To this Tribunal were referred all doubtful matters, too hard for inferior Courts to decide, Deut. 8. 8. 9. as also all things that did belong to the twelve Tribes, or to the whole Nation; all things that concerning the High Priest, matters of war, and peace, the false Prophet, &c. therefore Christ saith, Luke 13. 33. It cannot be that a Prophet should perish out of Jerusalem, that being the City where the Sanhedrin sate, by this Court was Christ condemned, and the Apostles, Acts, Chap. 4. 5. and Steven, Chap. 6, 7. and Paul, Acts 23. 1. They sate in a part of the Temple, called Gasith; their punishments were strangling, beheading, storing, burning; those that were condemned to be burned, were burnt in the Valley of Hinnon, and in great cases besides his corporal death, the Malefactor was appointed and accursed to the judgment of Hell: Let me apply all to the present case: Christ doth not meddle with the lowest Court▪ the judgment of three men, because Capital matters did▪ not belong to their cognizance; and his intent is to show what a Capital matter the least expression of anger is: Whosoever is angry▪ with his Brother without a cause (saith he) is in danger of judgment; that is, of the judgment of twenty three men, to show that rash anger is before God a Capital matter. And whosoever shall say to his brother Racha▪ thou vain and witless f•llow; this was the lowest kind of contumely, then in use; some make it only an Interjection of indignation: [is in da•ger of the ⟨p. 387⟩Council] that is, of the Sanhedrin, which noteth, that Anger expressed, though in the lowest way, is an higher fault then single and b•re anger, as the fault was greater for which they appeared before the higher Sanhedrin, then that for which they appeared before the twenty three Judges: [But whosoever shall say thou fool] This noteth a higher contempt, as implying a charge, not only of weakness of nature, but of sin and wickedness, [he is in danger of Hell fire] which was the highest judgment of the Sanhedrin, to burn them in the Valley of Hinnom, and to leave them accursed till the Lord come; and so proportionably it noteth the greatness of the crime, which is committed in slandering and reproaching our brethren; 'tis a most odious sin before God:
To this Tribunal were referred all doubtful matters, too hard for inferiour Courts to decide, Deut. 8. 8. 9. as also all things that did belong to the twelve Tribes, or to the whole Nation; all things that concerning the High Priest, matters of war, and peace, the false Prophet, &c. therefore Christ saith, Luke 13. 33. It cannot be that a Prophet should perish out of Jerusalem, that being the City where the Sanhedrim sate, by this Court was Christ condemned, and the Apostles, Acts, Chap. 4. 5. and Steven, Chap. 6, 7. and Paul, Acts 23. 1. They sate in a part of the Temple, called Gasith; their punishments were strangling, beheading, storing, burning; those that were condemned to be burned, were burnt in the Valley of Hinnon, and in great cases besides his co•p•ral death, the Malefactor was appointed and accursed to the judgment of Hell: Let me apply all to the present case: Christ doth not meddle with the lowest Court▪ the judgment of three men, because Capital matters did▪ not belong to their cognizance; and his intent is to shew what a Capital matter the least expression of anger is: Whosoever is angry▪ with his Brother without a cause (saith he) is in danger of judgment; that is, of the judgment of twenty three men, to shew that rash anger is before God a Capital matter. And whosoever shall say to his brother Racha▪ thou vain and w••less f•llow; this was the lowest kind of contumely, then in use; some make it only an Interjection of indignation: [is in da•ger of the ⟨p. 387⟩Council] that is, of the Sanhedrim, which noteth, that Anger expressed, though in the lowest way, is an higher fault then single and b•re anger, as the fault was greater for which they appeared before the higher Sanhedrim, then that for which they appeared before the twenty three Judges: [But whosoever shall say thou fool] This noteth a higher contempt, as implying a charge, not only of weakness of nature, but of sin and wickedn•ss, [he is in danger of Hell fire] which was the highest judgment of the Sanhedrim, to burn them in the Valley of Hinnom, and to leave them accursed till the Lord come; and so proportionably it noteth the greatness of the crime, which is committed in slandering and reproching our brethren; 'tis a most odious sin before God:
