of courage fearing God dealing truely Exod. 18. Esay 1.17 and hating couetousnesse And seeke iudgement relieue the oppressed iudge the fatherlesse and defend the widow that you may safely preuent such fearefull sin and wofull miserie Your calling is honourable ordained of God as a soueraigne antidote against euill and promoter of good Your persons are selected to this function by God The person you susteine is the Sonne of God who hath honoured you with the title and authoritie of God who is present as chiefe President in the assemblies of Gods Your iudgement which you giue is the iudgement of God and he will auow and defend both it and you if it be iust hee will renounce both it and you if by your wit or will it be vnjust as vnbeseeming his Maiestie who is iustice it selfe 3 To Counsellors You the Aduocates of justice as Counsellors and Pleaders I beseech you to endeuour in the feare of God to cleare your selues of those two imputations which sometimes are layd vpon some of you how iustly vpon any of you that are present not I but God and your owne consciences can tell you namely first that there is no cause so bad but by your shifts and pretences you can make it seeme good secondly nor no cause so good but by your vnskilfulnesse or vnfaithfulnesse in handling you can make it seeme bad Turpe est defendere quod non mihi consliterit iustum esse Gregor Consider I beseech you that it is a verie fowle thing resolutely to defend what cause you know not to be iust but when you perceiue know it to be vniust then by querkes and deuises to cloake and ouer-shadow falsehood and wrong and against conscience to out-face both truth and iustice in the face of the Court and Iudgement-Seat before Gods Minister of Iustice yea God himselfe it is a most horrible and fearefull sinne This were to call good euill and euill good Esa 5.18 to instifie the wicked for a reward and to take away the righteousnesse of the righteous from him yea to draw iniquitie with cords of vanitie and sinne as with cart-ropes Against which manie fearefull woes are denounced Remember I pray you that worthie example of the learned and vpright Lawyer Papinian who being desired by the Emperour Antoninus Caracalla to defend his fratricide of his brother Geta answered boldly Spartian Non tam facile est excusare fratricidiuÌ„ quam facere It s not so easie to defend fratricide as to doe it And he would rather dye thaÌ„ vndertake the defeÌ„ce of an vniust and vnrighteous cause And if you haue taken on you the defence of a good cause doe not by your ignorance ouer-throw it or by your vnfaithfulnesse betray it and make your poore client pay ful dearly for your ouersight in formes of prosecution But be aduertised I pray you by vertue of this charge to heare and iudge righteously Informe your selues throughly in the state of the cause and deale faithfully with your Client in relating what you thinke of the equitie of the cause and issue of the controuersie And if it bee bad let it not by any your meanes be prosecuted with cost lost with infamie or wonne by iniquitie and flat injustice If good let it not want good successe by your neglect or ouersight or want of countenance and fidelitie in pleading or become more costly by your procrastinations But vse your best endeauour that right may be found with moderate expenses that law may proue a speciall and speedy remedy of wrongs and not a trap or engine to catch and insnare men as men of all sorts doe commonly complayne Then though your poore Client doe not enrich you with his fees yet shall you bee no loosers when you haue made vp your reckonings but what is wanting in the poore Clients small fees shall God himselfe recompence in your great accounts and bestow vpon you not a temporall garland but an eternal crowne of glorie for your vertue and well-doing to the people of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 4. To Witnesses You Witnesses who shall for true testimonie to the truth take a solemne oath of God and the King and calling vpon the glorious name of God vow damnation to your soules if you speake not truth Know that a feareful curse is gone out from the Lord vpon all such as shall so solemnely take his glorious name in vaine A false Swearer is guilty two waies Châ—â—soss in mat 5. est 22. q 5. cau quicunque both because he takes Gods name in vaine and because he takes his neighbour by deceit yea a false witnesse is obnoxious and offends against God whom hee contemneth the Iudge whom he seduceth the partie whom he wrongeth by his false testimonie yea to his family which he hurteth and to his owne Soule which he condemneth O be not I beseech you so trayterous to God so treacherous to the Iudge so iniurious to your brethren so hurtfull to your posteritie so desperately prodigall of the bloud of your owne soules as hauing layed them to God for pawnes of truth you will wittingly and willingly sweare and forsweare against God and truth King and Iudge neighbour and familie and your owne selues as lewd and godlesse and gracelesse sonnes of Belial But beeing called hither by God and the King to this seruice of your Countrey all you that haue taken or are to take an oth sweare in truth Ier. 4.22 in iudgement and righteousnesse These three if they be wanting it s not so much an oath as a perjurie Discharge your oathes vnto the Lord. Be not so silly as not to conceiue the truth nor so forgetfull as not to remember truth nor so subtile as to deceiue both others and your selues by false witnesse-bearing against the truth Know what you testifie testifie what you know The whole truth and nothing but the truth The whole truth be not afraid of the face of any great man who may sit on your skirts for speaking the truth Nothing but the truth doe not accept mens persons in iudgement Be not corrupted with friendship nor suborned with reward Shake off vaine feare cast off vaine hope Witnesse for small aswell as for great for Stranger aswell as for brother giue a playne testimonie to truth and veritie So shall you haue the testimonie of honestie for your credite among men The testimony of good conscience for comfort in your selues and testimonie from Christ at the day of the great Assise as fit to inhabite in his holy mountaine for euer 5. To Questmen and Iurors The charge of God and the King to all Quest-men and Iurors is the same in effect with that of the Witnesses that they heare and giue verdicts righteously discharging their oathes vnto the Lord. Far be it from you my brethren to be such as some common Iurors are of some said to be so quicke of conceit as that they know the case before they
