AMONG many other Things, with which the Enemies of Christianity aspers'd those who profess'd that pure and holy Religion; this was one, that they were of implacable and turbulent Spirits, and Enemies to the Civil Government: For they not complying with the Heathenish Customs of Swearing by the Emperor's Genius, Sa­crificing for their Safety, and Worshipping of them as Deities, were represented as Ene­mies to Caesar; and their Religion and Principles as destructive of Government. Therefore, the Apostles, that they might [Page 2] wipe off this Aspersion, and that the Powers then in being, might not have any jealousie of Christianity, as an Enemy to their Au­thority and Power, took frequent occasions to inforce the Duty of Subjection to it, and of being Conscientious in the Payment of those Tributes and Customs, which were required for the Support of it, as we find in the Text.

Render to all their Dues, Tribute to whom Tribute is due, Custom to whom Custom.

In discoursing on which words,

1. I shall shew what is meant by Tri­bute and Custom.

2. I shall consider the Nature of the Command, which enjoins the Payment of these Things.

3. I shall shew the Opinion of some E­minent Divines, concerning the Obligation of this Precept.

[Page 3] Lastly, I shall conclude with a brief Ap­plication.

1. To shew what is meant by Tribute and Custom.

And hereby I understand the Legal Tax­es Non modô Portoria & indictiones, sed alios quo­que reditus. Calv. which are appointed for the Support of the Government, under which we live, and enjoy Protection and Safety.

But some are more Critical in the Expli­cation Vectigalia pro mercibus dantur, Tri­buta pro solo & capite. Grot. of the words, and they tell us, That Custom, denotes the Tax laid upon Trade; and Tribute, that which is laid on the Per­sons or Estates of Men. To the like pur­pose, [...] dici­tur Tributum quod in capi­ta civium im­ponitur: [...] quic­quid alio No­mine solvitur: Beza: Stri­gel. Aret. Ger­hard. Beza, and others, explain these words, That Tribute is a Polrate, Custom what is payable upon any other account.

And having shew'd what is meant by Tribute and Custom. I come in the

2d. Place; to consider the Nature of the Est injustum quod Naturae Societatis re­pugnat. Gro [...] Command, which injoins the Payment of these Things.

[Page 4] And here it will appear, that this is one of the Moral Laws, and of universal Obliga­tion. Because

1. It hath its foundation in the Nature of Things, being a most necessary Means Prima justitia est in Deum: Secunda in Patriam: Amb. Lib. 1. de off. for the common Safety. The great Prin­ciple, or Law of Nature, is the Welfare and Happiness of Mankind, and whatever is ne­cessary to this, we are oblig'd to it by the Law of Nature.

Now there is nothing more necessary to the Happiness of Mankind than Govern­ment. But Government cannot subsist, and Vectig. & Tribut. veluti firmamento Respub. Niti­tur. Bodi. de Repub. li. 6. p. 1028. the common Peace cannot be preserv'd, without a Power and Force to defend us a­gainst the Enemies of it. And this Power cannot be maintain'd without Tributes and Customs; and hence it is evident, the Pay­ment Nec quies Gentium sine armis, nec ar­ma sine sti­pendiis, nec stipendia sine Tributis ha­beri possunt. Tacit. of them becomes due by the Law of Nature. And the very Heathens were not so blinded with Avarice as we are; and by the Light of Nature they were convinced of the Necessity of this Duty, and the Obligations [Page 5] we are under for the Practice of it. Cicero Subsidium Belli & Ner­vus reipub. Orat pro Manl. Tri­butis Magi­stratibus de­negatis, ex­tremam Re­ip. perniciem impendere. Liv. Lib. 7. p. 78. stiles Tribute the Support of War, and the Sinews of the Common-Wealth. And Me­nenius Agrippa in Levie declares, inevitable Ruine must needs follow the denying of Tribute for the Support of Government. But

2. The Apostle, in the Verse before the Text, saith, That Governours are God's Mi­nisters, attending continually on that very Thing. That is, they spend their Time and Magistratus Gravissimas curas & La­bores pro subditorum incolumitate sustinet, ae­quum est ut qualicunque mercedis Lo­co Tributa persolvantur. Ger. de Ma­gist. Pol. p. 921. their Strength for the Good of the Com­mon-Wealth: they undergo great Care and Trouble; are expos'd to great Hazards and Dangers, that we may enjoy the Com­forts of this Life, and sit quiet under our Vines and our Fig-trees. And for this cause, saith the Apostle, pay you Tribute also; and in the Text, Render, therefore, Tribute to whom Tribute is due. So that the Apostle Tributum non gratui­tum sed Red­hostimentum Patrei nii & Defension [...]s. Freher. Dis­sert. inferring this Duty from the consideration of the Industry and Diligence, the Care and Trouble, which Governours undergo in the discharge of their Office, it is an Act of Com­mutative [Page 6] Justice; and upon this account, as well as that before mentioned, it is a part of the Law of Nature, and by which all Men are oblig'd. And of this Nature

