of Men at his Pleasure and in great Readiness and with much Ease shall gain it to Himself And Antichrist by such Men saith I. Hus doth make his Body or Church strong against the Saints of God and Welfavoured and Glorious that it may appear very taking to the World and may win in all Men to it that are not taught of God and renewed by his Spirit And thus Antichrist serves himself of all Learning and Learned men whereas Divine Learning and the Teaching of God He could never in any measure subject to Himself but is alwaies discovered resisted and overcome by it Martin Luther saith That whosoever it was whether Alexander of Hales or Thomas of Aquine who first instituted Universities he was a Star fallen from Heaven to Earth who received the Key of the bottomless Pit and opened it and brought forth into the Church Philosophy long ago dead and damned by the Doctrine of the Apostles and from the Smoak of the Bottomless Pit that is Philosophy came forth Locusts on the Earth that is saith he populus Universitatum è Philosophia natus the people of the Universities born and bred of Philosophy c. thus Luther Abbas Joachim Calaber who was long before these and flourished about the year 1230. in his Commentary on Jeremy the Prophet speaks to this purpose That the sixt Angel mentioned Rev. 9. opens the Bottomless Pit and brings out Philosophy into the Church and out of the Smoak of this Doctrine Lecusts proceeded and are spread over all the Church into every Fruitfull Place and these Locusts he saith are Scholastici Magistri qui nunc facie tenus blandiuntur ut decipiant nunc cauda tenus feriunt ut subvertant simplices incautos that is the Locusts are Scholars and Masters according to the Academical Degrees who sometimes flatter with their Countenances to deceive and sometimes strike with their Tails that they may subvert the Simple and Unadvised And to these Scholars and Masters the Ignorant and Common People resort and they open to them the old Cisterns of Heathenish Learning and Disciplines long ago stopt up by the Doctrine of the Apostles and these Cisterns they open by teaching Philosophy to the People But they shut up the Living Fountain of saving Water that is the Word of Faith But the Spirit of the Lord saith he in the following Prophets whom the Lord shall raise up idola studiorum carnalium visitabit shall visit the Idols of Carnal Studies maintained and kept up by Secular Stipends Further he saith that as Antichrist brings forth his Mark which is Philosophical Doctrine in the Church of Christ and by this Mark all his Teachers and People are known so there shall rise up against these such as have the Mark of Christ or the sign of Thau in their foreheads that is the Open and Manifest Doctrine of Christ Crucified And as the Signs of Moses destroyed the Signs of the Magicians so shall the Word or Preaching of the Cross destroy all Philosophical Doctrine and Humane and Secular Learning out of the Church And then the Children and Youth and men of all Ages Sorts and Conditions shall be taught no other Doctrine in the Church of Christ then that which is found in the Scriptures even in the Writings of the Prophets and Apostles and that not according to any Humane and Philosophical Understanding but according to the Teaching and Mind of the Spirit And God by all his true Servants shall destroy the Studies of carnal Doctors and Masters in Divinity and shall dissipate all Secular and Philosophical Learning by the Word of Truth in their mouths And so shall the Church be reformed aright when the Doctrine of Christ only shall be received and esteemed of and shall live and flourish among Christians And thus as Antichrist hath laid aside the Scriptures and all true Spiritual and Divine Learning out of his Schools and Universities and hath brought into them instead thereof Philosophy and Humane Learning and so these Schools are most unlike to the Schools of the Prophets so in due time when God shall undertake to reform his Church all this Sort of Learning shall be cast out again as dirt and dung and the plain Word of the Gospel only shall prevail and flourish among the Christian People Which Time the Lord hasten for his Elects sake 2. ERROR That they who have endeavoured to pull down Schools have always been Men who were found Enemies to Religion So Julian the Apostate shut up the doors of the Schools because he would have all Religion to go down Answer True it is that they who have sought the subversion of Christian Schools wherein the Doctrine of the Gospel is purely taught without the mixture of Philosophy and Heathenism They all have been and are very Enemies to the true Religion But they that seek to put down Heathenish Schools and to erect Christian or to reform the Schools of Heathen into Christian or to remove Heathenism out of Christian Schools They are not before God and Good Men Enemies to true Religion but the great Friends of it Nay they that call Heathenish Schools by the name of Christian that they may still remain with the better credit in their Heathenism without any true Reformation according to the Gospel I rather judge them to be Enemies to the true Religion and Friends only to their own Profit Preferment and Ends. Julian indeed did forbid that Christians should be instructed in the Disciplines of the Gentiles but saith Sozomen the Writer of the Ecclesiastical History he did this because he thought that by those Disciplines men might attain to a Great Faculty to perswade which Advantage he would not have the Christians to gain to the Help of their Religion Now certainly this was done as Socrates another Writer of the Ecclesiastical History doth acknowledge by the Singular Providence of God For seeing then Christians had begun to degenerate from the Gospel and to betake themselves to Heathenish Learning Julian attributed all the Glory and Excellency of Christianity to that Learning and so thought with Mr. Simpson that if Humane Learning were denied to Christians Christianity it Self would soon be at end Wherefore the Lord stirred up Julian to put down the Doctrine of the Heathen in the Schools of Christians that it might appear to all the World That as the true Christian Religion is not helped by Humane Learning so neither is it hindred by the Want of it And that there is more Light Knowledge Truth Wisdom Power Utterance given to Christians by the Unction of the Spirit alone which all receive who believe then through all Heathenish Disciplines And also that it might be manifest that true Christianity is founded on Faith in Christ and the Gift of his Spirit only and not at all on Humane Learning For what Humane Learning had Peter and John and yet in what Wisdom and Authority did they being Ignorant and Unlearned
How much more doth Heathenish Philosophy brought forth partly from the corrupt Reason of Man and partly from the Inspiration of the Devil become loathsome and abominable before it for ever And cannot we be Enemies to this say You without hating the Blessed Word of God Nay the blessed Word of God where it prevails in truth doth make men to hate This and to count it loss and dung and filth and the most loathsome Baseness in the World in comparasion of it self Wherefore through the Grace of Christ we will so love the Scriptures which are Divine Learning as to hate Humane and Heathenish Learning for thier sakes seeing it hath put a veil of Darkness in the Church over this Glorious Sun the Word of Faith 6. ERROR That if the Spirit teach without Means men may as well be without the Ordinances as without the Universities and Humane Learning Answer We do not say that the Spirit usually teacheth without Means in the Church of Christ But we say he teacheth by Means of his own appointing And how will Mr. Simpson prove by any Scripture that Universities and Humane Learning are Means which the Spirit of God useth to teach his Church by Where did ever the Lord speak one Word that he would use the Disciplines of the Gentiles as Means whereby to teach men to know the Mysterie of Christ Wherefore this is strange Doctrine that Arts and Sciences are the means whereby the Spirit teacheth the Church For sure I am the Lord never taught his Church either of the Old or of the New Testament by these Means Only Antichrist hath taught his Church after this manner and hath set up Humane Learning as an Ordinance of God yea as an Ordinance of the New Testament to learn Christ by that Christians might be trained up to know Christ the Wisdom of God by Humane Learning the Wisdom of the World which is in direct Enmity to God The chief Ordinances whereby God helps his Church are the Word of Faith and the Prayer of Faith And by the Ministration of the Spirit he begins and carries on the Salvation of his Spiritual People And these Ordinances the true Church cannot want neither doth God do any thing in his Church without Them But the Spiritual Church for ought that I could ever yet read in the Word may well want their Divine Ordinance of Humane Learning and yet not want any Ordinance of God that he hath appointed and sanctified for the Use of his true Church 7. ERROR That Men now are not to receive the Spirit in that immediate way to understand the Scriptures in which it was given to them who wrote the Scriptures Answer Surely Mr. Simpson will not deny that the Spirit is given to that whole Church which is the body of Christ seeing Paul saith If any man have not Christs Spirit he is None of his he is no Member of his Now the Spirit is alwayes given to whomsoever it is given by the Father and the Son as Christ taught his Disciples promising them that the Father would send the Spirit to them in his Name and also that he Himself would send it to them from the Father And was this Promise only made to Them and not to all the Faithfull also who should believe in Christ through their Word doth not Paul say Rom. 12. 13. of the Whole Church that by one Spirit we are all baptized into one Body and are all made to drink into one Spirit He saith also to the Galatians Chap. 4. because ye are Sens God hath sent the Spirit of his Son into your hearts crying Abba Father And thus it is manifest that the whole Church of Believers and every true member thereof do receive the Spirit of God And do they not receive it alike immediately from God Who can give the Spirit of God to Man but God Himself when God promised to pour out his Spirit in the last dayes upon all flesh did he name any difference in the pouring of it out saying some shall receive it immediately and some mediatly No but all that are counted worthy to receive the Spirit of God do receive it alike immediately from Him neither hath Christ left any Lieutenant or Deputy in the World to give his Spirit to men in his Absence But he Himself is alwayes Present in his true Church to the end of the World both to teach them and to give them his Spirit He is too much in the Darkness of Antichrist that denies this It is manifest then that all the true Church do alike receive the Spirit of God and that They all receive it alike immediately from God seeing no Man nor Angel can give the Spirit of God but God himself gives his own Spirit to Whom he pleases by his own Word which he Himself Ministers by his own Spirit And by this Spirit did Holy Men speak the Scripture and by this Spirit only do Holy Men of God understand the Scripture as Paul saith 1 Cor. 2. 12. Now We have received not the Spirit of the World but the Spirit which is of God that we might know the Things that are freely given to us of God among which his Word hath a Chief Place and after saith that by the Spirit They had the Mind of Christ which Others want who yet have the same Letter of the Word and are destitute of the Spirit And so as the Faithfull spake the Word by the Spirit of Faith so through the same Spirit of Faith only so given do the Faithfull understand it And though this thing be clear in it self yet I judge it convenient to add here the Testimonies of Luther and Calvin in this Matter Luther saith The Scriptures are not to be understood but by that very Spirit by which they were writ which Spirit can be nowhere found more readily and effectually then in those Holy Letters of his which He hath written And Calvin saith The same Spirit that spake by the month of the Prophets it is Necessary that That should pierce into our Hearts to perswade us that They faithfully delivered that which was committed to them of God So that We must necessarily have the same Spirit to know his Mind that They had to utter his Mind Wherefore it is evident that Mr. Simpson is not Orthodox in this Point neither 8. ERROR That men now are to get Knowledge to wit of the Scripture by Studies and Humane Learning and not by Inspiration Answer This Doctrine carries the Visible Mark of Antichrist upon it For it is only the Inspiration of God that enables a Man to know the Things of God and not a mans Study or Humane Learning It is not in this Case in Him that Wills or Runs but in God that shews Mercy Wherefore Christ hath said No Man knows the Son but the Father and He to whomsoever the Father will reveal him Wherefore Paul prays for the Ephesians that God would give
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 Universities 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 And that Humane Learning is not a Preparation appointed by Christ either for the Right Understanding or Right Teaching the Gospel With a brief Testimony against Divinity-Degrees in the Universities As also Luthers Testimony at large upon the whole Matter And lastly The right Reformation of Learning Schools and Universities according to the state of the Gospel and the Light that shines therein All necessary for the Instruction and Direction of the faithful in these last times London Printed for Giles Calvert at the Black spread-Eagle at the West-end of Pauls 1660. To all the truly Faithfull the very little Flock of Christ in these Nations now despised and almost worn out according to the Prophesies for the Word of God and Testimony which they hold Grace be multiplyed unto you and Peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Head and Hope I Could not choose but distinguish You thus from all the rest of the People of these Nations of what Condition or Quality soever seeing God Himself hath first done it having chosen you to Himself in Christ and set you apart for Himself as a Peculiar People zealous of good works And I have chosen to speak this only to You because You are all taught of God and have heard and learned from Him the Truth as it is in Jesus and because You have an inward Unction from God whereby You know the Truth from Error though it be never so much reproached by Carnal Christians and whereby you know Error from the Truth though it be never so much exalted and magnified by them You are those Spiritual Men who judge All things because you have received the Word and Spirit of Judgement in Christ from the Father Besides You are the Men whom God will use in his Greatest and most Glorious Works which he hath yet to do in the World to wit in the Destruction of the Kingdom of Antichrist and in the Setting up and inlarging the Kingdom of Christ which Things are not to be done by the Might and Power of worldly Magistrates which it may be you have not received and if you had it would not be helpful here but by the Spirit of the Lord which You all have received in some measure Yea farther none but You will be contented to live only by Faith and to follow Christ in Untrodden Paths and to undertake impossible Works to flesh and blood and none but You will be willing to have the residue of Christs Life and Works and of his Sufferings and Death fulfilled in your mortal bodies It grieves me much to see so Many Men as I have known once hopeful in the Army and elsewhere to be now so full gorged with the flesh of Kings and Nobles and Captains and Mighty Men that is with their Estates Mannors Houses Parks Lands c. that they can now be contented to take their ease and to comply with the World and worldly Church and the Teachers thereof and can perswade themselves that there is enough done for their time after it hath fared thus well with them and can leave the Remainder to Men that are as plain and mean as Themselves were at first forgetting Him who remembred Them when they were in Low Condition But they that were indeed Righteous among them are Righteous still and they that were indeed Holy are Holy still and Prosperity hath only slain the Fools as the Scriptures speak But You Christians are Called Chosen and Faithful and You will still be found with the Lamb on mount Sion and with the rest who have his Name and his Fathers Name written in their Foreheads and you dare still own the Ancient Truth Cause and Work of Christ how great disadvantage soever is for the present risen up against it through the Apostasie of Carnal Christians the Lovers of this World And You all know that all that hath been done hitherto by the Sword is but the Preparation of Christs way to his Work and that the Work it self is still behind and to be done by those Worthies of the Lord who love Jesus Christ and his Kingdom and Coming a thousand times better then the present World and all the best things of it yea then their own Lives Wherefore I advise You all to whom now I speak to take heed that you neither drink nor sip of the Clergies Cup which carries in it the Wine of the wrath of the fornication of Antichrist lest having drunk thereof you fall asleep through the strength of their Inchantments and so are rendred unable to follow Christ any farther For many Powers and Magistrates of the world once hopeful have been thus overcome and seduced into Antichrists cause against Christ to their utter ruine in the end And how have the present Clergy with their most Plausible Men attempted some of this Present Power yea some of the very Chiefest and most Godly in the Army and have put them into some that I say not great Danger Wherefore remember you that word of the Lord spoken by his Angel Rev. 14. 