heare it so readie of resolution that they know which way their verdict shall goe assoone as they know the partie whom they would pleasure or please to bee the plaintife or the defendant before the cause bee opened or euidence produced But as the Law doth presume you to bee Gentlemen of choyce for wisedome and integritie and yeomen of good note for truth and honestie experienced in Law-courses and cases to bee tryed so be diligent in sifting and examming all proofes and euidences readie to conceiue and acknowledge apparant equitie and conscionable in bringing in an approued verdict not partiall nor vnequall in hope of reward or for feare of daunger for fauour to your friends or enuy to your aduersaries but such as may be allowed of God and men to your credite and comfort and the publique good Lastly you my brethren the bodie of the Countrey 6. To the body of the Countrey who seeke in these places of iudgement the face the Iudge to haue your causes tryed in matters of controuersie or else are brought hither to be iudged in matters of crime Follow peace with all men and holinesse without which no man shall see the Lord. Whatsoeuer you would that men should do vnto you euen so doe yee to them For matter of crime 1. Pet. 2.17 Psal 34.13 1. Pet. 3.11 take those exhortations Feare God honour the King Eschew euill and doe good Practise pietie toward God equitie toward men Liue holily as good Christians in a Christian Church liue blamelessely as good subiects in a Christian Common-wealth Auoid those capitall crimes and shamefull courses which bring men to censure before these iudgement seats And to speake particularly Rom. 13.3 If thou wilt not bee afraid of the power of the magistrate doe that which is good and thou shalt haue prayse of the same whosoeuer thou art But if thou doe euill then be afraid for he beareth not the sword in vaine for hee is the minister of God a reuenger to execute wrath vpon him which doth euill Art thou then a traytor to the King or Common-wealth a wilfull murtherer or poysoner of thy brother Then the sword of iustice must be sheathed in thy bloud that euill may be taken away that the land be not guilty of thy foule offence that others may heare and feare that sinne may bee punished in thee and preuented in other that heare or see thee If thou receiue censure for some smaller offence learne by this thy censure to amend thy life lest a worse thing hereafter befall thee for thy iterating of thy sinne will increase thy punishment In case of controuersie I beseech you all to obserue these rules seeke peace and follow after it follow peace with all men Defraud not one another Publicè interest vt lites iniustae atque inanes coerceantur ne Magistratus querelis atque causis nihil◠occupetur neue ciues temerè iuter se rixentur pacemque turbent L. 21. ff si certum petatur And if controuersies arise vse all good meanes for the speedie compounding of them that the Iudgement-seat be not troubled with euery trifling brawle and needlesse suite And whereas none are more readie than you to cry out of Lawyers Atturneys and such men as vnconscionable in peruerting of iustice as vnreasonable extortioners and extorters of fees as defrauders and vndoers of the Common-weale scraping to themselues the fat of the land c. Take heed that the fault and cause of these euils doe not first issue and spring out from your selues from your peeuish and wrongfull and reuengefull dispositions Whosoeuer thou art therefore that complaynest of others take heed lest the fault be found in thy selfe Prosecute no bad cause of hatred to hurt another but onely good causes and that of necessitie to relieue thy selfe Packe no Iuries Suborne no witnesses Bribe no Iudges Lawyers nor ministers of justice vse no calumnies forgeries or vnjust protractions or vn-warrantable practises for the effecting of thy purposes in vnlawfull proceedings for if it fall out thou be justly cast in thy bad cause then shalt thou beare an heauie burden of iust punishment for thy wilfull prosecution of thy vnrighteous suit Or if by force or fraud thou preuayle against equitie then which is worse thou burdenest thy selfe with the fearefull guilt of double iniquitie And though thou get the day in the place of iudgement on earth yet shalt thou loose the day at Gods Iudgement-seat in Heauen Application to all ioyntly And now at length to grow to a finall conclusion of all these things being so as Iehosaphat that most worthy seruant of God did charge those Iudges whom he had made so do I a poore Minister of Christ in the name of the Lord charge you all that haue the least finger in matters of iustice as Reuerend Iudges worthy Iustices Counsellors Iurors witnesses and the rest Take heed what yee doe ◠Chron. 