fib$ Chag.4, Vnjuft gettingbb Rapine or Violence. Corti, ge Bypretence of 2. Theother fort are they which opprefs their Neighbours under colour of Law, Lau. whichThould be a fanîtuary and a rock to the poor. Do not the rich oppreß you by ty. James 2.6 ranny, and do they not drawyou before thejudgmentfeats ? faith the Apolife. And the Pfal <4.20 Ecd3. t6 Pfalmift faith, there are force that framemifcbief at a law.The Preacher tells us,that Amos 5.7 he fawwickednefl in the judgment f at ; ye have turned judgment into gall [ bycor- 6.12 ruption] and thefruit of righteoufneß into wormwood [by protraEtion] faith the Pro- E Iy ic z phet. They keep the poorfromAlice, makingprey of*he widow andfoiling thefa.4 therlefl. 1.23 The fame Prophet tells us the reafon, why men fall into this fin : Every one loveth gifts, andfolloweth rewards, which hindereth themfrom judging the fatherleß, nor doth Amos 5.12 the widows taufe come before them. Of the fame mind is the Prophet Amor, Theyaf- fiitt thejulf, and oppreß the poor : and what is the reafon > they take bribes or rewards. u ut, 26.!9 And therefore, when Moresdírehed the peopleto choofe them Judges , he forbids them the takingof rewards, and giveth his reafon ; for a reward (faith he) blindeth the eyes of the wife, andperverteth the words of thejug. We fee the experience of it 2 Sarn.S.3 in the fons of Samuel, after they were made judges s they tookrewards a.ndperverteár s S,re.. 26.2 judgment. And David himfelf, by taking Ziba's prefents, awarded to himMephi- bofbeth inheritance, upon amifinformation. Now theft fins,as by the very light of nature they were odious , fo by the lawof God were they to be punifhed feverely, being crying fins. Ifyou oppreß a firanger Exod.zz. 21, (faith God) or vex and trouble the widow or fatherleß, that they cry to me, IwillPurely 22,23 hear their cry, andmywrathwill bekindled, and I willkilyou, &c.And holy job ree- Job 24 amts koneth up acatalogue of theft fins, and in the end of that Chapter,tells what punifh- z.ad9 ment (hall fall upon the tranfgretfours. r. Their portion (hall be turfed in the earth, 2. The grave and the worms (ball confume them. 3. The pitiful man fbali forget them. 9-Their remembrancePall beextinguifhed. 5. They (hall be broken like a tree. 6. And though theybe exaltedfor a time,yet theypall be brought lvw,def royed,and cut ofas the z Satn.22.5 top ofan ear of corn. Nathan the Prophet reprefenting Davids tins in a parableof a rich man,that had taken away the poor mans fheep, David(conceiving it to be a real ftory) fware that the party fo offendingfbouldPurely die. And his fon Solomon gives P10,22.22,23 this precept: Rob not the poor, becaufe he ispoor, nor oppreß the afflieled in judgment. His reafon is, for the Lordwill plead their caufe, and fpoil thefoul of thefe thatfpoil them.So much fer thofe that fpoil their neighbours in foamcommodum, to their own benefit. 2. For their Thereare a fecond fort that do mifchief,indetrimentum ¢ ' damnum preximi,to the ave;ghbour.r detriment and hurt of theirNeighbour, without benefit to themfelves : and thefe are detriment, they of which the Pfahnift fpeaks, that offendof malicious wickedneß. As they that 5ó, 5 turn cattle into another mansfield orvineyard,that out ofmalicePail other mens corn, xod.zz.ó to their great hurt, and for no good to themfelver.As alto they that fet their neighbours 7i houfes,barns or flacks on fire: Theft arecalled incendiaries. And likewife Sorcerers r3 andWitches,that wreak their malice upon their neighbours cattel andgoods.Thefe are Job the Imps ofSatan,who to vent his malice upon 3ob,did him much harm in this kind. yrjnfl,getrin Come wenow to the other fort , that commit this fin fine pretextu, without any without pre. 8 pretence, either ofpower or right. O trujf not in wrong and robbery, faith David: for -tact of law this is not a courfe to live by. or auharny. For Robbery, it is either upon the Sea, and then it is called Piracy: or upon the Pfat na 62.26 Land ;.and theft are either redones andLatrones uch as rob on the high way,ofwhich Ezra 27. z6 op f g y By robbery, by ourSaviour makes mention , in the parable of him that fell among thieves ; or fie, órhod. effrailores,fach as commit Burglary,by breaking knifes open. Theft are capital fins, 0 Luke 2c.3o myfoul come not thou into their fecrets : they make thewaits unoccupied, and travel- lers to walk iñ by paths. Thus much concerning the tirft kind of un uft getting, viz. Ger.49.6 Y P g j g g>, iodg,5.6 by rapine or force,we come now to the fecond,which is perfraudem,byfraud. Levir.t9. 3 Nonfraudabis, thoufhalt not defraud. And in this, as in the other , the theft is eitherfurtummanifefum, manife(t theft, or occultum, clr f ; and herein thofe men that are called receptores, receivers, orfacularii, are guilty as well as the altars, for as the Proverb is, It is all one to hold the Pack, and to till it, the receiver and con-. Exod.zz.4 realer being asdeep in the l in, 'as theRealer, with whom the ftollen goods are found, he is to fatisfie the law. To receiveres raptas & furtivas,goodsflollen,knowing them to be fo, is to be a plain thief. Now
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