9 10. If any man worship the Beast and his Image and receive his Mark in his forehead or in his hand the same shall drink of the Wine of the Wrath of God which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation c. IF ANY MAN WORSHIP THE BEAST that is the Antichristian Church of the Pope and his Prelates and Clergy which is called the Beast because of its Fierceness and Cruelty against the Saints Or HIS IMAGE that is the Church of the Bishops and Presbyters which in a lesser Volume and less Letters doth answer the Other and is directly like it Whoever shall WORSHIP THESE that is highly esteem them for their Humane Learning and School-Divinity and Sacredness of their Orders and count them worthy all Honour and Respect and worldly Maintenance and also to have Power in matters of Religion to allow and determine of Doctrine and to appoint and institute in matters of Government and being Worldly Powers do subject Themselves and all the worldly People under them to these mens Religion Authority Doctrine Discipline c. Whoever shall thus worship them Or SHALL RECEIVE HIS MARK that is this Principle that It is lawful to punish and persecute men in Matters that meerly relate to Faith
and the Gospel and this under pretence of the Glory of God and Good of Christian people which is the BEASTS MARK in every Age and under every Change of Outward Form Whoever shall receive this mark IN THEIR FOREHEAD that is to profess this Doctrine only Or IN THEIR HAND that is to execute it according to Laws which the Nations have been seduced to make to this purpose The same shall drink of the Wine of the Wrath of God which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his Indignation and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy Angels and in the presence of the Lamb and the smoak of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever Wherefore You Faithful Ones have great cause to be very well advised in these things seeing the chief Designe of Antichrist is to seduce the Elect seeing he hath no Body else in all the World that dare oppose Him or know how to do it but You and He knows if He can prevail with You all the World besides will follow Him headlong as the Gadarens swine ran into the sea and were choaked Now I have adventured through the Inspiration of the Almighty to undertake Openly and Plainly against the Clergy and Universities which in their Present State are the Residue of the Hour and Power of Darkness upon the Nations And the Lord of his Grace hath helped me through this Work by his Spirit of Counsel and Might And so I have freely and willingly exposed my Self for Christ and his Truths sake to all the reproaches slanders revilings contradictions and if their power shall serve Persecutions of the Universities and Clergy and of all those People high and low bond and free who have received their Mark and Worship them choosing rather to suffer with Christ and with You his Seed all manner of Tribulations then to reign with Them and much rather imbracing Christian Communion with poor plain Husbandmen and Tradsmen who believe in Christ and have received his Spirit then with the Heads of Universities and Highest and Stateliest of the Clergy who under a specious form of Godliness do yet live in true Enmity and Opposition to the Gospel I do indeed freely acknowledge that I have often been ready to complain to God in the anguish of my Spirit that he had called Me a very Bruised Reed to a more difficult Task in one Regard then either Wickliffe Hus or Luther those strong Pillars in the House of God to wit Because much of the gross Body of Antichristianism against which They chiefly ingageed being done away by their Ministry there still remains the cunning and subtil Soul and Spirit thereof which yet is All in All in Antichrists Kingdom though it be farther removed from the Knowledge and Notice of the Common Sort of Christians And so the Mysterie of Iniquity is now become more Mysterious and Deceiving then in their Times and as Perfect and Bitter Enmity against Christ and his Spirit and the true Temple of God the Spiritual Church as ever was in all Their Times doth now prevail under the Name of Orthodox Doctrine and the Reformation of Religion by the late Assembly of Divines which the Clergy are all now ready to set up if they could gain the Secular Arm to strengthen them thereunto of which now they have greatest Hopes and without which their Religion can find no high place in this World Now herein the old Mysterie of Iniquity is renewed amongst these Men that they would have an outward Letter and Ministery without the Spirit of Christ to be the Doctrine and Ministry of the New Testament which is the Ministration of the Spirit and not of the Letter and would have the Secular Magistrate to have Right and Power to enforce men to such a Religion as Himself judges True by the Help and Counsel of those Ministers which Himself judges Orthodox as if some Men were able to teach spiritual things and all to understand them by Natural Reason made use of and improved which yet these Men deny in Terminis whilst they assert it in the Principle For they will not leave it to the Father to draw whom He pleaseth to the Son neither will they leave it to the Spirit to choose what Living stones he pleaseth to build them together to be the Habitation of God but the Ecclesiastical state having seduced the Temporal do make them believe that the Magistrates Worldly Power in union with their worldly Religion may make a National Church of all that they between Themselves please and may allow and set up such a Doctrine for Orthodox which these Men who are in Academical Degrees and Ecclesiastical Orders do approve for Such though the Spirit of God in all Believers testifies that these Men have not the mind of Christ but of Antichrist in all they teach and act and counsel in their Assemblies Churches Doctrine Ordinances Works Duties Dayes Times Fastings Thanksgivings and Every Thing else Yet these having the outward Carcass or Appearance of Religion though destitute of the inward Soul of it which is true Faith and the Spirit of God do cozen not only the meaner People but the very Magistrates of the World who are glad to hear that the Clergy have given them such high Power in the Kingdom of Christ and made them Magistrates in both Worlds though indeed in the end it be not for the Magistrates Advantage but wholly for the Clergies And thus is the Mysterie of Iniquity grown more Mysterious now then heretofore But this is our Comfort and Help that God still causes his Light to shine forth proportionably to his People to discover every new Change and Form of the Mysterie of Iniquity And though the Mysterie of Iniquity in every age is mysterious enough to cozen all the Unbelieving World though never so wise and learned yet is it never able to deceive the Faithful who have always sufficient Light from God to discover it and sufficient Grace to overcome it And now You faithful and beloved Ones to whom I have spoken all this stand You fast and depart not from Christ his Word and Work all which You know in faith for any Good or Evil things that may befall you in this short life but finish in Faith and Patience the Work which God hath given you to do in your several Places waiting for the Glory which shall be given you at the Revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ in Whom I remain though most unworthy Your humble and faithful Servant in the Gospell W. D. THE TRYALL OF SPIRITS 1 John 4. 1. Beloved believe not every Spirit but try the Spirits whether they be of God because many false Prophets are gone forth into the world 2. Hereby know ye the Spirit of God every Spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God 3. And every Spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God and
The Devil was the Devil before and did dwell and work in Evil Men but from the beginning of the Christian Church he is called Antichrist and that not every where but in the Church or Kingdom of Christ For Antichrist is a Spirit that dissolves Jesus and that not openly but subtilly and cunningly yea under the name and pretence of Jesus he is wholy contrary to Him Wherefore the discerning of Spirits as it hath been necessary from the beginning of the World so also is it especially necessary in the daies of the Gospel wherein the Mysterie of Iniquity is become most Mysterious through the operation of Antichrist in those Many false Prophets which are gone forth into the world And so we proceed to the second Point 2. Point And that is That Sufficient Remedy which the Apostle prescribes to the true Church against that great Evil of many false Prophets being gone out into the world Now the Remedy the Apostle prescribes to the faithfull against these false Prophets is not that they should stir up the Secular Power to imprison banish or burn Them that so they might be rid of Them for this is Antichrists proper Remedy against those that oppose Him but the Apostle shews a more Christian Remedy which is this Believe not every Spirit but try the Spirits whether they be of God and this Remedy alone is sufficient for the true spiritual Church of the faithful in every Age to preserve it safe and sound against all false Teachers whatsoever and their false Doctrines neither doth it desire or need any other Wherefore in this Case the Apostle contents himself to give only this Caution to the Faithfull Believe not every Spirit but try the Spirits whether they be of God Believe not euery Spirit c. that is every one that speaketh of Spiritual Things Whence it is plain that we neither ought rashly and hastily to believe every mans Doctrine nor yet rashly and unadvisedly to censure and condemn it till it be heard and known what it is but it is a Christians duty to prove All Things and to hold fast that which is Good upon Proof as Paul adviseth wherefore John also adds here But try the Spirits whether they be of God Whence we note That Christians have Right and Power to try and judge the Spirits and Doctrines of their Teachers and this is evident by many plain Scriptures as Matth. 7. 15. Beware of false Prophets saith Christ to the faithful which come unto you in Sheeps cloathing but inwardly they are ravening Wolves ye shall know them by their fruits Matth. 16. 6. Jesus said to them Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees which is hypocrisie Matth. 24. 4. Jesus said take heed that no man deceive you for many shall come in my Name saying I am Christ and shall deceive many John 10. My Sheep hear my voice and know my voice and a stranger will they not hear but flee from him for they know not that is own not the voice of strangers And all that came before me are Thieves and Robbers but the Sheep did not hear them By all which Scriptures and many more that might be added it is manifest that the faithful the true Sheep of Christ have Right and Power to judge of the Spirits and Doctrines of the Teachers Let Fathers Schoolmen Doctors Councels Assemblies of Divines Universities Ministers propound and publish what Doctrine they please the Sheep of Christ the faithful Flock have Power and Authority from Christ Himself to try and judge whether the Things they speak be of Christ or of Themselves and of Antichrist And this Power the faithful People ought not to part with neither for any fear nor for any favour Yea it most nearly concerns the faithful to try the Spirits and judge the Doctrines of the Teachers for these two Considerations among others First Because we must each one give an account for Our selves before the Judgement seat of Christ wherefore it concerns every one of us to look to our own Eternal Condition and not to leave this care to Others for us In Death and Judgement Each one must answer for Himself and therefore we ought to be as certain of the Word of God on which we build our immortal Souls as we are sure we live and are Creatures we ought I say to be sure Our selves and not to trust any body for us in this great Matter whereon depends either eternal Life or eternal Death Secondly It concerns us to try the Spirits and Doctrines because otherwise we may easily mistake and instead of Antichrist and his Disciples dash against Christ himself and his precious Saints Yea we have seen how the World and worldly Church not being able to try the Spirits and Doctrines have contradicted and crucified the Son of God himself and have reproached and persecuted all his People who are baptized into one Spirit with him and doing this they have thought they have done God good service too and all because they were not able to judge of the Spirit and Truth of Christ in Himself and his Members but have followed the Judgment and Councel of the chief Guides in the outward Church who have caused them to erre and to mistake Truth for Error and Error for Truth Christ for Antichrist and Antichrist for Christ. Wherefore it concerns every one to be wise to salvation for Himself and to try the Spirits for himself and not to content himself to say thus said Augustine Ambrose Hierom c. or this was the Judgement of the Fathers or thus have the Councels and Universities determined or thus do our Ministers teach us but if thou art one of Christs flock thou must have skill to know and judge for Thy self which is Christs Spirit and Doctrine and which is Antichrists otherwise thou wilt certainly miscarry in this great Matter and be undone for ever If thou build on Men in these things and canst not judge for Thy self thou wilt be sure to be undone But now this Power of Trying Spirits and Judging Doctrines which Christ hath given his true Flock and which they ought to have upon so good Grounds the Teachers of the false and Antichristian Church that is the Common Clergy distinguished by several Names Titles and Degrees have robbed them of and have falsely and treacherously arrogated to themselves the Power of trying Spirits and Judging Doctrines and have said that it belongs to the Clergy or National Ministry and their Councils and Assemblies of Divines to Judge of Spirits whether they be right or false and to Judge of Doctrines whether they be agreeable to Gods Word or no and that all Christians ought to expect their Judgement and Determination and to submit to it and to depend on it as on an Oracle from Heaven yea though it be not only without but also against their own particular Judgement And these men I mean the Clergy through the Ecclesiastical
and Temporal Power which they had gotten have stricken great fear into the whole World and have miserably vexed innumerable Consciences with a grievous and lasting bondage and have even driven them to Despair whilst none durst approve or own any Spirit or Doctrine though never so manifestly of Christ and his Gospel without their Allowance and Approbation so mightily hath the power of Antichrist prevailed in the World and that against the express Word of Christ. Now the ground of this their Antichristian Pride and Usurpation is This that they arrogate to Themselves that They are the Guides and Shepherds of all Christian men and are to teach them the Gospel which they are only to receive from their lips whereas Christ hath promised his true Church that they shall be all taught of God and shall hear and learn Themselves from the Father and hath also promised to send to them the Spirit to lead them in all Truth and to give them an Annointing to teach them All Things Now they by robbing the Faithful of this Power and arrogating it to Themselves have made themselves contrary to Christs Command Lords and Masters in the Church of God and have usurped to themselves Superiority and Authority over other Believers and have subjected all the World to their Opinion and Judgement in the things of God by which means they have set wide open the flood-gates to Antichrist and his Kingdom to break in upon the World and to overflow it whilst they had robbed all Christian People of their own Judgement in all the Things of God and had made them to depend wholly on the Judgement of the Clergy And had not Christian People thus unchristianly delivered up their Judgements to the Clergy and that in the very Highest Points of Religion Christianity had not been so miserably blinded and corrupted as it is and the Mysterie of Iniquity had not so much prevailed in the World as now it hath For when Christians would not try the Spirits whether They were of God and the Doctrines whether they were the Word of God or no but thought this a matter too High for them and would refer and submit all to the Judgement of their Ministers then Antichrist the Apostle of the Devill came forth boldly and proudly exalted Himself above all that is called God and his Kingdom above all the Kingdoms of the World having first put out both the Eyes of Christians by taking away from them their Right and Power of trying Spirits and judging Doctrines But when true Christians shall search the Scriptures as God I trust hath now fully put into their hearts to do and shall justly and lawfully take to themselves the Power which God hath given them to try Spirits and Doctrines then Antichrist and his Agents the carnal Clergy must soon be brought down for the Faithfull by that Word shall soon perceive that They are not of God nor their Doctrine of that right Gospel which is after the Mind of Christ. Well then by what hath been said You who are of Christs true Sheep may perceive that it is evident by the Word that faithful Christians have Right and Power to try Spirits and Doctrines though Antichrist for many Ages hath robbed them of this Priviledge For that I may speak a little more to this matter the Tryall of Spirits doth unquestionably belong to all Men who have received the Spirit of God for to this Spirit of God which dwells in the faithfull the Gift of Discerning Spirits is inseparably annexed and the Spirit of Christ which truly dwells in all true Christians cannot deceive nor be deceived in the Tryall of Spirits So that this now is a Common Grace that in some measure belongs to all true Christians who have received the Unction that teacheth them all things and is true and is no lie And though there be in the Church Diversities of Gifts from the same Spirit which are given to some and not to others as Tongues and Interpretation of Tongues and Miracles and Gifts of healing c. mentioned by Paul 1 Cor. 12. yet this gift of Trying Spirits is given to All in some measure that have received the Spirit For as in the Natural Body there are several Gifts given to several Members which are not given to all the members as Seeing to the Eye Hearing to the Ear Walking to the foot c. but Feeling is given to all the Members so also in the Body of Christ that is the spiritual Church several Gifts are given to several Saints but the Tryall of Spirits and Doctrines to all Saints who have received the Spirit and if any have not Christs Spirit he is none of His and if any have Christs Spirit he can in some measure discern and judge of all Spirits in the World and the more any man receives Christs Spirit the more able is he to judge of all Other Spirits Wherefore they who are true Believers and have received Christs Spirit their Judgement is to be preferred in the Tryall of Spirits before the Judgement of a whole Council of Clergy men And they only who can try Spirits by the Spirit of God and Doctrines by the Word of God written in their hearts by the Spirit are fit to commend Ministers to the Work of God that is the Congregations of the faithful and not Universities and Assemblies of Divines And thus you may perceive that seeing many false Prophets are gone out into the World it concerns the faithful as they tender their own everlasting Salvation not to believe every Spirit that speaks of Christ and his Kingdom and his Things but to Try the Spirits whether they be of God Object But now it may be some will be ready to say We ought indeed to try the Spirits seeing there are many falfe Prophets in the world but we hope there are no such Persons among us but only some upstart Men with their new Light who with their Novelties and Fancies trouble the Nation and would fain turn all things upside down and we know these well enough already and do sufficiently despise them Answ. It is very like you do but yet let me say to you Men Brethren and Fathers understand Your selves and know what you do in this matter For at the beginning of the Reformation by the Ministry of Luther Zuinglius Calvin and divers others pretious servants of Jesus Christ the Popish Clergy applyed all these Scriptures Try the Spirits whether they be of God for many false Prophets are gone out into the world and beware of false Prophets which come to you in sheeps clothing but inwardly are ravening wolves I say these and the like places of Scriptures they applied to these Godly Men and yet they Themselves were the false Prophets indeed and the Other whom they termed such were true Ones Wherefore it is possible for You to be mistaken as well as They and no doubt but you will be mistaken except the Lord be gracious
sent to the children of Israel and bid him tell them that I AM even the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob hath sent him to them and he gave him a proportionable measure of his Presence to cause them to believe it And Christ a greater Prophet then Moses even the Head of all the children of God said by Isaiah chap. 48. 16. Come ye near unto me heare ye this I have not spoken in secret from the beginning and now the Lord and his Spirit hath sent me And everywhere in the Gospel He still declares how he came not of Himself but his Father sent him And as the Father sent Christ so Christ sends all his Seed the true Ministers of the Gospel as is manifest John 20. 21. where Christ said to his Disciples As my Father sent Me so send I You which he spake not only touching Them but touching All that should believe in his Name through their Word And Paul also saith Rom. 10. 15. How shall they teach except they be sent So that true Preaching comes from true Sending and this comes from the Grace of God Now I desire you farther to take notice that God hath reckoned the Choise of his Ministers one of the weightiest things that belong unto his Kingdom wherefore he would never commit the trust of this to any Sort of Men whatsoever Yea Christ himself did not choose his Disciples at his own Humane Will but only at the Will of God and therefore was much in Prayer before he chose them And the Apostles themselves durst not of Themselves when they were all met together choose any one into the room of Judas but they betook themselves to Prayer and desired the Lord to shew whom He had chosen And Acts 13. The Spirit said Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them And Paul tells the Galatians that he was an Apostle not of Men nor by Men but by Jesus Christ and God the Father By all which Scriptures we may perceive what care the Lord hath alwaies had to send his own Ministers Himself into his own Church and would have his true Church receive no Ministers but such as He sends them And the great and chief sending into the Church is from God Himself as we see in Moses and all the Prophets and in Christ Himself the Head of them and in all the Apostles and in all Believers Now the proof of a mans sending from God is this to be annointed with the Spirit as John 20. 22. When Christ said to his Disciples as my Father sent me so send I you He breathed upon them and said Receive the holy Spirit For his Father sent him only by pouring out his Spirit on him and he sends them so only and he that saith The Unction of the Spirit alone is not sufficient for the Ministry of the New Testament he denies Christ and his Apostles to have been sufficient Ministers and he perverts the Scripture and seduces the People Now the true Teachers through the pouring forth of the Spirit on them they do truly know Christ Himself and the great Mysterie of the Gospel and all the things that are freely given us of God and they are also filled with love to their Brethren and are enabled to confess the Truth and to do thereafter and to contemn the World and patiently to suffer rebukes c. all which is a sufficient Proof of any ones Sending from God And thus the true Prophets are all sent of God which is their great comfort and support in all trouble and difficulties because he that sends them is still with them Lo saith Christ I am with you alwaies to the end of the world But now on the contrary the false Prophets and Ministers of Antichrist are not sent of God but are sent and appointed by Men and that through their own desire and seeking And of such the Lord complains Jer. 23. 21. I have not sent these Prophets yet they ran I have not spoken to them yet they prophesied but because I sent them not neither commanded them they shall not profit this people at all saith the Lord v. 32. And Christ saith Many false Christs and false Prophets shall arise i. e. are not sent of God but shall arise of Themselves And Paul saith to the Elders of the Church of Ephesus Acts 20. Out of your selves shall men arise speaking perverse things to draw Disciples after them They arise of Themselves they are not sent of God Now such Teachers as these do usually spring up in the Church through Academical Degrees and Ecclesiastical Ordination which two things have poured forth into the Church whole swarms of false Prophets and Antichristian Ministers never sent of God nor annointed of his Spirit to the irreparable damage prejudice and ruine of the People and Nations who have received them with their false and poysonfull Doctrine Wherefore all those Teachers who are not sent of the Lord and his Spirit but arise of Themselves and come into the Church in the strength and might of their Degrees and Orders they are all false Prophets The Second Sign The true Prophets who are sent of God take all their Warrant and Authority from God for what they teach and do not at all regard Men or build on Them And this hath all along made the true Teachers so bold and so confident in the Name of God against the World and worldly Church So Isaiah 50. 4 c. saith The Lord God hath given me the tongue of the learned that I should know how to speak a word in due season to him that is weary he wakeneth morning by morning he wakeneth my ear to hear as the learned The Lord hath opened mine ear and I was not rebellious neither turned away back For the Lord God will help me therefore shall I not be confounded therefore have I set my face as a flint and I know I shall not be ashamed He is near that justifies me who will contend with me let us stand together who is mine adversary let him come near me Behold the Lord will help me who is he that shall condemn me Lo they all shall wax old as a garment the moth shall eat them up See here the admirable confidence of a Teacher sent from God And so also our Lord Jesus Christ in the dayes of his flesh how bold was He in his Ministry coming in the Name of the Lord and having his Authority and Doctrine from Him how boldly did he reprove the Scribes and Pharisees the chief Teachers of the Jewish Church And what a clear and glorious Confession of the Truth of God did he hold forth against all their Opposition and Contradiction And the Apostles when the Rulers Elders and Scribes and Annas the High Priest and Caiaphas and John and Alexander and all the kindred of the High Priest were gathered together and threatened them and straitly charged them to
preach no more in that Name they answered Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God judge ye For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard Acts 4. vers 19. And so Wickliffe John Hus and Luther who were sent of God did take all their Authority from God alone and so were bold and confident each of them in their time against the whole World But now the false Prophets who come of Themselves and by the sending of Men they do all by the Authority and Warrant of Man and accordingly do joyn themselves together by secular Power to bring about their Doctrines and Designs in the Church and from the Civill Authority they procure Leave and Power to publish their Doctrine and set up their Discipline in the Church and to suppress what ever is contrary thereto and without this worldly License and Authority they neither can nor dare do any thing and are never bold but when the Authority of Man is for them But the true Prophets as hath been said do only take their Authority from Christ for what they teach and are bold in his Name only to hold it forth and so after they have published the Word in faith in the same faith they leave the maintenance and defending of it to Him alone whose Word it is and they neither publish it for Mans commanding nor smother it for Mans forbidding Wherefore those Teachers who have not their Warrant from Christ for their Doctrine and are not bold in his Name alone but do derive all their Authority and Encouragement from Men to speak and act in the things of God they are all false Prophets and Ministers of Antichrist The Third Sign The true and faithful Teachers as they are sent of God and take their Authority from God so in all their Doctrine they only hold forth Jesus Christ. And this they have learned from God Himself For the Father speaking immediatly from Heaven preached nothing but Christ saying This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased hear him And this he spake thrice from the excellent Glory manifesting that He Himsef had no Higher Thing nor no Other Thing to declare to the World than his Son Jesus Christ in whom alone are hid all the Treasures of all true and spiritual Wisdom and Knowledge The Son also in all his Ministry only declared who Himself was whom the Father had given to the Elect Church saying Psal. 2. I will publish the Decree whereof the Lord hath said unto me Thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee And in all his Ministry only declared Who he was and to what End his Father had given him saying I am the bread of life which cometh down from Heaven he that cometh to me shall never hunger and he that believeth in me shall never thirst And I am the Way the Truth and the Life no man cometh to the Father but by me And all his Doctrine and Works were to this end that we might believe that Jesus is the Son of God and that believing in him we might have Eternal Life The Apostles also of the Lord after they had received the Spirit did go up and down the World only preaching Jesus and Repentance and Remission of sins in his Name And Paul a laborious Preacher through the Grace of God did renounce and reject all his Worldly Learning and all his Humane Accomplishments and Excellencies in the Ministry of the Gospel and preached nothing but the right Knowledge of Christ and right Faith in Him as He himself testifies Phil. 3. 