of lying as they say there is a pernicious lye and an officious lye and a merrie lye and a godly lye so they say there is the Merchants Vsurie and the Strangers Vsurie and the Widdowes Vsurie and the Orphanes Vsurie and the pooremans Vsurie and the biting Vsurie and the charitable Vsurie and the necessarie Vsurie As God said ye shall die the woman sayd peraduenture ye shall dye and the Serpent said ye shall not dye so there be three opinions of Vsurie some say like God thou shalt dye they thinke that Vsurie is vtterly vnlawfull because God hath vtterly forbid it some say like the woman peraduenture thou shalt dye they doubt whether Vsurie be vtterly vnlawfull or no because it is so much tollerated some say like the Serpent thou shalt not dye they thinke that Vsurie is lawfull because it is gainefull as Saule thought that the Idolaters beastes should not be killed because they were fat But as he was commaunded to kill the fat beastes as well as the leane so we are commanded to kill fat sinnes as well as leane sinnes gainefull sinnes as well as prodigall sinnes They which pleade for Vsurie obiect these arguments First they say God doeth alow some kinde of Vsurie for in Deut. 23. it is said of a stranger thou mayest take Vsurie I perceiue no scripture speaketh for Vsurers Of a stranger sayth God thou mayest take Vsurie but thou takest Vsurie of thy brother therefore this condemneth thee because thou vsest thy brother like a stranger Here stranger doth signifie the Iewes enemies whome they were commaunded to destroy therefore marke how much this maketh against Vsurie which they obiect for Vsurie God doeth not license the Iewes to take Vsurie of any but their enemies whome they might kill They might not be Vsurers vnto any but to them of whom they might be destroyers whome they might slay of them only they might take Vsurie shewing that Vsurie is a kind of punishment and such a kind of punishment as if we are to kill a man it were a very fit punishment for him and therefore the Iewes might take Vsurie of none but them whom they might kill Secondly they say that they lend for compassion and so make Vsurie a worke of charitie This were charitie not to be partakers in our gaines but to be partakers in our losses but Vsurers will be partakers in our gaines but not in our losses nay though we lose yet they will gaine is this charitie it is colde charitie to partake in our gaines and not in our losses Thirdly they say if he gaine and I gaine too is not this well may he not consider my friendship and be thankefull yes hee may be thankfull but no man is bound to be thankfull but when he hath receiued a good turne then he is tried whether he wil be thankfull or no and if he requite thy curtesie then he is thankefull but if thou bind him to requite it then thou art couetous Fourthly they say Vsurie is necessarie for Orphanes and Widdowes and Straungers which haue no other way to get their liuing and therefore some Vsurie must be tolerated If Vsurie be necessarie for vs how did the Iewes without it Did God thinke it good for the state of their common weale to be without Vsurers and is it good for the state of our common weale to haue Vsurers this is wisdome against God Fiftly they say If I may not gaine by the money which I lend I will lend no more but keepe my money to my selfe nay that is as bad to keepe thy money from them which neede as to lend thy money for Vsurie For Christ saith from him which borroweth turne not away thy face Therefore thou art bound to lende As he hath a cursse in Prou. 11. which keepeth his Corne when hee should fell it to them which hunger so he hath a cursse in Eze. 18. which keepeth his money when he should lende it to them which want Sixtly they say because Vsurie comes of biting the biting Vsurie is onely forbidden and none but the biting Vsurie why then all Vsurie is forbidden for all Vsurie commeth of biting to shewe that all Vsurie is vnlawfull Lastly they aleadge the Law of the land for it and say the Queens Statute doeth allowe vs to take vppon Vsurie tenne in the hundreth These are like the Iewes which sayd We haue a lawe and by our lawe he shall dye when they coulde not saye by Gods lawe he shall die then they said by our lawe he shall dye so when they cannot say by Gods lawe we may take Vsurie they say by mans law we may take Vsurie this is the poorest defence of all the rest for if Gods lawe forbid thee can any lawe of man excuse thee As it would not serue Adam to say the woman bad me so it will not serue the Vsurer to say the Lawe doth licence me But he cannot say the Law doth license me for though peraduenture our law do tollerate more than should be tollerated yet I would haue you know that our lawe doeth not allow tenne in the hundreth nor fiue in the hūdreth nor one in the hundreth nor