17 03 1 2  09 02 06 5 6 12 Moneth  17 05 1 6  10 00 â—0  certainty Then it followeth hee can haue no election differing from that rate of time which is the maine point Let vs see what the borrower is to receiue and performe In which is to be obserued such a proportion of mony and time as may performe a ratable allowance that the vse mony may not exceed tenne for a hundreth for a whole yeare which performed he is to render backe the mony borrowed as for vse the law alloweth non Let vs examine this by the rule of reason In all natural causes time must be abiddeÌ„ for the working perfecting of al increase growing the beasts by nature knoweth the time of bringing forth their yong the birds keepe their egs vnder their feathers til an appointed time to produce chickeÌ„s the trees herbs according to their soâ—tâ— require time for the ripening of their fruits The Sun in the spheare of heauen laboreth a whole yeare to bring himself to his reuolution If all these with many thousands of other things stay their time by their naturall couâ—se why should not the lender premit the full occurency of time for the raising of his benefit vpon a barren fruitlesse and vnnaturall subiect Though many things offer themselues yet I striue to be briefe Obserue therefore these resemblances In all manner of eateable fleshe The tender lambe will not yeelde so much as the well growne sheepe the yong veale not so much as the full growne oxe The young chick late out of the shel not so much as the henne or capon and so of many other things that time causeth to increase both in growth and price Now if the owner will sell any of these in their tendernesse hee must bee contented to abate of that he would require if the same things were growne to more greatnesse If this be so then in reason there is more cause the lender shuld forbeare his whole time before hee receiue his consideration howsoeuer hee doth his principall Let vs touch a little the exceeding reason and vse the Lawe hath in some particular causes of time Estates for yeares must haue a certaine beginning and ending Inheritances haue commencements ments vppon time and limited to the ende of time So the first estates determine in time and the second being reall estates onely with time and not before the ending of time Approbations and elections are concluded in time things voideable relye onely vpon time All conditions are tyed vnto time In the cases of Cui in vita dum fuit infrae et 〈◊〉 dum non fuit compos mentis special respect is of the time All cases of entries vpoÌ„ dissisors to take away entries are tyed vnto time The cases that require continuall claime are bound vnto time with many others But among the rest let mee conclude with one or two to discouer what time ioyned with some other matter doth both enable disable I meane not to vouch any case It is not vnknown that one attainted by act of Parliament part of his lands sold time and the act of Parliament made the sale good But this attainder being taken off by another acte of Parliament and the former act made voide Time and the act of Parliament did restore both the blood and lands of the attained made their estates voide which formerly were nor The lawe hath cleane takeÌ„ away the time that was in the Feoffe put the same wholly into ceste q. vse and so wrougâ—t vppon instants that there is now no instant at all in the Feoff which before had the whole estate Such a seruant is time vnto the law so assured is the law vnto time That what contract soeuer it maketh therewith shall be assuredly performed In the case of inrolments there is special prouision of time wherein I make this short obseruation that time doth worke and vnworke one and the same thing in nature according as time is employed The Kings tenant acknowledgeth a bargaine and sale of land held in capite to an other and his heires before the deede be enrolled the bargainer dieth his son within age In this case ' the sonne of this bargainor is ward But the barganie also dieth within the six moneth c. his son within age within the 6. moneths the bargains sale is enrolled In this case the son of the bargainer shall be out of ward the son of the barganie shall be in ward by relation to time I put these cases onely to make knowne how flexible time doth turne and wind according to the employment it serueth and how sloute and stiffe it is in some other cases as the rules of law doth gouerne and direct it and though this resemble not the case in all points yet it sheweth that in this behalfe time is not to be disposed at the election or choyce of any but according to the true constructioÌ„ scope meaning of the law which in this case is to be coÌ„strued most strongly against the lender A word or two concerning this diuision of the mony time As I said before in actuall things there must be a substantiall naturall and present Diuidend and Diuisor Numerator and Denominator as in these examples are apparant