A good man out of the good treasure of the heart brings forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things.
All Commentaries on Matthew 12:35 Go To Matthew 12
Jerome
AD 420
Thus He holds them in a syllogism which the Greeks call ‘Aphycton,’ the unavoidable; which shuts in the person questioned on both sides, and presses him with either horn. If, He saith, the Devil be evil, he cannot do good works; so that if the works you see be good, it follows that the Devil was not the agent thereof. For it cannot be that good should come of evil, or evil of good.
What He says, “The good man out of the good treasure of his heart” is either pointed against the Jews, that seeing they blasphemed God, what treasure in their heart must that be out of which such blasphemy proceeded; or it isconnected with what had gone before, that like as a good man cannot bring forth evil things, nor an evil man good things, so Christ cannot do evil works, northe Devil good works.
