Againe saith he Every Sect State and operation which Christ doth not approve in his Gospel is in reason to be rejected and therefore seeing Christ doth not approve but reprove the forenamed heathenish Mastership it is manifest that it is to be discharged and cast out of the Church Againe saith he Note that the name of an office doth much differ from the name of a Scholastical Graduation heathenishly brought in He saith also That Christ hath specially forbidden his Disciples heathenish or Scholastical Mastership and that Christ would have the name of Master or Doctor singularly reserved to himself seeing he by reason of his hypostatical union hath a certaine excellenâ—y which cannot agree to any other of mankind And concludes That seeing there is danger in attributing to men the Title of Master or Doctor in Divinity therefore in good reason those Titles are to be shunned in the Church of God John Hus also saith That they who take to themselves Academical Degrees and Titles answerable do go in the apparel and harness of the mystical body of Antichrist who is the King of all the children of pride to wit of the Masters and Doctors in Divinity Again in another place he speaks to this purpose Christ saith he saith Joh. 8. Neither came I of my self but the Father sent me so the Saints have come in the name of the Lord Jesus and in the name of Jesus they have performed their Priesthood and he is the Crown of their glory * and by this they are distinguished from certaine who are otherwise crowned as Masters and Doctors and Batchelors and from others of other kind of Titles according to the manifold wisdome of this world for these excelling others by their pains and through their own science and learning are notably beautified with their own titles and crowns and therefore do rather perform their office in their own name then in Christs Thus he Luther Speaks much to this purpose also but I shall have occasion to use him more largely Zuinglius on that Scripture Mat. 23. Be ye not called Doctor for one is your master Christ c. saith thus Thou hearest here that these titles of Masters and Doctors are not of God seeing Christ forbids them Conradus Pellican also a godly preacher having the sense of this on his death-bed desired his friends that he might by no means be buryed as the manner then was in the habit of a Doctor quia sperabat se resurrecturum ad judicium non ut Doctorem sed ut humilem Christianum because he hoped he should rise to judgement not as a Doctor but as a humble Christian Now me thinks the clear and precious word of Christ alone should take off the Universities and Clergy 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 againe 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 forme of a Dove which was his New Testament-Baptisme and his first Degree was confirmed to him by the Father when he took this second for whilst the spirit rested on him a voice from heaven said Thou art my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased 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 oile 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 confirmes their first to wit the Gift of the spirit their sâ—nship 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 divel and came away Conqueror And this was his third degree in the Church of God that the anointed Son of God overcame the devil in all the greatest and most grievous temptations he could assault him with And this third degree also all the faithful take with Christ for when they are the anointed 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 wickednesses 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 Churâ—h 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 Kingdome against all the enmity and opposition of the world Devil and false Church as is taught us Mat. 4. v. 11. 17. And this fourth degree also all the truely faithful take with Christ For after they through faith are the sons of God and through their Sonship are anointed and through their unction overcome the devil in all his Temptations then also they preach the Gospel of the kingdome being all of them a chosen Generation
that indeed there is nothing in greater enmity to Christ Crucified nor more contrary to the word of the Cross then that Yea nothing in all the world hath been such an Introducer Favourer Supporter and Inlarger of Antichrists Kingdom as Humane Reason Learning and Philosophy This hath brought in all the Hypocrisie Superstition false Doctrine false Worship Sects Schismes Divisions which have at any time prevailed in the Church during all the Reign of Antichrist And the Gospel of Christ and the true belief and practice of it hath not had at any time a greater and more subtile and plausible Enemy then this Yea farther the gross ignorance and blindness of the rude world hath not so perverted and falsified the word of the Gospel nor rendred it such contradiction and resistance nor hath brought such annoyance to the faithfull who have received and confessed it as Humane Science hath done For this hath enabled men stoutly to oppose the truth and subtilly to defend error as the truth this hath made men bold and cunning to suppress Gods mind from the World and to hold forth their own mind to them as if it were Gods under the pretence of the outward letter of the word and a multitude of other evils have sprung from this corrupt fountain Wherefore the Apostle Paul is so far from encouraging Christians to betake themselves to Humane Learning to fit them for the Gospel that He by the Spirit utterly forbids Christians Heathenish Philosophy lest they should be spoyled through the vanity of it and be led away from Christ And thus in this matter hath Mr. Simpson manifestly departed from the Doctrine of the Scriptures and of faithfull men who have spoken from it 5. ERROR That mens Hatred to God doth as well appear in their hatred to Humane Learning as if they hated the Scriptures Answer I conceive Mr. Simpsons heart was hot within him out of his great Zeal to Humane Learning the great goddess by which the Vniversity lives when he thus spake And it appears he is very tender of the Reputation and Glory of it who thus vindicates it at as high a rate as the very Scriptures But Sir do you know no more difference between the most precious word of our eternal Lord God and his Son Jesus Christ and the foolish corrupt and stinking Doctrine of men is there no more difference in your Divinity between the word of Righteousness Life and Salvation which God hath spoken by Christ and Christ by his servants and the word and Doctrines of wretched men full of sin death and destruction And if the Law it self given by the Ministration of Angels loseth its glory before the Gospel as the Apostle testifies How much more doth Heathenish Philosophy brought forth partly from the corrupt Reason of man and partly from the Inspiration of the Devil become â—oathsom abominable before it for ever And cannot we be enemies to this say yâ—u 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 loathsom baseness in the world in comparison 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 their 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 Vniversities 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 Vniversities 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 wherebâ— the Spirit teacheth the Church For sure I am the Lord never taught his Church either of the Old or 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 upto know Christ the wisdom of God by Humane Learning the wisdâ—â—â— 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 this 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 Vse 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 faithful 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 Sons 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 in alike immediatly 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 mediately 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
