as others but to stand vpon our guard to be sober and vigilant and to arme our selues with that complete armour of God described Eph. 6. and also in the fight valiantly to encounter and constantly to withstand our spirituall enemies to resist the diuell and hee shall flie from vs with the shield of faith to quench his fierie darts and with the sword of the spirit which is the word of God to refell his assertions and repell his assentations So to vse the world that we doe not ouer-vse it so to possesse worldly things that we be not possessed of them but rather renouncing worldly lusts and being wained from worldly desires to meditate and mind heauenly things To crucifie the flesh with the lusts thereof and to mortifie our members which are on the earth liuing not according to the flesh but according to the spirit This warfare is to be entertained this warre is to be maintained of vs if we would be esteemed sound members of the Church militant who sojourning in the Tabernacle of God doe fight in his campe against our spirituall enemies But on the other side if we execute the workes of the diuell giuing our selues ouer vnto sinne and iniquitie if with Demas we embrace
LECTVRES ON THE XV. PSALME Read in the Cathedrall Church of S. Paule in London Wherein besides many other very profitable and necessarie matters the question of Vsurie is plainely and fully decided By GEORGE DOVVNAME Doctor of Diuinitie Whereunto are annexed two other Treatises of the same authour the one of Fasting the other of Prayer LONDON Printed by Adam Islip for Cuthbert Burbie and are to be sold in Paules Church-yard at the signe of the Swan 1604. TO THE MOST HIGH AND MIGHTY KING IAMES BY THE GRACE OF GOD KING of great Brittaine Fraunce and Ireland defender of the Faith c. YOVR Maiesties gracious acceptance of my Treatise concerning Antichrist hath emboldened me to dedicat these my labours vnto your Highnesse which are in no other respect worthie of your royall patronage but that they haue bene imployed in the explanation of an excellent Psalme of the royall Prophet Dauid whose writings the holy Ghost hath the rather commended to posteritie that by his example Kings and Princes might be admonished to spend part of their time which they may spare from their royall administration in heauenly meditations and spirituall exercises whereby they might gather assurance to themselues that after their earthly kingdome is ended they shall inherit an euerlasting kingdome in heauen for although it be a singuler fauour of God vouchsafed vnto them that they should so beare the image of his power and authoritie amongst men as that they should bee called Gods yet godly and Christian kings are not so much to glorie in the fruition of their temporall crownes and kingdomes as to solace themselues in the comfortable expectation of that incorruptible crowne of glorie which is laid vp for them in heauen For which cause King Dauid thought it to be his dutie to giue all diligence as Peter since hath exhorted vs all to make his calling and election sure and by vndoubted testimonies and infallible tokens to gather assurance vnto himselfe that hee was the true child of God And that he should not take his marks amisse as men are apt to deceiue themselue in this point he intreateth the Lord in this Psalme to reueale vnto him the vndoubted marks of the sons heires of God which hauing learned by the information of the holy Ghost he publisheth them to the common good of the Church Shewing as it were from the Oracle of God that not all that professe the true religion nor all that are able to discourse therof but those that walke worthie of their calling that behaue themselues as it becōmeth the children of the light that is that liue vprightly worke righteousnesse speake the truth from their hearts c. are the sound members of the Church militant vpon earth and shall bee inheritors of glorie in the Church triumphant in heauen The meditation and practise of which things I do so much the more boldly commend to your Maiestie because it euidently appeareth by your former both studies in priuat and also speeches in publicke and writings published you haue propounded Dauid to your selfe as a patterne for imitation And now as a Minister of God I exhort your Highnesse to immitat him still as in speaking and writing so especially in the conscionable practise of Christian duties that you may bee more and more as he was a man according to Gods owne hart walking before the Lord as he did in truth and righteousnesse and vprightnesse of heart and gouerning and guiding the people of God according to the integritie of his heart and the singuler wisedome of his hands So shall the Lord take pleasure in you as he did in him and will not onely giue your Highnesse long and prosperous dayes but will also blesse your posteritie after you and establish them in the throne of these kingdomes for euer to the euerlasting glorie of his name and the perpetuall good of his Church which mercies the Lord graunt for his Christs sake Amen Your Maiesties obedient and loyall subiect George Downame LECTVRES ON the 15. Psalme Verse 1. A Psalme of Dauid Lord who shall soiourne in thy Tabernacle who shall dwell in the mountaine of thy holinesse THis Psalme of Dauid is a Psalme of doctrine wherin the Kingly Prophet sheweth by what markes and notes a sound member of the Church militant and a true citizen of the kingdome of heauen may bee discerned and knowne And it is set downe in forme of a dialogue betwixt Dauid and the Lord consisting on two parts Dauids question Verse 1. and Gods answer in the rest of the Psalme The occasion of the question seemeth to haue beene the disguising and counterfeiting of many professors in all ages who liuing in the Church and not being of it but as goats among the sheepe and as tares among the corne doe notwithstanding by an externall profession of religion and false opinion of true pietie deceiue