A07941:39
Of the lawful and unlawful usury ammo[n]gest Christians, addedOf the lawful and vnlawful vsurie amo[n]gest Christians, added
Of the lawful and unlawful usury ammo[n]gest Christians, added by Wolfgang Muscul unto the end of his book upon the PsalmsOf the lawful and vnlawful vsurie amo[n]gest Christians, added by Wolfgang Muscul vnto the ende of his booke vppon the Psalmes
Wesel? : H. Singleton?, 1556?
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
All that I have (sayeth he) I have gotten with great care and travel, wherefore then should I bestow them upon others in vain? What is it to me, that others do not so take heed unto their own, as I do? What owe I unto them? I answer: ⟨image 23⟩Christ bestowed no small thing•, redeeming thee upon the cross with his blood: & for thy sake he became poor to make thee rich. Then what is it to Christ that we take no better heed unto our salvation: And besides these, what thou owest unto thy brother, hear the Apostle: Ye owe nothing unto any man sayeth he, but that ye love one an other. Ro .13. Thou owest therefore unto thy needy brother love, & also unto god thou owest thy self, & not only money. Wherefore because Christ hath loved us & given him self for us, therefore we ought to bestow our lives for our brethren 1. Jo .3. We do all much fail in this thing, that without the affection of true love, we look upon the slenderness and humility of our brethren, & not rather upon the will of god & his manifest commandments, ⟨image 23⟩albeit I keep in silence the unmeasurable worthiness of our free redemption. Is the pore man unworthy, unto whom thou shouldst give freely? But Christ is not unworthy, which requireth this of thee. The pore hath not deserved this benefit. Christ hath deserved it. Is not the poor able to restore that, which he receiveth? Christ is able to restore an hundred fold, and to give life everlasting, as he also hath promised Mat .19. Sixthly because covetousness is the most toughest wrangler, the usurer as yet replieth, saying: how should I live? How shall I provide for me and mine, if I must so lend that I receive nothing? I answer, it is said of the lord: first seek the kingdom of God & the righteousness thereof, and all these shall be cast unto you. And ⟨image 24⟩the gentiles seek all these things. Therefore neither doeth this w• ge•inge waywardness belong unto Christians: neither ought we to fear, lest •, by helping needy brethren, we do not well provide or see to our own things. For thus we read