A piecâ— of timber is to be made into boords In this case the timber is the Diuidend and the Sawe is the Deuisor And of necessitie it followeth that there must be actually and essentially timber and a Saw or else there can be no boords There is a garment to be made In that case the cloath is the Diuidend and the sheeres the Deuisor But for the performing of the worke there must essencially be both cloath sheers There is a great piece of meate to bee diuided betweene many men the meate is the Diuidend â—he knife is the instrument diuiding There is a necessitie both these should be present though I know there be other Diuisors in these cases yet I make these resemblances to make plaine my demonstration of the necesâ—itie of an esâ—enciall Diuidend and Diuisor at the time of the diuision To resemble this The Lender at the end of one 3.6 or 9. moneths hath not an essential Diuisor of twelue moneths to warrant his diuisioÌ„ And so diuiding substantiall mony by imaginarie time doth erre in the ground of his Art and so hath proportioned a rate that is not warranted either by Nature Reason Lawe nor Art Reason sheweth this life is but an apprentiship THere are many other vsages whereof there can bee no account giuen that they should proceed either of nature or vncorrupted reason God is Truth and hee hath made all things in and by Truth and appointed them to continue in truth according to their Creation All the Creatures sauing man continue this originall perfection Reason doth discerne and know though it cannot correct the causions and errors in the course of mens
It is to be obserued that Christ in ministring the Sacrament of his blessed bodie and blood First he brake the bread and they eate it and then hee gaue the cuppe and all was done whilst he was really and personally amongst them It is vnnaturally holden that they did really and naturally eate his very flesh and drink his very blood This is against nature First it is against the nature of a Sacrament to be the thing which it representeth or for the thing signified to be the signifier or betokener of that which is signified Then it is against nature that Christ as he was very man being present and personally among them performing this office himselfe should at one instant be not be For as he was maÌ„ so was he local Now to deliuer himself to be eaten and yet remaine in the same substaÌ„ce of and by himselfe at the same instant is against nature Besides that he should so exhaust or drawe his most precious blood that wheÌ„ the bread which they inteÌ„d to be his real maÌ„ly body was eateÌ„ there should bee therein no parte of his bloud and more that himselfe should be at one instant absolute man at the same instant see himselfe visibly eaten with the teeth of men in distinct and seuerall places This is against the nature of the manhoode and so against both For Sacraments are not miracles nor natures to bee changed Besides in miracles things did not at one and the same instant containe two seuerall natures nor one nature in two seuerall places as in the miracle at the mariage as long as the water remained water it was not wine and after it became wine it was no longer water neither was it wine and water all at one instant though turned in lesse then a moment neither was it water in two seuerall places nor wine in two places otherwise then by diuiding it into seuerall cupps or vessells I make bolde to giue a touch of this misterie which I holde to be of deeper consideretion then mans reason can reach into which being a matter of spirit cannot be apprehended but by the eye of the same spirit hauing regard to the secoÌ„d life before spoken of Herein I obserue if men be so bold to rock and straine these great matters what is it that they will leaue vnâ—â— tempted in the lesse meaner causes In the cases of Alchemy there is some reason though the opinion thereof hath ouerthrowne many men for that they propone some matter to worke and some course of natures for incorporating and increasing But such as will graffe on a dead stocke long separated froÌ„ the earth a quicke graffe or impe and expect that the same shall prooue a tree is deceiued for it is against nature Likewise If any man will sowe egges in the ground or set corne vnder a hen hee will hardly finde either Chickens or haruest In such sort are the natures of things tide to their particular sorts and meanes of increase that necessitie will enforce nature to vse her owne meanes and manner of increase or generation An example of an vnnaturall product Let vs proceed to an example There is an opinioÌ„ that the earth would in time bring forth all the mettals that are in her bowels fully refined and pure without Phesies or drosse But either the curse hath so weakend her naturall heate or els she is not permitted her time of bringing forth her brood which hath caused Arts to trie conclusions If this be admitted what will follow of the next question