THERE are in the body naturall three principall members, the li­ver, the heart, and the braine, resembling three principal mem­bers in the body politicke, the Magistrate, the Physitian, and the Divine. The liver is the beginning of naturall faculties, segregates the humours, ingenders ali­mentall [Page 2] blood, and by veines sends it into the body of man from noxious humours, whereby it may be indangered, and prescribes wholesome diet, whereby it may be preserved and kept in health. The heart is the beginning of vitall facul­ties, generates vitall spirits, sends them into eve­ry particular member: Like to this is the Di­vine, for hee is Principium, though not [...] of generation, nor [...] of Radication, yet to use the word of the Anatomist, he is Principium [...] of dispensation of the vitall spirits, hee takes a man where the Physitians leave him, makes him of [...] to be [...], of a natu­rall to bee a spirituall man, transformes him from a meere man to be a pure Saint. The braine is the beginning of animall faculties, chiefe com­mander of the body, sits in the highest roome, as in her royall pallace, compassed about with the Cranium, the Pericranium, and the two Me­ninges, which are like strong Castles and Coun­termures against forraigne invasion; it hath the five externall senses as intelligencers, to give no­tice what is done abroad, the cōmon sense, he fan­tasy, the understandings privy counsellors, the me­mory as register & book of records, yet the brain is not idle, but busied in tempering the spirits re­ceived from the heart, sending them by nerves into the old body, and thereby giving sense and motion to each part: And this braine is the fit embleme of a good Magistrate, who as he hath forts and guards, and Counsellours, and records, [Page 3] so must he know that he hath them not for his owne use, but for the benefit of the body Poli­tique; and therefore must bestirre himselfe in tempering the spirits received from the heart, I meane in making use of spirituall counsells recei­ved from the Minister of the Gospell. Now as the body Naturall is in best estate when all these three are well affected, but very ill at ease if there be a distemper or dyscracie in any of them; so in the body Politique, if the Physitian, the Divine, and the Magistrate, be faithfull in their places, and follow the rule of their bookes, there would be no complaining in our streetes: But if the Phy­sitian instead of wholesome Physicke, minister nothing but hemlocke; the Divine in stead of wholesome Doctrine broach nothing but heresie and curiosity; the Magistrate turne justice into wormewood: then is the head sicke, and the heart heavie, and in the Symptomes of death upon the whole body, once more. Of all parts in the bo­dy Naturall the braine is most subject unto disea­ses, and of all parts in the body Politique the Ma­gistrate most obnoxious to slips and falls. First, because he hath many provocations which others want. Secondly, he wants a benefit which others have, he is not freely reproved, as others are. Thirdly, because of those Cubiculares Consiliarij, as Lypsius calleth them, Politic. cap. 9. lib. 3. Tineae et Sorices Palatij, these rattes and mothes of the Court that feede upon other mens wants, live by other mens losses; and as the common souldier, in Tacitus in Pompeium, Miseriâ nostrâ magnus es, [Page 4] grow great by others mens miseries, who sell their Masters favours, as Zoticus in Lampridius solde the faire promises of Heliogabolus; and are alwayes ready for their owne advantage to ap­plaud their Masters worst and basest actions.

Hence is it, that Iethro gives this good directi­on to Moses, the Iudges and Magistrates which thou doest appoint must be men of courage, fea­ring God, dealing truly, hating covetousnesse. Which words have in them, 1. A Quis, 2. A Quos, 3. A Quibus. The Quis is Moses, Sed consulto Domino, and gives this conclusion, that the ordi­nation of Iudges and Magistrates is of God. In the beginning of time the Lord prescribed to the heavens their courses and motions, and they ob­serve them; to the Elements he set bounds and limits, and they keepe them; the bees he gave a King, saith Elian de hist. animal. lib. 1. cap. 11. and they obey him; to man hee gave lawes, and hee transgressed them, wrote them in his heart, and man blotted them out. Againe, whensoever the Heathen made lawes, they were wont to father them upon some of their gods, thereby to pur­chase credit and reverence: When Licurgus made lawes for the Lacedemonians, he fathered them up­on Apollo: Minos for the Cretians, he fathered them upon Iupiter, Solon, and Draco: For the A­thenians, they fathered them upon the Goddesse Minerva, as Diodorus Siculus reports of them. When Numa made lawes for the Romans, he fa­thered them upon the Goddesse Egraecia, as Plut. in the life of Numa Pompilius reports. When A­nacharsis [Page 5] the Scythian Philosopher made lawes for the Scythians, hee fathered them upon Za­molxis, as Vives upon Aug. and Herodotus in his Melpomene have related: but all this could not refraine wilfull man from exorbitancy and mani­fest riot against God. It is true of him which the olde Lacedemonians said of the olde Athenians, they knew what was to be done, but did it not; and which the Cimickin Laertius objected to the Philosophers of Greece, they had good lawes, but practised them not, they made no more account of lawes than Remus in Livie, dec. 1. lib. 1. of be­striding the walls which Romulus had built, hee stood in no more awe than the frogges in the fa­ble of leaping over the jawes of the lion, when he was couchant and fast asleepe; and therefore did God appoint the Magistrate to put life into this dead letter, and made him [...], as A­ristotle calls him, Ethi. lib. 5. cap. 4. a living law, that these two, the Law and the Magistrate, the one as a sword, the other as a souldier to draw it, the one as a soveraigne medicine, the other as a Physitian to apply it, the one as a pibble gathered out of the streame, the other as a skilfull David to sling it, might unite the forces to the utter extirpation of idolatry, the protection of justice, the supporting of sound religion, the dispara­ging of sinne: and this is the authority they have from God.

