Matthew Poole and continuators on Matthew 22:17

17 Tell us therefore, What thinkest thou? Is it lawful to give tribute unto Cesar, or not?

Mark hath the same, Ch. 12.14. So hath Luke, Ch. 20. v. 21. There is a great Variety of Opinions, who these Herodians were, we read of them in an early Consultation against Christ, with the Pharisees, Mar. 3.6. Some think, they were Forreigners of other Nations; whom Herod being Tetrarch of Galilee, had brought in from contiguous Pagan Nations, but this is not Probable, for then the Pharisees would have had nothing to do with them. Others think, that they were some of Herods Guard, or Soldiers; but neither is this Probable, considering the issue of their Councels, to send some whom Christ should not know, nor be frighted with. Others (which is more Probable) think they were some of those Iews, who favoured Herods side, and had forgotten the Liberty of their Country, joyning with the Conqueror, and taking his Part. Others think they were Sadduces. Others say, that they were Persons, that were of a Mungrel Religion, made up of Iudaism and Gentilism. Mar. 8.15. Our Saviour bids them beware of the Leaven of the Pharisees, and of Herod; which maketh it Probable, That the Herodians were not only Courtiers, and for the Roman interest, but that they had imbraced some particular Doctrines, much differing from the Pharisees; it is likely, they were Leavened with some of the Doctrine of the Sadduces, denying Angels and Spirits, and the Resurrection. It is plain, that they were some of Herods Faction, what their Principles were as to Religion, is not so plain, nor of much concern to us to know. They begin their Discourse to our Saviour, with a great Complement, Master, a Name the Iews did usually give to those, whom they owned for Teachers. We know that thou art true, one that will tell us the Truth, and speak as thou thinkest to be true: And teachest the way of God in Truth, neither carest thou for any Man, for thou regardest not the Person of Men. Thou wilt speak nothing, out of Fear, nor for any Favour or Affection: But plainly tell us what is Truth, and what God would have us do, in the Cases we offer to thee. In these Words they give us the true Character of a good Teacher, he must be a good Man, True, one that will truly teach Men the way of God, and in the faithful discharge of their Duty, not be afraid of the Face of Men. But herein they condemned themselves, for if our Saviour was so, why did they not believe in him, and obey what he taught them? Tell us therefore what thinkest thou? Is it lawful to give Tribute unto Cesar? Or not? But how came this to be a Case of Conscience? What doubt could there be, whether Men for their Peace, might not lawfully part from their own, especially such a little part of it? Some think, that they spake with Relation to that particular Tribute, which was demanded, which they think, was that half Shekel, Exod. 30.12.15. paid by the Iews every year, which was to go for the Service of the Tabernacle: They say, that the Romans had ordered this Payment to go to the Emperor, and this bred the Question, Whether they might lawfully pay that which was appointed, as a Testimony of their Homage to God, and for the Service of the Temple, to a profane use. I must confess I cannot so freely agree to this, wanting any good proof, that the Romans exacted that Payment for the Emperor, and thinking it a very probable Argument to the contrary, That the Tables of the Money-Changers, who changed the Peoples Money into half Shekels fit for that Payment, was now continued. And if that Payment had been now altered, and turned to the use of the Civil Government, our Saviour's overturning those Tables and driving the Money Changers out, had offered them a fair opportunity, to have charged him with Sedition, which they did not do upon that Account. I rather therefore think the Question propounded concerning the Lawfulness of making any Payments to the Emperor, looking upon him, as an Usurper of Authority, over a free People. That the Iews were very tenacious of their Liberty, appears from Ioh. 8.33. And without doubt, the most of them paid such Taxes, as the Roman Emperor laid upon them, with no very Good Will. Now these Hypocrites turn it into a Case of Conscience; God having made the Iews a free People, whether they should not sin against God, in paying these Civil Taxes to a Pagan Conqueror? There was one Theudas, and Iudas mentioned, Acts 5.36, 37. who made an Insurrection upon it. This was a Question Captio[illegible: 1 letter]s enough. For if he had said it was Lawful, he had probably incurred the Odium of the People, which was what they desired, for they had apprehended him before this time, but for Fear of them. If he had said, It is not Lawful, they had what they sought for, a fair opportunity for accusing him, and delivering him up to Pontius Pilate, the Roman Governour at this time amongst them.