Sermons upon Deuteronomy

Again, whereas it is said, that the Magistrates must accept no mans person: it betokeneth that they must not be moved with any mans riches, or poverty, or birth, or friendship, or any thing else. For in the holy scripture, this word Person is taken for any quality in man, which may purchase him grace and favour, or disgrace and disfavour. When we speak of a person in our common speech, we mean a man or a woman: but the Scripture ⟨p. 19⟩meaneth a more special thing: namely that there should no regard be had what manner a one the man is, whether he be our neighbour, our friend, a rich man able to do us good, a man of credit and authority able to revenge himself of us, or a poor man, a man of no alliance or kindred, or I wot not what else. All these accidents which serve but to induce us to liking or misliking of the party, and to make us swerve from the right way, are comprehended in the §10Scripture under the word Person: as if we should use the word Visor. And in very deed, all these accidents which blear our eyes and beguile us to make us start out of the right way, are but as visors. If a man come before us without any quality: very well, we would hear him simply, and we would not be corrupted to judge amiss. But if there happen any stop, by and by we be overwrought, and our reason is so troubled, that we judge not any more as we §20ought to do. That therefore is a visor, which yieldeth forth such a quality to be seen in the party, as maketh us either to favour him too much, or else to mislike him out of measure, so as we keep not an upright and even hand between the great and the small. And truly Moses declareth the same very well in this text, in that he sayeth, Thou shalt hear the small as well as the great: for it serveth to expound the word Person, and there needeth none other gloss §30from elsewhere. And it is a phrase of speech which we shall see in other texts hereafter. Therefore it behoveth us to acquaint our selves with the terms and phrases of the holy Ghost, that the things which are contained here may not seem strange unto us.

Againe, whereas it is sayde, that the Magistrates must accept no mans person: it betokeneth that they must not bee mooued with any mans riches, or pouertie, or byrth, or friendship, or any thing else. For in the holy scripture, this worde Person is taken for any qualitie in man, which may purchace him grace and fauour, or disgrace and disfauour. When wee speake of a person in our common speache, wee meane a man or a woman: but the Scripture