In this case though time bee not agent nor the passiue part thereof yet you must giue this great bellied Lumpe time to worke to perfection and bring forth her great litter brood or spawne But it will be answered that Reason and Art hath found a meanes how to helpe Nature in this cause and to supply the defect of heate by fire for separating of the purer mettal from the drosse Admit this yet it must bee yeelded that these Mines were substaÌ„tially in the bowels of the earth who in time as is affirmed wold haue brought theÌ„ forth so as Reason and Art had to work vpon And in this case you must likewise giue Art and Reason time to worke their effect and that by degrees and meanes so that Reason nor Art cannot worke but vpon substances and by meanes which in the ensuing example is not allowed Ther is great difference betweene the Theoricke Practicke part of any thing or between matter of bare imagination and conceipt and matters of substance and truth betweene words and actions for a man by contemplation may behold many thousand places in a moment and set down a thousand proportions in his minde in shorte time conceiue a iourney of ten thousand miles by Sea with all the bowings and turnings But come to action and you shall finde another worke and labour to performe it Aman may by conceipt and in figures set down ten thousand millioÌ„s to be deuided betweene a hundreth thousand men but hee that shall come to action must haue mony in his purse words will buy no meate in the market neither will fantasie build Churches although it set down the proportion modell Contemplation conceit and art may plot set downe how or what to doe but substance matter and art must performe the action These words A thousand pounds written wil not pay one penny although Art hath found a way by letters to signifie or demonstrate such or any other sum Arte hath founde out by bills bonds and specialties to giue assurance for money but when it commeth to payment there must bee materiallie money or valuable matter to make satisfaction It belongeth to Art onely to proportion but essentiall money must make satisfaction By these it appeareth that God hath prouided substantial matters to passe from man to man or to be vsed by man And Reason hath found out Arts to proportion rate the same Besides this by the obseruations before remembred ther are sufficient things created to serue the turne of men in such liberall and plentiful sort as they shal not need any new inuention to create or raise benefite by fantasie imagination or any new sought deuise which wil deceiâ—e like dreames they are like witchcrafts enchantments seeming good yet in truth abhominable Let vs in this poynt consider one maine principal vsage which nature nor Art can make to cohere with Reason And that is that money should produce and increase money I would in this case willingly know the father and mother of this newe increase First let vs goe to the nature of the mettal bee it either siluer or gold and drawe from thence what reasons we may After that the mettal is taken out of the earths belly it can be no longer her child neither can the nourish or make it grow And being once ripened purified and brought to perfection by Art that is by fire It can then neuer
man the life the death and the resurection There câ—sented to the destruction of man The Serpent the woman and the man There haue repaired that downfal The Father the giuer the Sonne the gift and the holy Ghost the comforter In the numof three is a perfect conclusion of all things Much may be said of the nomber and orders made by this trinitie As fire water ayre and earth to make the world the Spring Somer Autum Winter to make the yeare East West North South to quarter the world Creatures going creeping flying swiming w e infinit milioÌ„s of celestial terestial bodies which he keepeth preserueth boundeth in holdeth within this Trinity And briefly to wind vp this point concerning nomber I hold it the original most worthy part of the three I mean that number is of higher coÌ„sideratioÌ„ theÌ„ place or time for God himself the can by no means stoup to be known to the capacity of man neither can be coÌ„tained within any place nor limited to any time in respect of his onÌ„ipotent greatnesse and eternall essence before and without respect of time yet hath hee vouchsafed to bring himselfe within the compasse of number And therein by the power therof to create man in a blessed and happy estate Thus hauing in som measure discouered the nature worthines of original number desiring by al meanes to auoyd tediousnes I leaue to be considered that these and diuers other auncient writèrs that haue left behind them learned workes had no other meanes to vnderstand any thing of the deity eternity of the God-head or immortality of the soule but the vse and helpe of Reason only proper and peculiar to man And so I proceed to the rest Of place IN respect of God before the