Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	begin_v	great_a	time_n	1,599	5	3.2122	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A73521	The English vsurer; or Vsury condemned, by the most learned and famous diuines of the Church of England and dedicated to all his Maiesties subiects, for the stay of further increase of the same. Collected by Iohn Blaxton, preacher of Gods VVord at Osmington, in Dorcet-shire.	Blaxton, John.	1634 (1634)	STC 3129.5; ESTC S124641	64,041	104

of sinning vpon themselues by the custome of sinne doth this extenuate or aggrauate the fault Woe be vnto them sayth the Prophet Esay who draw sin Esay 5.18 as with cart-Ropes Cities and Incorporations haue drawne a necessity of this sinne vpon themselues by three strong cart-Ropes of iniquity 3 Cause of the necessity of vsury First the hardnesse of mens hearts and want of charity in those who be well able to lend and will not haue forced many to pay vsury Secondly the couetous desire and pride of borrowers who out of an insatiable appetite to compasse great matters do take vp great summes of money for money that no money is to be spared for such as be true borrowers indeede Is 5.8 Woe vnto them that ioyne Land to Land till there be no place for the poore to dwell in That is the Country woe But vpon the same ground it is inferred Woe vnto them who ioyne money to money till there be none left for the poore to borrow This is the City woe which bringeth a necessity of borrowing vpon intrest Thirdly falsehood and deceit in defrauding one another of their monies at the times appointed so as being disapointed of their owne they are compelled to take vp of others or to shut vp their doores These three fold cart-Ropes not easily broken haue drawne a necessity of vsury vpon Cities And shall it therefore be reputed no sinne God forbid it is no good consequence neyther in persons nor estates Not in persons S. Paul telleth vs of an heart that cannot repent Rom. 2.5 which heapeth vnto it selfe wrath against the day of wrath Is impenitency in that heart no sin because custome hath made it necessary A drunkard hath brought his body into such an habit that vnlesse he drinke bountifully euen to the turning of his braine he is sicke againe Is not drunkenesse in that person sinfull because so necessary But for the lender which is the Vsurer there is no colour or pretence of any such necessity which can befall him seeing he hath authority from God as steward of his blessings and power amongst men as owner of his money for variety of lawfull and vndoubted imployments 2 Answer The Common-wealth of the Iewes did stand without vsury therefore why may not ours 2 You may find a discouery of the infinite iniuries this kingdome endureth by the vnlawfull trade of vsury In a tract against vsury presented to our high Court of Parliament 1621. Item in vsury arraigned and condemned 1625. Where the allegations commonly made in defence of vsury are sufficiently answered 3 Vsury is the cheefest cause of the greatest misery in this Land as well to giue occasion of great waste as also to make much want and will be in the end the vndoing of all if it be not looked to in time The Romans neuer began to decay till vsury Lorded amongst them Dr. Wilson of vsury Epist dedicat for then priuate gaine thrust out common profit lust was holden for law idlenesse more vsed then labour ryot instead of dyet vice better regarded then vertue no charity at all no loue betwixt man and man but eueryman for himselfe and the whirle-poole of pride and ryot ouerfloweth in all things and in all places 10 Argument for vsury Proposition No vsury is forbidden by the law of God and by the law of nature but that which is hurtfull and ioyned with the hurt and losse of the neighbour Assumption But some vsury is not hurtfull but rather helpfull to the neighbour Conclusion Therefore some vsury is not forbidden Answer First the proposition is vntrue and of dangerous consequence for the law of God forbiddeth all vsury in generall Bb. Downam p 293. as a thing in it owne nature and in his whole kind simply vnlawfull without any restraint or limitation euen as it condemneth adultery lying theft or any other notorious sinne Thus a man might argue for an officious lye Reply But they proue their proposition thus Proposition Vsury is not forbidden but as it is against charity for charity is the summe of the law and he which obserueth the rules of charity keepeth the law Assumption But that which is not hurtfull to the neyghbour is not against charity Conclusion