An expositio[n] upon the two epistles of the apostle S. Paul to the Thessalonians…An expositio[n] vpon the two epistles of the apostle S. Paul to the Thessalonians…

What if one rich man lend money to another? What if a Merchant take money to usury of a Merchant, and both be the better, and both be gainers? Here is no sting, nor biting. What shall we think of this? What if a thief or a pirate take usury of a pirate or a thief, and both be partakers of the gain, and be both of them holpen? Let no man mistake the comparison. For, as I said before, a pirate or a thief is not so noifull, as an Usurer. Here, say you, he ⟨p. 132⟩that lendeth is a gainer, and he that borroweth is a gainer. It doth good to both. If both be gainers, who is the looser? for usury never passeth without working less. Take this as a rule, there is never Usury without loss.

What if one rich man lende money to another? What if a Marchant take money to vsurie of a Marchant, and both be the better, and both be gainers? Here is no sting, nor byting. What shall wée thinke of this? What if a théefe or a pirate take vsurie of a pirate or a théefe, and both be partakers of the gaine, and be both of them holpen? Lette no man mistike the comparison. For, as I said before, a pirate or a théefe is not so noifull, as an Vsurer. Here, saie you, hée ⟨p. 132⟩that lendeth is a gainer, and he that borroweth is a gainer. It doth good to both. If both be gainers, who is the looser? for vsurie neuer passeth without working lesse. Take this as a rule, there is neuer Vsurie without losse.

Here, I pray you to lend me your minds, and consider what I say. A Merchant taketh up of his neighbour a hundred pounds, and must answer again a hundred and ten pounds He bestoweth it all in corn, and buyeth for his hundred pounds, a hundred quarters of corn. He sendeth it to the market, the people have need of it, and buy it. If he sold it for eight groats a bushel, he might make up his hundred pounds, and be a gainer. But unless he make up a hundred and ten pounds to discharge his usury, he must needs be a looser and undone. But undone he will not be: he will rather undo many others. Therefore he setteth price at three shillings the bushel, and and so maketh his money, and payeth the Usurer, and saveth himself, and is no loser. Who then payeth the ten pounds? who is the loser, any man may see. The poor people which buy the corn, they find it, and feel it in every morsel they eat. Thus, if the Merchant borrower be not hindered by the Usurer: yet the people that buy his