John Trapp on Micah 7:3

Verſe 3. That they may de evill with both hands earneſtly] Heb: for good and all, or, for adoe: that they may ſpeak and do evill as they can Ier. 3.5. and ſeek to out-ſin one another; like unhappy boyes that ſtrive who ſhall go furtheſt in the dirt. Nolunt ſolita peccare, ſaith Seneca: Et pudet non eſſe impudentes, ſaith Auſtin. Luther teſtifieth of the Monkes in Germany, that they were ſo deſperately wicked, ut nihil cogitent quod non idem patrare auſint, that they could not deviſe that wickedneſſe, which they durſt not do.

The Prince asketh] A beggerly practiſe for a Prince, but ſo baſe they were grown, and ſo greedy of filthy lucre. The Prince asketh, and, by asking onely, compelleth: for who dare deny him? If ſome Naboth do, he ſhall die for it. There is a memorable ſtory of a poor man in Spain, to whom when the Lords Inquiſitours ſent for ſome of his pears, which they had caſt their eye upon; he for fear of offending, brought them his pears,Heyl. Geog. tree and all by the roots.

and the Judge asketh for a reward] Heb.Plaut. The Judge for a reward, ſc. will gratifie that ſordidum Poſcinummium, the Prince: who when he giveth him his Commiſſions hinteth to him haply,Dio. as Nero did to his publike Officers, Scis quid nobis opus eſt. Thou knoweſt what I want, and muſt have: ſee then that thou help me to it.Speed. Such trading there was likewiſe betwixt our Rich. 2. and Judge Belknap with his fellows. To this purpoſe, the Chaldee paraphraſt here: The Prince, ſaith He, requireth ſupplies of the Judge, and this beſpeaketh him, Fac pro me, & retribuam tibi; Negotiate for me, and I will be thy pay-maſter; favour me, help mee at my need, and I will requite thy curteſie, whenſoever thou wilt. Thus muli mutuo ſcabunt, one hand claws another: and betwixt the oppreſſive Prince, and uncoſcionable Judge, the law is ſlacked, and judgement doth never go forth: for the wicked doth compaſſe about the righteous: therefore wrong judgement proceedeth, Hab. 1.4.

and the great man, hee uttereth his miſchievous deſire] Heb. he ſpeaketh out the corruption of his ſoul. He doth it. Emphaticum eſt pronomen Ipſe, ſaith Calvin. This ſame He hath a ſpeciall Emphaſis in it, q. d. This impudent man being now paſt all grace (for Illum ego peri[illegible: 1 letter]ſſe dico, Curtius. cui perit pudor) boaſteth of his villany: and thinks to bear it out bravely, becauſe it is facinus majores abollae, the fact of a great One. But who is this He, this great man in the Text, that dares thus obtrude, and juſtifie to the world his moſt malapert miſdemeanour? The rich Client, ſaith Calvin, Ibi fas ubi maxima merces. that hath his money to plead for him: for in ſuits both of love and of law, money (moſtly) maketh maſtery: and Angels trouble the current of juſtice (ſaith One) at certain ſeaſons. Others underſtand it of Counſellours, Pleaders, Advocates, Sollicitours, and other Officers of Juſtice: who when as they ought to reprove the iniquity of the Judges, do rather help it forward, by juſtifying the wicked for a reward, and taking away the righteouſneſſe of the righteous from him, Eſay 5.20. by making the law a noſe of wax, and by quirks and devices, varniſhing falſhood and wrong-dealing.

ſo they wrap it up.] Contorcnplicant: they wreath their wrong-dealings together, as a rope twiſted of many threeds,Speed. till their iniquity be found to be hatefull: till there wanteth but an hurdle, an horſe, and a halter (as Belknap ſaid of himſelf) to do them right. They make a league together, they joyn and ſtrengthen their evil counſels, and frauds, &c, ſo Mr. Diodate. Theſe men agree among themſelves, and conſpire with one conſent to do evil: ſo the Geneviſts.