7 c. saying What things were gain to me those I counted loss for Christ yea doubtless and I count all things but loss for the Excellency of the Knowledge of Jesus Christ my Lord for whom I have suffered the loss of all things and do count them but dung that I may win Christ and be found in Him not having mine own Righteousness which is of the Law but that which is through the faith of Christ the Righteousness which is of God by faith That I may know Him and the power of His Resurrection and the fellowship of His Sufferings and be made conformable to Him in his Death if by any means I might attain to the Resurrection from the Dead And he also tells the Corinthians that he desired to know nothing amongst them but Jesus Christ and him crucified And thus the true Teachers preach nothing but Christ and Him they preach not according to their own Humane Conceptions and Apprehensions but according to the Revelation they have received from the Father by the Spirit But on the contrary the false Teachers preach nothing less than Christ and faith in him but they chiefly teach the Law and Morall Doctrine and Works or else Philosophy and Philosophical Subtilties and Speculations which yet the Apostle hath expresly forbidden Col. 2. 8. saying to the faithful Beware lest any man spoil you through Philosophy and Vain Deceit after the Tradition of Men after the Elements of the World and not after Christ for in Him dwells the fulness of the Godhead bodily and ye are compleat in Him who is the Head of all Principality and Power And so we need not turn from Christ to Philosophy that vain Deceit Wherefore they who preach not the Mysterie of Christ through the Revelation of the Father and the Spirit but Moral Vertues and Vain Philosophy instead of Christ are all of them false Prophets and Ministers of Antichrist The Fourth Sign The true Ministers and Prophets of Christ as they only hold forth Christ so they hold him forth only for the Love of God and their Brother and not for any worldly Profit or Gain Thus Christ taught his Disciples out of the Love of God as he saith I delight to do thy will O my God yea thy Law is within my Heart that is his Love to God And also out of Love to his Brother for having Loved his own he Loved them to the end and out of this Love taught Them as he saith I have called you Friends for whatsoever I have heard from my Father I have declared unto You. And as he taught out of love Himself so he hath commanded all His Seed to teach one another out of the same Love and hath given them his Spirit which is Love that thereby they might love both Him and their Brethren and therefore Christ knowing how difficult a Work it was to feed his Sheep with the right and found Doctrine of the Gospel and that none could or would perform this except they loved Christ from their very Heart root said thrice to Peter Peter dost thou Love me dost thou Love me dost thou Love me then feed my sheep my lambs my sheep and Paul saith The Love of Christ constrained him to teach the Gospel and the fruit of the Spirit in all Believers being Love in this Brotherly Love
out our Name as evil and to cast our Persons out of their Synagogues yea and also to kill us when they can get Power so if we be true Teachers must we be ready and willing to suffer all this for Christs Name sake Wherefore those Teachers who imbrace the heighth and Honour of this Life and will not own the Gospel of Christ farther than they may thereby procure to themselves credit reputation profit and preferment in the World and to this end in doubtful and difficult times carry themselves so subtilly that what ever Party shall prevail they may still stand on their leggs and injoy their present Prosperity and Preferment and so are neither hot nor cold neither truly for the Truth nor openly against the Truth but seek by all subtil means to decline the Cross of Christ. And though in Christ himself they praise his meanness plainness simplicity suffering and cross yet They themselves are delicate and cannot indure these things for Christs sake in Themselves but bend and frame the whole course of their Ministry so as they may obtain all Good things from the World and avoid and escape all Evil things from it these all are false Prophets and Ministers of Antichrist By these nine Signs for I shall name no more now may the true Prophets and Ministers of Christ be manifestly distinguished and discerned from the false ones of Antichrist by all the true people of God who have received his Spirit Now let God and his Word be true and every Man a Lyar. And now I shall make but two Uses of this Discourse briefly and so conclude for this time And the first shall be to Those of You who are spiritual Christians and the second to the carnal Clergy First You who are true believers and spiritual Christians may judge aright by what you have heard of the present Clergy or Common Ministry of the Nation and may see by the clear light of the Word that they for the Generality of them are not true but false Prophets not the Ministers of Christ but of Antichrist not sent of God nor annointed by his Spirit but ordained and appointed by Men at their own desire and seeking for Worldly Advantage sake men who stand and minister in the Church only in the strength of their Academical Degrees and Ecclesiastical Ordination but do not stand and feed the people In the strength of the Lord and in the Majesty of the Name of their God And this corrupt Ministry or carnal Clergy have deceived the People and Nations with a corrupt and carnal Understanding of Christ and of the Scriptures and of the Kingdom of Christ and of the Government of his Kingdom and of all the things of Christ Yea they have under the Name and pretence of Christ set up a Church to Antichrist every-where and do continually mislead thousands of poor souls and carry them captive to Hell and that under the colour and pretence of Religion And this I say is the great evil in these false Teachers that under the Name of Christ they fight against Christ and under the Name of the Word they fight against the Word and under the Name of the Church they fight against the Church And this is a grievous Abomination of Desolation in the Temple of God that they who should be the chief for the Truth are the chief against it and that they who should be faithfull Witnesses to the holy Truth of Christ should prove lying Witnesses against it If a prophane person or Heathen should do this it would be Wickedness and Impiety even in them but this is horrible Abomination and Antichristianism in the Church of Christ that They who are come into it as friends and have obtained the chief Places in it should yet under this vizard be indeed very Enemies and Seducers and Hinderers of the Word of Christ crucified Wherefore saith the Truth against such Psal. 55. 12. It was not an enemy that reproached me then I could have born it neither was it he that hated me that magnified himself against me for then I would have hid my self from him but it was Thou a man mine equal my guide and my acquaintance we took sweet counsel together and walked unto the house of God in company c. And so these false Teachers are these familiar Enemies who exercise all their hatred under the pretence of love all their enmity under pretence of friendship and practise all their wickedness under a form of godliness and by this subtilty have they deceived the World They will not plainly contradict the words of the Prophets Apostles and Christ in the Letter of it but will praise it and speak well of it but yet they are utter Enemies to the true and spiritual Meaning of it both in their Lives and Doctrine and the more these men make a shew of Religion and Holiness the greater Antichrists they be in the Church Wherefore to You who are true Christians and have received an Annointing from God this is the Word and charge of God Come out from among Them my People and touch not the Unclean Thing that is their carnal Doctrine have nothing to do with such Prophets and Ministers but remember what Christ saith John 10. that His Sheep hear his voyce and will not hear the voice of Strangers for they know the voice of Strangers And if any of you live in any Town or Parish where such false Prophets are though they go under the Name of Godly and Orthodox yet touch not the Unclean Thing but know that it is better for you Believers to assemble together among Your selves though you be but few than to communicate with the false Prophets in their false Ordinances seeing Christ hath promised his Presence to his Believers even where but two or three meet together in his Name yea hath said If any Two of you shall agree together to ask any thing on earth it shall be done of my Father which is in heaven And if you having these Promises shall meet together among your selves in the Name and Spirit of Christ in the use of the Word and Prayer of faith lo Christ himself will be with You and though you be but few yet are you the Church of the living God the Pillar and Ground of Truth and of that very Church against which the Gates of Hell shall not prevail And thus much to you spiritual Christians 2. And now for the carnal Clergy or false Prophets their burden is this from the Lord. You have run when You were not sent You have said thus saith the Lord when the Lord hath not spoken by You You have grieved the hearts of the faithfull and strengthened the hands of the Wicked You have been forward to advance the Form of Godliness whilest you have been bitter enemies to the Power of it You have deceived the Nations and made them drunk with the cup of the Wine of your fornications you have done
the Cross which the Word of God in the Spiritual Sense of it would certainly expose them to But now these Worldly Teachers as they love the World so they cannot endure the Cross that is reproach poverty shame sufferings and death for the true Word Wherefore they Preach the Gospel in such a sense as shall please the World but never offend them as shall make the World their Friends but never their Enemies for they cannot endure to think of much less to suffer the utmost Hatred and Persecution of the World for Christs Names sake Wherefore I say again though in Christ they will praise his reproach his shame his poverty his tribulation his death and crucifying yet they cannot endure these things in Themselves for his Truths sake but are most careful and studious to preach the Word of God in such a Worldly Sence as shall never provoke the World against them to do them the least harm but shall rather incline them to confer upon them according to thir own phrase all Countenance and Maintenance And thus the worldly Teachers speak of the World in this sense also But Christ and his Seed who are of God they speak not of the World but of God that is they speak the Word of God according to God never regarding whether the World be pleased or displeased therewith Yea they speak Gods Word according to Gods Mind though they certainly know that it will procure them all sorts of reproaches and tribulations and all manner of evil to be spoken and done against them in as much as they love God and his Word more than Themselves and this World and so they are so far from declining the Cross of Christ which the right Confession of the Word will bring upon them that they account it their greatest Glorifying to have fellowship with Christ in his Sufferings and to be made conformable to him in his Death all which things He endured because he spake Gods Word according to Gods mind and contrary to the mind of the World and Worldly Church And thus we see by Johns Doctrine who spake by the Spirit Who they are with whom Antichrist and his false Prophets prevail to wit the World and worldly People as also the Grounds why they prevail with them namely because They are of the World and speak of the World And now for the Use. The World hears these Teachers who are and speak of the World And hence first we learn That Antichrist and his Prophets the Worldly Teachers come with such Deceivableness of Unrighteousness that no Natural or Worldly men whatever of whatever Parts Learning Knowledge Righteousness can possibly discern Them If men are but Natural men though never so accomplished Antichrist deceives them all and makes them his Disciples For Antichrist comes so subtilly and in such glorious appearances of Holiness and Religion that none can know Him and his Wayes except they be singularly taught of God according to that of Christ to his Disciples To You it is given to know the Mysteries of the Kingdom of God to them it is not given And to whom it is given to know the Mysteries of the Kingdom of Christ to Them also it is given to know the Mysteries of the Kingdom of Antichrist and none can truly know either the One or the Other without a special Gift from God Whence it is most evident That Men are not able to understand Antichrist and his Kingdom and Things as they are men learned in Philosophy and in the Knowledge of the Tongues or as they are men of such and such Degrees and Titles in the University or of such and such Ecclesiastical Orders in the Church I say Men by all such abilities and accomplishments as they speak are not able to discern Antichrist but rather are the more ready to be overcome by Him seeing by all these Humane and Ecclesiastical Things Antichrist can lay the faster hold on them and make them the more his own And Antichrist must needs be unknown to such men in as much as Christ Himself as he is held forth in the Word and whatever he is and doth both in Himself and Members is wholly unknown to them yea is so strangely unknown that by a prodigious mistake they do judge Christ and his Members and their Doctrine to be Antichrist and his Members and their Doctrine And on the contrary they do judge Antichrist and his Members and their Doctrine they do account and esteem of as of Christ Himself and his Members and their Doctrine And thus is the Multitude of carnal Christians which are even the whole World almost through the effectual Operation of Satan brought to think and believe assuredly that the Prophets of Antichrist who handle the Scriptures carnally and after the mind of Man do verily teach the very Doctrine and Truth of God and of this they are so confident that they would have the Worldly Powers and Magistrates to force all Men to believe as They say and to practise as They command Yea these Worldly Men with all their Worldly Accomplishments are so deluded by Antichrist that whilst they oppose and persecute the faithfull People of God or rather Christ Himself and his Word Works Truth and Righteousness in them they verily think they oppose and persecute Antichrist Himself and the falseness of his Members And as the Scribes and Pharisees the chief Teachers of the Jewish Church being Deceivers Themselves did yet call Christ a Deceiver and in killing and crucifying Him thought they did God good service so the carnal Clergy and the Head of them being Antichrists Themselves do yet tell of and terrifie People with another Antichrist And being Seducers Themselves do yet rise up against the very Members of Christ as Seducers that thereby they may boast themselves to be Righteous So throughly and perfectly hath Antichrist deluded and inchanted them through the cup of the Wine of his Fornications Thus the whole World is overcome by Antichrist and cannot by all their Highest Attainments discern Him from Christ only they who are born of God and are his true Children and being plain simple meek and lowly in Spirit are taught of God These only know Antichrist and overcome Him but these are the little flock Secondly In that the World Hears the Ministers of Antichrist We are given to understand That men that are of a Worldly Spirit and through that are addicted to the World and so seek and follow after the Profits Pleasures and Honours of this life they cannot possibly understand the Impostures and Deceits of Antichrist and his Teachers but They all are seduced and overcome by them Whoever therefore do profess or pretend to Religion and Godliness and nevertheless live in the Spirit of this World and are swallowed up with the Cares and Comforts of this World all such Christians are a fit Prey for Antichrist Seeing 1. Such carnal Christians are so addicted to Worldly Occasions that they cannot attend
