A12367:304
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.
Now, for necessity God hath allowed many things; as for necessity it was lawful for Adams sons to marry with Adams daughters, because there were no other women. For necessity it was lawful for David to eat the Show bread, because he had no other food. For necessity it was 1lawful to work, and heal, and fight upon the Sabbath, which 2was not lawful, but for necessity. Therefore for necessity why may not a man pay more than he borrowed, ⟨image 161⟩seeing no Scripture doth forbid us to pay more than we borrow, but to require more than we lend. Some do think that as GOD did use the ambition of Absalom, and the malice of Pharaoh, & the treachery of Judas unto good; so men may use the covetousness of usurers unto good: that is, to help at a need, when a man is like to be undone, and his children cast away, and his Lease forfeited, and many inconveniences beside like to ensue (which you know better than I) unless he have present money at some time to prevent a mischief. For example hereof, I may allege how Jacob did use the sin of Laban: 3Laban did evil in swearing by Idols, but Jacob did not evil in receiving such an oath of him, though it was an unlawful oath. ⟨image 162⟩So, though the Usurer do evil in taking Usury, yet a man doth not evil in giving Usury. Beside, I may allege the example of Abraham and Abimelech: Abraham 4made a covenant with Abimelech; to confirm this covenant, Abraham sware, and Abimelech sware, Abraham sware by the true God, but Abimelech sware by his false Gods, and yet Abraham did receive this oath and sinned not. So, if her Majesty and the Turk should make a covenant, the Turk would not swear as the Queen would swear; for the Queen would swear by the Lord, but the Turk would swear by Mahomet: if it be lawful then to receive such an oath, though it be an unlawful oath, why may it not be lawful for me, to give more than I borrowed, though it be ⟨image 162⟩