xxii. 13,

unto the gate of his place. Again; If a Man diflikes a Woman after he has taken her to Wife, and pretends any Ground for fuch his Dislike, the Matter is to be exDeut. amin'd before the Elders of the city in the &c. gate. So, in the Cafe of a Man's refufing to marry his Brother's Wife, She is to go up to the gate unto the Elders, and make her Complaint. And the Cause of Boaz beforemention'd was heard in the Gate of the City. So the Pfalmift, fpeaking of those that are bless'd with many Children, cxxvii. 5. fays, They shall not be ashamed, but they fball Speak with the enemies in the gate. They that are intitled to fuch a Bleffing, every thing else shall profper with them; they need not to fear Want of Juftice, when they meet their Adverfary in the Court of Judicature. And the Wife Man Prov. fays, Rob not the poor, because he is poor; xxii. 22. neither oppress the afflicted in the gate. For the LORD will plead their cause, &c.

Pfalm

Again, fpeaking of a good Wife, what a Credit he is to her Husband, he uses ib. xxxi. thefe Words; Her husband is known in the gates, when he fitteth among the Elders of the land.

23.

As

23

Deut. xvii. 6.

As the Merits of every Caufe were to turn, upon the Evidence given, let us fee what Rules the Law lays down in reference thereunto. At the mouth of two witnesses, or three witnesses, shall be, that is worthy of death, be put to death: But, at the mouth of one witness, he shall not be put to death. Again; One witness fhali ib. xix. not rife up against a man for any iniquity, and for any fin that he finneth; at the mouth of two, or three witnesses, fhall the matter be established.

And then, in relation to falfe Witness, it is faid; If a falfe witness rife up against any man, to testify against him that which is wrong: Then, both the men between whom the controverfy is, shall stand before the LORD, before the Priests and the Judges, which shall be in those days; and the Judges fall make diligent inquifition: And behold, if the witness be a falfe witness, and bath teftified falfely against his brother; Then fhall ye do unto him, as he had thought to do unto his brother. Life shall go for life; eye for eye; tooth for tooth; hand for band; foot for foot.

15.

It was likewife a Part of their Law, that no Man fhould be condemn'd without being brought to a fair Trial, and hearing what he had to fay for himself. John vii. And therefore Nicodemus fays to the Chief Priests and Pharifees, Doth our Law judge any man before it hear him, and know what be doth?

51.

Deut.

XXV. I.

Then as to paffing Sentence, the Law runs thus; If there be a controverfy between men, and they come unto judgment, that the Judges may judge them; then, they shall juftify the righteous, and condemn the wicked. And, if the wicked man be worthy to be beaten, the Fudge fhall caufe him to lie down and to be beaten before his face, according to his fault, by a certain number. Forty ftripes he may give him, and not exceed. We find, the Jews, in the latter Times, would not take the utmost Liberty the Law allow'd; for, though St. Paul was mortally hated by them; and they went as far in punishing him as the Romans had left them Power; which was only that of giving Stripes; and were fso inveterate as to inflict this Punishment upon him, five Times; yet, they gave him, each

Time, but nine and Thirty Stripes. He fays; Of the Jews, five times received I, 2 Cor. xi.. forty ftripes, fave one. This Abatement, 24

it is probable, was made out of a Pretence of Clemency.

SECT. VI.

The Great Council at Jerufalem. This Council, or Court of Judicature, call'd by the Jews themselves, the Sanbedrim, was fuperior to all others, both as to the Condition and Number of the Judges which fate in it, and the Authority and Power with which it was vested. This, like the reft, was conftituted by God himself, in the Law: and intended as a Court of Appeal, or Dernier Refort, if there should be Occafion, from any of the inferior Courts. It was kept, first, in Shilob; and afterwards, at Jerufalem; being limited to the Place, where the Ark of God ftood.

Deut.

What we read of it, is, as follows: If there arife a matter too hard for thee in judgment, between blood and blood, between xvii. 8. plea and plea, and between stroke and stroke, being matters of controverfy within thy gates;

1

then fhalt thou arife, and get thee up into the place which the LORD thy God fhall choofe. And thou shalt come unto the Priests and Levites, and unto the Judge, that shall be in those days, and enquire: and they shall Shew thee the fentence of judgment. And thou shalt do according to the fentence, which they of that Place, which the LORD Shall choose, fhall fhew thee; and thou shalt obferve to do according to all that they shall inform thee: Thou shalt not decline from the fentence which they shall fhew thee, to the right hand, nor to the left. And the man, that will do prefumptuously, and will not hearken unto the Priest, that ftandeth to minifter there before the LORD thy God, or unto the Judge, even that man shall die: And all the people shall hear, and fear, and do, no more, presumptuously.

By this it appears that the chief Conductor, Judge, King, High-Prieft, or whoever was at the Head of their Affairs, was to be the Prefident in this Court. The Reft of the Judges feem to have confifted of the Chief Priefts, and such of the Levites, as were appointed, by David's Regulation, to be Officers and Judges.

For,