doctrines of devils how that men should speak lies through hypocrisie c. as Zachary also foretold that the x Zach. 13.3 Father and Mother of the Prophet should say that he told them lies in the name of the Lord If thou put the Brethren in remembrance of these things because they are subject to forget them and thou shouldest be their Remembrancer which if thou do thou shalt be a good Minister of Jesus Christ which hast been nourished up in the words of Faith and good Doctrine then mark these things are not error nor lies nor he a false Teacher that speaketh of them out a good Minister that hath been nourisht up in faith and good doctrine which was continually taught of Paul and heard of Timothy And to this is to be added what the Apostle y 1 Tim. 6.3.4 saith further in this matter declaring that he that consenteth not to wholesome doctrine that is according to godlinesse is puft up and knows nothing but dotes about words and as such a one as is so far corrupted by the flâ—sh as that he is to be separated from therefore Gods good Ministers as we see should be carefull of these things as knowing of whom they shall receive their reward and what shall also be their portion from men of the world in that which is z Rev. 11.7 death in the world but a Rev. 14.13 life with the Lord Be faithful therefore to the death and you shall have a b Rev. 2.10 Crown of Life declaring the power of the Spirit of the Lord in you Vse 5 Now in the last place I will conclude with the exhortation of the c 2 Pet. 3.16.18 Apostle in the words following Yea therefore beloved seeing ye knew these things before What things among others those that worldly learned men are Gods unlearned men being destitute of his Spirit beware and take heed lest ye also as well as others you being subject to it be plucked away before you be aware into the error of the wicked to think that Gods Mysteries can be attained to by mans learning and so you fall from your own stedfastnesse which is d Rom. 11. through Faith for by Faith ye stand and by the Spirit for by it ye are also e Psal 51. establisht and for a preservative against this error as opposite to it grow and encrease in the grace of God and the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ which is that that will preserve you from error Now to him be glory not to us nor to man but to him our Lord Jesus Christ both now and for evermore Amen ESAY 64.25 The Lord frustrateth the tokens of the Lyars and maketh Diviners mad turneth wise men backward and maketh their knowledge foolishnesse FINIS POSTSCRIPT HAving before the death of this Author been well acquainted with him and tasted that Spirit of Light and Truth which God in his day did more then ordinary powre out upon him by which he was inabled to minister seasonable words to the refreshing of many weary souls and also to contend against those corruptions and inventions which men brought into the Worship of God raging like the mighty waters against all the Servants of God which opposed them in the same I mean the power of Prelacy which ruled them in that day the weight of whose persecuting hand this Author while he lived had his share and when he died not suffered by them to have that which they called Christian Buriall but his friends were forced to lay his body in the high way as one which was numbred amongst the Transgressors of whom I may say the world was not worthy But my intent in writing this 〈◊〉 word is not to commend the Author but to tender to thy review the matter of this foregoing Book the bent thereof is to advance the Teachings of the Spirit of Christ in the unfolding of the mystery of the Gospel to the hearts of men as the choice Revealer of that glory of truth to the soul which will change from glory to glory into its own likeness a truth much opposed by men of corrupt minds in this day and therefore it becomes all that love the Lord Jesus in sincerity to stand upon their watch and be earnestly beging of the Father of Lights that Spirit which may help them to judg of things that differ and may lead into strait paths trying all things and holding fast that which is good Thou wilt find in this Tract the Spirit of the Author strongly and zealously contending for the advancement of the Spirit of Christ which if therein thou meet'st with any words that may seem harsh against that which men advance let it not be an offence to thee but try whether it be agreeable to the form of found words or no. I shall detain thee no longer but my desires to the Lord is that all his Israâ— may more and more know the truth as it is in Jesus shining as the Sun more to their perfect clearnesse knowing the night is far past and the day neer approaching that so we may walk as the Children of the Light waiting for the glorious appearing of him that will come and not tarry Yours in the love of Christ William Kyffen