Therefore that vsury which is not hurtfull to the neyghbour is not forbidden Answer 1 To the Proposition Charity which is the summe of the law hath reference towards God towards our neyghbour not onely in priuate but also in publike and towards a mans selfe And in this sence I acknowledge the proposition of his syllogisme to be true viz. That vsury is not forbidden but as it is repugnant to charity But hereby the assumption of this syllogisme is proued to be false for there be many things which are not perhaps hurtfull to our neigbhour in particular with whom we deale Note which are notwithstanding repugnant to charity The officious lie helpeth the particular neighbour in whose fauour it is told yet because it is repugnant to verity it is repugnant to charity God who is truth hath forbidden all vntruth and he will destroy euery one that speaketh lies the lying mouth destroyeth the soule therefore no lying can stand with that charity and obedience which we owe to God nor with that loue which we owe to our owne soules So in like sort suppose that the borrower sometimes is not hurt by vsury but rather holpen yet notwithstanding all vsury is against charity for the practice of it cannot stand with charity and our allegance to God who hath forbidden it denounced his iudgements against it made gracious promises to them that will do the contrary nor with our charity and duty to our Countrey vnto which vsury is in many respects noysome as hath beene shewed nor with that loue which we owe to our owne soules for whosoeuer putteth forth to vsury or taketh increase he shall not liue but dye the death Reply Yea but say they againe to proue the former proposition That vsury which is ioyned with the hurt of the neighbour is condemned therefore that which is not ioyned with the hurt of the neighbour is not condemned Answer I deny the consequence for there are other respects which make vsury vnlawfull Idem p. 297. besides the hurt of our neighbour as euen now I shewed by the same reason the patrons of officious lies might argue thus God forbiddeth vs to tell a lie against our neighbour therefore the lie which is not against the neighbour but for him is not forbidden But you will say all lying is forbidden so is all vsury as I haue already proued And thus I haue shewed against the proposition that all vsury is vnlawfull though all were not hurtfull Now I adde against the assumption of the first Syllogysme that all vsury is hurtfull hurtfull I say eyther to the borrower as commonly it is or else to the Commonwealth as before hath beene proued

then if it be a sinne it is but a little one as Lot sayd of Zoar Gen. 19.20 Modica sunt quae perdunt nos they be those little ones that vndoe vs. A Moate in the Eye if it be not got out in time may grow to a pin and web and a mans conscience may suffer Shipwracke aswell vpon a Sand as vpon a Rocke Secondly it is not euer so sensible because as the Vsurer moderating himselfe doth not seeme to bite the borrower so the borrower releiuing himselfe by others hath no cause to complaine Yea many borrowers concurring in this practise by their multitudes are able to sway and inhance the market in such manner that they may liue themselues and pay the vsurer besides So that in conclusion those do all set vpon the Commonwealth which being a great body is able to beare many dogs before she need to complaine and feeling the wound as in time she must she knoweth not well of whom to complaine Multorum manibus grande leuatur onus Burthensome therefore it is to the Commonwealth yet so dispersed amongst many that it is the lesse sensible but neuer a whit the more allowable For these and the like causes the biting of vsury being sometimes not so sensible to particular persons almighty God in his wisedome foreseeing how ready men would be to cauill at the Word Neshech hath of purpose expressed his meaning more fully by the exegeticall addition of another terme which simply signifieth any increase at all And this hath he done not onely in the comments of the Prophets Ezek. 18.17 Pro. 28.8 But in the very text of the law it selfe Leuit. 