not only others but sometimes themselues also For many there are who place all religion in the performance of the outward worship And therefore such persons if they frequent the Church heare the word receiue the sacraments call vpon God with the rest of the congregation they imagine that they haue sufficiently discharged their dutie though their life and conuersation be irreligious and vnrighteous Yea and not a few seeme to repose such trust and affiance in the very name of the Church that if they imagine themselues to bee in the true Church and doe not gaine say the doctrine therein professed they take no further care for their saluation but liue securely as though all the members of the visible Church were also members of the inuisible and as though all which haue the externall Church to their mother had also God to their spiritual father in Christ. Wherefore to the end that men should no longer deceiue themselues with vaine opinions fond conceits the Prophet hauing first consulted as it were with the Oracle of God setteth downe certaine marks or notes of a true Christian and citizen of heauen wherby euery man may discerne himselfe And withall he teacheth that in a sound and liuely member of the Church an externall profession of the faith and an outward communion with the Church of God is not sufficient vnlesse the vprightnesse of our life be answerable to our profession And the same is confirmed by our Sauiour Christ Not euery one that saith vnto me Lord Lord shall enter into the kingdome of heauen but he that doth the will of my father which is in heauen Many shall say vnto me in that day Lord Lord haue not wee prophecied in thy name and cast out diuels in thy name and done great wonders in thy name And then will I professe vnto them saying I know you not depart from me you workers of iniquitie But now let vs search out the true sence and meaning of this question By the names of Tabernacle and Mountaine we are to vnderstand the two parts of the
or passing on in hope of transâ—ation to a better estate This word therefore the holy-ghost doth vse to signifie that a citizen of heauen is a pilgrim on earth and that his life here is a pilgrimage And so Peter calleth the time of our life the time of our pilgrimage And Iacob professeth that the daies of his pilgrimage meaning his life were few and euill And likewise Dauid I am a stranger saith he before thee and a pilgrim as all my forefathers were In a word it was the profession of all the faithfull That they were strangers and pilgrims vpon the earth Here therefore wee are taught so many as desire to be citisens of heauen to behaue our selues as pilgrims on the earth Who being exiles in a forraine land desire to come vnto our owne country He that hath a good patrimonie in his owne countrey great wealth kind and able kinred and friends and is forced for a time to sojourne in a strange land where he is ill intreated disturbed molested assailed by his enemies on euery side hee will affect nothing in that strange countrey neither will he set his heart vpon any thing there but his mind is vpon his countrey desiring nothing more than to returne thither But our countrey is in heauen where we haue an euerlasting inheritance an incorruptible and inestimable treasure where is God our heauenly father Christ our eldest brother and the rest of our brothers and sisters the Patriarchs Prophets Apostles Martyrs and all the quire of heauenly Saints and celestiall spirits and wee are pilgrims for a time here vpon earth where we are hated ill intreated assaulted with the temptations of Satan the world and the flesh subject to many inward infirmities and outward troubles And therefore it behooueth vs not to set our hearts on worldly things or to place our paradise vpon the earth For if our hearts be on the earth how is our treasure in heauen if the earth be our countrey how are we citizens of heauen Wherefore if we bee pilgrims in the world let vs not bee addicted to worldly desires let vs not mind earthly things but being wained from worldly cogitations let vs mind those things which be aboue Let vs vse the world as though we vsed it not and let vs be so affected towards earthly things as pilgrims and wayfaring men are toward such delights or commodities as they see in their journey or at their inne Which if they vse as meanes to further them in their journey yet they set not their hearts vpon them And yet assuredly our abode in this life in respect of our continuance in the mountaine of Gods holinesse is not so much as the time of our lodging or bait in an Inne Therefore howsoeuer such as be but earth-wormes doe crawle as it were vpon the earth and mind earthly things Yet must we remember that we are citisens of heauen and pilgrims on the earth Are wee pilgrims liuing as it were exiled from our celestiall countrey and heauenly father What ought wee then more feruently to desire than to be in our country and that this earthly Tabernacle of our body being dissolued wee might dwell in that habitation made without hands eternall in the heauens Are we such pilgrims as indeed desire to be in our countrey Let that then bee our chiefest care and indeuour to trauell into our countrey Let vs first seeke the kingdome of God and his righteousnesse and carefully vse the meanes of our saluation And let vs thinke that if wee bee pilgrims wee must also be wayfaring men Are we wayfaring men in this life then will wee vse hac vita vt via This life as a way and the things of this life as they may bee helpes vnto vs in this way Let vs make choise of the high and as it were the Kings way which leadeth vnto heauen the way of true faith and vnfained repentance Let vs insist and persist therein though it bee a narrow and an afflicted way Let vs walke before God in the duties of our lawfull callings and in those good workes which God hath prepared for vs. This is the way let vs walke therin Let vs not returne to