recompenseth the painful student with riches, praise, or honour. And, howbeit, some men make small account of praise or good report, as being in their own conceit but an empty sound, yet wise men have thought and written, that a good name is better than gold*, and that a man's credit is the fairest flower of his garden. Now if praise be due to arts and sciences, as being the best treasure and endowment of the mind, religion only excepted, then surely the knowledge of the law may, in the first place, challenge prerogative of dignity, by whose righteous doom and decree it is provided, ruled, and ordered, that all other sciences should have their maintenance and support, in such plentiful and condign manner, as by merit or equity doth to them of right appertain. But every art receiveth its commendation by the end and scope which it proposeth to itself., And the chief end or last mark of the law, as well as other sciences, is God's glory. But the next and immediate end which is allotted * Proverb. 22. Aym. conf. 145, viso processu in fi. to it, is to administer justice to all, and in that sense it may be called the rule of justice: for religion, justice, and law do stand together, and are together trod under foot by such as neither care for God nor goodness such as are rehearsed by one of notable judgment*. A wise man without works, an old man without devotion, a young man without obedience, a rich man without alms, a woman without chastity, a gentleman without virtue, a contentious christian, a proud beggar, an unjust king, a negligent bishop, a congregation without discipline, a nation without law. But justice is then rightly administered, when it is not soldt. When there is no respect of persons+ When hatred is away and conscience is present §. When rigour is tempered with mercy. And justice must be regarded of the law as the load-star is minded of the seaman, for without it * Cyprian de 12, abusio. + Can. venden. q. 3. Deuteron. 1. Can. sex. 23. q. 3. Canon pauper 11. q. 3. Can. omnis & sequ. Can. discipli. 45. dist. can be no government. Another end of the law is the good estate of the people. For it is an aphorisme amongst the laws of the 12 tables: Salus populi suprema lex esto. Let the safety of the people be accounted the chief law *. And that deserveth not the name of a law which hath no relation to public profitt: For Hermogenes said well, that every law was made for the good and profit of men. And Plato saith, that a law-maker ought to have regard of three things especially; namely, That the convenient liberty of the common-weal may not be impeached by the laws, that they may preserve amity amongst the people, and that they may furnish them with wisdom§. Wherefore, they that despise laws have no care of common profit, because they were made for common use I, and without law, which I interpret to be an order established by authority, neither house, nor city, nor na * L. 12. tabular. c. 6. | Cicer, pro Cæcin. + Cicer. 2. de legi. Lib. 2. de legi. tion, nor mankind, nor nature, nor world can be*. And, therefore, Cicero saith, that our ancestors were of such virtue and wisdom, that in making of their laws they had no regard but of public good+: for they would not write any thing to hurt, and if they had written any such things, it would have been rejected as soon as it had been understood. It is manifest, therefore, that the end at which the law doth aim, is the general advantage of common society in a just manner distributed and dealt to every one. For non sufficit bonum fieri nisi bene fiat, it is not sufficient to do that which is good unless it be done in good sort, and, therefore, let not any man which undertaketh this profession lay conscience aside; for though the charge and calling be secular, yet it must be religiously handled. For God is the author of the law, and the revenger of the abuse thereof. The weight and measure, saith Solomon, are God's judgments, and * Cicer. lib. 3. de legi. + Cicer. lib. 1. de invent. + Proverbs 16. therefore if any man maintain any wrong by colour or pretence of law, let him know, that though man be hurt, yet God is offended*; ye do not execute the judgment of man, but of God, saith Josaphat. God is the beholder and umpire of councils and judgments, and surely if a man do well discharge this weighty and excellent function, there is no man of any religious habit or vocation in higher place or greater reckoning with God. So much the more are they to be reproved who exercise sycophancy, fraud, and cavelling in the handling of causes, being wresters of laws and wringers of money, whose conquest in bad causes makes them triumph as much as Romulus did when he had killed his brother; nay, as Atreus did when he had compassed the death of his brother Thyestes, boasting and glorying †, nunc parta vera est palma, nunc meas laudo manus; Now I have got an honourable victory, now I praise my handy work; but they in whom conscience beareth * Chron. ii. c. 89. + Senec. in Thy. |