Some general directions for a comfortable walking with God delivered in the lecture at…Some generall directions for a comfortable walking with God deliuered in the lecture at…

3. If the Usurer were in the borrowers case, he would not willingly, as he pretends, give ten in the hundred. I mean, with an absolute and free will, but of force and constraint, because without paying after that rate, he could not have it. If a man would borrow upon Usury, to buy land, engross, forestall, or compass some unlawful matter; that were a corrupt will, and no rule: But if his desire so to borrow were just and lawful, as in some cases it may be, then it is no entire will, but mixed and forced by some necessity, for the avoiding of a greater evil; and therefore denied in the eye both of law and reason, to be any will at all. He that would borrow, should have need to borrow, for a needless desire is unlawful; and an ingenuous man who hath need to borrow, would not willingly borrow but for need, much less would he pay Usury. Therefore the will of the borrower, in this case, is either corrupt, or no will at all, and so consequently without the compass of Christs rule.

3. If the Vsurer were in the borrowers case, hee would not willingly, as hee pretends, giue tenne in the hundred. I meane, with an absolute and free will, but of force and constraint, because without paying after that rate, he could not haue it. If a man would borrow vpon Vsury, to buy land, ingrosse, forestall, or compasse some vnlawfull matter; that were a corrupt will, and no rule: But if his desire so to borrow were iust and lawfull, as in some cases it may bee, then it is no entire will, but mixed and forced by some necessitie, for the auoyding of a greater euill; and therefore denied in the eye both of law and reason, to bee any will at all. He that would borrow, should haue need to borrow, for a needlesse desire is vnlawfull; and an ingenuous man who hath need to borrow, would not willingly borrow but for need, much lesse would hee pay Vsurie. Therefore the will of the borrower, in this case, is either corrupt, or no will at all, and so consequently without the compasse of Christs rule.

The will of the borrower in this case, is like the will of an ⟨p. 210⟩honest Traveller, in giving his purse to an arrant thief; for fear he should loose both purse and life. Is such a man willing, think you, to loose his money? Or like the will of a man, whose house being on fire, plucks down part thereof to save the rest; willingly indeed as the case stands with him, yet not simply, but upon necessity. So the borrowers will is not free, but forced; and so a will against will.