TWO GODLY AND FRVITFUL TREATISES OF THE FOWL And Gross sin of Oppression. THE ONE TAKEN OUT OF THE Exposition upon the fist Chapter of Nehemiah, written by that worthy Bishop and faithful PASTOR of the Church of Durham, Master JAMES PILKINTON. The other published of late by ROBERT SOME Doctor of Divinity. Ecclesi. 7.9. Oppression maketh a wise man mad. Imprinted by Thomas Thomas Printer to the university fo Cambridge. 1585. THE FORMER TREATISE AGAINST THE GROSS SIN OF OPPRESSION TAKEN OUT OF THE Exposition of M. JAMES PILKINGTON upon the 5. Chapter of Nehemiah. 1. And there was a great cry of the people made and their wives against their brethren the jews. WHile that Nehemiah had travailed himself weary in keeping watch and ward, and setting the people to building the walls again, and thought all was quiet, both within the City, and safe against the utter enemy, behold, now bursteth out a new sore, worse than the former. The people and their wives come with open mouth and make an outcry against the rich and Rulers among them, which unmercifully had spoiled and oppressed them, in so much as they were not able to live. Such is the state of God's people here in the earth, hn. that as our master Christ saith, He came to overthrow the works of the devil: so the devil ceaseth not by all means possible to overthrow, or at the least, so much as in him is, to hinder by his partakers, the building of god's house, and the setting forth of his glory. And to declare the vehemency of the cry, the holy Ghost noteth it by such a word in the Hebrew, as signifieth those uproars and outcries which are made in Rebellious or Seditious Riots, or else of such as cry out for great grief and anguish of heart. The parties that make their cry, are the common people and women, of which it is hard to tell, whether of them is often more importune in outcrying, and many times without just cause. The people if they smart a little, & have not their own wills fulfilled, are ready to exclaim, and women can weep and howl when they list, & the basest sort are the worst. The parties against whom they cry, be the jews their countrymen, brethren in kindred, and professing one religion. If this oppression and cruel dealing had been by strangers, where no mercy is commonly showed nor looked for, it would have been less marveled at, & less it would have grieved them: but to be entreated cruelly by their countrymen, kinsmen, and those that served the same God, and professed the same Religion that they did, and at whose hands they looked for aid and comfort: this was thought so strange, that it would make any astonished to hear tell of it. With these circumstances the holy Ghost setteth out the greatness of the cry, to make it more horrible in men's sight, & so the more easily to bring them to repentance, and make them ashamed of their cruel dealings. When the Devil prevailed not by Sanballat and his fellows, to overthrow the building, he setteth now on the poor common sort and women, to cry out against their Rulers, thinking by these means to overthrow all, rather than to procure any remedy or relief for them: Though God of his accustomed goodness (turning oft our wicked doings to the setting forth of his Glory) by this means wrought their deliverance and liberty. Such is the wisdom of our God, that by our foolishness he declareth his mighty power, wisdom, & majesty: and our ill dealing showeth forth his justice and mercy, and that against our will & meaning. 2. And there were that said, our sonnss and our daughters and we are many, therefore we must take Corn that we may eat and live. 2. And there were that said. The cause of their Cry is set forth in these 4. verses following: Hunger, need, oppression, pinching poverty, and pining penury, made them so to cry out. And this is to common a fault in our days, in the preaching of the gospel. Some of the poorer sort, though they had not lands & goods, yet God, as he useth commonly, had blessed them more than the richer sort with children so many, that they could not tell how to get bread for them, except they should sell them as slaves: And where they were free borne, they should now become bond, and be used as beasts. What a grief it is to a good father, that loveth his child dearly, in the fear of God, to be driven by the unmerciful dealing of the rich to sell his own children for bondmen, I leave it to the consideration of those that be natural and loving Parents. For none can express the greatness of that grief, but he that hath been pinched with it, and felt the smart of it. When jacob should send little Benjamin into Egypt with his brethren for corn, it was long ere he could be brought to it, and he almost had rather died for hunger, then let him go from him. What a love had David to ward his wicked son Absalon, even in the midst of his Rebellion, and what charge gave he to his captains, that they should not kill him? 2. Sam. 2. Such is the love of natural Parents towards their children, that they will love them, and cannot cast them of, even in their ill doings, though many times the children be most unthankful. Liberty is a thing that every man naturally desireth and by all means seeketh for, therefore bondage must needs be such a thing as every man doth abhor & fly from: yet hunger is such a thing, that it will break stony walls, and rather than a man will bear it continually, he will sell lands, goods, wife, children, yea himself, to be slaves for ever. Nay hunger is so pinching a pain, that a woman will eat her own child, as in the siege of jerusalem, in Samaria, and Saguntine; yea a man his own flesh, rather than he will die for hunger. Hunger of all things may not be abidden, what in convenience soever fall out after. Consider then what miserable case these poor men were in, that had so many children, and could get no bread to put in their mouths: & wicked men, the richer sort, were they, that had brought them to this poverty, and now would not relieve them in this their extremity. We read of a Bishop of Mentz in Germany called Hatto, who had great store of corn & would not relieve the poor with it in time of great dearth, but let the rats eat it: in revenge of which, God raised so many Rats about him, that they drove him from house to house to save his life: and where he had a strong tower in the midst of the great river of Rhine, which yet standeth there to be seen in the midst of the river, he thought himself sure if he could fly thither: notwithstanding the Rats, swum after him thither, and there devoured him: and it is called the Rat's tower at this day. ●ou. 11. Solomon saith, he that hideth up his corn, shallbe cursed among the people, but blessing shallbe on them that sell it. God grant the richer sort pitiful hearts to open their barns and purse to the relief of the poor, that they may escape God's plague and man's curse. 