our sinnes let vs not deâ—â—â—ne from the way of Gods commaundements either to the right hand or to the left let vs not stand at a stay nor looke backward with Lots wife and much lesse goe backward but with Paule let vs doe one thing forgetting that which is behind and striuing to that which is before let vs make on towards the marke vnto the price of the high calling of God in Iesus Christ knowing that whosoeuer perseuereth to the end he shall bee saued And this was the former part of the question concerning a true member of the Church militant which the holy ghost hath expressed in these wordes Who shall soiourne in thy Tabernacle calling the Church militant the Tabernacle of God and teaching that hee which is an heire of the kingdome of heauen is a pilgrim on earth Now followeth the later part of the question which is concerning the member that shall bee of the Church triumphant and inheritour of the kingdome of heauen in these words Who shall dwell in the mountaine of thy holinesse The kingdome of heauen by a metonymy of the signe he calleth the mountaine of God For the mountaine of God was a type of the kingdome of heauen And this mountaine was either the land of Canaan which was a type of the coelestiall Canaan as it is said Exod. 15. Thou shalt plant them O Lord in the mountaine of thine inheritance in the place which thou hast made for thine habitation or else the mount Sion which elsewhere is called the mountaine of Gods holinesse and was a type of the heauenly Ierusalem or lastly the Mount Moriah where the Temple was placed which is somewhere called the mountaine of the congregation standing on the North part of Sion and is therefore called the holy mountaine because it was the place of the holy assemblies which the Lord sanctified for his habitation and for his worship and this alâ—â— was a type of the temple of God that is to say of heauen Whereas therefore heauen is called the mountaine of God it is a metonymy such as wee find elsewhere in the Psalmes I cried vnto the Lord and he heard me out of the mountaine of his holinesse that is heauen And thus the most interpret this place as namely among the Greekes Basil saith this mountaine doth signifie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The supercelestiall religion which is euery way conspicuous and bright which some call Coelum Empyrium wherof the Apostle speaketh Heb. 12. Among the Latines P. Lombard in thy holy mountaine that is saith he In euerlasting blisse where is the vision of peace signified in the name Ierusalem and the supereminence or height of
of his life notwithstanding seeing it so neerly concerned the glory of God the good of his followers and the conuiction of his aduersaries he made a notable confession of the truth And that the truth sometimes may be concealed it may be proued by the authoritie of God himselfe For when as the Lord appointed Samuel to go to Bethlehem to annoint Dauid king Samuel desired to be informed how that might safely be done for if Saul should heare thereof he would be sure to kill him The Lord therefore teacheth him this godly pollicy Thou shalt take an heifer with thee and say I am come to sacrifice or as some read to selebrate a feast to the Lord. Whereas therefore Samuel was sent to Bethlehem for two causes he was by the commandement of God to conceale the more principall which teacheth vs that the simplicity of doues is to be tempered with the wisedome of seruants The same is proued by the example of Abraham which himselfe doth justifie for whereas Sara was not onely his sister according to the Hebrew phrase but also his wife he professed the one that she was his sister and concealed the other that she was his wife when as therefore the profession of the truth not necessary is joyned with the damage or danger either of our selues or others and so is vnseasonable howsoeuer we may neither deny the truth nor vtter an vntruth yet we may or rather must conceale the truth either wholly or in part As for example An innocent man who is persecuted for righteousnesse sake is sought for by his persecutors that he may be brought to punishment committeth himselfe to your fidelitie and safe custody The persecutors come and demaund of you where this partie is What will you do in this case If you tell where he is you betray the innocent If you knowing where he is shall say you cannot tell where he is or shall say he is where you thinke he is not you shall lye Will you offend in lying against your owne soule or in treachery against the innocent Forsooth the circumstances are to be considered If you plainely see that notwithstanding whatsoeuer you shall say he cannot be concealed it is all one in respect of the innocent partie whether you conceale the truth or confesse it For neither by confessing the truth shall you betray him nor by concealing it saue him If it be doubtfull whether by concealing the truth he may be preserued or not hide the truth so much as thou mayst and by telling some other truth as Raâ—ab did diuert the fury of the persecutors another way But if the partie be so hid that vnlesse thou discouer him he cannot be found and perhaps thou be asked concerning the very place where he is whether he be there or not here if you say nothing you betray him if you say I cannot tell you lye Therefore as Augustine faith A man in such a case must say I know where he is but I will neuer tell you for which Christian humanitie whatsoeuer you shall constantly endure it is so far from being worthy of blame that it is to be commended And here unto belongeth that memorable example recorded by Augustine in the same place of a certaine Bishop Firmâ—â—s by name but more firme as he saith in resolution For when as messengers sent from a persecuting emperour enquired of him concerning a Christian whom he had hid as secretly as he could where he was he answered them that neither could he lie neither would he betray the man neither