3. It will appear to be, because it is, a proof of our Subjection to the Govern­ment, Suum quod Magistratui jubemur da­re, sunt Obe­dientia in Li­citis & Ho­nestis, Reve­rentia & Ti­mor pro ipso & Tributa. & Vectigalia chemnit. Loc. Theo. pars 3. p. 231. under which we live. It is by the A­postle conjoined with the Precepts for Sub­jection, mentioned in the former Verses, and the denying of this Tribute disowns the Authority, by which it is injoined. So that if Subjection to Government be a moral Duty, this must needs be so too.

And having shew'd, that the Duty in the Text is a Branch of the Law of Nature, I proceed in the

3d. Place, to shew what the Opinion of the most eminent Divines, both Ancient and Modern, hath been concerning the Obliga­tion of this Precept, whether it bind the Con­science for paying those Tributes and Cu­stoms, which are imposed by Law or not.

[Page 7] Justin Martyr, who liv'd so nigh the A­postles, [...], &c. Orat. Ad. Ant. that he was stiled one of their Disci­ples, in his Apology to the Emperor Anto­ninus, doth not only mention the peaceable Subjection of the Christians to the Empe­ror, their constant prayers for his Health, and the Prosperity of the Government; but also their conscientious paying of the Tri­bute, for the Support of the Empire, and this as oblig'd to it by the command of Christ, To render to Caesar the things that are Caesars.

Not long after this, another Apology was written for the Christians by Tertullian: Vectigalia gratias Chri­stianis agunt ex fide de pendentibus Debitum, quâ, alieno fraudando abstinemus. Tert. Apol. Sect. 42. p. 72. and he saith, they paid the Tribute, with the same Fidelity, with which they abstain'd from all Frauds, thereby declaring it was as much against their consciences to be guilty of pub­lick as private Frauds.

And St. Ambrose, (or whoever was the Author of those Commentaries on the Epi­stle Bel. &c. a­scribe them to Hil. Diac. Tom. 5. p. 232. to the Romans, which go under his Name) speaking of the reason why St. Paul commands the paying of Tribute before Honour, saith, Quia Major Causa aut major [Page 8] necessitas, Because there is greater Reason or greater Necessity for it. The legal Revenue is the Strength and Sinews of the Govern­ment; and the with-holding of this, weak­ens it, and exposeth it to contempt: It tends to make a Prince a Beggar. This is, there­fore, of greater moment, than giving to Kings bended Knees, or pompous Titles; these, without the other, are little better than Mockery or Scorn; little better than the Soldiers honouring of Christ, when they bended the Knee, and said, Hail King of the Jews.

But I proceed to consider the Opinion of some Modern Divines, who liv'd since the Reformation, and who have greater Autho­rity with some than more ancient Writers; and therefore, I shall give you some account of them, both Foreign and of our Church and Nation. Vectigalia & Tributa per­solvant, &c. non quia Co­gimur, sed quia Deo gratum est obsequium. Calv. Rom. 13. 7. v.

Calvin speaks plainly for it in his Com­mentary on the Text, he joins this with o­ther Duties to be perform'd to our Gover­nours, not by compulsion, but as an accepta­ble Service to God.

[Page 9] Peter Martyr, who came into England, and was highly instrumental in our Refor­mation, speaking of the paying Tributes le­gally impos'd, admires, Quo Jure & ratione, Loc. com. p. 307. by what Law, or upon what account, any can think themselves exempted from it.

Aretius, in his Common Places, hath a p. 877. large Tract on this Subject; and he proves, by many Arguments, that Men ought to pay the Tributes and Customs by lawful Authority imposed on them, and this not propter Iram, for fear of the Penalty of the Law, sed ut conscientiae satisfaciamus coram Deo, that we may keep a good conscience towards God.

The same may be found in the Works of Episcopius, who fully answers the Objecti­ons that can be made to exempt the consci­ences of Men from the Obligation of this Episc. quaest. 28. p. 26, 27. Precept.