to the Word of God in the Spiritual Sense of it which is only known by Temptation Prayer and Gods own Teaching And hereupon they want the true light by which only Antichrist can be discerned For Antichrist comes in so great subtilty and likeness to Christ that he cannot be perceived but by Christians much acquainted with the Word and much mortified and quickned through it 2. Such carnal Christians as they neglect the Word in the spirituality of it so also they do love this World and this quenches in their hearts the love of God as John saith If any man love this World the love of the Father is not in him now they whose Hearts are inwardly destitute of the true love of God and yet do outwardly profess and worship God all these are a fit Prey for Antichrist And thus the World loving and seeking it self and its own things receives Antichrist whilst it cannot discern Him Wherefore the Scriptures do every where give Christians so many warnings against Covetousness which takes from men all true desire after Christ and all regard sense and knowledge of Antichrist Christ therefore said to his Disciples Take heed and beware of Covetousness for where the Treasure is there will the Heart be also c. And thus all they who are Lovers of Themselves and of this World the greater outward Profession they make of Religion the more ready are they to receive and entertain the Ministers of Antichrist and their Doctrine seeing They are and speak of the World 3. Seeing the World hears Antichrist and his Teachers We are to take notice That the carnal and Antichristian Ministers have a Numerous Auditory all the Worldly People cleaving and joyning to them because they speak that which is in their Hearts And therefore it is said Revel 17. 15. That the waters whereon the great Whore that is the Ecclesiastical State which chiefly consists in the Clergy sitteth are People and Multitudes and Nations and Tongues So that the false Prophets have all the World to hear them except the Faithful and Spiritual people and Multitude is a certain Sign of their Church And Rev l. 15. v. 7. It is said that Power was given to Antichrist over all Kindreds and Tongues and Nations and that all that dwell on the earth shall worship him whose Names are not written in the Lambs book of Life So that Antichrist by degrees and by his several Forms and Appearances one still more deceitful than another doth win to Himself all mankind but the very Elect. And so from time to time hitherto he hath gotten to Himself National Churches even the Generality of all the People of whole Nations Kingdoms and Common-wealths to hear his Teachers and to receive and submit to his Doctrine and Discipline as most true and Orthodox And thus hath Antichrist Multitudes even the whole World to follow his Teachers and to submit to them But let not the true Church and little Flock of crucified Jesus be offended hereat seeing they are but the World who hear Antichrists Teachers that is they are such People 1. Whose inward Nature is earthly carnal divelish 2. Such who love an outward Form of Religion and Godliness whilst they are bitter Enemies to the Power of it 3. Such who love such a Doctrine and Religion as may stand with their old corrupt Nature and may beautifie and surport it and so may make them painted Sepulchers outwardly fair whilst they are inwardly abominable 4. Such who love the World in the sense of their own Mind but hate and abhor it in the sense of Christs Mind and reckon it so to be the greatest Error and Heresie in the World 5. Such as so profess Christ and his Gospel as to make them serve their own Worldly Ends and Advantages without the least regard or respect had to Christs true Kingdom 6. Such as love Themselves and their Own Things the provisions of the flesh and a quiet easie and commodious life better than Christ Jesus and his Things 7. In a word they are such as under the glorious Profession and subtil Pretence of Christs Church are truly and inwardly the Church of the Devil and Antichrist Such a people and no other hath Antichrist to hear Him and to embrace and depend on Him and his Doctrine Ministry and Ordinances that is the Multitude of false and carnal Christians which are almost the whole World of the outward Professors of the Gospel and Christianity For as Antichrist and his Prophets are of the World and speak of the World so also the World hears them And thus much for the fifth Point The Sixth Point In the sixth place the Apostle shews How the Spirit of Truth and Error may be known in the People as well as in the Teachers to wit by the Peoples cleaving to the Teachers of Truth or to the Teachers of Error saying vers 6. We are of God He that knoweth God heareth Us He that is not of God heareth not Us hereby know we the Spirit of Truth and the Spirit of Error We are of God to wit according to his New Workmanship in Christ Jesus through which we partake of the true Nature of God in Christ as Members as Christ Himself doth partake of that Nature as Head and being thus of God we cannot but confess God his Name and Truth in our Heart Month and Life He that knoweth God heareth Us that is he that knoweth God through the teaching of God knoweth Us who are born and taught of God because we speak to them of God and the Things of God as God himself hath taught Them of Himself and of his Things and therefore They readily receive from Us that Testimony of the Truth which God himself either hath already inwardly taught them or doth teach them by his Spirit whilst we yet speak by that Spirit And so they hear Us by being satisfied and acquiescing or being at rest in the true and wholsom and saving Doctrine of Jesus Christ which we teach Hereby know we the Spirit of Truth to wit in the Hearers when they cleave to the Truth of the Spirit or to the Truth as it is and dwels in Jesus published by the Teachers of Truth It follows He that is not of God heareth not Us That is He that is not of God through a New Birth and the Renewing of the Spirit and so is destitute of the Divine Nature or of the Eternal Word and Spirit which through his Unbelief have no place in his Heart He that thus is not of God but contrarily is of the Devil through Sin Error Darkness Death Enmity to God and his whole evil Nature He heareth not Us that is he doth not taste and relish and approve and receive and embrace and love the Word of Faith and Mysterie of Christ and his Gospel which we teach but doth rather hate oppose reproach and persecute our Doctrine And hereby know we also the Spirit of Error to wit in
God freely taught the Youth who came willingly to them to learn especially in the corrupt times of Israel and Judah I say they taught them only the Knowledge of the Books of Moses and of the other Prophets then extant and no Heathenish Knowledge or Disciplines of the Gentiles at all And these kinde of Schools began early in the Church For the Fathers before the Flood and the Patriarchs after all taught their Children and Families the Word of God And so each of their Families was such a School And that we may not be at uncertainties in this matter it is manifest what Doctrine they taught by that which God himself saith of Abraham Gen. 18. 19. I know Abraham saith God that he will command his Children and Houshold after him that they keep the Way of the Lord and to do Justice and Judgement This was the sum of Abrahams Doctrine to his Family And this is farther confirmed by that of Asaph Psal. 78. 2 3 4. where he saith I will open my mouth in a Parable I will utter dark sayings of old which we have heard and known and our Fathers have told us We will not hide them from their Children shewing to the Generation to come the praises of the Lord and his strength and the wonderfull works that he hath done Where we plainly see what Doctrine the Children received from their Parents and the Parents taught their children from one Generation to another to wit not Vain Philosophy and the Disciplines of the Heathens but the Praises of the Lord and his Strength and Wonderful Works This also is manifest by the practice of Jehosaphat King of Judah who sent his Princes with the Levites up and down throughout Judah and they only took the Book of the Law of the Lord with them and no Heathenish Authors and taught the People 2 Chron. 17. And Ezra after the Peoples return from Babylon took only the Book of the Law of Moses and read it to them and the Levites also read in the Book of the Law of God distinctly to the People and gave them the Sense and caused them to Understand it Nehem. 8. And this also James the Apostle witnesseth Acts 15. 21. saying Moses of old time hath in every City them that Preach Him being read in the Synagogues every Sabbath day So that the faithfull Prophets of the Lord during all the Old-Testament had the chief care in their Schools to keep the Word of the Lord among them in a Right Sense according to the minde of the Spirit For seeing the Lords People are his Portion they knew they were to be carefully Educated and Instructed in the Right Knowledge of the Scriptures to prepare them for the Lord and to make them meet for his Kingdom And the keeping of the Word and Doctrine of God pure is one of the Greatest Matters of all in the Church of God For as the Word is such is the Worship such is the Faith such is the Conscience such is All. Wherefore the Holy Men of God would by no means bring in the Philosophy or Doctrine of the Heathens into their Schools to teach that to their Sons or Scholars but only the true faithfull and unmixed Word of God ` And if against this it be Objected That Moses was learned in all the Learning of the Egyptians To this I Reply But did Moses ever teach any of that Learning in the Church or publish any of the Doctrines of it Or did he command or encourage any of the People of God to learn it Or did any other of the Prophets of the Lord in any Age teach their Sons or Scholars any of the Egyptian Philosophy which was the Antientest or the Smaragdine Table of Hermes Trismegistus the pretended Scholar of Moses so much boasted of or any Heathenish Author whatsoever of which there were many then extant I say let them prove that but one Heathenish Author was read by any of the Prophets to their Scholars and then they will have some colour for the present Universities and their Practice But this they can never do during all the Old Testament And now for the New-Testament it is well known that Christ himself who was the Son of God made of a woman was the first and chief Teacher of this Doctrine Even the Son out of the bosom of the Father full of Grace and Truth and He set up the first Christian School and taught his twelve Apostles whom at his own pleasure He chose to Himself And what the Doctrine was which He taught them is manifest in the Gospel in all which there is not One Word of Heathenish Philosophy or of the Doctrine and Traditions of Men but He only taught them the Words of Eternal life which no Man nor Angel could teach He teaches that Word which is the Power Wisdom and Righteousness of God through which Sin is forgiven and Righteousness is given Death is destroyed and Life is brought in Hell is put out and Heaven is planted in all them that do believe He teaches a Word through which the World is renewed and Men are made like Angels and are made meet to partake of the Inheritance of Saints He teaches a Word wherein is contained all the Treasures of Wisdom and Knowledge that are in God Himself And so Christ taught in his School no vain Philosophy or Heathenish Doctrine and yet he came from God and went to God and is a pattern for Doctrine to all true Christians that are his Disciples indeed To whom he commanded when he left the world and went to his Father that they should teach all Nations and gather one Christian School out of them all by teaching them to observe and do Whatsoever he had commanded them to wit in the Gospel and nothing else or more He commanded them to teach all that and only that and promised himself to be with them to the end of the World in all such Doctrine And the Apostles accordingly not by any help of Humane Learning but when they had received the Spirit went forth to teach the Nations and to set up Christian Schools everywhere by their Doctrine and They all only taught Jesus and the Resurrection from the dead Thus Peter first taught the Men of Judea and Inhabitants of Jerusalem That God had made Jesus whom they had crucified both Lord and Christ having raised Him from the dead because it was not possible for Him to be holden of Death who was the Lord and Author of Life And Steven disputing with the Libertines Cirenians and Alexandrians and divers Philosophers of Cilicia and Asia did hold forth to them nothing but Christ and that He should put an end to the Temple and Law and should change all the Customs of Moses And They were not able to resist the Wisdom and Spirit by which He spake Acts 6. And Paul at the University of Athens reproved there Heathenism and taught Nothing among the Epicureans and
Stoicks and other Sects of Philosophers but the Resurrection of Christ and his Kingdom and Judgement Acts 17. He also disputed daily in the School of one Tyrannus and that for two years together and perswaded only the things touching the Kingdom of God brought into the World by Jesus Christ Acts 19. And he so prevailed with his Doctrine that Many which used Curious Arts brought their Books together and burnt them before all men and the price of them was counted at Fifty Thousand pieces of Silver So that as the Gospel prevailed and the Name of Christ was magnified so did People renounce Philosophy and burn their Books of Curious Arts To recover which Books again out of their ashes if it might be our University would give as much Money if they could procure it from good Benefactors as they were then valued at by the Heathen So that as They through the efficacy of the Gospel of Heathens became Christians and threw away all other Learning and burnt their Books of Great Value lest they should infect others So on the contrary in our Universities of Pretended Christians Men usually become true Heathens never valuing the Precious Gospel of God our Saviour as they do other Heathenish and Philosophical Books Farther the same Paul dwelt after at Rome two whole Years in his own hired House and during all that time Preached only the Kingdom of God and taught those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness But taught not one Word of Philosophy He also at Corinth a great and famous City of Greece full of Philosophers and Orators taught nothing among them but Christ Crucified to the Jews a Stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness But to them that believe both of Jews and Greeks Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God 1 Cor. 1. And as he made no Use of Humane Learning all this while so in 1 Cor. 2. he plainly renounces it and rejects it saying Ver. 1. And I brethren when I came to you came not with Excellency of Speech or Wisdom declaring unto you the Testimony of God Ver. 2. For I determined not to know any thing among You save Jesus Christ and him Crucified Ver. 3. And I was with you in weakness and fear and much trembling Ver. 4. And my speech and Preaching was not with enticing Words of Mans Wisdom but in Demonstration of the Spirit and Power Ver. 5. That your Faith should not stand in the Wisdom of Man but in the Power of God Ver. 6. Howbeit we speak Wisdom among them that are Perfect Yet not the Wisdom of this World nor of the Princes of this World which come to nought Ver. 7 But we speak the Wisdom of God in a Mysterie even the Hidden Wisdom which God Ordained before the World unto our Glory c. Ver. 13. Which things also we speak not in the Words which Mans Wisdom teacheth but which the Holy Spirit teacheth comparing Spiritual things with Spiritual things In a word this whole Chapter tends to the Utter Rejection of Philosophy which is the Wisdom of the World in the Kingdom of Christ which is the Kingdom of God He also in his Epistle to the Colossians chap. 2. gives forth another plain Testimony against Philosophy desiring vers 2. that the Hearts of the Believers might be comforted and that they might be knit together in Love and unto all riches of the full assurance of Understanding to the acknowledgement of the Mysterie of God and of the Father and of Christ in whom are hid all the Treasures of Wisdom and Knowledge And this saith he I say lest any man should beguile you with Enticing Words Wherefore v. 8. saith he Beware lest any man spoyl you through Philosophy and Vain Deceit after the Tradition of men after the Rudiments or Elements