vertue of some Statutes deuised for supply of casuall occurrents besides the power of Prerogatiue Royall Tributes and Customes Subsidies and Tenths with many other pensions fall due to the King and so are counted legall debts though morall in their originall yet legall ex determinatione legis the Law prescribing how it shall be for quantity and circumstances In paiment whereof it is the wisdome of our State that though where nothing is to be had the King must lose his right yet hee seldome doth lose any thing of that which is found due by Officers employed put in trust and it were pitty it should not come entirely into his treasury For how should the most illustrious estate of such a Monarch how should such ministers of State of Iustice of Peace peareless I am perswaded for worth and wisdome How should such a Navy such men and munition as must be alwaies in a readinesse against casuall events how should such Armies as may be requisite in a tumultuous and raging world be maintained at his cost how should true Religion and the Gospell sincerely preached for which the world hates vs and yet without which our life would be tedious and a very shadow of death bee defended by his power against the malice of the Diuell and his instruments if all the springs and fountaines of the Kingdome did not constantly runne into the Ocean of his Treasury As our Nation hath not beene backward in the payment of this debt so hath it beene more happy then any nation in the world in our two last Soueraignes Queene Elizabeth and King Iames both of blessed memory to whom it hath been paied For besides protection by the Sword of Power and Iustice common to other Subiects yet not euery where so common as were to be wished wee haue had the true Faith of Iesus Christ professed and the preaching of the Gospell established and countenanced by publike Authority for the space of sixtie six years without interruption A most inestimable blessing for which we owne euen our selues vnto them as Paul speakes to Philemon Philem. v. 19. and for which none but God onely can make recompence The Children that now are shall not forget King Iames when they are old the Elder also shall reuerence his memory because by his princely care and expresse direction for Catechizing the ignorant not onely the younger are able to giue an account of their Faith but euen the elder though vnwilling to appeare senes elementarij old men learning principles yet they do both countenance the worke by their presence and doe encrease daily in knowledge and zeale Thus our two late gracious Soueraignes most memorable for great matters but for none so much as in that they were an incomparable payre for defence the true Faith and propagation of the Gospell haue had as they deserued the loue of our hearts a reall performance of those pecuniary debts whereof I speak and shall be had by vs and ours in an euerlasting remembrance which wee doubt not shal daily be renued by that most noble branch springing from that roote so blessed to our Nation our deare Soueraigne Lord King CHARLES that now is Concerning whom wee cannot expresse the greatnesse either of our hopes or ioies which wee conceiue For his life hitherto vnspotted of the world so free in youth from the lusts of youth so farre from intemperance in the fulness of plentie so preualent ouer pride in such a fortune so vnstained by Popery in the schoole of Spaine so attentiue and iudicious in hearing Gods word so full of goodnes when it was not in request such a life I say hitherto in the blossome and spring doth promise precious fruits in the ripenesse and maturity Blessed are those guides liuing and dead who had the seasoning of such a vessell of honor and grace and failed not in the seruice and blessed is his Majestie who in his Christian education laid such a foundation of religion and wisedome of godlinesse and honestie as is the vnspeakable ioy and comfort of all his louing subjects and will bring him infallibly in a course of holinesse to a perfection of life and happinesse at last Our Sauiour pleads the right of * Mat. 22. 21. Caesar euen then when Tiberius a subtle Tyrant was that Caesar Paul in this place doth most earnestly vrge the paiment of Tributes and all other duties to the Superior powers at that time when Nero whom else-where he calls the * 2. Tim. 4. 