19.6.7 for yee iudge not for man but for the Lord who is with you in the iudgement Wherefore now let the feare of the Lord be vpon you take heed and do it for there is no iniquitie with the Lord our God nor respect of persons nor taking of gifts And as Moses to these Iudges of Israel in this place Heare the causes between your brethren and iudge righteously betweene euery man and his brother and the stranger that is with him Yee shall not respect persons in iudgement but you shall heare the small aswell as the great you shall not be afraid of the face of man V. and last poynt Of reseruation of iudgement for the iudgment is Gods Now I should proceed to the case of reseruation And if the cause be too hard for you bring it vnto me and I will heare of it But of this I say no more but this That whereas these causes and matters of iudgment are farre too great for any of vs who of our selues cannot thinke a good thought Therefore let vs appeale to God and to his Throne of grace for his assistance and blessing in these weighty affaires of Iudgment O blessed Lord God Father of mercies and God of all grace graunt we humbly intreat thee to our Iudges and Magistrates heauenly wisdom christian courage godly feare vncorrupted integritie in hearing and iudging to all the ministers and instruments of iustice and equitie vprightnes and good conscience in prosecuting and promoting of actions and causes to all the people louing affections and peaceable dispositions one toward another thankfulnes vnto thee for this thine ordinance of iudgement and dutiful obedience to the rules of pietie iustice and equitie that so vice may be punished vertue encouraged iniustice may be remoued equitie maintained The common-wealth may be prospered the Church enlarged our poore soules may be saued and thy great name glorified in the manifestation of thine aboundant mercie in our felicitie and that for the merits of thine onely Sonne and our onely Sauiour Iesus Christ the righteous Iudge of quicke and dead to whom with Thee O Father and with thy Holie-Spirit three glorious Persons but one only true and euer-liuing God be ascribed of vs and of thy whole Church all Honour Glorie Praise Power Maiestie Dominion and Thankes-giuing from this time forth for euer-more Amen All glorie be to GOD. FINIS
Ieremiah the Prophet whom the Priests and Prophets apprehended and conuented before the Iudges and accused capitally as worthie of death for denouncing Gods iudgements against Iuda at Gods command Ieremiahs defence was accordingly heard he acquitted by the Princes and Iudges Ioh. 18.29 Pilate thus farre demeaned himselfe well in the case of our Sauiour while hee would not giue credite to the high-Priests accusation but would heare the poore defendant as well as these plaintifes though men of chief place and authoritie amongst them Nicodemus did reason like a worthie Iudge and prudent Magistrate Doth our Law condemne any man before it heare him Ioh. 7.51 and know what hee doth But the rest his vniust and vnequall Brethren did take him vppe very sharpely for it and resolued to condemne Christ absent and vnheard in his iust defence whereas the most grosse and most vile malefactor ought first to be conuicted by two witnesses at the least Deutr. 19.15 before sentence of iudgement be passed against him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Demosth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ante meridiâ—m causam conscito cum perorarint ambo praesentes 12. Tab. Hee that answereth a matter before it be heard it is folly and shame vnto him saith the Wiseman Prou. 18.13 It was the equitie of the Iudges by the law of the Athenians Ne visum nec auditum hominem damnare nefas vltiâ—um censetur Ammon Marcel Nulla maior iniuria quam indictâ causâ aliquem iudicare to hear both parties alike And an Iniunction set downe in the 12. Tables at auncient Rome Before mid-day take notice of the cause when both the persons in presence haue pleaded And it was alwaies accounted a most haynous offence Lucianus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plato in Demodico ex Poeta to sentence or condemne men their causes not first heard And prudent prouision is made by all good lawes that iudgement bee not giuen before the cause bee heard 2. Discussing Iudicantem oportet cuncta rimari et ordinem rerum pleÌ„na inquisitione decurrere quousque ad veritatem perueniatur E lentherius As there must be a simple equall hearing of both the parties so must there be an accurate examination and exquisite discussing of the cause This is the law of God Deutr. 13. ver 12.13 That if the Iudge haue heard of an abhomination done as the seducing of Gods people he must inquire make search ask and that diligently great is the emphasis and weight of the words and if it bee found certainely true then must hee punish Deutr. 17.4.5.6 Ioshuah 7.22 1. Sam. 14.43 Ionah 1.8.10 Ioshuah would not condemne Achan vpon Gods Lot and his owne confession vntill hee found by search his confession to be true Not Saul Ionathan nor the Mariners Ionah taken by lot vntill examination and hearing of their answer and defence Ioh. 7. and Nicodemus doth take it an expresse poynt in Gods Law That a man ought not to be coÌ„demned vpon bare hearing no not till it bee knowne what hee hath done Thus did righteous Iob in his legall processe The cause that I knew not I searched out Iob. 29.16 And thus farre did Pilate well in the cause of Christ Act. 25.27 Act. 24 22.27 Ioh. 18.30 And Festus the President of Caesaria and Foelix his Predecessor in the case of St. Paul And Salomons wisedome was experienced and admired in that first case of the two harlots who contended for the child 1 King 3. when after strict examination through a wise inuention and semblance of diuiding the quicke childe he did extort a confession from the true mother by strange commotion of her naturall affection And God himselfe doth often inculcate this as the dutie of the Iudge The Iudges shall make diligent inquisition Deutr. 29.18 and for this cause they had neede both to haue and vse those excellent parts of wisdome and vnderstanding which God requireth of them and bestoweth vpon them Deutr. 