3. And there were some that said, our fields, and our vineyards, and our houses we have laid to pledge, that we might have Corn in this hunger. 4. And there were some that said: we have boromwed any of the King's tribute upon our lands and vineyards 5. And now as the flesh of our brethren is, so is our flesh: and as their children be, so are our children: and mark, we bring into bondage our sons and our daughters as servants: and there bosom of our daughters in bondage already: and there is no power in our hands: our lands & our vineyards are in other men's hands. 3. And there were some that said. Thus far goeth the cry of the poorest sort: now followeth another company, that cry as fast, but they are not altogether so poor. They were pinched with hunger, but they had some lands, vineyards, and houses to lay to pledge, that they might have some corn to fill their bellies withal. These men were hungerbitten also: for though they had land, yet they were not able to store it, nor husband it, as husbandry required: and therefore had no profit by it. And like enough they were such as Aggeus the Prophet com-plained on, saying: that every man buildeth for himself fair houses, and God's house lay unbuilt, and therefore God plagued them. They had sown much, and reaped little, their corn wasted in their Barns, and their grapes consumed away in the winepress. These days were like the time of Micheas the Prophet, who crieth out against the Rulers for their oppressing of the poor so extremely, saying, they pluck of their skins from them, Mich and their flesh from their bones. And they eat also the flesh of my people, and flay of their skin from them, and they break their bones, and chop them in pieces, as for the pot, and as flesh within the cauldron. 4. And there were some that said. Yet cometh another sort, but they were in some better case, for they had some corn, and no money, and they cry out as fast as the rest. The Kings of Persia, although they had given the jews licence to go home to build their Temple and City, yet they laid a great task on them, which they should pay, in token of their subjection, and recompense for their liberties sake. The Rulers & chief of the jews had engrossed up in their hands unmercifully all the corn and money, that could be come by, so that little or nothing could be gotten to fill their bellies, and to pay the king's tribute withal: therefore these men must pledge their lands and vineyards to get some money for this purpose. O miserable wretches, that had thus miserably oppressed their poor brethren and countrymen, who had taken as much pains as they or more for the defence of their country, building of their Temple and City: and now in their great need could find no comfort nor relief at their hands. But these be no new things in the world: for Amos the Prophet complaineth likewise of the oppression, 〈◊〉 8. that the richer sort used toward the poor in his time. When will this moon pass away, say they, that hath so much plenty: and the time come, that we may make the measure less, and buy the poor for silver, and the needy for shoes, and sell the out cast of the wheat. 5. And now as the flesh of our brethren is. But now come they all howling and crying together, and say, what better case are we in, that be come home to our country, than our brethren, which live in captivity under the Chaldees, Assyrians, Babylonians, Medes, & Persians, or any other country, wheresoever they be scattered on the face of the earth. They live in penury & hunger, & so do we. They be oppressed with their Rulers, & so be we. Their flesh is parched with toiling in the heat, and frozen up with cold, and so is ours. Their bellies cleave to the very back for hunger, and so do ours. There is no strength nor courage left in them, no more is there in us. They be weary of their lives, and so be we. They have not where with to fill their belly, and cover their back, & no more have we. They pine away for sorrow, and so do we. They have nothing left but skin & bones, and those will scarce cleave together for sorrow, and in the same case be we. If they get a penny with great labour, one or other is ready to snatch it from them, and so it is with us. As their children live in as great slavery and misery as their fathers, so do our children live as miserably as we do. There is no respect of age nor youth neither there nor here, but all kinds of sorrow are laid uppons us without mercy. If this sorrow were laid on us alone we could better bear it, but when we see our children, young infants that cannot help themselves, to be wrapped in the same misery that we be, and can help neither them nor ourselves, it doubleth and tripleth our sorrow, and yet both is remediless, endless, and comfortless. These be strange things which were laid to their charge for their ungentle dealing: but lo, mark and consider farther, and these dealings that follow are much worse monsters in nature, and things intolerable, both afore God and man. This word lo, mark or behold, Ecce, ever betokeneth throughout the scripture some notable thing either very good or very ill, that is spoken of immediately afterward, and such a one as commonly falleth not out among men: And the holy Ghost of purpose useth to mark such notable things with this word Lo, Ecce, mark or behold to put men in remembrance, and a wake them to the consideration of the weighty matter that followeth, that they should not lightly pass over it, but deeply mark & consider it. Mark the greatness of this oppression and unmerciful dealing of the richer sort toward us their poor brethren and countrymen, of the same religion, and serving the same