The heads thereof judge for reward - This does not apply to the regular law officers, who have their proper salaries for giving up their whole time and attention to the conscientious discharge of the duties of their office; but to those who take a reward, who take Bribes, for the perversion of justice; who will decide in favor of those from whom they get the greatest reward.

The prophets - divine for money - These are evidently the false prophets; for none, professing to be sent by God, used any kind of divination.

Yet will they lean upon the Lord - They will prescribe fasts and public thanksgivings, while not one sin is repented of or forsaken, and not one public grievance is redressed.

Is not the Lord among us? - Here is his temple, here are his ordinances, and here are his people. Will he leave these? Yes, he will abandon the whole, because all are polluted.

heads.

Micah 7:3 That they may do evil with both hands earnestly, the prince asks, and the judge asks for a reward; and the great man...

Numbers 16:15 And Moses was very wroth, and said to the LORD, Respect not you their offering: I have not taken one donkey from them...

1 Samuel 8:3 And his sons walked not in his ways, but turned aside after lucre, and took bribes, and perverted judgment.

1 Samuel 12:3,4 Behold, here I am: witness against me before the LORD, and before his anointed: whose ox have I taken? or whose donkey have I taken...

Isaiah 1:23 Your princes are rebellious, and companions of thieves: every one loves gifts, and follows after rewards: they judge not the fatherless...

Ezekiel 22:12,27 In you have they taken gifts to shed blood; you have taken usury and increase...

Hosea 4:18 Their drink is sour: they have committed prostitution continually: her rulers with shame do love, Give you.

Zephaniah 3:3 Her princes within her are roaring lions; her judges are evening wolves; they gnaw not the bones till the morrow.

and the priests.

Jeremiah 6:13 For from the least of them even to the greatest of them every one is given to covetousness...

Jeremiah 8:10 Therefore will I give their wives to others, and their fields to them that shall inherit them...

Malachi 1:10 Who is there even among you that would shut the doors for nothing? neither do you kindle fire on my altar for nothing...

1 Timothy 3:3 Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous;

Titus 1:11 Whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre's sake.

1 Peter 5:2 Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre...

and the prophets.

Micah 3:5 Thus said the LORD concerning the prophets that make my people err, that bite with their teeth, and cry, Peace...

Isaiah 56:11 Yes, they are greedy dogs which can never have enough, and they are shepherds that cannot understand: they all look to their own way...

Acts 8:18-20 And when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles' hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money...

2 Peter 2:1-3,14,15 But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you...

Jude 1:11 Woe to them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward...

yet.

1 Samuel 4:3-6 And when the people were come into the camp, the elders of Israel said, Why has the LORD smitten us to day before the Philistines...

Isaiah 48:2 For they call themselves of the holy city, and stay themselves on the God of Israel; The LORD of hosts is his name.

Jeremiah 7:4,8-12 Trust you not in lying words, saying, The temple of the LORD, The temple of the LORD, The temple of the LORD, are these...

Matthew 3:9 And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say to you...

Romans 2:17-29 Behold, you are called a Jew, and rest in the law, and make your boast of God...

and say. Heb. saying. none evil can come.

Amos 9:10 All the sinners of my people shall die by the sword, which say, The evil shall not overtake nor prevent us.

Of Councils and their Authority.
1. The true nature of Councils. 2. Whence the authority of Councils is derived. What meant by assembling in the name of Christ. 3. Objection, that no truth remains in the Church if it be not in Pastors and Councils. Answer, showing by passages from the Old Testament that Pastors were often devoid of the spirit of knowledge and truth. 4. Passages from the New Testament showing that our times were to be subject to the same evil. This confirmed by the example of almost all ages. 5. All not Pastors who …
John Calvin—The Institutes of the Christian Religion