In which point wee must with Tully distinguish the power it selfe. Secondly, the meanes of at­taining. Thirdly, the manner of execution. The [Page 6] first is allwayes of God, but not the second nor the third; Potestatem Deus distribuit, God gives the power. Elationem potentiae malitiam venit, saith Gregor. as he is quoted by the ordinary glosse; If the Magistrate be good, he is set there for the good of the people, if wicked, he is set there for the sinne of the people; Saul is appointed by God as well as David, Nero as well as Iosiah, and Ashur as well as Moses or Ioshua; But the one is stirred up to be the Saviour of the people, as Ehud was, Iud. 3.15. the other as the rod of his wrath, as Ashur was: Esa. 49.23. Kings shall be thy nursing fathers, and Queenes thy nurses: Nor from Christ, who commands to giue unto Cesar that which is due unto him, Mat. 22.21. nor from Peter, who bids honour the King, 1. Pet. 2: 27. nor from Paul, who bids pray for Kings and Magistrates, 1. Tim. 2: 2. nor from Moses, who commands not to raile upon the Iudge, nor speake evill of the ruler of the people, Ex. 22.28. It is true of them which God said to Samuell concerning the Iewes, when they dis­liked their present government, they have not cast away thee, but they have cast away mee, that I should not rule over them, 1. Sam. 8.7. The o­ther is the Papist, who denies not temporall au­thority of our Kings and Iudges, yet tyes one of the Magistrates hands, lessens his authority, and limits him only ad Temporalia, and for spiri­tuall matters, he hath no more to doe with them than Vzzah had to touch the Arke, who for his paines was striken with death. 2. Sam. 6.7. hee [Page 7] dares not denie but Magistrates be gods, for Da­vid should confute him; I have said yee are gods. Psa. 82. but yet say of them as the Aramite said of the God of Israell, that he was the God of the Mountaines, not of the Vallies, 1. King. 20.28. they be gods and governours of the Laitie, not of the Clergie; For the Councell of Constance: Sess. 31. Laicus in clericum iurisdictionem non habet. The Councell of Trent. Sess. 25. Personarum Ec­clesiasticarum immunitas adeò instituitur: Beller. lib: de eler: cap. 28. clerici non possunt à iudice politico puniri, nec sunt Reges Clericorum superiores, idque habuit iure divino. The exemption is by a divine right, saith the same Cardinall gainst Berclay. cap. 34. quite contrary to the order and course of Scripture, for David had the same power over the high Priests that Kings have over their sub­jects, and calls Zadoc the Priest and Nathan the Prophet his servants, 1 Kings 1. Salomon his sonne turned Abiathar out of the Priesthood, that the word of the Lord might be fulfilled which was spoken against the house of Ely, 1 King 2.27. Which text hath so puzled Bell. writing against Berclay, that hee is glad to confesse that in Salo­mons time Priests were subject unto Kings: Chri­stus solvit &c. Math: 17, 24, 25. Paul appealed ad Caesarem, non ad Petrum, and he hath warrant, Act. 23.11, when Saint Chrisostome expounded that of the Apostle Rom. 13. speaketh thus &c. conso­nant to this is Tert: lib. de Idela: cap. 15. and St. Bernard ad Archiepiscopum Senonensem Epist: 42. Si omnis anima et iam et vestra quis vos accepit ab [Page 8] vniversitate, si quis tentat excipere conatur decipere. For conclusion note, onely how Bellarmine in this point hath contradicted himselfe in writing against Barclay, cap. 34. his position is, Clerici ex­empti sunt non solum privilegijs Principum, sed jure divino: and yet in his 1 Lib. Ecclesiae de membris militantis, intituled De Clericis cap. 28. Nullum po­test deferri Dei verbum quo ista Clericorum exceptio confirmetur: Propos. 4. In the first skirmish he is like to Thrasilius in Anthonies Deipnosoph lib. 12. challengeth every page of Scripture to be their advocate, that if it were possible for paper and inke to blush, his bookes would be as red as his Bonnet, and at the parting he is willing to con­fesse, that there is no expresse precept of Scrip­ture for it. I end with the speech of Constantine the great, noted by Theodoret, lib. 1. cap. 20. when he exiled Eusebius Bishop of Nicomedia, Si quis Epis­piscoporum in consulto tumultuatur meae authoritati illius audacia coarcebitur.

If it be Gods prerogative to appoint Magi­strates, what may we thinke of them that would wring this power from God, and cast it upon him that sits in the Temple and advanceth him­selfe above all that is called God, making him­selfe the King of all other Kings, to whom all Kings and Kingdomes must doe homage and pay tribute, the greatest Monarchs must fall downe and kisse the feete of his Holinesse, as they say their bookes Sacrarum Ceremoniarum, lib. 1. cap. 3. sect. 2. The Emperour must hold his stirrop when he mounteth, the bridle when he lighteth, beare [Page 9] his traine when he walketh, holde the bason when he washeth; he now acts the same part that the Divell acted, Matth. 4.9. and takes upon him as he did to dispose of all the Kingdomes of the earth; and we may say of him as Irenaeus said of the Divell, Mentitur Diabolus, nam cujus jussu ho­mines creantur, illius jussu regna constituuntur. Who knowes not that Fredericke the first was deprived of his Kingdome by Pope Alexander the third, as Petrus Iustinianus reports in his Lib. 2. Rerum venatarum: Fredericke the 2. by Innocentius the 4. Leo the 3. called Leo Isauros was by Gregory the 3. first excommunicate, and then deprived of all his revenues in Italy, because he commanded that I­mages should be pulled downe in their Churches, as Carion in 3. of his Chro. in the life of Leo the 3. That Paul the 2. in the beginning of his life a Ve­netian Pedler, as Platina calls him, at the end strangled by the Divell in the act of Sodomie, as Melancton lib. 5. pag. 913. deprived George the King of Bohemia, and stirred up the King of Hun­garia to make warre against him, as Omiphrius saith of him, and for no other reason but because he favoured the doctrine of Iohn Husse, as Bonfi­mus Rer: Hung: Dec: 4. lib. 1. Pope Iulius the 2. de­prived the King of Castile. Pope Alexander the 6. tooke away the East Indies from the true owner, and gave it to the Lusitanians; the West, and gave it to the Spaniard, that Atabalippa might justly challenge, but all in vaine: Quid monstri esset iste Papa qui sic daret non sua? as Montinaeus de tempo­rali pontij monarchia, cap. 5. That Pius the 5. as Ge­nebrard, [Page 10] at the yeare 1569. tooke away this King­dome from the late Queene, and gave it to Philip King of Spaine. That Sixtus the 5. deprived Hen­ry the 3. of France, first of his Kingdome, and then of his life: I omit the wrongs to Henry the 2. they are noted by Matthew Paris at the yeare 1170. to have beene so shamefull, that Matchaivell him­selfe in the Lib. 1. Hist. Florent. seemes to scorne him for it. Rex his flagellis tergum subjecit, quorum hodie puderit quemlibet privatum. And when King Iohn complained, Romanis artibus emunxi Anglos argento: Pope Innocentius the third tooke away his Kingdome, and gave it to Philip of France, as Matthew Paris at the yeare 215. I mar­vell not that the Pope would faine have footing in England, which Innocentius the 4. called Hor­tum delitiarum, puteum vero inexhaustum. Who would not desire to have such a garden, who would not wish such a well as that? The Poets feigne, that the River Arethusa being suddenly swallowed up into the ground, runnes quite through the sea, and riseth againe in Cicily. But without feigning, from England as from a well hath sprung golden rivers, which being sudden­ly swallowed up did runne through the sea, and rise againe at Rome in the Popes Exchequer. But I marvell why Priests and Iesuites will bee his Factours, whom hee useth as a fisher useth little fishes to catch great ones, hee fisheth with Priests and Iesuites as baites to catch Kings and Princes, and Kingdomes. I remember a fable of the Ape, seeing a Chesnut in the fire, and [Page 11] knowing not how to get it, spied a Spaniell by the fire-side, and suddenly catcht his foote to take out the chesnut: wherein these men may see their faces in a homely glasse. The golden Supremacy is the chesnut, perills and dangers the fire; the Pope loath his owne fingers, useth them as the Spaniells foote to scrape forth the chesnut: little cares hee how they be scorched, so he be in hope to obtaine his desire; and though many of them have burnt both their hands and hearts, yet blessed be God he mist the chesnut. Wee have heard the roaring of his Bulls, but they have not hurt us, they have beene like the shewes of Semiramis the Astrian Queene, when shee warred against the King of India, which seemed afarre off to be Elephants and Dromeda­ries, but being examined were nothing else but hides of oxen stuft with straw; such have beene all Popish machinations against us. They have plotted, but God hath prevented them, laid snares, but God hath broken them; attended mischiefe, but God hath confounded them: Nati natorum & qui nascentur ab illis, the chil­dren that are yet unborne have continuall cause to remember what the Lord hath done for us; let our tongues cleave unto the roofe of our mouthes, let the Sunne deny us his light, the heavens their influence, the earth her fruites, if wee forget to give God thankes, and to say as Psal. 124. If the Lord had not beene on our side, they had swallowed us up quicke, when their wrath was kindled against us, &c. [Page 12] and this I passe over and come to a two fold du­tie. The one concernes our duty to the Magi­strate, the other, the Magistrates dutie towards God.

