Commentary on the Gospels and Acts, Commentary 1 · Chapter 7 · Verse 18 – Verse 19
Verse 18. A good tree cannot bring forth evil …, &c.]
Heretikes then, and heterodoxes are not good honest men, as the vulgar … them. For their pretended holinesse, and counterfeit humility, Col. 2. 18. Were they humble men indeed, they wouldTit. 1. …, 16. soon yeeld to the truth discovered unto them, and relinquish their erroneous opinions. … could not be a good man, as Bucholcerus judged him, so long as he held fast his heresies, though he were much in the commendation of a new life, and detestation of an evil: though himself praid much, and lived soberly. He bewitched many with those magnificent words, and stately tearms that he had much in his mouth, of Illumination, Revelation, Deification: the inward and spirituall man, &c. but in the mean while, he denied the humane nature of Christ to be a creature; and called those that thought otherwise Creaturists. He affirmed the Scripture to be but a dead letter: which they that held not, he called them Scripturists. Faith he said was nothing else but God dwelling in us, as Osiander after him. In a word,Lev. …. 44. he was a leper in his head, and is therefore pronounced utterly …. An evil tree cannot bring forth good fruit. That popish inquisitour… in … & modesti, … in vestibus … sed fides eorum, est … & pessima. Arch …, … Gravis. quaest pag 155. was quite out, that said the Waldensian Haereticks may be discerned by their manners and words: for they are modest, true, grave, and full of brotherly love one towards another, but ranck haeretikes. This was somewhat like Pliny, his description of the Christians in that Province, where he was governour. And here I cannot omit, that when the B. of Worcester exhorted M. Philpot the Martyr (being brought to his answer,) before he began to speak, to pray to God for grace. Nay, my Lord of Worcester said Bonner, you doe not well to exhort him to make any praier: for this is the thing they have a singular pride in. For in this point they are much like to certain arrant haeretikes, of whom Pliny maketh mention, that they sang antelucanos …, …. … Mon.Psalms of praise to God before break-of-day. But had Bonner and his fellow-buzzards but observed the burning zeal, sweet assemblies, watchings, prayings, holinesse of life, patience in death, &c. of those that served God after the way that they called haeresy, they might well have seen and said as much, as the Centurion did of our Saviour, and they might have replyed, as our Saviour did of himself. I have not a devil, but I honour my Matth. …. 54.father, and ye doe dishonour me. If I honour my self, my honour is nothing: It is my father that honoureth me, of whom ye say, that he is Joh. 8. 49, 54your God. Cenalis Bishop of Auranches, wrote against the Congregation of Paris, defending impudently, that their assemblies were to maintain whoredom. How much better, and with more ingenuity the Bishop of Aliffe; who preaching at … in the time of that Councell, Anno 1563. Spake of the faith and manners of the Catholikes and herericks, and said, that as the faith of the Catholikes was better, so the hereticks exceeded…. them in good life: which gave much distast, saith the Historian. But Bellarmine (had he been then and there present) would not likely have been much offended: For we, faith he, although we believe that all the … are to be found in the Church: yet that any man may be absolutely said to be a member of the true Church, defcribed in the Scriptures, we doe not think that any internall vertue is required of him: but onelyonly an externall profession of the faith, and such a partaking of the Sacraments, as is perceived by the outward senses. A pretty description, and picture of a Papist: amongst whom if any be vertuous, it is by accident, and … as they are members of that Church: As … wittily said of the Epicures, that if any of that sect proved good, it was … by the benefit of a better nature; for they taught all manner of loosenesse and libertinisme, But for the most part, such as their doctrine is, such is also their practise. The Friers (saith One that had seen it, and so could well avouch it) are a race of people alwaies praying, but seldom with signe of devotion: vowing obedience, but still contentious: … yet most luxurious: poverty, yet ever scraping, and …. And generally the devotions of papists, saith he, are prised more…. … 8. by tale, then by weight of zeal: placed more in the m ssy materiality of the outward work, then purity of the heart, from which they proceed. They hold integrity for little better then …, and abjectnesse about Italy, and abuse the most honourable… …. Test. on Act, 11 sect 4. name of Christian, usually, to signify a Fool, or a Dolt, as is afore noted out of D. Fulke. Are not these the fruits of a rotten religion, of trees specious without, but putrefied and worm-eaten within, (as the word our Saviour here useth, properly signifieth)foreign of foreign, to …, Suidas. which appears at length by their rotten …? The true Christian will not cease to bear good fruit, what weather soever come, Jer. 17. 7. The hypocrite will either bear onelyonly leaves asPulchra ac … est, sed fructu caret. …. the …-tree, or apples of Sodom, grapes of Gomorrah. Of such we may say, as of mount Gilboah, no good fruit growes on them: or as Siratonicus saith of the hill Haemus, that for eight moneths in the year it was very cold, and for the other foure, it… foreign. was winter: Or as the Poet said of his countrey, that it was bad in winter, hard … summer, good at no time of the year. Campian of St Iohns in Oxford, … of the University, Anno 1568. dissembled the Protestants Religion: So did Parsons in Balial, ….untill he was for his dishonesty, expeld with disgraceCamdens Eliz. sol. 215. and fled to the Papists; where caelum mutavit non animum, neither good egge, nor good bird, as they ….
Verse 19. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit, &c.]
Fruitlesse trees are cut down to the fire. Short shooting looseth many a game. The idle servant is delivered to the tormentours:Euseb. and unsavoury salt is cast out to be trodden on, as Ecebolius ….…. 6. 8. The … earth is nigh to cursing, whose end is to be burned. Pure gold discovers deadly poison. For there will sparkle out of the cup, certain rain-bowes, as it were, and there will be heard, … One, a fiery hissing of the gold thrusting out the poison. Whereby is signified, saith he, that God threatneth judgementSphinx philos. pag. 622. and hell-fire, to those that corrupt and poison heavenly Doctrine. See more of this above, chap. 3. 10. Let us study and … to … the tree of Paradise, that was fair to the eie, and good to eat, and that tree of life. Rev. 22. 2. That bringeth … every monethmonth, twelve manner of fruits, &c. And those …, Psal 92. 13. that being planted in the housePsal. 52. 8. of the Lord, bring … fruit in their old age. I am likeCant. 1. 16. …. … 14. 7.a green olive tree saith David: our bed is of green cedar, saith the Spouse. Ephraim was like a green firre tree, fat and sappy, &c. Barrennes is no … a fault then ill fruit.