know the things that are of God by agreeable to his will So from these words thus interpreted the conclusion comes to this That such as are tought by the Spirit of God Proposition destitute of Humane Learning are the learned ones that truly understand the Scriptures according to Peters mind I say such as are taught by the Spirit without Humane Learning are such persons as rightly understand the Word And this methinks the whole Council of Jerusalem as wicked as they were did in effect conclude m Act. 4.13 14. considering Peter and Iohn though unlearned men yet they knew they had been with Jesus by their boldnesse and so they had nothing to say against it and yet though men should oppose it Christ Iesus our Lord n Luke 10.21 to 24. justifies it with great thankfulnesse to his Father that having hid these things from the wise and prudent he had revealed them to Babes Now that revealing must needs be by the Spirit according to that 1 Cor. 2.10 And on this manner is it that our Lord comforts his Disciples telling them that all things were given him of his Father to reveal and so in that regard he tells them that blessed are the eyes that see that that they saw which was as the Apostle saith God manifested in the flesh which many wise men and Kings desired to see but could not see it and so that was now made manifest to them which before was hid from wise men and Scribes and so was at the present also for few of the wise could attain to the knowledge of him and his doctrine as they did Now with this also agrees what our o Mat. 22.23.29 Saviour affirmes to the Sadduces who by reason of their wisdome and learning thought to have intangled him he tells them that they erred not knowing the Scriptures for all their great learning being destitute of Gods Spirit Now by these Scriptures this point being thus confirmed good reason also may by Gods Word be brought for the further justifying of it As Reason 1 First because it is the good pleasure of God to place our Salvation in great contempt and enmity to mans wisdome Hence is it that the Apostle saith that he preached Christ crucified to the Jews a p 1 Cor. 1.23 24. stumbling block and to the Grecians foolishnesse For the Jews we read in great contempt refused him as Pilate bid them behold your q John 19.19.21 King presently they cry Away with him away with him crucifie him And so when Pilate had wrote on the Crosse that he was King of the Jews they took it as a great prejudice to them and therefore wished him to write That he said he was King of the Jews And so as Peter tells them in Acts 3. They denied him and desired a murtherer to be given them And to this agreed the Gentiles for they had their hands also in his death And we find that when as Paul preached him at Athens Act. 17.18.23 that then this saying of the Apostle here is made good both of Jews and Gentiles and indeed they both agree to hang him betwixt heaven and earth as being in their esteem worthy of neither and yet even in this crucified Jesus lies contained the salvation of r Act. 4.12 all both Jews and Gentiles that are saved and in this despised Jesus are all to rejoyce with the Å¿ 1 Cor. 2.2 Gal. 6.14 Apostle to salvation for in him thus dishonourable and unmeet in mans wisdome lye hid all our heavenly t Col. 2.3 1 Cor. 1.20 treasures of wisdome righteousnesse sanctification and redemption for he is the wisdome of God and power of God 1 Cor. 1.24 Reason 2 Another reason why such as have Gods Spirit destitute of Humane Learning come thus to know Gods mind is That as the u 1 Cor. 1.29 Apostle declares no flesh should rejoyce in Gods presence now this learning is but fleshly and carnall Now the Apostles advise is though we had known x 2 Cor. 5.16 Christ Iesus after the flesh yet now coming to be after God we should henceforth know him so no more and here is a sufficient reason because knowledge is subject to puffe us up as saith the y 1 Cor. 2.8 Apostle When as love and the learning of the Spirit keeps us low in our own eyes and causeth as Solomon saith our minds to be good making us suitable to the Apostles exhortations z Rom. 12.16 saying Be not high-minded but make your selves equall to them of the lower sort be not wise in your selves but a Phil. 2.3 let every man esteem others better then himself and if any glory let him b 1 Cor. 1.31 * Here glorying in the Lord is opposed to vain-glory or haughtinesse glory in the Lord. Now he that hath these things as Humane Learning and Wisdom more then another let him weigh and consider duly with himself whether he doth not think and conclude that he in regard of these things is not more to be respected then they that are without them Now then c 1 Cor 5. this rejoycing is not good for it