A general discourse against the damnable sect of vsurers grounded vppon the vvorde of God, and confirmed by the auctoritie of doctors both auncient, and newe; necessarie for all tymes, but most profitable for these later daies, in which, charitie being banished, couetousnes hath gotten the vpper hande. VVhereunto is annexed another godlie treatise concernyng the lawfull vse of ritches. Seene and allowed accordyng to her Maiesties iniunctions.

¶ The. 8. Chapter. That Vsurie is forbidden, and wherfore.

THe prohibitions of Vsurie are ••oure, which being care••ullie and christianly* 1.1 considered of vs, we shall plainly per∣ceiu•• what may be thought of Vsurie in generall. Wherefore I will orderlie and distinctlie recite them.

The first prohibition is naturall. For first euen by the* 1.2 onely light of reason Philosophers haue condemned the same. Aristotle the cheife among Philosophers, teacheth that Vsurie is against nature, moued thereun∣to by this argument: Money by nature can not bryng forth. Therefore to take Vsurie by Money is vnlawfull▪ And therefore Vsurie is called of the Grecians Tokos from bringing foorth, as though there were à certaine birth of Money, that euen by the verie name it might become odious. Aristophanes calleth Vsurie a beaste,* 1.3 whiche in processe of time bringeth forth Money, and is euerie daie more fruitfull than others. Plato doth ba∣nish* 1.4 Vsurie out of his Commonweale. For hee saith in his fifte de legibus: It shall be lawfull for any man whiche borroweth vpon Vsurie, neither to paie the Vsurie, nor to repaye the principall. Plutarch by this argument doeth* 1.5 conclude that Vsurie is against nature: Of nothing can

be made nothing. Cicero doth compare Vsurie to man∣slaughter.* 1.6 And therefore as it is against nature to kill à man, so is it to take Vsurie.

Besides inequalitie in bargainyng is against nature.* 1.7 For it destroyeth nature. And therefore the gayne got∣ten for due office of lendyng, must of necessitie bee a∣gainst nature.

Laste of all, for that a ciuile societie is moste agrea∣ble* 1.8 to Nature, Vsurie must of force bee enemie to Na∣ture, because it ouerthroweth humane societie.

The seconde prohibition is diuine. For God in his* 1.9 holie Scripture doeth forbid the same▪ Exod. 22. If thou lendest to my people beeyng in pouertie, whiche dwelleth with you, thou shalte not trouble hym with exaction, nor oppresse hym with Vsurie. Leuit. 25. Thou shalte not giue hym thy money vppon Vsury, nor lende hym fruite for en∣crease. The cause of this commaundemente goeth be∣fore, That thy brother ma•••• liue with thee, to witte, not oppressed with Vsurie. Deut. 23. Thou shalte not exacte of thy brother Vsurie either of Money▪ or of Meate, o•• of any thyng els, &c. Ezech 18. Hee that hath not giuen forth vppon Vsurie, neither hath taken encrease is iuste, and shall surely liue. Hereup••on it followeth in the contrarie sense, that hee is vniust and shall die whiche hath giuen vppon Vsurie and taken encrease. And it is saide in the 15. Psalm, That he shall not dwell in the taber∣nacle of the Lorde, whiche giueth out his money vpon V∣surie.

The third prohibition is Politicall. The auncient Ro∣mans* 1.10 neither vsed, nor allowed, but altogether abhor∣red, and punished Vsurie. But in processe of tyme their couetousnes encreasyng with their good successe, by little and little vsurie crept in, and so grewe on till a•• length it raised sedition in the Common-weale. For

whiche cause Vsurie though it could not bee vtterlie a∣bolished; yet was it by lawes repressed. The cittie of A∣thens* 1.11 gaue Solon in commission to moderate the Vsu∣rie wherewith the Athenians were greeuously oppres∣sed▪ For sedition did arise because of the crueltie of Vsu∣rers, whiche compelled the sonnes and daughters of their detters either to be solde, or become their slaues, to satisfie the Vsurie: Solon at the request of the people made à lawe, that from that tyme no free man shoulde become a slaue either for Debt or Vsurie. And appoin∣ted this measure vnto Vsurie, that for an hundred crow∣nes lent for à moneth, but one crowne should be paid.

The Emperours haue appointed to aduenturers but* 1.12 twelue in the hundred, to other lawfull occupiers but eight, to noble men ••oure, and to the common people ••••xe in the hundred.

