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…

He saith that he loveth them, and that he lendeth for compassion, but it is for compassion of himself, that he may gain by his lending. The Usurer loveth the borrower, as the Ivy loveth the Oak: The Ivy loveth the Oak to grow up by it, so the Usurer loveth the borrower to grow rich by him. The Ivy claspeth the Oak like a lover, but it claspeth out all the juice and sap, that the Oak can not thrive after: So the Usurer lendeth like a friend, ⟨image 142⟩but he covenanteth like an enemy, for he claspeth the borrower with such bands, that ever after he diminisheth, as fast as the other increaseth.

He sayth that he loueth them, and that he lendeth for compassion, but it is for compassion of himselfe, that he may gaine by his lending. The Vsurer loueth the borrower, as the Iuye loueth the Oke: The Iuye loueth the Oke to growe vp by it, so the Vsurer loueth the borrower to grow rich by him. The Iuye claspeth the Oke like a louer, but it claspeth out all the iuice and sap, that the Oke can not thriue after: So the Vsurer lendeth like a friēd, ⟨image 142⟩but hee couenanteth like an enemye, for he claspeth the borrower with such bands, that euer after he diminisheth, as fast as the other encreaseth.

Christ expounding the commandment ¹which forbiddeth to steal, saith, lend freely, showing that Usury, because she lendeth not freely, is a kind of theft, and the Usurers a kind of thieves, for else this exposition were not right. Therefore Zacheus, as though he had stolen other mens goods, when he began to repent, he restored them again four fold, even as thieves are enjoined to restore four fold for that which ²they have stolen, so Zacheus restored four fold, as though he had stolen. It seemeth that Zacheus was no great thief, because he restored four fold