God that they do, & have taken as much pains in building the Temple, City, and defending our country as they have done, or more: and yet can find no mercy at their hands, but are made their slaves. For behold in strange countries, where our brethren dwell, strangers take their sons and daughters by force and make them bondmen and slaves: but we are brought into such misery, that we ourselves are driven by necessity through the oppression of our rulers, against our will, and willingly to bring & offer our sons and daughters to them to be their bondservants, slaves, & used as beasts at their commandment, that we & they may live, though it be in great misery, rather than perish for hunger or penury. And, that ye may see the thing to be true, and not feigned, some of our daughters are in bondage to them already. It is a great grief to parents, to see their own Children taken by strangers & made slaves in their own sight: but it is a greater grief for fathers to be so cruelly dealt with in their own country, at their friends hands and countrymen, that they shall be compelled willingly, though against their wills, to sell their children for slaves, or else die for hunger. At strangers hands, and specially if they be of another Religion, no man looketh for any favour, and if any do come, it is more than looked for, and so much the more welcome, when it cometh: but at a friend and countryman's hand, where all courtesy is to be looked for, and to find none but all extremity, it is a grief above all griefs, and man's heart can never digest it. It is against God, against nature, and common reason which teacheth all gentleness to such: nay it is worse than beastliness: for one beast will not deal so cruelly with another of his own kind: and one thief will not rob another: therefore to be spoiled and rob by them of whom they should be defended & relieved, it is a grief that passeth all sorrow. But if these sorrows could have an end, or there were any hope to have release of them in time we could take it the better, & have some comfort: but all hope is taken away, for we have no power left, we have nothing to help ourselves withal, we have wrestled as long as we might and made shift as long as it would be, but now we are able to bear it no more, we have nothing left, all is spent and gone, and we cannot devise where to get any more: our houses, our lands and vineyeardes other men have cruelly gotten from us, and unmercifully do keep them, & have no regard to help us in this our great and extreme necessity. We can do nothing, but cry out on heaven & earth, but they have hardened their hearts and stopped their ears that they will not hear nor pity us. mercy is gone, cruelty, oppression, and greediness carry them away, that both forget god & themselves. This was the miserable state of that time: a man would have thought that the misery, slavery, and bondage, that they themselves were in of late, under heathen Princes, in strange countries, and so late being restored through gods free and undeserved goodness to their own country, with liberty, great gifts and liberality, to build their temple & city, should not have been so soon forgotten, but as they th●● would have been glad of some relief, succour & courtesy to be showed unto them at strangers hands, so they should now show the like unto their brethren & countrymen: but such is the wickedness of man's heart that the more mercies we receive at God's hand, the more unthankful we be: and such is the malice of Satan against God, his Church, and people, that when the Lord of his own free will and undeserved goodness bestoweth his mercy upon his servants, the Devil by his members and all devices possible, goeth about to overthrow and withdraw all sorts of men, so much as in him is, to a forgetfulness of such merciful goodness bestowed upon them, and maketh them unmerciful to their brethren, which have received so great mercy at the Lords hand. Religion is the chiefest help that god hath given us to know him by, to bridle our ill affections and desires withal, to make us love one another, and set forth his glory: and yet if we look into ourselves in these days, we shall find that there was never greater cruelty, oppression of the poor, Hypocrisy, and dissembling in God's cause, and unmercifulness amongst men, in this land, then hath been since the beginning of the reforming of Religion amongst us: yea, and that is more wonderful, of such as would pretend to be favourers of Religion. Hypocrites, as they use nothing well, so they misuse Religion, for a cloak to work their own will and pleasure by, to the defacing of all good Religion. Things be fresh in memory, and cannot be forgotten of them that will not willingly be blind: but they that list to reed, may see in that worthy Father Master Latimer his Sermons many such things opened, that then were preached, & would to God they were now reform, or not fallen to worse and more shameful dealings, without hope of amendment. As for begging or buying good things at the King's hand, then selling the woods, surveying the land, to the uttermost acre or roods of land, enhancing of rents to the highest, from twenty pounds to an hundredth, racking the Tenants by intolerable fines and Incomes, Sine fine, every 5. or 7. year commonly, laying load on them, to carry and recarie what soever is to be done, paying never a penny for their labour, ride and run when he is commanded, etc. Then turn it into the Prince's hand again, get as much, and use it as ill or worse, This practice hath been so common, and declared by divers, that few can be ignorant of it, and many cry out on it at this day, but remediless. Yet this is not the worst: if there be any broken title of the land, that may make question in the Law, or if there be any danger of waters or extraordinary charges, reparations, etc. then it is meet for the Prince by exchange. When it is racked to the highest, and a good thing gotten in steed of it, yet that the Prince shall not be thought to have an ill bargain, he will desire to be farmer of it himself after the same rate, to stop men's mouths for a time. As it is reason, honourable, and Godly, that the Prince should liberally reward and encourage the good servitor: so is it reason again, that