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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A37498	The tryal of spirits both in teachers & hearers wherein is held forth the clear discovery and certain downfal of the carnal and antichristian clergie of these nations / testified from the Word of God to the university-congregation in Cambridge by William Dell ; whereunto is added A plain and necessary confutation of divers gross errors delivered by Mr. Sydrach Simpson in a sermon preached to the same congregation at the commencement, Anno 1653 ; wherein (among other things) is declared, that the vniversities (according to their present statutes and practices) are not (as he affirmed) answerable to the schools of the prophets in the time of the law, but rather to the idolatrous high places ...	Dell, William, d. 1664.; Simpson, Sidrach, 1600?-1655. A plain and necessary confutation of divers gross and antichristian errors.	1660 (1660)	Wing D933; ESTC R219079	121,760	168

Ministry when they have got Countenance Strength and Ayd from the Worldly Magistrates how have they with their Academical Philosophical Heathenish Divinity infected poysoned and destroyed the People to Eternal Death and No Body durst shun Them upon Pain of Temporal Death or Punishments But now through the great Goodness of God and his mighty Providences and Works from Heaven it is a more Happy Age and Happy shall They be who being called forth shall do the Work of God against all Discouragements and Difficulties and shall not with Ephraim being harnessed turn their Backs in the Day of Battle And now to return to our Business again touching the Universities let none object that Luther speaks against Popish Universities only for this is but a weak and simple Defence and altogether unable to ward off the Mighty Blow of Gods Word from their Heads and Hearts For the Things condemned in the foregoing Testimonies of Luther are the Self Same for the Substance of them as do live prevail and flourish in our present Universities as hath been before declared and I leave it to every faithful Christian to judge the Truth in this Matter But men would fain preserve their Titles Degrees Authority Dignity State Stipends and therefore for Defence of These Things they must needs say Something though it be to never so little Purpose but yet by such Discourse they sufficiently declare how cool and icie they are for Christs Interest and how zealous for their Own But certain it is that as the Universities were set up at first as Nurseries for Antichrists Kingdom Men being therein so educated according to the undertaking of Charles the Great in Philosophy and School-Divinity that it might be said to them Vos estis Sal Terrae Lux Mundi Ye are the Salt of the Earth and the Light of the World which yet only agrees to the Faithful who are born of God so have they still remained the Same hitherto in Substance though not without some small Change of Outward Form 2. For first the Philosophy taught and studied in the University is the very Same that it was at first and this Philosophy is nothing but the Religion of the Heathen For what the Law was to the Jews and the Gospel is to the Christians Philosophy was and is to the Heathen and in this Study the poor Lads waste the flower and cream of their Lives to no purpose but to make them more Heathenish Corrupt and Bold in Evil then they were by Nature And For their Divinity which they usually learn in the Universities out of the Fathers Schoolmen and Systems and in which they are trained up to Dispute either for it or against it in the Schools it being in seriousness all one to Them what they hold and maintain in Religion seeing all is but Opinion to them and which they after teach to the People with special Regard to their own Profit and Advantage this is not the true Word and Ministry of the Gospel For the Gospel is the Word of Faith which Word is the Word in our Hearts according to the Tenor of the New Covenant wherein God saith I will write my Law in their Hearts and put it in their Inward Parts But now the University-Divines the Truth being indeed dead in their Hearts and having no Presence nor Power there they take it up out of the Books and Writings of Men wherein it hath been buryed and by this Means bring forth a dead Doctrine to the World which Other Men have spoken but Themselves have no Experience of and not the Word of Life which hath quickened them but only a Dead Letter raised up like the Living Letter which they present to them as the Witch of Endor raised up a Dead Samuel in the outward Habit and Appearance of the Living Samuel and presented him to Saul so these University-Divines bring forth the outward Garments and Appearance of the Truth to the People when they do best but the Substance Soul and Life of the Truth they cannot bring forth because they have not the Living Word of God in their Hearts but have only a Dead Word which they gather out of the Books and Writings of Men. And this is the University-Divinity And Lastly The Preachers which the Universities send forth are usually in the greatest Enmity to Christ and his Gospel of all other Men whatsoever and do bring greatest Prejudice to Christs Kingdom and greatest Advantage to Antichrists