the wise be them that God hath chosen for it is not so for he hath chosen the foolish to confound the wise and therfore such as are godly wise should choose Gods wise but the worlds foolish things for His serve before the worlds wise ones and so I come to another exception which is Object 5 If it be sanctified it must needs be a good helpe to the right understanding of the Truth Answ It is true if it be sanctified so it is But how or where doth that appeare that ever it was sanctified Hath not the Lord long agone told us by his * Isay 19.15 Prophet and wished his to behold it that he would doe a marveylous worke and then he doubles it againe even a marveylous worke and a wonder and then all comes to this that he would cause to perish and destroy the wisdome of the wise and cast away the understanding of the prudent and here if we could see we might all of us stay our wondering at this strange thing and consider the Lord tells us it is a marveylous worke and a wonder and so our wondering and marveyling how these things come so to be is but a fulfilling of Gods word and men might rest in it and see in the next words that it is a wo to them for the former abuse of the same and so now as * Mal. 2.2 Malachy saith that he would curse their blessings and that he had done it already to both which ‡ 1 Cor. 1.19 Rom. 8.7 agrees the Apostle from Isay and concludes also that God hath destroyed it and in another place tells us that it is emnity with God How shall any dare say then it is sanctified whenas so plain a curse is on it as that we are wished to beware of being ‡ Col. 2.8 spoyled by it Now are we wished any where to beware of being spoyled by that which is sanctified to us in a spirituall way Now these things can be sanctified no further then they are of use and that is but in a worldly way for a spirituall use they be accursed from it Object 6 Now another exception from these things thus minded is That by this all Humane-Learning seems utterly to be condemned Answ I Answer that it followes not because it is not to be allowed in this way that therfore it is not of any use for I doe acknowledge it in it selfe to be a good thing and good in its proper place * Gen. 11. from 6. to 10. which is for the repayring of that § decay which came upon man for sinne so I say it is of good use for the repayring of that losse and so fit for States-men Physicians Lawyers and Gentlemen yea all men so farre as they can attaine to it are as men beyond and above others that are without it yea and beyond all other excellencies that this world can afford but bring it once to be a help to understand the mind of God in the holy Scriptures and there it is detestable filth drosse and dung in that respect and so good for nothing but †1 Tim. 6.21 destroy and cause men to erre as we have seen before It fares with it as I perceive as it doth with Fire keep it in the Chymney and it serves as a good blessing of God for good and necessary uses but let it once come into the roofe of the house and it destroyes all because it is not in its proper place so it is here for this thing among men for humane and worldly imployments it is good But bring it once to the perfiting of the Gospel and it will be found to be the spoyling of it And yet further so farre doe I acknowledge tongues to be of use as to yeeld us the translation of the Scriptures out of one language into another without which we that are unlearned could not come to have the letter of the word and so farre there as a necessity of it for that use but that man which can foe doe is ever the more able to understand the spirituall meaning iof the word thereby that I deny and withall doe affirme that an understanding man may through the teaching of the Spirit know the mind of God which the other may never reach unto according to that * Mat. 13.11 saying of our Saviour To you it is given to know the Mysteries the secrets of the Kingdome of heaven to you his simple Disciples it is given but to others the learned Scribes and Pharisees it was not given But in this case it may fare as it did with those that built Noahs Arke they made a place of safeguard for others but were drowned themselves so these men may prepare a good helpe for others but themselves be altogether without the benefit of it A Lantherne you know is of good use to contain the Candle but let one carry it in a darke night and it will doe him no pleasure without a Candle lighted in it of the same use is the letter of the word it is but as a Lautherne or Candle without light Now the Spirit is the light of the letter and so is the Apostles ‡ 2 Cor. 3◠opposition such men then in that respect may be a help to others and yet when all is done be but castawayes themselves seeing as we have before seen the Aegyptians and Babylonians in this kind of learning did excell And it is none other blessing then what the Pope Cardinalls and other professed enemies of the truth as all for the generall confesse them to be have in as great a measure and beyond many others that professe to know the truth and stand stifly for this as a speciall helpe to understand the true meaning of the Lord in the word which if it be so then by their own grants they have the advantage of them and so are to be reverenced of themselves to have more knowledge in it then they so then they are to acknowledge their errour in counting themselves wise above what is meet or else must be forced to confesse that that learning is inavayleable for finding out of the mind of God Neither for all this would I have any to conclude of me as some affirme that I hold all Learned men to be excluded from the spirituall meaning of the Word God forbid for Though the Apostle ‡ 1 Cor. 1.26 say not many of severall rankes yet he saith not there is none but yet not many There was one Ioseph of § Mar. 15.43 Arimathea One †Nicodemus One Deputy * Ioh. 3.1 Act. 13.7 Surgeus Paulus a prudent man and divers of ‡ Act 6.7 the Priests But this was not ususuall for it is hard for such men to entertaine the truth Gods ordinary way is among the foolish ‡ 1 Cor. 1.27.28 Iam. 2.5 with Mat. 11.5 weake and vile so that when as the wise rich noble and learned come to receive the Gospel they
