Matthew Poole and continuators on Matthew 27:26

26 Then released he Barabbas unto them: and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be cru[illegible: 1 letter]i[illegible: 1 letter]ied.

Mark saith▪ Ch. 15. v. 15. So Pilate willing to content the People, released Bara[illegible: 1 letter]bas unto them, and de[illegible: 1 letter]ivered Iesus, w[illegible: 1 letter]en he had Scourged [illegible: 1 letter]im to be C[illegible: 1 letter]u[illegible: 1 letter]ified. Luke, Ch. 23.24. Saith, And Pilate gave Sentence, that it should be as they required. And he released unto them him, that for Sedition and M[illegible: 1 letter]rder, was c[illegible: 1 letter]st into Prison, whom they had desired, but he delivered Iesus to their Will. Iohn saith, Ch. 19. v. 13. [illegible: 2 letters]en Pilate therefore heard that saying, He brought Iesus [illegible: 1 word], and sate down in the Iudgment Seat, in a place that is called the Pavement, but in the Hebrew Gabbatha, and it was the Preparation of the Passover, and about the sixth [illegible: 1 letter]our, and he saith unto the Iews: Behold your King. But t[illegible: 1 letter]ey Cryed out, Away with him, Crucifie him. Pilate saith unto them. Shall I Crucifie your King? The Chief Priests answered, We have no King but Cesar. Then delivered he him, therefore unto them, to be Crucified.—Here are three Accounts given, of Pilates coming over to the Iews Desire to condemn C[illegible: 1 letter]rist, contrary to the Conviction of his own Conscience, for he had twice declared, that he found no fault in him. Matthew saith, He saw he could not prevail any thing, but rather a Tum[illegible: 2 letters]t was made. Mark saith, he did it to content the People. Iohn saith, It was upon the hearing of that, saying, If thou lettest this Man go, thou art not Cesars Friend: W[illegible: 1 letter]osoever maketh [illegible: 1 word] a King, speaketh against Cesar. His fear of being accused to the Emperour Ti[illegible: 1 letter]erius, as Favouring one, who made himself a King, e[illegible: 1 letter]pecially, if his opposing the Iews in their de[illegible: 1 letter]ire of his Death, should have caused a Tumult, was Questionless the great thing that moved him, to give Judgment in this C[illegible: 1 letter]se contrary to his own Conscience; and this is the meaning of his contenting the People, mentioned by Mark. It is plain by the whole [illegible: 2 letters]ory, he had no min[illegible: 1 letter] to gratifie, or gain Favour with them, but considering how jealous and suspicious a Prince Taberius was, it w[illegible: 1 letter]s [illegible: 1 word] Intere[illegible: 1 letter]t to qu[illegible: 1 letter]et them, and to give them no occasion of Accu[illegible: 1 letter]ing him unto the Emperour. He taketh Water and washed his Hands before the multitude. It was the Law of God in Man-slaughter, where he that slew t[illegible: 1 letter]e Man was not known, the Priests and Elders of the City, that (upon measure) shou[illegible: 1 letter]d be found nearest to the dead Body, shoul[illegible: 1 letter] take an H[illegible: 1 letter]ifer, and bring it to a rough Val[illegible: 1 letter]ey, and strike off its Head, and wash their Hands over the Head of th[illegible: 1 letter] beheaded [illegible: 1 letter]eifer: An[illegible: 1 letter] say, Our Hands have not shed this Blood, neither have our Eyes seen it, Deut. 21.1, 2, 3▪ 4, 5, 6, 7. Some think, that Pilate living amongst the Iews, had learned this Rite from them; but others think, that it was a Rite used in Protestations of Innocenc[illegible: 1 letter] amongst other People, as well as the Iews. But it was a great Fondne[illegible: 1 letter]s in Pilate, to think this excused him, and free'd him from the Guilt of our Saviour's Death. For there was such an inseparable Guilt clove to the Act, as nothing could expiate, but that Blood which he spilt. Those who take upon them the Trust of executing Laws, had need to take heed what they do, for the Law will not excuse them in the Court of Heaven, unless it be found according to the Law of God; what Pilate did, he did but Ministerially▪ The Law condemned, not he, b[illegible: 1 letter]t if it be understood of the Law of God about Blasphemy, to which the Jews undoubtedly referred. Iohn 18.33.36. it was misapplyed. I[illegible: 1 letter] it were a Roman Law, Pilate ought to have considered the Equity and Justice of it, and whither the Fact was proved or no, Pilate had twice owned, There was no fault in him. His washing his hands could not purge him of the Murder, whereof he was Guilty in his Condemnation, he did but Protest against what he immediately was about to do. Then answered all the People, and said, His Blood be upon us and our Children. His Blood, that is, the Guilt of his Blood, be upon us, &c. A mo[illegible: 1 letter]t sad imprecation, the effect of which hath been upon that Miserahle People, now more than sixteen hundred years. T[illegible: 1 letter]en released he Barrabbas to them, and having Scourged Iesus, &c. The Scourging was before this, and so recorded by St. Iohn (for we cannot imagine that he was twice Scourged.) He delivered him to be Cruci[illegible: 1 letter]yed. Not to the Jews, but to his own Officers, for it was a Civil Crime that he was accused of before Pilate, and Crucifying was a Roman Punishment.