creation of the world beginning of time All was Place And yet in respect of his greatnessâ— there was no place for he cannot be coÌ„tained in any thing but in himselfe If any be curious to demaund how spacious large or ample this place was let him take his answere with Cato of Vtica who would needs know of God why Caesar ouercame Pompey It is as if the meanest vassal in a kingdome should require the king to giue a reasoÌ„ for all things he doth or coÌ„mandeth Porpherius being much encumbred with vnderstanding of supernaturall causes breaketh out into these words Seeing that God did by skill dispose and ouerrule all things and ordereth them by incomparable propriete of vertue And on the contrary part mans reason being very smal is ignorant of most things how skilfull soeuer it seeme to be of the truth Surely we may theÌ„ cal it meaning Reason wise wheÌ„ it is not curious in searching such doubtfull and hard matters as are matched with danger of blasphemie but rather graunteth that the things which are done are very well as they be for saith he what can our weak reasoÌ„ find fault with or reproue in that great ReasoÌ„n meaning of the deitie As if he shuld haue said The waies the works the place of God and Eternity are not to be searched nor enquired after by any creature whatsoever If we descend but to the diuersitie of the condtion and nature of Creatures confined vnto place and their vnderstanding of matters not designed nor prouided for their estates conditions we shal haue sufficient cause to say that Place was such so much as it pleased the purpose prouideÌ„ce power wisdoÌ„ of God Before there was a creation of things and a beginning of time Place was infinit indefinit indeuisible without space or distance without being repaired vnto or departed froÌ„ neither containing nor contained w e out Center CircoÌ„ferieÌ„ce rule or diameter consisting neither of matter substaÌ„ce nor whatsoeuer stuffe Euery thing hath his point his Center his place and beginning Only the diuine esceÌ„ce place nature of god hath none as euery maÌ„ that wil seriously looke into his own self shall be enforced to coÌ„fesse In nature the greater can neuer be coÌ„prehended by the lesser But God in his nature place and essence is greater then man Therefore cannot â—od his incomprehensible place and nature be comprehended by the reason or vnderstaÌ„ding of maÌ„ Nature is a thing wrought by God Now no worke how great soeuer can perfectly expresse the cause or worker thereof Therefore nature caÌ„not vnderstand the diuine essence place and nature of God The reasonable soule is the admirable nature of man Now whosoeuer shall come to know his owne soule and the place thereof meerly by the power worke of it selfe shall confesse himself to be absolutely ignoraÌ„t thereof Therfore if nature reason with the powers affects of the soule reason commeth short to know it self much more must it come short to discouer or vnderstand the incircumscriptible nature essence and place of the holy Trinitie We see in the cours of the creatures of God as well terestrial as celestial coÌ„tinual mouings froÌ„ plà ce to place all those moued by their Creator the first mouer which argueth subiectioÌ„ obedience in the creatures to the Creator and out of a cessarie consequent of the contrarie it discouereth that God the mouer is neither moued nor doth moue too or from any place For to say he is here or there it is all one for he is euery where as it is anthentically prooued If I clime vp to heauen thou art there If I goe downe to hell thou art there also If I take the wings of the morning and remaine in the vtmost part of the sea euen there also shall thy hand leade me and thy right hand shall hold me for the heauen is his seate and the earth is his footestole To conclude this point we fee and confesse that God made and knoweth all things and hath appointed their natures beings times and places Now if he had in him the nature of any of his creatures that is to be limited vnto one contained in place or consisting of any materiall substance the same would incomber his diâ—ine essence for hee doth not come within the compasse of their limited nature place nor number for by that meanes wee should derogate from his holy and diuine Deitie and essence of a Creator Seeing therefore that God is not compounded of material substance he can not be a bodie And seeing hee is not a bodie he can not bee contained in place neither wholly nor in part wherof it may properly be said that hee is no where namely that no part of him is limited within any place to be pointed at or described For like as hee made all things by the power of his beeing So doth the same power enter into al things fill all things containe all things And for so much as the same being power is indiuisible it is whole in all and whole in euery part So likewise is he himselfe whole throughout in whome all things haue their being how be it he is not definitely nor
