Matthew Poole and continuators on Matthew 21:27

27 And they answered Jesus, and said, We cannot tell. And he said unto them, Neither tell I you, by what authority I do these things.

We have the same without any considerable Alteration[illegible: 1 letter] Mar. 11.27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33. Luke also records the same History, Ch. 20.1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. with no considerable difference, only he thus prefaceth to it. And it came to pass that on one of those days, as he taught the People in the Temple, and Peached the Gospel, the Chief Priests, and the Scribes, came upon him with the Elders. Which makes it plain, that their Question princip[illegible: 1 letter]lly related to our Saviours Preaching. It should seem, they had a Law prohibiting any to Preach in the Temple without Authority, from the Chief Priests, and Elders. If any one think this was not an apposite Answer, to the Question propounded to him, 1. They ought to consider, that our Saviour did truly Judge, they deserved no Answer, for his Works had testified of him, that he acted by a Divine Power; he should not need tell them so, in so many Words, 2. In very deed, there was a direct Answer couched in this Question of our Saviour. I pray, saith he, by what Authority did Iohn Preach and Baptize? They could not say by an Humane Authority, for they knew he was not Licensed by their Masters: It must follow that he Acted by Vertue of an extraordinary Divine Mission, so do I (saith our Saviour) and have given you a greater Proof of it, than ever Iohn Baptist did. But our Lord well knew, that the Pharisees had a greater Reverence for Iohn the Baptist, than for him, and that many of the People had a great Opinion of Iohn, indeed greater than of him, our Saviour coming Eating and Drinking, as he expresseth it, (that is) being of a more free, and sociable Conversation, which did not to please the Pharasaical, morose, and supercilious Humour; he therefore chuseth to teach them by a Question, in which assoon as they could resolve themselves, they might know by what Authority he did, what he did. Besides, by the Baptism of Iohn, mentioned in our Saviours. Question, is not to be understood only his Administration of Baptism, but his Doctrine, and indeed the whole of his Ministery: For as his Baptism, is called the Baptism of Repen [illegible: 1 letter]ance; so the Pharisees here argue, that if they should say from Heaven, He would say, why then did you not believe him, which must be understood of his Doctrine: A great part of Iohns Doctrine was, that the Messiah was come, that Christ was he, Ioh. 1.20. he pointed to him and said: Behold the L[illegible: 1 letter]mb of God, who takes away the sins [illegible: 1 letter]f the World, which had they believed, they would never have come to him with so silly a Question: The Pharisees therefore rightly judged▪ how they would be ensnared, if they had said Iohns Baptism and Doctrine was from God, for then a Divine Faith was due to his Words, and they must have owned Christ to be the M[illegible: 1 letter]ssiah. But why did not they say of Men? The Text saith, They feared the Pe[illegible: 1 letter]ple. Those who will not fear God, shall have something to fear sordidly, and slavishly. The People all owning Iohn as a Prophet, a Man that had an extr[illegible: 1 letter]ordinary Mi[illegible: 2 letters]ion from God, and Commi[illegible: 1 letter]sion to reveal the Mind, and Will of God; and would have Cryed sh[illegible: 1 letter]me upon them, had they disparaged him, as one that spake of his own Head: They say, We cannot tell. Herein they lyed. Our Saviour replyes: Neither do I tell [illegible: 2 letters]u &c. Not, I cannot tell you, but I do not tell you: I will tell you no more than what Iohn hath long since told you▪ and what if you will, you and all Men may know by my Miracles.