1.13 How needfull and helpfull in iudiciall processe is the exquisite and accurate discussing of the cause it may appeare by this that the more exactly the cause is discerned and knowne the more iust sentence may thereof be giuen as Great Demosthenes did well obserue Wherefore there are required as you know right well in a Iudge or Magistrate in hearing of causes that they may be equally heard and exquisitely discussed Things to be obserued in hearing of causes sundry things to be obserued and practised Serious attention to the matter in hand that no materiall proofe or important reason tending to euince the equitie of the cause through heedles neglect be omitted or let passe without obseruation and notice taken thereof For as one well learned and experienced saith well In eo sape quod aures praetervectum est status causae versatur Joan. Bodin de repub In that oft-times which passeth by the eare doth the state of the cause consist Wise moderation and ordering of the processe that impertinent digressions odious invectiues and calumnious imputations among pleaders or witnesses vsed to prejudice the contrary person or cause be seasonably interrupted and sharply rejected and that neither party be hindred by his aduersaries rash interruptions and caused to omit or conceale what may make for his purpose and to cleare the equitie of his iust and equall cause It is the part of the Pleader or Aduocate Arist lib. Rhet. onely to declare whether the thing be so or not so done or not done whether iust or vniust the Iudge himselfe must know And here I desire the learned and experienced Moderators of iustice to consider whether for the most part the wrong-doer be not the more peeuish and clamorous and best armed with Pleaders and Aduocates against the innocent There must be invincible patience and vnweariable forbearance of the slownesse of speach dulnesse of conceit rudenesse of behauiour and other infirmities and weaknesses of many the meaner and inferior sort whose testimonies for others or defences for themselues in iudiciall processe are of necessitie required Such wants and defects must be passed by with charitable forbearance and compassionate respect All vnquiet affections and inordinate passions of hatred loue enuie an ger rash zeale or the like must be quite put off and wholy laid aside Desire and anger are ill Counsellors worse Iudges Consultores sunt pâ—ssimi cupido ira Salust Amor turbat constia Hieron Loue troubleth counsels Enuie neuer speakes well that is iustly saith our common Prouerbe Yea all inordinate affections blind the eyes and preiudice iudgement and therefore all dealers in iudgement especially the chiefe swayers must speake 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without affections It was the oath of the Heathen Iudges as the Orator doth report Audiam accusatoreÌ„ râ—um fine affectibus personarum râ—spectione Demosth I will heare the plaintiffe and defendant with an equall mind without affections and respect of persons Not
to insist particularly on more particulars there must be firmenesse of memory to recall such euidences as were of most moment on either behalfe and wisdome and knowledge and a kind of dexteritie in conferring and comparing cause with cause and reason with reason and iudgement and learned skill in the lawes both diuine humane to weigh the proofes in the ballance of iustice and to discerne and distinguish of iust and vniust that so the cause may be fitted for sentence else cannot the sentence proue iust and equall Isai 5.20 but good shall be called euill and euill good the wicked shall be absolued the innocent condemned For that of Augustine is certainly true Ignorantia Iudicis est calamitas innocentis Aug. de Ciuit. Dei l. cap. 29. The ignorance of the Iudge is the calamitie of the innocent It was the speach of a learned man Quis est qui nescit tam multa in boni iudicis officio posita esse vt seritissimos etiam ac diligentissimos fugiant very well seene and experienced in this kind Who knowes not that so many things are required in the office of a good Iudge that they easily escape the most skilfull and diligent And therefore in a word Vse I to conclude this point all the will and skill vse and exercise of heart and eare body and mind had neede to be imployed in hearing of causes that all the weight of right or wrong being put into the ballance of equitie and iustice it may be discerned by the vnderstanding Iudge which of the scales is of greater poise and weight But for want of these and such like obseruations in this first degree of iudiciall processe 2 Vse there was much iniustice and sin committed by Iudges and Magistrates in the case of a Gen. 39.14 Ioseph of b 2 SaÌ„ 16.13 Mephibosheth of c 1 King 21.13 Naboth of d Am s 7.10 Amos of e Mat. 26.59 60. Christ Iesus of f Act. 6.13 14. Stephan of g Theodor hist Eccles l 1. c. 29. Socrat. lib. 1. c. Athanasius and very many others as Histories do record and experience doth declare And thus much of the first degree of iudiciall processe of the hearing of iustice Now I proceede to the second degree which is the speaking of iustice and iudge righteously After the cause is discerningly heard The II. Degree To speake iustice then is iudgment to be iustly giuen and sentence to be equally pronounced 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not according to affection and fauour but according to iustice and truth according to the prescript of wholsome law which is the square of equitie the law I say of Man and the law of God For as the law of the King who is the Head of the Common-wealth is the life of this bodie Politike so is the law of God the soule of the law of the King and as the law of the king ought to be conformed to the law of God which is the right rule indeed of equitie and iustice so the sentence of the Iudge must be conformed to the law of God and the King that it may be an equall sentence For the Law is nothing else but a silent Magistrate and the Magistrate a speaking law or a speaker of law And a Iudge or Iustice is a speaker of iustice and iudico is ius dico Judex hine dictus quod ius populis dicat quod iure disceptet id est 〈◊〉 iudicet iudex in quo iusiâ—tia desâ—dâ—ratur esse nequeat Iudex Isidor And therefore a Iudge or Iustice in whom iustice is not is not a Iudge but by equiuocation It is the injunction of the law diuine Iudges and officers shalt thou make and they shall iudge the people with iust iudgement Thou shalt not wrest iudgment That which is altogether iust shalt thou follow Deutr. 