Our duty to you is reverence and honour A­ristotle: and Herodotus in Euterpe, have re­corded a story of Amasis the King of Egypt, who being mocked of his Subjects, by reason of his meane discent, tooke a golden bason wherein they vsed to wash their feete, and turned it into the Image and similitude of one of their gods: and the men that before regarded it not, did then fall downe and worship it. The story applies it selfe, though when you were private men your respect was ordinary, but the Lord hath given you his owne name: I have said you are gods, and set you in his owne place of judgement, and trusted you in his worke, the cause and lives of his peo­ple; we obey and reverence you even for con­science sake, and this is our duty towards you.

The next is the Magistrates dutie towards God: God hath given you much, and he requi­reth much from you, and yet sometimes it comes to passe that they pay him least who owe him most. Tacitus reports of Claudius that he was a good subject, but a bad Emperour; and in his lib. 2. Hist. of Titus, that he was a bad privat man, but a good Emperour; But where one proves like Titus, bad private men, and good governours; a thousand prove like Claudius, good private men, but bad governours. As Pope Vrban said of Bald­wine the Metropolitane Bishop of this Kingdome [Page 13] that he was Monachus ferventissimus, Abbas calidus, Episcopus tepidus, Archiepiscopus remissus. or as Bucolcerus at the yeare 1464. reports of Ae­naeus Silvius, that after he got the Popedome and changed his name into Pius Secundus, he then condemned many things which before he allow­ed: whereupon one wittily plaies upon him thus, Quod Aenaeas probavit, Pius damnavit. It was the practise of heathen persecutors, to place the I­mage of Venus, in the same place, where Christ was crucified, that if any came there to worship, they might seeme to worship Venus. A tricke which the Devill useth at this day, to set in Gods roome and seate of judgement an Idoll Magi­strate, sometimes a Cupid, or Venus, delighting in pleasure, sometimes a Mars, delighting in blood, sometimes a Mercurie, with a voyce like Iacob, to speak smoothly, but hands like Esau, and fingers like lyme-twiggs, to bring all home­wards, and make their places but bands for their profits. And howsoever this point may seeme as needlesse, as for Phormio to discourse of mili­tarie Discipline before Hanniball; yet I beseech you beare with patience, for though I must re­member you, I must not forget my selfe, nor my place, nor the mount whereon I stand. For I al­so am in Gods roome, and am set here to put you in mind of your duty: your maine dutie is the care of religion and worship of God, the sup­pressing of Idolatry, and prophanes. There are a kinde of men whereof I may say as Tully said of the Catelinarians, Semper prohibetur, semper re­tinetur, [Page 14] wee have lawes against them, and yet still wee keepe them: a good common wealth consisting of Heterogeniall parts, must be like Pe­ters sheet in the 10. of the Acts. wherein though there bee all manner of beasts, and foules; yet must it bee knit at the foure corners: though in a common wealth there be Nobles flying above, like the foules of the heauen, and meaner men creeping below, yet must it be knit at the foure corners, the remotest parts as lines in a center, must meete in unity of religion; if you be slacke in this, it is no small danger whereto our King­dome may be quickly brought. Seneca on Thea­vil. reports, that Cadmus the King of Phaenicia see­ing some of his followers staine by a serpent, slew the serpent, and sowed the teeth of it; Ex quibus prodiere homines armati: and we have good cause to feare it, though some of these serpents brood be dead, yet there be armed men bred out of their bones, who though they may speake us faire, yet I approve the judgement of Caesar, who stood more afraid of Brutus, who had his mouth in his heart, than of Anthony, who had his heart in his mouth. Our land never was so sicke, never groaned so loud, never mourned in such a passion, never travelled of such Hermaphrodites with halfe so much paine and griefe, as now it doth; shee hath already bred, and at this day both feedeth, and clotheth numberlesse swarmes of outcast pro­fessours, who sometimes like Iudas pretend to kisse, but if they can come neare enough, intend to kill her; she may conclude a peace with for­raigne [Page 15] enemies, but they will cut her throat by way of friendship: It is no whispering rumour, but the voice of truth, but they are warmely lod­ged and richly friended, and costly fed, with the marrow and fatnesse of our land, who in the mid­dest of our Iubiles make flawes in our peace, and in the midst of our joyes indanger our lives; and if ever forraigner should invade our Land, would lend their knives to cut our throates, and be the foremost men to beare armes against us: this alas, this is the malady that makes the visage of our Church so wanne, and her face so full of wrin­kles, her backe so full of furrowes, and her eyes so full of teares, and her heart so full of sor­rowes, that though many good Physitians will speake her faire, and wish her health, yet they launch not the Impostume, they purge not the fretting humour that consumes and grieves her; you may reade in her face that the gripings and convulsions are unsufferable; you may heare by her groanes, that her paines are intollerable; you may presage by her pulses the signes and Symp­tomes of desolation and death: And when these Catholicke vipers have broken her heart, what will become of us, who suffer such professours, as will never proove good subjects to varnish their nests, and make their bowers within her. It would doe them good to do us hurt, it would lengthen their lives to shorten ours, it would bring them halfe way to heaven, to bury their poniards in our breasts, it would make a newe feast, and another holiday in the Romane Kalen­der, [Page 16] if they might smell the burning, or heare tell of the smoake and ashes of our Churches, they are already become so bold, their number so exceeding great, their religion so bloudy, their malice so inveterate, that if no sharper course be taken to represse and smother them, they will adventure within a while, to trie whe­ther we or they shall be the Masters; and if ei­ther malice, or multitude can doe it, they will make bonefires of our flesh, they will cut off our lives, and confiscate our livings, and set fire on our Churches, and martyr our Cleargie, and massacre our Iudges, and murther our Princes; and say of England as Edome did of Ierusalem, downe with it, downe with it, even to the ground. And if ever this day of mourning come upon us, which I pray God may never come, wee may thanke our selves for keeping such Romish waspes in our English Hives.