of the world and not after Christ for in Him dwells the Fulness of the Godhead bodily and ye are Compleat in Him who is the Head of all Principality and Power Here is a sufficient Caution against Philosophy for the true Church for ever For what need we if we are true Christians to turn aside for Wisdom and Knowledge and Learning and curious Arts to the Heathen seeing God hath given Christ to us in Whom is treasured up all the Heights and Depths and Lengths and Bredths of Wisdom and Knowledge whereby the whole World was made and every Creature formed and fashioned and in which it hath its Being Subsistence and Operation Yea in this Christ dwells all the Fulness of the Infinite and Eternal God and he is the Head of all Principality and Power in Earth and Heaven and there is in Him alone infinitely enough to make us Wise and Learned for ever without calling in the Help and Contributions of the vain Philosophers and their foolish Wisdom It is enough for Christian Schools to be taught to know Christ by the Ministration of the Spirit and all other Learning that is out of Christ though it seem to be never so High and Deep all faithful Christians are to reject it as meer Sophistrie and Deceit And thus you see that the Apostles as well as Christ taught their Scholars and Disciples only the Gospel and spake not one word for Philosophy but directly against it And the following Fathers and next Teachers of the Christian Church after the Apostles they also obeyed the Command of Christ and followed the example of the Apostles in this matter For the Bishops and Presbyters that is the Overseers and Elders had tender regard to the Children of Christians and did teach Them as well as the People the pure Doctrine of the Gospel They held forth to them Christ Crucified and did exhort them to Faith new Obedience the Confession of Christ and patient Suffering and did not at all intermingle Philosophy with their Divinity but alwayes rejected and condemned it all along the first and purest times of the Christian Church till the Mysterie of Iniquity began to arise and did cunningly insinuate itself into the Church by the means of Humane Learning And here it will not be amiss to Relate what Justine Martyr saith of himself as to this matter who was before his Conversion to the Christian Faith a great Philosopher and lived about 150. years after Christs Nativity He in his Dialogue with Trypho relates How first he joyned Himself to that Sect of Philosophers called the Stoicks and after to the Peripateticks after to the Pythagorean Sect and after to the Platonists but had no Satisfaction in his Mind by all this Knowledge But at last he beholding the Torments and Sufferings of Christians and seeing Them bear them with such Comfort and Constancy he did thereby conceive that it was impossible for that kind of People to be subject to any Vice on carnality which Vices of their own Nature are not able to sustain any sharp Adversity much less the bitterness of Death And hereupon He began to love and search after
that He who alone comprehends the fulness of all things and in whom are hid all the Infinite Treasures of Divine and Heavenly Wisdom and Knowledge that He alone should not be counted sufficeent and enough no not by Those who pretend his Name to make us Wise to Salvation which is the only True Excellent and necessary Wisdom in the World and to make the man of God Perfect and the whole Church of God Compleat but to the great Dishonor of Christ yea to the very Rejection of Christ the children of Christians must be led from the Doctrine of Christ the Son of the Living God to the Doctrine and Disciplines of the Wretched Filthy Abominable Wicked and Damned Heathen and to spend the prime and flower of their Youth in these things Who but Antichrist Himself could have brought in and set up such an Abomination of Desolation in the Church of God And yet for the better credit of all things must These corrupt Heathenish Schools be called the Schools of the Prophets though Nothing but the Ignorance of the Law and Gospel be taught in Them and the Highest Enmity to Christ in all the World lives and flourishes in them And thus as the Christian Schools at first brought men from Heathenism to the Gospel so These Schools carry men from the Gospel to Heathenism as to their great Perfection And the Fruit of this Education of Youth is manifest For where hath the Gospel found less Favour and more Enmity at any time then from the Universities Ridly the Martyr with Cranmer and others being in Prison in Oxford for the Testimony of the Gospel writes thus to Bradford As yet saith he there was never Learned Man nor any Scholar or other that visited us since we came into Bocardo And in another Letter to him he saith And yet as we hear the Scholars bear us more heavily then the Townsmen A wonderfull thing among so Many never yet Scholar offered any of Us so far as I know any manner of favour either for or in Christs Cause Fox vol. 3. p. 442 443. Yea farther where shall you see Youth again in all the Nation so vain proud fantastical bold impudent Where shall you meet with such Mockers and Scoffers at God and his Gospel as here How many Hopefull Youths have here been sacrificed to the Heathen and their carefull Parents after much cost have received them home as full of Heathenish Manners as Doctrine And if some are lately become more civil and seemingly Religious yet is their Enmity to the Gospel in its true Spirituall Sense as it is the Word of Faith nothing abated For such as is the Doctrine among them such also of necessity must their Consciences and Lives be Wherefore the Universities according to their Statutes and usual Practice are not the Schools of the Prophets or of Christians but of Heathen Men and Plato and Aristotle have more credit in the University then Moses or Christ Himself And if after their course or running their Circle in Philosophy they betake themselves to Divinity yet do they so mingle spoil and corrupt it with Philosophy according to which they both understand the Scriptures and speak of them that their Divinity cannot be called the Doctrine of Christ but of Antichrist being wholly contrary to the Word of Faith And therefore Mr. Simpson was the more to blame to flatter them in their Evils and to deceive the World in appropriating to Them the glorious Title of the Schools of the Prophets Who are in all things so Contrary and Contradictory to Them Now the Sum and Certainty of this Matter is this That the Congregations of Believers where only the Word of the Gospel is truly taught according to the Ministration of the Spirit whether to Youth or Men They under the New Testament are answerable to the Schools of the Prophets under the Old who only taught Moses and the Prophets And the Universities wherein Philosophy is first taught the Youth and after Divinity and then both are mingled together to the utter perverting and corrupting the Gospel of Christ I say these Universities in the time of the Gospel are answerable to the High-Places in the time of the Law where a Doctrine and Worship prevailed which was not according to Gods Word but mans Will and where Judaism and Heathenism were mingled together into one Mungrel Religion most odious and abominable to God and his People And so the Universities in the time of the Gospel are only answerable to the High-Places in the time of the Law but not at all to the Schools of the Prophets as Mr. Simpson pretends And now for the Conclusion of this matter which I reckon to be of Great Concernment for the true Church to be thorowly instructed in I shall bring forth the Testimony of some Godly men of Whom some shew how the Schools and Universities of Christians came first to be Corrupted to wit by departing from the plain Word of the Gospel and bringing in Philosophy And another foretels the Reformation of the Schools of Christians again to wit by rejecting Philosophy again and bringing in the Word of Faith All which will serve as a Confirmation of what hath been already spoken Matthias Parisiensis a Bohemian by Nation who lived about the year 1380. wrote a large book against Antichrist wherein he affirms That Antichrist had seduced all Universities and Colledges of Learned men so that now they teach no sincere Doctrine neither give any true Light to Christians through their teaching to wit they being all corrupted through Philosophy and having through that corrupted all Divinity And John Hus that humble and faithful servant of Jesus Christ and blessed Martyr saith That Antichrist hath seduced all carnal Christians from Divine Wisdom which is full of Salvation and the Holy Spirit to the Wisdom and Science of Men and of the Princes of this World which Wisdom and Science he hath exceedingly inlarged and increased and made Authentical and very gainfull of Riches and Honors in this World that so by this means Divine Wisdom and Science might be neglected of Christians and grow old and be covered over and be accounted as Vile and Unprofitable by them And that only That which is High with Men to wit Humane Learning might be reckoned Glorious and Excellent and of great Authority with Christian People The same Hus saith That this Humane Learning Wisdom and Knowledge Antichrist doth perfectly subject to Himself and his Service He being more Mighty and Subtil through the Operation of Satan then all Worldly Men whom with all their Learning Disciplines and Abilities he strongly subjugates to Himself and doth especially serve Himself of These wherefore saith Job chap. 41. sub ipso erunt radii solis the Beams of the Sun shall be under Him that is the Holy Scripture and the chief Doctors and Teachers of it and He shall prepare Gold as dirt that is he shall have all the Wisdom and Learning
men Reprove Convince and Silence the Greatest and Ablest men of the Jews And what Humane Learning had Steven and yet he confuted the Libertines and Cyrenians and Alexandrians and all the Philosophers of Cilicia and Asia which disputed with him and they all were not able to resist not the Humane Learning but the Wisdom and Spirit by which he spake And Christ hath promised all his People that when for his Names sake they should be brought before Kings anh Rulers who usually have the greatest accomplishments of Humane Learning that then They should not study before hand what to say for He would give them in that very hour a Mouth and Wisdom which None of their Adversaries should be able to resist And the Power and Vertue of the Gospel and the Wisdom Knowledge and Utterance of Gods Spirit is more gloriously manifest in Plain Men then in Learned Men For in the One the Grace and Vertues of the Spirit are attributed to Humane Learning But in the Other to God only who dwells in them Wherefore that the Wisdom and Knowledge and Light and Power of the Word of Faith in true Christians might not be attributed to Humane Learning God stirred up an Enemy to Christian Religion to be so serviceable to it as to hinder Heathenish Doctrine from being taught in the Schools of Christians that so the Church might be restored to be as in the dayes of its Youth when there flourished in it only the simple and plain Word of Faith without any intermingling Philosophy or Humane Doctrine And if Constantine had made such an Order in his time Julian had not had such an opportunity to have renounced Christianity and turned Heathen for Julian being instructed in the Philosophy and Disciplines of the Heathen by Libanius his Tutor by this means He came to love Philosophy better then the Gospel and so by degrees turned from Christianity to Heathenism Which may be a fair Warning to all Christians that they suffer not their Children to be so educated lest at last with Julian they at least in their hearts loath and reject the Gospel and become with him Apostates and Pagans And hence it is most evident that Heathenish Philosophy is so far from being a Profitable Study for the Children of Christians that it is very Dangerous for them to be so educated as Socrates is forced to confess where he saith For Christians to be thorowly instructed in the Disciplines of the Gentiles there is none will grant that this is Profitable to the Christian Religion For it is not without Danger for Christians to be taught in the Learning of the Heathens seeing this teacheth that there are Many Gods And therefore saith he the Doctrine of the Heathen is not approved by Christ or any of his Apostles or Disciples Wherefore said Luther My Counsel is that a Youth should shun Philosophy and School-Divinity as the Death of his Soul 3. ERROR That the Knowledge of Heavenly things cannot come to us but by things on Earth and that all Divinity is swadled in Humane Learning Answer I conceive that all Christians at the first reading of this will acknowledge that this Doctrine is not Divine but Philosophical The Philosophers say that nothing is in the Understanding but that which is first in the Sence which is proportionable to that which Mr. Simpson speaks and yet they know not what they say when they say so But let us consider if this be so That the Knowledge of Heavenly Things cannot come to us but by things on Earth then how shall we know the Mysterie of God even the Father and the Mysterie of Christ who is God manifest in the flesh Or how shall the Mysterie of Faith and of our Union with Christ through Faith into One Flesh and Spirit with Him be known Or the New Birth and New Creature which hath all things New in it and all those New things the Things of God Or how shall the free Justification of a Sinner through the Death of Christ and his Reconciliation to God be known with all the rest of the Things of the Gospel seeing Nothing on Earth can reveal the least part of these things And if the World by Wisdom that is its Philosophy knew not God how can it by that Wisdom reveal God and his things which it never knew Nay the Apostle doth clearly testifie against this Carnal and Corrupt Doctrine in 1 Cor. 2. 7 8. saying We speak the Wisdom of God in a Mysterie even the Hidden Wisdom which God ordained before the World unto our Glory which None of the Princes of this World knew and by Princes of this World he means not only Worldly Powers as Chrysostome affirms but also Philosophers and Orators who often obtained the chief Government among the Nations God hath wrapped up his Gospel saith Paul into such Hidden Wisdom that they are never able to search into it or to discover the least part of it seeing God contrived it all and appointed it before the World unto our Glory and all Their Knowledge is but from the World Yea he adds Eye hath not seen nor Ear heard neither have ever entered into the Heart of Man the Things which God hath prepared for them that love Him In which words God hath shut out the Natural Man for ever with all his study knowledge abilities and attainments from the having any Right Understanding of his Kingdom or the Things of it For the Eye of Man hath not seen them at any time nor his Ear heard them nor hath any Knowledge of them entered into his Heart so far is this Doctrine from truth that The Knowledge of Heavenly Things cannot come to us but by Things on Earth But the Apostle shews how the Faithfull come to know these high holy spiritual and eternal things which lie infinitely beyond the Knowledge and Discovery of all Men to wit by the Spirit saying But God hath revealed them to Us by the Spirit for the Spirit searcheth all things yea the Deep Things of God So that the People of God know the things of the Gospel not by Earthly Things as Mr. Simpson affirms nor by Philosophy and outward Wisdom which only reaches to Earthly Things but by the Spirit Farther If all Divinity be swadled in Humane Learning then I do affirm that all such Divinity hath no great Depth seeing the bottom of Humane Learning is easily fathomed But can any Christian Heart think that all true Divinity which comprehends in it the Heighth and Bredth and Length and Depth of the Love of God which passeth Knowledge and all the Unsearchable Riches of Christ and all the infinite and incomprehensible Treasures of his Wisdom Power and Righteousness of his Love Goodness Truth Faithfulness and of all the Fulness of the Godhead wherewith he is filled can be contained and wrapped up in the Narrow and Scant Bounds of Humane Learning How much truer Doctrine had it been to