6. v. 18 19 20. Worthy an Emperor was the profession of Iustinian which I would commend to your godly imitation Aequam me vtrique parti tam in disceptandis controuersiis quam in tuenda disciplinâ praebebo Nâ—utri parâ—i praeter 〈◊〉 sas adâ—â—ctê° ero quod si haec non oâ—serâ—auâ—ro onuâ—iâ—us incommodis ero expâ—situs tam hic quara in futuro seâ—ulo in borrè◠do indicio magni Domini Dei saluâ—toris nâ—stri Iesu Chrisii habeboque parteÌ„ cum Iuda lepram câ—m Huzziah trem reaâ— cum Cain AequuÌ„ me vtrique parti tam in disceptandis coÌ„trouersiis quam in tuenda disciplina praebebo c. I will shew my selfe equall to both parties as well in deciding of controuersies as in defending of discipline I will fauour neither part beyond law and right and if I shall not obserue these things I shall be exposed to all discommodities both here and in the world to come in that dreadfull iudgement of our great Lord God and our Sauiour Iesus Christ and I shall haue my portion with Iudas the leprosie with Huzziah and trembling with Cain O memorable sentence worthy to be ingrauen in the very heart of Iudges and Magistrates with the point of a Diamond yea with the finger of Gods spirit And so much of this Now we are come to the last degree of the dutie of a Iudge in iudiciall processe The 3 Degree To do iustice which is the doing of iustice or execution of iudgment pronounced After the cause is discerningly heard with the eare of iustice and the sentence equally pronounced with the mouth of iustice then must execution be exactly done by the hand of iustice both in rendring to euery man his right and also in freeing the innocent and punishing malefactors For vnlesse this exact execution do follow the former processe is altogether fruitlesse and tends to no profit or good effect But in matters of controuersie the partie oppressed stands still vnreleeued after all his cost and painefull trauaile And in matters of crime enormities and disorders remaine still vnreformed And in both both Church and Common-wealth stand fearefully surcharged with the guilt of many sinnes And often for want of due execution of iudgement by the sword of the Magistrate the sword of Gods wrath is vnsheathed against a Land especially for the releeuing of the helplesse oppressed and in reuenging of bloody and crying sins And thus much of the instructions and injunctions giuen to the Iudges and of the three degrees of iudiciall processe which are the three duties of a good and worthy Iudge Now followeth the second particular obserued in this Charge II. Point Parties betweene whom they must heare Iudge namely the parties whose causes are to be heard and iudged which are set out in relation First to the Iudges your brethren Secondly among themselues Betweene euery man and his brother that is as was said of the same Nation of the same Religion neither onely so but of the same nature And the stranger that is with him a stranger for kindred nation
commanded You shall heare the small as well as the great Acceptation of persons 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vnjust and vnlawfull is such by and outward respect had of the person as doth nothing make for the equitie of the cause and yet drawes the Iudge Iuror or witnesse or other ministers of iustice to doe vnequally in case of iudgement by reason of his vnequall respect to the person as when mens vnjust and vnequall causes are fauoured and furthered for amitie enmitie hatred or loue for bribes wealth kindred authoritie or the like and where causes are ouerthrowne and persons condemned for want of friends money or such outward respects though their causes be iust or persons innocent or not deseruing such seueritie of censure This accepting of persons is iudiciorum pest is the plague of iudgements and flatly forbidden in Gods sacred word Leuit 19.15 Yee shall not doe vnrighteously in iudgment thou shalt not respect the person of the poore nor honour the person of the mighty but in righteousnesse shalt thou iudge thy neighbour Partiall pitie is not to be shewed to the poore and base because he is poore and base and partiall fauour is not to be shewed to the rich and honorable because he is rich or honorable but according to the equitie of the cause must be the equitie of the iudgment Prohibitions of the contrary are frequent in Gods word Thou shalt not speake in a cause to decline after many to wrest iudgement Exod. 22.2 3. neither shalt thou countenance a poore man in his vnrighteous cause It is not good that is it is very ill to accept the person of the wicked Pron 18.5 to ouerthrow the righteous in iudgemeÌ„t The like is found Prov. 24.23 24. Prov. 28.21 The Lord doth detest this abhominable sinne Esa 61.8 I the Lord loue iudgment and hate robbery for burnt offering that is though a thing gotten by peruerting iudgement were put to the best vie that can be as to a sacrifice to God yet God doth abhorre it Yea the Lord accurseth to the pit of Hell such as peruert the iudgment of the stranger fatherlesse and widow Deutr. 