as by the Church should be chosen to that state being young Scholers that is not soundly taught in the truth by the Spirit he is in great danger the more other learning that he hath so much the more to be puffed up This I beleeve was the cause of Diotrephes * 3 Ioh. 9.10 pride he wanted this Scholership and that caused him to seek the preheminence And this whatsoever our great Scholers think of themselves is the cause of the high conceits that they have of themselves and their knnowledge and understanding above others that want their learning even this because they be but young Scholers if that in the Schole of Christ and thene is it they are so puft up with the vain glory of their fleshly learning that they think that none that are not as themselves are fit to be their fellowes and so know not now that they be wretched poore miserable blind and naked though they conceive themselves to be rich and have need of nothing as did the ‡ Rev. 3.17 Laodiceans and so indeed are fallen into the condemnation of the Devil as being rejected of God for he resists the proud and such as are puft up and gives grace to the ‡ 1 Pet. 5.5 humble and such as are low in their own eyes Now whether these men Humanly learned be they that are puft up or low in their own eyes as meane as he that is unlearned I leave to all that have eyes to see to looke into it and so to judge whether they are not yet to learne Pauls Scholership Further I say it is here to be minded that if it should be Human-Lerning that is here meant then Paul should teach Timothy for to teach the Church to chuse such Scholers as had more learning then had their Master Christ Iesus Now this some say is blasphemy and threaten me sorely for it Answer I Answer them that considering Christ Iesus as God according to the Divine nature so he is God over all and so gives all things Acts 17.25 and so he is the § Iam. 1.17 giver of every good gift and so Human-Learning and wisdome are †Rom. 11.37 of him and through him and so much but that men are maliciously bent they might discerne that I in this argument had not to deale with him as God but as the Minister of God administring for the good of his body according to that Luke 4.18 where he saith the spirit of the Lord hath Anoynted me that I should Minister c. and so in this argument he is by the Apostle set forth as a Man ‡̶ Act. 2 22. Iesus of Nazareth a man approved of God and as such a man so administring I doe-still affirme and that with great confidence that He was unlearned in this consideration and without the learning that we speake of Isay 50.4 and so the tongue of the Learned that was said to be given Him is * Isay 61.1 interpreted by the same Prophet to be the Spirit of God for saith He the Spirit of the Lord hath Anoynted me that I should preach from whence is plaine that Christ Iesus was learned of the Father to preach by the Spirit without Human-Learning See further of this in the Epistle noted with this marke ‡ ̶ and so much is plain to them that can beleeve the Scriptures from Iohn 7.15 where the Jews admire saying How comes this man to know the Scriptures seeing that he was never learned from whence it is plain that as he was a Man he was unlearned in the letters of the Scriptures though as God he knew all things and by a divine power not Human-Learning so much as his own naturall tongue by letter Luk. 4.7 as in the Synagogue he could take the Book and read and this doubtlesse was one cause why the Jewes are said to be astonished at the bearing and seing of Him as appeares Math. 13.54 c. Luke 4.22 so that from all this my affirmation remaines true and good that if Human-Learning should be it that is there meant by the Apostle then he was to teach the Servant to be above his Myster whenas Christ Iesus himselfe * Mat. 10.5 saith It is enough for the Disciple to be as his Lord and he being destitute of Human-Learning his Disciples may well be without it also without any offence and yet preach the Gospel too Now if notwithstanding all this there be them that will take ‡ Act 6.11 Stephens accusers place and still accuse me of Uasphemy as they did him c. though it may be they may say true words as that I said that Iesus Christ was without Human-Learning and so apply it to him as God whenas I spake of him as Man they may there see themselves ranked among the number of them that are called by the Spirit of God false witnesses as walking in the steps of those envious persons even such as were alwayes the murtherers and betrayers of Christ Iesus and his servants and they that are such may be likened to them that being full of envy ‡ Act. 13.45 spake against those things that were spoken of Paul contrarying them and rayling on them Marke it they denyed what he taught but disproved it not but spake against it and rayled on the person and so left not till they had bin a meanes to expell them out of their Coasts so was he and such like measure is still to be expected to befall such as tread in his steps but it is to be minded that envious ones are the movers of it and so leaving of it I come to another exception which is Object 2 How such as are unlearned wil be able to stoppe the mouthes of gainsayers seeing the Apostle requires of a § Tit. 1.11 Bishop that he should be able so to doe Answ I Answer that it is not the Apostles intent that the mouthes of gainsayers should be stopped by the knowledge of tongues and arts but that way that himselfe directs 1 Titus 9. which is by sound doctrine or by wholsome doctrine so then to goe any other way then thus stoppe their mouthes is both an unsound and an unwholsome course and it were farre better in my judgement and that according to Paul that their mouthes should be left open then that they should be stopt after that manner and it hath not profited them in the spirituall meaning of the word that have bin exercised therin so now it is high time that we honouring the teaching of the Spirit should refuse to meddle with such as goe another way to work then by it to declare Gods mind to us because it alone is sufficient to stoppe the mouthes of all gainsayers * Act. 6.10 They were not able to resist the Spirit not the tongues and arts by which he spake for he used none of them for the weapons of our warfare are not carnall and so are tongues and arts and such like