The Second part of the Text. I come now to the second part of the Text, The Quos,(viz. The persons whom he must ap­point:) and these are described, first generally, The Magistrate must be a choise man, one of a thousand, culled and selected out of all the peo­ple. Secondly, He is described by his particu­lar properties, and these are 4. First, they must be Viri potentes, powerfull and able men. Se­condly, They must be, viri timentes Deum, Such as feare God. Thirdly, They must be, viri a­mantes veritatem, such as love trueth. Fourth­ly, viri abhorrentes avaritiam, such as hate cove­tousnesse. Of these in order.

And first of the generall, hee must be chosen out of all the people, he must be a ch [...] man. It is the observation of Abulensis, that Moses chu­seth the high Priests out of all the people of Israel, Numb. 17. It is the observation of Pelargus, that Moses summoned by death to resigne his place, nec filios obtrudit suos, nec populum in suffragia mit­tit, he shuffles not in one of his sonnes, nor com­it to most voices, but desires God to appoint and nominate some one whom he had singularly en­riched with his spirit, Numb. 27. David, a man culled out of all the sonnes of Iesse, 1 Sam. 16. the twelve Apostles pickt and chosen out of all the Disciples, Luke 6.13. Were the birds of the ayre to chuse them a governour, it should be the Phae­nix; were the starres of the heaven to chuse them a governour, it should be the Sunne; were the trees of the forrest to chuse a governour, it should be the Cedar; were the flowers of the garden to chuse them a governour, it should be the Lil­ly, or the fragrant Rose.

We must observe the rule of Paris King of Troy, when Pallas Iuno, and Venus contended for the golden apple, Detur digniori, let the most ver­tuous have it: the Magistrate should be like a poe­sy made of the choycest flowers, or like the pi­cture of Helena that Zeuxes made in the Temple of the Croconians, whatsoever was faire and beau­tifull in any other, was admirably composed and wrought in that one. St. August. De Civit. Dei, lib. 5. cap. 12. sayes, the ancient Romans built their Temple of vertue directly in the way to the Tem­ple [Page 18] of honour, to signifie that it was not for a man to [...]pe to a seate of honour, before he had proceeded in the schoole of vertue.

