Verse 12. But these as naturall bruit beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evill of the things that they understand not, and shall utterly perish in their own corruption.
The Analysis. The other part of the comparison is contained in this verse, wherein the sin of the false teachers despising and speaking evill of dignities, is aggravated by a new comparison of the like, so that in this verse there is both a shewing of the dissimilitute, and also a whole similitude explained by its parts. The proposition of this similitude containes a description of naturall bruit beasts: the Apodosis contains a description of false teachers, according to those qualities which they have proportionably with those bruit beasts. The description of the bruit beasts contains three things: 1 Their inward nature, which is expressed by a negation, that they are void of reason, bruits. 2 Their acts or operations, which are said to proceed, not from counsell, but from nature, naturall. 3 Their end and destruction, that they are taken and destroyed. To these there are three also answerable in false teachers: 1 That they are void of judgement, they understand not. 2 That they are carryed with a naughty passion to speak evill, speak evill of the things that they understand not. 3 That they bring upon themselves destruction; they shall perish in their own corruption. The Doctrines arising herehence. Doct. 1. Sin, where it reignes, turnes a man into a bruit beast as it were.
This is shewed in all those places of Scripture, where wicked men are compared unto bruit beasts, either in generall, or in speciall, to Horses, Mules, Dogs, Swine, Foxes, Wolves, Beares, Lions, &c. Yea, they that are in greatest honour and esteeme in this world, are accounted no otherwise of by God, then as bruit beasts. The Monarchs, in Daniel, are alwayes compared unto wild beasts; and the Roman Emperours that persecuted the Church, are pointed out in the Apocalyps by
