therefore of all reproches an ingenious man can least brooke this that another to his face should say Thou lyest But if the very heathen people doe so highly esteeme of Truth how much more doth it become vs Christians to loue and embrace it who are his children that is the Truth who are redeemed by him that is the Truth and vnto whom wee are to conforme our selues who are regenerated by the spirit of truth by whome we are to be led into all truth who are sanctified by the word of God which is the truth who are of the truth so many as are of God Therefore nothing lesse becommeth a Christian than lying nothing more than truth Eightly but if no other arguments will preuaile with vs let vs consider on the one side what rewards the Lord hath promised to them that speake the truth and on the other side what â—udgements he hath denounced against lyars To the speakers of truth the Lord hath promised that they shall neuer be remooued that they shall be established for euer that they shall dwel in Gods holy mountaine as before hath beene shewed against lyars the Lord hath threatened fearefull judgements A false witnesse shall not be vnpunished and he that speaketh liesâ— shall not escape For first he is punished with infamie and looseth his credit insomuch that no man will beleeue him when he speaketh the truth For as one sayth What truth can be spoken of a lyar Secondly he is discarded of the godly he that telleth lies sayth Dauid shall not remaine in my sight But these are light punishments in comparison of those that follow for God doth not onely punish lyars but also destroy them Psal. 5. Thou shalt destroy them that speake lies Prou. 19. A false witnesse shall not he vnpunished and he that speaketh lies shall perish For God destroyeth them either with a temporall death as Ananias and Sapphirâ— because they had lied were stricken dead Act. 5. or with eternall for who so euer loue or make lies shall be excluded out of the heauenly Ierusalem and shall haue their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone which is the second death Ninthly and lastly seeing the holy ghost hath reckoned Truth among the markes of Gods children it behoueth vs as we desire to haue any assurance that we belong vnto the Lord or shall dwell with him in the mountaine of his holinesse so to loue and embrace the truth and to detest and abhorre falshood And thus haue we shewed in generall that lying is wicked and detestable and that the truth is to bee loued and embraced of all those who would be held citisens of heauen But here are two questions to be decided of vs. First Whether it be lawfull for a Christian man at any time to lie Secondly Whether he be bound alwayes to professe the truth and how farre forth As touching the former we are to hold a distinction of lics or vntruths for an vntruth is either vnproperly so called or properly that is vnproperly called an vntruth which being true in sence is false onely in shew of words as figuratiue speeches and fabulous parables the lawfulnesse where of is warranted by the vse of speech in the Scriptures for howsoeuer if we respect the sound of the words they seeme to containe some falshood yet if we regard the sence and meaning of the speaker as it is fit we should they expresse the truth either 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 more significantly or more profitably More significantly as figuratiue speeches especially such as we call Hyperbolae where of there are some examples in the Scriptures As when the holy ghost would signifie a very great or innumerable multitude he vseth to compare it with the sand of the sea And likewise Iohn the Euangelist when he would signifie that Christ our Sauior did work very many or rather innumerable miracles and other acts worthy to be registred he sayth That if euery one of them should be set downe in writing he supposeth that the whole world could not contain the books that should be written And as for fabulous parables they hide not the truth but more profitably lay it foorth that it may be more clearely discerned and more sincerely acknowledged for the truth is more clearely discerned when as by a fit sâ—â—ilitude for such these parables are it is illustrated And it is more sincerely and vnpartially acknowledged when the person of whom it is meant is withdrawne For better doe men comprehend vnder the person of another what is to bee thought of themselues examples hereof see 2. Sam. 12. 1. Mat. 21. 33. 41. Iudg. 9. 7. 2. King 14. 9. and 2. Chron. 25. 18. 19. A lie or vntruth so properly called is such a speech as in sence and meaning at the least is false And such an vntruth is deliuered either for no cause at all as that which is called merum mendacium a meere lie or else for some purpose The meere lie is that which is vttered neither with a desire to hurt nor purpose to helpe any but onely in a vanitie and pleasure taken in lying Which sheweth our notable vanitie and pronenesse to lying that many are delighted therewith for it selfe But this vanitie especially sheweth it selfe in those persons who in all their speeches almost loue to tell of strange and wonderfull things And of this kind of lie there can be no question but that it is vnlawfull The lie which is told for some cause is either to hurt some man or to pleasure him That which is told to hurt any body it is