Sermons upon Deuteronomy

But to the intent this doctrine may be the better understood; let us mark the order which §50God commandeth here to be kept. If it be said, that is to say, if the report go, that some wicked persons are gone from among you, and have led away the inhabitants of a City: make good inquisition of the matter, & search it out diligently and unfeignedly to the uttermost: and if it be found to be so; let that City be utterly destroyed with the edge of the sword, and so forth, Now first our Lords will is, that when any brute goeth of an evil deed, we should first inquire §60how the case standeth. And hereby he showeth that such as have authority of the sword, & sit in the seat of Justice, must not be reckless, in suffering things to pass before their eyes, without making any countenance to see them. Is there then any brute of a thing? Inquisition must be made of it. For if it be let pass, we show that our intent is to nourish the evil: and the parties that have so concealed it, must in the end abide their payment, which is that it must light wholly upon their own heads, as we see it cometh to pass. And it is a just punishment of God, that when such as are in office to remedy & redress evil, do bear with it, they themselves should abide the pain of it. And when they suffer it, it happeneth not by haphazard, but God yieldeth them the just wages which they have deserved. Therefore we must mark this text, that God will have us to be doing aforehand as soon as the brute is reported or given forth, & not to tarry till the thing be apparent, without setting hand to it or without making inquisition of it: but he will have the Justice to inquire of it betimes, specially when there goeth any brute of it. And by the way, to the intent there be not a slight inquiry made of it as it were but for fashions sake; he useth here three words: and afterward he addeth that it must be done throughly, so as there be an exquisite care used in the matter, For divers times, informations are taken when some complaint is made, and that the evil is known, yea and that in suchwise as they be ashamed to cloak it altogether, and so witnesses be called. But they will not seek to understand the pith of the matter, they do but use a kind of form for fashions sake, as who should say the matter is not buried, because there hath bin some seeking to know the truth of it.

But to the intent this doctrine may be ye better vnderstoode; let vs marke the order which §50