ional life, founded on law, order and
obedience, he refers interest and tithes to the province of severe
human righteousness. Beyond dispute, it would aid the government in
disposing of this matter; but just as resolutely did he warn against
misuse in the application, against the encouragement of usury, and
against the sanction of unfair contracts by sign and seal; for though
written guarantees must be kept inviolate according to human order, yet
durst you as little forget that the law of kindness and Christian love
toward men is written by God himself in the soul. If wantonly violated,
they are waked up in the end, and help themselves, in spite of records
and parchments. Then you have the decree and your own folly to thank
for it. "This brief opinion"--he adds--"I am ready to maintain by the
Holy Scripture."

"In short"--he concludes--"the Divine Word ought to rule over all men,
be set before them and truly made known; for we are bound to follow it.
But in this, the grace of God through our Lord Jesus Christ alone can
aid our weakness. For the more we discover our guilt, the more we
discover the beauty and the almightiness of God, and the love and
assurance of his grace, which makes us more pious than we can be in any
other way. Besides, though some will be found, who do not release the
ungodly and unbelievers from the duty of living according to God's
Word, yet God has given us also as the lowest command, not that,
living only therein, we may be pious, but that human society may be
upheld and protected, and guardians appointed, who may earnestly look
to it, that the last vestige of human righteousness also be not swept
away. Such guardians are the powers that be, who are no other than they
that bear the sword, whom we call worldly authorities. These
authorities must not indeed trample on the Word of God; for they punish
outward transgressions only, but cannot make righteous or unrighteous
inwardly; for that God alone does in the hearts of men."

The weight of such language, uttered from the pulpit and spread abroad
by the press, bore heavily on those, who derived advantage from the
burdens, which prevailing abuses heaped upon the people. And the canons
of the Great Minster were especially concerned in this. Indeed, some
were found among them, who not only led a life of idleness, but of
debauchery and wanton dissipation, and instead of attending to divine
worship, wont out hunting with falcons, leaping over the hedges