17. Lion was the Roman Monarch What else doth this teach vs but that how-euer the importunity of gouernors may at some time be grieuous in exacting yet the subject if release cannot bee had by supplication must be alwaies obedient in performing to the vttermost of his ability How much more should we hauing by the gracious prouidence of the Almightie such a King set ouer vs as we trust will proue a man after the heart of God as Dauid did in Israel and a pattern of grace and zeale as Iosuah was in Iudah How much more I say should wee most cheerefully yeeld vnto him the homage of our hearts the seruice of our hands and the portion of our substance required by Law to the vttermost mite besides our continuall prayers vnto God for his present and future happinesse CHAP. 5. Of Debts to the Minister of the Gospell ANother debt imposed by humane Ordinance pertaineth to the Minister as Tythes and other pensions in the right of the Church These I cal imposed by humane Lawes not as wauing the claime by Diuine right till I bee otherwise instructed then yet I am For if Tythes were due to the Priest of the most high God * Gen. 14. 20 Gen. 28. 22. paid by Abram if vowed by Iacob before the Law giuen in mount Horeb if they were due vnder the Lawe to the Priests and Leuites by diuine right for the seruice of the Tabernacle If a maintenance bee due to the ministers of the Gospell as the Apostle pleadeth purposely 1. Cor. 9. from verse 7. to the 15. Gal. 6. 6 7. If God haue ordained that they who preach the Gospell should liue of the Gospell and that hee who is taught in the word should communicate vnto him of whō he is taught in all good things then surely I see not but that tythes at least or some better thing should be due to the Minister of the Gospell by Diuine Ordinance and that those who take them from vs should giue vs a better thing as those who vnder the Law had a mind to redeeme their tythe were bound to ad to the price euery * Leuit. 27. 31. fift pennie aboue the true value But I make it not my taske to dispute this question my betters haue done it lately and worthily I here consider tythes and other portions of the Ministers maintenance as a legall debt due by a double right First the faithfull labourer in the Lords haruest is worthie his
wage ex debito not ex gratia by debt not by curtesie though he be 2. Cor. 3. 7 8 9. but an earthen vessell yet his treasure is verie precious and his Ministerie much more excellent then that of the Law Secondly that hee ought to haue the tythes in kind by vertue of the positiue Law of our kingdome most agreeable and consonant to the Originall Law of God * Ephes 4 12 in lew of his seruice for the gathering of the Saints and for the edifying of the body of Christ by the Ministerie of the Gospell so that it is not a meere Legall but a Morall debt as I noted of that to the Magistrate out of Aquinas A mixt debt so let me call it because the seruice is holy and the things ministred are spiritual though the recompence bee temporall goods or money I need not cite the words of the * Henry 8. an 27. and 32 Edw. 6. an 2. cap. 3. Statute the practise is paiment vnder paine of triple damage euen in Impropriations where the worke is not done by him that takes the wages What then can bee alleadged why this debt should not bee paid So assigned by God who holds his work-man * Luk. 10. 7. worthy his wages as well in the New Testament as in the Old so confirmed by Law proportioned to the * Numb 18. 21 22. 24. c. authenticall patterne so dearely earned by the continuall paines of the faithfull Pastors who haue the most dreadfull charge of Soules I speak not for Improprietaries they will be sure to shift for themselues I put the case with all the fauour that may be yet not otherwise then stands with the truth in many places That which they answere for non-paiment of this debt is that they owe vs no such matter for Debitum est quod iure ab inuito exigi potest That is a debt which may lawfully be required of a man against his will but this cannot so be exacted say they for their land is Abby-land and consequently exempted as was the Abby or their land is freed by composition prescription or custome and for these they will stand tanquam pro aris focis as for their altars and their houses indeed against their altars and houses of God To whom I say not any thing to plead for the belly as they suppose If I had the tongue of the eloquent and learned their bellies would haue no eares to giue mee audience in such an Argument I speake onely for discharge of my owne conscience in seruice of the truth and to cleere my selfe for euer from consenting vnto sacriledge in any man or matter First their land is Abbey-land belonging Places exempt to such a Monastery before the dissolution so let it bee and so let them enioy it vnlesse it be a thing consecrated to the Church if so then except they be Prophets or Prophets Children or superannited Leuites who alwaies had their allowance and portion in things consecrated or in the nature of these let them take heede and looke well to themselues because it is a snare to deuoure that which is holy after the vowes to make enquiry Pro. 20. 