27. And denounceth a fearefull woe against them who iustifie the wicked for a reward and take away the righteousnesse of the righteous from him And for such sins God sends most fearefull visitations Icrem 5. Amos 6. Whence this abhominable sinne doth spring is better knowne by bad experience then by tongue or pen can bee expressed It commonly sprowts out from the poysoned root of bribery and therefore they both are ordinarily forbidden in one period of speach by one breath of the Lord Deut. 16. v. 18 19 20. Thou shalt not respect persons nor take a gift for a gift doth blinde the eyes of the wise and peruert the words of the righteous and therefore couetousnesse the roote of all euill is the stepmother of iustice 1 Tim. 6.10 as Augustine well speakes It ariseth also from many other grounds as from loue friendship hatred or enuie wrath and rash zeale impatience and such like affections and passions which blind the eye or transport the will so farre that the person affected therwith doth swerue from the rule of equitie and iudgement Let him put off the robe of a Iudge Exuat personant iudicis qui induit amiâ—i who putteth on the cloake of a friend it s Ciceroes prouerbiall sentence They cannot iudge worthily of such as are vnder them Dignè de subditis iudicare ne queunt qui non merita causaruÌ„ sed personâ—rum odium gratiam sequuntur Greg. moral who follow not the merit of the causes but the hatred or loue of the persons Whencesoeuer it ariseth or whatsoeuer is the ground of it sure it is a great and grieuous sin and requires both speedy and exact reformation For the remedying whereof some of former times would haue causes propounded without mention of the parties others had their Iudges couered with a vaile that neither plaintiffe not defendant should come in their sight others did exercise iudgments in the night others did iudge before the Attars of their Gods But to omit those heathen deuices for reformation of these euils and that famous example of Traiane the Emperor of whom it is recorded that he did neuer man wrong in iustice neither at any time had affection or passion in giuing iudgment we who are Christians haue better grounds of restraint namely the feare of God and the direction of his word and the examples of godly and conscionable men Consider two of Moses and Samuel who could in good conscience appeale to the Lord for the clearing of their vprightnesse and vncorrupted integritie and whom I perswade my selfe you reuerend Iudges do religiously imitate and desire to be like vnto Moses Lord I haue not taken one Asse from them saith Moses neither haue I hurt one of them Deutr. 16.15 And thus Samuel pleadeth for his integritie Samuel Behold here I am saith he to the people witnesse against me before the Lord and before his annoynted whose Oxe haue I taken or whose Asse haue I taken or whom haue I defrauded or whom haue I oppressed or of whom haue I receiued any bribe to blind mine eyes therewith and I will restore it you And they sayd thou hast not defrauded vs nor oppressed vs neyther hast thou taken ought of any mans hand Be therefore continue such as you should be and such as I doubt not but you are men fearing God Exod. 18.21 and hating couetousnesse O let the feare of God be in your hearts and these godly examples before your eyes and pray with Dauid for your selues vnto God Psal 26. v. 9.10.11 Lord gather not my soule with sinners nor my life with bloudie men in whose hands is mischiefe and their right hand is full of bribes And keepe that holie resolution of Dauid and thus promise vnto God As for mee I will walke in mine integritie redeeme mee and bee mercifull vnto mee The second impediment of justice The other impediment and enemie of iustice against which these admonitions and cautions are giuen is feare of mens greatnesse who will be offended at iustice yee shall not be afraid of the face of Man Great men are not alwayes good men and great-good-men are not alwayes so good as not to defend or fauor any vnrighteous cause Sometimes they grow partiall in cases of judgement and if Iudges and ministers of justice be fearefull to offend them they shall hardly deale well for good causes of meane men for feare of the persons of great men Pilate hearing Ioh. 19. v. 12. In hominum gratiam iustitiam peruertit ius inflectit Pluris facit imperatoris Romani quam Dei gratiam Facit contra propriae conscientiae testimonium oris sui enunciatum and fearing that he should not bee accounted Caesars friend if hee should let our Sauiour Christ goe was so quelled with
feare that contrarie to his conscience and his owne mouthes restimonie he did adiudge our Sauiour Christ though innocent vnto a shamefull and opprobrious death And sure it is this seruile feare troubles the mind distracts the thoughts and corrupts iudgement and makes the mouth to speak against the conscience to cleare the wicked to condemne the innocent And therefore for the preuenting of such feareful corruption God required these properties in Iudges that they should be men of courage fearing God Exod. 18.21 Prou. 1.7 c. The feare of God is the beginning of Wisedome and foundation of other most excellent vertues Among the rest of vndaunted courage and maketh resolute in good and godly causes Facile a iusticiâ deniat qui in causis noâ— Dâ—uÌ„ sed homines pertimescit Chrysost Pietate sublata fides tollitur Cicero Euseb de vitâ Constant lib. 1. c. 11. Gen. 20.11 whereas hee doth easily slip aside from equitie and iustice who stands not in feare of God but of men saith Chrysostome For take away pietie fidelitie is gone as we see in the vnrighteous Iudge Luc. 18. v. 2.3 And as Constantius Chlorus Father of Constantine the Great did well experience in his Counsellors and Courtiers It was Abrahams conclusion The feare of God is not in this place therefore they will kill me Wherefore to conclude this these pestilent impediments of equitie and iustice this and the other being farre remoued by Christian courage feare of God and hatred of couetousnesse I most humbly beseech you in the name of the Lord both Iudges and Magistrates and all ministers of iustice Isai 28s 17. Lay iudgement to the rule and righteousnesse to the ballance Let iudgemet be brought forth in truth and let the glorie of iustice extende it selfe like a flowing streame Let iudiciall processe equally proceede in hearing sentencing