Hence I might justly challenge the precipitant forwardnesse of some, who boldly intrude into places of eminence, both in Church and State, though it be well enough knowne that they are as eminent for their imperfections, as they are for their places: and the injurious dealings of o­thers, who set Idols in the roome of God, pre­ferre unworthy persons, who come little short of Calligula, who was so in love with his horse Inci­tatus, that he gave him his provender in a golden charger, made his horse a Priest, and solemnly promised to make him a Consul. But the gene­rall will be manifest, if we take view of the par­ticular properties, whereof the first is, they must be viri potentes, able men, non corporis fortitudine, sed animi, saith Ferus: If the eye of a Iudge be not be not like sn Eagle, his hand like a Ladies; if the heart of a Iudge be not like a lyon, he is not fit to be Gods sword-bearer, he must have a Chi­rurgeons heart, who cuts the wound, weepe the patient never so bitterly. Plorat secandus, & secatur, plorat urendus, & uritur, saith Aug. in Mat. Ser. 15. & this is not cruelty but mercy; for sevit in vulnus, ut homo sanetur, si palpetur vulnus, homo perditur. It was Gods speech to Ioshua, Be thou strong and of good courage, Iosh. 10. the commendation that the Angel gave Gideon, The Lord is with thee thou vàli­ant man, Iudg. 6.8. I am of the opinion of Chabrias in the history, if you be lyons, let all the rest of [Page 19] the people be timerous hearts, we shall doe well; let all the rest of the army be lyons, if you be timerous hearts, nothing can be well. O then awake and put on courage, you that minister judgement, me thinkes God speakes to you as Gideon did to his men of warre in the seventh of Iudges, If you be timerous and fearefull, depart from Mount Gilead, and lay no hands upon your swords; you must remember that as the royall throne of Salomon whereon he sate to judge was supported by lyons on both sides, 1 King. 10.20. so when you sit in seates of judgement, which is as the throne of Salomon, bee supported by the lyon-like vertues of courage and magnani­mity; you must not transgresse for feare or fa­vour, therefore you have neede of courage; to silence the mighty, therefore you have neede of courage; to rescue the poore out of the hands of the oppressours, with as much danger as David rescued his silly lambe out of the mouth of the lyon and the beare, therefore you have neede of courage: you must with Zeileucus King of the Locrenses, passe sentence upon your owne chil­dren if they be found worthy of death, therefore you have neede of courage; you must confute the sinnes of the mighty, you must support the worke of the Ministery, you must be [...], a li­ving law, to helpe the poore to their right that suffer wrong, to heare the widowes cause, to ac­quit the innocent Iosephs and Ieremies, whom ma­lice and revenge hath cast into prison, & shut fast into the stockes, and therefore you have neede of courage.

Moses must chuse Iudges that doe feare God, nothing more needfull then this. I may say of it as Aristotle of Iustice: Eth; lib. 5. He that hath this vertue wants none, and without this, what is the Magistrate, but flagellum piorum, & captivus vitiorum, one that Iudges others, and is sinnes prisoner, himselfe? without the feare of God, what is he? one that quarters his coate with Princes, and wants the badge of Christia­nitie upon it: without this feare what is he? one that sitts with Kings on earth, but hath not so much as a pew in heaven: without this feare, what is he? An heire of faire and goodly possessi­ons, but a common pandor of foule and prodi­gious vices: Without this feare, what is he? An Ahab, to reave away poore Naboths Vine­yard: a Pilate to condemne the innocent: a Saul, to torment the Saints, a Vespatian to squeaze men like spunges: a Gehazi, to pocket up Talents of gold: a Bremus, to let desolation into the Chur­ches: In a word, without this feare, what is he? A perverter of Iustice, a receiver of false witnes, a Patrone of violence. Not like Zabulon, a Ha­ven for weather beaten shippes: But like Dan, a Serpent in the way, and like Beniamin, a raven­ing Wolfe: And as Paul cald Ananias, a whited wall. Act: 23.3.

But how glorious the name, how beautifull the feete, how welcome the comming, how gra­cious the admonitions, how straight and impar­tiall the proceedings, how joyfull the widdow, how glad the innocent, how happy the land, from [Page 21] Dan to Bersheba, when valiant Othniels, valiant Gideons, incorrupt Samuels, in whom God hath planted his feare, be placed over us, to judge the people: Then is the Iudge wise to discerne right from wrong, and to finde out the hidden Mysteries of injquity, for God reveales secrets to them that feare him, and they have the pro­mise of understanding. Psal. 25.14: then he be­gins to resolve better then Crisippus: Si Magi­strat [...] [...]tè non gessero, Deo displicebo, si rectè ho­minibus [...]t neutrum volo: If I be not upright, I displease God; if I bee upright, then I dis­please men, therefore I will doe neither, for the feare of God takes away all desire of plea­sing men. Gal. 1.10. Then he judges others, as one that remembers he must be judged himselfe: meates unto others, as he that lookes that God should meate unto him. Againe, then he helpes the Orphanes to their right: Then he lendes an eare to the widdowes cause, then he watcheth o­ver his heart, that it receive no malice, over his eyes that they behold no wrong, over his eares, that they heare no false accusation, over his tongue that it utter no unjust sentence, over his hands, that they receive no bribes, over his pa­ssions that they sway him not, over his humours that they draw him not, over his followers that they perswade him not: then will he not be like Solons judge mentioned in Plut: to expound as he lists, nor like Bonutian in Sueto, to punish the poore, and pardon the rich; he esteemes not the judgement seate to be a golden harvest, nor is he [Page 22] like a paire of ballance, to incline to that side which hath most weight, as Aeschines sometimes objected to Demosthenes, though he should re­ceive such a writ Agesilus in Plut: sent to one of his Iudges, Si insons est dimitte, Sin minus mei cau­sa dimitte, utcunque dimitte: yet hee would nei­ther condemne the innocent, nor iustifie the wic­ked; if any sparke of this holy feare be kindled in his heart by Gods holy Spirit.

