Of the lawful and unlawful usury ammo[n]gest Christians, addedOf the lawful and vnlawful vsurie amo[n]gest Christians, added

By these examples of usury it is proved, not to be unlawful of it self, to restore more than thou hast received, or else to receive more than thou hast given: but whether the sam sort of usury, which in our time hath the upperhand, & of the which at this time we speak, have the same reason, that the usury of the earth, or the heavenly usury hath, by the which God him self is • greatest usurer of all other, this now must be spied with simple & pure eyes:

By these exāples of vsurie it is proued, not to be vnlawefull of it self, to restore more thā yu hast receiued, or els to receiue more than thou hast geuē: but whether ye sam sorte of vsurie, which in our tyme hath ye vpperhād, & of ye which at this time we speake, haue the same reason, yt the vsurie of ye earth, or ye heauēly vsurie hath, by ye whiche God him self is • greatest vsurer of all other, this nowe muste bee spied with simple & pure eies:

They, which defend customable ⟨image 8⟩usury, do devise many things which they may show forth, & whereby they may be bold to say, that it is not unlawful. They bring the law out of the book, called the code in the treatise of usures, by the which is permitted, yea ordained the hundred, & the half of the hundred &c. & they think that the authority of the civill law maketh it, which they do, either not to be usury, or if it be usury, not to be unlawful usury: we answer that the law maker was forced of necessity, not to defend usury, but too set some stay of exceeding covetousness, the which thing the text of the law it self proveth, for it taketh away great hurtfulness of usury, & appointeth certain measures, over the which nothing may be claimed. His desire was without doubt, that such charity might prevail among christians as should leave no place unto usury: but for because that covetousness ⟨image 8⟩did grow past measure, he judged it needful that it should be kept in by lattices or rails, & therefore he cut away the hurtfulness of usury, even unto the middest of it. Wherefore the law doeth not maintain usury, & make it lawful, but rather witnesseth that charity among christians was waxen cold, & most filthy & abominable covetousness grown so far that it must be kept under, by the authority of the Emperor. And so as the law of divorce, made by Moses, did not excuse the Jew afore god, which used the law as to be guiltless of breaking wedlock: likewise this civill law doth not make usury so lawful that a christen man may use it without offence afore god. As Christ spake unto the Jews of the law of divorce: It was not so from the beginning, & for the hardness of your harts, Moses did suffer a bill of divorce, & so sent them back unto the first beginning of lawful wedlock,