Selected quad for the lemma: justice_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A09511
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The poore mans appeale In a sermon preached at Leicester assises before the judges. By T.P.
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Pestell, Thomas, 1584?-1659?
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1620
(1620)
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STC 19791; ESTC S100747
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21,164
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34
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THE POORE MANS APPEALE In a Sermon preached at Leicester Assises before the Iudges By T. P. PRO. 22.22.23 Rob not the Poore because hee is poore neither oppresse the afflicted in the gate For the Lord will plead their cause and spoyle the soule of those that spoyle him AT LONDON Printed by Edw Griffin for Arthur Iohnson and are to be sold at his shop neere the great North doore of St. Pauls 1620. TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE Sir HENRY HOBART Knight and Baronet Lord chiefe Iustice of his Maiesties Court of Common Pleas and Chauncellor to the most excellent Prince CHARLES Prince of WALES Grace and Peace MY LORD THat reuerend Regard your Honor gaue this Sermon when it was deliuered you as a message from the Highest was but a iust Regard But for your vouchsafing to peruse and giue the frame thereof approbation both it and I haue therein largely tasted of your fauourable Regard Both your Regards it then had and I now in regard of both conceiued an hope that the publike inscribing it thus to your Lordships name would passe at least for a pardonable transgression and might peraduenture in the noblenesse of your interpretation be accepted as I intend it for an act of my dutifull regard to your Honor. Whereof how can I forbeare presumption remembring who hath said Yee are Gods and are all children of the most High Your Lordship then cannot vnresemble your heauenly Father who gently takes the meanest oblations of the poorest and lowest being himselfe rich ouer all and Higher then the highest He the Iudge of all The Lord Chiefe Iustice of Heauen and Earth blesse and direct you so as we may long enioy from him thorough you the beames and influence of his Iustice in earth and you after this life iustly finisht the bright beames of his Glorie and that blessed Regard and reward of his euerlasting Mercie in the highest Heauen So prayes Your Lordships true honourer T. P. THE POORE MANS APPEALE ECCLESIASTES 5.8 If in a Countrie thou seest the oppression of the poore and the defrauding of Iustice and Iudgement Bee not astonied at the matter For he that is higher then the highest regardeth and there bee higher then they I Shall haue some vse of the whole verse but these words For hee that is higher then the highest regardeth I choose forth for the Text as being axis and Cardo the hindge vpon which all turnes For they are a reason of the former the substance of the latter Their parts are visible two persons and an action First the persons Altus desuper altum c. or Altus superior Alto sayes Tremelius Two persons then and two titles high ones both yet largely differing Superior stands betwixt them here like an Istmus or Hiatus rather large in extent as the space betwixt earth and heauen For thou couldst haue none sayes Christ to Pilate not the lowest degree except it were giuen thee desuper from aboue So that the one depends of the other the one absolute and in recto Altus the high one by way of excellence the other in obliquo and with relation to a Superiour Alto an high one too but not like Altus no the case is altered Alius is primus and summiu the first the chiefest high one comes therefore before Superior as hauing none but Alto is set after and would soone come all to nothing if not gouerned by Superior here So much and so iustly is Altus superior Alto. In summe the latter of these titles belongs to men that is plaine by the addition here or reddition rather For it is the same againe another way And there be higher then they then who then those men spoken of before But for the first title here it does it can belong to none but God He onely is the high one or that high one It is a peculiar of his and his prerogatiue onely So Dauid Thou whose name is Iehovah thou alone art most high ouer all Psal 83. vlt. And that Solomon here intends this onely high God is apparent too in the last straine of the verse where he names him Alti in the plurall which tho some interpret of God and his Angels yet Iunius better of God alone excusing the difference of number partly by the sacred mysterie of three persons in the God-head and partly by an Hebraisme expressing by the positiue plurall a singular superlatiue so raysing the title from Altus to Altissimus or as the english here higher then the highest So high indeed that all words forsake vs in the vtterance But of that when we trie this Title We know now the persons The action remaines and is ascribed to Altissimus God regards Observ How meanes he what does he regard It is left here indefinite Regards and no more but may be diuersly vnderstood first by making this indefinite and vniuersall too the same with Hesiods 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sees all things and Dauids Quo fugiam Whither shall I goe from thy presence And so his regard is the same with prouidence or diuide this Sea into two armes of mercy and iustice acts of his speciall prouidence ouer all men and all their actions or apply it lastly to this particular