the Prince's goodness, nor the subject be misused. Master Latimer did freely speak of these things, not without blame, as peradventure this will be to: but would to God this had been used only in the prince's state. but he that will look and see, shall find the like to common in mean men's doings. As for pulling down of Towns, turning tillage to pasture, and turning out the tenants, as Achab did to Naboth for his vineyard, that they may have elbowroume, make them large demeans, or set a shepherd and his dog, where so many have dwelled, and that a poor man may not dwell so near a man of worship: these be so common among the meanest sort of Purchasers, that men need not to study where to find them. Raising of Rents, & taking unreasonable fines and gressans, is thought no fault, it is so common: but some are waxed so cunning, that it is strange to think of. A landlord is hungry, and needs must have fines even of the poorest sort: and because he will be thought to deal mercifully, this way is devised. The poor man hath no money, and yet he must pay: his goods, and specially his sheep, though they be few, shall be praised, and according to the rate, out of those goods the fineshalbe raised. And that some pity shallbe thought to be showed, the poor man shall have his goods again by the price, to pay his fine withal, and for occupying of those his own goods, he shall pay a yearly rent or interest, as it were an usury: and this dealing is thought great courtesy. Solon, when he was asked, why, among the other good laws that he made, he made not one for him that killed his father? He answered, because he would not put men in remembrance, that there was any such a mischief, that could come into men's heads: So I fear the opening of these things shall give occasion to some ill men, but not to the good, to learn the like devices. So ready we be to learn that that is ill. The law in deed openeth sin what it is, that a man should fly from it, & not be condemned for ignorance. Saint Paul sayeth, Rom. 7.7 I had not known lust and desire of ill things to be sin, except the law had said, thou shalt not lust nor desire them. The law is not to blame in declaring what sin is, that by knowing of it we may fly from it: no more than the Physician is to blame in opening the disease to his patient, and teaching him what things to avoid, that he may recover halth. But as an ill stomach, what good meat soever it eateth, turneth it into ill humours: and the Spider gathereth poison on the same flowers that the Bee gathereth honey: So on the holy word of God & his blessed laws, which he made for our health and salvation, ill men gather death and damnation, through their own wickedness, and no fault in the law nor lawmaker. As the Israelites cried out in this time justly on their Rulers for this great oppression, so it is to be feared that in our days there is no less cause to cry aloud, that God may hear, when man will not. There be four things that cry for vengeance out of heaven unto the Lord, and the scripture useth the same word of crying with them, which for memory's sake are contained in these two verses: Clamitat in coelum vox sanguinis, vox Sodomorum, Vox oppressorum, mercesque, retenta laborum. For murder and bloodshed God said to Cain, when he had killed his brother Abel, the voice of thy brother's blood crieth out from the earth to me in heaven. 〈◊〉 4. For the filthy incest, fornication, Pride, gluttony, wealth, and Idleness of Sodom, the Prophet Ezechiel and Genesis testify saying; 〈◊〉 19 〈◊〉 16. 〈◊〉. 2.3. the cry of Sodom is come up to me. The Israelites oppressed in Egypt with making of brick, etc. God delivered them when they cried unto him, 〈◊〉 5. and drowned the oppressors. S. james sayeth, the wages withholden from those that reaped their fields, cry out unto the Lord of hosts. These be good lessons for such as oppress the poor, or deal straightly with their tenants, thinking they may use them like slaves or beasts at their pleasure. Though they be servants here, yet they be children of the same God, and bought by the same price that their masters be: & therefore ought of duty to be used with Christian and brotherly charity, as thou wouldst be, if thou were so. There be other sorts of cruel oppressors, but not so common as these: As cozening, by cunning dealing to creep into men's bosoms, to be Feoffies of trust, Executors of will, Guardians of infants, and these play best be trust, but they trust themselves best and go away with all. carriers of corn, victuals, and other commodities out of the realm, to make a dearth within the realm, yea, and oft to feed our enemies, and enrich themselves, by procuring licenses to carry them out, are to well known how hurtful they be through all countries. As for Engrossers, forestallers, regraters, lease-mongers, they are thought honest men. The lawyers of both sorts by feeding their Clients with fair words, and the Questmongers with sluttish shifts, making them believe their matter to be good, & with long delays▪ impoverish the suitors: and if he come to be judge in the same matter afterward, wherein he was a counsellor afore, he saith, I spoke then as a counsellor, and now I must speak as a judge, and thinketh that he hath spoken good reason, as though God had made it lawful at any time, or in any case to bear false witness or speak untruths. The Physician and the Apothecary deal so cunningly that no man espieth them, and yet be as ill. The clergy that will take the profit and refuse the pains, Lie at his ease from his charge and let his sheep hunger, are not better than the rest. Pen-clearks, sheriffs, bailiffs, & summoners are not worthy to come to this company, for they can return Non est inventus, when they stand and talk with him: and make cunning delays, until they make men pay double fees for expedition. Worst of all cometh the common cutpurse the usurer and his broker, he standeth on his reputation, he sitteth highest on the bench, and looketh big; nay he is crept unto mean men's dealings, he speaketh courteously, and dealeth cruelly: he defendeth his doings to be charitable, when it eateth up house, lands, and goods, turneth infants a begging, and overthroweth the whole kindred: Captains convey as cunningly as jugglers