25. It is an ancient Canon Semel dicatum Deo non est ad humanos vsus vlteriús De reg iuri◠in Decr. reg 51. transferendum That which is once dedicated to God is not to be translated afterwards to the vses of men That is if it be consecrated rightly to the seruice of God it may not be alienated to the priuate common vses of men not employed in that seruice some few cases are excepted whereof this is none To this they will say That they finde themselues hereof possessed by inheritance and they haue digested it already well enough If God be pleased with it I wish them all prosperity their lot is fallen to them in a fayre ground they haue a goodly heritage yet I had rather haue my part in a lot lesse disputable But admit all is well and that they hold what they haue without any scruple I enuy not vnto them the least dramme of their right But what doth become of the Tyth of those lands are not those more specially consecrated in their original in their vse more properly necessary to the maintenance of Gods seruice then the Lands themselues Why then is the payment of these denied and in lieu thereof some pitifull contemptible pension ill paied to the miserable defacing of the Ministery in that place The same Authority say they which giues Ministers the Tythe in places not exempted hath exempted our lands from payment of Tythes in kind thus we haue it and so we meane to hold it I dispute not the power of Princes and Parliaments it is aboue my capacitie and out of my element I alwaies yeeld to Law presuming reason of state in it though I see it not But what if the Law be not so cleare as is imagined The alienation of these Tythes which came to the King at the dissolution of Abbyes together with the lands was at first an Act of the Pope by an iniurious vsurpation vppon the right of the Church and against the Lawes of God and man then in force If this were in the Pope a sacrilegious Act hatefull to God who detesteth robberie Esay 61. 8. in the sacrifice it is not to bee thought that our Statute Law intended to iustifie that in any which is sacriledge in the Pope or to make that iust which is originally vniust I do not thinke that our Statute Law intended either to abolish Tythes vtterly or to decide the right but to change the possession for the present time till the claime of the Church might more euidently appeare But suppose the Law for non-payment of these Tythes were as cleare as the practise yet as in the businesse of the Tabernacle Moses was admonished See thou do all things according Exod. 25. 40. Hab. 8. 5. to the patterne shewed thee in the mount so in matters of the Church all things should be done chiefly in matters of importance according to the patterne of holy Scriptures Now whether the Law enioyning Tythes in generall or the Act releasing that payment to some bee more agreeable to the Originall patterne let any man iudge that is not a partie For mine owne particular when I find it punctually set downe That as those who ministred 1. Cor. 9. 13 14. about holy things did liue of the things of the Temple and they which waited at the Altar were partakers of the Altar that so the Lord hath ordained that they who preach the Gospell should liue of the Gospell Me thinkes it hard dealing that we should be barred of the benefit of the ancient ordinance of Tythe till some other Law of prouision disanulling the former can bee produced out of the Scripture Another exception against true payment Composition euen where lands are not exempt is composition with the former
THE DEBT BOOK Or A TREATISE VPON Romans 13. ver 8. Wherein is handled The Ciuill Debt of Money or goods and vnder it the mixt Debt as occasion is offered ALSO The Sacred Debt of LOVE By HENRY WILKINSON Bachelor in Diuinity and Pastor of Wadesdon in Buckinghamshire 2. CHRON. 16. 9. Iehouae oculi discurrunt per totam terram vt firmum se exhibeat erga eos quorum animus est integer erga ipsum LONDON Printed by R. B. and G. M. for ROBERT BIRD and are to be sold in Cheap-side at the signe of the Bible 1625. TO THE HIGH AND MIGHTY Prince CHARLES by the grace of God King of great Brittaine France and Ireland Defender of the Faith c. * ⎠* Most gracious Souereigne DEbt is a thing which hath exercised the minds of most men in all ages but the pennes of verie fewe in this kind wherein I handle it The Ciuilians I know tell vs what it is and determine the cases incident to their facultie worthily and skilfully but to shew how Debt not duly and seasonably paid falles heauy vpon a mans outward estate yea and reflecteth