For when Men without Learning and yet without the Spirit of Christ will undertake to teach the People as many also now do their Ignorance is manifest to all and is judged of all and they through their Rudeness can never long deceive the World but now when Men are as destitute of the Spirit as They and yet have Humane Learning and the Letter of the Word in a Philosophical sense to help them this is that that exceedingly endangers and deceives the World the People supposing the Doctrine of the Gospel according to Philosophical Learning to be the Ministration of the Spirit and to be sufficiently enough to instruct the Church And so Antichrists Kingdom is set up with Credit and Renown by These whereas the Ignorant Teachers who are destitute of the Spirit are able to do Him no considerable Service But Christ will not have the Learned Men to be Teachers in his Church through their Learning and as little will he have Ignorant Men to teach in his Church because of their Ignorance but whether Men be Learned or Ignorant according to the World it is no matter in Christs Church where each Man is to speak in the Spirit of Christ which makes both the Ignorant and the Learned alike wise in Christ and so the Learned Man becomes Ignorant in the Church to be Learned in Christ and the Ignorant Man without Worldly Learning forthwith becomes Wise in Christ and the Learned and the Ignorant meet together only in the Wisdom of Christ which is the Wisdom of God and swallows up at once all the Learning and Ignorance of the World alike and will have all Wise alone in it Self Wherefore all Universities being left and forsaken as to this Matter let Learned and Ignorant Men come alike to Christ to be made Wise in Him who is made unto us of God our only Wisdom FINIS THE Right Reformation of Learning Schools and Universities according to the State of the Gospel and the True Light that shines therein THough I do not pretend to that Wisdom which might direct the World farther then the Word of God is with me yet shall I be bold as one who desires to be faithful to Christ and profitable to his true Church to offer my apprehensions and advice to the Called Chosen and Faithful Ones of Christ that either now are or hereafter may be in Authority in these Nations touching the instructing Youth and ordering Schools 1. First therefore as to this matter I do judge there neither

rob them of their faith in Christ through Philosophy and deceitful Vanities and through the Traditions of Men and Ordinances after the World and not after Christ And after But now Ye drive them from Gods Word and will let no man come thereto until he have been two years Master of Art First they nuzzle them in Sophistry in bene fundatum And there corrupt they their Judgements with apparent Arguments and with alledging to them texts of Logick of Natural Philosophy of Metaphysick and Moral Philosophy and of all manner of books of Aristotle and of all manner of Doctors which yet they never saw c. Again Huldricus Zuinglius speaks thus to this matter We must needs be taught of God and not of Men to wit in the knowledge of the Gospel For this is the saying of the Eternal Truth which knows not how to lye Joh. 6. But and if you do not firmly believe that you may be taught of God Humane Doctrines being utterly rejected ye are yet destitute of true Faith Neither have I my self devised this thing For Hilarie also is of this opinion But there is no need of his Testimony when we hear that both Christ and all the Apostles were of the same minde And here the whole use of School Divinity falls to the ground and whatsoever is drawn out of the Philosophers For all these things do lean on Humane Reasons which when they have once possessed a mans Mind he then thinks that the Heavenly Doctrine is wholly to be directed and framed according to the Rule of Humane Learning which he judges to be most firm and infallible Which thing they sufficiently discover in their words saying ubi cessat Philosophus illic incipit Theologus where the Philosopher ceases there the Divine begins whereby they signifie thus much that he is able to judge most rightly in Divine Things who comes most furnished with Humane Learning As if so be the Light of our Will were more excellent and more perspicuous then the Divine Glory When yet we hear Christ saying I receive not Glory of Men but I know You that you have not the Love of God in you Joh. 5. For they who have the Love of God cleave to no Word so constantly as to the Word of God seeing This is the Light that enlightens every man that comes into the World But no man is able to prove that Philosophy is such a Light For which of the Philosophers instructed the Apostles Those simple and in the Judgement of the World those foolish Men unskilful and unlearned Fishermen were elected and instituted of God and then were sent forth to preach that they might become the Masters and Teachers of the whole World to wit that God according to the saying of Paul might make ashamed all the strength of the World and all the Wisdom of the World Thus he Luther also saith It is an Errour to say that a man cannot be a Divine but through Aristotle Nay saith he A man cannot be a Divine except he become one without Aristotle And again A man