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Chapter 12ParrLament.1.12

Of Gospellers in Name Only, and the Slandering of God's Word

Gospellers in Name Only

The writer mourns that many who profess the gospel use it as a cloak for worldly aims and live in the very sins Christ came to destroy.

Now I will speak, with deep grief and heaviness in my heart, about a kind of people in the world who are called professors of the gospel, and who by their words declare and show that they are much devoted to it—but I'm afraid some of them build on the sand, as Simon Magus did, laying a weak foundation.✦ I mean this: they don't make Christ their chief foundation, professing his teaching from a sincere, pure, and zealous mind, but either because they want to be called gospel people so they can win some credit and a good name among the true and genuine friends of Christ's teaching; or to secure some fleshly liberty; or to be contentious disputers, fault-finders, or rebukers of other people's failings; or else, finally, to please and flatter the world. Such gospel people are an offense and a slander to the Word of God, and they make the wicked rejoice and laugh at them, saying, 'Look, I ask you—see their fine fruits: what charity?✦✦1 What discretion? What godliness, holiness, or purity of life is there among them? Aren't they fierce avengers, foul gluttons, slanderers, backbiters, adulterers, fornicators, swearers, and blasphemers?✦ Yes—and they wallow and roll in every kind of sin: these are the fruits of their teaching.✦

Good Seed and Good Ground

The Word of God is holy and fruitful in itself, and when it seems to bear no good fruit the fault lies in evil hearts, not in the good seed.

And so you can see how the Word of God is spoken against through wicked and immoral living—and yet the Word of God is completely holy, pure, sincere, and godly, since it is the teaching and the cause of all holy and pure living.✦ It is the wicked who turn all good things into evil, for a bad tree cannot bear good fruit, and when good seed is sown in barren and bad ground, it yields no good grain.✦2 And so it is with the Word of God: because when it's heard and known by wicked people, it doesn't produce any good fruit; but when it's sown in good ground—I mean the hearts of good people—it yields good fruit in abundance, so that the fault and the lack are in people, not in the Word of God.✦3 I pray to God that all men and women may have grace to become fit soil for the fruits of the gospel, and to stop empty talk about it: because just talking about the gospel doesn't make people good Christians, but only good talkers—unless their deeds and works align with it; then their speech is good because their hearts are good.✦4

Do Not Blame the Word

Those who scorn knowledge of Scripture and charge the Word with causing pride and schism blaspheme the Holy Spirit, for God's holy Word must never be blamed for human offenses.

And just as much talk about the Word of God without living it out is evil and detestable in God's sight, so it's a grievous thing to hear how many people in the world can't properly take in the reading of Scripture, and who praise and commend ignorance, and say that much knowledge of God's Word is the source of all dissension, schisms, and strife, and that reading it makes people haughty, proud, and presumptuous.✦5 This kind of talk is nothing less than plain blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. For the Spirit of God is the author of his Word, and so the Holy Spirit is made out to be the author of evil—which is an enormous blasphemy and (as Scripture says) a sin that will not be forgiven in this world or in the world to come.✦ It is all our place and duty to pursue every possible way and means to spread more knowledge of God's words abroad in the world—and not to approve ignorance or speak against knowledge of God's Word, shutting the mouths of the unlearned with subtle, crafty arguments from philosophy and sophistry, which bear no fruit but only a great confusion of mind for the simple and unlearned, who don't know which way to turn.6 After all, isn't it extreme wickedness to blame God's holy, sanctified word for human offenses? To claim that the Scriptures are dangerous learning because certain readers of them fall into heresies! By this kind of argument these men might as well be forced to give up using fire because fire burned their neighbor's house, or to abstain from food and drink because they see many people overindulge.7 O blind hatred—they slander God for a human offense, excuse the person they see offending, and blame the Scripture, which they cannot prove wrong.8

Unwritten Truths and Needed Grace

Hearing that unwritten apostolic traditions must be believed grieves the writer because it shows how easily the unlearned trust men more than God unless divine grace gives light.