bitterly sometimes vpon the conscience this few or none that I know haue hitherto vndertaken And yet we see not any thing more frequent in experience then the dismall effects which Debt produceth in the life of man some it pierceth with perpetuall cares some it impouerisheth som it imprisoneth some it banisheth to some it cleaueth and to their seede for euer like the leprosy of Naaman to Gehazie till they he consumed vtterly It stayeth not heare but in some cases it staineth and polluteth mens consciences The wages of the hireling the portion of the Labourer in the Lords haruest the patrimonie of the fatherles the widowes right kept backe by force or fraud are due Debt the cries whereof as they are entred into the eares of the Lord so can they not chuse but pierce the consciences of the vniust detainers of them vnless they be seared or otherwise sealed vp by some iust iudgement of God leauing them to their wilfulnesse and obduration The ordinary silence of Ministers in this argument may make men thinke perhaps that we iustify either the security of those who willingly continue in the bonds of Debt or the sinfulnesse of those who pay them not at all The sinnes of the times and the vices of the seuerall ages of the world haue beene imputed for the most part to the Pastors and Ministers of those ages and times who by holding their tongues haue seemed to consent thereunto though it may bee they mourned for them in secret This hath made me willing to say somewhat in this thing to free myselfe and others whom it doth concerne from the censure of posterity for seeming by silence to giue way to that which clogges a Christian life otherwise comfortable with intollerable troubles and molestations and to draw on others who are better able to giue their counsaile and directions for the preuenting or remouing of this miserie of Debt which hath wasted the state and perplexed the soules of manie thousands in the world This Treatise I haue desired not without your Gracious permission to present vnto your Maiesty as the ablest instrument of God by iustice to reforme the vnrighteous dealing of such as will not pay their Debts and by Law to restraine the grieuous exactions of vsurious lenders and by mercy to relieue the misery of such as in the businesse of Debt are not willing doers but vnwilling sufferers such I meane as either by the hardnesse of mens hearts are constrained at their need to borrow vpon conditions to them intollerable or as cannot get their owne though neuer so due without spending more then the thing is worth in trying a doubtfull issue for an vndoubted right which is the case of almost all the inferior Ministers of the Kingdome who cannot without such cost as they are not able to beare recouer their due if a couetous or crafty or wilfull opposite will denie it It might possibly haue seemed fitter for one of my coate to haue handled some matter of Faith or tending to mortification or some controuersy of the times these I know are more properly pertinent to my calling had not other men of better gifts done them abundantly with good successe and approbation but this argument of debt as a barren soyle hath lyen vntilled like a desolate wildernesse no man regarding to reduce that into order which hath disordered and put out of frame the thoughts and actions of the wisest men in the world In managing wherof if I haue done the office of a faithfull Minister let mee passe vnder the protection of your Gracious countenance if in any thing I haue failed as easily a man may doe I humbly craue pardon but no protection Pardon alone will serue his turne who will throw the first stone at his owne error when he sees it In an argument of this nature its easier to speake pertinent things to men of lowe degree then to Princes and Potentates the state of Kings is aboue priuate capacities and reasons of State beyond common rules yet my hearts desire and prayer to God shall be that the cares of your Kingdoms impossible to be gouerned without a most excellent spirit in your Maiesty and speciall diuine assistance from God may not bee aggrauated with the snares of Debt Debt is a burden to a free spirited man bee hee otherwise neuer so well able to beare it And though it stand with the power and magnificence of great Princes freely and daily to grant iust requests and bee also a more blessed thing to giue then to receiue yet ordinarily it is counted a more necessary iust and conscionable act to pay Debts then to giue gifts If the one at any time but preiudice to the other for although in them both goodnesse and greatnesse worke together yet the giuing of gifts is more properly a fruit of power and greatnesse payment