called mendacium perniciosum a pernicious or hurtfull lie neither can there be any controuersie but that this is wicked and diuellish The lie which is told to pleasure any is either mendacium iocosum the merry lie or officiosum the lie for aduantage And of these two sorts is all the controuersie For there are which thinke these lies either to be no sinnes at all or else not mortall sinnes because they seeme to them not to breake that commaundement wherein lies are forbidden For these lies say they are not spoken against our neighbor but rather for him namely either to delight him as the jeasting lie or to helpe him as the officious lie I answere that the ninth commaundement whereof they speake is generally to be vnderstood for first vnder false testimonie we are to vnderstand all false speech concerning our neighbour and not onely false speech but also all vaine talke For the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth both As also the other word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is vsed in the third commaundement And in the fift of Deuteronomie where the law is repeated Moses in the ninth commaundement in stead of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 putteth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that wee may vnderstand not onely false speech to be forbidden but also that which
LECTVRES ON THE XV. PSALME Read in the Cathedrall Church of S. Paule in London Wherein besides many other very profitable and necessarie matters the question of Vsurie is plainely and fully decided By GEORGE DOVVNAME Doctor of Diuinitie Whereunto are annexed two other Treatises of the same authour the one of Fasting the other of Prayer LONDON Printed by Adam Islip for Cuthbert Burbie and are to be sold in Paules Church-yard at the signe of the Swan 1604. TO THE MOST HIGH AND MIGHTY KING IAMES BY THE GRACE OF GOD KING of great Brittaine Fraunce and Ireland defender of the Faith c. YOVR Maiesties gracious acceptance of my Treatise concerning Antichrist hath emboldened me to dedicat these my labours vnto your Highnesse which are in no other respect worthie of your royall patronage but that they haue bene imployed in the explanation of an excellent Psalme of the royall Prophet Dauid whose writings the holy Ghost hath the rather commended to posteritie that by his example Kings and Princes might be admonished to spend part of their time which they may spare from their royall administration in heauenly meditations and spirituall exercises whereby they might gather assurance to themselues that after their earthly kingdome is ended they shall inherit an euerlasting kingdome in heauen for although it be a singuler fauour of God vouchsafed vnto them that they should so beare the image of his power and authoritie amongst men as that they should bee called Gods yet godly and Christian kings are not so much to glorie in the fruition of their temporall crownes and kingdomes as to solace themselues in the comfortable expectation of that incorruptible crowne of glorie which is laid vp for them in heauen For which cause King Dauid thought it to be his dutie to giue all diligence as Peter since hath exhorted vs all to make his calling and election sure and by vndoubted testimonies and infallible tokens to gather assurance vnto himselfe that hee was the true child of God And that he should not take his marks amisse as men are apt to deceiue themselue in this point he intreateth the Lord in this Psalme to reueale vnto him the vndoubted marks of the sons heires of God which hauing learned by the information of the holy Ghost he publisheth them to the common good of the Church Shewing as it were from the Oracle of God that not all that professe the true religion nor all that are able to discourse therof but those that walke worthie of their calling that behaue themselues as it becōmeth the children of the light that is that liue vprightly worke righteousnesse speake the truth from their hearts c. are the sound members of the Church militant vpon earth and shall bee inheritors of glorie in the Church triumphant in heauen The meditation and practise of which things I do so much the more boldly commend to your Maiestie because it euidently appeareth by your former both studies in priuat and also speeches in publicke and writings published you haue propounded Dauid to your selfe as a patterne for imitation And now as a Minister of God I exhort your Highnesse to immitat him still as in speaking and writing so especially in the conscionable practise of Christian duties that you may bee more and more as he was a man according to Gods owne hart walking before the Lord as he did in truth and righteousnesse and vprightnesse of heart and gouerning and guiding the people of God according to the integritie of his heart and the singuler wisedome of his hands So shall the Lord take pleasure in you as he did in him and will not onely giue your Highnesse long and prosperous dayes but will also blesse your posteritie after you and establish them in the throne of these kingdomes for euer to the euerlasting glorie of his name and the perpetuall good of his Church which mercies the Lord graunt for his Christs sake Amen Your Maiesties obedient and loyall subiect George Downame LECTVRES ON the 15. Psalme Verse 1. A Psalme of Dauid Lord who shall soiourne in thy Tabernacle