Selected quad for the lemma: justice_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
justice_n	good_a	king_n	people_n	3,603	5	4.8197	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A31024	Demetrius and the crafts-men a sermon preach'd at the Berkshire assizes held in Abingdon, August the 7th, 1683 / by William Baron ...	Baron, William, b. 1636.	1683 (1683)	Wing B894; ESTC R7334	13,488	28

solemnity of an Oath they would not forswear themselves out of any partial respect either to Friend or Interest neither was it look'd upon as an useful study to find out flaws in an Act of State or gratifie the Lusts and Humours of men in opposition to the express letter of the Law as well as intention of the Legislator But however such corruptions as these might have crept into other places it seems they had not yet reach'd Ephesus the Law was open there Justice had its free and clear current without any denial Neither 2. Secondly was there any delay of Justice there were Deputies Absalon's insinuation to the people was founded upon a defect in this case 2 Sam. 15.3 See thy matters are good and right but there is no man deputed from the King to hear thee O that I were made Judge in the Land c. And altho' without doubt it was as ill grounded as some pretended Grievances we have found since nigher home yet the cheat prevail'd so far in the end as the Text saith by this stratagem he stole the hearts of the men of Israel So infectious is the breath of Faction that a David a Prince of Gods immediate choice could not be free from their calumnies nay which is worse must see his own Child made the property of their Designs Nevertheless from hence it appears how uneasie delays are which have been since to a Proverb thought worse than denials neither indeed is there any thing puts a greater damp upon mens spirits than to live in continual expectation of that Right which by daily procrastinations they find themselves never likely to enjoy Here again at Ephesus things went better for the Deputies or rather the Pro-consuls as the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies who were the chief Ministers of Justice sent every year from Rome into their several Provinces were now present there and held their Courts of Judicatute So that a Tumult which is not at any time to be endur'd in this Juncture speaks a more than ordinary insolence especially since all sober men must be satisfy'd with so prudent a management as the Town-Clerk the Register seems here to intimate where Justice was truly blind every thing carried with an even and impartial hand neither denial nor delay in the Case no cunning evasions could impose upon the Court nor clandestine combinations of the little Law-managers squeese the Pockets of their Clyents A misplac'd word did not put back a good Cause nor any personal Reflection from a foul mouth'd Advocate promote a bad one there was no tossing of Causes from one Court to another nor twenty years attendance without Equity at the last but all things going off with a just Sentence and quick dispatch we cannot but pronounce Psal 14.4.15 the people happy which were in such a case what St. Paul endeavour'd being the only thing left to make them happier in having the Lord for their God Thus with promis'd brevity have I run over the several parts of my Text. There remains now the Applicateon which should I bring it wholly to the occasion of your present Assembling would be found both apposite and natural for as the business is more especially matters of impleading so is the Law open and here are the Reverend Deputies of whose Candor and Integrity you have already had and will now find the most satisfactory experience But to avoid the nauceousness of personal addresses or commendations and all pragmatical intermedlings with what belongs to a distinct profession my application shall relate to our more Universal concern as we are men and as we are Christians as we are subject to Laws and as our well-being depends upon the due execution of those Laws unto which we are Subject To this purpose I shall crave leave to raise two or three Inferences from what hath been already discours'd and so put an end to any further exercise of your Patience 1. First Then the 1 st thing I infer is the great difference between the temper of primitive Christanity and that of our Religious pretenders in these later Ages For doubtless could Demetrius have promised himself any advantage from the Law he would never have taken so illegal a course Nay the Town-clerk in the precedent verse wholly acquits St. Paul and his Companions from Blaspheming their Goddess although we may well believe they sufficiently abhor'd that Hellish Idolatry or any other rude deportment which might give occasion of offence to men of sence and civility A commission indeed they had received from the King of Heaven and it concern'd them to be exact in the execution thereof But then his instructions as to the manner were as carefully to be observ'd which confin'd them to strength of Argument and allegations of Scripture with Modesty of Behaviour Meekness and Charity to represent those errours under which the World then lay assert the Truth convert misbelievers and in a word bring them all to the knowledge of the only true God This was the method they took These were the weapons which subdu'd Kingdoms made the Cross of Christ the Romans Standard and his Gospel the joy of the whole Earth There was no opposing Magistracy no fighting the Lord's Battle against Carnal Powers no Holy Leagues no Covenants nor Associations These are the spurious Doctrines and Practices of our modern Pretenders who have fought for Religion till 't is almost banish'd Christendom and made their many zealous undertakings but one continued Mystery of Iniquity 2. Secondly The second thing I infer is the opinion which all sober Heathens had of Tumultuous Assemblies and Riotous Reformations common observation inform'd them that if it comes to a hanc populus if the people may alter the Goverment as the Painter once for a tryal let them do his Picture it will prove such a Monster at last as every wise man with reason may be afrighted at Affairs were some time at this pass in the Jewish State Judges 17.6 In those days there was no King in Israel but every man did that which was right in his own eyes Yet as the consequent thereof the Spirit of God records a number of such hainous Enormities and gross Violations as are scarce to be parallell'd in any History Sacred or Prophane And a wise Roman reflecting upon the like Practices in his own time lays down this as an experienced Truth It was better to live where Nothing than where All things were lawful And as was partly observed before what have not we seen nay felt from the extravagant heats of such popular delusions and how are we daily threatned with Arrows from the same Quiver the continu'd Alarms of an unquiet Generation whom as too sad experience testifies no kindness could ever oblige nor any condescention satisfy It seems so strange a fatality hangs over some mens heads or rather about their Necks that having more than once escap'd their due reward by a too much abus'd Indemnity they still continue to