could they by any tortures make him to discouer the partie Whereupon they bring him to before the emperour who admiring the constancie and courage of the Bishop was content for his sake to pardon the other Likewise in heathen writers the constancy of Zeno the Philosopher is highly commended who rather than he would be forced by any tortures to vtter secrets against his will he did bite off his tongue and spit it in the tyrants face And thus much may suffice to haue spoken of the three generall notes this onely remaineth that we should apply them to our selues Wherefore from this proposition of the holy Ghost Those that walke vprightly worke righteousnesse embrace the truth are such as shall inherit the kingdome of heauen and reciprocally those that shall inherit the kingdome of heauen are such as walke vprightly exercise iustice speake the truth in their hearts let vs consider what euery mans conscience will assume for if thy conscience shall make this assumption But I walke vprightly worke righteousnesse embrace the truth though with great imperfection yet with my true endeuour and vnfained purpose and desire of mine heart then vpon these premises will follow this happy conclusion Therefore thou are one of those that shall inherit the kingdome of heauen But on the other side if this be the assumption which thy con-conscience maketh Thou playest the hypocrite before God and dealest deceitfully with men thou liuest vnjustly and followest after lies vpon these premises it will follow necessarily That thou art not such an one as shall inherit the kingdome of heauen And therefore as thou wouldest hope to be saued so repent of these sinnes and embrace the contrary vertues which are here set downe as the proper notes of Gods children But let vs come to the fourth note which as also the third whereof euen now I spake respecteth the tongue and the same in part may be sayd of the eight Now whereas the holy Ghost among the ten notes of Gods children taketh two or three from the toung it appeareth that great regard is to be had of the tongue For howsoeuer many make but light account of their words which are they say but wind notwithstanding the holy Ghost affirmeth that death and life are in the power of the tongue and as men loue to vse it so shall they eate the fruit thereof And Christ our Sauiour after he had said that men are to giue an account of their idle words he adjoyneth this reason for by thy words saith he thou shalt be iustified and by thy words thou shalt be condemned Wherefore let vs learne to gouerne our tongue otherwise we shall be conuicted by three notes out of this Psalme that we neither are sound members of the Church militant nor shall be inheritors of glory in the Church triumphant but rather shall shew our profession of religion though otherwise neuer so glorious to be but vaine For as Iames saith If any man among you seemeth religious and refraineth not his tongue but deceiueth his owne heart that mans religion is vaine Moreouer betwixt the third note and this fourth there is great assinitie For thereby are signified two duties of the tongue which may not be seuered the contrary affirmatiue being vnderstood vnder this negatiue namely that the speech of the vpright man concerning his neighbour is full of charitie whereby The is so farre from
proportionable rent perhaps of fiue or six pounds for euer to the payment whereof the sellers lands may be liable But what if a man buy a rent for a certaine and difinit time as for ten or twentie yeares I answer if it be a true contract or bargaine and sale and a proportionable rate obserued that it is not vsurie no more than by the payment of a fine to diminish the rent Howbeit vsurie many times is cloked vnder such contracts As for example A man borroweth or alreadie oweth an hundred pounds which because he is not able to pay at once the creditor for it doth as it were buy of him a rent of twenty pounds a yeare for ten yeares which is a greater vsurie than of ten in the hundred For the borrower paying yearely ten pounds of the principall doth notwithstanding pay yearely ten pounds for vsurie as though no part of the principall had bene in the former yeares paid And thus we are to judge of those contracts wherein there is an absolut couenant for the alienation of the principall But the greatest controuersie is concerning those bargaines wherein the seller of a rent reserueth libertie to redeeme it and the buyer couenanteth vpon the repayment of the principall to sell it backe againe or rather to release it I aunswere if the buyer of the rent giueth as much for it as it is worth in the common estimation of men the couenant of releasing it to the seller when he shall redeeme it maketh not the contract vsurious For that couenant maketh the buyers bargaine the worse and not the better If therefore the seller require this couenant that by paying the principall he may redeeme the rent not because of the inequalitie of the rent but onely because he would not haue his lands liable to such a rent charge this couenant which maketh his case so much the better doth so much the more free the buyer from vsurie But when this couenant of redeeming the rent is made because of the inequalitie of the rent it is alwayes a cloke of vsurie For neither the seller meaneth perpetually to alienate the rent the greatnesse whereof forceth him so soone as he able to redeeme it neither doth the buyer otherwise than in taking a pawne or morgage intend the perpetuall alienation of his principall But you will say in this contract is not loane because the buyer hath no right to demaund his principall Neither doth he need for the seller will be sure so soone as he is able to repay it And therefore such a bargaine is rather a contract of oppignoration or morgage than of buying or selling And euen as he which hath a pawne of better value than his principall needeth not as in respect of his owne profit to