who shall dwell in the mountaine of thy holinesse THis Psalme of Dauid is a Psalme of doctrine wherin the Kingly Prophet sheweth by what markes and notes a sound member of the Church militant and a true citizen of the kingdome of heauen may bee discerned and knowne And it is set downe in forme of a dialogue betwixt Dauid and the Lord consisting on two parts Dauids question Verse 1. and Gods answer in the rest of the Psalme The occasion of the question seemeth to haue beene the disguising and counterfeiting of many professors in all ages who liuing in the Church and not being of it but as goats among the sheepe and as tares among the corne doe notwithstanding by an externall profession of religion and false opinion of true pietie deceiue not only others but sometimes themselues also For many there are who place all religion in the performance of the outward worship And therefore such persons if they frequent the Church heare the word receiue the sacraments call vpon God with the rest of the congregation they imagine that they haue sufficiently discharged their dutie though their life and conuersation be irreligious and vnrighteous Yea and not a few seeme to repose such trust and affiance in the very name of the Church that if they imagine themselues to bee in the true Church and doe not gaine say the doctrine therein professed they take no further care for their saluation but liue securely as though all the members of the visible Church were also members of the inuisible and as though all which haue the externall Church to their mother had also God to their spiritual father in Christ. Wherefore to the end that men should no longer deceiue themselues with vaine opinions fond conceits the Prophet hauing first consulted as it were with the Oracle of God setteth downe certaine marks or notes of a true Christian and citizen of heauen wherby euery man may discerne himselfe And withall he teacheth that in a sound and liuely member of the Church an externall profession of the faith and an outward communion with the Church of God is not sufficient vnlesse the vprightnesse of our life be answerable to our profession And the same is confirmed by our Sauiour Christ Not euery one that saith vnto me Lord Lord shall enter into the kingdome of heauen but he that doth the will of my father which is in heauen Many shall say vnto me in that day Lord Lord haue not wee prophecied in thy name and cast out diuels in thy name and done great wonders in thy name And then will I professe vnto them saying I know you not depart from me you workers of iniquitie But now let vs search out the true sence and meaning of this question By the names of Tabernacle and Mountaine we are to vnderstand the two parts of the
lawful and good to lend to the rich with a iust increase as to giue or lend freely to the poore and that the like opposit blessing of plenteousnesse equally belongeth to both As if Salomon had also said he that giueth to the poore freely and cheerefully and lendeth to the rich to increase himselfe shall vndoubtedly attaine to great riches Thus you see how a partiall and prejudicat mind seeketh rather to draw the Scriptures to it selfe than to conforme it selfe to the Scriptures This prouerbiall sentence is diuersly expounded the most of them that I haue seene expound the latter clause as a punishment of the former As if this were the sence and meaning of this prouerbe That he which seeketh to enrich himselfe by oppressing the needie shall contrarie to his expectation either by bribes giuen to magistrats that he may escape the punishments which by the lawes belong vnto him or else by forfeiture of his goods into great mens hands fall into pouertie Others obserue here to be noted two practises of worldly men which they read copulatiuely that is to take from the poore and to giue to the rich both of them in their intent and purpose referred to the enriching of themselues but by the just prouidence of God so disposed that in the euent they tend to their impouerishment As if Salomon had said He that taketh from the poore to enrich himselfe and giueth to the rich that from them he may receiue greater benefits which commonly is the end of gifts giuen to great men shall by the just judgement of God come to pouertie or as one vnderstandeth this prouerbe He that oppresseth the poore to enrich himself also who giueth to the rich small things that he may receiue from him greater matters and that he may do it oppresseth the poore in the meane while that he may haue to giue to the rich hee shall surely come to pouertie But suppose the holy Ghost did here match these two as equall sinnes to take from the poore and to giue to the rich yet the latter is not generally to bee vnderstood either as a sinne in it selfe as though it were simply vnlawfull to giue any thing to the rich or as great a sinne as to lend vpon vsurie to the poore but with limitation to such things as are giuen to the rich being vnjustly taken or vncharitably withheld from the poore Howsoeuer it is the holy ghost doth not speake here of lending at all and therefore those two collections from hence are absurd and impudent either that lending freely to the rich is as great a sinne as lending vpon vsurie to the poore or that lending vpon vsurie to the rich is as good a thing in his kind as lending freely to the poore Which