any Vsurie at all but there is a restraint in our law that no Vsurer take aboue tenne in the hundreth it doeth not allow tenne in the hundreth but punisheth that tyrant which exacteth aboue tenne in the hundreth It is much like that tolleration which we reade of diuorces For the hardnesse of mens hearts Christ saith that Moses did suffer the man and wife to part asunder So for the hardnesse of mens hearts our Moses our Prince is fame to suffer as it were a kinde of Vsurie because otherwise no men would lende These are the best excuses which our Vsurers haue to pleade for themselues against they come before the tribunall of GOD and if their reasons will not stande before men nor their owne conscience how will they stande before the Lorde Now you long to heare what the Vsurer is like To what shall I liken this generation They are like a Butlers boxe for as all the counters at last come to the Butler so all the money at last commeth to the Vsurer ten after ten and ten after ten and ten to ten till at last he receiue not onely ten for an hundreth but an hundreth for ten This is the onely difference that the Butler cā receiue no more than he deliuered but the Vsurer receiueth more than hee deliuereth They are like a Moth euen as a Moth eateth a hole in cloath so Vsurie eateth a hole in siluer If you haue a peece of siluer which is as much as an hundreth pounds in one yere Vsurie will eate a hole in it as big as ten pounds in two yeares she will eate a hole as big as twentie pounds in three yeares she will eate a hole as big as thirtie pounds Nay now they say he is but a
that day vpon which they receyue like a Schollers Thurseday which he loues better then all the dayes in the weeke only because it is his play day Maruell not now if you haue not felt that comfort after the Sacrament which you looked for for it is comfortable to none but to thē which prepare their harts and examine themselues before because it is not the mouth but the heart which receiueth comfort Now it may be that the most which are heere haue brought a mouth and not a heart these goe away from the Sacrament to despight Christ as Iudas went from the Sacrament to betraye him The other goe away like one which hath receyued a cheerefull countenance of the Prince all his thoughts are ioy and the countenance of the Prince is still in his eye As hee which hath eaten sweet meate hath a sweet breath so they which haue eaten Christ all their sayings and dooings are sweete like a perfume to men and incense to GOD their peace and conscience and ioy of heart and desire to doo good will tell them whether they haue receiued the bare signes or the thing signified Euerie one which receiueth this Sacrament shal feele himselfe better alter it like the Apostles or els he shall finde himselfe worse after it like Iudas Hereby ye shal know whether yee haue receiued like the Apostles or like Iudas Thus we haue ended the doctrin of the Lords Supper Now if you can not remember all that I haue said yet remember the text that is Examine your selues before you receiue this Sacrament hereafter FINIS THE Examination of Vsurie in two Sermons Taken by Characterie and after examined Imprinted at London by Thomas Orwin for Thomas Man dwelling in Paternoster row at the signe of the Talbot 1591. To the Reader HEere thou hast the Sermons which haue bin often desired because of the matter fit for this Citie One sayth that he would neuer speake to Vsurers and Bribe-mongers but when they be vpon their death beds for he which liueth by sin resolueth to sin that he may liue But when he goeth to hanging Iudas will say I haue sinned If I speake not to Vsurers vppon their death-bed yet I speake to Vsurers which shall lye vppon their death-bed Three things do giue me hope One is that all harts are in the hands of God to call them at what houre he list and therefore Saul may become an Apostle The next is that the third crow doth waken moe then the former and therefore after the crowing of other this crow may happily be heard The last is that there is no sinne but some men haue bin reclaimed from it and so may Vsurers from their sinne Therefore goe my booke like Dauid against Goliah and sight the Lords battells against Vsurers The Lord giue that successe to his doctrine in these leaues that it may consume Vsurers as Ioshuah droue out the Chananites before him If I could take but this one weede out of the Londoners Garden I were answered for my health and my strength spent amongst them Reade with thy best minde and thou shal profit more Thine H. S. The Examination of Vsurie in two Sermons The first Sermon Psal. 15. vers 1. 