It may be the clerelier vnderstanded, that the presbyterie or eldership, had the chiefe stroke in this excommunication, if it be obserued that this was the pollicie and discipline of the Iewes, and of the Synagogue from whence our sauiour Christ tooke this, & translated it vnto his church, that when any man had done any thing that they helde for a taulte, that then the same was punished and censured by the elders of the church, according to the qualitie of the faulte, as it may appeare in S. Mathew, for although it be of some (and those very learned) expounded of the ciuil iudgement, vet for* 1.1 so much as the Iewes had nothing to do with ciuill iudgementes, (the same being altogethe〈1 line〉〈1 line〉 in the handes of the Romaines) and that the worde Sanedrim, corrupted of the Greeke worde 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 which S. Mathew vseth, is knowen by those that haue skill in the Rabbines, and especially the Iewes Talmud to signifie the ecclesiasticall gouernours, there can be no doubt but he meaneth the ecclesiasticall censures. And if the fault were iudged very great, then the sentence of excommunica∣tion* 1.2 was awarded by the same Elders as appeareth in S. Iohn. And this was ye cause why our sauiour Christe spake so shortly without noting the circumstances more at large, for that he spake of a thing which was wel knowen and vsed amongst the Iewes whome he spake vnto.
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* 1.3 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 〉,* 1.4 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,* 1.5 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* 1.6 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.* 1.7 Iudges, to whome did apperteine the hearing of waighty causes. And the marginall note