Octavum capitulum, de consensu offîcialium in malum.
The Unanimous Conspiracy of Corrupt Officials
The officials of princes act with such unified consensus that they function as one body, conspiring together to bring false accusations against the innocent poor and presenting themselves as unanimous witnesses.
Right away, though, it must be carefully noted that the officials of princes are so completely of one mind that they seem, beyond any doubt, to be a single body. But this is not that body of which we read in Job: the body of Behemoth, as if it were shields of bronze, compacted from scales pressing against one another.✦ For if a son of Satan should say against a poor person who cries out for help: 'This man, we find, is subverting the fatherland and preventing tribute from being given to Caesar,' another will repeat: 'That man, we know, is emptying out the royal laws and despising the most beautiful customs.' The clamor of officials will grow strong, and the shouting of those crying out and declaring: 'We are witnesses of this matter.'
The Poor Man's Defense Silenced
When the poor man appeals to divine obedience and produces legal privilege, the officials thunder that no more witnesses are needed, accuse him of blasphemy and of contradicting Caesar, echoing the conspiracy of ministers against the Lord and his Christ.
If, indeed, a poor person, about to clear his innocence, should wish to assert anything for the sake of justice, saying that he did this lest he offend God or the Church — because we ought to obey God and the Church more — and if he should produce a privilege, which is hateful in the courts, they will thunder and say: 'What more witnesses do we still need?' Behold, you yourselves have heard the blasphemy.✦ Whoever brings forth or asserts such things contradicts Caesar! Behold how the ministers come together and stand as one against the Lord and against his Christ.✦
Christ Crucified Again in the Powerless
Even if a sympathetic patron or judge arises, officials weaponize loyalty to Caesar against mercy, so that Christ is crucified again while Barabbas goes free, and the poor man's words are dismissed as wind.
Or if the wretch finds a patron well disposed to him, or a judge who will bend down to the poor man's cause according to what is right, they'll shout and say: If you let this one go, you're no friend of Caesar's!✦ And so Christ is crucified again and again, while Barabbas goes free. There is scarcely anyone — the prince alone excepted — who has the power to stand effectively against such great evils. For as someone has said, a simple and innocent person is accused today because he cut down a forest, because he consented to the capture of wild beasts, because he kept silent about the rights of the crown, because he did not pay the taxes owed to the public treasury, because he failed to show honor to the king's officials — a man who perhaps didn't even have enough to provide for himself and his household. Nor is he believed if he tries to clear himself by oath, because, as we read elsewhere: A man's faith is measured by the money he keeps in his coffers. And so the words of the poor are called today mere words blown by the wind.✦✦
Samuel's Integrity Against Corrupt Office
Unlike Samuel, who accepted nothing from his jurisdiction and could challenge his people to find any wrongdoing, today's officials are the opposite of such integrity.
These officials are not like Samuel, who — as we read — accepted no food or drink from his jurisdiction.✦ Speak, he says, about me before the Lord and before his anointed: Have I taken anyone's ox or donkey? Have I slandered anyone? Have I oppressed anyone? Have I accepted a bribe from anyone's hand? I'll reject it today and make it right to you.✦
The Wolves in Office and the Prince's Treasury
Corrupt officials use their office as cover to strip private citizens and deserve all the more severe punishment; like wolves they must be restrained with bit and bridle, for draining the province is a grave offense against the prince whose treasury it is.
These men are the opposite of wise — they are clever at doing evil, and they are powerful in the same way. Under the cover of office they work to strip and harass private citizens. And precisely because they act in abuse of their office, the punishment should be all the more severe. With bit and bridle, he says, restrain their jaws — so that in the mouths of wolves, driven by the greed of their insatiable bellies, they cannot lay waste to the province and, to the prince's dishonor, strip the homeland bare.✦ For the province, in its time of need, is like the prince's treasury — and whoever drains it commits a most serious offense against the prince himself, whose resources they diminish.