executing of iudgement without needlesse protraction and vniust delay and for the better inducing of your godly minds hereunto consider the reason annexed in this Charge for the iudgement is Gods IV. Point Reasons for obseruation of the Iniunctions and Cautions For the iudgement is Gods The reason why Iudges and all ministers of iustice ought to performe these iniunctions and obserue these cautions in iudiciall processe is this for the iudgement is Gods yea and to annexe vnto this that which was premised The Charge is from God And to speake hereof but paraphrastically for breuities sake The first reason The iudgement is Gods 1 The Ordinance of iudgement is the ordination of God by his wise and immutable counsell and decree Rom. 13. and must be vsed faithfully as the ordinance of God 2 The Person who iudgeth is a person sent of God by his most wise and prouident dispensation God made thee a Iudge Magistrate Iuror or Witnesse by his gracious ordination or prouident permission and thou must deale faithfully as the minister of God 3 The Person sustayned by the Iudge is Gods for he is the delegate deputie and minister of God and though for nature condition and qualitie but a man yet for title and office and authoritie a God and must square his iudgement to the will of God Psal 82. 4 The causes and persons to bee iudged are Gods mans life is Gods his goods are Gods the man is Gods and God is his Father or master but surely his owner and must be delt well withall as belonging to God 5 The iudgement as if it be righteous God did effect it so will hee approue auow defend and reward it and therefore it must bee such as may be auowed of God The second reason And now to end where I first did beginne The Charge is from God for the doing of iustice and he doth enioyne and require the doing of iudgement and wil one day call to account for what is done not onely by his Deputie that little God of thy Conscience who wil sentence thee secretly if thou doe amisse But he that is higher than the highest Eccl. 5.7 the great God and our Sauiour Iesus Christ the righteous Iudge of quicke and dead will iudge thee openly before his dreadfull Tribunal God will bring to iudgement euery worke Et quid faciet de iniustis iudicijs qui ipsas quoque iusticias iudicabit qui cuique merita recitabiâ— Bern. Epist with euery secret thing whether it bee good or whether it bee euill Eccles 12.14 And what will he then doe with vnrighteous iudgements who will then iudge euen iustice it selfe who will recite to euery one his owne deserts The Lord of iudgement will come Veniet inquam veniet Dominus iudicij vbi plus valebunt pura corda quam astuta verba conscientia bona quam marsupia plena vbi iudex non faâ—â—etur verbis non flectetur donis 2. Cor. 5.10 will come I say and there pure hearts shall preuayle more than subtile words good conscience than full purses when the Iudge shall not bee deceiued with wordes nor ledde with rewards but will giue to euery man according to his workes and euery one shall receiue according to that he hath done in the bodie whether it be good or euill Thus by Gods gracious assistance and your Christian attention I haue spoken somewhat of the principall parts and passages of this charge of God and the King to Iudges and Magistrates and all ministers of iustice as namely first of the instructions and iniunctions for right hearing and iudging secondly of the persons whose causes are to bee heard and iudged thirdly of the admonitions and cautions against pestilent impediments which are frequent enemies to equitie and iustice accepting of persons and feare of mens faces fourthly of reasons to enforce the performance of the instructions and obseruation of the cautions There onely remaines the case of reseruation Now that iudiciall processe may bee rightly conformed vnto this charge of God and the King it must be ordered with great counsell and wisedome and dependeth much vpon the wisedome and faithfulnesse of all the ministers and instruments of iustice but lyeth most in the wise discretion and religion of the Iudge who must wisely consider all reasons and circumstances for the prudent ordering of such important affaires both in matters of controuersie and punishment of crimes In both which I would intreat you from the Lord In iudiciall processe two things principally to bee respected that you would haue most speciall regard that there bee mature progresse in iudiciall processe 2. and also equall moderation in punishment of malefactors 1. Mature progresse The former of these which I would commend vnto your care is mature progresse in iudiciall processe in hearing and sentencing and executing of sentence with all readie dispatch and conuenient speed without procrastination or vniust delay The Lord himselfe enioynes this vnto Iudges Deutr. 25.1 If there be a controuersie betweene men and they come into iudgement that the iudges may iudge them then shall they iustifie
the righteous and condemne the wicked Then that is maturely without needlesse delay Our Sauiour in the Parable doth note it as a marke of an vniust Iudge who is void of all feare of God Luc. 18. and regard of man that he deferred to doe iustice to the importunate widdow Iudges and Magistrates must in no wise bee like vnhappie Faelix Act. 24.27 who left Paul in bonds in hope of bribes but like vnto Festus his more equall Successor who hearing that Paul was kept bound at Cesaria promised to goe verie shortly thither and the very next day after his comming thither Act. 25.6 conuented him examined and handled his cause though he fayled in the processe of this businesse for feare of the Iewes This vniust delay of iudiciall processe hath beene an old and auncient corruption for reformation whereof sundry Decrees were made by those worthie Emperours Constantine Iustinian Gratian Valentinian and Theodosius against procrastination and dilatory courses in matters both of