Righteousness, Equity, and Justice

Righteousness, Equity, and Justice.

That whereas there should be righteousness, equity, and justice, as it's expected: behold instead of this there springs up a crop of oppression, unrighteousness, and injustice that is bitter as hemlock; I rather think that this must be the meaning, because I find that in divers Scriptures injustice is compared to bitter things, yes, to hemlock itself, in Amos 5:7. You turn judgment to wormwood, and leave off righteousness in the earth. And in Amos 6:12, shall horses run upon the rock? Will one plow there with oxen? I will not stand to open the former text, but you see the Scripture charges the people by this expression, of sinning against judgment and righteousness, that they turned it to hemlock.

Now I find three things especially recorded of this herb.

First, it is a very venomous herb; therefore I find Pliny records of it in his 25th Book, 13th Chapter of Natural History, that the Athenians did use to give this to malefactors that were condemned to die to execute them withal. And Socrates that was so wise a man among them, yet he because he did not yield to their gods, but spoke against their false gods, therefore they judged him to die, and he must drink a potion of hemlock, and so died.

And secondly, I find the same author says of it that the leaves are somewhat like to coriander, but that they be more tender, and a strong stinking smell they have with them: and the seeds like to anise. And so justice seems to have a very fair pretence sometimes, and may seem to do things that are very good; under very fair pretences men are very unjust: the leaves when they come up one would think there should be such a fine fruit, one would think to have coriander, or anise, but the truth is, it comes to hemlock at last.

And then the third thing is, that which Hierom reports of it, and it is in his comment upon my text, he says that hemlock grows up very stiff and full of joints, and at the joints (he says) it puts forth a stalk, and that does not only sprout upwards and bear fruit, but downwards to have a root, and he says that every branch, if it has but a joint in it will serve instead of a seed, yes, every sprig of it will serve instead of seed; yes, he says, if any pieces fall to the ground, it will grow up, and so grow up as that it will be very hard to rid the ground of it. And truly thus it does resemble injustice, if it be let alone but a little, oh how it multiplies one to another and spreads through the whole land quickly.

And Pliny does observe many other things too, he says that the root of it is hollow, and that's unfit for any use at all; and so are the hearts of those that are unjust, hollow hearts and unfit for any thing.

And also he says, that the leaves are fit for swellings, and against sore eyes. And God does turn even the injustice that is many times among a people to be medicines to his people against their swellings, and to open their sore eyes.

And he says, that if hemlock be drunk in wine, it will certainly kill a man, and there is no remedy. So if men shall be unjust and take delight in it, and take pleasure in it, and scorn and contemn at those that they can oppress by injustice, those men are in a desperate condition indeed.

And then lastly, he does observe by this herb that it kills by cold, those that take the leaves or seeds, if they get the mastery of any they shall feel themselves begin to wax cold in their inward parts, and so die inwardly. Oh! how many who have been very hot and zealous, yet having gotten power into their hands they have unrighteously used their power, they have grown cold in what they were formerly zealous in, and still they grow colder, and colder; and thus their unrighteousness is like to prove to be their death.