I will owe you the enlarging of the th [...] parti­cular: heare but a touch of the 4. and I will capti­vate your patience & attention no longer. They must be viri abhorentes avaritiam, such as hate co­vetousnes, that is the roote frō whence all evills grow: 1 Tim. 6.10. and of all evils this is the grea­test, that if a man be once infected with this dis­ease, he loves nothing, longs for nothing so much as that which increaseth his malady & sicknes. S. Bernard compares him to a little hell, that will ne­ver say it is enough. August. Evang. Quest. lib. 2. to the dropsie, whereof Ovid in his fast. quo plus sunt potae, plus sitiuntur aquae: Salomon Prov: 30.15. to the two daughters of the horse-leach, that is two forkes, she hath under her tongue that be ne­ver satiate: non missura cutem nisi plena cruoris hi­rudo. Iuven. Saty: 14: to a hote chimney satisfi­ed onely with that which sets it on fire: or is like to a man that hath canium appetitum, sitim non pellit nisi causa morbi: A sinne which hath been oft ar­raigned, convicted, and condemned: but still it makes shift, for reproofe or pardon, and is not yet executed; the effect of my speech shall be that [Page 23] it may be close prisoner, & not appeare at this As­syses, that it may not sit on the bench, the Iudge must stoppe his eares, as Vlisses did for feare of the 5 Syren charmes, and though a man should come unto him as Iupiter came into Danae's lap, Per im­pluvium aureū, in a shewer of gold, he must have no welcome. And Lucian in Hermotinus commends the old Areopagites, that they judged their causes in the night time, that the Iudge might not see the glistering of gold.

A man that hath a pearle in his eye, is presently blinde, and knowes not which is the right way for him to walke in, if he be not led and guided, he stumbles at every blocke, and falls into every pit, and lives in continuall danger of his life: If Iudges have a rich pearle in their eyes, it quite blindes them, Excellens sensibile destruit sensum, saith Arist: 2. de anima. 12. such bright objects will dazle them, that they cannot judge betweene right and wrong. I cannot approve that of A­thenaeus, lib. 12. that justice should have, &c. I had rather approve and like her in her old por­traicture, as shee was painted by the olde Hea­thens, without eyes, and without hands; with­out eyes, to signifie that the Iudge should not so much as looke upon golde to covet it, and with­out hands, to signifie that if never so much were offered, they should not take it.

Tully Offic. lib. 3. remembers a saying of Caesar borrowed from Euripides in his Phaenicia: Si vio­landum est jus, violandum est regni causâ; if consci­ence may be crackt, and justice cast under hat­ches for any thing, it is for reigning; but mine [Page 24] justly, violandum lucri causâ, if for any thing, it is for gaining: and therefore the Poets feigne, that when gold was digged out of the earth, ju­stice tooke her selfe to her wings, and flew into heaven: first, Effodiuntur opes, and then immedi­ately upon it, Terras Astrae a reliquit. My hope is, that this impiety dares not pearke up to the bench, and I desire that it may be kept from the barre also; if it may be permitted to speake, it will make a Lawyer Pharise-like to straine at a gnat, and swallow a camell, to tithe mint and cummin, and play fast and loose with his tongue, as he list: a golden key commonly opens a wrong locke; Loquente auro nil pollet quaevis oratio. The mouth of a Lawyer, saith Tully, is an Oracle for the whole Citty, but if in this mouth there be a guilded tongue, it will prove like the Oracle at Delphos, whereof Demosthenes complained in his time, that it did speake nothing but what Philip would have it that had given a double fee. But I for my part accuse no man, but many that have beene ancient Termers say, that Lawyers take much money and say little for it, that they come amongst many of you for succour, as a sheepe runnes to the thornes and briars for shelter in time of a tempest, they are saved from the shower for that time, but that which saved thē pulls that wool from their backes, that they are never able to abide another storme. Some have money for holding their peace, others for speaking; that you who should be like Atropos to cut, become like Clotho to spinne, and like Lachesis to draw in [Page 25] length the thread of contention. Maginus and some other Geographers noting the diameter and cir­cuit of the earth, are of opinion, that if a foote-man had a path round about the world, he might goe it in 900 dayes, and take no hard journeyes; a strange thing that one man in that time should goe through the world, and some other in twice so much time cannot passe through an English Court, or the length of Westminster hall: let it ne­ver be tolde in Gath, nor published in the streetes of Askelon, that English Lawyers should grow great, as that common souldier in Tacitus tolde Pompey, per nostram miseriam, by the misery of poore clients: it is wickednesse inexpiable to build your houses with the fall of others; let it never be said that you are like the milt of a mans body, whereof Laurentius saith, that it never growes great until all other parts of the body de­cay and perish. But purge your hearts from cove­tous desires, wash your hands frō the rust of that silver, & your consciences from the canker of that gold which with greedinesse you have conjested and raked together, know for certaine that God will strictly examine, and your soules shall one day pay for it.

When one asked Diogenes, what was the rea­son that golde alwayes looked pale, he shaped him this answer, Quia tot habet insidiatores, because so many crafty heads lie in ambush for it; I pray God you may all be more greedy of heaven than of earth, more willing to winne the streight way to heaven, than the broad way to a heape of wealth: [Page 26] And more carefull to make your election, than your lands and possessions sure.

