A Practical Commentary on the Epistle of Jude

3. They are flatly against the word; the Scripture is a great friend to the peace of humane societies, for it condemneth the least offensive word and gesture, Isa. 58. 9. Thou shalt put away from thee the yoke, and the putting forth of the finger; a gesture of indignation, and therefore God would have it laid aside, even the putting forth of the finger, as well as the yoke broken: So see Mat. 5. 22. But I say unto you, whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause, is in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say unto his brother Racha, is in danger of the Council: and whosoever shall say thou fool, shall be in danger of Hell fire. The Scribes and Pharisees had restrained the fifth Commandment, to the gross act of murder; Christ telleth them, that rash anger, with all the expressions of it, is murder: His expressions allude to the Courts of the Jews, three there were especially among them; the lowest, the middle, and the highest: There lowest Judicatory was of three men, who took cognizance of lighter matters; as injuries and strifes about goods, and things of a pecuniary concernment: this Court was set up in lesser Towns, that had few inhabitants: The second Court was of three and twenty men, before whom the weightiest causes were brought; concerning the life of a man, all Capital crimes, or if an Ox had gored a man or woman; or in case of any abominable commixtion with a Beast, if a woman approached to a Beast, &c. Levit. 20. 16. This Court was set up in all the Cities of P•laestina, and was called the lesser Sanhedrin; and because Jerusalem was the head City, the Seat of the Prince, and Temple was there; therefore in that City ⟨p. 386⟩were two of these lesser Sanhedrin, the lower Sate in the Gate of the Mountain; that is, that Gate which gave entrance to the Mountain of the Temple; the other being the higher, Sate in the Gate of Efra, near the Porch of the Temple. The third Judicatory was the greater Sanhedrin, which consisted of seventy men, in imitation of the Council of God to Moses, Numb. 11. 16. This was the highest Judicatory, from whence there was no Appeal, as there might be from the lower Courts to this: into this Assembly were chosen such as did excel others for Nobility and Wisdom; and that by a solemn laying on of hands; strangers or unclean persons, or common people, might not come nigh unto them: