Thirdly, as it is against the law of Nations, so it is against the law 1of Nature, that is, the natural compassion which should be among men. You see a river when it goeth by an empty place, it will 2not pass until it hath filled that empty place, & then it goeth forward to another empty place and filleth it, and so to another empty place and filleth it, always filling the places which are empty: so should we, the rich should fill the poor, the full should fill the hungry, they which abound should fill them which want, for the rich are but Gods Amners, and their riches ⟨image 139⟩are committed to them of God to distribute and do good as GOD doth himself: As the water is charitable after a sort, so is the air, for it goeth to empty places too, and filleth them as the water doth. Nature cannot abide that any place should be empty, and therefore the air though it be a light body, and so naturally ascendeth upward: yet rather than any place in the earth should be empty, the air will descend as it were from his throne, and go into caves, into dens, and into dungeons, to fill them. If the rich were so good to their empty brethren, as the air and water are to other empty things; as there is no empty place in the world, so there should be no empty person in the world: that is, the rich in Israel would fill the poor in Israel, but ⟨image 140⟩the rich make the poor to fill them, for Usurers feed upon the poor, even as great fishes devour the small. Therefore he which said Let there not be a beggar in Israel, 3said too, let there not be an Usurer in Israel, for if there be Usurers in Israel, there will be beggars in Israel, for Usurers make beggars, even as Lawyers make quarrellers.
Thirdly, as it is against the law of Nations, so it is against the law 1of Nature, that is, the naturall compassion which should bee among men. You see a riuer when it goeth by an emptie place, it will 2not passe vntill it hath filled that emptie place, & then it goeth forward to another emptie place and filleth it, and so to another emptie place and filleth it, alwaies filling the places which are emptie: so should wee, the rich should fill the poore, the ful should fill the hungrie, they which abound should fill them which want, for the rich are but Gods Amners, and their riches ⟨image 139⟩are committed to them of God to distribute and doo good as GOD dooth himselfe: As the water is charitable after a sorte, so is the ayre, for it goeth to emptie places too, and filleth them as the water doth. Nature cannot abide that any place should bee emptie, and therefore the ayre though it bee a light bodie, and so naturally ascendeth vpward: yet rather than any place in the earth shuld be emptie, the ayre wil descend as it were frō his throne, and goe into caues, into dens, and into dungeons, to fill them. If the rich were so good to their emptie brethren, as the ayre and water are to other emptie things; as there is no emptie place in the worlde, so there should be no emptie person in the world: that is, the rich in Israel would fill the poore in Israel, but ⟨image 140⟩the riche make the poore to fill them, for Vsurers feede vpon the poore, euen as great fishes deuoure the small. Therfore he which sayd Let there not be a begger in Israel, 3sayd too, let there not be an Vsurer in Israel, for if there be Vsurers in Israel, there wil be beggers in Israel, for Vsurers make beggers, euen as Lawyers make quarrellers.
- 13.
- 2A Similitude.
- 3Deut. 15. 4.