with legerdemain. Merchants and Artificers are so honest, that they may not be touched: they have so few faults, that they cannot be told, and yet there could never be laws enough made to bridle them, but they will creep out. When receivers are become deceivers, controllers be pollers, Auditors searchers, and Customers look through their fingers and keep their old custom: And generally, every man is a Thief in his occupation, as the common proverb saith, there is craft even in daubing: it is to be feared, that as the course of a stream being stopped, it gathereth a great dam, and being let suddenly go, it overthroweth all in his way; so God's anger being stayed a time, the windows in heaven being opened, it will power down on our heads plentifully. How should God's plague be far from us, when these cry vengeance daily? the thief by the high way is not so ill as any of those, that deal not uprightly in their vocation. For against a thief a man may fight for his purse wittingly, and say, master thief gramercy. If a man consider in how little tents, Shops, Offices, and houses these men dwell, and how great gains they get, he shall easily see where the proficablest ground lieth in the Realm. If this people had such cause to cry out then on their Rulers, what cause have we now here among us, where not only the richer & mightier sort overload the poorer, but every one in his degree useth craft, subtlety, & deceit, to oppress, undermine, and scratch from other, without respect of friend or foe, what he can, not regarding how he cometh by it, by hook or by crook, by right or wrong, be it short or long. Here is nothing spoken particularly against any man's vocation or occupation, nor any man that dealeth honestly in them, but generally to note the general faults of the offenders, that every man may look into his own bosom, consider his doings and amend one. If every one would amend one, all should be well straight: but every one would amend another, see other men's faults, but not his own, and therefore all lie still as they did, nothing amended, and every one maketh courtesy who shall begin first. Sophony the Prophet complaineth of his time, & saith, thy rulers are roaring lions, thy judges are ravening wolves, and will not leave the bones until morning: by prophets are lewd and unconstant, thy Priests have defiled the holy place, and broken thy law. Micheas crieth out and saith: there is not a good man left on the earth, and not a righteous man among men, all lie in wait for blood, every man hunteth his brother unto death, etc. God grant our times were not like. Among us it is merrily said of some, that there be some Courts where law is executed without conscience: Another, where conscience is without law: the third where neither law nor conscience; the fourth, where both law and conscience shall rule, I can rather pray for, then look for, until the last day come, when the righteous judge shall judge both with law & conscience. In the mean time we may mourn, and turn unto the Lord, that he may forgive us, and receive us in his many and great mercies, for we are full of many and great miseries. The pride of women is through the fault of men, therefore they be blameless: God amend us all. It is written that joseph in Egypt used the people almost of like sort that they do here, 47. and yet is he praised & and these justly reproved: which possibly some marvel at, not understanding the diversity of their doings. joseph laid up corn in the time of plenty, when every man had enough: these men did it at all times, without respect, in plenty and scarcity. joseph brought the money into the King's coffers, to serve the common wealth: these men laid it up in their own Coffers, to their own private use. joseph bought their cattle for such price as they were worth: these men pay not the just price for any thing they take. joseph buyeth their land and maketh the people bond unto the King, restoring them again the land, the King finding the seed to sow, the people only labouring to till the ground. And where we think we deal courteously if we let them to halves, the Egyptians have the fourth part for their labour, and pay the king the fift part of the increase, for the land and seed, but these men kept all in their own hands. joseph bought not the Priests lands, but gave them allowance of such things as they wanted out of the kings store: and these men like unto our days, if they can scrape any thing from the Church, that is a pastime among all other to laugh at, and thought best gotten. So much more is a minister of God's Gospel thought meeter to be spoiled by these cutpursses, than joseph thought meet to do to those Idolatrous priests. joseph opened his barns in time of dearth, and sold liberally to the needy: these men the greater that the need was, the faster they locked it up, until they had their desire of the poor. joseph restored their land and took but the fift part of the increase: these men restore nothing, and yet take interest. As this cruel dealing toward their brethren and countrymen, was thought strange to be found amongst this people, in the time that God had showed to them such great mercies, in restoring them again to their country, giving them the liberty to build their temple and City, with great gifts, liberality, and favour of the kings, under whom they were bondmen and slaves: So it is much more marvel, that among Christians, in the time of the gospel, so mercifully restored unto us, & so freely taught, greater cruelty should be found & exercised, then among the hard hearted jews or infidel pagans. But this is the common practice of Satan, that in no age, people, nor country, he can be quiet to see God's kingdom set up and flourish, and his power fall: but he will rage's, storm, bestir him, and by all devices that may be, and by all power that he can overthrow it. And seeing this is no new thing but hath fallen out divers times afore, let us not now be astonished nor dismayed at it, nor murmur and grudge against the doctrine of our salvation, so mercifully offered unto us, as though it were not the true word of God, because men live so far contrary to that which is taught, and they openly profess. The devil is content, when he cannot overthrow the truth of the doctrine, to deface it so much as he can, with the ill life of those that profess it. But the gospel teacheth us what to do in this case, 〈◊〉. 