Phil. The office of the high powers evidently declareth, what innumerable commodities & pleasures y• christen public weal receiveth by them. Moses, when he appointed certain rulers over the Israelites,1 commaū dead them that they should judge righteously, & that they should not be partial in their judgements, but hear all indifferently, not esteeming nor preferring the man of power and nobility before the poor & base per•on, nor yet fear the person of any man, for it is the judgement o• GOD, saith he. Again, that they should receive no gifts (for gifts do blind the eyes of the wise,2 & deprave the causes of the righteous) but alway pursue & follow that, ⟨image 64⟩which is according to justice, hau• ever with them the book of the law of the LORD, read it all the days of their life, that they may learn to fear the LORD their God, and to keep all the words of his law, & ordinances thereof, that they may do them.3 The Prophet Jeremiah also commandeth kings & other rulers to minister righteousness, to deliver the oppressed from violent power, to keep equity not to grieve nor oppress the stranger, the fatherless nor the widow, nor yet to shed innocent blood. Here may ye see in few words,4 how necessary the office of the public magistrates is for the right institution & prosperous preservation of the common weal. Howe expedient is it, think you, in matters of controversy, that all things be judged & reconciled according to equity & justice? How necessary is it, that the poor oppressed ⟨image 64⟩be delivered from y• violent blood suppers? How convenient is it, that the stranger, widow & fatherless be holpen & provided for? How profitable is it, that unite, concord, love benevolence, friendship, amity be maintained? and debate, discord, strife, malevolence, ire, wrath, contention, hatred, emnite be exiled? How necessary is it, ye virtue reigneth, & vice be banished? How seemly is it, that an order be kept, & confusion driven out of the public weal▪ By the godly office & authority of y• high powers all these good things are brought to pass, and without that, what can there remain in any public weal in safe estate & comely order?5 As Solomon saith, where there is no governor, there the people must needs decay.
Phil. The office of the hyghe powers euidently declareth, what innumerable cōmodities & pleasures y• christē publique weale receueth by thē. Moses, whan he appoynted certen rulers ouer the Israelites,1 cōmaū ded thē that they should iudge righteouslye, & that they shoulde not be parciall in theyr iudgementes, but heare all indifferētly, not estemyng nor preferrynge the man of power and nobilite before the poore & base per•on, nor yet feare the persōne of ony man, for it is the iudgement o• GOD, sayth he. Agayne, that they should receaue no gyftes (for giftes do blynde the eies of the wyse,2 & depraue the causes of the ryghteous) but alwaye pursewe & follow that, ⟨image 64⟩which is accordyng to iustice, hau• euer wyth them the boke of ye lawe of the LORDE, reade it all the dayes of theyr lyfe, that they maye learne to feare the LORDE theyr God, and to kepe all the wordes of hys lawe, & ordinaūces therof, that they may do them.3 The Prophet Ieremy also commaūdeth kynges & other rulers to minister righteousnes, to deliuer the oppressed from violent power, to kepe equite not to greue nor oppresse the straunger, the fatherles nor the wydowe, nor yet to shed innocent bloud. Here maye ye se in fewe wordes,4 how necessary the office of the publique magistrates is for the ryghte institucion & prosperous preseruacion of the common weale. Howe expedient is it, thinke you, in matters of cōtrauersy, that all thynges be iudged & reconciled accordyng to equite & iustice? How necessary is it, that ye poore oppressed ⟨image 64⟩be delyuered frō y• violent bloud soupers? How cōuenient is it, that the straunger, wydowe & fatherles be holpen & prouided for? How profitable is it, that vnite, cōcord, loue beneuolence, frendshyppe, amite be mayntayned? and debate, discorde, stryfe, maleuolence, ire, wrath, contencion, hatred, emnite be exiled? How necessary is it, ye vertue reygneth, & vice be banyshed? How semely is it, that an order be kepte, & confusion dryuen oute of the publique weale By the godly office & authorite of y hygh powers al these good thynges are broughte to passe, and wythoute that, what can there remayne in ony publique weale ī safe estate & comely order?
- 1Deut. i.
- 2Deut. xvii.
- 3Je xxi. xxii. Esa. i. za•ha. vii.Ie xxi. xxii. Esa. i. za•ha. vii.
- 4Howe necessary ye office of the civil Magistrates is.Howe necessary ye office of the ciuile Magistrates is.
- 5Prover. x••Prouer. x••
