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 eluquent 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 which 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 speak 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 thing by his Wisdom neither is the plain man hindred any thing by his Ignorance Yea if I may speak a wonderfull thing saith he Ignorance is more fit and ready to receive the Gospel then Wisdom And a Shepherd and a Plowman will sooner receive the Gospel and submit to it then a Schollar who lives in the strength of Humane wisdom and Reason He farther saith there that where the wisdom of God is as it is in the Gospel there is no need of mans wisdom as where the Sun is there is no need of a Candle And he concludes there this matter thus That the Preaching of the Gospel is a heavenly thing and that Humane VVisdom and Learning cannot help herein but rather hinder And that therefore when Christ sent forth the first Teachers of the Gospel he took not wise and learned Philosophers that the Cross of Christ might not be made void and that the faith of Christians should not stand in the wisdom of man but in the power of God But he chose plain Fishermen Tent-makers Publicans Obscure Simple Poor Contemptible Ignorant and Vnlearned men And these overcame Kings Princes People Nations Greeks Philosophers Orators Sophisters they overcame the antient Manners Customs and the very Religion of the world also their Laws Judgements divers sorts of punishments and innumerable kinds of deaths and by all this saith he it was manifest that their preaching was not in Humane wâ—sdom but in the Grace of God And thus doth Chrysostom affirm and prove that Humane Learning doth not fit men to the Ministry of the Gospel but is rather a hindrance thereunto and that the Grace of God only fits them for this heavenly work Hear also what Wickliff saith to this matter in his book entituled The Path way to perfect knowledge where he sheweth that it is not Humane Learning that helps to understand the Scriptures and to profit in the study of them but something more high and heavenly His own words as these He whose heart is full of love comprehendeth without any error the manifold abundance and largest teaching of Gods Scripture For Paul saith the fulness of the Law is Charity and in another place the end of the Law is Charity of clean heart and good conscience and of faith unfeigned And Christ saith Thou shalt love thy Lord God of all thy heart and of all thy soul and of all thy mind and thy Neighbor as thy self For in these two Commandments hangeth all the Law and the Prophets And as the root of all evil is Covetousness so the root of all good is Love Charity by which we love God and the Neighbour holdeth surely all the greatness and largness of Gods speeches Therefore if we have not leisure to search all the holy Scriptures and to pierce into all the privities of them hold thou love whereon all things hang and so shalt thou hold that which thou learnest there and also that which thou learnest not For if thou know Charity thou knowest something whereon also that hangeth which thou knowest not And in that that thou understandest in Scripture love is open and in that that thou understandest not love is hid Therefore he that holdeth love in vertues or good life holdeth both that which is open and that which is hid in Gods word And after speaking to the Clergy he saith Therefore worldly fools do ye first repent of your sins and forsake pride and covetousness and be ye meek and fear ye God in all things and love your neighbour as your self and then shall ye profit in the study of Holy Writ And this is a far other way to understand the Scriptures then Humane Learning And after he speaking of the Abominations of the Vniversity of Oxford saith thus The fourth Abomination is that it is now purposed to hinder Christian men from learning freely Gods Law till they have spent nine or ten years at Art or Philosophy which comprehendeth many strong errors of Heathen men against the Christian Belief It seemeth well that God will not cease from vengeance till it and other things be punished sore For it seemeth that worldly Clerks and feignedly Religious do this under pretence that simple men of wit and knowledge know not
forth effeminate Ministers given to ease and luxury and in whom is nothing of spirit nor of manly abilities in Christ For the haired 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 in stead 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 desire to devour the other that it may reign alone And they have brestplates as it were brestplates 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 brestplates 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 battle the wings are the words of these 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 yeelds 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 tailes like unto Scorpions and there were stings in their tails and their power was to hurt men five months Here he explaines 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 months 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 nature to wit Aristotle who doth truely reign in the Universities as Abaddon and Apollyon that is a Waster and Destroyer of the Church For we have said that an Angel signifies a Teacher or a Doctor in the Church And certain it is that Aristotle who is dead and damn'd is