Now, all the Commandments of God are fulfilled by love; which Christ noteth, when he draweth all the commandments to one commandment,1 which is, Love God above all things, and thy neighbour as thy self: as if he should say, he which loveth God, ⟨p. 162⟩[…] ⟨p. 163⟩[…] ⟨p. 164⟩will keep all the Commandments which respect God, and he which loveth his neighbour, will keep all the Commandments which respect his neighbour: therefore, to maintain love, God forbiddeth all things which hinder this love, and amongst the rest here he forbiddeth Usury, as one of her deadliest enemies. For a man cannot love and be a Usurer, because Usury is a kind of cruelty, and a kind of extortion, and a kind of persecution, and therefore the want of love doth make usurers: for if there were Love, there would be no usury, no deceit, no extortion, no slandering, no revenging, no oppression: but we should live in peace, and joy, and contentment like the Angels; whereby you see that all our sins are against our selves: for if there were no deceit, then we should not be deceived: if there were no slander, then we should not be slandered; if there were no envy, then we should not be envied; if there were no extortion, then we should not be injured; if there were no usury, then we should not be oppressed. Therefore Gods law had been better for us than our own law: for if his law did stand, then we should not be deceived, nor slandered, nor envied, nor injured, nor oppressed. God hath commanded every man to lend freely,2 ⟨p. 165⟩and who would not borrow freely? Therefore they which brought in usury, brought in a law against themselves.
Now, all the Commaundements of God are fulfilled by loue; which Christ noteth, when hee draweth all the commaundements to one commaundement,1 which is, Loue God aboue all things, and thy neighbour as thy selfe: as if hee should say, hee which loueth God, ⟨p. 162⟩〈…〉 ⟨p. 163⟩〈…〉 ⟨p. 164⟩will keepe all the Commandements which respect God, and he which loueth his neighbour, will keepe all the Commandements which respect his neighbour: therefore, to maintaine loue, God forbiddeth all things which hinder this loue, and amongst the rest here he forbiddeth Vsurie, as one of her deadliest enemies. For a man cannot loue and be a Vsurer, because Vsurie is a kind of crueltie, and a kinde of extortion, and a kinde of persecution, and therefore the want of loue doth make vsurers: for if there were Loue, there would be no vsurie, no deceipt, no extortion, no slaundering, no reuenging, no oppression: but we should liue in peace, and ioy, and contentment like the Angels; whereby you see that all our sinnes are against our selues: for if there were no deceipt, then we should not be deceiued: if there were no slaunder, then wee should not be slaundered; if there were no enuie, then wee should not be enuied; if there were no extortion, then wee should not be iniured; if there were no vsurie, then we should not be oppressed. Therefore Gods law had bene better for vs than our owne law: for if his law did stand, then we should not be deceiued, nor slaundered, nor enuied, nor iniured, nor oppressed. God hath commaunded euerie man to lende freely,2 ⟨p. 165⟩and who would not borrow freely? Therfore they which brought in vsurie, brought in a law against themselues.
- 1Mat. 22. 37
- 2Luke 6. 35.