25.36 vetarbith and the 37. Vbemarbith which word Salomon forgetteth not to adde for Salomons daies being both peaceable and rich in siluer and gold men would be then more ready in all likelyhood to deuise any cauill or colour to maintaine that sinne Neyther are these my priuate coniectures against the groundlesse distinction of biting and toothlesse vsury but Mr. Caluin himselfe vpon whom they seeme to relye as a chiefe patron of vsury doth not onely condemne it as friuolous The distinction of biting and toothlesse vsury groundlesse but addeth further that it was the purpose of the holy Ghost by adding that other word to preuent such cauils Quia homines hac in parte nimium sunt accuti et versuti et excogitant subterfugia quibus crudelitatem suam tegant ideo addit et incrumentum non acceperit because sayth Caluin men in this kind be ouer accute and subtile and deuise euasions how they may cunningly couer their cruelty therefore he addeth in the text Vsury or increase And for the distinction it selfe Caluin his censure is Ludunt homines suis cauillis sed deus non admittit tales versutias men cauill and play with words but God admitteth no such sleights His meaning is simple and plaine that all increase aboue the principall is forbidden 13 Argument for vsury Vsury is forbidden to the poore therefore lawfull towards the rich Answer THis euasion is very friuolous for Deut. 23.19 Bb. Downam Ps 15. p. 202. there is no mention of the poore but all vsury is forbidden towards a brother whether he be rich or poore 2 By the same reason we may conclude wrong is not to be done to the poore the widow the fatherlesse or stranger therefore wrong may be done to the rich Pro. 22.22 to the married wife to the children that haue their parents liuing c. 3 Or when Salomon sayth Robbe not the poore because he is poore we might inferre therefore thou mayst robbe the rich because he is rich Powels positions of vsury p. 45. See the answere to the 3 argument God in the lawes of vsury did specially and by name forbid lending in that manner to the poore for two respects 1 To shew what care he himselfe hath ouer them who are commonly and vsually neglected of men 2 Because the poore are soonest and easiest oppressed of the rich as the lowest hedge is soonest stepped ouer 3 If the law of lending to the poore without vsury should inferre the lawfulnesse of lending to the rich vpon vsury then it is euident that Gods intendment in those lawes for the benefit of the poore should rather proue a hurt and hinderance vnto them because by this meanes it would come to passe that the poore should not borrow at all Dr. Mosse of vsury p 131. For who will lend to the poore for nothing that might lawfully lend to the rich for vsury of which poynt we haue so lamentable and euident experience in these our dayes as no man no not the vsurer himselfe is able to gainesay it Yet of the two it were better for the poore man that he should borrow vpon vsury then that he should not be able to borrow at all now borrow at all he shall not if it be lawfull to lend to the rich for vsury and not vnto him And therefore as one sayd Maledicta glossa quae corrumpit textum accursed be that glosse or commentary that destroyeth the text so may I say in this case euill fare that interpretation which ouerthroweth the intent and purpose of the Commandement 14 Argument for vsury Many by imployment of money borrowed vpon vsury haue growne rich Answer Bb. Downam in Ps 15. p. 257. I Will not answer with Basil 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is but I thinke more sayth he haue come to the halter but I thinke more haue proued banckrupts Dr. Wilson of vsury p 189. Dr Wilson hath a pretty story to this purpose not vnworthy the remembring A man comming into a certaine Church and seeing it fraught full of Images made of waxe Note demanded what might be the cause of such an vnwonted sight answer was made that those whom these images did represent were certaine persons which on a time were saued from drowning by calling vpon our Lady Nay then quoth he againe where be the Images of those I pray you that called vpon our Lady and were drowned notwithstanding So say I in this case If any man will set before me the instances and as were the images of those who tooke vp money on vsury and grew rich thereby I would demand on the other side that he shew forth the hundreds and thousands of those who by that meanes haue vtterly impouerished and ouerthrowne their owne estate they will be found to be without all comparison 2 Though some for a time may seeme to be rich by that which they haue borrowed vpon vsury yet vsury at the length consumeth them and eateth them vp 3 Neyther doth this prosperous euent of the borrower iustifie the contract of vsury Note which couenanteth for gaine not in euentum lucri but absolutely and therefore out of his losse as well as out of his gaine 4 And lastly I adde that the more the borrower is inriched by this meanes the more the Common-wealth