at this day the great Doctor of all the Universities rather then Christ for he reignâ— alone being exalted by the Authority and study of Thomas reviving freewill and teaching moral vertues and natural Philosophy to wit the three-headed Cerberus or three-bodied Gerion Behold the first no which the Church hath from the Romish Antichrist by the Ministery of Saint Thomas and they whose duty it was chiefly to have prohibited and extinguished these things they chiefly have erected and established them Thus Luther word for word in the forenamed place He also in his book De abroganda missa privata speaking of the Idol Mâ—loch saith thus Moses and Jeremy have described the worship of this Idol to be after this manner that they did burn or offer to him their children in the fire supposing that hereby they did perform the greatest and highest service to God inasmuch as after the example of Abraham they do not spare their own children though they do this not onely not being called as Abraham was but also without faith in the highest wickedness and therefore the Psalmist testifies Psal. 78. That they offered not their children to God but to Devils For whatsoever is not done by the call and command of God is not done to God but devils who suggest this though it be done under pretence of the name of God Now hereby saith he I conceive the Universities to be represented in which the best and choicest part of Christian youth is offered as it were in burnt sacrifice to God that there they may be instructed and be made as it were wholly divine For the common people believe there is no place under heaven in which youth can be better instructed so that even religious people have recourse hither For to learn any thing out of the University is to learn nothing but to have studyed in the University is to know all things There all Divine and Humane things are beleived to be taught for no man sends his son hither with any other opinion then this that he can nowhere be better sent They think they performe the highest service to God that they offer their sons to be formed according to the instruction of godliness that thereby they may become profitable and useful Ministers Preachers Governors who may wholly become Gods own portion and be useful both to God and men And hereto appertains the name Moloch which signifies a King or kingly because this kinde of study doth honour them with Degrees and Promotions and renders them fit and able to govern others For we see that all that are preferred to Governments are taken out of Universities and he that is not a Graduate or Member of an University is not qualified for preferment or to be set over any people but let the Ass first be crowned to wit with a Degree and then let him reign And parents do not see and they that do see do not regard that youth are usually here destroyed though rude and vile manners none commonly forbidding them Yea fornications luxury and other manifest sins do but mildly destroy them but that they are indued and possessed with Philosophical heathenish humane wicked and impious opinions this is the fire of Moloch which no tears can sufficiently bewail seeing through this they especially are devoured and perish who are the most studious and modest youth in Universities So great is the fury of God upon this Valley of Tophet and Hinnom that they perish more grievously who learn most and live modestly then they who learn nothing and are corrupted with lusts For these learn nothing which is to be unlearned again seeing they know they do evil whereas the other suck in poyson which happily or never they do vomit up again holding that for good which is evil and instructing those with the like opinions whom they take to teach And to these pits of Hell it is to be imputed that the Sun of the Gospel is obscured with the smoak of the pit for out of this smoak proceed those Locusts which possess all Chairs and Pulpits and administer all Governments that Satan from the beginning of the world could devise nothing in all the world more strong and pernicious to waste Faith and the Gospel then Universities Neither was it meet that
this evil should arise but in the end of the world when the world through the prevailing of sin being loaden with the wrath of God should draw neer to hell and damnation For the miserable people must needs hear those things taught and delivered out of the Pulpits which those Molochites have learned in the Universities And they have learned nothing but the highest blasphemies of God Neither is it lawful to have anywhere any other Pastor then these In Jeremiah that valley is called Gehinnom from whence Christ took that word Gehenna which what it signifies I do not well know but it seems to me to come from Janah which signifies to eat up or to pill or waste as Tyrants or Usurers do pill and suck out the people so that Gehinnom is the valley of pilling or wasting the people for these being set over the people as shepherds ought to feed them with the word of life and they in stead thereof do insensibly waste and devour them in their body goods and soul with the pestilent Doctrines of Universitâ—es And such Teachers do the Univesities those Sâ—nagogues of perdition give us Thus Luther These now are Luthers own words which I have made legible to English men Wherein it is manifest that he condemns the Universities in the very institution and constitution of them and