in the text and wee shall finde that God in both these hands of mercie and iustice takes and with both these eyes beholds oppression Oppression why is that the matter here yes If thou seest oppression bee not astonished for hee that is c. It is true hee mentions heere rapinam too stealth or defrauding of iustice but vpon the point it comes all to one for bee it violence or be it cunning by fraud or by force it forces not it is oppression that is the Ocean which deuoures and the common sinke that swallowes both these flouds of wickednesse both these filthy channels of corruption But oppression is an action and actio est vis illata so is oppression right and does inferre a passion wee must haue a patient then and we must finde out the agent for if oppression be obserued if God regard it hee can not but regard them These in reason are like Plaintiffe and defendant in law which is grounded on reason These would be brought in then before we can proceede with our action The Law will allow the Plaintiffe first cal him we need not If thou seest the oppression of the Poore Hee 's adest there he is the Poore Alas poore man poore and opprest too that 's an heauy case who is there to speak for him not any man no for no mā regards him the poore is despised of his own neighbour heere he seemes to stand poore silly soule with a face couered ouer with teares his very heart broken his tongue cleaues to his roofe onely his hands and hi◠eyes are lift vp towards heauen I there is his refuge there is one that vnderstands the language of his sighs and bends an eare to the voyce of his weeping and though the high ones
world nor your sweet and wholesome acts of Iustice like the Sun-beames in a burning glasse bowd contracted by passion or partiality be merciful as your heauenly father is merciful sans hope of earthly reward or sting of vainglory and being in the place of God learn his action heere of regarding for this end sits he in heauen and he hath not set you here to be regardlesse like Gallio Act. 18. one that cared for nothing as so many Scarcrowes in a garden of Cucumers but to regard the poor in mercy the high Oppressor in iustice say not you to him as Ioseph to old Iacob not so my father reaching rather your hand clean cōtrary of iudgment to the poor of fauor to the oppressor but in mercy respect the poore needy that are sick and need your physick not purges or lettings bloud with the whip so much as your cordials of prouision your gentle laxatiues your blessed lenitiues restoratiues And in justice regard their aduersaries look that such as ar the grand thieues sit not neer you on the bench while the petite ones plead at the bar for mercy I know that simple people think you may do wōders but my prouocatiō tends no further then to vrge the execution of that lawful power which to you throgh our excellent Soueraign is conuaid frō him that is higher then the highest And that therin you would oppress the oppressor beware lest as the Apostle saies in another case the strength of sinne is the Law so these high ones do not strengthen their hands in this sin of oppression either by the shelter or conniuence of the Law or Magistrate which if you do not he regards that is higher then they or you and which if you labour to do by despising as the Prophet speaks the gain of oppression shaking your hands frō taking of bribes stopping both eies and eares from seeing euill or bearing bloud then he regards in mercy great is your reward in heauen for your defence shall be the munition of rocks and you shall inhabit loca altissima the highest place Es 33.16 And this speech to you my gracious Lords is but like a second impulsion to a wheel already moud and I admonishing to do what you ar obserud to do already do in my admonition bear along both praise approbation Consider then what I haue said and that Lord Iudge of heauen and earth who is only wise giue you vnderstanding in all things And next let vs learn to aply this text we that ar now in his sight speaking hearing for he regards out instant actions sees our reuerēce knows our thoughts When we part from hence the Text will follow vs in our houses chambers closets his eye is euer on vs let then the eyes of our soules be euer fixt on him euer even in midst of night silent darknes suppose our selues in a Theater since he sees vs euery where vpon our walls and garments in our rings and on our fore-heads and in the palmes of our hands ingraue this posie Altissimus obseruat Doe you in speciall that are to attend the Courts of Iustice iudgement Councellors in your pleas and witnesses in your depositions Ere you ope your mouths hearken to the voice of Salomon here nay lend but an eare to the call of your owne consciences and they will preach this text vnto you He that is higher then the highest regardeth And you of the Iewry be not like those Physitians who vse to erect a figure by that minute in which they are consulted and thereby giue their iudgement For that 's too vsuall with ordinary Iurors to haue regard to certaine aspects and relations and predominancies and to giue verdicts according as they find Superiors enclin'd Their Landlord may chance to frowne else and take away their leases or cast them out of their houses I but Salomon tels vs of a superior here far aboue all Lords by Land or by Water one that can depriue them of inheritance in the kingdome of Heauen and able to cast them both bodies soules into Hell And therefore feare him feare not their regarding but hi-regarding His that is higher then the highest To whom be prayse and glory now and for euer Amen Gloria Deo in Excelsis FINIS