Yes, I've heard of some people who understand Latin very well, who, when they heard learned men urge belief in certain "unwritten truths" (as they call them)—truths not stated in Scripture, yet taught as apostolic doctrine that must be believed—came to this opinion: that the learned men possess more letters written by Christ's Apostles than we have published in the canon of the Old and New Testament, or than anyone knows of except the clergy alone.9 That belief grieved me deeply in my heart—to hear that any human being should hold so blind and ignorant an opinion. Some kinds of simplicity deserve praise, but this simplicity without the truth I can neither praise nor approve.10 And so you can see how we who are unlearned stay confused unless God, by his grace, lights our hearts with a heavenly light and with knowledge of his will; for left to ourselves we are inclined to trust men more than God.✦11 I pray God to send all learned men the Spirit of God in abundance, so that their teaching may bear its true fruit.✦

Children of Light in a Crafty Age

In this age the carnal children of Adam counterfeit Christ's garment so cleverly that only those led by the Spirit can discern them and judge all things rightly.

I think there's never been a greater need for good doctrine to be presented in the world than there is now, in this age: for the worldly children of Adam are so shrewd in their own way that, if it were possible, they would deceive the children of light.✦✦ The world loves its own, and therefore their deeds and doings are highly esteemed by the world; but the children of God are hated, because they are not of the world—for their home is in heaven, and they despise the world as a most vile slave.✦✦12 The fleshly children of Adam are so shrewd, subtle, crafty, and wise in their kind that the elect would be deceived if it were possible; for they are clothed with Christ's garment in outward appearance, with a fair show of all godliness and holiness in their words, but they have so sheared, smoothed, and turned Christ's garment, and have so disguised themselves, that the children of light, looking on them with a spiritual eye, count and take them for men who have sold their master's garment and stolen a piece of every man's garment; yet by their subtle art and crafty wits they have so fitted those patches and pieces together that they make the blind world and carnal people believe it is Christ's true mantle; but the children of light know the contrary, for they are led by the Spirit of God to the knowledge of the truth, and therefore they discern and judge all things rightly, and know where they come from: even from the Bishop of Rome and his members, the fountainhead of all pride, vainglory, ambition, hypocrisy, and feigned holiness.✦✦✦✦131415

Read the original English

Now I will speak, with great dolour and heaviness in my heart, of a sort of people which be in the world that be called professors of the gospel, and by their words do declare and show they be much affected to the same, but I am afraid some of them do build upon the sand, as Simon Magus did, making a weak foundation. I mean: they make not Christ their chiefest foundation, professing his doctrine of a sincere, pure, and zealous mind, but, either for because they would be called gospellers to procure some credit and good opinions of the true and very favourers of Christ’s doctrine; either to find out some carnal liberty; either to be contentious disputers, finders or rebukers of other men’s faults, or else finally to please and flatter the world: such gospellers are an offence, and a slander to the Word of God, and make the wicked to rejoice and laugh at them, saying ‘behold, I pray you, their fair fruits: what charity? What discretion? What godliness, holiness, or purity of life is amongst them? Be they not great avengers, foul gluttons, slanderers, backbiters, adulterers, fornicators, swearers and blasphemers? Yea, and wallow and tumble in all sins: these be the fruits of their doctrine.’