be ouer-hastie with the borrower for the payment of his principall which indeed he hath no right to require hauing a pawne of more worth in lieu therof and yet is truly said to haue lent vpon a pawne so he which hath a round rent assured vnto him the right whereof is of more worth than his money though hee may not nor need not demaund againe his principall may truly be sayd to haue lent as it were on a pawne or morgage and in lending to haue committed vsurie because euen as in the contract of Antichresis he hath the fruit and profit of the thing pawned vntill the principall be payd and yet looketh either to haue the principall wholly payed allowing nothing back for the rent which he hath receiued in the meane time or the same rent to be continued for euer Wherfore M. Luther writing on this Psalme saith Nostro autem seculo â—oelicissima est vsura c. In our age vsurie is most happy being by the authority of the Bishop of Rome become justice a lawful coÌ„tract the name of vsurie being remoued and a new name inuented wherby it is now called contractus redemptionis The contract of redeeming or buying againe For this is now called a fine figure and by this justice the whole world at this day is justified especially the Cleargie and that monster reigneth securely the Gospell being by this meanes extinguished and all the righteousnesse thereof with the kingdome of God Necsic tamen Antichristum adesse vllus credit and yet not thus neither doth any man belecue that Antichrist is come And for the same cause the greatest patrons of these contracts do confesse that they haue succeeded in roome of the old vsurie from which they differ little in substance For what difference is it whether I assure a man ten pounds a yeare out of certaine lands vntill I repay vnto him an hundred pounds or enter into a bond of two hundred pounds for the payment of an hundred and ten this bond beeing renewed yearely vntill the principall be payd yet this difference there is that as in some respects the new vsurie is better than the old so in other respects worse Better because the creditor cannot force the debtor to the payment of the principall at once Worse first because the debtor is foâ—ced to greater securitie Secondly because whereas the old vsurie by the ciuile law was to cease and to determine so soone as it had matched the principall and whatsoeuer was payd more was to be abated from the debt 〈◊〉 â—â—at he which payeth yearely ten pounds for an hundred should by the ciuile law bee wholly 〈◊〉 charged oâ— the debt in the end of twentie yeares But in the 〈…〉 there is no regard had of equalling the princiâ— in so much that the increase may by manie degreeâ— exâ—â—ed the stocke it selfe In this argument therefore we are to hold the meanâ— neither condemning all buying of rents though it be with condition of selling backe againe the same nor yet allowing all We are not to condemne the buying of rents at an equall rate and indifferent price as lands and rents in the common estimation of men are valued As namely after the rate of twentie yeares purchase which is the rate obserued in this contract of redemption by the imperiall law of Germâ—nie For the preception of this rent is not vsurious First because this is not a contract of loane but of buying and selling Secondly because the rent which he receiueth is the fruit of that which is his owne raised out of such lands as are at his perill wheras in vsurie the creditor receiueth profit of that which now is not his the propertie being transferred vnto the borrower and with the propertie the hazard Neither doth the couenant of selling backe or releasing the rent to the seller when he shall redeeme it disproue the propertie or dominion which the buyer hath therein but onely circumscribe and restraine it As when I giue a man a commoditie with this condition he shall not allienat it to any other I giue him the propertie and dominion of the thing though restrained Neither are we to allow those bargaines wherein a greater rent
it is already in part of all honestarts and occupations For who would toile and moile who would carke and care who would beare the charge and hazard of other professions for an vncertaine and it may be no gaine who might be assured that the time which is the parent of vsurie as Basil sayth would bring him in without his labour without his cost without his hazard a very great and certain gaine For to omit the practises of those vsurers that know how by an hundred pounds to gaine fortie or fiftie pounds by the yeare who knoweth not that mony continually put foorth to vsurie after ten in the hundred doth in seauen yeares almost double the principall and in euery seauen yeares double the former summe So that 1000 pounds let out after this rate from three months to three months ariseth in seuen yeares to almost 2000 in 14 yeares to 4000 in 21 years to 8000 in 28 to 16000 in 35 to 32000 in 42 to 64000 in 49 to 128000 in 56 to 256000 pounds in 63 to 512000 in 70 yeares to more than a million and that is ten hundred thousand pounds Who would not sel his lands and goods and all that he can spare to raise a stocke of money that thereout he might by vsurie reape so great and so certaine a gaine if once in his conscience he were assured that vsurie is lawfull Yea husbandrie it selfe from which through the blessing of God there doth arise many times so great increase would be in smal request if vsurie might be esteemed as lawfull as it Alphius the vsurer in Horace hauing recounted all the commendations of the country life and seeming for the time to be rauished therewith resolued straightwayes to be a countreyman and hauing to that end gathered vp his money in the ides of one month he seeketh to put it forth to vsurie in the beginning of the next Hence it is that gentlemen when they can scarce raise an hundred pounds a yeare for their lands without racking their rents are so readie to sell them and