A29696:18
London's lamentation, or, A serious discourse concerning the late fiery dispensation that turned our…
London's lamentation, or, A serious discourse concerning the late fiery dispensation that turned our (once renowned) city into a ruinous heap also the several lessons that are incumbent upon those whose houses have escaped the consuming flames / by Thomas Brooks.
London: printed for John Hancock and Nathaniel Ponder, 1670
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
If the Lawyers please but to speak out, they must ingenuously confess, that your Lordship has eased them of a great deal of work.
My Lord, as it is the Honour and Glory of a Magistrate to do justice speedily, so it is the Honour and Glory of a Magistrate to do justice resolutely, courageously, valiantly. It is observable, that as soon as ever Joshua came into the office of Magistracy, God charges him no less then three times (in a 1breath as it were) to be very courageous. A Magistrate that is timorous, will quickly be treacherous. A Magistrate that is fearful, can never be faithful. Solomons Throne was supported with Lyons, to show that Magistrates should be men of metal and courage. The Athenian Judges sate in Mars ⟨image 6⟩2street, to show that they had Martial hearts, and that they were men of courage and metal. The Grecians placed justice betwixt Leo and Libra, to signify that as there must be indifferency in determining, so there ought to be courage in executing. Where there is courage without knowledge, there the eye of justice is blind; and where there is knowledge without courage there the Sword of justice is blunt. A Magistrates heart, a Judges heart and his Robes must be both dyed in grain, else the colour of the one, and the courage of the other will quickly fade. Why should not the Standard be of steel, and the chief posts of the house be heart of Oak? It hath been long since said of Cato, Fabricius and Aristides, that it was as easy to remove the Sun out of the Firmament, as to remove them from justice and equity; they were men of such courageous and magnanimous spirits for justice and righteousness. No Scarlet Robe doth so well become a Magistrate as holy courage and stoutness doth. As bodily Physicians, so State-Physicians should have an Eagles eye, a Ladies hand, and a Lyons heart. Cowardly and timo r•us Magistrates will never set up Monuments of their Victories over sin and profaneness. It is very sad when we may say of our Magistrates as the Heathen did of Magistrates in his time, they were very good, si audeant quae sentiunt, if they