And thus it may be seen how the Word of God is evil spoken of, through licentious and evil living: and yet the Word of God is all-holy, pure, sincere and godly, being the doctrine and occasion of all holy and pure living. It is the wicked that perverteth all good things into evil, for an evil tree cannot bring forth good fruit, and when good seed is sown in a barren and evil ground, it yieldeth no good corn. And so it fareth by the Word of God: for when it is heard and known of wicked men it bringeth forth no good fruit; but when it is sown in good ground, I mean the hearts of good people, it bringeth forth good fruit abundantly, so that the want and fault is in men and not in the Word of God. I pray, God, all men and women may have grace to become meet tillage for the fruits of the gospel, and to leave only the jangling of it: for only speaking of the gospel maketh not men good Christians, but good talkers ─ except their facts and works agree with the same, so then their speech is good because their hearts be good. And even as much talk of the Word of God without practising the same in our living is evil and detestable in the sight of God, so it is a lamentable thing to hear how there be many in the world that do not well digest the reading of Scripture, and do commend and praise ignorance, and say that much knowledge of God’s Word is the original of all dissension, schisms and contention, and maketh men haughty, proud and presumptuous by reading of the same.

This manner of saying is no less than a plain blasphemy against the Holy Ghost. For the Spirit of God is the author of his Word, and so the Holy Ghost is made the author of evil, which is a most great blasphemy and (as the scripture saith) a sin that shall not be forgiven in this world, neither in the other to come. It were all our parts and duties to procure and seek all the ways and means possible to have more knowledge of God’s words, set forth abroad in the world, and not allow ignorance, and discommend knowledge of God’s Word, stopping the mouths of the unlearned with subtle and crafty persuasions of philosophy and sophistry, whereof cometh no fruit, but a great perturbation of the mind to the simple and ignorant, not knowing which way to turn them.

For how is it not extreme wickedness, to charge the holy sanctified word of God with the offences of man? To allege the Scriptures to be perilous learning because certain readers thereof fall into heresies! These men might be forced by this kind of argument to forsake the use of fire, because fire burned their neighbours house, or to abstain from meat or drink, because they see many surfeit. O blind hate, they slander God for man's offence, and excuse the man whom they see offend, and blame the Scripture, which they cannot improve.

Yea, I have heard of some, that have very well understand the Latin tongue, that when they have heard learned men persuade to the credit and beliefs of certain unwritten verities (as they call them) ─ which be not in Scripture expressed and yet taught as doctrine apostolic and necessary to be believed ─ they have been of this opinion: that the learned men have more Epistles written by the Apostles of Christ than we have abroad in the canon of the Old and New Testament, or known of any, but only to them of the clergy. Which belief I did not a little lament in my heart, to hear that any creature should have such a blind ignorant opinion. Some kind of simplicity is to be praised, but this simplicity without the verity I can neither praise nor allow. And thus it may be seen how we that be unlettered remain confused without God, of his grace, lighten our hearts with a heavenly light and knowledge of his will; for we be given of ourselves to believe men better than God. I pray, God, send all learned men the Spirit of God abundantly, that their doctrine may bring forth the fruits thereof.

I suppose there was never more need of good doctrine to be set forth in the world than now in this age: for the carnal children of Adam be so wise in their generation that, if it were possible, they would deceive the children of light. The world loveth his own, and therefore their facts and doings be highly esteemed of the world; but the children of God are hated, because they be not of the world ─ for their habitation is in heaven, and they do despise the world as a most vile slave. The fleshly children of Adam be so politic, subtle, crafty and wise in their kind that the elect should be illuded if it were possible; for they are clothed with Christ's garment in utter appearance, with a fair show of all godliness and holiness in their words, but they have so shorn, nopped and turned Christ’s garment, and have so disguised themselves that the children of light, beholding them with a spiritual eye, account and take them for men which have sold their master’s garment, and have stolen a piece of every man’s garment; yet by their subtle art and crafty wits they have so set those patches and pieces together that they do make the blind world and carnal men to believe it is Christ's very mantle; but the children of light know the contrary, for they are led by the Spirit of God to the knowledge of the truth, and therefore they discern and judge all things right, and know from whence they come: even from the Bishop of Rome and his members, the headspring of all pride, vainglory, ambition, hypocrisy and feigned holiness.