shifts policies arts deuices that are vsed to crosse the ordinance and order of God to erect establish or set vp any other way or course of happinesse either terene or immortall more or other then God himselfe hath prouided ordained appoined are no lesse dangerous then the eating of the forbidden fruit These notes I thought fit to let drop by the way in regard that I shall after in an other place treate of a vse generally exercised which I take doth neither proceed from God nor nature Into this disease I feare many thousands are fallen so vnrecouerably sicke that with the sicke man at the point of death they fall to bite the sheetes and pull the threeds of the couerlet not knowing that they are sicke at all feeling no paine of their infection And so much the more daungerous is the sicknesse To come neerer to this point It is plaine by sundry places of the holy Bible that God alone numbreth weigheth diuideth he measureth times places and seasons Therefore let him stand for the numberer placer disposer and appointer of all creatures their places times seasons their beginings continuings finishings chaungings or ordainings And let all his creatures be then numbered placed and limited according to their creations nature qualities and estates not striuing against the purpose of his diuine prouidence or adding or diminishing too or from what hee hath appoindted or created To discouer this I must distinguish betweene man and the other creatures and the causes and markes they tend too and ayme at together with the admirable blessing of reason and to what measure the capacity of man thereby extendeth for the searching out the natures qualities times seasons places and vses of the other creatures which could not bee but out of a kind of immortall Nature aboue all other creatures It cannot be denied but that God hath created all things first for his owne glory and honour wherein he appointeth seuerall vses and seruices And within the compasse of this dutie are all creatures as well men and Angels as the other inferiour things And on this behalf God is satisfied with the seruice hee hath appointed to himselfe so his ordinance and will be obeyed From thence let vs come to things that are next vnto the seruice of God prouided to serue the vse of men And therin will appeare what an excellent creature man is in respect of his originall nature and reason And what wonderfull admirable and aboundant blessings and stores are prouided to serue his turne for both his liues The true consideration whereof may satisfie any tempered spirit to be contented with his Creators owne workes and not to soyst in or enâ—euor any other meanes of augmenting his happinesse And to this purpose let vs suruey in order the Creatures which serue for the vse and preseruatioÌ„ of the life of man and take them by degrees from the meanest to the greatest And it will make any man wonder at the admirable greatnesse plenty and waightinesse thereof Let vs consider them by degrees The lowest the meanest which is the earth therin behold the stuffe or matter wherewith this huge bale is filled to make her swelling sides stiffe strong and full stuffed that it shrinkeâ—ot Let vs consider the mettals mines and store of gold siluer and other mineralls inclosed in her wombe The miraculous hanging thereof in the ayre without support The vaines conducts fountaines springs and riuers of water that passe through her intralls The hearbs plants trees grasse and fruite of sundrie sorts that proceede and growe out of the richnesse and fatnesse therof The rayne and deawes that water and moisten the same The waters deepes feuered from the earth bounded and limitted within a compasse vpon the superficies of some parte of the same earth as it were in a great vessell by the side of this great garden ready at all times to be taken vp for the watering thereof as pleaseth the master Gardener small riuers brooks that issue from fountaines innumerably seruing the turnes of men beasts fishes and fowles of the ayre Then behold the sensitiue creatures their sundry kinds their vnknowne multitudes The beasts of the field and the varietie of their natures imployments vses together with multitudes of fishes their exceeding many sorts Consider all these well we shall find their creation was not to serue their own turnes but only alone for the vse of man whose they are to be disposed of by the direct bountie gift of the Creator But how To be vsed as he hath appointed and limitted for the preseruation benefit of all mankind not to the destructioÌ„ of any These things neither know themselues nor the ends wherefore they were made yet they vnknown to theÌ„selues serue the vse benefit of maÌ„ The leane and barren hastening their owne deaths by how much they take pleasure to make themselues more speedily fat If there were no more but this is not here a wonderful blessing and is not here sufficient plentiful