The Eye and Wheel of Providence, Chapter 41
CHAP. XLI. Inſtruction eighth.
Inſtruct. 8 EVery man ſhould from hence learn to keep within the compaſſe of his calling,Publicani fuerunt illi qui populi Romani vectigalia, Judaeis invitis jure belli impoſita ipſorum nomine publicè tractârunt, undè reliquis Judaeis tanquam hoſtes patriae libertatis exoſi fuerunt. Chemnit. doing that which is juſt and equal. The motion of God's Providence, like the motion of the Heavens, is alwayes equal and conſtant; as the beſt Harmony in Muſick is of many diſcords wel ſet together; ſo the different notes of Providence make it very harmonious. Carnal hearts are apt to plead with God about the inequality of God's ways & providences, as if they could amend what God had done. You ſay the way of the Lord is not equal; hear now, O houſe of Iſrael, Is not my way equal, are not your wayes unequal? Ezek. 18.25. The Lord is righteous in all his wayes, and holy in all his workes of Providence; Let us imitate the Lord therein.
When the Publicans, (who were cuſtomers in Haven-Towns, being for the moſt part ex faece populi, of the ſcum of the people) came to be baptized of John; they ſaid unto him, What ſhall we do? He ſaid unto them, Exact no more than is appointed you, Luk. 3.12, 13. He bids them not leave their Offices, but teacheth them how to uſe them.
Here all Levellers may be taxed, who would have no orders nor degrees among men, denying duties to Kings, Rulers and Governours, contrary to the Doctrine and practice of Chriſt and his Apoſtles. Chriſt was born in a time of Tribute; he willeth Peter to pay Tribute for them both, Mat. 17.27. He bids, Give unto Caeſar the things that are Caeſars, Mat. 22.21. But Princes muſt moderate their expences according to their revenues, and not exhauſt their treaſures to maintain their pleaſures,Paſtoris boni eſt oves tondêre nòn deglubere. Sueton as Tiberius the Emperour told one, that bid him lay heavier taxes upon his people. It is the part of a good Shepherd to ſhear, and not to flea or skin his Sheep. David would not drink the water that the three Worthies fet him, becauſe it was Pretium ſanguinis, the price of bloud. Such Magiſtrates may be ſaid to drink the bloud of their people, that live idly, and lewdly ſpend what they may ſpare.
This gives a check to all ſorts of people that abuſe their places, that make more of them than the Laws of the Land, and a good conſcience requireth and alloweth. All Purveyours and Takers, Cuſtomers and Searchers, that ſet their Commiſſions upon the tenters. All ſuch as buy Offices for gain; 'twere well if all ſuch were diſabled to uſe them. For the ſaying of the Emperour Alexander Severus is moſt true; He that buyeth an Office ſelleth Juſtice. The Thebans had a Law, That no man ſhould bear any Office of credit among them, but ſuch as had diſcontinued their Trade by the ſpace of ten years, to the end their hands might be out of baſe taking.—Here I might pull Lawyers by the ſleeves, and put them in mind of this precept of John, when they will have a double Fee for a ſingle pleading. Item, Under-Sheriffs, Bailiffs, and Juſtices-Clearks; all which have their ſet Fees proportionable to their places appointed them by Law: As alſo all ſuch as are Overſeers of Wils, Guardians of Infants and Orphans under age; if they have any Legacy bequeathed them, they may take it; if they be at any charge, they may allow it themſelves; but let them beware of loud reckonings, they be crying ſins, and will make a loud noiſe in the ears of God. In a word, all deceit in all dealing is wholly unlawfull; as ſervants working by halves, and taking wages for the whole; all falſe weights and meaſures, adulterate and counterfeit wares, ſhewing of one ſort, and ſerving another; hoording up Commodities to make a dearth; Landlords alſo oppreſſing their Tennants, and Patrons corruptly beſtowing their Advouſons or Preſentations to Livings upon unworthy perſons, may here juſtly be cenſured.
Next to the Publicans, the Souldiers likewiſe demand of John Baptiſt, What ſhall we doe? Luk. 3.14. and he ſaid unto them, Do violence to no man, Accuſe no man falſly, and be content with your wages; There are three Branches of John's anſwer to the Souldiers.
1. Do violence to no man] Offer no injury to any man, abuſe not your power to do wrong, oppreſſe not thoſe whom you are appointed to defend, leſt they rather betray themſelves to their Enemies, than yield to the abuſes of ſuch falſe friends:Hiſtor. Novi orbis. Such Souldiers the Spaniards ſet in Hispaniola and other places, who carried themſelves ſo inſolently among the people, as they had rather turn to the Turk, than endure them among them. I might here diſſwade from all cruelty even toward Enemies, and embruing hands in cold bloud. All Souldiers are not to do as Saul ſhould have done with Agag and all the Amalekites, 1 Sam. 15. Such Souldiers as are billeted, ſhould not ſo baſely behave themſelves, as to be more burthen than benefit to the Countrey.
2. Accuſe no man falſly.] Hiſtories tell us, That it was a cuſtom among the Romans to proceed againſt thoſe whom they had conquered (of which ſort the Jewes now were) according to the informations of their Souldiers that quartered, and were ingarriſoned among them to keep them in ſubjection; and to baniſh, or put to death the parties accuſed, and confiſcate their goods, half to the Senate, and half to the accuſer; whereupon the Baptiſt knowing what a bait rich mens wealth might be to hungry ſouldiers, and make them lift at a lie, he laboureth to redreſſe this vice.
3. Be content with your wages] with your allowance, whether in money, meat, or whatſoever is provided for you fit and proportionable; be content with it, keeping your ſelves within compaſſe; and let your allowance ſuffice for your maintenance, and neither mutiny againſt your Officers, nor go a forraging and freebooting among the free people of the Countrey. Great was the Juſtice of Aurelianus the Emperour in this caſe,Si vis Tribunus eſſe, imo ſi vis vivere, militum manus contine: nemo pullum alienum rapiat ovem nemo contingat, uvam nullus auferat. Aurelian. Imperat. who told his Lieutenant; It thou wilt be a Tribune; yea if thou wilt live, hold the hands of thy ſouldiers; let no man ſnatch away another mans Chicken, nor touch a Sheep, nor take away ſo much as a Grape from another man. It muſt be a rule to all ſervants and labourers, and whoſoever are hired to any kind of imployment; the practice of true Religion and Equity is fit for all ſorts of perſons; yea even for ſouldiers: which confuteth that fooliſh conceit of Machiavel, That Religion may be ſpared in Warre, becauſe it maketh men cowards; both parts of his Aſſertion are moſt falſe. For,
1. To whom can Religion be more neceſſary, than for thoſe that are in moſt danger?
2. And who have more reaſon to be reſolute, than they that know their quarrel is good, and cauſe warrantable for them to die in, and alſo have faith, and be perſwaded of the forgiveneſſe of their ſins. It was a wicked ſpeech of Marius the Roman, that being reproved for breaking the Laws of his Countrey in the Camp, made anſwer, that he could there hear no ſound of Laws for the clattering of armour. Conſtantine had the exerciſes of Religion in his Camp, and the Prieſt by God's own appointment made a ſhort Sermon to the Iſraelites going to battel, Deut. 20.3, 4. Let no man therefore do that which is irregular, and then make Providence whiſtle to his own tune, as the manner of too many in out dayes hath been; becauſe God hath not preſently executed vengeance upon their abominations, therefore they have pleaded neceſſity, and brought in providence for the approbation of them.