Scripture echoes

  1. ↩Matt.7.26-Matt.7.27 — And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be compared to a foolish man who built his house upon the sand. Matt.7.27 — And the rain fell, and the rivers came, and the winds blew and struck that house, and it fell — and its collapse was great.
  2. ↩Matt.7.16-Matt.7.20 — You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thorns, or figs from thistles? Matt.7.17 — So every good tree produces good fruit, but the bad tree produces bad fruit. Matt.7.18 — A good tree cannot produce evil fruit, nor can a rotten tree produce good fruit. Matt.7.19 — Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Matt.7.20 — So then, by their fruits you will know them.
  3. ↩1Cor.3.11 — For no one can lay another foundation besides the one that is already laid, which is Jesus Christ.
  4. ↩Gal.5.19-Gal.5.21;2Tim.3.2-2Tim.3.4 — Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, Gal.5.20 — idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, factions Gal.5.21 — envies, drunkennesses, revelries, and the like — which things I forewarn you, just as I have already said, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 2Tim.3.2 — For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boasters, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, 2Tim.3.3 — without natural affection, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of good 2Tim.3.4 — traitors, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,
  5. ↩Matt.7.16-Matt.7.20 — You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thorns, or figs from thistles? Matt.7.17 — So every good tree produces good fruit, but the bad tree produces bad fruit. Matt.7.18 — A good tree cannot produce evil fruit, nor can a rotten tree produce good fruit. Matt.7.19 — Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Matt.7.20 — So then, by their fruits you will know them.
  6. ↩Rom.2.24;2Pet.2.2 — For 'the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you,' as it is written. 2Pet.2.2 — And many will follow their sensuality, on account of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed.
  7. ↩Matt.7.17-Matt.7.18;Luke.6.43 — So every good tree produces good fruit, but the bad tree produces bad fruit. Matt.7.18 — A good tree cannot produce evil fruit, nor can a rotten tree produce good fruit. Luke.6.43 — For no good tree bears rotten fruit, nor again does a rotten tree bear good fruit.
  8. ↩Matt.13.8;Luke.8.15 — But other seed fell on good soil and produced grain—some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. Luke.8.15 — But that on the good soil — these are the ones who, in a good and noble heart, having heard the word, hold it fast, and bear fruit in endurance.
  9. ↩Matt.12.34-Matt.12.35;Luke.6.45 — Offspring of vipers! How can you speak good things, being evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. Matt.12.35 — A good person brings good things out of the good stored up within, and an evil person brings evil things out of the evil stored up within. Luke.6.45 — The good person brings out good from the good treasure of the heart, and the evil person brings out evil from the evil treasure. For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.
  10. ↩Jas.1.22-Jas.1.25;Matt.7.21-Matt.7.27 — But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. Jas.1.23 — For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, this one is like a man who observes his natural face in a mirror; Jas.1.24 — For he has looked at himself and gone away, and immediately forgotten what sort of person he was. Jas.1.25 — But the one who looks intently into the perfect law of freedom, and continues in it—not having become a hearer who forgets but a doer of the work—this one will be blessed in what he does. Matt.7.21 — Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Matt.7.22 — Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name cast out demons, and in your name perform many mighty works?' Matt.7.23 — And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you who practice lawlessness.' Matt.7.24 — Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. Matt.7.25 — And the rain came down, and the rivers rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock. Matt.7.26 — And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be compared to a foolish man who built his house upon the sand. Matt.7.27 — And the rain fell, and the rivers came, and the winds blew and struck that house, and it fell — and its collapse was great.
  11. ↩Matt.12.31-Matt.12.32;Mark.3.28-Mark.3.29;Luke.12.10 — Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven people, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. Matt.12.32 — And whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven them; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven them, neither in this age nor in the one to come. Mark.3.28 — Truly I tell you, all things will be forgiven the sons of men—their sins and whatever blasphemies they may speak. Mark.3.29 — but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin Luke.12.10 — And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but the one who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.
  12. ↩Acts.5.29 — But Peter and the apostles answered, "We must obey God rather than men."
  13. ↩Matt.7.16-Matt.7.20;Gal.5.22 — You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thorns, or figs from thistles? Matt.7.17 — So every good tree produces good fruit, but the bad tree produces bad fruit. Matt.7.18 — A good tree cannot produce evil fruit, nor can a rotten tree produce good fruit. Matt.7.19 — Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Matt.7.20 — So then, by their fruits you will know them. Gal.5.22 — But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
  14. ↩Luke.16.8 — And the master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly; for the people of this age are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than the people of light.
  15. ↩Matt.24.24;Mark.13.22 — For false christs and false prophets will arise and will give great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. Mark.13.22 — For false christs and false prophets will arise and will give signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, the elect.
  16. ↩John.15.19 — If you were of the world, the world would love its own. But because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.
  17. ↩Phil.3.20 — For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.
  18. ↩Matt.24.24;Mark.13.22 — For false christs and false prophets will arise and will give great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. Mark.13.22 — For false christs and false prophets will arise and will give signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, the elect.
  19. ↩Gal.3.27;Rom.13.14 — For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. Rom.13.14 — But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its desires.
  20. ↩Rom.8.14;1Cor.2.15 — For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. 1Cor.2.15 — The spiritual person discerns all things, yet is discerned by no one.
  21. ↩Luke.16.8;Eph.5.8;1Thess.5.5 — And the master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly; for the people of this age are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than the people of light. Eph.5.8 — For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord; walk as children of light. 1Thess.5.5 — For you are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not of the night nor of darkness.

