Restitution

RESTITUTION. Natural Justice requires, that we should repair whatever Injuries we do to our Neighbour, whether in his Body, or his Estate, or his Reputation. The Law of Moses prescribed,¹ That they should give Life for Life, Eye for Eye, Tooth for Tooth, Hand for Hand, Foot for Foot, Burning for Burning, Wound for Wound, Stripe for Stripe. It also ordain’d, That they should render Exod. xxii. 1,2,3,&c.five Oxen for one Ox, and four Sheep for one Sheep: That the Thief should be sold, to make Restitution for what he had stole: That if the Thief should be found possess’d of any Beast of Service, as of an Ox, or of an Ass, or even of a Sheep, he should restore it twofold: That whoever shall do any Damage in the Field of another, shall repair the Damage, according to the Estimation that should be made of it. He that, by Ignorance, should omit to give to the Temple what was appointed by the Law, for Example, in the Tythes or First-fruits, was obliged to restore it to the Priests, and a Fifth Part beside; over-andabove which, he was obliged to offer a Ram, for the Expiation of his Sin. Nehemiah prevail’d with all those Israelites to make Restitution, who had taken Interest of their Brethren: I pray you let us leave off this Usury. Restore, I pray you, to them, even this Day, their Lands, their Vineyards, their Olive-yards, and their Houses, also the hundredth part of the Money, and of the Corn, the Wine, and of the Oyl, that ye exact of them.

Zaccheus, in St. Luke, promises a fourfold Restitution, to all such as he had extorted upon, in his Office as a Publican: Et si aliquem defraudavi, reddo quadruplum: The Roman Laws condemned to a fourfold Restitution all such as were convicted of Extortion or Fraud. Zaccheus here condemns himself, and imposes that Penalty upon himself that the Laws subjected him to: To which he adds the half of all his Goods; which was what the Law did not require of him.

He that had kill’d a labouring Beast, or any other Beast, as an Ox, was to render another for it, or the Value of it.

The Jews expected Elias, who was to restore all Things: Elias venturus est, & restituet omnia. This is an Allusion to those Words of Malachi; Behold, I will send you Elijah the Prophet, before the coming of the great and dreadful Day of the Lord. And he shall turn the Heart of the Fathers to the Children, and the Heart of the Children to their Fathers, lest I come and smite the Earth with a Curse. Also St. Peter, in the Acts, calls the Last Day, The Day of Restitution of all Things; Usque in tempora restitutionis omnium. At the End of the World Jesus Christ will unite the Church with the Synagogue, the Jew with the Christian, the Christian with the Gentile: Then all Things will be restored to a perfect Union, and there will be but one Shepherd and one Flock.

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