A treatise of civil policy

Ans. All this is an argument from fact. 1. A wicked Magistracy may permit perjury and lying in the Common-wealth, and¹ that without punishment; and some Christian Commonweals, he meaneth his own Synagogue of Rome, spiritual Sodom, a cage of unclean birds, suffereth Harlotry by Law, and the whores pay so many thousands yearly to the Pope, and are free of all punishment by Law, to eschew homicides, adulteries of Romish Priests, and other ⟨p. 137⟩greater sins: Therefore God hath given power to a King to play the Tyrant, without any fear of punishment to be inflicted by man. But 1. if this be a good argument, The Magistrate to whom God hath committed the sword to take vengeance on evil doers, Rom. 13. 3, 4, 5, 6. such as are perjured persons, professed whores and harlots, hath a lawful power from God to connive at sins and gross scandals in the Commonwealth, as they dream that the King hath power given from God to exercise all acts of Tyranny without any resistance. But, 1. this was a grievous sin in Eli, that he being a father and a Judge, punished not his sons for their uncleanness, and his house, in Gods heavy displeasure, was cut off from the Priesthood therefore. Then God hath given no such power to the Judge. 2. The contrary duty is lying on the Judge, To execute judgement for the oppressed, Job 29. 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17. Jer. 22. 15, 16. and perverting of judgement, and conniving at the heinous sins of the wicked, is condemned, Num. 5. 31, 32. 1 Sam. 15. 23. 1 King. 20. 42, 43. Esa. 1. 17. & 10. 1. & 5, 23. and therefore God hath given no power to a Judge to permit wicked men to commit grievous crimes, without any punishment. As for the Law of Divorce, it was indeed a permissive law, whereby the husband might give the wife a bill of divorce, and be free of punishment before men, but not free of sin and guiltiness before God, for it was contrary to Gods institution of Marriage at the beginning, as Christ saith: and the Prophet saith,