Thirdly, this sinne is to be whipt from all Iu­rers and Witnesses also; if you have but such a thought of this, what shall I have? you shall be sure to meete with Simon Magus, that will say, what shall I give? You must sweare in truth and justice, Ier. 4.2. You are to be whipt for ever out of the company of God and his Angels, you are to be shut out of the kingdome and inheritance of the Saints, you shall heare the thundering of an angry Iudge, Mal. 3.5. There will be a writ a­gainst you, a flying booke, it is ten cubits broad, and twenty cubits long, Zach. 5. and that booke is a curse that flieth over the whole earth, verse 3. that curse shall lay siege to the walls and tim­ber of your houses, to consume both you and them, if money make you speake either more or lesse than the truth. Such men, saith Diodo. Sicu. Bib. lib. 2. cap. were alwayes punished with death: and so Bohemus de moribus gent. lib. 1. cap. 5. ad Aug. in his Quae. in Deut. lib. 5. cap. 34. but that is but an easie punishment, and temporall, but the judge­ment that God hath for you is endlesse and ease­lesse, you shall stand without, Apoc. 22.15. with­out God, without glory, without mercy, without comfort, without hope, without the Kingdome, you shall have your portion in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone, Apoc. 21.8. I therefore charge you in the name of God, as you will answer it at the dreadfull day of judge­ment, when the secrets of all hearts shall be ope­ned, [Page 27] and when you shall remember my words, and see my face againe, that not money nor money­worth make you smother the truth, or support an ill cause; that you deale faithfully betwixt a man and his brother, that you remember the Apostles rule, Ephes. 5.3. Let not this sinne be once named a­mongst you. A word for conclusion.

Right Honorable, be you like Iethroes Iudges, men of courage to helpe poore ones, to defend weake ones, to oppose great ones, to cut off wic­ked ones: Like Iethroes Iudges fearing God, set­ting God allwayes before your eyes, judging o­thers, as if you were going to be judged your selves, having Gods Law that was once written in Tables of stone, firmely, and plainly written in the fleshly tables of your heartes. Be like Ie­throes Iudges, men of trueth, receiving no false nor suspected witnesses, pronouncing no unjust nor partiall sentences. Be like Iethroes Iudges, hating covetousnesse, as the staine of your Courtes, the baine of your consciences, the smo­therer and stifler of Iustice, the death and poy­son of soules: that when you shall put off your scarlet robes, you may put on the long white robe of Saints, and when you shall be removed from these seates of justice, you may be admitted into a seate of glory: and may follow the blessed Lambe wheresoever he goes.

Grave and learned Counsellors, you must be like Iethroes Iudges, men of courage to pleade a­gainst prophanesse, men fearing God, as pat­terns and examples of holinesse: men of truth, [Page 28] not setting a good countenance upon a bad cause: men hating covetousnes, lest it be truly wrote up­on your graves, as it was upon the Tombstone of Trinullius, Hîc [...]andem quiescit mortuus qui vivus requievit nunquam: Here he restes in mould, who whilst he lived, could never rest for gold, nor suffered them to rest that would. Think godlinesse your greatest gaine: Pleade for Christ, and hee will pleade for you, that when you shall be cal­led from these barres, to answer for your owne sinnes at the barre and tribunall of Gods judge­ment seate, you may finde mercy and favour with God, and you also may follow the blessed Lamb wheresoever he will.

Iurers and witnesses, you also must be like Ie­throes Iudges, men of courage, whom greatnesse of person cannot daunt; men fearing God, whom no private affection can command; men of truth, whom no perjuries can attaint; men that hate covetousnesse, and say with Balaam, if Balaac would give me his housefull of golde and silver, I will not be suborned or hired to deflect one haires breadth from the Eclipticke line of truth: that when you have decided controversies among your brethren, God may have no controversie with you; when you have witnessed what pos­sessions belong to men, you may have a witnesse in your owne consciences, that your selves be­long to God, and you also may follow the bles­sed Lambe wheresoever he goes.

And let all of us be like Iethroes Iudges, put­ting on courage to fight the Lords battells, armed [Page 29] with his feare, girded with his truth as with a gir­dle, hating the rust and canker of the unrighteous Mammon, that when God shall finish our evill dayes of sinne, hee may be pleased to quiet our clamorous consciences, to pardon our sinnes, to save our soules, and to receive both our bodies and soules into his blessed kingdome, and all of us may follow the blessed Lambe wheresoever he goeth. That we may be filled with the glory of the Father, be made partakers of an infinite happinesse purchased by the Sonne, be ravisht with the ineffable comfort of the holy Ghost: to which holy, blessed, glorious and immortall Trinity be rendred and ascribed of us, and all Gods Saints throughout the world, all power, praise, glory, thanks and do­minion, from this time forth, and for evermore. Amen.