[NOTE: Any quotes from various theologians does NOT imply an endorsement or a promotion of them as true (regenerate) Christians.]
Thomas Shepard writes:
"Those that do believe and yet fall in respect of the efficient cause of faith, it never had the right maker, never came out of the right shop or mint; it was never a faith of God's making, but a faith of [their] own making; so that it is a base, bastard faith, that though it be born in the house, it shall never possess the inheritance because it was never begotten of the right father. The Lord never wrought it, but themselves" (Thomas Shepard, Parable of the Ten Virgins).
In the parable of the soils Christ presents four types (Matthew 13:1-23); three are bad soil and only one is good soil -- with different degrees of good fruit being produced (some an hundred, some sixty, some thirty).The bad soil differ in their response to the gospel (i.e., "the word of the kingdom"). Though there are differences in the three bad soils, at least one common theme is that they do NOT UNDERSTAND (see Matthew 13:13-15).
Theirs (the three bad soils) is a "bastard faith;" a "faith" of their own making. Theirs is NOT the faith of God's elect. (Titus 1:1) [Those who believe that Jesus Christ died for everyone without exception (in whatever imagined "sense") are examples of those who possess a "faith" which the Lord never wrought; theirs is not a faith produced by "the operation of God." (Colossians 2:12)]
I think the parable of the sower is specifically about those who HAVE heard the true gospel, and not about those who have only heard a false gospel. Nevertheless, an Arminian who NEVER hears the true gospel, and the three bad soils who HAVE heard the true gospel, are BOTH fabricators of a false faith.
The first bad soil (the seed sown by the wayside) could apply to the irreligious garden-variety agnostic or anti-theist of various stripe, or to some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers who mocked the resurrection (Acts 17:18, 32). It also applies to the religious violent opposers such as the Scribes and Pharisees.
The second bad soil (the seed sown on stony ground) "heareth the word, and anon [quickly, speedily, immediately, rapidly--CD] with joy receiveth it." (Matthew 13:20) This fruit rottens nearly as soon as it ripens (or "seems" to ripen).
Zacharias Ursinus writes concerning this "joyful hearing":
"The causes of this joy are in a manner infinite, and different in different individuals; yet they are all temporary, and when they fade, the faith that is built upon them, vanishes away. Hypocrites rejoice in hearing the gospel, either because it is new to them, or because it seems to calm their minds, whilst it delivers them from the burdens which men, by their traditions, have imposed upon them, as does the doctrine of Christian liberty, justification...or because they seek, under its profession, a cloak for their sins, and hope to reap rewards and advantages, both public and private, such as riches, honors, glory, which shows itself when they are called to bear the cross; for then, because they have no root in themselves, they fall away." (Zacharias Ursinus, Commentary on the Heidelberg Catechism;underlining mine).
William Gurnall writes concerning the stony soil:
"The stony ground [was] more forward than the best soil. The seed comes up immediately, as if a crop should soon have been reaped, but a few nipping frosts turn its hue, and the day of harvest proves a day of desperate sorrow. All these instances, and many more in Scripture, do evince, that nothing short of solid grace, and a principle of divine life in the soul, will persevere. How forward soever formalists and flighty professors are to promise themselves hopes of reaching heaven, they will find it too long a step for their short-breathed souls to attain" (William Gurnall, The Christian in Complete Armour).
Stephen Charnock says concerning the transient "faith" and "joy" of the stony soil:
"...being a glow-worm light in the understanding, and this a flashy heat in the affections, and a joy in the matter revealed, Mat. xiii. 20. The seed that was received into stony places was received with joy,' which may be occasioned by the novelty of a thing, the suitableness of it to some interest or carnal affection upon some present necessity. Such have often been seen to revolt again. It is as a man's taking a servant whom he puts off again, or as the sending for a physician in a present fit, and rejoicing at his coming, and putting him off after some ease when the distemper is removed" (Stephen Charnock, The Complete Works; underlining mine).
