A12367:286
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.
Lastly, they allege the Law of the land for it, and say, the Queens 1Statute doeth allow us to take upon Usury ten in the hundred. These are like the Jews which said, We have a law, and by our law he shall dye: when they 2could not say by Gods law he shall die, then they said by our law he shall dye: so when they cannot say by Gods law we may take Usury, they say by mans law we may take Usury, this is the poorest defence of all the rest: for if Gods law forbid thee, can any law of man excuse thee? As it would not serve Adam to say, the woman bad me, so it will not serve 3the Usurer to say, the Law doth licence me. But he cannot say, the Law doth license me: for though peradventure our law do tolerate more than should be tolerated, yet ⟨image 152⟩I would have you know, that our law doeth not allow ten in the hundred, nor five in the hundred, nor one in the hundred, nor any Usury at all: but there is a restraint in our law, that no Usurer take above ten in the hundred, it doeth not allow ten in the hundred, but punisheth that tyrant which exacteth above ten in the hundred. It is much like that toleration which we read of divorces. For the hardness of mens hearts, Christ saith, that 4Moses did suffer the man and wife to part asunder: So for the hardness of mens hearts, our Moses our Prince is fame to suffer as it were a kind of Usury, because otherwise no men would lend.
Lastly, they aleadge the Law of the land for it, and say, the Queens 1Statute doeth allowe vs to take vppon Vsurie tenne in the hundreth. These are like the Iewes which sayd, We haue a lawe, and by our lawe he shall dye: when they 2coulde not saye by Gods lawe he shall die, then they said by our lawe he shall dye: so when they cannot say by Gods lawe we may take Vsurie, they say by mans law we may take Vsurie, this is the poorest defence of all the rest: for if Gods lawe forbid thee, can any lawe of man excuse thee? As it would not serue Adam to say, the woman bad me, so it will not serue