of Debts an act of goodnesse and true goodnesse will then stand in greatest perfection when all earthly greatnesse will bee laid in the dust The Lord of heauen blesse your Maiesty with a religious aprosperous and long Raigne ouer vs and make you as supreminent in goodnesse as you are glorious in greatnesse that you may not onely long inioy these earthly Dominions but a Crowne of Immortalitie a farre most excellent and exceeding weight of Celestiall glory by the onely merit of our Lord and Sauiour IESVS CHRIST to whose blessing and grace I shall as humble duty bindes mee commend you while I liue in my truest Affections and heartiest Prayers Your Maiesties most humble and faithfull Subiect HENRY WILKINSON THE Contents of the Chapters in this Treatise vpon Rom. 13. 8. Owe nothing to any man but this that ye loue one another for he that loueth another hath fulfilled the Lawe CHAP. I. THe words opened and a discourse touching Debts in generall with reasons why we should
midst of many Tares and much Chaffe tollerates many things Et tamen quae sunt contra fidem bonam vitam non approbat nec tacet nec facit yet such things as are against faith a good life it neither doth approoue nor conceale nor practise The like say I in this the Church whose cause I plead tollerates many pressures susteyneth many iniuries but customes against all reason and right against iustice and common sense it neither approueth nor concealeth nor practiseth the like it selfe towards others When the malignity of all these exemptions compositions prescriptions and customes like ill constellations bring penury and misery vpon the Clergie When these foure come vpoÌ„ vs like the foure seuerall sorts of Vermine mentioned by the Prophet the Palmer-worme the Locust Ioel 1. 4. the Cankar-worme and the Caterpiller the latter still consuming the residue of the former is it not time to mourne and complaine when out meat is cut off before our eyes and ioy and gladnesse from the house of our God Ioel 1. 16. Is it not time to say with Amos O Lord God Amos 7. 2 forgiue we beseech thee by whom shall Iacob arise for he is small Querelae saies one Liuius l. 1. ne tam quidem grate quanda fortasse necessariâ— Complaints are not then welcome when perhaps they are necessary but it were better to complaine and admonish and reproue then that a curse should rest vpon vs as it did vpon Iudah for robbing God in Tythes Offerings Mal. 3. 8 9. If answer bee made that the case is not like I confesse it is not like in many circumstances but it is very like if not the same in substance For if God haue as peculiar an interest in vs and as fatherly a care ouer vs as in and ouer the Ministers of the Law then if the defrauding of Priests and Leuits were sacriledge in the Iewes how euer the stile and word may bee mittigated yet our curbing the Ministers of the Gospell by force or fraud will proue something which cannot bee answered in the day of account In this point I had much rather referre the Reader to the godly Sermons of the most learned Doctor Raynolds vpon the Prophecie of Obadiah specially vpon the 5. and 6. Verses then say any more my selfe onely let me adde these few things First let that of Ieremy be wel considered Thus saith the Lord against the Ammonits Ierem. 41. 1 2. hath Israel no Sonne hath hee no heire why then doth the Ammonite possesse God and dwell in his Cities Behold I will cause the alarme of war to be heard in Rabbah of the Ammonits and it shall be an heape and his townes shall be burnt with fire and Israel shall bee heire vnto them that were his heires c. Let mee now enquire as God did of Israel and God hath Leui no sons or hath the Minister of the Law no heire why then doth the Lay man possesse the Clargie Why doth hee encroach vpon the portioÌ„ of the Minister of the Gospel Remember the imprecation vpon the haters of Leui Deut. 33. 11. Smite through the loynes of them that rise against him that they rise not againe The Lord turne the hearts of the spoylers of his inheritance who doe not now as the Iewes Aggâ—y 1. 4. neglect the house of God to build their owne but take away the maintenance reuenues of Gods house to inlarge their owne The old word was Decimas redde diues sis pay tythes that thou maiest be rich it is Ieromes obseruation Decimiâ— redditis vbertas noÌ„ redditis fames fuit That there was plenty when Tythes were paied penury wheÌ„ they were not But the present practise is pay not Tythes that thou maiest be rich it is the common opinioÌ„ now that its all one whether Tythes be paid or not that the Lord in that respect will doe neither good nor ill Is there then no difference betweene the cleane and the vncleane or betweene well gotten goods and the wages of iniquity If vnder the Law a man otherwise Agg. 2. 