Matthew Poole and continuators on Luke 14:6

6 And they could not answer him again to these things.

We have before observed the freedom of our Saviours converse; sometimes he will Dine with Publicans, sometimes with Pharisees, becoming all things to all Men, that he might gain some. Christians certainly have the same liberty; the matter is not in whose houses we are, but what we do, or say, how we behave our selves there. In his going to a Pharisees house, he gives us a great Precedent of humanity, and self denial, for the Pharisees were his great Enemies, and we shall observe no great kindness shewed to him in the invitation of him. Whether this Pharisee be called one of the chief of the Pharisees, because he was a Member of the Sanhedrim, or a Ruler of a Synagogue, or because he was one of the Eldest and greatest repute, is not worth the inquiry; thither he went to eat Bread, that is, to take a Meal with him. It is a Phrase often used to signifie Dining, or Supping, for they ordinarily under the Notion of Bread, understood all manner of Victuals. It was on the Sabbath-Day. In the mean time the Evangelist tells us, they watched him, to wit, whether they might hear any thing from him, or see any thing in him, whereof they might accuse him. It happened there was a Man who had a Dropsie, whether casually, or brought thither on purpose by the Pharisees, the Scripture saith not, he was not there without a Divine direction, to give Christ an occasion of a Miracle, and further to instruct People in the true Doctrine of the Sabbath. Christ upon the Sabbath begins [illegible: 1 letter]s a discourse proper for the Day, asking the Pharisees if it were Lawful to heal on the Sabbath-Day, they make him no reply, Christ healeth him, then Preacheth a Doctrine to them, which he had twice before inculcated, in the case of a Man who had a withered hand, Matth. 12.10. and of the Woman whom Satan had bound of which we heard, ch. 13.15. viz. That works of Mercy are Lawful on the Sabbath-Day. Then he justifieth his Fact by the confession of their own practice, in li[illegible: 1 letter]ting up Beasts fallen into Pits on the Sabbath-Day. His Argument is this. If it be Lawful on the Sabbath-Day to relieve a Beast; it is much more Lawful to relieve a Man. But you do the former. The Evangelist reports them put to silence, but saith nothing of their Conviction. It is an easier thing to stop Malicious Persons Mouths then to remove their prejudices. Malice will ordinarily hold the conclusion, when the reason of the Soul infected with it is not able to justifie the premises.