then come to make themselves equall with them of the * Rom. 12.26 lower sort the foolish vile and unlearned for those be the true ‡ Isay 51.1 heyres of it and therfore it was not in vaine that Iames sayd †Iam. 2.5 Hearken my beloved Brethren hath not God chosen the poore he well saw that the rich and carnall were dull of hearing of this matter but yet he tells them God hath chosen the poore of this world to be rich in Faith and upon this consideration it is that he wisheth the § I am 1.9.10 Brother of high degree to rejoyce in that he was made low that is brought in his mind and account equall with the poore accounting himselfe never the higher for any such excellencies and so the Brother of low degree to rejoyce in that he is exalted that is that he was made a †Rev. 1.6 King and Priest unto God and was set in heavenly places with Iesus Christ so as the one is made low in respect of any fleshly considence he hath in such things the other is exalted being out wardly poore by being in Christ Iesus and so they both meet in one but now by reason of the smoke that is risen out of the bottomlesse pit and that the Devil is * Ephes 2.6 cast out of heaven and all his Angels with him to the Earth which Angels were the fallen ‡ Rev. 12.9 Starres that he drew after his tayle that now he hath by reason of them hatched since a Religion in the world as that he would have the wise the rich the noble the learned the onely ones and the poore must be beholden to them whenas this is like himselfe directly to oppose Iesus Christ so as that we may truly say with the Prophet Lord who hath beleeved our report or to whom is the arme of the Lord revealed Object 7 But it is yet further Objected to be the manner of such as canot themselves attaine to that excellencie that is in another to disparage that in them that so they might advance themselves Answ This I confesse is a carnall course that such as are themselves fleshly are subject to take and it may as well be my fault as anothers But yet I professe in the presence of the Lord that I doe not allow my selfe in any such course Neither doth such an exception as this beseeme a man that is led by the Spirit of Truth for to make against any servant of God that professeth opposition to such things as professing to be led thereto by the word and Spirit of Truth For it savours strongly of the flesh and is too sutable to the practise of Reprobates whose practise is to take things in the evil part wheras love by which all the Saints should judge judges the best of things till such time it can espie any cause so to doe And for the lifting up of my selfe to be sure if I so doe Gods word it is that he will plucke the mighty from his seat and then you may be sure that according to his word my fall will be farre greater then my exaltation can possibly be and therfore it were best for all such as so conceive to commit the judgement to the Lord and themselves judge nothing before the time not speake no more presumptuously let not arrogancie come out of your mouth for the Lord is a God of knowledge and by him enterprises are established But yet after this manner of reasoning carnall men may overthrow the whole Gospell For whereas the Scripture shews that Iesus Christ was without forme or beauty or any such thing wherfore he should be desired the carnall man will soon say no other but such a one would be so foolish as to part from honours riches credit and such like to indure so much sorrow and need not and whereas the Apostle * Phil. 2. saith that he tooke on him the forme of a servant the would soon answer and good reason why because he could not be a Master and wheras it is said he chose the poore that will they say he must needs do and the foolish for none of the rich and wise would be so simple as to follow him and wheras he saith love not the world nor the things in it good cause why will they say for such fooles as you know not how to get it or else to be sure you would love it as well as others And thus have I given you a glympse how that by this manner of carnall arguing we might overthrow our own salvation and sit down in the very vale and shadow of death as full of darknesse as this argument is destitute of Truth And thus having Answered to such exceptions as I know of made against this truth I come now to such Uses as it shall afford us 1 Vse The first is To discover to us the depth of the great Woe that the world lyes under set forth and “ Rev. 9. from 1. to 11. revealed to us in which the word of the Lord is fulfilled and men see it not and this you know the Scripture in sundry places makes the depth of a judgement as in Hosea Ephraim is said to have here and there gray hayres and yet he saw them not and in this we know was the strength of that ‡ 2 Thes 2.11 great Iudgement that men should confidently take lyes for truth this is there made the depth of their woe 1 Tim. 42. And the like is manifested § else where by the same Apostle declaring that though they speake lyes yet they were so seared in their Consciences as that they felt nor feared no danger that they were in no more then the man that lying drunke did though he lay sleeping on the top of the Mast Pro. 23.35.35 and so ready to be drowned yet he feared it not and yet such is the case the Sun and the Ayre being darkened their condition must needs be wofull and yet this is the case of the inhabitants of the Earth that they cannot be brought to beleeve but that they are in a very good case though that the light of the glorious Gospel which is the Image of God doe not shine unto them as * 2 Cor. 4.4.6 saith the Apostle Now that by which this Sun is said to be darkened is the smoke of the bottomlesse pit and that we shall find to be the glory and power of the false Church called by the name of the Bottomlesse pit And that this may the better appear we find many “ Isay 6.4.1 King 8.11.12 with 15. Rev. 8 place in the Scripture manifesting the glory of God and his power to be his smoke Now because God hath smoke in his Temple so hath Gods adversary in his Temple also or rather his bottomlesse pit After his smoke in Revel 9.2.3 there follows power and if you looke in the 7 8 and 9. verses there is their glory and