23.3. saying; do as they say, but do not as they do: The doctrine is good, though they be ill. The truth and worthiness of God's word hangeth not on our life and doings, but our life and doings should be reform by God's word: for that is a Lantern to our feet, Psa▪ 〈◊〉. and a light to our steps, that we may know when we be in the right way and how to come into it. We must be judged by god's word, & not it by us: we must be ruled by it, and not overrule it, according to our fantasies: we must hang on God's true saying, and not on man's evil living. A TABLE OF SUCH POINTS AS ARE CONTAINED IN the second Treatise 1. What oppression is. 2. It is not lawful for any man to oppress another. 3. They which have done wrong unto, or oppressed any, must make actual restitution. 4. It is the duty of the Magistrate, to deliver the oppressed out of the hands of the oppressor. 5. The Magistrate looseth nothing by delivering the oppressed. 6. Oppressors shall be grievously punished. 7. Oppressors have no Religion in them. To the Reader. IT hath pleased an English papist, to give out in print, that the Church of Room doth both teach, and require actual restitution, and that our church doth neither. His speech of us is very slanderous, and my treatise against oppression, is argument enough to confute him. If they of Rome teach and require actual restitution, it is no work of supererogation: they do no more but their duties. If we should fail in this clear point, we deserve great condemnation at almighty God's hands. I confess that a man is good (& therefore justified in God's fight) before he doth good works: but withal I set down this, that good works do follow him that is truly justified, and that such as have oppressed, or injured any man, shall not be pardoned at God's hand, unless they make actually restitution, if they be able to do it. If any require proof of this, I refer him to this treatise of mine against oppression. THE SECOND TREATISE AGAINST THE FOWL AND GROSS sin of oppression. Question. WHat is oppression? Answer. It is unjust dealing, used of the mightier, either by violence, colour of law, or any other cunning dealing, against such as are not able to withstand them. The ground of this definition is contained in these places of Scripture. Micheas. Chap. 2. verse. 1.2.1. Thes. Chap. 4. verse. 6. 2. It is not lawful for any man to oppress another. Give us this day our daily bread. Mat. Cham 6. verse. 11. Every Christian desireth God to give daily bread, (that is, all things necessary for this life) both to himself, and to others: therefore no Christian is privileged to spoil another of his necessary food. If one of us must pray for the good of another, one of us may not pray upon another. He that taketh his neighbours living, Eccl. ch▪ 34. v. 2 is a murderer. Thou shalt not desire thy neighbour's house, his field, etc. Deut. 5.21. If we may not desire his house, or land, than we may not spoil him of his house, or land, or in close that ground, whereby the poor either by right are, or by right aught to be relieved. If thou meet thin enemy's ox, or his Ass going astray, thou shalt bring him to him again. If thou see thy enemy's Ass lying under his burden, wilt thou cease to help him? thou shalt help him up with it again. Exod. 23.4.5. Almighty God commandeth us to deal well with our enemy's Ass, therefore we may not by undoing our neighbour or spoiling him of any part of his land or goods, make him an ass and send him a begging. He that oppresseth the poor, reproveth him that made him, etc. Prou. 14.31. It is a gross sin to reprove the majesty of God: therefore it is a gross sin to oppress the poor. It was one of the sins of Sodom, not to reach out the hand to the poor. Ezech. 16.49. If it be a great sin, not to relieve the poor, it is a very gross sin to spoil the poor. The bread of the needful is the life of the poor: Eccl. 34. ●. he that defraudeth him thereof, is a murderer. There is a writ in England, which beareth this name, Ne iniustè vexes, that is to say, vex not any man unjustly: This is a godly law, and is derived from the law of God, which forbiddeth and condemneth oppression. There are certain beggars, which of purpose keep their legs sore, to get money by it: If they are justly misliked which gain by their own sore legs, what deserve they to be thought of, which gain by other men's sore legs? When thou sellest aught to thy neighbour, or buyest at thy neighbour's hand, ye shall not oppress one another. levit. 25. ver. 14. This is the will of God, that no man oppress or defraud his brother in any matter. 1. Thes. 4.6. Therefore men of trade may not gain by little measures, false weights, and false speeches, and oaths, nor any mighty men may gain by cunning dealing, by colour of law, or by using any violence whatsoever. 3. They which have done wrong unto, or oppressed any, must make actual restitution. GOd saith thus unto Moses: speak unto the children of Israel, when a man or woman shall commit any sin, that men commit, and transgress against the Lord, when that person shall trespass than they shall confess their sin, which they have done, & shall restore the damage thereof with his principal, and put the fift part of it more thereto, and shall give it unto him, against whom he hath trespassed. But if the man have no kinsman, to whom he should restore the damage, the damage shallbe restored to the Lord, for the Priests use, etc. Num. 5. ver. 6.7.8. We are taught in this place, to whom this actual restitution must be made, even to him, whom we have injured: if he be dead, we must restore it to his kinsman: if he have no kinsman alive, actual restitution must be made to almighty God, for the priests use, and in our time for the poors use. Michah rob his mother of 11. hundred shekels of silver: jud. 17.2 his mother did not know that he had it, but he had remorse of that sin, and made actual restitution. Samuel saith thus of himself: Whose Ox have I taken? Whose Ass have I taken? 