chiefly in their chief studies Humane Learning and School-Divinity and also as to that gross popish Opinion that they are the Fountain and Nurseries of the Ministery and that none are fit to teach or so fit to teach as those that have been educated in them Yea though these be raw foolish ignorant fellows yet being University-Graduates must they be set over Towns and Parishes and the miserable people must not onely hear them and their doltish Doctrine brought from the Uniâ—ersities but also must be constrained by secular power and Laws to pay them well for such pains which tends onely to the ruine of their souls for ever and no hand is yet strongly and resolutely stretched out to deliver the people from this intolerable bondage For the necks of the people of the world have never endured so grievous a yoak from any Tyrants as from the Doctrine and Domination of the Clergy For worldly Tyrants have onely afflicted mens bodies and temporal estates which reached but to this short life but these spiritual Tyrants the Clergy or false Ministery when they have got countenance strength and ayd from the wordly Magistrates how have they with their Academical Philosophical Heathenish Divinity infected poysoned and destroyed the people to eternal death and no body durst shun them upon pain of temporal death or punishments But now through the great goodness of God and his mighty Providences and Works from heaven it is a more happy age and happy shall they be who being called forth shall do the work of God against all discouragements and difficulties and shall not with Ephraim being harnessed turn their backs in the day of battel And now to return to our business again touching the Universities let none object that Luther speaks against Popish Universities only for this is but a weak and simple Defence and altogether unable to ward off the mighty blow of Gods word from their heads and hearts For the things condemned in the foregoing Testimonies of Luther are the self same for the substance of them as do live prevaile and flourish in our present Universities as hath been before declared and I leave it to every faithful Christian to judge the truth in this matter But men would faine preserve their Titles Degrees Authority Dignity State Stipends and therefore for defence of these things they must needs say something though it be to never so little purpose but yet by such discourse they sufficiently declare how cool and icie they are for Christs interest and how zealous for their own But certaine it is that as the Universities were set up at first as nurseries for Antichrists kingdome men being therein so educated according to the undertaking of Charles the great in Philosophy and School-Divinity that it might be said to them Vos estis sal terrae lux mundi Ye are the salt of the earth and the light of the world which yet onely agrees to the faithful who are born of God so have they still remained the same hitherto in substance though not without some small change of outward form For first the Philosophy taught and studied in the University is the very same that it was at first and this Philosophy is nothing but the Religion of the heathen for what the Law was to the Jews and the Gospel is to the Christians Philosophy was and is to the heathen and in this study the poor lads wast the flower and cream of their lives to no purpose but to make them more heathenish corrupt and bold then they were by nature And 2. For their Divinity which they usually learn in the Universities out of the Fathers Schoolmen and Systems and in which they are trained up to dispute either for it or against it in the Schools it being in seriousnesâ— all one to them what they hold and maintaine in Religion seeing all is but opinion to them and which they after teach to the peole with special regard to their own profit and advantage this is not the true word and Ministery of the Gospel For the Gospel is the word of faith which word is the word in our hearts according to the tenor of the New Covenant wherein God saith I will write my law in their hearts and put it in their inward parts But now the University-Divines the Truth being indeed dead in their hearts and having no presence nor power there they take it up out of the books and writings of men wherein it hath been buryed and by this means bring forth a dead Doctrine to the world which other men have spoken but they have no experience of and not the word of life which hath quickened them but onely a dead Letter raised up like the lâ—ving Letter which they present to them as the Wâ—tâ—h of Endor raised up a dead Samuel in the outward habit and appearance of the living Samuel and presented him to Saul so these University-Divines bring forth the outward garments and appearance of the Truth to the people when they do best but the substance soul and life of the truth they cannot bring forth because they have not the lâ—ving word of God in their hearts but have onely a dead word which they gather out of the books and writings of men And this is the University-Dâ—vinity And Lastly The Preachers which the Universities send forth are usually in the greatest enmity to Christ and his Gospel of all other men whatsoever and do bring greatest prejudice to Christs Kingdom and advantage to Antichrists For when men without learning and yet without the Spirit of Christ will undertake to teach the people as many also now do