is a rejoycing in the flesh and suitable to d Rom. 4. works and so not of God and yet so is it that for our hearts we cannot but think better of our selves for these things then of others without them and so we may see the Apostles words fulfill'd that the wisdome â—f the e Rom. 8.3 flâ—sh that is whatsoever the flâ—sh is excellent in it is enmity to God it is not subject to the Law of God neither indeed can be Reason 3 Another cause why the Spirits teaching is sufficient without Humane Learning is because as the Apostle saith We are compleat in him that is perfect and full in him and this he strengthens yet further from this consideration that he is the Head of all Principalities and Powers so that if there were any thing else to make us compleat he being the Head of all we should have it but he hath given nothing but his f 1 Cor. 12.7 Spirit to profit withal therefore we are compleat by it alone and therefore is it that Paul g 1 Tim. 6.20.21 exhorts Timothy to keep that which was committed to him which was the Faith taught by the Word and Spirit and wisheth him to avoid and beware of Science that is all knowledge naturall which is comprehended under h Col. 2.8 Phylosophy learned prophane bablings and oppositions to the Faith of Christ and so much is by the Apostle there declared saying Which while some have lusted after they have erred from the Faith So that it is most plain and clear that these things are so far from perfecting men or helping of them in the knowledge of the truth as that they hinder and cause such as professe them to erre from the Faith Even all the seven Liberall Sciences for all is but Science
word of the Lord is fulfilled and men see it not and this you know the Scripture in sundry places makes the depth of a judgement as in Hosea Ephraim is said to have here and there gray hairs and yet he saw them not and in this we know was the strength of that z 2 Thes 2.11 great Judgement that men should confidently take lyes for truth this is there made the depth of their woe And the like is manifested * 1 Tim. 4.2 elswhere by the same Apostle declaring That though they speak lies yet they were so scared in their consciences as that they felt nor feared no danger that they were in no more then the man that lying drunk did though he lay sleeping on the top of the Mast and so ready to be drowned yet he feared it not Pro. 23.34 35. Woe to those men that take darknesse for light and live in the smoak of the worldly Temples and yet such is the case the Sun and the Ayr being darkened their condition must needs be wofull and yet this is the case of the Inhabitants of the earth that they cannot be brought to believe but that they are in a very good case though that the light of the glorious Gospel which is the Image of God do not shine unto them as a 2 Cor. 4 4.6 saith the Apostle Now that by which this Sun is said to be darkened is the smoak of the bottomlesse Pit and that we shall find to be the glory and power of the false Church called by the name of the Bottomlesse Pit And that this may the better appear we find many b Isa 6.4 2 King 8.11 12. with 15. Rev. 8. places in the Scriptures manifesting the glory of God and his power to be his smoak Now because God hath smoak in his Temple so hath Gods Adversary in his Temple also or rather his bottomlesse Pit After his smoak in Rev. 9 2 3. there follows power and if you look in the 7.8 and 9. verses there is their glory and it doth further appear by the thirteenth Chapter and the third verse that it was so great power and glory as that all the world wondered and admired it and yet this Iesus Christ â—ccounts a great woe and plague to them now part of this woe Rev. 16 10 11. I believe is this learning which we have here in question for as we have before manifested the Sun light of the Gospel of Jesus Christ allows not for the glory of Christs Doctrine is that it is of the Spirits teaching 2 Cor. 3 12. for when we behold the glory of the Lord in the most perfect measure so as we are changed thereinto from glory to glory yet all is from the Spirit of the Lord seeing that he is the promised Comforter that is to teach us all good things belonging to our perfection Then it must needs follow that is a smoaky power and glory flowing from the Kingdom of Satan and so a part of the Taile that c Rev. 12.4 the Dragon drew the Stars withall after him And hence comes it to passe that now instead of the Spirits teaching 2 Pet. 2.1 according to Peters Prophesie here are a generation that do arise 1 Tim. 4.2 which privily bring in damnable errors and so for that end forsaking the Spirit of Truth they speak lies through hypocrisie As Paul also witnesseth they should do pretending now that the true and right way for understanding the Scriptures and mind of God was