d otherwise perish, none would lend them.
By like good reason, there are some that defend theft and murder; they
say, there may be some case where it is lawful to kill or to steale;
for God willed the Hebrews to rob the AEgyptians, and Abraham to kill his
owne sonne Isaac. In these cases the robbery and the killing of his
sonne were lawfull. So say they. Even so by the like reason doe some of
our countrymen maintayne concubines, curtizans, and brothel-houses, and
stand in defence of open stewes. They are (say they) for the benefit of
the country, they keepe men from more dangerous inconveniences; take
them away, it will be worse. Although God say, there shall be no whore
of the daughters of Israel, neither shall there be a whorekeeper of the
sonnes of Israel: yet these men say all manner of whoredom is not
forbidden. In these and these cases it is not amisse to alow it."

"As Samuel sayd to Saul, so may we say to the usurer, Thou hast
devised cases and colours to hide thy shame, but what regard hath
God to thy cases? What careth He for thy reasons? the Lord would
have more pleasure, if when thou heareth His voyce thou wouldest
obey Him. For what is thy device against the counsell, and
ordinance of God? What bold presumption is it for a mortall man to
controule the commandments of immortall God? And to weigh his
heavenly wisdome in the ballance of humane foolishnesse? When God
sayth, Thou shalt not take usury, what creature of God art thou
which canst take usury? When God maketh it unlawfull, what art
thou, oh man, that sayst, it is lawfull? This is a token of a
desperate mind. It is found true in thee, that Paul sayd, the love
of money is the root of all ill. Thou art so given over unto the
wicked Mammon, that thou carest not to doe the will of God."

Thus far, the theology of Old England. Let it close with the calm law,
spoken four hundred years before Christ, [Greek: a me katethou, me anele].

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote 124: _Contemporary Review_, February 1880.]

[Footnote 125: See below (p. 393, Sec. 236), in the eighth letter on the
Lord's Prayer.--ED.]

[Footnote 126: In Proverbs xxviii. 8, "usury" is coupled with "unjust
gain," and a pitiless spirit towards the poor, which shows in what sense
the word is to be understood there, and in such other passages as Ps.
xv. 5 and Ezek. xviii. 8, 9.]

[Footnote 127: See post, p. 394, Sec. 237.--ED.]