have taught that all true Divinity is contained in God and his Word and that we can know Nothing of God aright but by his Word which Holy men have spoken by the Spirit and Believers do receive by Faith and out of this Word all the Learning in the World doth not contain in it Self neither can it reveal to Us aright â—he Least Thing of God or of his Mind and Will But I conceive he might speak thus That all Divinity is wrapped up in Humane Learning to deterr the Common People from the Study and Enquiry after it and to cause them still to expect all Divinity from the Clergy who by their Education have attained to that Humane Learning which the Plain People are destitute of For it is the Old and New Design of Antichrist to make the People depend on the Clergy for all Divinity though the People have the Scriptures as near Them and the Grace of God usually nearer to them then They seeing God resists the Proud and gives Grace to the Humble Again if all Divinity be swadled in Humane Learning then must it sadly follow that all who want Humane Learning must needs also want Divinity And then how shall poor plain People who live in lawfull Callings and have not the leisure to attain Humane Learning how shall They do to be saved Or what Help must they have to teach them Divinity who have not opportunity to gain Humane Learning And yet farther if all Divinity be swadled in Humane Learning then Christ and his Apostles had no true Divinity for they had no Humane Learning to swadle it in nor would have none Shall we say now according to Mr. Simpsons Doctrine that they had no Divinity I do with all boldness affirm that this Doctrine is contrary to the Christian Faith 4. ERROR That Paul was brought up at the feet of Gamaliel and God took him so fitted to wit with Humane Learning and made him an able Instrument in his Church Answer Not so But God took Paul not a good Scholar and so made him an able Preacher but he took Him as a Blasphemer and Persecutor and as a cruel and inraged Enemy against Christ and his Truth and People and magnified the riches of his Mercy in converting such an One and Paul having much forgiven him loved much and through his Great Love was the fitter to preach the Gospel according to that of Christ to Peter Peter dost thou love me feed my Sheep Yea Paul Himself ascribes his painfull and profitable Preaching not to his Learning and Education under Gamaliel which also was or ought to have been only in the Law and Prophets as hath been proved but to the free Grace of God bestowed on him saying I laboured more abundantly then They all yet not I but the Grace of God in me So that Paul became so excellent a Preacher not by his fitting through Humane Learning but through the Grace of God And here I shall mind Mr. Simpson of a passage which I have read in Chrysostome which comes home to this Matter in hand it is in his third Homily on the first Epistle to the Corinthians where he saith That God had no need at the beginning of the Gospel of Learned men and Sophisters to preach the Gospel and to convince the World with Syllogisms but did only use the Word of Faith in the mouths of plain Handicrafts men and Artificers Wherefore saith he when the Greeks shall accuse the Disciples of Christ as ignorant of Letters and Unlearned let Us our selves who are Christians accuse them More Neither let any one say that Paul was Wise and Learned but let us say Their Men were Wise and Learned but Ours were Rude and Ignorant For in thus doing according to the truth we shall have the Greater Advantage against them For if Paul were Unlearned and yet overcame Learned Plato his Victory was the Greater and the Grace of God the more Glorious Now this I say saith he because the other day I heard a certain Christian discoursing ridculously with a Greek each of them in their Discourse prejudicing their Own Cause For the Greek spake that which the Christian should have said and the Christian spake that which the Greek should have said For the Question between them being touching Paul and Plato the Greek endeavoured to prove that Paul was Rude and Unlearned but the Christian through his Simplicity did endeavor to prove that Paul was more Learned and Eloquent then Plato And so the Greek should obtain the Victory if the Christians Reasons should prevail For if Paul were more Learned then Plato then might men object That he overcame not the World through Grace but through Eloquence Wherefore that whith the Christian spake made for the Greek and that which the Greek spake made for the Christian. Wherefore he saith when the Greeks shall say the Apostles were Rude and Unlearned Poor Mean Simple Obscure Persons let us acknowledge it as the Truth For this is not their Reproach but their Glory that being Such they yet overcame the Learned Men the Wise Men the Philosophers the Rhetoricians the Orators the Princes and all the World as if They had not been Men. For when any thing is done above the State and power of Nature this doth exceedingly manifest and magnifie the Grace of God And so it appears that Chrysostom was of another mind in this matter touching Paul then Mr. Simpson and that Paul was of another mind touching Himself Now seeing Mr. Simpson doth here insinuate that Humane Learning fits a man to the Ministry of the Gospel and seeing this also is the Opinion of all the Carnal and Unbelieving People I do desire them to consider what some Godly Men have spoken clearly from the Word of God in this Matter Chrysostom who knew the Mysterie of the Gospel more clearly then any of the Ancient Writers in his Comment on the first Epistle to the Corinthians doth wholly exclude Humane Learning from contributing any thing either to the speaking or receiving the Gospel For saith he to believe in Him that was Crucified and Buried and to be fully perswaded that he Rose again and sits at the Right Hand of God and hath all Power in Heaven and Earth given to Him and that He is made of God to the whole Church Wisdom Righteousness Sanctification and Redemption this Doctrine stands not in need of Humane Wisdom and Reasonings but of Faith only and that both in Them that spake it and in Them that receive it For the Apostles did not proceed in this Matter in outward Wisdom but in Faith and so became more Wise and Excellent then the Worldly Wise and so much the more as it is a Greater Matter to receive the things of God by Faith then to be perswaded into them by the force of Argument He adds also That To the receiving the Doctrine of the Gospel neither is the Wise man profited any thing by
Ignorance of and Enmity to the Gospel of God our Saviour For is our Union with Christ the Foundation of Error or have true Believers no real Union with Christ but imaginary Do not the Saints partake of the Divine Nature doth not Peter expresly affirm it 2 Pet. 1. 4. where he saith exceeding Great and Precious Promises are made to us that We thereby should be made partakers of the Divine Nature and what is the Divine Nature but the very Nature of God See Luther on the place Again are Believers as he affirms at an infinite distance from Christ If this were true what sad news would it be to the Church of God How can this Doctrine agree with these Scriptures that Christ may dwell in your Hearts by faith and Christ in You the hope of Glory and of Him are Ye in Christ Jesus Again saith Christ I am the true Vine and ye are the Branches and so as the Vine is in the Branches and as the Branches are in the Vine so is Christ in Christians and so are Christians in Christ. Again John 14. 20. At that day ye shall know saith Christ Himself that you need not doubt of the Doctrine that I am in my Father and You in Me and I in you And again John 17. 21. saith Christ I pray not for These alone that is who now believe but also for All that shall hereafter believe in me through their Word That they all may be One as thou Father art in Me and I in Thee that They may be One as we are One I in Them and Thou in Me that They may be made perfect in One that the World may know thou hast sent me and hast loved Them as thou hast loved Me. Here now is no infinite Distance between Christ and Believers but a Wonderful and Admirable Nearness and Oneness which the learned Ignorance of Philosophy understands not nor the ignorant Knowledge of any carnal Christian. But sure this Word of God is true and the Saints receive it in faith and will not be deluded with any Philosophical Sophistical or Antichristian Glosses of False Teachers And thus doth the Holy Word of God affirm plainly enough that Christ and his Christians are most neerly United And yet doth not this Union make an Equality and rob Christ of his due Glory seeing Christ is the Head and They his Members Christ the First Born and they his Brethren And so as Christ hath the Preheminence in all things above them all as becomes the Head and First Born so They have Communion with Him in all things as becomes his Members and Brethren And whereas he jests and saith He that hath God in Him needs not go to Man to learn I do affirm this is true enough and the Scripture hath affirmed it in several places Isaiah saith to the Spiritual Church All thy Children shall be taught of the Lord And Christ saith it is written They shall be all taught of God He therefore that hath heard and learned of my Father cometh to Me. And John saith 1 John 2. 27. The Annointing which Ye have received from Him abideth in you and Ye need not that any Man teach you but as the same Annointing teacheth you all things and is Truth and is no Lye And this Doctrine is so manifest from the Scriptures that He is of Antichrist that denies it For God inwardly teaches all his People by his Spirit his own Self and They so hear the Word by the Ministry of Man that it is alwaies God that teaches them and not Man 11. ERROR Arts and Tongues are the Cups in which God drinks to us Answer In what a sad condition then are the Common and Plain People that they cannot Pledge him But only the Learned Clergy keep these Cups to Themselves as heretofote they kept the Cup in the Sacrament But what strange Phrase is this Savouring of the Ranters Religion as if God was the familiar Companion of the Clergy and sometimes drank to them in a Cup of Hebrew sometimes in a Cup of Greek and sometimes in a Cup of Latine and as if sometimes he drank to them in a Cup of Logick and sometimes in a Cup of Ethicks sometimes in a Cup of Metaphysicks Is not this truly Profana vocum novitas a Prophane Newness of Speech never before heard of to my Knowledge in the Church of God and which the Apostle utterly condemns 12. ERROR We shall never keep up Religion if we do not keep up Learning but when Learning goes down Religion goes down too Answer The Church is founded on Christ and Christ and His Church it seems are both founded on Humane Learning It is no wonder now that Mr. Simpson lays so great stress on it everywhere And that Men of his Religion term the University Fundamentum Ecclesiae the Foundation of the Church And if Humane Learning do indeed uphold all Christian Religion let all Men and Magistrates come forth and uphold it in the Name of God But surely the Religion of the Gospel depends wholly on Christ as Christ on God and there is no need of Humane Learning to support this except God and Christ are insufficient We have a sure Word and Doctrine of the Gospel that remains firm for ever and inviolable and inconquerable in and through Christ and his Spirit and the Father and all the World shall shatter in pieces and Humane Learning go down to Hell and This shall stand fast for ever Heaven and Earth shall pass away and not one jot or Tittle of my Word saith Christ. Believers know that not one Point of their Religion depends on Humane Learning But all on Christ Himself who is the true and Living Word Wherefore these are the fears of Antichrist and his Prophets that their Religion will go down with Humane Learning because it was set up by it But the true Religion of the Gospel of God our Saviour was at first set up without it and hath hitherto remained without it and will abide so for ever And to this the Spirit and the Bride give witness 13. ERROR Seeing Religious Foundations are so Antient then keep them up Your Destruction will never be but from Your Selves Answer Religious Foundations What Religion founded the Universities is well known For by the Counsel of four Monks the Scholars of Bede to wit Rabanus Albinus Claudius and John Scotus the University which had been translated from Athens to Rome was translated by Charls the Great from Rome to Paris An. 791. And for our English Universities of Cambridge and Oxford Thus it is recorded That the Study of Cambridge was instituted Anno 630. By Sigisbert King of the East Angles who after changed his Purple or Kingly Robes for a Fryars Cool or Hood And the Lectures here were begun by four Monks of which Brother or Fryar Ode as they termed him read Grammar according to Priscians Doctrine Terricus an acute Sophister
Day is coming when Iniquity shall have an End And thus have I done with these Things There were many Other things in that Sermon as contrary to the Gospel which for brevities sake I have omitted Now what a sad Thing is it that such poysonful Doctrine should be poured forth into an University Congregation and that by the Ministry of such a Man And if the Ceremonies of the Law were in use under the Gospel how ought we to rendour Garments at the Hearing of these Things And now O blessed Lord Jesus who wast Crucified Dead and Buried but yet art risen from the Dead by the Eternal Spirit and art ascended on High to fill all things have Mercy on thy poor Church which is so grievously rent and torn this day by Wolves in Sheeps Cloathing and is thus hurt and consumed by poysonful Doctrines of Men who seek Themselves and their own Things to the Harm and Ruine of thy poor People O thou Son of the Living God who art the Way the Truth and the Life how shall the Kingdom of Antichrist be brought down when the Hands of such Men who seem Pillars in the Church are stretched forth so strongly to hold it up And how shall the Days of Antichrist be shortned when his Kingdom is coming forth again in the Greatest Deceiveableness of Unrighteousness that hath ever yet appeared in the World to delude the Nations O Lord remember all thy Promises and make haste to destroy Babylon the Great with all its mysteries of Righteousness and Unrighteousness and let it sink as a Milstone in the Sea without any hope or possibility of a Resurrection And seeing there is no hand of Man stretched out for this Work but all Hands are against it do thou destroy it O Lord without hand even with the Spirit of thy mouth and brightness of thy Coming according to the Truth of thy Promises and the unutterable Sighs and Groans of thy Spirit occasioned thereby in the Hearts of all thy faithful and Elect. Even so Lord And let thy Kingdom come and make no long tarrying AMEN A TESTIMONY From the WORD Against DIVINITY-DEGREES IN THE Vniversity OR Any Academical Degrees made use of for the Ministry of the Gospel THE Universities whose very Soul and Life do lie in Humane Learning and School-Divinity that they might gain the greater Profit to themselves and Glory to their Children have after the example of the Heathen given their children Degrees in Divinity as They in Arts and the Glorious Titles of Batchelors Masters and Doctors in Divinity as so many Crowns of Gold upon their Heads to win them Honour and Reputation with all People who have been under the Delusion of Antichrist And in the confirming of these Graduations or Degrees which also is done for a sum of Money they give the Graduates License and Power to Preach and to Expound the Scriptures and that by the sole Authority of the University For the Vice-Chancelor admitting a Bachelour in Divinity to his Degree useth these Words in the Name of the University We admit you to declare all the Apostolical Epistles in the name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost And so the Batchelour in Divinity hath Power according to his Degree only to deal with the Apostolical Epistles but must go no farther And admitting a Doctor to his Degree the Vice-Chancelour saith thus We admit you to Interpret and Profess all the Holy Scriptures both of the Old and New Testament in the name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost And thus doth the University through power received from Antichrist give men chiefly for Money Divinity-Degrees and through those Degrees it gives Authority and priviledge to Batchelors in Divinity to expound part of the Scriptures and to Doctors to expound and profess all the Scriptures and they that gain these Degrees to Themselves are as there is good reason the Great Men in account with the University and also with the Carnal People of Antichrist how destitute soever they be of the Faith and Spirit of the Gospel Wherefore I cannot choose but give in my Testimony against this Glorious and Gainful Priviledge of the Universities to wit their conferring upon their Children Degrees in Divinity and creating them Masters in that Mysterie which none can teach but God Himself and which none can learn but true Believers who are born of God and are his true Disciples And so I do openly affirm that Degrees in Divinity for I meddle with none else given by the Universities to their Children are plainly and grosly Antichristian being most manifestly contrary to the Word of the Gospel and the Light that shines in the New Testament For first In the Gospel of God our Saviour we learn That only a New and Heavenly Birth makes Men to be of the true Church and that the pouring forth of the Spirit on these Children of God according to the measure of the Gift of God makes Christians of several Degrees in this Church and not Academical Graduations Secondly In this Gospel also we are taught that all the true Ministers of Christ are Equal and not One Superior to Another as these Degrees make them Thirdly In this Gospel also we are taught that the true Greatness amongst Christs true Disciples doth not stand in Academical Degrees or Worldly Honour and Dignities but in the Faithfuls near and exact following of Christ in Word and Conversation and that the sons of Zebedee in desiring Superiority and Pre-eminence above the other Disciples contrary to the Life and Doctrine of Christ did grievously offend and were therefore sharply rebuked of Christ. Fourthly Yea here we hear Christ himself forbidding this very Thing to his Disciples that Antichrist and his Prophets might have no cloak for doing the contrary where his Gospel is truely taught and published For Matth. 