Matthew Poole and continuators on Luke 2:41

41 Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the passover.

The Law of God enjoyned all the Males of the Israelites to appear at Ierusalem before him, three times each year, of which the Feast of Unleavened Bread was one, but the Women seem not to have been all under the same Obligation, but many of them went, of which Mary was one, but we read not of Christs going, till he was twelve years Old. Some think that the Women used to go once in a year, we read that Elkanahs Wife went, 1 Sam. 1.5, 6, 7. but whether they generally did so or no, the Scripture saith not. One thing is observable. The Pharisees and Scribes and Priests had in those days much Corrupted the Worship of God by their Traditions, yet they retained the substance of Gods Institutions, we find both our Saviour and his Disciples, and other People of God, not wholly forsaking the Jewish Church, because of its Corruptions, yet we cannot think they joyned with them in any thing of their Will Worship, from whence we may learn a tenderness as to a Total Separation [illegible: 1 letter]rom a Church, and the lawfulness of attending Divine Ministrations, tho attended with usages, which we approve not of, provided there be no Idolatry in the Service.

Marginal references: Exod. 23.14▪ 17. & 34.23.; Deut. 16.1.