becomes a Divine by living yea by dying and by being damned to wit in his own sense not by studying reading or speculating And again In Holy Things we must not dispute or play the Philosophers but in Divinity we must only hear and believe and resolve in our heart that God is true though the Things he speaks in his Word seem never so absurd to Reason And again We shall then do well if we leaving Logick or Philosophy in their own Sphere do learn to speak with New Tongues in the Kingdom of Faith without all Sphere For the Affection of Faith is to be exercised in the Kingdom of Faith and not a Philosophical Understanding And thus have these Godly men held forth and proved from the Word that Humane Learning is rather a hindrance then a Help to the Ministery of the Gospel and doth rather unfit then fit men for it and that the Grace and teaching of God only prepares and enables men to this Divine work and no Humane Thing at all Wherefore let all true Christians be advised that Humane Learning is so far from fitting men for the Gospel and the Ministry thereof as is suggested that indeed there is nothing in Greater Enmity to Christ Crucified nor more Contrary to the Word of the Cross then that Yea nothing in all the world hath been such an Introducer Favourer Supporter and Inlarger of Antichrists Kingdom as Humane Reason Learning and Philosophy This hath brought in all the Hypocrisie Superstition false Doctrine false Worship Sects Schisms Divisions which have at any time prevailed in the Church during all the Reign of Antichrist And the Gospel of Christ and the true Belief and Practice of it hath not had at any time a greater and more subtile and plausible Enemy then This. Yea farther the Gross Ignorance and Blindeness of the rude World hath not so perverted and falsified the Word of the Gospel nor rendred it such Contradiction and Resistance nor hath brought such annoyance to the Faithful who have received and confessed it as Humane Science hath done For this hath enabled men stoutly to oppose the Truth and subtilly to defend Errour as the Truth this hath made men bold and cunning to suppress Gods Minde from the World and to hold forth their own Minde to them as if it were Gods under the pretence of the outward Letter of the Word and a multitude of other Evils have sprung from this Corrupt Fountain Wherefore the Apostle Paul is so far from encouraging Christians to betake themselves to Humane Learning to fit them for the Gospel that He by the Spirit utterly forbids Christians Heathenish Philosophy lest they should be spoiled through the Vanity of it and beled away from Christ. And thus in this matter hath Mr. Simpson manifestly departed from the Doctrine of the Scriptures and of Faithful Men who have spoken from it 5. ERROR That mens Hatred to God doth as well appear in their Hatred to Humane Learning as if they hated the Scriptures Answer I conceive Mr. Simpsons Heart was hot within him out of his great Zeal to Humane Learning the great Goddess by which the University lives when he thus spake And it appears he is very tender of the Reputation and Glory of it who thus vindicates it at as high a rate as the very Scriptures But Sir do you know no more Difference between the most precious Word of our Eternal Lord God and his Son Jesus Christ and the foolish corrupt and stinking Doctrine of Men is there no more Difference in your Divinity between the Word of Righteousness Life and Salvation which God hath spoken by Christ and Christ by his Servants and the Word and Doctrines of wretched Men full of sin death and destruction And if the Law it self given by the Ministration of Angels loseth its Glory before the Gospel as the Apostle testifies

is nor can be any greater evil then to bring up Children in ease and idleness and to suffer them to live freely and without controule according to those Natural Lusts and Corruptions which they bring along with them into the World which do soon wonderfully improve through such a careless and unnurtured life And such Children and Youth usually become an early Prey to the Devil who readily fills them with all the ungodliness and unrighteousness of the Heathen 2. I conceive it meet that the Civil Power or chief Magistrates should take great care of the Education of Youth as of one of the Greatest Works that concerns them and as one of the Worthiest Things they can do in the World inasmuch as what the Youth now is the whole Commonwealth will shortly be 3. To this end it is meet that Schools if wanting be erected through the whole Nation and that not only in Cities and great Towns but also as much as may be in all lesser Villages And that the Authority of the Nation take great care that Godly Men especially have the charge of greater Schools and also that no Women be permitted to teach little Children in Villages but such as are the most sober and grave and that the Magistrate afford to this work all suitable encouragement and assistance 4. That in such Schools they first teach them to read their Native Tongues which they speak without teaching and then presently as they understand bring them to read the HOLY SCRIPTURES which though for the present they understand not yet may they through the blessing of God come to understand them