[Page 10] I might have given you large Citations from Grotius, Gerhard, Philip of Limburg, but I am confined to narrow Limits, and must hasten to give an account of the Judg­ment of some learned Divines, of our own Church and Nation.

The learned Bishop Taylor, in his Di­scourse of Laws Penal and Tributary, is plain in this case. Tribute, saith he, is due by the Duct. Dubit. Lib. 3. p. 125. Laws of Religion, where it is due by the Laws of the Nation. And, therefore, those Persons are very regardless of their Eternal Interest, who thinks it lawful Prize whatever they can take from the Custom-House, &c.

Let no Man think that, because some Sub­jects Farm the Customs, and that the Portion which is concealed, doth not lessen the Incomes of the Prince, therefore it may be Lawful to hide from them all they can. For the Farmer hath what he gets in the right of the Prince, and in his own right he hath nothing from the Subject, but from his Supreme who is therefore bound to defend that Right, and complain of that Wrong. [Page 11] And the Husband-Men in the Gospel, who de­nied to pay the Stewards of the King the Fruits of the Vineyard, which in their King's Right were demanded of them, were cast into utter Darkness.

And Mr. Baxter proposeth this case, when Christi Di­rect. part 4. p. 164. an Estate is intrusted with a Friend, to secure it from paying great Taxes or Tribute to the King, whether a Man may keep such a Trust? and he answereth, He may not, the Taxes being Just and Legal for the mainte­nance of the Magistrate, or the preservation of the Common-Wealth.

Now that the Non-payment of the Tri­bute and Customs, appointed by the Law, is an Offence, some will not deny; but they think it hard that such Offences should be ranked with Robberies and Thefts. But, though this Practice may be no Theft, in a Law sense, that having not declared it Fe­lony; yet, in a Scripture sense, it is no bet­ter: and for this, I could produce many Di­vines of great Note, who have ranked this [Page 12] among the Sins forbidden by the Eighth Commandment.

Mr. Dod, in the Exposition of that Com­mand, hath these Words:

For things pertaining to the Common-Wealth, that is another kind of publick Robbery; when Men that have the disposing and ordering of things, that pertain to the Common-Weal, and are to be used for the common Good, will take them to themselves, and make a private Gain of them: this is a foul Fault, and a high De­gree of Theft, so much the more heinous, because it is the more general, and greater wrong by how much it toucheth more.

And Dr. Towerson, in his Explication of In res singu­lorum majus est dominium regis ad bo­num commu­ne quàm do­minorum sin­gularium: Grot. de Ju. Bel. & Pa. Lib. 1. c. 1. Sect. 6. the Eighth Commandment, saith:

In as much as the Public is capable of a Pro­perty, as well as private Persons, in as much as it is not only capable of a Property, but cannot sub­sist without it; hence it comes to pass, there may be a theft of public Goods, as well as private; and consequently that, as well as the other, to [Page 13] be concluded within the Force of the Prohibi­tion.

And from hence it will follow, saith that Learned and Pious Doctor:

‘That denying just Tributes, are En­trenchments upon the Goods of the Public, and consequently proper Thefts.’

And he afterwards affirms, That ‘As the Mischief which ariseth from pu­blick Thefts, is much greater than that of private ones, consequently they are much more criminal.’

Chemnitius, amongst the Sins forbidden by Peculatus, Furtum quod committitur in Repub. vel subtrahendo vel non per­solvendo res communita­tis. Loci. Theol. pars 2. p. 81. this Command, reckons the Offence which the Romans called Peculatus, and which he defines to be a Robbing of the Common-Wealth, by with-holding, or not paying what is due to it.

To these, I shall only add the Judgment of two Reverend Prelates, both once well [Page 14] known and esteemed in this City, Bishop Hall, I mean, and Bishop Hopkins.

The first, in his Irrefragable Propositions, Bishop Hall's Remains, page 348 affirms:

‘That no Prejudice of another Man's Right can be so dangerous and sinful, as that Prejudice which is done to the Right of Public and Soveraign Authority.’

And the other, in his Exposition of the Lord's Prayer, declares:

‘That he, who detaineth any thing, page 75 which the Sentence of the Law adjudgeth to another, is guilty of Theft and Rob­bery.’

And thus I have laid before you the Opi­nion of some eminent Writers, among many others that might be mentioned.

