A Warning Piece to Afflicted England, Maxim 5
The Fifth Maxime.
In times of Desertion; Abominable Corruptions grow in Courts of Justice, and great Councels of the Land. And False-Worship, Errors and Lukewarmness overspreads the Churches.
FIrst, abominable corruptions appear in Courts of Justice, and great Councils of the Land: Gods Vine yeelded him but wild grapes, Isai. 5. 4. He looked for judgment but behold oppression, for righteousness but behold a cry, vers. 7. Then he decrees to take away the hedge of the Vineyard, and break down the wall thereof, and lay his vine waste, that it should not be pruned nor digged any more, but choaked with briars and thorns that grew about it and over-top'd it; then he commands the clouds that they rain no rain upon it. Now Justice fails either in the Legislative power, or the executive power of a Kingdom these wayes: First, in the Legislative power of the Kingdom, when the power that should extend it self in making of necessary Laws for the relief of the oppressed, is restrained; therefore in all difficult cases Moses allowed the Judges to come to him, and he through the Counsel of God made additional Laws, as occasion required, Deut. 1. 17. and 17. v. 8. to 14. Numb. 27. 1, &c. otherwise justice had failed.
Secondly, When unjust Laws are continued or corrupt Expositions of good Laws go for Presidents uncontrolled, which ought timely to be reformed least Oppression it self be made a Law.
Thirdly, When fundamental constitutions in Courts of Justice are ill laid, Officers being either exorbitant or defective, Charges and Fees too great; Juries made in a mixt way of good and bad men, ignorant and unable to judge in difficult cases; Parties not suffered to speak for themselves whereby many righteous causes have been betraid and overthrown, Places of Justice set to sale, and the like.
In the Executive power likewise: First, When Judges, Iustices and Magistrates put off the complaints of the oppressed for want of gifts, not willing to move for their relief without hire, whereas they are bound to help them readily upon complaint, Exod. 23. 8. Deut. 16. 19. Isai. 1. 23. Secondly, When Judges and Magistrates, Counsellors, Juries, and all conspire together to overthrow a righteous cause for filthie lucre sake, Micah 3. 11. Ezek. 22. 12. Deut. 27. 25. this hath a solemn Curse upon it, Isai. 5. 23. Thirdly, When Justice is delayed beyond what is meet, after that the cause hath been throughly heard, by shifts and tricks of Law, to toil and weary the oppressed in seeking their right, Hab. 1. 2, 3, 4. Isai. 59. 14. Fourthly, When through favour, or affection, or by-respects a wrong doer is acquitted, and let go unpunished; Jer. 5. 28. 1 Kings 40. 42. 5. When a wicked person is not onelyonly connived at and spared, but also assoiled as guiltless, and justified in Court, Prov. 17. 15. and 24. 24.
Again, When False-Worships, Errors, Lukewarmness, over-spreads the Churches. 1. Either when Idolatry, Superstition, and False worships are allowed of, or connived at, Judg. 2. 10, 12, 13, 14, 15. 2. When there is a great defection from the true Worship of God, and drawing off from Gods Ordinances and holy Church-fellowship. Princes and Nobles giving no example of obedience and zeal for the worship of God in their own persons and families, nor putting forth their authority for encouraging the service of God. And the people (a few scattered ones only excepted) generally revolted from the Gospel-worship, and cold and indifferent about religion Rev. 3. 15, 16. both in publike and private. 3. When abominable destructive Errors and Heresies are spread abroad and take with men, Rev. 2. 14, 15, 16, 20, 21, 22, 23.