controuersie and crime In matters of Controuersie thus Iustinian doth define L. ProperanduÌ„ C. de iudicijs Iustin Imperat. Properandum nobis visum est ne lites penè fiant immortales et vitae hominum modum excedant In causes of controuersie it seemes good to vs that hast bee made least causes depending become immortall and exceed the measure of the life of man Causae pecuniarum et ciuiles omnes quocunque nomine veniant cuiuscunque sint quantitatis non vlterius quam ad triennij spacium extendi iubentur ibid. And what a great and grieuous both sin and shame is it especially in Christian common-wealths that the Sonne the aged Sonne should not liue long enough to see an end of the tedious suits of his intangled Father who trode a maze in his endlesse prosecution of Law for the relieuing of his still vnrighted wrongs In matters of Crime so saide the auncient Lawes Sic C. L. 1. de custodia reorum Constantinus impâ—edicit statim debet quaestio fieri vt noxius puniatur innocens absoluatur Arraignements ought speedily to be made that the guilty may bee punished the innocent absolued and againe De his quos tenet carcer inclusos aperta definitione sancimus vt aut conuictos velox poena subducat aut liberandos custodiadiuturna non maceret Imp. p. p. p. Gratian Valentia Theodosius decernunt Concerning those who are in prison we doe by expresse definition enact that eyther speedy punishment shall make away the guiltie or continuall imprisonment shall not wast the innocent Our Lawes no doubt for decision of controuersies are both as perfect and expresse as these and therefore is it not a fowle offence and a fearefull sinne in any Iudges or Lawyers or other ministers of iustice to set to sale their heads and tongues their wits and words their places and functions for the warping and weauing on of the webbe of controuersies protracting of causes through needlesse delay for priuate respect of gayne fauour or enuy without due regard to common equitie or publique tranquillitie or weale and welfare of Church and Common-weale Reasons against vniust delay of iudgment In this case it s too true Delaye breedes danger daunger of Vndoing to the partie oppressed danger of presuming to the person oppressing danger of hurt to the party procuring delay and danger of ruine to Church and Common-weale It grieues the heart Reas 1. excruciates the soule of the partie oppressed to beare such a cruell and detestable iniury when vnder plausible pretence of Law iudgement and iustice hee is not onely delayed from his right and spends himselfe in prosecuting for it but withall incurres suspicion of one wicked and vniust as if hee himselfe were the doer of the wrong He that shall thus oppresse the iust in his righteous cause doth touch the apple of Gods owne eye which is a fearefull and dangerous sinne and prouoketh the Lord to reuenge the oppressed Griefe constraineth the iust 2 who finde no releefe by iust order of law to take vniust and vnlawfull courses as calumnies quarrels contentions and brawles to releeue and remedie their vnrighted wrongs and sometimes through impotencie of humane affections especially in women more conquerable of passions poysonings and murthers of their oppressing aduersaries and so with danger of their lands and goods they indanger the losse both of bodies and soules and shall not the vnjust occasioner of such euils communicate in the sinne and partake in the miserie Hereby is a wide flood gate opened and inlarged whereby hatred 3 contentions and capitall enmities are propagated and diffused by partners and kindred ouer whole families villages Cities Countries and Kingdomes which administer matter for mutinies and slaughters For the contentions of the proud are shedding of blood Sirach 27.16 and their scouldings are greeuous to heare And is not hence danger of ruine to the State And who is the cause of all this mischiefe but hinderers and peruerters of equitie and instice Or if such outward mischiefe do not hence ensue 4 yet hereby is Gods worship and exercises of religion as by an euill spirit and hellish furie of discord disturbed and poysoned while mens minds are distracted and exasperated with continued lawings and dissentions so that they can neither heare the word with attention and profit nor pray priuately or publikely with deuotion or zeale nor receiue the Sacraments with any quiet or comfort And shall not the vnjust hinderers of iudiciall processe from finall deciding of actions and controuersies stand guilty before the Tribunall of God as disturbers of diuine worship and breakers of spirituall peace Hereby is iustice it selfe profanely abused 5 and God himselfe the God of iustice and prescriber of equity most impiously contemned monstrously dishonoured as if he himselfe were vnequall or vnjust For when his Delegates and Deputies do peruert judgment they make God himselfe asmuch as in them lies to become author and approuer of their detestable impietie All Indges Counsellors 6 Attourneyes Sollicitors Sheriffes Iurors or witnesses or other ministers of iustice who by corrupt abuse of Gods sacred ordinance of iustice open a flood-gate or window to such enormities and euils shall themselues be convented vnlesse they repent before the most dreadfull Tribunall of God there to be convicted and sentenced for their fearfull offences All innocent persons who haue bin oppressed 7 yet by piety restrained from vnjust reuenge and preserued by Gods grace from vnlawfull remedies shall yet in priuate put vp their complaints with sighes and groanes to the Iudge of Heauen who as their kind patrone and powerfull protector shall take vengeance and punishment on such malefactors as haue not releeued but vnjustly oppressed and that vnder pretence of law such helplesse ones in their distresses and miseries The soune of Syrach in his Ecclesiasticus though it be not Canonicall describes this very well Ecclesiast 35. saying v.