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

Afore the court of the world • is lawful, but it is unlawful afore the court of Christ, by whose commandment thou art bounden, not to deny him that would borrow of thee, but to lend, looking to receive nothing: wherefore if thou boest either of these, thou declarest ⟨image 21⟩the self not to be a Christian. Whether that thou wtdraw lending unto thy brother, • asketh when thou art able, or whether that thou so lend as to take again: thou sinnest alike, both against Christ and against thy next brother. If thou lend nothing at all, thou sinnest not in usury: howbeit the rote of usury, which is covetousness, thou nourishest in thy heart, and art a transgressor of Christs word. If thou lend upon usury, then thou sinnest against the commandment of Christ. And to be short, as much as lieth in thee, thou destroyest thy neighbour aswell by not lending as by lending upon usury. If thou wtdraw lending, thou art worse than a heathen sinner: for sinners do lend unto sinners, that they may receive like. If thou do lend for usury, so art thou worse than many heathen, which by the law of nature keep themselves from that vice. ⟨image 22⟩Fifthly the covetousness of the usurer will reply after this manner: if I lend without usury that, which is mine own can not be restored unto me: for the pore hath nor so much, that he may render again the hole sum. But if he shall give every year a certain usury, then sum part of my money shall be restored unto me I answer. Thou knowest the poverty of thy brother to be so great, that he can not render the borrowed money: why then doest not thou yield unto the words of christ? by the which Lu .6 he saith: and your reward shall be great in heaven. And ye shall be the children of the most highest. And Luk .14. And it shall be rendered unto thee in the regeneration of the righteous. How doest thou receive nothing, when as for earthly gain •, which lasteth ever, shall be rendered unto thee? Therefore this pretence ⟨image 22⟩is utterly contrary unto Christs doctrine, which teacheth even therefore to do good unto the poor, because he hath nothing to give again, that the heavenly reward may be purchased. And thou even for the self same cause wilt not lend unto the pore, because he hath not so much as to restore that, which he hath received of thee. Therefore ether thou doest not believe that Christs promise is true: or else thou doest more desire ten poral gain, than eternal, earthly than heavenly. Sixthly.