5. Lord who shall dwell in thy tabernacle Who shall rest in thine holie mountaine He that giueth not his money to Vsurie THese two verses must bee considered together because one is the question and the other is the answere Dauid demands who shall come to heauen and GOD tels him that Vsurers shall not come thether as if hee should say They shall goe to hell Therefore as Paule taught Timothie to warne thē which are rich as though they had more neede to be warned than other so this sentence seemeth to bee penned for a warning to the rich because it strikes vpon the rich mans vice 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 argumēts 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 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 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 occupatiōs How many of this Citie for all that they are Vsurers yet would be counted honest mē 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 any thing 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 arguments which are alleaged for it then I will shewe the punishment of it then I will 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
Chro. 35. 6. All are bound to know the Scriptures Act. 17. 11. Note Exo. 20. 1. c. 2. Cor. 13. 5 Ioh. 5. 39. Vers. 28. The diuision 2. Cor. 11. 14. 1. Iohn 4 1. A description of true Examination Iere. 8. 6. Iob. 9. 28. Mat. 13. 44 1. Thess. 5. 21. Mat. 13. 25 Math. 26. 22. Luk. 3. 10. 1. Cor. 11. 13. Mat. 7. 3. Psal. 4. 4. Luk 18. 11. Ioh. 21. 22. 2. King 5. 25. 2. King 5. 2â— Luk. 22. â—8 1. Cor. 2. 11 â—ro 25. 3. 〈◊〉 Cor. 2. 11. Luk 9. 55. Iud. 16. 6. 〈◊〉 1. Cor. 11. 29. Luk. 8. 18. Eccle 4 17. The second examination Iob. 1. 5. Luk. 22. 12. Gen. 3. 6. Mar. 2. 2â— 1. Thess. 5. 16. Iob. 9. 28. 1. Cor. 11. 29. Mar. 22. 11 13. The communicants Catechisme 1 The first examination vpon the markes of true spirits and the false in our selues or other 1. King 22. 11. 2 3 Deut. 18. 22. Mat. 7. 15. 4 Mat. 7. 16. 5 Act. 5. 38. Mat. 15. 13 1 2 Math. 6. 21 3 4 The second examination vpon the differences betweene the wicked and the godly 1 Numb 22. 19. Math. 26. 39. 2 2. Thess. 3. 2 Rom. 1. 17. Iam. 2. 19. 3 Math. 6. 2. 2. Tim 3. 2. Psal. 123. 2. Math. 6. 3. Ioh. 1. 21. 4 Math. 7. 17 5 Exo. 10. 16. 1. Sam. 15. 30. Math. 27. 4. Dan. 3. 18. Psal. 51. 17. Rom. 2. 5. Luk. 8. 30. 2. King 2. 18. Math. 14. 3 6 Math. 5. 43 Luk. 6. 32. 7 Psal. 14. 4. Zach. 12. 10. Rom 8. 16. Math. 6. 7. 8 Gen. 4. 13. Act. 16. 25. Gal. 6. 17. Psal. 119. 71. 10 Exo. 8. 8. 15 Mat. 11. 29 11 â— Cor. 1. 18. â—on 27. 20. Ioh. 7. 17. 12 Exo. 15. 20. Iob. 13. 15. Pro. 14. 32. Pro. 23. 18. 1. Sam. 10. 6 13 Dan. 5. 4. 1. Sam. 16. 23 2. Sam. 6. 14. Gen. 32. 28. 14 Phil 1. 23. Luk. 2. 29. 1. King 22. 8. 15 Esai 64. 6. Psal. 16. 2. Math. 4. 1. 2. 16 Psal. 103. 1. Dan. 4. 27. 1. Sam. 15. 30. 17 Exo. 32. 8. Leuit. 6. 12. Math. 4. 9. Iosh. 24. 15. Mat. 26. 70 Iosh 7. 21. 2. King 5. 16. Luk. 16. 6. Although this is a parable yet it carieth the signification of an historie 2. Sam. 11. 4 Gen. 12. 13. Gen. 20. 2. Math. 4. 9. Psal. 66. 18 1. King 18. 26 The fourth examination Heb. 6. 1. The receiuers articles 1 Esai 59. 20 Iob. 19. 25. 2 Math. 5. 44 3 Mat. 12. 3â— 4 Reue. 22. 13. Reue. 2. 10. 5 Luk 12. 38 2. Tim. 2. 3. 4. Gen. 8. 11. Mat. 5. 24. Mat. 22. 11 Iohâ— 1â— 3â— Mat. 27. 4. Act. 9. 15. 1. Sam. 17. 51. Iosh. 5. 1. Verse 1. 1. Tim. 6. 17. Vsurers hereticks 2. Kings 5. 18. Three sins counted no sinnes The contentes of this treatise The definition of Vsurie Vsurers steale by law â— Iohn â— 8. Matth. 22. 37. Luke 6. 35. Ezek. 18. 22. Nehe. 25. Deut. 15. 10. 2. Galat. 5. 15 Because it signifieth an aduersarie Neschec 1. The vnlawfulnesse of Vsurie 2. 3. A Similitude Deut. 15. 4. 4. Ioh. 11. 37. Ioh. 13. 34. Vnderstand that his sermon vpon the mount is an exposition of the Commandements or else the text will not seeme to implie this Luc. 19. 8. Exod. 22. 2. Chro. 2â— Gen. 3. 19. Gen. 1. Gen 36. 24. Mat. 5. 46. Mat. 5. 20. Malac. 1. 3. Verse 5. Malac. 3. 10. Deut. 15. 10. 1. The kinds of Vsurers 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 1. Pet. 5. 8. 10. Obiections made by Vsurers Gen. 3. All. 19. 25. Iud. 6. 31. Math. 5. 19. Gen. 2. Three opinions of Vsurie Gen 3. 1. Sam. 15. 9. 1. Obiections for Vsurie 2. 3. 4. 5. Mat. 5. 42. 6. 7. Iohn 19. 7. Gen. 3. Mat. 19. 7. What the Vsurer is like 1. King 21. 7. Luk. 16. 4. Luc. 23. 34. 1. Cor. 7. 10. Act. 9. 22. The punishments of Vsurers 1. 2. 3. 4. Prou. 28. â— Pro. 13. 22. Izek. 22. 13. Note Luk. 19. Note Whether it be vnlawfull to giue Vsurie Iere. 15. 10. 1. Ob. Answer 2. Ob. Answer 3. Ob. Answer 1. Sam. 21. 6. Lâ—â—k 13 10. Gen. 31. 53. Gen. 21. 32. Mat. 17. â—9 2. King 5. 18. Rom. 14. 23. Diuers kindes of borrowers Note What Vsurers should doe with their gaines 1. Sam. 12. 3. Luk. 19. 8. Iosh. 6. 18. Exod. 22. Dan. 4. 24. 2. Cor. 7. 11. Iohn 6. 60. Two obiections 2. Chro. 25. 9. Luk. 19. Mala. 3. 10. Deut. 15. 10. Esai 38. 6. 2. Sam. 2. 26. Math. 19. 29.