prouision for al the race of mankind dispearsed vpon the whole face of the earth In which is not to be forgotten that these creatures cease not in any instant of time to yeelde increase for this prouision But let vs proeede a little further and beholde the other two Elements Fire and Ayre The one warming the sensitiue parts and the other maintaining the spirit that keepeth life neither of these know what they are nor the end they were made for The very Ayre it selfe sustaineth and in a sort preserueth the flying fowles in her concaue and hollow Region Let vs goe further these foure Elements though there bee contrarietie in their seuerall natures yet thâ—re is a Simpathy and a ioynt working together by the appointmeÌ„t of the chiefe work-master for the making growing cherishing and maintaining of the life of man as well by their incorparation in the body of man as by the vse and fruition of these other Creatures Will you not think these sufficient yea admirable blessings The earth to bring forth fruite and hearbs so vniuersally coÌ„tinually some for the foode of man and others for the foode of beastes to perpare them to be mans meate The sheepe to bring both lambe for meat fleece for clothing the beast to bring the calfe milke butter cheese to be eaten and to bee worne the fowle to bring first egs then chickens lastly feathers for easie lodging the fishes first spawn then frie. The trees to erect houses and make the fire The earth that produceth grasse serueth for tile to couer the houses The strawe that yeeldeth tâ—e corne serueth other purposes The timber that buildeth at land serueth for nauigation at sea Out of the line or flax that maketh the great Cable to bee drawne the threeds that make the fine curious linnen from the fauage wilde beasts their warm furs from the hearbs plants rich and estimable vertues from
worthy sciences and orderly course of gouernmēt or rudimēts he spent the rest of his time in making filthy Epigrams Ifeare there is much time bestowed in this age in as vaine idle courses which might be bestowed to the learning ofbetter arts and sciences more commendable for themselues more profitable for the common wealth For if it be well obserued what honourable exployts and famous Acts haue bene brought to passe in the order of wars in the gouernment of countries and ciuill courses of life appeasing of controuersies by these estimable Sciences and Arts which the most wise haue euer had in admiration as Tully concludeth That man saith he that first gathered together dispersed men was surely a great personage So was he faith Pythagoras which first gaue names to things and which compounded within a certaine number of letters the sounds of mens voices which seemed to be infinit and which marked the courses and proceedings of the wandering stars which first found out corne cloth buildings defences against wild beasts and the rest of the things that make our liues the more ciuill These things may be attributed to the nature of mans reason and reason of mans nature But to make and Create of nothing so worthy a Creature as man is aboue nature which Cicero considered when he said There was a certaine might or power which had a care of mankinde and which would not haue begotten him to fall into the mischiefe of endlesse death after he hath outworne the great and innumerable aduersities and toyles of the world For faith he We be not created by hazarde Which sheweth directly that Cicero did reach into an vnderstanding that there was a greater blessing and perfection in the creation then retained in the nature of man for he conceiueth that neither misery in this world nor the mischiefe of an endles death were the ends vnto which such worthy Creatures were first made His Reason could extend to vnderstand a Creating Nature aboue nature For he that maketh cannot be the same thing he maketh nor of the same quality but of a farre more worthy And so will I leaue to speake of this supernaturall cause as the maker of the rest and steppe lower to the next point of things naturall To bee briefe in this point because the natures of things are in some sorte before discouered I will only touch some fewe points This great worke-master and Creator of things and natures hath appointed their kindes natures conditions and effects their increases generations and propagations for hauing set the Heauens in motion they continually moue without ceasing but in this there is noe increase nor generation There is still but one Sunne and one Moone notwithstanding all the coniunctions since the worldes beginning There are no more Starres then were made at one instant And so these bodies were ordained to continue their first numbers places and motiōs wtout increase according to their true natures And these motions proceed of nature it selfe The earth bringeth forth the vegitatiue things but not by generation The sensitiue things increase by generation all cōmencing