These Authorities, I hope, will be suffici­ent, especially since there is not any Prote­stant Author of the contrary Opinion. And Vide Ama­daeum Gui­menium, p. 70 though a few of the Romish Casuists may [Page 15] be of another Judgment, this I think will give little Reputation to the Cause, and as little ease to a Protestant Conscience; For Vid. Decret. Inno 2do. Mart. 1679. & Prop. 36, 37. these are the Men who have affirmed it is Lawful to Steal in Necessity; that Servants may Steal from their Masters, when they think their Wages is not sufficient for their Labour, and have published other Opinions, so impious, that they were condemned as Pernicious and Scandalous by Pope Innocent the Eleventh, and his Cardinals.

Now this matter, as most wherein the Consciences of Men are concerned, may be consider'd with respect to many particular Ca­ses: As what Men may be oblig'd to, when the Tributes impos'd are excessive, and carry no proportion to the end for which they are given; as also, when we are certain they will be misapplied, not to the Advantage and Preservation, but the Ruine of those that pay them.

But I omit the consideration of these, and the like cases, in which we are not concern'd, that I may answer some Popular Objections [Page 16] that are made in Defence of the Non-pay­ment of what the Law requires of us.

And one is grounded upon an obscure place of Scripture, and the Precept of the Text being plain, that ought not to be ob­jected, but understood agreeably to it: However, I will briefly consider it. And the place is in the 17. cap. of St. Matth. from the 24. v. to the end.

They that came to receive the Tribute Mo­ny, V. 24, came to Peter, and said, Doth your Master pay Tribute?

He saith, Yes. And when they came into V. 25, the House, Jesus prevented him, saying, What thinkest thou, Simon? Of whom do the Kings of the Earth take Custom or Tribute, of their own Children, or of Strangers?

Peter saith unto him, Of Strangers. Jesus V. 26, saith unto him, then are the Children free.

Notwithstanding, lest we should offend them, V. 27. go to the Sea, and cast an Hook, and take up the Fish that first cometh up, and when thou hast opened his Mouth, thou shalt find a piece [Page 17] of Money, that take, and give unto them for thee and me.

Now there is a great Controversy among learned Men, What is meant by this Tri­bute, whether it was the half Shekel that was paid to the Temple, or some other Tribute exacted by the Roman Emperor: Whatsoe­ver it were, it matters not much to the pur­pose, for which it was objected. Christ on­ly mentions a Priviledg he might claim for Si censum Dei filius sol­vit quis tu tantus es, qui non putes esse solvendum. Ambr. Redite quae sunt Caesaris Caesari, id est, Nummum Tributum, &c. quomo­do ipse red­didit Tributa pro se & Pe­tro. Hier. in Loc. himself and his Domestics, as he was the Son of God. And I never heard of any that objected this Scripture, as exempting Men from paying just and legal Tributes, but the Pope and his Clergy, and the German Anabaptists. And several of the Fathers, were so far from thinking this place would justify the with-holding of Tribute, that they inforce the Payment of it from this very Passage.

And there is as little weight in another Po­pular Objection, as in this, That the Laws injoyning Tribute are Penal, and the Suffer­ing [Page 18] of the Penalty, when inflicted, satisfies the Law. For Penalties are annexed to se­cure Lex poenalis eo fine lata est ut metu poenae Subdi­ti cogantur ad officium. Dr. Sand. Praelect. 18. p. 313. Obedience to Laws, and cannot justify us in the Breach of them. And therefore, when Lucius Neratius gave every one he met a Box on the Ear, and withal, paid to every one Twenty Five Asses, which was the Penalty imposed by the Law of the Twelve Tables; Homo im­prebus at­que immani v [...]ord â Aul. Gel. Noct. At. p. 608. He was, notwithstanding this, judged to be a most vile and wicked Person. And this be­ing a Duty, by the express Command of the Law of God, as well as that of Nature, it is absurd to imagine, the Obligation to it can be taken off by Suffering the Penalty an­nexed by a Humane Law.

I come now to the APPLICATION, the

Last Thing Promised.

1. To those who have Transgressed this Command in the Text, by injuring the [Page 19] King, in with-holding what by Law and Right belongs unto him.

2. To those who have not been guilty of these public Frauds, but have conscienti­ously rendered to Caesar the things that are Cae­sars, as well as to God, the things that are Gods. And

Last. To those who are concerned in receiving these Tributes in the Text, or are in any Place or Office, by which they are in­trusted with any part of the Public Reve­nue.

