VERS. XIII.
〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
They brought him to the Pharisees.
THE Pharisees in this Evangelist are generally to be understood the Sanhedrin; nor indeed do we find in St. John any mention of the Sadducees at all. Consult Joh. I. 24. IV. 1. VIII. 3. & XI. 46, &c.
h 1.1 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, &c. The Pharisees have such a sway amongst the people, that if they should say any thing against the King or High Priest, they would be believ'd. And a little after,
The Pharisees have given out many rules to the people from the Traditions of the fathers, which are not written in the Laws of Moses; and for that very reason the Sadducees rejected them, saying they ought to account nothing as law or obligatory, but what is deliver'd by Moses, and what hath no other authority but tradition only, ought not to be observ'd. And hence have arisen questions and mighty controversies, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, the Saddu∣cees drawing after them the richer sort only, whiles the multitude follow'd and adhered to the Pharisees.
Hence we may apprehend the reason why the whole Sanhedrin is sometime comprehen∣ded under the name of the Pharisees, because the common people, and the main body of that Nation, were wholly at the management of the Pharisees, govern'd by their decrees and laws. But there was once a Sanhedrin that consisted chiefly of the Sect of the Saddu∣cees, and what was done then? i 1.2 R. Eliezer ben Zadok saith, there was a time when they burnt a Priests daughter for whoredom, compassing her about with bundles of young twiggs; but the answer is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 there was not a Sanhedrin at that time that was well skill'd.—Rabh Joseph saith 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 that Sanhedrin was made up of Sadducees. It is worth our taking notice of this passage.