wicked and shamelesse assertions of this patron of vsurie I wish may bee an admonition both to others that haue taken vpon them the defence of the same cause that through the partialitie of their affections they runne not into the like extremities and also to vsurers that they relie not much vpon such patrons nor hazard their saluation vpon their credit who are now growne to this passe as to call vertue vice and vice vertue Would a man thinke it credible that a Christian man hauing knowledge and learning joyned with a profession of the truth should euer conceiue and much lesse commit to writing That to lend freely to the rich is as great a fault as to lend vpon vsurie to the poore and to lend vpon vsurie to the rich as lawfull and good a thing as to lend freely to the poore O tempora â—o mores in which it is a sinne not to be an vsurer and a vertue not to be liberall friendly courteous or ciuile In which religion is made to countenance vsurie for a vertue and to condemne liberalitie and humanitie for a vice Fourthly they alledge Ier. 15. 10. I neither lent vpon vsurie neither haue they lent me vpon vsurie Whence they gather that lending vpon vsurie is of the same nature with borrowing vpon vsurie and both of them are there mentioned as indifferent things I answer that the Prophet speaketh not of lending vpon vsurie or borrowing vpon vsurie though some translations so read but of lending vpon securitie or with purpose to exact that which is lent And this signification better fitteth the purpose of the Prophet which is to shew the contentious disposition of the people who contended with him when he had giuen them not onely no cause as he had done if hee had bene an vsurer but none occasion of cursed contention for he had forborne all worldly though otherwise lawfull contracts from whence many times contentions arise among men as if he had said I did neither meddle nor make with them in worldly affaires neither bought nor sold neither borrowed nor lent and yet they contend Or if the Prophet had spoken of vsurie in this place it would serue rather for the condemnation of borrowing vpon vsurie which in manie cases is vnlawfull than for justification of lending vpon vsurie which in no case is lawfull the Prophet disclaiming the one as well as the other as causes or at the lest as occasions of contention And these with some few other before confuted are all their allegations out of the old Testament Let vs come to the new for as some of them say It is not to be omitted that the Apostles of Christ in their sundry catalogues of sinnes do neuer once make mention of vsurie which is an argument that it is lawfull especially seeing in the Romane empire vnder which they liued it was commonly exercised euen vnto twelue in the hundred as also among the Iewes to whom Iames Peter and Iohn did write I answer first although it be not forbidden by name in the new Testament yet that proueth it not to bee lawfull An argument drawne from the testimonie of some one part of the Scripture negatiuely doth not hold it is sufficient that it is forbidden in the old Testament and namely in the morall law of God which is common and perpetuall And farre be it from vs to thinke that Christ in his Gospell alloweth any sinne which is forbidden in the morall law as I haue prooued vsurie to be Againe there are many other sinnes forbidden in the morall law which are not once mètioned in the new Testament For to seeke no further biting and griping vsurie is condemned in the morall law and is a thing in the confession of all simply and vtterly vnlawfull and yet thereof is no mention made in all the new Testament and therefore if this argument be good no vsurie at all be it neuer so immoderat or excessiue is vnlawfull Secondly I answer that vsurie is forbidden and condemned in the new Testament not indeed expresly and by name neither is that needfull for many things are contained in the Scriptures which are not expresly mentioned in the Scriptures There be I doubt not some sinnes condemned in the morall
worthie and learned men in this age the testimonies of all the learned in former ages both Christian and heathen the censures of Councels the authoritie of the word of God Now if the conscience of any be not clearly conuicted by the euidence of truth which I haue deliuered concerning the vnlawfulnesse of vsurie I will for their sakes add a further consideration whereby it shall appeare that although we were not sure that vsurie is vnlawfull yet it cannot be practised with a good conscience First because it cannot be done in faith that is to say in a sound persuasion out of the word of God that it is lawfull and whatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne Wherefore if thou doest but doubt of the lawfulnesse of vsurie thou art to abstaine from it being well assured that this is the safer course for men are not to doe that which they doubt of but euer in doubtfull things they must chuse the safer way But it is to be feared that many vsurers do not only doubt of the lawfulnesse of vsurie but euen in their own consciences condemne it and yet against their conscience doe practise it for they had rather be vsurers than seeme so Yea they account it a reproch to be called an vsurer and although they practise the thing yet they auoid the name and in stead of vsurie vse these names vse