So here for a man to be robbed by the high-wayside, or to have his pocket or purse picked by a common Diver or Pick-purse, it is nothing so grievous: there is wrong and robbery in his own proper subject. But for the Judge that sitteth in the seat of justice to wring or wrong the party that sueth to him for right: to be as the bush, or the bramble (it is the Prophet aMicah's comparison) that teareth the fleece from the sheep, that flieth to it for succour and shelter against the storm: yea worse then bush or bramble, in stripping not the fleece only from the skin, but bthe skin also from the flesh, and the flesh from the bone; and so cpraying upon those, whom they ought to protect, worse then those, against whom they ought to protect them: for Judges and their Officers or Followers to be Partners and Sharers with Thieves and Murderers: (it is the Prophet dIsaiah's complaint:) When courses of law and justice are so perverted and corrupted, that (as eone of the Popes sometime said, and it is no other similitude then the Prophet fJeremiah long before him used:) gThe Suitors are as Fowls, the Pleaders as Fowlers, the Court the Floor or the Plot, and the Judge the Net: When hthe Counsellor treacherously betrayeth his Clients cause, whom he hath undertaken to defend; and ⟨p. 24⟩ithe Judge setteth his doom and sentence to sale; and he that sitteth to reform sin, committeth sin there himself; he that is called to redress wrong, doth wrong there himself, and that to those that repair to him for right; and *maketh himself guilty by condemning the guiltless: kThis it is of all other most grievous and intolerable; because here is now injustice and iniquity in the room of justice and equity: Which as it maketh the transgression of such the more heinous here, so shall it cause their condemnation to be most hideous hereafter.
So here for a man to be robbed by the high-wayside, or to haue his pocket or purse pickt by a common Diuer or Pick-purse, it is nothing so greiuous: there is wrong and robery in his owne proper subiect. But for the Iudge that sitteth in the seate of justice to wring or wrong the party that sueth to him for right: to be as the bush, or the bramble (it is the Prophet aMichaes comparison) that teareth the fleece from the sheepe, that flieth to it for succour and shelter against the storme: yea worse then bush or bramble, in stripping not the fleece onely from the skin, but bthe skin also from the flesh, and the flesh from the bone; and so cpraying vpon those, whom they ought to protect, worse then those, against whom they ought to protect them: for Iudges and their Officers or Followers to be Partners and Sharers with Theeues and Murtherers: (it is the Prophet dEsaies complaint:) When courses of law and iustice are so perverted and corrupted, that (as eone of the Popes sometime said, and it is no other similitude then the Prophet fIeremie long before him vsed:) gThe Suiters are as Foules, the Pleaders as Foulers, the Court the Floore or the Plat, and the Iudge the Net: When hthe Counsellor treacherously betraieth his Clients cause, whom he hath vndertaken to defend; and ⟨p. 24⟩ithe Iudge setteth his doome and sentence to sale; and he that sitteth to reforme sinne, committeth sinne there himselfe; hee that is called to redresse wrong, doth wrong there himselfe, and that to those that repaire to him for right; and *maketh himselfe guilty by condemning the guiltlesse: kThis it is of all other most greiuous and intolerable; because here is now iniustice and iniquity in the roome of iustice and equity: Which as it maketh the transgression of such the more hainous here, so shall it cause their condemnation to be most hideous hereafter.
- aMica. 7. 4.
- bMica. 3. 1, 2, 3.
- cQuid est aliud omnium dignita• sublimium quam proscripti• civitatū? aut quid aliud qu•rundam prafectura quam praeda? nulla siquidem maior est popul•rum dep•latio quam potestas. Salviam de provid. l. 4.Quid est aliud omnium dignita• sublimium quam proscripti• civitatū? aut quid aliud qu•rundam prafectura quam praeda? nulla siquidem maior est popul•rum dep•latio quam potestas. Salviam de provid. l. 4.
- dIsaiah. 1. 23.Esai. 1. 23.
- ePiu• 2. teste Platina.
- fJerem. 5. 26, 27.Ierem. 5. 26, 27.
- gLitigatores aves forum aream, judicem […], patronos […].Litigatores aves forum aream, iudicem 〈…〉, patronos 〈…〉.
- h[…] pr•varicatur & decipit. Cyprian ad Donat. Publicae •ercis nihil tam v•le q•ā advocatm perfidy. Tacit. annal. lib. 11.
