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nard Ochin,* which have a hundred marks apiece. I would the king would bestow a thousand pound on that sort.

Now I will to my place again. In the latter end of my sermon, I exhorted judges to hear the small as well as the great; "Juste quod justum est judicate,” You must not only do justice, but do it justly: you must observe all circumstances: you must give justice, and minister just judgment in time; for the delaying of matters of the poor folk, is as sinful before the face of God, as wrong judgment.

I rehearsed here a parable of a wicked judge, which for importunity's sake, heard the poor woman's cause, &c.

Here is a comfortable place for all you that

* Bernardinus Ochinus, an Italian monk, of the order of Capuchins, after having acquired a great reputation as a preacher, embraced the reformed doctrines by the instru mentality of Peter Martyr, in 1542. He then went to Geneva, next to Augsburg, and in 1547 visited England by the invitation of Cranmer, with whom he resided for some time at Lambeth, and was made by him prebendary of Canterbury. On the death of Edward VI. he went to Strasburgh, and next to Zurich, where he became minister of an Italian church. In 1563, he was banished from Zurich on a charge of Socinianism, in consequence of which he removed to Poland, but was expelled thence, and died at Slacow, in 1564, aged sev.enty-seven.

WIDOWS AND ORPHANS.

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cry out, and are oppressed; for you have not a wicked judge, but a merciful judge to call unto. I am not now so full of foolish pity, but I can consider well enough, that some of you complain without a cause.

They weep, they wail, they mourn, I am sure some not without a cause.

I did not here re

prove all judges, and find fault with all. I think we have some as painful magistrates as ever was in England; but I will not swear they be all so; and they that be not of the best, must be content to be taught, and not disdain to be reprehended.

Note here, my lords and masters, what case poor widows and orphans be in. I will tell you, my lord judges, if ye consider this matter well, ye should be more afraid of the poor widow, than of a nobleman, with all the friends and power that he can make.

But now-a-days, the judges be afraid to hear a poor man against the rich, insomuch they will either pronounce against him, or so drive off the poor man's suit, that he shall not be able to go through with it. The greatest man in a realm cannot so hurt a judge as the poor widow such a shrewd turn she can do him. And with what armour, I pray you? She can bring the judge's skin over his ears, and never lay hands upon him.

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And how is that? "Lachrymæ miserorum descendunt ad maxillas,' The tears of the poor fall down upon their cheeks, "et ascendunt ad cælum," and go up to heaven, and cry for vengeance before God, the judge of widows, the father of widows and orphans. Poor people be oppressed even by laws. "Væ iis qui condunt leges iniquas," Wo worth to them that make evil laws against the poor! What shall be to them that hinder and mar good laws? "Quid facietis in die ultionis," What will ye do in the day of great vengeance, when God shall visit you? He saith, he will hear the tears of poor women when he goeth on visitation. For their sake he will hurt the judge, be he never so high. "Deus transfert regna." He will, for widows' sakes, change realms, bring them into troubles, pluck the judges' skins over their heads.

Cambyses* was a great emperor, such another as our master is; he had many lord deputies, lord presidents, and lieutenants under him. It is a great while ago since I read the history.

*

Cambyses, king of Persia, succeeded his father, in the year of the world, 3506. The only act of his life that does credit to his memory was that of punishing the unjust judge Sisamnes, in the manner here described, and placing his son Otanes upon the tribunal, with a warning that if he followed his father's example, he should experience the same judgment,

THE JUDGE'S SKIN.

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It chanced he had under him in one of his do minions, a briber, a gift-taker, a gratifier of rich men, he followed gifts as fast as he that followed the pudding, a hand-maker in his office, to make his son a great man; as the old saying is, Happy is the child, whose father goeth to the devil. The cry of the poor widow came to the emperor's ear, and caused him to flay the judge quick, and laid his skin in his chair of judgment, that all judges that should give judgment afterward, should sit in the same skin. Surely it was a goodly sign, a goodly monument, the sign of the judge's skin. I pray God we may once see the sign of the skin in England.

Ye will say, peradventure, that this is cruelly and uncharitably spoken. No, no; I do it charitably, for a love I bear my country. God saith, 66 Ego visitabo,", I will visit. God hath two visitations: the first is, when he revealeth his word by preachers; and where the first is accepted, the second cometh not. The second visitation is vengeance. He went a visitation when he brought the judge's skin over his ears. If his word be despised, he cometh with his second visitation, with vengeance.

Noah preached God's word a hundred years, and was laughed to scorn, and called an old doting fool. Because they would not accept

this first visitation, God visited them the second time; he poured down showers of rain, till all the world was drowned. Lot was a visitor of Sodom and Gomorrah; but because they regarded not his preaching, God visited them the second time, and burnt them all up with brimstone, saving Lot. Moses came first a visitation into Egypt with God's word; and because they would not hear him, God visited them again, and drowned them in the Red Sea. God likewise with his first visitation visited the Israelites by his prophets; but because they would not hear his prophets, he visited them the second time, and dispersed them in Assyria and Babylon. John Baptist likewise, and our Saviour Christ visited them afterward, declaring to them God's will; and because they despised these visitors, he destroyed Jerusalem by Titus and Vespasian. Germany was visited twenty years with God's word, but they did not earnestly embrace it, and in life follow it, but made a mingle-mangle, and a hotch-potch of it; I cannot tell what, partly popery, partly true religion, mingled together. They say in my country, when they call their hogs to the swine-trough, "Come to thy mingle-mangle, come pur, come pur." Even so they made mingle-mangle of it. They could clatter and prate of the gospel; but when all cometh to all,

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