Matthew Poole and continuators on Matthew 27:11

11 And Jesus stood before the governour, and the governour asked him, saying, Art thou the king of the Jews? And Jesus said unto him Thou sayest.

Mark hath the same, Ch. 15.2. so hath Luke, Ch. 23.3. Iohn relates it more di[illegible: 1 letter]tinctly, Iohn 18.29. Pilate then went out unto them, and said, What Accusation bring you against this Man? They answered and said, If he were not a Malefactor we would not have delivered him up to thee. Then said Pilate unto them. Take him and Iudge him according to your Law. The Iews therefore said unto him, It is not lawful for us to put any Man to Death. That the saying of Iesus might be fu[illegible: 1 letter]filled, which he spake signifying what Death he should Dye. The other Evangelists seem to have given us the Story of this our Saviours first appearance before Pilate, Summarily▪ Iohn seems to have gi[illegible: 1 letter]en us it more orderly, and particularly, It is the course of all Judicaturs to require the Accusers to speake fir[illegible: 1 letter]t. Pilate therefore asketh what Accusation they had brought against him? Their Answer was very Malapert. If he had not [illegible: 1 letter]een a Malefactor, &c. what was this to the purpose? Suppo[illegible: 1 letter]e him never so great a Malefactor? Mu[illegible: 1 letter]t it not appear he is so before a Judge Condemns him? These Accusers (as it seemeth) were of the same mind that the Papists are, that the Civil Magistrate, is to be Executioner to the Church, and when the Ecclesiastical power hath Condemned a Man for Heresy or Blasphemy, the Civil Magistrate hath nothing to do, but without his own hearing the Cause to put the Person to Death. But they met with a more equal Judge, tho he were an Heathen. Say ye so, saith he, Take him then, and Iudge him according to [illegible: 1 letter]our Law. This he either speaks as deriding them, and scorning what they would have put him upon: or else not thinking he had deserved any thing worthy of Death, knowing they might without him Scourge him, or inflict some lighter punishments. They reply▪ It is not lawful for us to put any Man to Death. It is very Questionable in what Sense they spake this. Those that affirm that the Power of Judging, and determining in Capital Causes, was be[illegible: 1 letter]ore this time taken from the Jews, must affirm that Stephen was put to Death in a Popular Tumult, for he was after this Stone[illegible: 1 letter] to Deat[illegible: 1 letter] by the Jews, Acts 7.59. which is not probable, con[illegible: 1 letter]idering what we Read of him, Ch. 6.13.15. called before the Counci[illegible: 1 letter] and Witnesses used against him, and have no Record of any notice the Civil Magistrate took of the Fact as a Disorder. I therefore rather think their meaning was, This is with us a Feast-Day, on which it is not lawful for us to put any to Death without thy Consent. Or, it is not lawful for us to put any to Death, for any Civil Cause, for saying, he is our King, for it is manifest by the Question which Pilate first put to him, upon his second coming into the H[illegible: 1 letter]ll, mentioned Iohn 18.33. in which all the other three Evangelists agree, that they had charged him with saying, that he was the King of the Iews, to which all that he replyed, which is Recorded by Matthew, Mark and Luke, is Thou sayest it. I am not bound to accuse my self, who Witnesses this against me? But Iohn saith▪ That our Saviour said, sayest thou this thing of thy self, or did others tell it thee of me? Pilate answered, Am I a Iew? thy own Nation, and the Chief Priests have delivered thee to me. What hast thou done? Iesus answered, and said. My Kingdom is not of this World, if my Kingdom were of this World, then would my Servants Fight, that I should not be delivered to the Iews, but now is not my Kingdom from hence. Our Saviour by this Answer to Pilates Question, seems to vindicate his Right not to be Condemned without Witness, which if others had told Pilate this, they were bound to have produced. Pilate tells him, He had it not of himself, he was no Iew, but they were those of his own Nation, who had delivered him to him, and therefore asketh him what he had done. Then our Saviour openeth himself, not denying that he was the King of the Iews, but telling him he was no King of this World, his Kingdom was a Spiritual Kingdom, and he might know what King he was, by his Retinue, and those who took his part, for if he had laid Claim to any secular Kingdom, he should have had some appearing to take his part, and to Fight for him to deliver him from his Enemies, but he saw he had none. Pilate laying hold of his Words, replys, Art thou a King? Iesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a King, to this end was I Born, and for this Cause came I into the World, that I should bear Witness to the Truth. Every one that is of the Truth, heareth my Voice. Pilate saith unto him, What is Truth? Our Saviour still useth Prudence, and keeps himself upon a close Guard. It had been dangerous for him, directly to have owned himself a King. He therefore only tells Pilate, That he said he was a King, and that he came into the World to bear Testimony to the Truth, and further adds, That every one who was of the Truth, did hear his Voice. This poseth Pilate, who had no Notion of that Truth, which Christ spake of, he goes out as it were deriding him, saying, what is Truth? Presently he goeth out to the Jews, v. 38. and tells them, he found in him no fault at all, and offers to release him, but this we shall meet with in our Evangelist by and by, the passages hereto mentioned are only related by Iohn. Excepting only the Question, Art thou the King of the Iews? and our Saviours Answer, Thou sayest it. which is reported by all.

Marginal references: 1 Tim. 6.13.