An assertion of the government of the Church of Scotland in the points of…

His fourth reason is, because we fetch the pattern of the government of ruling Elders, from the Sanhedrin of the Jews, the platform whereof we suppose Christ meant to bring into his Church, when he said, Tell the Church; whereas, saith he, it is most clear that the court was a civill court, and had a power to banish, to imprison, yea and to take away life, till by the Romans the Jews were restrained. We answer that Beza de Presbyteri•. I. B. A. C. De polit. civil. & ⟨p. 84⟩Eccl. lib. 2.¹ Also Zepperus, Junius, Piscator, Wolphius, Godwin, Bucerus, Gerard, And sundry others have rightly observed that the Ecclesiastical Sanhedrin among the Jews was distinct from the civill, yet both called by the name of Sanhedrin. We grant with Beza that sometimes civill causes were debated and determined in the Ecclesiastical Sanhedrin, but this was done [Greek or Hebrew], non [Greek or Hebrew], as he saith, the fact which was merely civill was judged in the •ivill Sanhedrin, but when the civil• Judges could not agree de jure, even in civill causes, in that case resolution was given by the other Sanhedrin; as in like cases by the juris-consults among the Romans, for the conservation and interpretation of the law did belong to the Levitical Tribe. Hence it is that we read 2 Chron. 19.8.11. Jehoshaphat set in Jerusalem of the Levites, and of the chief Priests, and of the chief of the Fathers of Israel, some for the Lords matters, among whom presided Amariah the chief Priest, and some for the Kings matters, among whom presided Z•badiah the Ruler of the house of Judah.² Saravia saith this place proveth not that there were two distinct consistories, one for civill, another for Ecclesiastical things; because, saith he, by the Kings matters are ⟨p. 85⟩meant matters of peace, and war by the Lords matters, the matters of law and judgement which are called the Lords matters, because the Lord was the author of their civill laws;