Read the original Latin
Illico autem solerter advertendum est quoniam ministeriales principum tantum habent unanimitajtis consensum ut videantur procul dubio corpus unum. Sed hune non illius de quo legimus in Job : Corpus Behemoth quasi scuta fusilia et compactum ex squamis invicem sese prementibus. Nam sj dixerit filius Sathanae contra pauperem inuoeentem : Hune invenimus subvertentem patriam, et prohibentem tributa dari Caesari, ingeminabit alius : Istum novimus regias leges evacuantem, et consuetudines venustissimas contempnentem. Invalescet officialium strepitus et boatus clamantium et dicentium : Hujus rei testes sumus. Si vero suam purgaturus innocentiam voluerit pauper pro justitia quicquam astruere dicens se ne Deum aut ecclesiam offenderet hoc fecisse, quia magis Deo et ecclesiae obedire debemus; si privilegium protulerit, quod odiosum est fréquenter in curiis, intonabunt et dicent : Quid adhuc amplius desideramus testes ? Ecce vos ipsi blasphemiam audivistis. Qui talia profert aut asserit, Caesari contradicit ! Ecce quomodo ministri conveniunt et assistunt in unum adversus Dominutn et adversus Christum ejus.
Aut si miser patronum invenerit sibi propitium, aut judicem ipsum, qui secundum justitiam condescendat causae pauperis, vociferabuntur et dicent : Si hune dimittis, non es amicus Caesaris ! Et sic fréquenter Christus crucifigitur ubi Barabas dimittitur Vix est, excepto principe, qui tantis malis valeat efficaciter obviare, quoniam, ut quidam ait, accusatur hodie simplex et innocens quia silvam incident, quia ferarum captioni consenserit, quia jura coronae tacuerit, quod publicae functionis tributa non sol verit, quod regios ministeriales honorifice non exhibuerit, qui tamen forte non habuit unde sibi et familiae provideret ; nec eidem creditur si jurejurando fîdeliter se excuset, quia, sicut alibi legitur : quantum quisque sua nummorum servat ierarchia, tantum habet et fidei, et ideo verba pauperum dicuntur hodie verba venti. Non talis Samuel qui ex suajurisdictione nec esculentum nec potulentum legitur récépissé. Loquimini, ait, de me coram Domino, et coram christo ejus, utrum bovem alicujus tulerim, aut asinum ; si quempiam calumpniatus sum, si oppressi aliquem, si de manu cujusquam munus accepi, et contempnam illud hodie, restituamque vobis. E contra sapientes sunt hii ut faciant mala, et potentes similiter, dum sub praetextu officii spoliare nituntur et vexare privatos, et ideo quod praesumunt contra officium poena esset magis difficili puniendum. In chamo, inquit, et freno, maxillas eorum constringe, ne in ore luporum, quos improba ventris agit ingluvies, vastare possint provinciam et in injuriam principis patriam exftaurire. Provincia enim in necessitatis articulo quasi archa principis est, quam quisquis exhaurit gravissime delinquit in principem, cujus exténuât facultatem.
Scripture echoes
- ↩Job.41.15-Job.41.17 — The folds of his flesh cling together, cast firm upon him, immovable. POETIC-DAILY: The folds of his flesh are welded tight—set on him like poured metal, impossible to move. MESSAGE-DAILY: Even the folds of his flesh are locked down tight, fixed in place, impossible to shift. Job.41.16 — His heart is firm as a stone, indeed, firm as the lower millstone. Job.41.17 — When he rises, the mighty are afraid; at the crashing, they lose themselves.
- ↩Matt.26.65;Mark.14.64 — Then the high priest tore his robes and said, 'He has blasphemed! Why do we still need witnesses? Look, now you have heard the blasphemy.' Mark.14.64 — You have heard the blasphemy. What does it seem to you? And they all condemned him as deserving death.
- ↩Ps.2.2 — The kings of the earth take their stand, and the rulers gather together against the LORD and against his Anointed.
- ↩John.19.12;Luke.23.2 — From that moment Pilate sought to release him, but the Jews cried out, saying, 'If you release this man, you are not Caesar's friend. Everyone who makes himself a king speaks against Caesar.' Luke.23.2 — And they began to accuse him, saying, "We have found this man perverting our nation and forbidding the giving of tribute to Caesar, and saying that he himself is the Christ, a King."
- ↩Matt.27.15-Matt.27.26;Mark.15.6-Mark.15.15;Luke.23.18-Luke.23.25;John.18.40 — Now at the festival it was the governor's custom to release to the crowd any one prisoner they wanted. Matt.27.16 — Now they had at that time a notorious prisoner called Barabbas. Matt.27.17 — So when they had gathered together, Pilate said to them, "Whom do you wish me to release for you—Barabbas, or Jesus who is called the Christ?" Matt.27.18 — For he knew that it was out of envy that they had handed him over. Matt.27.19 — While he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent word to him, saying, 'Have nothing to do with that righteous man, for I suffered many things today in a dream because of him.' Matt.27.20 — But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowds to ask for Barabbas and to destroy Jesus. Matt.27.21 — The governor answered them, "Which of the two do you want me to release for you?" And they said, "Barabbas." Matt.27.22 — Pilate said to them, "What then shall I do with Jesus who is called the Christ?" They all said, "Let him be crucified!" Matt.27.23 — But he said, 'What evil has he done?' But they cried out all the more, saying, 'Let him be crucified!' Matt.27.24 — When Pilate saw that he was accomplishing nothing, but rather that a riot was beginning, he took water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, "I am innocent of this man's blood; you see to it yourselves." Matt.27.25 — And all the people answered, 'His blood be on us and on our children.' Matt.27.26 — Then he released Barabbas to them, but Jesus he had flogged and handed over to be crucified. Mark.15.6 — Now at the festival he used to release to them one prisoner, whomever they asked for. Mark.15.7 — Now Barabbas was imprisoned with the rebels, who had committed murder during the insurrection. Mark.15.8 — And the crowd came up and began to ask him to do as he had always done for them. Mark.15.9 — But Pilate answered them, saying, "Do you want me to release for you the King of the Jews?" Mark.15.10 — For he knew that the chief priests had handed him over out of envy. Mark.15.11 — But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have Barabbas released to them instead. Mark.15.12 — And Pilate, answering them again, said, "What then shall I do with the one you call the King of the Jews?" Mark.15.13 — But they shouted again, "Crucify him!" Mark.15.14 — But Pilate said to them, "Why? What evil has he done?" But they cried out all the more, "Crucify him! Mark.15.15 — So Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, released Barabbas to them. Then he had Jesus flogged and handed him over to be crucified. Luke.23.18 — But they cried out all together, saying, 'Away with this man! Release Barabbas to us!' Luke.23.19 — who had been thrown into prison for an insurrection that had arisen in the city, and for murder. Luke.23.20 — Again Pilate addressed them, wanting to release Jesus. Luke.23.21 — but they kept shouting, saying, "Crucify him! Crucify him!" Luke.23.22 — And he said to them a third time, "What evil has this man done? I have found in him nothing deserving death. Having disciplined him, therefore, I will release him." Luke.23.23 — But they pressed on with loud voices, demanding that he be crucified, and their voices prevailed. Luke.23.24 — And Pilate granted their demand. Luke.23.25 — And he released the one who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder, whom they were asking for, but he handed Jesus over to their will. John.18.40 — So they cried out again, 'Not this man, but Barabbas!' Now Barabbas was a robber.
- ↩Eccl.5.16 — And all his days he eats in darkness, and he is greatly vexed, and his sickness and his wrath.
- ↩1Sam.12.3-1Sam.12.5 — Here I am; testify against me before the LORD and before his anointed. Whose ox have I taken? Whose donkey have I taken? Whom have I defrauded? Whom have I oppressed? From whose hand have I taken a bribe to make me look the other way? If so, I will restore it to you. 1Sam.12.4 — And they said, "You have not oppressed us, and you have not crushed us, and you have taken nothing from the hand of any man." 1Sam.12.5 — And he said to them, "The LORD is witness against you, and His anointed is witness this day, that you have found nothing in my hand." And they said, "He is witness."
- ↩1Sam.12.3 — Here I am; testify against me before the LORD and before his anointed. Whose ox have I taken? Whose donkey have I taken? Whom have I defrauded? Whom have I oppressed? From whose hand have I taken a bribe to make me look the other way? If so, I will restore it to you.
- ↩Ps.31.9 — But you have not shut me up in the hand of the enemy; you have set my feet in a broad place.
Eruditio regum et principum (Education of Kings and Princes) companion
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