hauing put the price thereof to vsury perhaps for three or foure hundred pounds a yeare giue ouer hospitalitie and betake themselues to some priuat house in a citie where they may liue priuatly at small charge as though they were borne for themselues alone Hence also it is that tradesmen hauing once gotten a good stocke giue ouer their trade and traffique and giue themselues wholly to vsurie And the rest whose stocks are not great do follow traffique but so as either they borrow money of the wealther vpon vsurie to traffique withall or else take vp their wares on trust at an high rate and sell them againe for time at an higher price to such as do retaile and they lastly do vtter them to particuler men at an excessiue rate And therefore hence proceedeth in part the deernesse of all things as I haue shewed before Again there is such inequalitie in vsurie that many men being consumed therby the wealth of the country where it is coÌ„monly practised commeth into the hands of a few Now polititians haue obserued that nothing is more dangerous for the conuersion or euersion of kingdomes than the great wealth of a few and the great want of the most and that is no way so much effected as by vsurie And therefore the enriching of a few by the impouerishing of many through vsurie hath bene as the histories of all ages do testifie an vsuall occasion of raising seditions and ciuile contentions in common weales when the feare of God hath not coÌ„tained men within their bounds as it alwayes ought to do â—ane vetus vrbi foenebre malum seditionum discordiarumque creberrima causa Vsurie saith Tacitus hath bene an old mischife to the citie of Rome and the most frequent cause of seditions and ciuile discords In all cities saith Ierome it is the greatest cause of sedition It is manifest saith Phil. Melancthon that by reason of the inequalitie which is in vsurie the greatest part of men where it is vsed are impouerished and that for the same cause seditions haue often bene raised in kingdomes A spice whereof we may see Nehem. 5. And yet these are not all the mischiefes which come to the common wealth by vsurie for ouer and besides all these it pulleth downe the fearefull judgements of God vpon that country wherein it being publickly allowed is vsually and openly practised as appeareth by that destruction threatned against Ierusalem for this sinne Ezek. 22. 12 13. Thou hast taken vsuriâ— and increase and hast gained from thy neiâ—ghbour by deceit and hast forgotten me saith the Lord God wherefore behold I clap my hands because of thy gaine that is as appeareth out of the former chapter I will as it were by clapping of hands set other nations vpon thee to ouercome thee c. Wherefore wise men when they haue considered not onely the wrong which is done to particuler men but also the manifold inconueniences and mischiefes which come to the common wealth by vsurie they haue confideÌ„tly affirmed that vsurers are worse than other theeues and that it were better for the common wealth that there should be a thousand theeues in it than an hundred vsurers For the further proofe whereof I referre you to the writings of that worthie Bishop Iewell vpon 1. Thes. 4. 6. Yea some haue not doubted to say that the vsurer is to be esteemed as a common enemie to all men Luther saith An vsurer is a blood-sucker of the people as a worme in an apple or nut consumeth all that is within so an vsurer deuoureth the substance of the cittie by wonderfull and secret meanes Now if any man shall object that notwithstanding all that hath bene said vsurie may seeme profitable and necessarie vnto common wealthes because the lawes of all common wealthes haue allowed the practise thereof I answer first that seldome or neuer haue the lawes of any countries allowed of vsurie But euer the Lawgiuers when they saw any hope of abolishing it altogether haue wholly condemned it or if the couetousnesse and hardnesse of mens hearts would not suffer them to conceiue any such hope they haue laboured to restraine it onely and to keepe it within some compasse that it should not be ouer-burdensome either to the borrowers or to the common wealth Among others Solon Lycurgus and Plato in his booke of Lawes haue wholly forbidden it The ancient Romans who are renowmed for wisedome and politicke justice first stinted vsurie at one in the hundred and by the lawes of the twelue Tables ordained that if any vsurer should take aboue one in the hundred he should be punished fourefold whereas a theefe by the same lawes was to be punished but twofold Whereby you may gather saith Cato how much they esteemed an vsurer to be a worse common-wealths man than a theefe Within one hundred and three yeares after as Bodin
law which neither in the law nor gospell nor any where in the Scriptures are once named for the condemnation whereof it is sufficient if it may by just consequence be deducted out of the Scriptures But vsurie is condemned both in the old Testament and the new In the old expresly and by name In the new by necessarie consequence as sometimes vnder the contrarie affirmatiue for where free lending is commaunded as Mat. 5. 42 not free lending that is vsury is condemned sometimes vnder the general as Eph. 4. 28. 1. Thes. 4. 6 Let him that stole steale no more Let no man oppresse or defraud his brother 1. Corinth 6. 10. neither theeues nor couetous persons shall inherit the kingdome of God Sometimes abstinence from vsurie is commanded vnder the arguments of the greater and lesse as Luke 6. 