The stony ground's "love" to the WORD is subjected to his love of the WORLD. (cf. 1 John 2:15-17) They sacrifice their profession on the altar of carnal comforts. They do not do all to the glory of God in Christ, but to themselves. They live to self and not to Christ. Jesus said that if the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness. This darkness is a foolish fire, a black light.
Here is John Bunyan concerning the stony soil:
"They that bring forth too soon. They are such as at present receive the Word with joy; and anon, before they have root downwards, they thrust forth upwards; but having not root, when the sun ariseth, they are smitten, and miserably die without fruit. These professors are those light and inconsiderate ones that think nothing but peace will attend the gospel; and so anon rejoice at the tidings, without foreseeing the evil. Wherefore, when the evil comes, being unarmed, and so not able to stand any longer, they die, and are withered, and bring forth no fruit. 'He that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the Word, and anon with joy receiveth it; yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while; for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the Word, by and by he is offended' (Matt 13:20,21). There is, in Isaiah 28:4, mention made of some 'whose glorious beauty shall be a fading flower,' because it is 'fruit before the summer.' Both these are untimely fruit" (John Bunyan, Complete Works)
It appears that Jehu was not one who thought "nothing but peace" would attend his executing that which was right in God's eyes (2 Kings 10:30). But we know that Jehu's external performance in executing the worshippers of Baal stemmed from a desire for his own personal advancement. And we also know that he did not depart from the golden calves in Bethel and Dan, and that he took "no heed to walk in the law of the LORD God of Israel with all his heart." (2 Kings 10:29, 31) Jehu's superficial walking in the law of the LORD was PARTIAL. Apparently in Jehu's carnal mind, both the LORD and the golden calves were subservient and subordinate ends to his own chief and ultimate end -- selfish ambition. Of course there ARE those who (apparently) expect nothing but peace, prosperity, joy, applause from men, etc. If the gospel-seed does not "deliver" (as they imagined it would), then they will dispense with it.
John Bunyan's Mr. By-Ends had a similar sort of mercenary-mindset. By-Ends was "theologically nimble" enough to
"jump in [his] judgment with the present way of the times, whatever it was" (Pilgrim's Progress)
To conclude with a quote from one I consider to be a true brother in Christ:
“The roadside hearer heard the gospel but didn’t understand it. The thorny ground hearer was too consumed with the cares of the world. But take a look at the stony ground hearer in verses 20 and 21. He receives the gospel with JOY when he first hears it! Now during the time he was joyful about the gospel, would this man tell you that he has faith in Jesus? Of course he would. And it even looks for a time like he DOES have faith in Jesus. But what happens to him? His so-called ‘faith’ withers when persecution comes because of the gospel. Here is an example of FALSE FAITH. It believes things about the gospel, but it doesn’t believe EVERYTHING about the gospel. It doesn’t VALUE the gospel to the point of JUDGING by it. Once the persecution comes, the house shows that it was not built on the rock of Christ but on the sand of self-righteousness. The world comes in and says that his gospel is too harsh and judgmental, and he ends up caving in and agreeing with them.” [Underlining mine]
Some false religionists, such as tolerant Calvinists, believe things about the gospel, but NOT EVERYTHING about the gospel. For they consider the gospel Paul preached to be an OPTIONAL DOCTRINE. And because they believe it to be OPTIONAL, they WILL NOT VALUE the gospel to the point of JUDGING saved and lost by it. Apparently, the false gospel of Galatians 1:8-9 is the FOUNDATION of their building and the true gospel that Paul preached is the superstructure (if that). In certain contexts it might seem like these tolerant religionists possess the same faith as God's elect...except when you discover they believe that this faith is OPTIONAL -- and thus where there was a (superficial) sameness, there is a FUNDAMENTAL DIFFERENCE. To the true Christian, Jesus Christ is the Cornerstone and the Pearl of Great Price; to the tolerant religionists, He is a common stone and an inconsequential pebble.
