Matthew Poole and continuators on Matthew 14:11

11 And his head was brought in a charger, and given to the damsel, and she brought it to her mother.

Mark relateth it more largely, Ch. 6.26, 27, 28. And the King was exceeding sorry, yet for his Oaths sake, and for the sake of those that sate with him, he would not reject her. And immediately the King sent an Executioner, and commanded his Head to be brought, and he went, and beheaded him in the Prison, and brought his Head in a Charger, and gave it to the Damsel, and the Damsel ga[illegible: 1 letter]e it to her Mother. The King was exceeding sorry. He could have wished she had askt something else, he was troubled, for we heard before, that altho he feared not God, yet he feared the People. Yet for his Oaths sake, not out of any Religion of his Oath: Iuramentum non potest esse vinculum iniquitatis. They must be sott[illegible: 1 letter]shly ignorant, that think their calling God to Witness, that they will do a thing which God hath [illegible: 1 letter]orbidden them to do, should oblige them in any measure to the doing of the thing. But for his Oath sake in point of Honour, because his word was gone out, that he might not appear Guilty of any Temerity, or Levity, and for the sake of those that were with him, that he might not seem before them to vary from his Word, or it may be; as well to gratifie them, as to gratif[illegible: 1 letter]e the Damsel and her Mother, he sends an Executioner, who took off Iohn the Baptists Head, and gave it to the Damsel in a Charger, who carried it to her Mother: What could be more Inju[illegible: 1 letter]t, and Inhumane, and Bloody? Iohn was not tryed, nor condemned. It was a great Festival, and should not have been profaned or de[illegible: 1 letter]iled with Blood. These things were nothing, when an unsatiable Malice was to be gratified▪ Herodias will have her Husband, and his Guests see, that Iohn Baptists Head in a Charger, was to her as pleasing a Dish as any was at Herods great Feast. Thus dyed this Great man▪ to satisfie the Malice, and Lust of a lewd and imperious Woman. And to teach us, what we must expect, if we will be faithful to the Trust which God reposeth in us.