that men for that end must learn a part from others only for that work and so to be taught in Tongues and divers Languages and have their wits exercised in Arts and Sciences humane and so such a flourish bears this in mans conceit as that it seems the only way that can be for a man to be made fit for this work so that before while the Angels kept their station in heaven the Spirits simple teaching was judged sufficient without these things for this work they now being fallen from thence to the earth and having the key of the bottomlesse Pit Rev. 9.4 thence it being opened now ariseth up d See John Bale on Re. 9.1 Plato and Aristotle and a multitude more of Heathen Phylosophers * Phylosophers are the Angels that hinder the Spirits four winds to blow on the four corners of the earth These are the four Angels that stand on the four corners of the earth holding the four Winds that they should not blow on the earth neither on the Sea neither on any Tree as being those that have the whole power of preaching in their hand not suffering any to blow but who they please and so do withhold the truth in unrighteousnesse declaring thereby they be under the wrath of God and they seem to yeeld these starry Principles very fitting in their own understanding better to furnish them with fitnesse to open the mind of God Rev. 7.1 then his Spirit can do Rom. 1.18 whereas before when as the perfect teachings of the holy Sâ—â—â— was in force these men of all others were by reason of them learning and wisdome the most unutterablest men that were in the world for the receiving of the truth as appears by the testimony of Luke Acts 1.18 and is not yet for all the great Sun-light of the glorious Gospel of Christ which these men professe they have these black smoaky principles still so stifly stood for as that there is no removing of men from the high conceit that they have of them And doth not this sufficiently declare as the Apostle saith That God hath blinded the minds of men 2 Cor. 4.4 John 9.41 so as they cannot see but are so much the blinder because they say they see And hence came it to passe that I for mentioning Plato and Aristotle Object and such like was demanded how I came by the knowledge of that if not by Humane Learning with contempt cast upon it as if that which I had from them being Humane learned men was of it self sufficient to overthrow the matter which I had there delivered Answ I answered then as I do still it was none other but as Paul mentioned to the Athenians their own Poets Acts 17. and yet for all that he was as great an enemy to Humane Learning as I and greater too And it is to be minded as I have before declared that I do not oppose the knowledge of humane things nor yet deny but that we may be acquainted with their sayings as the Apostle himself and our Saviour was yea and that sometimes we make use of them too as occasion requires as I have done here though sparingly and but seldome and when it is that it be of great use as it was at those three times that Paul did use them and no more that I remember in all the Scripture Now this you see the Spirit teacheth Acts 17.28 1 Cor. 15.33
words declare Lest saith he I should make the Crosse of none effect And again I Brethren saith he when I come unto you came not with the y 1 Cor 2 1â— excellency of words or of wisdom shewing unto the Councell of God but frees himself from it denying that his preaching stood in the z Verse 4. inticing speech of mans wisdome but on the contrary in the plain evidence and demonstration of the Spirit And afterwards he gives the a Verse 5. reason for it that their Faith should not be in the wisdome of men by which it seems it is subject so to be if that were used And so we finde that indeed it is and not in the power of God by the plain demonstration of the Spirit And though in all this one would think the Apostle had said enough in this matter for the manner of the delivering of the truth yet for all this he hath not done with it but minds it yet b 1 Cor. 2.13 again saying Which things as we know them so we also speak not with words which mans wisdome teacheth And so again c 1 Cor. 4.19 slâ—ghtly passeth over the words of the false Teachers as not worth the knowing or regarding therefore he saith When he comes he will know not their words but their power And so againe he condiscends to the false Teachers so far as to confesse that he was d 1 Cor. 11.6 rude in speaking but not so in knowledge By all which places it plainly appears â—hat mans wisdome is to be rejected even in speaking the Word of God and that none are to affect any excellency that way but to content themselves even with the use of the naturall abilities they have without any art or skill in learning further Object 4 But Apollo is said to be an eloquent man