Downame - Puritan-02038 v2

That worldly thing: taut' many tails to ourneighdourt. col fered betweene manand man ; and as it were the diuels wages which he giueth to worldly men to vndermine one anothcrs fafetie, and to fupplant their neighbours, that they may raife their flateby their fellowes fall, and build their owne greatnes out ofothers ruines. Thefe are the caufes why Judges and Ma- gitrates peruert righteous judgement, acquitting the guiltde, and condemning the innocent,calling good mill, & cull good; right wrong, and wrong right; namely, that they may hereby artaine their worldly ends, and aduance their profperitie, and earthly elates. Thefe are the hire ofall corruption, oppreffion, and crueltie,which are exercifrd offuperiours towards their in- feriours, rulers towards their fubie6s, and landlords towards their tenants,that they maymaintaine their greatneffe, and in- create their wealth, or carnali pleafures. In a word, there is al- moil no vniuflice committed, if it do not proceed frommalice,:. and delire of re uenge ; which is not caufed and occafioned by there worldly things immoderately lotted : men not caring . what they do,nor what meanes they vfe,whether they be good or euill, right orwrong, .fo they may maintaine the profperitic of their eliatr,and encreafe their woi Idly happineffe.Ncither is any man priuiledged in this kind frombeing thus wronged and oppreffed by there vniufi courfes ; for if the wages of there worldly vanities be offered for theirhire,the true loners of them ate readie to lay afide all rcfpeit ofperfons, and defperately to breake all bonds of nature, countrie, kindred, friendfhip and can non humanitie, dealing vniufily with all men, to hen by theirvniullice they may gaine this wages ofiniquitie. Thus for the attaining ofworldlyhonors, Magif +rates are readie to per - uert iuflice,to gaine the fauour of fuperiour powers; and to op- preffe maligned innocencie,to get the applaufc of the common people. Neither is it their prefent greatnef a that can fatisfïe them,and make them to hold on in a iufl courfe; for the higher an ambitious man is, the more eager he is of riling lid' till he come to thehighefi, and the more readie tovfe all vnlawfulh meanes,to raife him to theheight of his proud hopes; and as an image or building thehigher it is, the more fubiec4 it is to fal- ling, ifit do not (land vpright; fo thehigher a man isoduanced in place and dignitic,the more prone he is tofljito any fin or euill, ifhisheart Band not vpright before God, when as by -:his wicked.