Sermons upon Deuteronomy

To Judge, importeth to govern. And secondly, let them judge uprightly saith he. Whereas he speaketh of governing, it is not without cause. For it is to no purpose to choose such as have need of Tutors. To prefer those to the guiding of others, which ought to be put under the direction of others, is too great a scorning of God. Again, the case here concerneth Justice and uprightness. Therefore the choosing of officers before they be well known and throughly tried, is surely a marring of all good order. And thereof come so many changes & turmoils. We wonder to see our Lord overthrow Common weals, and to behold how the Nations that were free, are greatly distressed & overwhelmed with tyranny: but we look not from whence all those things proceed. The ground thereof was the abuses which were committed, because there was no regard had of the maintaining of the state which God had stablished, nor care to follow faithfully the order that God had enjoined. So much the more therefore doth it stand us in hand to bear well away the things that are told us here.

To Iudge, importeth to gouerne. And secondly, let them iudge vprightly sayth he. Whereas he speaketh of gouerning, it is not without cause. For it is to no purpose to choose such as haue neede of Tutors. To prefer those to the guiding of others, which ought to be put vnder the direction of others, is too great a skorning of God. Again, the case here concerneth Iustice and vprightnesse. Therefore ye choosing of officers before they be wel knowen and throughly tryed, is surely a marring of all good order. And therof come so many changes & turmoyles. We wonder to see our Lord ouerthrow Common weales, and to behold how the Nations that were free, are greatly distressed & ouerwhelmed with tyranny: but wee looke not from whence all those thinges proceede. The ground thereof was the abuses which were committed, bycause there was no regarde had of the mainteining of the state which God had stablyshed, nor care to follow faithfully the order that God had inioyned. So much the more therfore doth it stand vs in hand to beare well away the things that are tould vs heere.

Moses having said so, addeth now, That men must not wrest the law, nor have respect of persons, nor take rewards or gifts. And he addeth the reason. For gifts (saith he) do blind the eyes of the wise, and pervert the words of the righteous. First he setteth down here a general rule, that men should not wrest the Law. For in deed we may liken equity to a right line: and if it writhe to the one side or to the other, by and by it is iniquity. And therefore Moses sayeth, thou shalt not wrest the Law, that is to say, thou shalt have thine eye upon the line of Justice, and follow it without swerving one way or other. And heerewithall he showeth how the same may be performed, namely by respecting no mans person, and by eschewing to take rewards. For when we consider a deed simply in it self; even nature teacheth s what to do. True it is that we had