A Mirror both for Saints and Sinners, Treatise · Chapter 48 – Chapter 50
CHAP. XLVIII. Examples of Injustice: Bribery.
The evil of it, Psal. 82. 2. Prov. 11. 7. & 28. 8. & 29. 27. Zeph. 3. 5. Luk. 16. 10. 2 Pet. 2. 9. 1 Cor. 6. 9. Rom. 1. 31.
It's spoken of, Psal. 43. 1. Mat. 5. 45. Isa. 26. 10. Rev. 22. 11.
Forbidden, Deut. 25. 13, 14. Lam. 3. 35, 36. Amos 5. 7. & 8. 5. Exod. 23. 2, 6. Deut. 16. 19. & 24. 17.
Threatened, Prov. 28. 8. & 29. 7. Deut. 27. 19. Isa. 5. 7. & 59. 8, &c. Hosea 10. 4. Amos 5. 7. & 6. 12. Mich. 3. 9.
It's a great sinne, Amos 5. 12. Prov. 25. 14. Eccles. 7. 7.
It's the property of the wicked, Psal. 26. 10. Prov. 17. 23. & 29. 4.
It's threatened, Job 15. 34.
The godly are free from it, Isa. 33. 15. so was Samuel, 1 Sam. 12. 3. Prov. 15. 27.
Forbidden, Exod. 23. 8. Deut. 16. 19. Prov. 17. 8. & 18. 16.
Scriptural Examples of injustice in Rulers, Samuels sonnes, 1 Sam. 8. 3. Princes of Judah, Isa. 1. 23. Ezek. 22. 12. Mich. 3. 11. & 7. 3. Zeph. 3. 3. Judges in Israel, Amos 4. 1. Hos. 4. 18. Pilate, Matth. 27. 26. Mark 15. 15. Luk. 23. 24. John 19. 16. Felix, Act. 24. 25, &c. Ananias, Acts 23. 2, 3. Gallio, Acts …. Pharisees, Matth. 23. 25. the steward, Luk. 16. 3▪ … the Judge, Luk. 18. 2.
Other Examples, Cambyses King of Persia, having found corruption by reason of bribery in one of his Judges called Sysam…, commanded him to be put to death, his skin to be pulled off & to be spread upon the Judgmentseat and then making his son Judge in his room, caused him to sit thereon, withall telling him, That the same corruption would deserve the same punishment.
Themistocles in Athens caused Arthemius, and all his children, an… posterity to be noted with a brand of perpetual infamy, because he brought gold from the King of Persia, to corrupt the Grecians, and to divide them amongst themselves. Plut.
Harpalus that was made Treasurer by Alexander M. at Babylon whil'st he went to conquer India, thinking that Alexander would perish in those warres, fell to all manner of loosenesse, and impurity, ravishing Noble Virgins, and defiling Matrous; but when he heard of Alexanders returne, fearing to be called to account for his vi…ainy, he stole five thousand talents of silver, and so fled to Athens, labouring by his money to corrupt the Citiz…ns to secure him against Alexander, and especially he sough to corrupt their Oratours, which had most power with the people: But Demosthenes exhorted the people to expell him out of their City, and not to bring an unnecessary warre upon themselves, in defence of …o unjust a cause: yet afterwards being with Harpalus he spred amongst his treasures, one of the Kings cups of gold, and began highly to commend it for the beauty, and curious workmanship; and Harpalus perceiving his cove…ous minde thereby, bade him take the cup in his hand, and guesse what it might weigh: Demosthenes answered that he could not guesse: But, saith Harpalus, this cup will bring you twenty talents; and accordingly at night he carried him the cup with twenty talents in it: Hereupon the next morning when the people were met together to debate the cause of Harpalus, Demosthenes came to the Pulpit all muffled about his throat, and mouth, and when he was called upon by the people to speak his minde, he told them that he was troubled with a squinancy, and could not speak; wherewith some merry fellowes made sport, saying, that Demosthenes had that night gotten a silvernancy, and not a squinancy: Diod. Sic. Q. Cur.
Some Roman Judges having acquitted Clodius, a great malefactor, as they were going home wel atended with officers, were met by Catulus, who knowing what they had done, said unto them: You do well to be so guarded for your safety, lest the money be taken away from you, which you took so lately for bribes. Plut. in vita Cicer. p. 872.
There was a law amongst the Romans, That if a Judge took a bribe to pervert justice, he should die for it. And if any bore false witnesse, he should be thrown down from the Tarpeian Rock.
By the Julian law De Ambitu amongst the ancient Romanes it was enacted, That if any attained to honour or offices by bribes, he should be punished with a great mulct, and also for ever be made infamous.
Severus the Romane Emperour so hated bribery, and Iudges which used it, that he would vomit when he saw them, and was ready with his two fingers to put out their eyes.
Tacitus used to say, That never any man came to an office, or high place by bribery, or …inister meanes, but he exercised his authority wickedly, and unjustly.
Great presents being sent to Epaminondas, though he was poor, yet he refused to receive them, saying, If the thing you desire be good, I will do it without any bribe, even because it is good: If it be not honest, I will not do it for all the goods in the world. Lanq. Chron. p. 57.
Augustines judgement was, that not only gold, silver, and presents are bribes: But the guilt of bribery may also be justly imputed to any exorbitant affection which swayes a man aside from an impartial execution of justice: As love, fear, hatred, anger, Pusillanimity, desire of applause, &c.
Cambyses King of Persia intending to make warre against the King of AEthiopia, under pretence of sending Ambassadours, imployed some to spie out his Countrey, and strength, to whom the King of AEthiopia said: Go tell your Master, that he is an unjust man, otherwise he would not affect another mans Kingdome, but be content with his own, not seeking to bring other men into slavery that never wronged him. Pez. Mel. Hist.
