In all civil Courts, five sorts of persons were alwayes present. 1. _Judges._ 2. _Officers._ 3. _Pleaders._ 4. _Notaries._ 5. _Witnesses._ In the _supreme Court_, there was one that was chief over all the other _Judges_, they called him in _Hebrew_ _Nasi_, in _Greek_ ἄρχοντα, _The Prince_. His leave was craved for the tryal of actions. The _Witnesses_ were at least two, _Deut. 29. 15._ If they were false, they punish’d them with a _Talio_, the same punishment which he intended against his brother, _Deut. 19. 19._ The _Notaries_ were two,[532] one stood on the _right hand to write the sentence of Absolution_, and what was spoken in defence of the party; the other stood on the _left hand, to write the sentence of condemnation_, and the objections against the party. _Drusius_[533] thinks that _Christ_ speaking of the last Judgment had reference to this, _He shall set the sheep on the right hand, and on the left the goats_, _Matth. 25. 23._ The _Officers_ were in manner of _Sheriffs_, they were present to execute what the _Judges_ determined; whence they carried up and down their _staves_ and _whips_,[534] as the _Consuls_ of _Rome_ had _Rod_ and _Axes_, carried before them for the readier execution of justice. In _Hebrew_ they are called ‎‏שוטרים‏‎ _Schoterim_, by the Septuagint sometimes γραμματεῖς, in our _English_ translation commonly _Officers_, and by Saint _Luke_ πράκτορες: for, doubtless there is allusion unto them, _Luke 12. 58._ When thou goest with thine adversary, (ἄρχοντι) to the _Magistrate_, as thou art in the way, give diligence that thou maist be delivered from him, lest he hale thee to the _Judge_, and the _Judge_ deliver thee to the _Officer_, _&c._ The _Pleader_ was called ‎‏בעל ריב‏‎ _Baal rib_, he stood on the _right hand_ of the party cited into the _Court_, whether he pleaded for or against him. The _Lord_ shall stand on the right hand of the poor, to save him from those that judge his soul, _Psa. 109. 31._ that is, _The Lord shall plead his cause_. And _Satan_ stood at the _right hand of_ Joshua, _Zach. 3. 1._ that is _to accuse him, or plead against him_. When S. _John_ speaking, _If any man sin, we have an Advocate_, _1 John 2. 1._ he alludeth unto this _Baalrib_, or _Pleader_. The _Judges_, they examined and determin’d matters and after examination, sentence was pronounced by the _Judge_ in this manner: _Tu N. justus, Tu. N. reus_, _Thou ~Simon~ art just: Thou ~Reuben~ art guilty_: at the pronunciation of which the guilty person was dragged to the place of execution. _When he shall be judged, let him be condemned_, _Ps. 109. 7._ the _Hebrew_ is, _Let him go out wicked_.