1. To those who have transgress'd this Command in the Text, injuring their King and their Country, by with-holding what is given by Law for their Security and Sup­port.

Bishop Latimer, a famous Prelate and Martyr of our Church, in his Sermon, on [Page 20] those words, Render to Caesar the things that are Caesars, affirms, the King hath as good p. 206. right to what is given by Parliament, as to any Inheritance; stiles those Thieves who with-hold it; and denounceth the Damnation of Hell against them. And this Doctrin had such influence upon his Auditors, that several Hundred Pounds were brought to him for Restitution of Wrongs, of this Nature, done p. 113. to the King, and which he faithfully paid to the Exchequer.

And though I have small hopes, this weak Discourse should have the same Success, yet I must do my Duty, and leave the Success to God, and your own Consciences.

If the Public be capable of a Property, if the King have as true a Right to what is gi­ven by Law, as a Private Man, to what he enjoys by Inheritance or Purchase, then have we the same obligation, to make Restitution for public as private Frauds.

Let, therefore, the Necessity of Restituti­on, be applied, to engage to the one as well as the other. If in this we are defective, [Page 21] Non agitur Paenitentia sed Fingitur, we do not practice Repentance, but dissemble and coun­terfeit it: all is but as the Sackcloth of A­hab, and the disfigured Face of a Pharisee. When we have done wrong to any one, we do not truly repent, unless we undo it as much as possibly we can, and set the injur'd Person in the same condition we found him. Our Saviour saith, We must bring forth Fruits meet for Repentance; Fructum Congruum, Fruit which is Congruous, or agreeable to Repentance, and amendment of Life. Now when a Man hath wrong'd another by Op­pression or Fraud, if he have unfeigned sor­row for this, a hatred and abhorrence of his past Injustice, is it Congruous, is it Agreea­ble to this, to keep what is unjustly gotten? To declaim against the Temptation, and yet keep the Bait by which it prevailed; to con­fess wherein we have Injured the King, and not (to use the Prophet's Words) give again what we have Robbed, are not these Matters Incongruous? Are they not contrary, and plainly incousistant one with another? We [Page 22] should, therefore, consider, that, unless we testify the truth of our Repentance, by mak­ing Restitution for Injuries of all kinds, we cannot expect that God will be reconciled to us: When God is reconciled, the Curse is re­moved, and all that he hath is sanctified to him. Such a one, as Moses expresseth it, is blessed in the City, and blessed in the Field, the Deut. 28. 3. Fruit of his Ground, and the Encrease of his Kine, the Flocks, and the Sheep, the Basket, and the Store, all is Blessed. But it is not thus, when ill gotten Goods are not restored, when our Basket is filled by Fraud, and our Store is the Fruit of Robbery. A Curse, and not a Blessing, always cleaves to ill gotten Wealth, and makes that of Solomon infallibly true; That better is a little with Righteousness, Pro. 16. 8. than great Revenues without right. For there is a Woe denounced against him, who en­creaseth that which is not his own. So that if Hab. 2. 6. we keep that, to which we have no just Ti­tle, Trade with it, and Gain by it, there is a Curse goes with the Principal and Interest too: It enters (as another Prophet saith) Zech. 5. 4. [Page 23] into the House, remains in the mid'st of it, and consumes it, with the Timber thereof, and the Stones thereof. A Curse cleaves to ill gotten Goods, it is most surely in­tail'd to the Estate, and descends with it from Generation to Generation, and is not to be cut off but by Restitution.

And till we restore these Earthly Things to which we have no Right and Title, we can have no right to the invaluable Riches of the other Life, as well as the Blessings of this.

This is plain from what we read of Za­cheus, the Publican, who (as was usual with Men of that Employment) had been guilty of great Injustice, and against the Emperor, in all likelihood, as well as private Persons. And when our Saviour went to his House, he spake not one word of comfort to him, till he declared the sincerity of his Repen­tance to him, by a full and ample restituti­on: Behold, half of my Goods I give to the St. Luke 19. cap. 8. 9. v▪ Poor; and if I have taken any thing from any Man by false Accusation, I restore him [Page 24] fourfold. Then, and not till then, Christ saith, This Day is Salvation come to thine House.

Now let us not think, that those on­ly who are guilty of private Frauds, are under these great and weighty Obligations to Restitution.

