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A07941
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Of the lawful and vnlawful vsurie amo[n]gest Christians, added by Wolfgang Muscul vnto the ende of his booke vppon the Psalmes; De usuris ex verbo Dei. English
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Musculus, Wolfgang, 1497-1563.; T. L., fl. 1556.
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1556
(1556)
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STC 18310; ESTC S105482
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21,399
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82
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also receyued of man This vsurie did oure forfathers much vse which nowe is rekened vile forced too geue place vnto the damnable vsurie of money And there is an other certen vsurie by the whiche without any sinne a maÌ„ maye take an hundreth for one This Christ hiÌ„ selfe in the sted of his father as a shuerti doeth promise vnto his faithfull saying And eueri one which shal leaue house or brethreÌ„ or sisters or father or mother or wife or soÌ„nes or fyldes for my name shall receiue an huÌ„dreth fold possesse life euerlasting Mat .19 Behold an other a heaueÌ„ly kind of vsuri vnto the whiche we be called not feared froÌ„ it But I pray you see how many there be whiche sette their minds to the gethering of heaueÌ„ly riches with so great gaines By these exaÌ„ples of vsurie it is proued not to be vnlawefull of it self to restore more thaÌ„ thou hast receiued or els to receiue more than thou hast geueÌ„ but whether the sam sorte of vsurie which in our tyme hath the vpperhaÌ„d of the which at this time we speake haue the same reason that the vsurie of the earth or the heaueÌ„ly vsurie hath by the whiche God him self is â— greatest vsurer of all other this nowe muste bee spied with simple pure eies They which defend customable vsurie doe deuise manye thinges which thei mai shewforth wherby thei mai be bold to sai that it is not vnlawful Thei briÌ„g the law out of the boke called the code in the treatise of vsures by the whiche is permitted yea ordeined the huÌ„dreth the halfe of the hundreth c. they thinke that the authorite of the ciuill law maketh that which thei do either not to be vsurie or if it be vsurie not to be vnlawful vsurie we auÌ„swer that the law maker was forced of necessite not to defeÌ„d vsurie but too set some stai of exceding couetousnes the which thing the text of the lawe it self proueth for it taketh awaye great hurtfulnes of vsury apoiÌ„teth certeÌ„ measures ouer the which nothing mai be claimed His desire was without dout that such charitie might preuail amoÌ„g christiaÌ„s as shuld leaue no place vnto vsurie but for because that couetousnes did grow past measur he iudged it nedefull that it shuld be kept in by latises or railes therfore he cut awai the hurtfulnes of vsurie euen vnto the middest of it Wherefore the law doeth not maintein vsurie make it lawful but rather witnesseth that charite amoÌ„g christiaÌ„s was waxeÌ„ cold most filthi abominable couetousnes groweÌ„ so farre that it must be kept vnder by the authoritie of the Emperor And so as the law of diuorce made by Moises dyd not excuse the Iew afore god which vsed the law as to be giltles of breaking wedlock likewise this ciuill law doth not make vsuri so lawful that a christeÌ„ maÌ„ mai vse it withoute offeÌ„ce afore god As Christ spake vnto the Iewes of the law of diuorce It was not so froÌ„ the beginninge for the hardnes of your harts Moyses did suffer a byll of diuorce so sente them back vnto the fyrste begynninge of lawfull wedlocke vnto the which thei ought to conforme theÌ„ selfs eueÌ„ so in this case or cause of vsurie we christians must loke vnto the purenes beginnings righteousnes and equite of christeÌ„ religioÌ„ which is to be sene Math .5 Luc .6 we must not loke vnto the ciuil lawes For thei are not made for christieÌ„s whiche haue no nede of ciuill lawes to the ende that thei there by should be stayed froÌ„ their couetous desire lest that the breake leape ouer the border of measure For they are so gyded by the spirit of loue that thei loue their neighbor hartely are ready to bestow vppon him not onely their money but if nede be euen their life also Where as this loue preuaileth there canne be no place for anye coueteousnes nor there is no reason or cause for any suche lawes to be established by the whiche coueteousnes maye be measured Wherefore the minde of the lawemaker was not too mainteyne him which in lending requireth vsurie but too prouide for him that boroweth leâ—t that because he is oppressed with nede he should be forced to borow monei then by the vnsatiable couetousnes of vsurers he shoulde be vtterly pilled and spoyled when as charite is so colde that he can fynd none that wil lend frely without vsury Wherfore that law made by a christian Emperour concerninge vsurie is a plaine profe that loue of neyghbors was waxeÌ„ cold to the great shame of the christeÌ„ name so it is far froÌ„ excusing of vsurye in any such sort as to make it lawfull ChristiaÌ„s are in case partly by the inward gyding of the holi gost partly by the lighte authorite of gods word to be called froÌ„ all those thynges whiche dysplease god so that they nede not by any coÌ„straynt of Emperours lawes ether to be forced or feared Cyuyl lawes do not forbyd al thiÌ„gs that be vnlawful afore god what thiÌ„gs they forbyd not those things they punysh not howbeit therby it caÌ„not be proued that al thyngs ar lawful afore god which ar not forbiddeÌ„ vnto vs by ciuil laws They do not forbid anger indignacioÌ„ vnpacyence enuy hate pryde euill lusts couetousnes such other as the Apostle calleth the dedes of the flesh and sayth that they do shit out of the kingdoÌ„ of god al those that haue such minds Gala .5 Wherfore no maÌ„ that doth any such thiÌ„ge is therfore excused a fore god because he is not coÌ„deÌ„ned by any ciuil law ☞ Agayne the ciuill lawes do not coÌ„maunde al those things that are requisite vnto true rightuousnes No ciuill law coÌ„maundeth fayth hope loue of god thy neibor pacieÌ„ce in aduersite geÌ„tilnes meknes lowlines modesty c. WhervpoÌ„ not with standing no maÌ„ shold suppose that he is not bouÌ„deÌ„ vnto these because that if he be otherwyse disposed he is bi no ciuil lawes coÌ„deÌ„ned Furthermore they suffer soÌ„e things for certain causes which that not wtstaÌ„diÌ„g afore god be vnlawfull by gods word ar coÌ„deÌ„ned They doe suffer theÌ„ not as in theÌ„selfs right lawful but that worse thiÌ„gs may be shut out displaced So thus far also thei suffer vsury that a measure of couetousnes mai be limited Thei do not ponish whordoÌ„e nor take not awai the stewes yet therbi no whormoÌ„ger is excused afore god nor that of the Apostle is not made of none effect Ebr .13 Wedloke is honorable holy but whoremongers and adultrers the lord shal iudge Lyke wyse al those threatnyngs whych in holy scripture coÌ„demne vsurers be not therefore made of none effect because they bee not condemned by ciuill lawes but the ende of ciuill lawes is to be considered and we muste not thynke that they are made to make men ryghteous afore god but to kepe men some