Como.B. ` njufi getting by Rapine or Violence. Chap.i6 4.67 r.. Intime of war, if a man fpoil ormake havock of all he meeteth,he is called fa time of Prado, a Robber. And this is that whichJohn Bapsjf counfelleth thefouldiers tóbe- wRr' wareof, when he faith, Do violence to no man. Ezek.38. uke 3.r i4 o, 2.In time of peace,there,are divers that commit this fin, and that divers waies, i4 Somedoit t.partli by their authority and power c and 2. partly undercolour of la time of Law and Juftice, and this either Jr. immediately by themfelves , or z.by their under- Pea". officers and fervants. Efay 3,s5 r. The Prophet tells us that there are Principe: f c f furum;force Princes that are Companionsof thieves: and Ezekiel of force that were like wolves raveningfor their E3 prey: .and Zephany, fome that areas roaring lions. Thefe are they that fay with La- Ezra 22.27 ban, It is in my power to doyou blot : and with Pilateto our Saviour, Knoweff thou GZePh 3.3 not, that I have owers cruci fi a thee andhave over to loo Ía thee ? The have power Joedn o in the it hands, as the Prophet fpeaks, and prefuming upon it, tale awayfrom others, Micah 2.1,a that which is not theirs, by forceandviolence. Doff thougovern the kingdomof Ifrael ? r Reg2i.7 faith Jezabel to Ahab, that is haft thou fo great power andauthority; and canft not take a vineyard fromNaborh ? Elies fors could execute and make ufe óf their pow- r Sams, r6 er, and take themeat by force. And thefe unjuft ads force do exercife by ufurpatioü, asthechildrenof Dan, who went and robbed Michabof mount Ephraim , and afterwards fpoiled a whole citi, jadg.iSsSa LaiJh : and Abimèlechs fervants, who by violencetook from Abrdharns fervants a 27 well of water,for whichAbraham reproved Abimelecb. Gen.zr. 25 Others byextortion,when they are noufurpers,but rightlypoffeffed of their places; yet by colour of their offices and placesexact upon others.Thiswas the fault ofSbeb- na: and of this the Pfalmift fpeaketh,when men doponere moleffiampreterfiatutum, vex andopprefs beyond law, exact what no ftatute will warrant : againft fuch the Prophet pronounces awo, Wo be to them that decree wicked decrees,and write grievous Efay ro.i things which they havepreferibed. Sodid the Servantsbear rule over tbepeople,befides the governours, wherebythey were exceedinglyoppreffed, and unjuftly took from Nehem.$, r men,that whichwas theirs by propriety.Therefore the Bapriftsrule to the Publicans. andtoll,gatherers was, Require no more then, that which is appointed unto you. Luke3. i3. And in this place we fpeak not only of Princesänd Magiftrates, but alfo of petty Lords andGentlemen, of whom as St.Augu /fixe faith; that magna regni, great king- doms, fo he might have addedmagna latifundia vel dominia, great lord(hips or pof- feffions, remota juffitia, magna latrociniafunt, without juffice are but great robberies. The anfwer that the Pirate made to Alexander the Great, taxinghim for his piracy, is worth the obfervation ; Thou robbeft wholeCountries andnations (faith he) with a great Army, and I onlyTomefew pafrengers withonefhip,anda fmallcompanyof Sea- men. And the Lawyer made this differencebetween thefegreat and little Thieves to . beonly this, that the one wears a Chain of Iron, and the other aChain of gold. The like may be laid of Noblemen, Gentlemen, and hard Landlords in refped of their poor Tenants , of whom the Prophet faith , Thefoil of the poor is in their Efay3di4,ry looufes : and that they beat thepeople to pieces , and grind thefacer of the poor. And Micah that,They plackt of their skins, brake theirbones, and chept theirflefh as [mall Micah 3o3 asherbs to the pot. Themeaning whereof is , that they bind their poor Tenants to Efay 34405 fuch hard Covenants;as neither by jultice they ought, nor cantheireflates bear ; and then when they come to be indebted to them, they ufe them,as that evil fcrvant did his fellow fervant, whom he took by the throat, and bid himpaywhat be ought , and Matt, is, a becaufe be could not, be cáff him intoprifon; which practice we fee is condemned by our Saviour in thatparable, And in the Law, Ifa man lent any thing to bit brother, De'ut.: y. io hemuff not go into his boufe to fetcht apledge (as if he were Lord of the houle) but hemuff (landwithout tiltheother bring him a pledge, and if he were poor, be muff not Peep with bis pledge.But by oppreflion and exaction, then become fuch as Efay (peak- Or of, that joyn boufe to houfe, and field to field, till there be no place ; that they May Efay 5$ .beplacedfoli, by themfelves in the midjfof the Earth. Soli they will be,they will dwell alone, by Enclofures and Depopulation: Lords alone. Rulers and Magiftrates thei will be alone, and have the fate of things alone. Monopolizers allo they will be, and will fell all things alone themfelves,and at their pleafiíre and price; efpecially if they can fortifieand arm themfelves by authority : when thingscome to this pals,it goes hard with the Common-wealth in general, butchiefly with the poor. Nnñ 2 2, The
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