and mighty in the Scriptures Acts 18.24 Answ And so doubtlesse was Paul and Moses and those mentioned in Acts 19. and yet as I have before manifested that when as all these came to receive the Faith they left forsook â—nd contemned all that so do I believe was it here with this â—an that when as he came to be taught further in the knowâ—edge of Christ that he then became more and more suitable â—o the rudenesse and simplicity of preaching the Gospel as well â—s Paul for never afterwards do we read that he was comâ—ended by that term for such manner of excellency was â—roper to the Law and not to the Gospel in any degree But â—â—condly take it for granted that he persisted in his eloâ—uence yet it appeares that it was such as he had obtained â—â—â—y being mighty in the Scriptures And this also further justifies a former Answer that the Scripture alone is sufficient to furnish us with expression So now the point remaining true for all this That men destitute of the Spirit having Humane Learning doe pervert the Scriptures to their owne destruction This in the first place may teach Vse 1 All men that are without Gods Spirit how wise and learned otherwise they seeme to be to beware of medling with the Scriptures it is the worst work that possibly they can undertake for in so doing they meddle with that in which they have no skill and so wound themselves for it is a sharp two edged sword and they having no skill to handle it to be sure it will dangerously wound them to their own destruction but seeing the truth is so as that they have neither eares to heare nor hearts to understand it therefore I will thus passe it over and Vse 2 In the next place take notice that such persons without Gods Siprit what ever they be else yet they be both unlearned and unstable men according to the mind of God so the e 1 Cor. 14.24 unbeliever is called of Paul an unlearned man and so much in effect f Jam 1 6 7 8 James tells us of a Faithlesse mans inconstancy that he is tost about like a wave and is unstable in all his ways of Religion for indeed wanting the Spirit to establish him he is driven hither and thither of every blast and breath of mans wisdome and so much experience without any more Scriptures daily proves upon every change of Orders and Ordinances of Religon how confident have many wise worldly leaâ—ned men been of their stability for being brought to yeeld to this or that when as the raging wave of the Sea hath roared but a little how have these men fallen from their supposed stabilitie and sledfastnsse so that instances I need not name every ones small experience can bring forth enough but from all this there is given us to see the Scriptures fulfilled before our eyes for our confirmation and their just convicton Vse 3 Now in the next place I will manifest in some few particulars how these learned men but according to Peters intent unlearned men doe pervert the Scriptures making their interpretations as carnall as themselves for when as thâ— Scriptures speak of learning and so by it doe for the mosâ— part commend unto us the learning of the Spirit of Truth aâ— before we have seene from this Text and many more places these persons presently apply them to Humane Learning and the Texts are all by them wrested and perverted and in this kinde many instances might further be alledged First concerning the Church whereas the Scriptures doe Authorize Christians to gather themselves together in Christs name and-so have the g Mat. 18.20 promise of Gods presence in so doing This they presently deny to be the intent of the place and say it is to be meant of two or three come together in performance of prayer or such like contrary to the scope of the place which treats only of such as are in Church Order and have committed to them the power of binding and loosing which the promise of Christ Jesus his approving of the same by them and besides where in the Scriptures is Christ Jesus said to be in the midst of any but his h Levit. 16.11 12. 2 Cor. 7.16 Ps 132.13.14 Rev. 13.1 Rev. 2.1 Churches And further whereas the Scriptures speake of the Church Temple and House of God applying these sayings to beleevers and such as are i 2 Cor. 6.16 with Heb. 3.6 with 1 Pet. 2.5 buâ—lded upon Christ by faith these they rest and pervert in applying these titles to their houses of lime and stone calling them the houses of God and Temples for him to dwell in though the Scriptures be plain to the contrary as Stephen declared to the k Act 7.47.28.50 Councel long agoe and that from the Testimony of the l Isay 66.1 Prophet long before and so our m Iohn 4.21 Saviour himselfe to the woman of Samaria denying for the time to come any such places as the Jews and Samaritans doted on but tells her and us that spirituall service in n Mat. 18.20 any place as