1. Sam. 1 or whom have I done wrong to? or whom have I hurt? or of whose hands have I received any bribe, to blind my eyes therewith? and I will restore it you, etc. It is certain that Samuel did not deal either corruptly or unjustly in his office: if he had, he would have made actual restitution. Zacheus was some times very disordered in his life: it pleased our saviour Christ to be a good God unto him, and to lodge in his house: Zacheus having feeling of his former wants uttered these words, If I have taken from any man by forged cavillation, I restore him, four fold. If Zacheus of jericho, after his conversion, was content to restore four fold, it is a good consequent, that they have little sense of Religion, which will not restore the principal. Question. If a man have deceived, rob or oppressed other men, shall he be pardoned at God's hand, if he make not actual restitution. Answer. God will not pardon him, unless he make actual restitution, if he be able to do it: my reasons are these. If the wicked restore the pledge, and give again that he had rob, ip. 18. v. 13. he shall surely live, & not die, saith the Lord. Eze. 33.15. Therefore, it is a sure consequent, that he shall not live eternally, which being in case to make actual restitution, doth it not accordingly. Is not this the fasting that I have chosen, to loose the bands of wickedness to take of the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke, etc. Then shalt thou call, and the Lord shall answer, thou shalt cry, and he shall say, here I am, etc. Esa. 58.6.9. If the oppressor must let the oppressed go free, he must make actual restitution. If almighty God will not hear the prayer of the oppressor (until he let the oppressed go free) it is a necessary consequent, that God will not pardom him. Augustine, Epist. 54. is very flat for this point: if men be able to make actual restitution and do it not, poenitentiae non agitur, sed fingitur: that is to say, their repentance is no repentance, and their sin shall not be pardoned, until actual restitution be made. Question. If a man have secretly either rob or deceived another, and is very willing to make restitution, but cannot do it without some worldly danger, and disgrace to himself, what must he do in this case? Answer. Let him send that which he hath taken unjustly, by some trusty messenger to him whom he hath wronged, and let his name be concealed. Question. If he that hath taken unjustly from others, hath wasted all, and is not able to make restitution, what shall he do? Answer. Such a one, must desire pardon very humbly at God's hand, and water the earth with his tears. 4. It is the duty of the Magistrate to deliver the oppressed out of the hand of the oppressor. EXecute judgement in the morning (that is, 〈◊〉 21.12. ●●y. 1.17. carefully and without delay) and deliver the oppressed out of the hand of the oppressor, saith the Lord, etc. Seek judgement, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, & defend the widow. Almighty God commandeth the Magistrates to execute judgement in the morning: therefore they must use no delays in doing justice. God commandeth the magistrates to seek judgement, therefore in cases of oppression, they must not stay till they be called for. God commendeth unto the Magistrates all that are oppressed, but specially the fatherless and widow, because they want the defence of their parents, and husbands, and every man goeth over, 〈◊〉. 22. where the hedge is lowest. josias executed judgement & justice, he judged the cause of the afflicted & poor (saith the Lord of josias). job saith thus of himself: I delivered the poor that cried, 〈◊〉. 29 and the Fatherless, & him that had none to help him, etc. I put on justice, & it covered me: my judgement was the eye to the blind, and I was a father unto the poor, and when I knew not the cause, I sought it out diligently, I broke also the chaws of the unrighteous man, and plucked the pray out of his teeth, etc. It appeareth by this, that job was a worthy Magistrate: God send us many such as job was. The Sunamite (whose son Elizeus raised to life) so iourn in the time of famine seven years in the land of the Philistines: in her absence, her lands and goods were unjustly entered upon: at her return, she complained of the injury to jehoram the King of Israel: jehoram without delay commanded an Eunuch to restore her goods and lands unto her: Restore thou (saith jehoram) all that are hers, 2. Kings & all the fruits of her lands, since the day she left the land, even until this time. The jews in Nehemiahs' time were greatly oppressed: Nehemiah was very angry with the Princes and rulers which oppressed them, Neh. 5. and said unto them: you lay burdens every one upon his brethren etc. Restore unto them this day their lands, their vineyards, their olives, and their houses. If it be the magistrates duty to deliver the oppressed, they must take great heed, that themselves be neither principals nor accessaries in the sin of oppression. If they be guilty, judgement shallbe turned into wormwood, Amos. & 2.6. and the righteous shallbe sold for silver, and the poor for shoes: that is to say, filthy bribes shall be more accounted than men's lives, which are most precious. 5. The Magistrate looseth nothing by delivering the oppressed. IF he do it with a single heart (beside the testimony of a good conscience which is a continual feast) he may assure himself of God's favour and blessing, and of the singular liking of all God's people. josias did eat and drink and prosper, 〈◊〉 22. when he executed judgement and justice, when he judged the cause of the afflicted, and the poor. job delivered the poor that cried, 〈◊〉 6. & the fatherless, & him that had none to help him, and the blessing of him that was ready to perish, came upon him. Our sovereign Lady Queen Elizabeth hath dealt graciously with many poor suitors at the Court, she hath spoken comfortably to them, and procured restitution accordingly. If it be no disgrace to this noble Lady which sitteth under the cloth of estate, to deliver the oppressed, it is no blot to inferior magistrates if they do the like. If the Prince pleaseth God highly, and winneth the hearts of her subjects soundly, for relieving the oppressed, it is very certain, that those Cormorants, which grind the faces of the poor are accursed of God, and lose the hearts of his people. If the Prince sitteth fast in the seat of her Kingdom for tendering the case of the oppressed, can they assure themselves of sitting quietly under their vines and fig-trees, which eat bread, baked with the tears of men? It is certain, they cannot. for (besides the manifold curses of God and his people) their own consciences do mightily sting them, and are enemies enough to torment them. 6. Oppressors shall be grievously punished. cursed be he, Deu. 22.17. that removeth his neighbour's mark: and all the people shall say, Amen. If they are accursed by God, and his people, which remove the mark of the land, they are more accursed, which take away house and lend. Oppression maketh a wise man mad. Eccle. 