Now you would understand the last question;1 if you have been usurers already, what you should do with that money which you have gained by Usury? Surely, even as Zacheus did, restore it again. If you cannot say as Samuel said,2 Whose goods have I taken? then you must say as Zacheus said, Whose goods have I kept? 3The best thing is to do no man wrong; but the next to that is, to make him amends. This God signifieth when he saith,4 Put away the execrable thing from you: that is, Let no unlawful thing stay in your hands, like the wedge of Achan, which he had got by sin, the same law serveth for all which is got wrongfully, which was instituted against thieves,5 Restore it again: the reason of this law is, because the sin is not remitted, until the debt be restored. For as humility is the repentance of pride, and abstinence is the repentance of surfeit, and alms is the repentance of covetousness, and forgiveness is the repentance of malice; so restitution ⟨p. 199⟩is the repentance of usury. As he which is not humble, doth not repent his pride; he which doth not abstain, doth not repent his gluttony; he which doth not forgive, doth not repent his malice; so he which doth not restore, doth not repent his usury: for how can he be said to repent for his Usury, which liveth by usury still? therefore Daniel saith to Nebuchadnezzar,6 Break off thy sins by righteousness, showing, that nothing but righteousness can break unrighteousness. As diseases are healed by the contrary, so pride is healed by humility, gluttony by abstinence, malice by forgiveness, covetousness by alms, and usury by restoring. This Paul calleth,7 The revenge of a Christian, when he takes revenge upon his sins, and punisheth his lusts, so that he maketh them do contrary to that which they would do. Therefore you must restore that which you have got by usury, or else you do not repent of your usury.
Now you would vnderstand the last question;1 if you haue bene vsurers alredie, what you should doe with that money which you haue gained by Vsurie? Surely, euen as Zacheus did, restore it againe. If you cannot say as Samuell sayd,2 Whose goods haue I taken? then you must say as Zacheus sayde, Whose goods haue I kept? 3The best thing is to do no man wrong; but the next to that is, to make him amends. This God signifieth when hee saith,4 Put awaie the execrable thing from you: that is, Let no vnlawfull thing staie in your hands, like the wedge of Achan, which hee had got by sinne, the same law serueth for all which is got wrongfullie, which was instituted against theeues,5 Restore it againe: the reason of this lawe is, because the sinne is not remitted, vntill the debt be restored. For as humilitie is the repentance of pride, and abstinence is the repentance of surfet, and alms is the repentance of couetousnesse, and forgiuenesse is the repentance of malice; so restitution ⟨p. 199⟩is the repentance of vsurie. As hee which is not humble, dooth not repent his pride; he which doth not abstaine, dooth not repent his gluttonie; he which doth not forgiue, doth not repent his malice; so he which doth not restore, doth not repent his vsurie: for how can he be said to repent for his Vsurie, which liueth by vsurie still? therefore Daniel saith to Nabuchadnezzar,6 Breake off thy sinnes by righteousnesse, shewing, that nothing but righteousnesse can breake vnrighteousnesse. As diseases are healed by the contrarie, so pride is healed by humilitie, gluttonie by abstinence, malice by forgiuenesse, couetousnesse by almes, and vsurie by restoring. This Paul calleth,7 The reuenge of a Christian, when he takes reuenge vpon his sinnes, and punisheth his lusts, so that hee maketh them doe contrary to that which they would do. Therfore you must restore that which you haue got by vsurie, or else you doe not repent of your vsurie.
- 1What Usurers should do with their gains.What Vsurers should do with their gaines.
- 21. Sam. 12. 3
- 3Luk. 19. 8.
- 4Josh. 6. 18.Iosh. 6. 18.
- 5Exod. 22.
- 6Dan. 4. 24.
- 72. Cor. 7. 1
