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;1 for necessity it was lawful for David to eat the show-bread, because he had no other food; for necessity it was lawful to work,2 and heal, and fight upon the Sabaoth, which was not lawful but for necessity: therefore for necessity why may not a man pay more then he borrowed? seeing no scripture doth forbid us to pay more then we borrowed, but to require more then we lend. Some do think, that as God did use the ambition of Absalom, and the malice of Pharaoh, and 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, & many inconveniences beside like to ensue, which you know better then 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. Laban did evil in swearing by idols,3 but Jacob did not evil in receiving such an oath of him, though it was an unlawful oath: so though the Usurer do evil in taking usury, yet a man doth not evil ⟨p. 194⟩in giving Usury.4 Beside, I may allege the example of Abraham and Abimelech: Abraham made 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 unlawful for the usurer to take more then he lended? Beside, a Prince may not pardon a wilful murderer, yet I think that no man will say in hast, that he which hath committed murder may not take a pardon. As this unlawful giving doth not make the taking unlawful; so the other unlawful taking doth not make the giving unlawful. Besides, it is lawful to suffer injury, though it be unlawful to offer injury:
Now, for necessitie God hath allowed manie things; as, for necessitie it was lawfull for Adams sonnes to marrie with Adams daughters, because there were no other women;1 for necessitie it was lawfull for Dauid to eate the shew-bread, because hee had no other foode; for necessitie it was lawfull to worke,2 and heale, and fight vpon the Sabaoth, which was not lawfull but for necessitie: therefore for necessitie why may not a man paie more then hee borrowed? seeing no scripture doth forbid vs to paie more then we borrowed, but to require more then we lend. Some doo thinke, that as God did vse the ambition of Absalon, and the malice of Pharao, and the trecherie of Iudas vnto good; so men may vse the couetousnes of Vsurers vnto good, that is, to helpe at a need when a man is like to be vndone, and his children cast away, and his lease forfeited, & many inconueniences beside like to ensue, which you know better then I, vnlesse hee haue present money at some time to preuent a mischiefe. For example hereof, I may alleadge how Iacob did vse the sinne of Laban. Laban did euill in swearing by idols,3 but Iacob did not euill in receiuing such an oath of him, though it was an vnlawfull oath: so though the Vsurer do euill in taking vsurie, yet a man doth not euill ⟨p. 194⟩in giuing Vsurie.4 Beside, I may alleadge the example of Abraham and Abimelech: Abraham made a couenant with Abimelech; to confirme this couenant, Abraham sware, and Abimelech sware: Abraham sware by the true God, but Abimelech sware by his false Gods; and yet Abraham did receiue this oath and sinned not. So, if her Maiestie and the Turke should make a couenant, the Turke woulde not sweare as the Queene woulde sweare; for the Queene would sweare by the Lord: but the Turke would sweare by Mahomet. If it be lawfull then to receiue such an oath, though it be an vnlawfull oath, why may it not be lawful for me to giue more than I borrowed, though it be vnlawful for the vsurer to take more then hee lended? Beside, a Prince may not pardon a wilfull murtherer, yet I thinke that no man will say in hast, that hee which hath committed murther may not take a pardon. As this vnlawfull giuing doth not make the taking vnlawfull; so the other vnlawfull taking doth not make the giuing vnlawfull. Besides, it is lawfull to suffer iniurie, though it be vnlawfull to offer iniurie:
- 11. Sa. 21. 6.
- 2Luk. 13. 10.
- 3Gen. 31. 53.
- 4Gen. 21. 31.