35. Lend looking for nothing thence For if I must lend without respect of mine owne profit or without expectation of any benefit or gaine thereby as the most expound that place then much more must I lend without a couenant especially without an absolut couenant for gaine And if I must lend without hope or expectation of recouering my principall as others vnderstand that place then much more must I lend without expectation of a gain and ouerplus aboue my principall and if without expectation of gaine much more without a couenant for gaine Hence Ierome saith In euangelio virtutis augmentum est Ambrose euangelium dicit quod est plenius Sometimes againe by an argument drawne from the lesse Euen sinners saith our Sauiour are willing and readie to lend one to another without vsurie how much more doth it become you that are Christians to lend one to another without vsurie Do sinners who are but naturall and ciuile men in common courtesie and humanitie lend one to another to receiue their owne without increase and shal it not be a shame to such as professe themselues members of Christ to be behind sinners And whereas they affirme that vsurie was in the time of Christ and his Apostles commonly practised among the Romanes and the Iewes I greatly doubt of the truth of that assertion in respect of the Romanes seeing Tiberius in the latter part of his reigne had vsed effectuall meanes for the abolishing of vsurie as Alexander ab Alexandro reporteth but much more in respect of the Iewes among whom the practise of vsurie was forbidden by the law of God and to whom in the sixt of Luke our Sauiour giueth this testimonie That the very sinners among thē would lend one to another to receiue as much as they lent Iames also in his Epistle findeth fault with the rich men of that time that they suffered their gold and siluer to rust which they would not haue done if they had bene addicted to vsury and therefore the lesse practise of vsurie in those times may be some reason why it is not expresly mentioned in the writings of the Apostles And hereunto I might add the testimony of some Historiographers who affirm that vsurie in the primitiue Church in the time of the Apostles was most odious among all that professed the name of Christ. But say they again What if our Sauiour Christ beso far from condemning vsurie that he approueth it for when as he condemneth that slouthfull seruāt because he had not occupied his talent he saith that he should haue put forth his mony to the bankers that at his cōming he might receiue his own with vsurie Mat. 25. 27. Where say they our Sauior speaketh of vsurie as of a lawfull gaine and withall signifieth that it is better for a man who hath no other lawful trade to gain by to put forth his mony to vsury than to haue it idle by him And how is it proued that Christ speaketh of vsury as of a lawful gain seeing this is not Christs own speech but by him assigned to a worldly master Forsooth because by this Lord or master Christ himselfe is represented and therefore it is not likely that he would assign to him such a speech as should contain any dishonest thing in it Answ. First it may be doubted whether this lord or master would haue had his mony put forth to vsury though he speake of receiuing it again with vsurie For when any thing is restored to a man with increase that increase by a metaphoricall speech is called vsurie As for example the earth is sayd by the Orator neuer to repay that which it receiued without vsurie and therefore that is called naturall vsurie The Lord is said to repay him that is mercifull to the poore as it were with vsurie Likewise when men shal haue imployed the gifts of God to the glorie of God and good of his Church the Lord when he shall call his seruants to an account wil acknowledge that he hath receiued his owne with vsurie and this as also the former is called spirituall vsurie whereof the holy Ghost speaketh in this place Againe when the debtor hauing gained by the imployment of the money borrowed doth restore the principall with the increase of a free gift or gratuitie the creditor may be said to receiue his owne with vsurie and that is called liberall vsurie Likewise if a man should deale by way of partnership with a merchant or exchanger which in this place is called a Trapezite to receiue part of their gaine when they do gaine he may be said when by partnership he proueth a gainer to receiue his owne with vsurie But suppose this speech were so to be vnderstood as that this Maister would haue had his seruant to haue put forth his money to vsurie yet this prooueth not that Christ doth therefore approue vsurie First because the maister speaketh of himselfe according to that opinion which his seruant had conceiued of him Thou knowest me to be an hard man who as vsurers vsually doe take vp which I laid not downe and reape where I sowed not and gather where I strewed not why then diddest thou not accommodate thy selfe to my disposition and do thy best indeuour that I might receiue mine own with vantage Or if thou wert so idle as that thou wouldest not according to my commaundement Luke 19. 13. take the paines or so diffident and distrustfull as that thou wouldest nor beare the hazard of negotiation yet at the lest thou mightest haue committed it to the bankers From whence you may gather by the way that the course of vsurie fitteth them best who are both idle and distrustfull But this speech of this maister who representeth our Sauiour Christ doth no more prooue that he alloweth vsurie than that he acknowledgeth himselfe to be an hard and austere master who taketh vp where he laid not downe c. And suppose againe that our Sauior Christ had compared himselfe to a master who was an hard man indeed and would require his seruants to put forth his money to vsurie yet