from a beginning of things of their owne natures which sheweth the worthinesse of this Creation and the admirable worke that so infinite numbers of things should bee made of nothing and so admirably composed and put in order by a workemaster that had neither matter stuffe instrument model nor patterne for the doing thereof Thing against nature I Mind not to speak of the miracles that haue bene done in the times of the Patriarks and Prophets The incarnation of Christ his fasting other the works of God in the old new Testament which are aboue our nature But to touch these things that Reason may descend into It were against the nature of the Sunne to leaue his motion or loose his light or of the Moone to bring forth sons or daughters The earth cannot be metamorphosed or turned into an incorporiall substance neither is it her nature to produce or bring forth beasts or men for creation hath appointed euery kindes a seuerall manner of increase The Fowles of the Ayre doe not bring forth swine nor the Tyger ingender Doues nor men beget Bears or Lyon men cānot be Gods It is impossible for the foule of man to cease or giue off his being to be of the same nature The Hynd cānot bring forth egs nor the Ostridge be the Dam of the Roe Bucke Euery thing hath his appointed nature which it can neither change nor leaue And because we haue spoken before of number place and time let vs in this place consider what they are or at least what they are not The better to discouer their employments they are not as is before recited any matters substances natures nor essences in respect of themselues neither haue they power to procreate or bring forth any thing They are onely the vessels engines mouldes frames or organs wherein things are cast fashioned placed sorted and ordered Out of these in respect of nature can proceede nothing no not so much as themselues issue not nor come not of themselues but are respected according to the motions course order or number of creatures that passe in by and through them If a man shall offer to bring vp the Foxe whelpe among the sheep euen from the first time of his littering It is neither the placing him among these creatures nor the vse of time will qualifie his greedy nature of deuouring his fellowes The like may bee saide of all other Creatures and their kindes and natures It is against nature for Creatures of one kind to destroy one an other which is a great argument of preuarication of the nature and reason of man in that they cease not continually and against nature to worke one an others confusion Let vs proceed a little further set these three number place and time to work simply of themselues they neither ingender nor bring forth any things albeit in them and by them that is in their moulds infinit numbers are generated and brought forth Let vs sprinckle a fewe holy considerations in these causes to make them the more sauery least striuing to set our corrupt reason ouer high we cast it to the dust As in the first Creation it was against nature that there should be any imperfectiō or foule matter or defect created in mans nature So now nature being corrupted altogether polluted by disobedience It is both against aboue this corrupt nature that any perfection should remaine in man Albeit there are that maintaine a sparke or remnant of perfection of the first originall nature to remaine whereby it may againe worke his former perfectiō This is against corrupt nature as much as to sunder take apart wines from water after it is once mingled for no polluted thing entred into the substāce can afterwards be clensed from this polutiō as the dye wil neuer be taken cleane out of the white cloath
so monthly or quarterly or at his pleasure raise his benifite vpon the vse of his vse mony within the yeare contrary to the meaning of the Lawe by often receiuing placing it within one yeare which vnder correctioÌ„ can by no means be construed to bee saued by the wordes of the Lawe A word or two concerning the rate which I take to be double A rate of mony and a rate of time These two are specially to be considered for seeing Nature cannot worke this matter you must permit Time to doe what office it is enioyned to performe To this purpose theÌ„ whether there be one or more takers at one or more times within the yeare is not material but the respect is seeing they haue nothing to raise this rate of money but their industry imployment and labour with a limitation of a rated time for the vse thereof that they may haue the fulnesse of all these without abatements For the eye of Reason in this behalf doth not regard how often the mony be letten within the yeare nor to how many or fewe persons but that the forbearing of 100. li. for a whole yeare shall yeeld the Lender no more or greater gaine 10. li. And in this behalfe is specially to be obserued the seuerall offices of the Lender and Borrower The Lender departeth with his money vpon time