The laste is Ecclesiasticall. I call the Ecclesiasticall* 1.13 prohibition not by the decrees of the Pope, whom we acknowledge to be neither the head, nor taile, nor any parte of the Churche, but by Statutes of holie Synodes, and by the saiynges of godlie Fathers, whiche vehe∣mently forbid Vsurie. In the 47. Decrees there is men∣tion made of the Canons of the Apostles, whiche con∣demne Vsurie. The Counsaile at Nice, at whiche were* 1.14 ••18. Fathers, did also condemne Vsurie. And Gratian a∣gainste the Vsurie among Clergie men, dooeth al∣ledge this out of the Decrees of the Nice••e Counsaile: Because many Churchemen through couetousnesse, follo∣yng filthie lucre, haue vtterly forgotten the commaunde∣ment of God, whiche saieth, he whiche hath not giuen his money vppon vsurie; this holie Counsaile hath s•••• doun••▪ that if any manne after this determination bee founde to take Vsurie, or by any suche trade to seeke filthy gain, &c. he shalbe caste out of the Clergie, and remoued from all

Ecclesiasticall liuyng. Hierome saieth▪ To lende vppon V∣surie,* 1.15 to cousine, and to steale, doe nothyng differ. Lende to thy brother, and receiue that which thou gauest, but take* 1.16 no ouerplus, because to take ouerplus is Usurie. Augu∣stine saieth: What shall I speake of Vsury, whiche euen the verie Lawes and Iudges them selues commaunde to bee restored? Who is the worser man, he whiche taketh some∣thyng from à riche man by thefte, or he whiche taketh à poore mannes life fro•• hym by Vsurie? These and suche like are ill possessed. And I would they should bee resto∣red,* 1.17 &c. Ambrose saieth: Why doest thou conuert the in∣dustrie of Nature into deceipt? Why doest thou desire to make men miserable? Why doest thou make à dearth to be wished for of the poore; and dooest lamente the common plentie▪ Thou doest enquire where sear••iti•• i••▪ Thou cal∣lest that industrie, whiche is the subteltie of Sathan, and that whiche thou callest à remedie, is the pollicie of mis∣chief. Maie I call Vsurie Theuerie (the tymes of Thefte is sought for, whereby like a cr••••ll deceiuer thou creepest into the bowels of men) whiche maketh Corne laide vp in store to encrease by Vsurie? Why dost thou wish euill vnto* 1.18 all men? Thy priuate gaine is the publike hinderance. And in another place: He ••ighteth without à sword, which ex∣••ct••th vsuri•••• he doth reuenge hymself without à sword▪* 1.19 whiche i•• an Vsurer. Chrysostome saieth: Lende, take Vsurie, lende to receiue againe where no enuie is, no ac∣cusation, no snares, no terror. Lende not vpon Usurie to the poore, but to Christ, whiche for thy sake was in p••uer∣tie▪ hungrie, & nourisheth all men. This Usurie prepareth à kingdome, but the other▪ bringeth to hell: this doth pro∣ceede from godlines and pitty, the other cometh from co∣••etousnes and cruelti••.

Hethero wee haue shewen how many waies Vsu∣rie is forbidden, and wherefore, the somme where of is

that Vsurie is therefore prohibited, because our neigh∣bour should not bee damnified; charitie among men not quenched; humane societie violated; the good∣des of priuate men deuoured, bothe to the destruction of good houses, and the decaie of Common-weales. As often therefore as wee reade that Vsurie is forbid∣den, let vs looke vppon these endes of the prohibition, leaste otherwise vnder the pretence of vnlawfull Vsu∣rie, wee iudge vnwisely of lawfull contractes.

Notes

• * 1.1

  How many waies Vsurie is forbidden.
• * 1.2

  1. Nature condem¦neth vsurie. Philosophers inueigh against Vsurie. Aristotle.
• * 1.3

  Aristophanes.
• * 1.4

  Plato.
• * 1.5

  Plutarch••.
• * 1.6

  Cicero.
• * 1.7

  Another reason why Vsurie is a∣gainst nature.
• * 1.8

  A thirde reason.
• * 1.9

  2. The worde of God condem∣neth vsurie.
• * 1.10

  3. Politike lawes forbid vsurie. Romans.
• * 1.11

  Athenian••. Solon.
• * 1.12

  Emperours.
• * 1.13

  4. Godly fathers condemne Vsu∣rie.
• * 1.14

  The counsaile at Nice. Gratian.
• * 1.15

  Hierome a∣gainst Vsurie.
• * 1.16

  Augustine a∣gainst Vsurie.
• * 1.17

  Ambrose a∣gainst Vsurie.
• * 1.18

  Ambrose in a∣nother place.
• * 1.19

  Chrysostome for and against Vsurie. Here I ouerpass•• somewhat for breuitie sake, referring the reader to the former parte of this booke, where this point hath been more amplie handled cap. 6. Pag. 13. b. The summe of this chapter.