Dirtll.I· The e)Jil of contentiaM Law~Suits and Falfe Witmjs. Tit. 2. 'DireEfions againft ContentioM Suits, Fa!fe Wm1ejiing, ami Opprejsi\>e Judgements. · ~, I · Dirc8. I· TI-le fir;Jf Cu1·e for aU t~t{e .J}nt, ir to k{tow tbe lmrinjick._ evil of rbem ; Good · rhoughts of hn are us lite and fbcngth. \Vhc.n ic is wdJ known it will be hated, and when it is ha1ed, it is fa fa.r cured. ' §. 2· I. The Evil of Contentious and unjufi Law-Suits. 1. Such contenciom Suits do !hew the power of fllfiflmrfi in the finncr: Hnw much fc!f·intcrcjl is inordinJtely cflcemcd. 2. They fhew the exceffivc lvve of the wurld: How nJuch men ov.:.r-v<~.lue the things which they contend for. 3· They fhew mens wJnt of Love to their neighbours: How little they regard anmher mans intcrcfi in compari~on of thc:ir own. 4· They fhcw how little fuch mens care for the publiclt good ; which is mainrained by the cor:cord <~nd love of ntighbours. 5· Such contentions are powerful Engines of the Devil to defiroy all ChriHian Love 0:1 borh fidei:, znd eo fiir up mutual enmity and wrath : and fo w invol_ve men in a c 1urfc of tin, by fuuhcr un· charitabkncfs and injuries, both in heart, and word, ancf deed. 6. Poor men areh:reby robbed of their necdfary maintenance, and their innocent famiiies fubjeCtcd to dillrdS. 7· Unconfcionable Lawyers and Court-Officers, who live upon the peoples fins, are hen:by mainrained, encouraged and · ktpr up. 8. Laws omd Courts of Jullice are perverted, to do men wroilg) which were mldc to right them. 9· And the offender dcclarcth how little fenfe he hath of the authority or Love ofGod and how liule fcnfc of the grace of our Redeemer? And how far he is from being him{df fo;given through the blood of Chrill, who can no better forgive: anochch 9· 3· I I. The Evil of F.tfe Witnefs. r. By Faife 1Pitnejj the innocent are injured : Robbery and Murder arc commitred under pretence of truth and juflicc. 2· The N1~C ofGod is honibly abufed, by the crying fin of Pcrj~''J (Of which before:). 3 The Prdence and ]uflicCof God are contemn(cl: When Goners dare, in his light and hearing, appea1 to his Tribunal, iu the attefling o( a lye. 4· Vengeance is begged or confcnted to by the tinner; who bringeth Gods curfe upc~m hirnfelf, and as it were deiireth God tO plague or damn him if he lye. 5· Sltan the Prince of malice, and injufiice, and the Farher of !yes, and mur– ders, and oppreaion, is hereby g~atified, and eminently fervcd. 6. GBd himtdfis openly injured, who is the f'ather and Patron of the mnoc~nt; .and Jhe cau[e of every righteous perfon is mar~ the cJ.u(e oiGod than of man. 7• All Government 1s fru'fiuted, and Laws abufed, and all rt·ens lc:ouriry foe their reputations, or eitates, or live'S is oveuhrown, by falie wi!nc!Cs: And confequently humane convc:rfe is made undefirable and unfafc. What good can L1w, or right, or innocency, or the hone– tly of the Judge, do any man, where falfe~witndfes combine aga.inli him? What fccuriry hath the mofi innocent or worthy pcrfon, for his fam~, or liberty, or efia£c, or life, if falfc witnctTcsconfpire to defame him, or defiroy him ?And then how thall men endure to converfc with one another? Ei4 ther the innocent mufi f~.:tk cut a Wildcrnefs, and flye frdm the fJ.cc of men :u we do fromLyons and Tygers; or cl[e Peace will be worfe than War: For in War a man may fight for his life;, hue againfi fll!c witndfes he hath no defence : But God is the avenger of rhc innoct:nr, and above moll: o_thcr tins, doth fcldomc fl1ffcr this to go unpuniilied, even in this prdi:nt world ; but often begin· neth their Hell on Euth, to fc~eh perjured intiruments of the O,vif. 9· 4• I I I. The Evil of llnrighteous Judgements. •· An unrighteous Judge cloth condemn the Caufe of God himfelf: F0r every righteous caufe is his. z. Yea, he condcmnerh Chrifi himfelf in his members: For in that he doth it ro one of the Ieafi: of thofe w!10m he c.tlleth Brethren, he doth it to hirnfclf, A1atth. 2 5· le is adamn.tbk Gn, Not ttJ re· litvcthe innocent and imprifonc:d in their diftrefs, whc:n we have power : What is ir then to opprdS tllem, and unrighteoufly condemn them? 3· ~t is a t~rning of the: remedy into a double rnifcry; and taking away the: only help of opprdfed innocc:ncy. What other defence l~ath ionocc.:ncy, but Law and ]ufiice ?. And when their refuge it fclf doth fall upon them and opprds them, whither 0Jall the tighteous' Aye ? 4· It fubvertcth Laws and Government, and abufcth ic to deftroy the ends which it is appointed for. 5· Thereby it tume1h humane fociety into a Hate of mifl:ry, like rh~: deprcda1ions of hotlility. 6.1t is a deliberate refolved fin. and not done in a pJffion by furpriu : h is commit~ red in thu place, and in that form, as ads of greatcft deliberation fhould bedone: As if he thould fay, VpoJt full di{quifitiott, evidence and deliberati'ln, I coMdemn this perfon, and hi; C.lufi. 7· All this is done as in the Name ofGod, and by his own Commiflion, by one that pretendeth to be his Officer or MiniHcr, Rom. 3· ) 1 4 1 5,6. For the Judgement is the Lords., 2 ChroJt. 19. 8, 10. & 19. 5• 6,]• And how great a wicktdnefs is it thus ro blafphcme, and to reprcfenr him as S.nan 1 an enemy to truth and righreoufi1cfs, eo his fcrvants and himfdt? As if he had [aid) God hath fcnr me ro condemn this Caufe and per{on? If falfe Prophers {in fa heinoufly who bclye t!lc Lord, and fay, He hath fent us to fpeak rh1s (which is untruth ) ; the fill: of falfe Judges cannot be much ldS. 8. Iris fin ag•inH the fuliefi and frcquentdl prohibitions a{ God. Read ov<r Excd. 23. I, 2, 3, &c. Lcp.ro.r 5· DtHio
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