7. Madness is a grievous punishment: God punisheth oppression by madness, one gross sin, by another. Ye have builded houses of hewn stone, Amos. 5 but ye shall not dwell in them: ye have planted pleasant vineyards, but ye shall not drink wine of them: The reason of this is set down by Almighty God in the same verse, in these words: your tread are upon the poor: & you take from him burdens of wheat, (that is to say, the necessary relief of him and his famility.) If the taking away of burdens of wheat from the poor was so great a sin, the taking way of arable ground (which by tillage and God's blessing bringeth relief to a man and his family) is no little sin. They shall not mourn for him (saith God of joachim the King of juda, which was a great oppressor) he shall be buried as an ass is buried, jere. 22 and cast forth (as a carrion above the ground) even without the gates of jerusalem. joachim had closed himself in Cedar, but that was not able to keep God's judgements from him. The stone shall cry out of the wall, ●ac. 2.11. and the beam out of the timber shall answer it, etc. As if almighty God should say, rather than the vile dealings of oppressors should not come to light, the stone shall cry out of the wall, I am built of blood and iniquity, & the beam out of the Timber shall answer, I am built likewise of blood and iniquity. If the stones and beams of oppressors houses, give in their evidence (like honest jurates) against such houses, the Oppressors must prepare themselves to hear this fearful sentence pronounced, by the Lord chief justice of heaven and earth against them: woe unto him that buildeth a town with blood, ●ac. 2.12. and erecteth a City by iniquity. They which oppress others, ●g. Epist. 〈◊〉. 2. do more hurt themselves, than those whom they oppress: the smart of the oppressed hath an end, the smart of the Oppressor is everlasting: for he heapeth unto himself wrath against the day of wrath, and of the declaration of the just judgement of God. There were never any oppressors so many and mighty, but at the length they were met with. God's judgements have feet of wool, but they have arms of brass: It is long God begin, but when he striketh, he payeth home. Esay. chap. 30. ver. 14. woe unto them that imagine iniquity, & work wickedness upon their beds: jere. 5. when the morning is light, they practise it, because their hand hath power, and they covet fields, and take them by violence, and houses, and take them away: so they oppress a man and his heritage: therefore, thus saith the Lord: behold, against the family have I devised a plague, whereout ye shall not pluck your necks. Mich. 2. ver. 1.2.3. God be merciful unto us and make us afraid of his judgements. 7. Oppressors have no Religion in them. GOd Looked for judgement, Esay. 5.7 but behold oppression, for righteousness but behold a crying. etc. judgement & righteousness are the true fruits of God's religion, therefore oppression is no branch of God's Religion, and consequently, the oppressor is void of all religion. Do not all the workers of iniquity know that they eat up my people as they eat bread? they call not upon the Lord: Psal. 14. ver. 4. Opperssours call not upon the Lord, therefore they are void of religion: for invocation is a principal and necessary fruit of religion. If the oppressors say, that they stretch out their hands and make many prayers, I grant they do so, but Almighty God giveth them this answer: I will hide mine eyes from you, I will not hear: Esay. 1.1 for your hands are full of blood. I will be a swift witness against those, that wrongfully keep back the hirelings wages, and vex the widow, 〈◊〉. 3.4. and fatherless, and oppress the stranger, and fear not me, saith the Lord of hosts, etc. They which oppress others fear not God, 〈◊〉. 3.5. therefore they are void of Religion. If they say they fear God, they deserve no credit, because their doings confute their speech. A good tree bringeth forth good fruits, and a justifying faith appreereth by good works. The former governors did burden the people, 〈◊〉 5.15. but so did not I (saith Nehemiah) because of the fear of god. If Nehemiah did neither oppress nor deal hardly, because he feared God, it is manifest that oppressors fear not God, and therefore are void of religion. When he (that is josias) judged the cause of the afflicted, and the poor, he prospered: was not this, because he knew me? saith the Lord: But thine eyes and thine heart (he speaketh to joachim the King of juda) are but only for thy covetousness and for to shed innocent blood, and for oppression etc. josias was a singular defence to the oppressed, because he did know and fear God: joachim was a notable oppressor, because he did neither know, nor fear God, that is to say, because he was void of God's religion. This which I have set down against oppression, may serve for oppressors to look upon, & to reform themselves by. If it work their good, it is happy for them: If it do not, let them remember that die they must, and that after death they shall have a fearful judgement. The best advise that I can give to them which are oppressed, is that they desire the magistrate, to be their defence. If by this ordinary means, they cannot compass their own, they must patiently bear injuries, and commit their cause to almighty God, Psal. 56. who hath their flittings in his register, and their tears in his bottle, and will be surely, but yet justly, revenged of their Oppressors. Veritas & dulcis est, & amara. Quando dulcis est, parcit: quando amara, curate. Aug. Epist. 211. ad Romulum.