14. cleane did hold in his hand a thing polluted and vncleane if he washed himselfe neuer so oft yet he was still vncleane all the water in Iordan and the ceremonies of Leuiticus could not clense him so long as the polluted thing remained in his hand The Ministers portion wrongfully vsurped and vniustly deteined from him is an vncleane thing in the hand of the oppressor who so long as hee holdeth the vncleane thing in his possession cannot but bee polluted and vncleane in Gods sight The Lord I trust will at last remoue the vaile of ignorance and couetousnesse from their hearts whom it concernes that they may see the breaches which they make vpon Gods Ministers and will giue them true repentance and amendment that their sinne may bee forgiuen and their polluted consciences purged in the blood of Iesus Christ applied to them by a liuely Faith and remember Lord in mercy those who haue compassion on the daily ruines and decaies of thine house and let not the kindnesse bee wiped out which they shew to thine house and to the Officers thereof Thus much of the Legall debt to the Minister which I take not to be meerely ciuill but a mixt Debt because though that which is yeelded be a temporall thing yet it is the compensation of a spirituall seruice CHAP. 6. Of Debts to the poore A Third kind of debt imposed by Law is to the poore the burden hereof is laid vpon the richer sort according to their ability I speake not now of almes which is voluntarie and left to discretion yet required in * Deut. 15. 10 11. Scripture with much importunity but of such monies as are paiable by vertue of the Law made in the dayes of Queene ELIZABETH and Reg. Eliza. 43. cap. 2. continued in the reigne of King IAMES of blessed memorie for the raising of a stocke to set the poore on worke for relieuing of the lame impotent blind aged and such as are not able to worke and for putting out of poore children to be prentises which euer being not only pollitike but godly also and religious I hold the debt not meerly ciuill but a mixt debt as was the former for the chearfull and ready paiment whereof let me vse these motiues First the care which God hath had alwaies for the poore Hee doth not only plead their cause Deut 15. 10 11. And open thy hand liberally to thy brother to thy poore to thy needy for euen for this cause the Lord thy God shall blesse thee in all thy worke and in euery thing that thou puttest thine hand vnto but he allots a portion of the third yeers Tythe not only to the Leuite who neuer is excluded but to the stranger the fatherlesse and the widow Deut. 26. 12. As Hierome hath obserued vpon Ezech 45. and calls it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the poore mans Tythe
man should be purged and let blood euery six moneths without faile for many yeares together it would not onely weaken but at last consume him So in plentifull estates to bee sometimes straitned and put vpon difficulties may be of vse to make the rich more cautelous for themselues and more sensible of poore mens wants Yet if the richest should be put to do his homage to the Vsurer euery six moneths after eight or ten in the hundreth per annum for many yeares together and for great summes without failing or excuse it would wast by degrees the greatest wealth that is till it were exhausted and vtterly brought to nought Reges Parthos non potest quisquam salutare Sen. Epist 17. sine munere No man might salute the Parthian Kings without a present A man may not salute an Vsurer gratis nor looke him in the face which yet must bee done at times prefixed without the tribute of interest in his hand Yet is he not mollified at all by this but as the Philistimes when they had put out Samsons eyes Iudg. 16. 21 made him grinde in the Mil so when borrowers are blinded with a thicke mist of probabilities to instifie their owne particular case then the Vsurer makes them grinde in his Mill. All the profit they can make by industry or skil perhaps by racking Tenants and robbing the Church is added to his heape and when they haue compassed the circle from yeare to yeare they are iust where they were at first Notwithstanding the yeelding of the interest all the while yet the debt remaines intire In payment whereof if any default bee made then forfeitures and suites at law and costs damages then executions vpon body goods lands imprisonments till the vtmost farthing be paied do ensue Thus the Borrowers thrift is spent their substance is dilapidated their wiues and children are impouerished themselues wearied with labouring for the winde which how it stands with that discreet