The sermons of Master Henry Smith gathered into one volume. Printed according to his…The sermons of Maister Henrie Smith gathered into one volume. Printed according to his…

Christ expounding the commandment which forbiddeth to steal,¹ 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 they have stolen, so Zacheus restored four fold, as though, he had stolen.² It seemeth that Zacheus was no great thief,³ because he restored four fold for all that he had gotten wrongfully,⁴ for he got but the fourth port of his goods wrongfully at the most, or else he could not have restored ⟨p. 171⟩four fold again. But now, if some should restore four fold for all that they have gotten wrongfully, they should restore more then they have, because all which usurers get, they get wrongfully: for their occupation is a sin, and therefore one saith: Because they cannot restore four fold here, they shall suffer an hundred fold hereafter.

Christ expounding the commaundement which forbiddeth to steale,¹ saith; Lend freely, shewing that vsurie because she lendeth not freelie, is a kind of theft, and the Vsurers a kind of theeues, for else this exposition were not right. Therefore Zacheus, as though hee had stolne other mens goods, when hee began to repent, he restored them againe foure folde, euen as theeues are enioined to restore foure fold for that which they haue stolne, so Zacheus restored foure folde, as though, hee had stolne.² It seemeth that Zacheus was no great theefe,³