these studies thus confined to these places and do * swear men to read and teach them nowhere else certainly it is most manifest that these men love their own private gaine more then the common good of the people But now seeing by the hand of God a Kingdome is turned into a Commonwealth and Tyranny into freedome we judge it most prejudicial to the common good of a Commonwealth that these two Universities should make a Monopoly of Humane Learning to themselves especially as is said seeing they say no body can well understand or teach the Scriptures without it and so by reason of this their incroachment against the rule of love through the former Grants of Popes and Kingâ— all men should be necessitated to send their children hither from all parts of the Nation some scores or hundred mileâ— for liberal education to the great trouble and charge of Parents especially this considered that the Universities usually have been places of great licentiousness and profaness whereby it often comes to pass that Parents sending them children far from them young and hopeful have for all their care and cost after several yeers received them back againe with their tongues and Arts proud profane wicked abâ—minable and incorrigible wretches Wherefore doubtless it would be more suitable to a Commonwealth if we become so indeed and not in word onely and more advantagious to the good of all the people to have Universities or Colledges one at least in every great town or City in the Nation as in London York Bristow Exceter Norwich and the like and for the State to allow to these Colledges an honest and competent maintenance for some godly and learned men to teach the Tongues and Arts under a due reformation And this the State may the better do by provision out of every County or otherwise as shall be judged best seeing there will be no need of indowment of Scholarships inasmuch as the people having Colledges in their own cities neer their own houses may maintain their children at home whilst they learn in the Schools which would be indeed the greatest advantage to learning that can be thought of 8. It would also be considered whether it be according to the word of God that youth should spend their time only in reading of books whilst they are well strong active and fit for business For commonly it so falls out that youth lose as much by idleness as they gain by study And they being only brought up to read books and such books as onely containe wrangling jangling foolish and unprofitable Philosophy when they have continued any long time in the University in these unwarranted courses by God they are commonly in the end fit for no worthy imployment either in the world or among the faithful To remedy which great evil Colledges being as hath been spoken dispersed through the great cities and towns of the Commonwealth it may be so ordered that the youth according to Luthers counsel may spend some part of the day in learning or study and the other part of the day in some lawful calling or one day in study and another in business as necessity or occasion shall require And thus shall youth be delivered from that ease and idleness which fills the hearts of University-Students with many corruptions and noisome lusts whilst they fill their heads only with empty knowledge and foolish notions whereby neither can God be glorified nor their neighbour profited 9. And if this course were taken in the dâ—sposing and ordering Colledges and studies it would come to pass that twenty would learn then where one learns now and also by degrees many men on whom God shall please to pour forth his Spirit may grow up to teach the people whilst yet they live in an honest calling and imployment as the Apostles did And this would give them great efficacy and power in teaching whilst they lived by faith through their honest labour and were delivered from the mischief of idleness But and if the faithful shall desire any one that is more apt to teach and hath received a greater measure of the anointing then his brethren to spend more of his time in the word and prayer then his calling will afford at such times they ought to supply him and the law of love in the hearts of the faithful will be law enough in this matter without calling in the aide of the Magistrate And by this means may the chargeable and burdensome maintenance of Ministers by degrees be taken away and the Church of Christ and the very nations themselves be supplyed with a more faithful Christian and spiritual Ministery then now it hath at a far less rate For God hath promised in the last dayes to pour out his Spirit on all flesh and the sons and daughters and servants and handmaids shall prophesie and then shall knowledge cover the earth as waters the seas Now for conclusion I do conceive that none of the faithful and wise haâ—e any just cause to be offended for speaking for the use of humane learning in this reformed way which the Gospel will permit seeing by this means these two errors of Antichrist would be dissolved among us the one of making Unâ—versities the fountaine of the Ministery which one thing is and will be more and more as Christs Kingdome shall rise up and prevaile in the world a milstone about their necks and the other of making the Clergy a distinct Sect or Order or Tribe from other Christians contrary to the simplicity of the Gospel 2. Let the faithful consider that this reformed use of Tongues and Arts justly hath its place in the world For if all men cannot be Chrâ—stians as Paul saith all men have not faith yet let them be Men and improved in the use of reason and sober learning where by they may be servâ—ceable to the Commonwealth in their age whilst the Church of Christ hath its own members and officers through the call of God and unction of his Spirit onely For * humane learning hath it's place and use among humane things but hath no place nor use in Christs Kingdome as hath been sufficiently proved And thus have I freely offered my advice for mending things that are amiss and making strait the things that are crooked in this matter FINIS Omnes Scholas esse hareticas vel Theologia Scholastica arguit Melanct. in Apol. pro Mart. Luther The Rehearsal of the Errors 1. Error Answer No Heathenish Learning was taught in the Church of God all the time of the Old-Testament Object Answ. Peter Steven Paul The Primitive Christians and Believers taught no Philosophy Justine Martyr forsook Philosophy and betook himself only to the Scriptures Non ad humanaâ— cationes sed ad voluntatem Doctrinae Spirituâ— interpretatio est accommodanda Justin. in Exposit. fidei Constantine the Emperor took care for the teaching the Scriptures to Christians Eâ—s lib. 4. de vità Constaâ—tiâ— Berno Augiensis Abbas Se