to raise his benefite the Borrower bestoweth his labour by merchandising the money with diligence in time to raise the increase vpon the vse of the money If the Lender will take away any part of the time limitted in the statute he doth not then allow the Borrower his full rate of time and therefore of a consequent hee ought to abate it out of the rate of his vse mony for in this cause those two that is the rate of time for which the vse of time is forborne and the rate of money taken for vse must euer iumpe to make the reckoning euen And common and ordinary reason yeeldeth that no man will giue so much for any thing to bee payed at the end of one moneth as hee would if his paymâ—nt were forborne a whole yeare Such is the plaine case as it is now commonly vnderstood that the Lender for one Moneth will take as much at the Moneths ende as if he had forborne his vse whole yeare But I take it this error hath grown out of a fallasie or â—istaking in Art by some Arithmatitianâ— that hath calculated this proportion by â—â—â—â—rong rule not fully fitting this purposeâ— for I conceiue it hath proceeded onely by the rule of diuision when it should haue beene wrought partly by diuision and partly by addition as the true consideration of the Tables will manifestly expresse Wherefore in a word or two let me remember againe the difference betweene contemplation and action Any that worketh barely by coÌ„ceit may practice by conceite but hee that will performe any act indeed must haue matter and stuffe figures and cyphers make no summes of money Therefore if the Lender will haue consideration he must dispose of his money and time that hee who will haue mony time may the better giue consideration In this cause therfore the matter of Art the point from whence I conceiue the error to arise is to be looked into It seemeth the ArithmatitiaÌ„s hath wrought only by diuisioÌ„ In the first part of diuision there are two requisite things the Diuidende Deuisor which in this corr must be essenciall substaÌ„ciall and not by conceit and imagination Let vs see mony must needs be the Diuidend and time the Deuisor Put the case a man leÌ„deth a 100. li. for one month what may the Lender take The Arithmatition saith a whole yeere will yeeld 10. li. then he diuideth time by time One yeere into 12. parts so that here time is both the Diuidend and Deuisor then he diuideth mony by time that is 10. li. by 12 months he findeth the 12. part of 10. li. to be 16. s.8.d. which he allotteth to one moneth The rule is true but not to be vsed in this case for Reason the founder of Art will shew that he hath no warrant to measure by this rule in that he hath no essentiall Deuisor for if you marke it hee wanteth 11. months of his yeare at the time of his diuision And so he worketh a substantial Diuidend of 10. li. by an imagined Deuisor of 12. moneths when there is but one occured but his course should be as in the case of contribution the shorter time of forbearance of the vse should not haue so large allowance as the longer And on this point doth Reason and Art conclude â— which are more plainly expressed in these ensuing Tables the false being reproued by the excesse and the true raised from lesse to more as the rate of time and vse of the mony giueth occasion I haue drawn these Tables as patterns or Modells to shewe and discouer the truth from the false and to manifest how truth and Art still drawe to one Period I the more insist vppon this for my sole example because it is a matter so directly against nature and sophistically brought into the danger and ouerthrowe of mens estate for all the world must confesse that in this case as hauing regard to matter of substance nothing is enforced to produce something And though I meant not to fill this place with law arguments yet let me borrow a word for further explanation of my meaning Let vs see what the lender must doe to rayse ten of his hundreth hee must contribute towards the raysing thereof a proportion of money and a proportion of time Of mony a hundreth to rayse ten of time one whole yeare In this case as I said before there is no respect of the borrower well then the lender is tied to both these contributions so still the rate of his gaine must not exceed ten for the rate of a whole yeare of time In this case the lender is tyed to his This is the Table that sheweth the error of the former by proportioning the rate according to the length of shortnesse of the time of forbearance of the principal raising a rate to produce iust ten pound at the end of a whole yeare   li. s. d. Parts  li. s. d. Parts 1 Moneth  15 10 5 6   15 10 5 6 2 Moneth  16  1 2  01 11 11 1 3 3 Moneth  16 02 1 6  02 08 01 1 2 4 Moneth  16 03 5 6  03 04 05 1 3 5 Moneth  16 05 1 2  04  10 5 6 6 Moneth  16 07 1 6  04 17 06  7 Moneth  16 08 5 6  05 14 02 5 6 8 Moneth  16 10 1 2  06 11 01 1 3 9 Moneth  17  1 6  07 08 01 1 2 10 Moneth  17 01 5 6  08 05 03 1 3 11 Moneth