A12367:257
A preparative to marriage The sum whereof was spoken at a contract, and enlarged…A preparatiue to mariage The summe whereof was spoken at a contract, and inlarged…
A preparative to marriage The sum whereof was spoken at a contract, and enlarged after. Whereunto is annexed a treatise of the Lords Supper, and another of usury. By Henry Smith.A preparatiue to mariage The summe whereof was spoken at a contract, and inlarged after. Whereunto is annexed a treatise of the Lords Supper, and another of vsurie. By Henrie Smith.
London: printed by Thomas Orwin for Thomas Man, 1591
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.
The first Usurers which we read of, were the Jews, which were forbidden to be Usurers, yet for want of faith and love, Ezekiel 1& Nehemiah doth show how the Jews, even the Jews which received this law from God himself, did swerve from it as they did from the rest. First, they did lend upon Usury to strangers; after they began to lend upon Usury to their brethren, and now there be no such Usurers upon earth as the Jews which were forbidden to be Usurers. Whereby you may see how the malice of man hath ⟨image 138⟩turned mercy into cruelty. For whereas lending was commanded 2for the benefit of men, Usury hath turned it to the undoing of men: for they take when they seem to give; they hurt when they seem to help; they damage when they seem to vantage: therefore it is well noted that Usury hath her name of biting, and 3she may well signify biting; for many have not only been bitten by it, but devoured by it, that is, consumed all that they have: therefore as the Apostle saith, If you bite 4one another, take heed you be not devoured one of another: so I may say if you be Usurers one to another, take heed you be not devoured one of another, for Usurers are biters. As the name of the Devil doth declare what an enemy he is; 5so the name of Usury doth declare ⟨image 138⟩what an enemy she is. That 6you may know Usury for a biter, her name doth signify biting. 7If there were one biting Usury, and another healing Usury, then Usury should have two names; one of biting, and another of healing: but all Usury signifieth biting, to show that all Usury is unlawful. Now, you have heard what Usury is, and of what it is derived, you shall hear the unlawfulness of it.