frugality which God requireth in his most righteous Law and without which no State can stedfastly hold out let them whom it concernes examine for satisfying their owne consciences and not goe on with security where there is certainty of danger This foundation being now laid that the borrower is not alwaies so innocent as is supposed let vs hear what men indebted and not resolued to seeke their freedome will say further for themselues Debt is chiefly by borrowing or buying Allegat 2 vpon time I borrowed saith the seruant of debt but I purchased with it and a great penniworth I had at the hands of a young Prodigall who scatters more in a yeare then he will gather in an age him I obserued and humoured I furnished him with supply for all excesse of ryot till I found an opportunity to lay out all my stocke and great summes besides out of the Vsurers treasury Torua leaena Lupum Virg. Ecl. 2. sequitur lupus ipse capellam Thou art as a rauening Wolfe to the wanton vnthrift til the grimme Vsurer deuoure you both But was this well done of thee to worke vpon the ignorance or necessity or wilfulnesse of a raw and vnexperienced Waster and to builde thy rising vpon his ruine Shall any man be established Prou. 12. 3. by wickednes Was it well done by crafty insinuation to circumvent thy brother Is not God an auenger of all such 1. Thes 4. 6. What else is this but Crimen stellionatus the very sinne of cousenage Yet for all thy cunning and buying at an vnderualue do but add to the price that which is paid for the loane and in seuen yeares it will prooue very deare vnlesse thou helpe thy selfe in making the poore a prey and so Lucrum tuum shall be damnum publicum Thy priuate gaine shall be a publike losse as Ambrose obserueth Officiorum Lib. 3. And indeed in most cases it so falls out to bee euen in those which seeme most tollerable A skilfull Tradesman for example lackes a stocke another that wanteth skill hath money lying by him to no vse nor profit here by the passage of an vsurious contract the money of the wealthie is accommodated to the industry of the skilfull and so both become gayners And may they not both become loosers God denying his blessing to vnsanctified meanes Is not euery vniust gaine a true losse Though gain in the Coffer yet wrack in the Conscience But of this they are willing not to be sensible Admit them both gainers in sundry returnes yet may not the poore Buyer honester then them both be compelled by this occasion to pay a higher rate for commodities without which mans life is not sustained And where this practise is generall Vsury being the bewitching sinne of the age as Poligamie sometimes was may it not turne to the publike detriment of Buyers and Borrowers when the Seller must proportion the price as well to the aduantage of the Vsurer as to the industry of such as are imployed and the worth of the thing May not this raise iust cries and complaints against them both in the Court of heauen Why doth * Ierem. 15 10. Ieremy cleere himselfe both of lending vpon vsury and of borrowing vpon vsury if there may not in some cases be matter of exception against them both Another alledgeth for his continuance Allegat 3 in debt that Hee doth it to preserue his ancient Inheritance which is a good thing and a iust one would be loath to be the man in whose person and time the splendour of a family should be eclipsed It was the honour of Augustus that hee could say of Rome Accepi lateritiam reliqui marmoream I receiued it of Bricke I left it of Marble But as it is better in a Gangrene to cut off one member then by suffring it to fret from part to part to lose the whole so when great and grieuous debts consume a mans reuennues it 's better by selling part of an inheritance though ancient to cleare the State then by suffering this Gangrene to ouerspread the whole at last to lose all Antiquity will not pay the rent of Vsury And a debt continued til it be ancient wil consume the most ancient both inheritance and reputation I continue in debt will another say Allegat 4 that my trading be not diminished it 's great dealing that brings in great gaining so then as one notes Lucrum est esca sed fraus est laqueus sic attende escam vt videas laqueum Gaine is the bayte deceit is the snare so looke at the baite that thou discerne also the snare But commonly in trading men light vpon the snare committing fraud industriously with both their hands who yet could neuer catch the baite the gaine which did allure them Nor is it any maruell for in debt continued there is certainty of losse but in great trading aboue a mans ability no certainty of gaine nor assurance of Gods blessing when men take too much vpon them and