Matthew Poole and continuators on Matthew 12:12

12 How much then is a man better than a sheep? Wherefore it is lawful to do well on the sabbath days.

Mark saith, Ch. 3.3, 4, 5. And he said unto the Man, that had the withered Hand, Stand forth. And he saith unto them, Is it lawful to do good on the Sabbath Days, or to do Evil, to save Life or to Kill? But they held their Peace. Luke reports it thus, Ch. 6.8. But he knew their Thoughts, and said to the Man which had the withered Hand, Rise up, and stand forth in the midst, and he arose, and stood-forth. Then said Iesus unto them, I will ask you one thing, Is it lawful on the Sabbath Days to do Good, or to do Evil, to save Life or to destroy it? Christ knew their Thoughts▪ He needed not that any Man should tell him what was in the Heart of Men, he knew their Design in coming, and propounding this Question. He calls this Man with the withered Hand to stand forth, that all Men might see, and take notice of him. Then he argueth the Case with the Pharis[illegible: 1 letter]es, telling them, that they themselves would grant, that if a man had a sheep fallen into a Pit on the Sabbath Day, they might labour so far as to take it out (so it seemeth that in Christs time they did expound the Law.) They also knew that the Life, or good of a Man, was to be preferred before the Life of a Beast, in their reproving him: Therefore they condemned themselves in a thing which they allowed. Then he propounds a Question to them, which Matthew hath not, but it is mentioned both by Mark and Luke. He asketh them, Whether it was lawful on the Sabbath Day to do Good, or to do Evil? To save Life or to destroy it. The Argument is this, Whatsoever is good to save the Life of Man, may be done on the Sabbath Day, but this is a good Action, if I should not lend him my help, when it is in my Power, I should in the Sense of Gods Law, kill him.