It is very vnlike that our sauiour Christ would borow any such manner or forme of gouernment from the Iewes: séeing the same was neither before prescribed vnto them by God, nor yet at that time rightly vsed, but moste shamefully abused: and yet (if it were so) it quite ouerthroweth your purpose. For the Iewes Seigniorie was on∣ly at Ierusalen, yours must be in euery parishe: besides that, there is a great differ〈1 line〉〈1 line〉ce in the persons.
Howbeit I do not vnderstand how you can drawe the place in the. 5. of Mathew to your purpose, for if you meane these wordes (Quicun{que} dixerit fratri suo Racha, obnoxius* 1.1 erit concilio: He that calleth his brother Racha, shalbe in daunger of a councell) as I am sure you do, Christ doth not there prescribe any forme of gouernment or order of pu∣nishing, but he declareth the degrées of vncharitable dealing towardes our brethren, & the increase of punishmentes according to the same.
M. Bullinger in his Cōmentaries vpon that place saith, that the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉,* 1.2 doth signifie consessum Iudicum & buiusmodi consessum qualis apud Graecos erat Amphictyonum qui de grauissimis solebant consultare causis. And he addeth, that Christ hereby signifieth, that as the faulte increaseth, so doth the punishment also.
M. Caluine likewise in his harmony vpon the Gospel saith that Christ in this place,* 1.3 alluding to earthly iudgementes doth testifie, that God wilbe iudge euen of secret anger to punishe it. And bicause he proceedeth further, which vttereth his anger in bitter speache, he saith that he is giltie, coram toto coelesti consessu, before the celestiall assembly, that he may su∣staine the greater punishment.
Noua Glossa saith, that 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 doth signifie an assemblie of iudges, and that in suche* 1.4 assemblies as at Athens in the court of Mars, weightier causes were wont to be handeled, and punishmentes for offenders, consulted vpon. There, saith that commentarie, Christe by the name of a councell, alluding to the manners and customes of men, teacheth that those are more greuously to be punished, which more vtter and expresse their anger.
Beza sayth, that 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 signifieth that kinde of gouernment, wherein there was. 23.* 1.5 Iudges, to whome did apperteine the hearing of waighty causes. And the marginall note