Notes

  1. 1 ↩Source 'gospellers' kept as plain 'gospel people' (those who profess the gospel by name); period pejorative force is carried by the surrounding argument, not by an archaic label.
  2. 2 ↩Early Modern 'corn' means grain in general, not maize; rendered as 'grain'.
  3. 3 ↩'Want' here means deficiency/lack, not desire; paired with 'fault' as blame for the failure.
  4. 4 ↩'Meet tillage' = suitable cultivated ground/soil; 'jangling' = empty chatter or noisy talk; 'facts' in Early Modern English often means deeds/actions (Latin factum), not 'facts' as propositions.
  5. 5 ↩'Original of' = origin/source of; 'do not well digest' = cannot properly receive or process (metaphor of mental/spiritual digestion).
  6. 6 ↩Source 'not allow ignorance, and discommend knowledge' is read as a coordinated prohibition (neither approve ignorance nor disparage knowledge of Scripture), with 'stopping the mouths...' as the means by which that disparagement is done; the second negative is not restated in the Early Modern wording.
  7. 7 ↩Early modern 'meat' means food in general, not flesh alone; rendered as 'food' with 'drink'.
  8. 8 ↩Early modern 'improve' here means disprove or find at fault, not modern 'make better'; rendered as 'prove wrong'.
  9. 9 ↩"Unwritten verities" is the period term for claims of necessary oral/apostolic tradition outside Scripture; kept as "unwritten truths" with the speakers' own label preserved in quotes.
  10. 10 ↩Early modern "allow" = approve/accept, not modern "permit"; rendered "approve".
  11. 11 ↩Parsed "without God, of his grace, lighten" as Early Modern "unless God by his grace lightens"; alternative absolute reading is less coherent.
  12. 12 ↩Early modern 'facts' means deeds/actions (not modern 'facts'); rendered as 'deeds'.
  13. 13 ↩'nopped' is an early modern cloth-finishing term (to remove or smooth the nap of fabric); rendered as 'smoothed' with 'sheared… and turned' to keep the garment-alteration image.
  14. 14 ↩'illuded' = deluded/deceived; 'politic' = shrewd/calculating in worldly craft; 'headspring' rendered as 'fountainhead'.
  15. 15 ↩Parr's polemical identification of the deceivers with 'the Bishop of Rome and his members' is retained as historical source content, not softened.

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