14r. s.16.27. g.Setf.3. Bribing per- uerteth the wholeconyfe ofiaftice. Exod.i3.3. Deut.16.i9. Prou.17.23 S. SeEt.4. The former paintcleared by examples. i.Satr411. 3 2 24 That bribery ù pernicious to the common-wealth,. and make pitfalls to catch men, and their houfes to cages,in which they keepcand flore vp that riches which they haue catchedand feazed upon by therevt.iutl courfes,Ierern.5.26. 27.Forpurpofely doe fuch Magiftratcsmake lawcs,not for maintet;anceoforder,iu iIice,and goucrnmenr; but that they may ferue as fnares to intrap men , and that being catched, they mayredeeme their libertyanditnpunityby large gifts. Or ifthere be anyother made, they vtterly neglca theexe- cutionof them , though they be neuer fo profitable and ne- cetfary for the good of the Common. wealth, vnletfc they bring force pcivate gaine to their owne chetis. Thirdly, by bribing iuflicc is peruerted , innocencyop- pretfed, and injuries countenanced anddefended; andwhat can follow but the ruineof the Common- wealth, when as iullice,which is the maine pil lar whereby it is vpheld,is pul- leddowne?This appeareth by teflimoniesofScripture,and byexamples : Exod. 23.8. Gifts blind the wife,andperuert thewords ofthe righteous. Ifthen the wile &righteous,who haue both wifdome to dtfcerne truth from falfhood , and right fromwrong , as altowill, to imbrace the good,andre- fuge the cuill, be feduced and perverted from their vpright and jut+ courtes, and miflead into theby-waics oferror and iniu(lice with bribes and rewards; then what will become ofthofewho naturally want that clearenetfcof iudgcment toknow what is good, or that loue of goodneffeto itnbrace it when it is difccrned ?So Deut. i6.i9.theholyGhofiioy- neth wre(ling of the law , refpetingof perfons, and taking ofrewards in the fame prohibition, thereby intimating that thefe three goe together , and that bribing is the caufe of both theother,as the words following plainly (hew . And at this as their maine end doe wicked men aime, when as they prefcnt their Iudges with rewards,as appeareth,Prou. i 7.23. eX wicked man taketha gift out o f thebofome to wrefi the wales ofaudgement. This likewifeappeareth by examples. WhenSamuels Cons would not walke in their fathers waies ; which was toadmi- nifler iullice indifferently without refpe&ofperfons, or ta- kingbribes,as himfelfproteßeth to the people r Sawa2.3. but
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