Can we think, that God will punish those who wrong the meanest Man, and not be avenged on those who do the same to his Vice-gerents? Their Royal Dignity highly aggravates the Violence that is done to their Persons; and so it doth the Injustice that is done to their Property. And therefore, in the Parable, with the Killing of the Heir, our Saviour joins the Seising his Inheritance, as next to it in guilt. St. Mat. 21. 38.

[Page 25] 2. As to those who have not been guilty of these Public Frauds, but have conscientiously Rendered to Caesar the things that are Caesars, as well as to God, the things that are God's: Let such consider their happy Condition, and be ever care­ful to keep their Consciences void of Offence, both towards God, and towards Man.

Restitution is one of the most difficult Duties of Religion, and Men are very hardly perswaded to perform it sincerely and fully; and therefore, happy are they who are not by any unjust Practices under a­ny obligation to it.

When, therefore, you have opportuni­ty to enrich your selves by public as well as private Frauds, consider if you use the Opportunity, and do the Wrong, all must be restored, or you are undone for ever.

[Page 26] And when the Approaches of Death and Eternity shall awaken your Consci­ences, with what Horror will you reflect upon your former Injustice and Dishonesty? How will those words of St. Peter terri­fy 2 Ep. 2. 9. an Unjust Man, That he reserveth such to the Day of Judgment to be pu­nished. And it will not be an easie matter so to make Restitution for Inju­ries, as to quiet our Consciences, there being difficult Cases, by which the mind of Man may be perplexed and disturbed. But Just and Honest Dealing, the excellent Rule to Render to Caesar the Things that are Caesars, as well as to God, the things that are God's, is a plain, an open, and safe way to Heaven. And it is the high­est Madness to put our selves in that Condition, in which our way to Heaven will be full of Difficulty, Perplexity, and Trouble.

[Page 27] Consider how it was with Judas, when he had received the Wages of Unrighte­ousness, he had no quietness in his mind, and in Horror he restor'd it to those from whom he received it. And the like re­morse and anguish of mind, will seize upon us, if we heap up Wealth, by the like or any other unjust or evil Practices. Of this Solomon hath given us fair Warn­ing: Bread of Deceit is sweet to a Man, Pro. 10. 17. but afterwards his mouth shall be fill'd with Gravel. The meaning is, Men please themselves at first with the successful Arts of Fraud and Injustice: But when their Consciences shall be awakened, Remorse and Horror will seise upon them, and all their Pleasure will be turned into Sorrow and Trouble. In this case, Men are like those in a Surfeit, nothing will give ease, but the Vomitting up the Load that lies upon them. And what a vain Thing is it for a Man to lay those Loads on his Conscience, under which he can have no ease till he Disgorge, by discharging him­self [Page 28] of the ill gotten Gain, which if kept, will be but a Moth to consume what is honestly gotten; and for which we must also account before the Tribu­nal of Christ in another World.

Last. What hath been said concern­ing the Obligation that lies upon us, for the paying of just and legal Tributes, for the Support of the Government, and the Public Peace, should also be consi­dered by all those who are concerned in the receiving of these Tributes, and who are in any Place or Office, by which they are intrusted, with any part of the Public Revenue. When these Men are not content with their competent Sti­pends, and Enrich themselves by misap­plying the public Treasure intrusted with them; this is a greater Offence than that before mentioned. It is not only high Injustice, and, in a Scripture sense, Rob­bery, but Treachery; and, if by Oath they are obliged to be faithful, it is Per­jury [Page 29] too. Yet such there have been in all Ages; and this made Cato complain, A. Gel. p. 352. Fures privatorum furtorum in Nervo at (que) in Compedibus aetatem agunt, Fures Publici in Auro at (que) in Purpura. Those who Rob private Men, live in Chains and Fet­ters, but those who Rob the Public, brave it in Gold and Purple.

These are the great Pests of a Com­mon-Wealth, Dent tales Reges, tales Judices, tales debitorum redditores, & exactores ip­sius Fisci, quales prae­cepit esse do­ctrina chri­stiana. Au­gust. ep. 5. ad Marel. more mischievous than those who Rob by Day or Night. The Ro­man State was raised to its Height and Glory, under such Men as Fabricius and Scipio, who studied to Enrich their Coun­try, and were contented to be Poor them­selves. And the want of this Public Spi­rit to keep Men from Preying on the Revenue of the Kingdom, is a more fear­ful Praesage of Ruine, than any Mon­strous Births or Blazing Stars.

From these Pests GOD of his Mercy preserve us, and send us always such as Mo­ses sat over Israel.
Men fearing God, and hating Covetousness.