23. Christ doth forbid his Disciples before all the Multitude to be as the Jewish Rabbies or Doctors who saith Christ do their works to be seen of Men and disguise themselves with different Garments or Habits from others that they might be the more taken notice of and have the more respect and do love the uppermost Rooms at Feasts and the chief Seats in the Synagogues and greetings in the Markets and to be called of men Doctor Doctor but saith Christ to his Disciples Be not ye called Doctors for one is your Master even Christ and Ye all are Brethren and so equal Whence it is evident that this Practice of Universities and Colledges in giving men Degrees in Divinity as they call it and Titles Habits and Dignities accordingly is contrary to the express Command of Jesus Christ and so is a meer Invention of Antichrist to put Honour and Reputation on his Ministers It is also manifest that this practice of the Universities hath all along made many Doctors in the Church which yet never were Christs true Disciples It is also manifest that these Degrees and Titles do cause men
sed ut humilem Christianum because he hoped he should rise to Judgement not as a Doctor but as an humble Christian. Now methinks the clear and precious Word of Christ alone should take off the Universities and Clergie from giving and receiving these Degrees and Titles if they do in good earnest profess themselves to be his Disciples but how much ought They to be ashamed and confounded when they see Other Believers for the love of Christ and his Word utterly renouncing these Things before their faces that They if they persist may be left wholly without excuse before Christ and his Church And now for the Conclusion of this matter I shall hold forth to the Universities the true Degrees which Christ the Son of God did Himself take in the Church of God and which all his Saints are to take after his Example Jesus Christ the Son of the living God the first and chief Teacher of the New Testament did neither commence Batchelour nor Doctor in Divinity but he took five other Degrees wherein the University Graduates are usually wanting Christs first Degree in the Church was this that He was the Son of God as the Lord said to him Thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee and again This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased And this is the first Degree that Christ himself took in the Church his Divine Sonship according to his Humane Nature And this Degree all the Faithful take with Him for They all are begotten of God and born of the immortal Seed of his Word and their being the Children of God through Faith is the first Degree also that They take in the Church 2. Christs second Degree in the Church was His Unction with the Spirit for being the Son of God the Spirit of God came and sate upon him in the form of a Dove which was his New-Testament Baptism and his First Degree was confirmed to him by the Father when he took this Second for whilest the Spirit rested on him a Voyce from Heaven said Thou art my beloved Son in whom I am well pleassd And this second Degree also all the Faithful take with Christ for They all as his Fellows are anointed together with Him the Chief among them they as Members are anointed together with Him the Head with the same Oyl of Gladness and being Sons God sends the Spirit of his Son into their Hearts and the Spirit of the Son in their hearts is a sure Testimony they are Sons and their second Degree also confirms their first to wit the Gift of the Spirit their Sonship 3. Christs third Degree was this that after He was anointed by the Spirit and declared to be the Son of God then for the Proof of both He was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the Devil fourty dayes and nights together and in all these Temptations through his Sonship and Unction he overcame the Devil and came away Conqueror And this was his third Degree in the Church of God that the annointed Son of God overcame the Devil in all the greatest and most grievous Temptations he could assault him withall And this third Degree also all the Faithfull take with Christ for when they are the annointed Sons of God Satan sets upon them with all sorts of Temptations and they are led by the Spirit of God to wrestle with Principalities and Powers and Spiritual Wickedness set in high Places and the Rulers of the Darkness of this World and yet They in the strength of their Sonship and Unction with Christ do also with Him tread Satan under their feet and go away Conquerors through the Grace of God in them and this also is their third Degree in the true Church 4. Christs fourth Degree in the Church was this that after his Sonship Unction and Victory over the Devil in all Temptations He then went forth as a fit and able Minister to teach the Gospel of the Kingdom against all the Enmity and Opposition of the World Devil and false Church as it is taught us Matth. 4. v. 11. 17. And this fourth Degree also all the truly Faithfull take with Christ. For after they through Faith are the Sons of God and through their Sonship are Annointed and through their Unction overcome the Devil in all his Temptations then also they preach the Gospel of the Kingdom being all of them a chosen Generation and royal Priesthood to shew forth the Vertues of Him that hath called them out of Darkness into his marvellous Light as Peter testifies and they all speake as they do Believe and have Experience and there Sonship Unction and Victory over Temptation is as sufficient a Ground for them to teach as it was for Christ to teach and so they without any Regard of the Laws of Antichrist or Orders of the Clergy go forth to teach the Everlasting Gospel as Christ did before them and this is the fourth Degree of Christ and the Faithful in the Church 5. Christs fifth and last Degree which he took in the Church was this that he having both preached and lived the Word whereat the World and Worldly Church were wholly offended and inraged did at the last willingly confirm his Doctrine with his Death and did seal to the Truth of it with his Blood exposing Himself to the most shamefull and ignominious Death of the Cross to confirm his Gospel to his Church and this was the highest and most glorious Degree that Christ took in his Church as Christ testifies when speaking of his sufferings he saith Now is the Hour come that the Son of Man should be glorified And this fifth Degree also all the truely Faithful do take with Christ either in Deed if need require or in Preparation and Readiness of mind and that whilst they live in outward Peace All the blessed Martyrs have taken this highest Degree in the Church with Christ and all the rest of his Seed have been and are ready to take it also when it is the good Will of their Heavenly Father seeing They can say in the same Faith and Spirit with Christ even in this matter Father if it be possible let this Cup pass from me yet not My Will but Thine be done for they also are come to do the Will of Him that sent them even to the laying down their Lives Now these are the only Degrees that Christ Himself took in the Church and which all the Saints take with Him and the true Spiritual Church of Believers allows and approves no other Degrees but These And what now are the University-Degrees in Divinity to these they are Degrees in Antichrists Church only and every Heathen or Humane Creature Turk or Infidel may take them aswell as They with a little Time and Pains and Money Wherefore that I may turn my speech a little to the University Do thou University if thy Day and Time of Visitation be not
with Christ in respect of Authority and Faith And hereby was the Sun darkned even Christ the Sun of Righteousness and Truth Moral Vertues being brought in instead of Faith and infinite Opinions instead of Truth and the ayr also with the Smoak of the Pit that it may be understood not to be an Eclips of the Sun but the obscurity of the Ayr and Sun by the Smoak of the Pit ascending to wit Humane Doctrines obscuring Christ and his Faith as the Sun and Air. And out of the Smoak of the Pit there came forth Locusts on the Earth Here the People of the Universities bread and born of Philosophy are called Locusts by a most fit Name because they are without a King that is Christ and flie in Companies as is said Prov. 3. and also because they waste and burn up all green things where-ever they light and so the Grammarians think they have their name Locustae Locusts à loco usto vastato from the place which they burn and waste And so this People of the Universities consumes and burns up all the green Pasture of Christ that is the fruit of Faith And Power was given to Them as the Scorpions of the earth have Power to wit to wound the Conscience of Men because the green Fruit of Faith being wasted which heals the Consciences of Men it cannot be but the Conscience must be hurt and prejudiced And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the Grass of the Earth nor any Green Thing that is that they should not hurt the Elect. For they do not hurt all neither do natural Locusts hurt every green thing but some certain Place so it is here But only those Men who have not the Mark or Seal of God in their Foreheads that is some Grass they should hurt to wit those who have not Faith which is the Mark of God which we carry in a pure Conscience and free Conversation And it was commanded Them that they should not kill them but only should torment them five months This seems to be spoken of Moral Doctrine which seeing it teaches us the Knowledge of Sin like the Law of God it doth not kill but only afflict a man with Vain Studies wherein he is alwaies learning and yet never coming to the Knowledge of the Truth For They who are killed with the Letter are quickned with the Eternal Spirit they are not tormented five Months that is the whole time of their Sensual Life in which Moral Vertues reign And we see by Experience that all Moral Divines are of a most Evil and unhappy Conscience full of Scruples and Unquietness and have Power neither of Good nor Evil and therefore it follows And their Torment is as the Torment of a Scorpion when it strikes a Man Behold here a Wounded Conscience for here he expounds what he had said before that they are not savingly killed nor spiritually quickned And in those days men shall seek Death and shall not finde it and shall desire to Dye and Death shall flee from them to wit the Death of Sin which doth too much live in the Conscience and yet is not rightly known for if it were known presently it being slain would perish But this cannot Aristotles Ethicks do but it is the Office of the Letter and the Spirit And the shapes of the Locusts were like to Horses prepared to Battel to wit of Scholastical Disputation and Conflict He describes the War by this Allegory for they are ready to argue pro contra as they speak And on their Heads were as it were Crowns of Gold that is the Names and Titles of Degrees as Magister noster Eximius sacrae Theologiae Humilis Indignus professor c. that is Our famous Master and the Humble and Unworthy Professor of Sacred Theologie and the like And these Crowned Ones John Hus called Hypocritas Coronatos Crowned Hypocrites and by reason of these Crowns they have Authority and Power among the multitudes of Carnal Christians who are willing to entertain Antichrists Pomp into Christs Church Yet have they not true Crowns but as it were Crowns of Gold which yet they are very proud of and are much pufft up with them though usually they are set on the Head of Ignorance and Errour And their Faces are like the Faces of Men because their Doctrine and Life is governed not by the Spirit of Faith but by the Dictate of Natural Reason and by the Light of Nature illuminated by Aristotle And they had Hair like the Hairs of Women For Philosophy brings forth effeminate Ministers given to case and luxury and in whom is nothing of Spirit nor of Manly Abilities in Christ. For the Hairs are Priests as you may see Psal. 68. Isa. 3. and in other Places And their teeth are like the Teeth of Lyons Consider only the Thomists instead of all other Divines whether they be not biting slanderous and devourers of all that speak a Word against Aristotles Divinity Yea the Thomists Scotists and Modern men bite one another among Themselves and sharpen against one another not any teeth but the teeth of Lyons neither is there any sort of Men which war more fiercely or with greater hatred then those Sects of Divines each of which desires to devour the Other that it may reign alone And they have Brest-plates as it were Brest-plates of Iron and this is the pertinacious and confident Presumption of Each Sect on the truth and soundness of his Opinion and by these Iron Brest-plates they are unconquerable And these are the Principles of each Sect. And the sound of their Wings was as the sound of Chariots and of many Horses running to Battel the Wings are the Words of those that dispute and conflict by which they do impetuously brawlingly and clamorously rush on one another and fight as we see in the Tumults of Disputants both by Words and Writings where neither yields to neither but Each one is Unconquerable For he signifies this pertinacious affection of Disputing by the rushing of Chariots and Horsemen And they had Tails like unto Scorpions and there were Stings in their Tails and their power was to hurt Men five Moneths Here he explains what before he had propounded to wit that the Fruit and End of this Divinity is nothing but evil Consciences during all the time of the Sensual Lives of Men. For that Divinity is an Abomination to those who are Spiritual because these are without the bounds of the five moneths in the Spirit of Liberty And they had a King over them which is the Angel of the Bottomless Pit whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon and in Greek Apollyon Here we may learn that the Rector General of all Universities is not Christ nor the Holy Spirit nor any Angel of God but an Angel of the Bottomless Pit that is one that is Dead and is among the Dead and Damned Who is it then even that Light of