He that by unjust gaine encreaseth his substance, shall gather it for him that will pity the poor,
Prov. 28. 8.
CHAP. XLIX. Examples of Restitution.
COmmanded in what cases, Exod. 22. 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 12. Lev. 6. 4, 5, 24, 21, 25, 27, 28. Deut. 22. 2. Job 20 10, 18. Prov. 6. 31. Ezek 33. 15. & 18. 7, 12.
Without it repentance is not accepted, Num. 5. 6, 7.
Scriptural examples: Josephs brethren, Gen. 43. 12. & 44. 8. Micha, Iugdes 17. 3. David, 2 Sam. 9. 7. Benhadad, 1 King. 20. 34. Jehoram, 2 King. 8 6. Iewish Nobles, Neh. 5. 12. Cyrus, Ezra. 1. 7, 8. Darius, Ezra 6. 5. Judas, Mat. 27. 3. Samuel proffered it, 1 Sam. 12. 3.
Zacheus, Luk. 19. 8. King of Israel, 2 King. 8. 6.
Examples of restitution.
When Selymus the great Turke lay upon his death-bed, being moved by Pyrrhus his great Bashaw to bestow that abundance of wealth which he had taken wrongfully from the Persian Merchants, upon some notable Hospitall for relief of the poore: he commanded it rather to be restored to the right owners: which was forthwith effected. Turk. Hist. p. 561.
King Henry the third of England, who was a great oppressor of his Subjects in their liberties, and estates, having upon a time sent a load of Freese to the Friars Minors to clothe them, they returned back the same with this message: That he ought not to give almes of that that he had rent from the poor, neither would they accept of that abominable gift. Dan. Chron.
Pliny an Heathen tells us, that the poore are not to be fed like the Whelps of wilde beasts, with blood and murther, rapine and spoile: but that which is most acceptable to the receivers; they should know, that that which is given unto them is not taken from any body else. In Cant. Ser. 71.
Bernard saith, that God receives not any Almes at the hands of an oppressor, or Usurer. In Ca. Ezek. 18.
Hierome saith, that no man should turne bread gotten by oppression, and usury, into a work of mercy.
Augustine saith, that when God shall judge those that live now by fraud, and give almes of the spoiles of the oppressed, he will say unto them: You tell me what you have given, but you tell me not what you have taken away: You recount whom you have fed: but remember not whom you have undone: They rejoyce whom you have clothed: but they lament whom you have spoiled, Tom. 10. Hom. 47.
Augustine in another place saith: Non remittitur peccatum, nisi restituatur ablatum: Sinne is not forgiven till the thing taken away be restored.
Quest. Is restitution so absolutely necessary?
Answ. Yea, quoad affectum, though not quoad effectum: If we are not able: If there be a willing minde it is accepted, &c. 2 Cor. 8. 12. God accepts of that quod quisquam verè voluit, tametsi adimplere non valuit: which a man faithfully would do, though he cannot.
CHAP. L. Law, Law-givers.
MOses was the Law-giver to the Israelites, Num. 21. 18. Deut. 33. 21.
Amongst the Lacedemonians Law-suites were not heard of; because amongst them there was neither covetousnesse, nor poverty, but equality with abundance, and a quiet life with sobriety. Plut.
Lycurgus was the Law-giver to the Lacedemonians and to gaine more credit to his Lawes, he went to Delphos to the Oracle of Apollo to consult therewith about the successe of his enterprize. Plut. He would have none of his Lawes written, but commanded parents by the virtuous education of their children, and youth to implant them in their hearts, and lives. Plut.
When by experience he saw his Lawes well approved of, and the Common-wealth to flourish under them, he had a great desire to make them immortal, for which end he assembled all the people together, and told them that he thought his civil Policy was already sufficiently established to make them happy: yet one thing of the greatest importance was still behinde, which he could not reveale till he had first consulted with the Oracle of Apollo, and in the meane time he desired them to observe his Laws inviolably, without altering any thing untill his returne: this they all promised him faithfully, yet for the greater security, he took an oath of the Kings, Senators▪ and all the people to make good their promise to him, and so went to Delphos, where he sacrificed to Apollo, and asked him if his Lawes were sufficient to make a people happy: the Oracle answered that they were, and that his Citizens observing them should be the most renowned in all the world. This answer Lycurgus wrote, and sent to Sparta, and then taking his leave of his sonne, and friends, he pined himself tò death, commanding his friends to burne his body, and to throw his ashes into the sea, lest any part of him being carried into Sparta, his Citizens should say that he was returned again, and so think themselves absolved from their oath. According to his expectation whilest Lacedemon observed his Lawes it flourished in wonderful prosperity, and honour for five hundred yeeres together, till King Agis his time, in whose reigne gold, and silver began to be in request, and so pride, covetousnesse, and curiosity crept in, which by degrees wrought their ruine. Plut.
Numa Pompilius the first Law-giver amongst the Romanes, gave out that he conversed in the woods with the goodesse Egeria, that so he might procure the greater esteeme to himself, and to the Lawes which he enacted. Plut.
Solon the Law-giver to the Athenians collecting, and writing down many excellent Lawes, Anacharsis, a very wise man, laughed at him, saying, Thinkest thou by written Lawes to bridle the covetousnesse, and injustice of men? Knowest thou not that Lawes are like cobwebs that catch little flies, but the rich, and mighty will break through them at their pleasure. Plut.
Draco that first gave Lawes to the Athenians, punished idlenesse, and almost all offences with death: whence his Lawes were said to be written in blood. But when Solon reformed them, he made them more milde, and moderate. Plut.