vsance consideration interest and as they auoid the name so many times they cloke the thing it selfe with diuerse other pretences as hath beene shewed Againe vsurie is a very odious thing and of ill report the very heathen by the light of nature detest it Tully sayth such gaines are to be misliked which are odious as namely that of vsurers Columella sayth That vsurie is odious euen to those whom it seemeth to helpe Aristotle saith it is hated most worthily for as Plautus well saith There is no worse kind of men this day or that deale with lesse right than the vsurers Alexander ab Alexandro reporteth in detestation of vsurie that very many nations did so abhorre it that whereas they punished a theefe twofold they punished an vsurer fourefold As for Christians vsurie in auntient time was so odious among them that if any were but suspected to be an vsurer his house was counted the house of the diuell no neighbour would fetch fire at his house or haue any thing to doe with him children would point at him in the streets yea by the laws of Christians they are diffamed persons The scriptures as you haue heard censure vsurie as an abhomination that is as a sinne to be abhorred And Psal. 109. 11 the holy ghost vseth this interpretation against the wicked Let the exactour meaning thereby the vsurer as all translations almost besides some English doe read ensnare all that he hath Whereby it may be gathered both that to be an vsurer is an odious thing and that it is a curse to fall into his snare Now the Scriptures teach vs that we should doe such things as are honest and of good report prouiding for honest things not onely before God but also before men abstaining from all shewes of euill Seeing therefore vsurie is and alwayes hath beene a thing so odious and of so bad report no Christian can practise it with a good conscience And thus I hope this question of vsurie is sufficiently decided Now let vs consider what vse this doctrine affordeth which briefely is thus much that seeing vsurie is so detestable a sinne as hath beene shewed we should therefore take great heed that we be not guiltie thereof either as principals or as accessaries The former vse concerneth either those who haue not as yet beene attainted with this sinne or those that haue practised it Those who haue not defiled themselues with this vnjust gaine are taught to confirme their resolution of abstaining from vsurie and the rather seeing the holy ghost in this place maketh it a note of a sound Christian and citisen of heauen As for those who haue practised this sinne their dutie is to repent thereof whereunto they may be mooued by this argument Those that shall dwell in the mountaine Gods holinesse are such as doe not put forth their money to vsurie Thou say I to him that is an vsurer puttest forth thy money to vsurie therefore thou shalt not dwell in the mountaine of Gods holinesse namely vnlesse thou repent And againe Ezech. 18 He that putteth foorth to vsurie and taketh increase he shall not liue but die the death viz. vnlesse he repent and turne from his wickednesse for that condition is to be vnderstood by warrant of the Lords owne exposition Ezech. 35. 14 15 When I shall say to the wicked as he sayth to the vsurer chap. 18. 13 Thou shalt die the death if he turne from his sinne and doe that which is lawfull and right to wit if the wicked restore the pledge and giue againe that he had robbed and walke in the statutes of life without committing iniquitie he shall surely liue and not die Now vnto repentance besides the inward loathing of the sinne and sorrow conceiued for it is required as that testimonie out of Ezech. 33. 14 15 plainely sheweth both a desisting from the practise of vsurie and a restitution of that which hath beene gotten by vsurie with the harme of others For the first it is the expresse commaundement of God by the Apostle Eph. 4. 28 Let him that stole steale no more and by Nehemiah more particularly in this case of vsurie chap. 5. 10 Let vs cease from this burthen meaning vsurie forsaking of sinne accompanieth forgiuing of sinne He that confesseth his sinne and forsaketh it shall haue mercie Prou. 28. 13. Neither may we thinke that God remitteth those sinnes which we our selues retaine But this point needeth no proofe If vsurie be a sinne and we guiltie of it our conscience telling vs that it is a sinne we cannot be saued except this sinne be forgiuen vs and it will neuer be forgiuen of God vnlesse also it be forsaken of vs. Now vpon this forsaking of sinne will follow the second dutie of repentance namely restitution as a necessarie consequent thereof Which restitution whosoeuer maketh not being able to restore he neither hath vnfained repentance for this sinne nor any sound assurance of the forgiuenesse thereof He hath not repentance for he doth not forsake the sinne of theft and vsurie that continueth in it and he continueth therein that doth not make restitution For so oft as a man remembreth that whatsoeuer he hath vnjustly gotten by vsurie or any other kind of theft to the damnifying of others is not his owne but theirs whom he hath wronged and yet refuseth being able to restore the same so often he committeth theft Therefore Augustine sayth That men doe repent indeed but counterfeit repentance if when they are able to restore other mens goods wherein they haue offended