When be bad caufed the Tribe of Benjamin to come near, by their Families, the Family of Matri was taken, &c.

xxxvi. 1.

We have frequent mention of them in Scriptures, thus diftinguish'd; it is faid, The chief fathers of the families of the chil- Numb. dren of Gilead, the fon of Machir, the fon of Manaffeh, of the families of the fons of Jofeph, came near and spake before Mofes, and before the princes, the chief fathers of the children of Ifrael. Again; Then came Josh.xxi. near the heads of the fathers of the Levites 1. unto Eleazar the Priest, and unto Joshua the fon of Nun, and unto the heads of the fathers of the tribes of the children of Ifrael. And again, fpeaking of fome of thofe Heads in the Tribe of Benjamin, Chron. it is faid, Thefe were heads of the fathers, viii. 28. by their generations, chief men. Thefe dwelt in Jerufalem.

As to their peculiar Province and Part in the Adminiftration of the Government, it was their Bufinefs to hold Affemblies of the Houfholds that were under their Infpection; and to enquire into all Matters and Concerns thereunto, in any wife, relating; as far as they were of a public

Nature.

Nature. Sometimes they were summon'd by the Kings, to meet in the Great Council; and commanded the Families that were under their Jurifdiction, in Times of War.

That they had the Care and Management of the Houtholds over which they prefided, appears plainly from this; that they only, of all the Magiftrates of this Government, preferv'd and exercis'd their Power, during the Time of the Babylonish Captivity. And therefore, upon the Return, we find them active in promoting all Affairs. As foon as the Proclamation came out from Cyrus King of Perfia, giving them Leave to go up to Jerufalem, to build the boufe of the LORD Ezra i. 5. God of Ifrael, Then, it is faid, rose up the chief fathers of Judah and Benjamin, and the

Priefts and the Levites, &c. Nehemiah Neh. vii. fays, My God put into my heart, to gather

5.

together the nobles, and the rulers; and the people, that they might be reckoned by genealogy.

To fhew that they fate as Judges, we read that Jehoshaphat King of Judah ap2 Chron. pointed fome of the chief of the fathers of

xix. 8.

Ifrael,

Ifrael, for the judgment of the LORD, and for controverfies. And that they commanded in the Wars, we fhall fee under a particular Article.

The third Wheel of their Government; which, as we mention'd before, turn'd within the other two, was the Conftitution and Magiftracy of every City within it felf. As the Weight of fuperintending the Affairs of every Tribe, was much lighten'd to the Prince thereof, by the fubordinate Jurifdiction of the Heads of Families; the Political Burden of these latter was, in like manner, confiderably alleviated by the Share of Authority which appertain❜d to the Rulers of Cities: Every Tribe having feveral Cities belonging to it, and every City being inhabited by a great Number of Families.

The Chief Magiftrate in these Corporations was call'd the Ruler of the City. When Gaal had enter'd into a Confpiracy and Rebellion against Abimelech, (who himself had ufurp'd the GovernHh

ment

ment of the Ifraelites, in the Time of the Judges,) and drawn in the Men of Shechem, a City of the Tribe of Ephraim, Judg. ix. to fide with him; we read that Zebul the Ruler of the City fent Abimelech private Intelligence of it.

30.

Some have queftion'd whether there were not more than one of thefe Chief Magiftrates in every City: That there were many fubordinate ones, having a gradual Authority under one another is very plain; and that thefe were the fame whom Mofes conftituted to be Judges of the People in the Wilderness, by the Advice of Jethro his Father-in-law. He chofe xviii. 25. able men out of all Ifrael, and made them heads over the people, rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens. And they judged the people at all feafons: The hard caufes they brought unto Mofes, but every small matter they judg'd themselves.

Exod.

When therefore the Tribes came to have Cities belonging to them, there these Magistrates prefided and exercis'd their Jurifdiction. Which confifted principally of these three Parts. First, to convene and

hold

hold Senates and Councils, in order to enact
fuch By-Laws as were expedient for that
Body Corporate of which they were
Members. Secondly,
Secondly, to commiffion and
authorize the Judges to enter upon and
to determine, in the judiciary Way, fuch
Small Matters as lay properly within their
Cognizance. And, thirdly, to make a Part
of the Great Council of the Nation, as
often as it was fummon'd to affemble by
that Person who held the Helm of Go-

vernment.

xvi. 18.

10.

These are they who are intended in that Precept, where it is faid, Judges and Deut. officers fhalt thou make thee in all thy gates, which the LORD thy God giveth thee throughout thy tribes. Which Officers we find mention'd upon other Occafions. Ye ib. xxix. ftand this day all of you before the LORD your God; your captains of your tribes, your elders, and your officers. Again, Mofes fays, Gather unto me all the elders of ib. xxxi. your tribes, and your officers. And we find 28. Joshua, when he was old and fricken in age, called for all Ifrael, and for their elders, and for their heads, and for their xxiii. 2. judges, and for their officers.

Josh.