PUBLICAN, Publicanus ; in Greek, Telones ; a Farmer or Receiver of Publick Money, an Officer of the Revenue, a Man employ’d in Collecting such Impositions as are hateful to the People. Among the Romans there were two Sorts of Farmers : Some were General Farmers, who in every Province had their Deputies and Under-farmers, who collected the Revenues and other Profits of the Empire, of which they gave Account to the Emperor. These Principal Farmers were Men of great Consideration in the Government ; and Cicero says, that among these, were to be found the Cicero Orat. pro Planc. Theocrit. apud Munsonium.Flower of the Roman Knights, the Ornament of the City, and the Strength of the Commonwealth : Flos equitum Romanorum, ornamentum civitatis, firmamentum Reipublicæ, Publicanorum, ordine continentur. But the Deputies, the Under-farmers, the Commissioners, the Publicans of the lower Order, were look’d upon as so many Thieves and Pickpockets. Theocritus being once asked, Which was the most cruel of all Beasts ; made answer, That among the Beasts of the Wilderness, they were the Bear and the Lion ; among the Beasts of the City, they were the Publican and the Parasite.
Among the Jews, the Name and Profession of a Publican was the most odious thing in the World : This Nation, in a particular manner, valued themselves upon John viii. 33.their Freedom ; We be Abraham’s Seed, and were never in Bondage to any Man. They could not, without the utmost Reluctancy, see Publicans in their Country, rigorously exacting those Tributes and Impositions that were laid on them by the Romans : Especially the Galileans or Herodians, the Disciples of Judas the Gaulonite, submitted to this Badge of Servitude, not without the greatest Impatience, and thought it even unlawful to pay Tribute to a foreign Power ; as they shew’d by that Question they put to Jesus Christ, Luke xx. 22. Is it lawful for us to give Tribute unto Cesar, or no ? Those of their own Nation that undertook this Employ, they look’d upon as no better than Matthew xviii. 17.Heathen ; Let him be unto thee as an Heathen Man, and a Publican. ‘Tis even said, that they would not allow them to come into their Temple, or their Synagogues, nor admit them to partake of their publick Prayers, or of their Offices of Judicature, or allow them to give Testimony in a Court of Justice1. Lastly ; We are assured, they would not accept of their Presents at the Temple, no more than they would of the Price of Prostitution, or of Blood, or of any thing else of the like Nature.
It appears by the Gospel, that there were many Publicans in Judea, in the Time of our Saviour. Zaccheus, probably, was one of the principal Farmers, since he is call’d Luke xix. 2.the Chief among the Publicans; but Saint Matthew was only an inferior Publican. Luke vii. 34.The Jews reproached our Saviour with being a Friend of Publicans and Sinners, and of eating with them. And our Saviour told Matth.xxi. 31.the Jews, that Harlots and Publicans should be preferred before them in the Kingdom of Heaven. In the Parable of the Publican and Pharisee, who made their Prayers together in the Temple, we see with what Sentiments of Humility the Lukexviii. 10.View of his Condition inspired the Publican: He keeps afar off, and, probably, dares not so much as enter the Court of the People ; he is afraid to lift up his Eyes to Heaven ; he smites his Breast, and submissively asks Pardon of God. Zaccheus assures our Saviour, who had done him the Honour to accept of a Lodging in his House, that he was ready to give half of his Luke xix. 8.Goods to the Poor, and to return fourfold of whatever he had unjustly acquir’d : And this, because at that time the Roman Laws requir’d,2 that whenever any Farmer was convicted of Extortion, he should be obliged to render four times the Value of what he had extorted.
Some have thought,3 that by the Jewish Laws, it was forbid to pay any Tribute, or to exercise the Profession of a Publican ; from this Passage of Deuteronomy,4 Non erit vectigal pendens de filii Israel. But, 1st, It is certain, that there were Publicans of the Race of Israel ; such were Zaccheus and St. Matthew ; tho’ their Employment was very odious among their Brethren. 2dly, The Herodians, that refused to pay Tribute to Strangers, did not found their Persuasion upon this Law ; since, it is not found in the Original Text of Moses ; and the Hebrews otherwise explain this Passage of Deuteronomy. 3dly, The Disciples of Judas Gaulonites founded their Refusal to pay Joseph. Antiq. l. xviii. c. 2.Tribute, upon their being the People of the Lord, and because it was not permitted to a true Israelite to acknowledge any other Sovereign but God.
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