afterwards 5. That in Cities and greater Towns where are the greater Schools and the greater opportunities to send children to them they teach them also the Latine and Greek tongues and the Hebrew also which is the easiest of them all and ought to be in great account with us for the Old Testaments sake And it is most heedfully to be regarded that in teaching Youth the Tongues to wit the Greek and Latine such Heathenish Authors be most carefully avoided be their Language never so good whose writings are full of the Fables Vanities Filthiness Lasciviousness Idolatries and Wickedness of the Heathen Seeing usually whilst Youth do learn the Language of the Heathen they also learn their Wickedness in that Language whereas it were far better for them to want their Language then to be possessed with their Wickedness And what should Christian youth have to do with the Heathenish Poets who were for the most part the Devils Prophets and delivered forth their Writings in his Spirit and who through the smoothness quaintness and sweetness of their Language do insensibly instil the Poyson of Lust and Wickedness into the hearts of Youth whereby their Education which ought to correct their Natural Corruption doth exceedingly increase and inflame it Wherefore my counsel is that they learn the Greek and Latine tongues especially from Christians and so without the Lyes Fables Follies Vanities Whoredoms Lust Pride Revenge c. of the Heathens especially seeing neither their Words nor their Phrases are meet for Christians to take into their mouths and most necessary it is that Christians should forget the Names of their Gods and Muses which were but Devils and damned Creatures and all their Muthology and fabulous Inventions and let them all go to Satan from whence they came 6. It may be convenient also that there may be some Universities or Colledges for the instructing Youth in the knowledge of the liberal Arts beyond Grammer and Rhetorick as in Logick which as it is in Divinity as one calls it gladius Diaboli the Devils sword so in humane things it may be of good use if Reason manage that Art of Reason but the Mathematicks especially are to be had in good esteem in Universities as Arithmetick Geometry Geography and the like which as they carry no wickedness in them so are they besides very useful to Humane Society and the affairs of this present life There may be also in these Universities or Colledges allowed the studies of Physick and of the Law according to that Reformation which a wise and godly Authority will cause them to pass under both being now exceedingly corrupt and out of order both for Practice and Fees 7. But why these Universities or Colledges should be only at Cambridge and Oxford I know no reason Nay if Humane Learning be so necessary to the knowledge and teaching of the Scriptures as the Universities pretend they surely are without Love to their Brethren who would have these Studies thus confined to these Places and do swear men to read and teach them nowhere else certainly it is most manifest that these men love their own private Gain more then the Common Good of the People But now seeing by the hand of God a Kingdom is turned into a Commonwealth and Tyranny into Freedom we judge it most prejudicial to the common good of a Commonwealth that these two Universities should make a Monopoly of Humane Learning to themselves especially as is said seeing they say no body can well understand or teach the Scriptures without it and so by reason of this their Incroachment against the Rule of Love through the former Grants of Popes and Kings all men should be necessitated to send their children hither from all parts of the Nation some scores or hundreds of miles for Liberal Education to the great trouble and charge of Parents especially this considered that the Universities usually have been places of great Licentiousness and Profaness whereby it often comes to pass that Parents sending their Children far from them Young and Hopeful have for all their care and cost after several yeers received them back again with their Tongues and Arts proud profane wicked abominable and incorrigible Wretches Wherefore doubtless it would be more suitable to a Commonwealth if we become so in Deed and not in Word only and more advantagious to the good of all the People to have Universities or Colledges one at least in every great Town or City in the Nation as in London York Bristow Exceter Norwich and the like and for the State to allow to these Colledges an honest and competent maintenance for some Godly and Learned Men to teach the Tongues and Arts under a due Reformation And this the State may the better do by provision out of every County or otherwise as shall be judged best seeing then there will be no such need of Indowment of Scholarships in as much as the people having Colledges in their own Cities neer their own Houses may maintain their Children at home whilst they learn in the Schools which would be indeed the greatest advantage to Learning that can be thought of 8. It would also be considered whether it be according to the Word of God that Youth should spend their time only in reading of Books whilst they are well strong active and fit for business For commonly it so falls