Sermons upon Deuteronomy

And it is said expressly, In every City. For what a thing were it, if men should be driven to go far to seek Justice, when disorders are committed everywhere? Seeing that misdemeanours are rife and touch us near: if the redress should be delayed too long, it would not boot at all: a hundred faults would be committed, before one could be provided for. Therefore doth our Lord say, that they should be appointed in every City: as if he should say, that men have always need of some bridle. And that is the thing which I touched afore, when I said that we which are created after the image of God, and ought to reign over all creatures, have need to be held in subjection. For as we have perverted the order of nature, so is it meet that God should cut us short, & show us that we be so far unable to rule, that we be not meet to have freedom, but had need to be held in awe. So then let us learn, that wheresoever vice and corruption is, there ought the remedy to be applied out of hand. True it is that there was in deed a sovereign Court of Justice in Jewry;¹ yea and we have seen in the first Chapter, that the hardest matters and the cases of greatest importance, were referred to Moses. Yet notwithstanding, it was Gods will that there should be some order everywhere, that if any disorder were committed, it might be provided for out of hand, & men should not need to run far to require Justice For in very deed it behoveth Judges & Magistrates to watch, & not to tarry till they be called upon & importunately required, but punish the evil as soon as they see it. I say as soon as they see it: for they ought to spy & keep good watch. It is not enough for a Magistrate to punish that he knoweth to be wicked: but he must also make diligent inquisition, as we have seen in other places.² And if men went that way to work, matters should be in better order. That is the thing which we have to mark, in that our Lord will have Judges and Magistrates in every City. For otherwise ⟨p. 622⟩many evils might be committed, before any redress could be had, so as the remedy would come too late as I have touched before.

And it is sayde expressely, In euery Citie. For what a thing were it, if men shoulde bee driuen to goe farre to seeke Iustice, when disorders are committed eueriwhere? Seeing that misdemeanors are rife and touch vs neere: if the redresse should bee delayed too long, it would not boote at all: a hundred faultes would bee committed, before one could bee prouided for. Therefore doth our Lord say, yt they should bee appointed in euery Citie: as if he should say, that men haue alwayes neede of some bridle. And that is the thing which I touched afore, when I saide that we which are created after the image of God, and ought to raigne ouer al creatures, haue neede to bee held in subiection. For as wee haue peruerted the order of nature, so is it meete that God should cut vs short, & shew vs that wee bee so farre vnable to rule, that wee bee not meete to haue freedome, but had neede to bee helde in awe. So then let vs learne, that wheresoeuer vice and corruption is, there ought the remedie to bee applyed out of hande. True it is that there was in deede a soueraigne Court of Iustice in Iewrie;