are to imploy them as our Lord and maister appointeth and seeing our Lord and maister appointeth vs and that vpon paine of damnation to communicat them to the necessities of our brethren as their need shall require and our abilitie afford it behoueth vs as we tender our owne saluation so also to tender the distressed estate of our poore brethren The second impediment is couetousnesse joyned with distrust for when as men are couetous they will not lay forth any thing vnlesse it be for their aduantage and being distrustfull they imagine that what is giuen is lost But hereunto I will oppose as an antidote the gracious promises of God made to those who are gracious to the poore whether by free giuing or free lending Thou saist thou wilt not giue because thou knowest not what want thy selfe may haue but what saith the holy Ghost To him that giueth vnto the poore shall be no want but to him that hideth his eyes shall be plentie of cuâ—ses Thou wilt not lend to the needie because thou doubtest that what is lent to them will neuer be repaid But what saith the spirit of God He that hath mercy on the poore lendeth vnto the Lord and the Lord will recompence him that which he hath giuen To which you may adde Deut. 15. 10. 23. 20. Luke 6. 35. Seeing therfore the Lord hath made such gracious promises to those that are mercifull towards the poore and needie were it not extreme infidelitie to imagine that by our liberalitie towards the poore we should become loosers seeing he hath promised to repay what is lent and to reward what is giuen Nay so farre shalt thou be from losse or hinderance by the charitable communicating of thy goods as that this is the surest way not onely of sauing them that they be not lost but also of laying them forth to increase For whereas we are stripped of all other our goods by death which turneth vs as naked out of this world as we came into it these which we haue charitably giuen do remaine vnto vs after death And therefore as they which trauell into forraine countries doe not cary their mony with them partly for feare of robbing by the way and partly because it would not be currant in the countrey whereunto they trauell but deliuer it to the bankers vpon a bill of exchange whereby they may be assured to receiue their money so we being to depart out of this life for as much as we cannot take our money with vs neither is it currant in heauen ought to commit it to the poore and needie as it were the Lords bankers vpon his promise in his word as it were his bill of exchaunge whereby he assureth vs of full recompence in the life to come Wherefore that which we commit to the poore according to the rules of charitie Illud non amittimus sed promittimus That we do not loose but as it were send before vs. And that is it which our Sauiour saith Make you friends of this Mammon of iniquitie c. For it is most certaine that we shall be put out of the stewardship by death neither shall the administration of these temporal goods any longer appertaine vnto vs. What course therefore may we take that when we are put out of our stewardship we may haue some benefit and comfort by the imployment of our goods in the time of our stewardship we are by the charitable exposing of our goods to make vs friends of this vnrighteous Mammon that when we shall be put out of this stewardship we may be receiued into euerlasting tabernacles Againe the charitable exposing of goods in the Scriptures is compared to sowing of seed in the ground 2. Cor. 9. 6 Therefore as the husbandman casteth his seed into the ground in hope of good increase in time of haruest although his seed do rot in the meane time and die in the earth so we should cast our seed vpon the poore as it were the Lords plowed land in certaine assurance of a plentifull increase in the great haruest at which time it shall be sayd Come you blessed of my father inherit the kingdome which is prepared for you for when I was hungrie you gaue me meat when I was thirstie you gaue me drinke c. That therefore which hindereth men from giuing almes that is a couetous desire of bettering our estate would chiefly stirre vs vp thereto if we yeelded any credit to the promises of God Wouldest thou then thriue by vsurie lend not vpon worldly vsurie to men who will pay thee but ten in the hundred but lend vpon spirituall vsurie vnto the Lord who hath promised to repay an hundred fold The third and last impediment is hardnesse of heart shutting vp the bowels of compassion in the richer sort and taking from them all feeling and regard of other mens necessities For the remoouing whereof let the richer sort consider first that the poorest Christian that liueth is his owne flesh Esay 58. 7. Secondly that he is his brother in Christ redeemed by the same most precious bloud of Christ. Yea thirdly that he is a fellow member of the same bodie whereof Christ is the head and therefore in the fourth place that Christ esteemeth that giuen to him which is giuen to his poore members and that to be denied to himselfe which is denied to one of them Consider then with me if any man ought to deny vnto Christ an almes who hath not denied himselfe to vs or if any should whether he were not to be esteemed a most wicked and hard hearted man If you shall say farre be it from vs that we should deny any thing to Christ our Sauiour and yet are hard hearted towards the poore I would aduise you to call to mind the excuse which the wicked shall make at the day of judgement with the answer of Christ the judge When say they did we see thee hungrie or thirstie or a stranger or naked or sicke or in prison and did not minister vnto thee To whom our Sauiour answereth Verily I say vnto you in as much as you did it not to one of the least of these you did it not to me Mat. 25. 44 45 where also we may obserue that the sentence of saluation and condemnation shall be pronounced at the last day according either to the performance or neglect of this dutie Wherefore as we tender the saluation of our soules so let vs thinke our selues bound not onely to abstaine from all worldly vsurie which I proued to be a damnable sinne but also to practise this spirituall vsurie wherin we hauing lent vnto the Lord shall be sure to receiue a plentifull reward THere remaineth the tenth and last note of the sound Christian and citisen of heauen in these words Nor taketh reward against the innocent Now rewards are taken either by way of briberie to pâ—ruert judgement or by way of trecherie to betray innocent bloud