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
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
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
Ministers of Antichrist The Seventh Sign The true Prophets and Ministers of Christ do not force any body to hear them and obey their Doctrine against their Wils neither do they vex and trouble them with Secular Power who will not obey them and be subject to them but they leave all such People as they found them lest they should seem by their Doctrine to seek any Worldly thing Thus Christ when he taught the Gospel still cryed out He that hath ears to hear let him hear and he that had not ears to hear he did not punish him and again saith Christ If any man Will be my Disciple let him deny Himself and take up his cross and follow Me and still left men to their own Freedom whether they would be his Disciples or no. And as Christ did thus Himself so he left the same thing in command with all his true Disciples and when he sent them forth to Preach Matth. 10. he charged them saying Whoever will not receive You nor hear Your Words when you depart out of that house or City shake off the dust of your feet as a Testimony against them he doth not bid them if they be refused to betake themselves to the Secular Power to get Authority from thence to stay and abide there whether they will or no or otherwise to punish them but bids them only to shake off the dust of their feet that they might know they came not to them for the Love of Earthly things And when the Apostles out of a false zeal would have had Christ to have commanded fire to have come down from Heaven to have destroyed them that would not receive Him he plainly reproved them saying Ye know not of what Spirit ye are for the Son of Man is not come to destroy mens Lives but to save them It is recorded in the life of Simon and Jude the Apostles as both Gulielmus de sancto Amore and John Hus relate That when the Chief Ruler was very angry with those who defamed the Doctrine of those Apostles and in great zeal commanded a great Fire to be made that such Opposers might be cast into it The Apostles fell down before the Emperour saying We beseech you Sir let not Us be the Authors or Causers of this Destruction who are come to publish the Doctrine of eternal Salvation neither let Us who are sent to Revive those who are Dead through sin become the Killers of those who are Alive Wherefore those Teachers who for Worldly Advantage sake will force Themselves upon those men against their Wills who will not Willingly receive them and will provoke the Worldly Powers and Magistrates to punish those who will not hear and receive Them and their Doctrine they all are false Prophets and Ministers of Antichrist The Eighth Sign The true Teachers are content that Others should teach as well as They and would not make a Monopoly of the Ministry to themselves alone for Worldly Advantage sake Thus our Lord Jesus Christ did not content Himself to preach the Gospel alone but he sent forth Others as his Father sent forth him yea he pours forth his Spirit on all flesh that sons and daughters and servants and handmaids may prophesie and so Knowledge may cover the Earth as Waters the Seas and to make the world willing to receive such Teachers he saith He that receiveth You receiveth Me and he that receiveth Me receiveth Him that sent Me. And when Eldad and Medad upon whom the Spirit of the Lord did rest did prophesie in the Camp of Israel without asking any License from Moses and one told Moses of it in great displeasure and Joshua thereupon wished Moses to forbid them to Prophesie then Moses the meek servant of the Lord replied Enviest thou for my sake would God saith he that all the Lords people were Prophets and that the Lord would put his Spirit upon them All Numb 11. 29. And so the Godly mind of any faithful Teacher desireth to be helped in the work of the Word that the pretious Truth of the Gospel which he himself alone cannot sufficiently express all mens tongues might declare And so they do not envy in Others those Spiritual Gifts which God hath given them but do wish that Every man had a Mouth and Wisdom given him to declare the Mysterie of the Gospel and the infinite Love Mercy Wisdom Truth Power Redemption and Salvation of God by Jesus Christ which cannot by all mens Tongues be sufficiently published in the World Farther as no worldly Prince or Magistrate hath such unlimited Power over the Goods of the people as to forbid them to give corporal Alms to them that stand in need as occasion is ministred no more hath any Power whether Ecclesiastical or Civil such Dominion over the Word and Truth of God written by the Spirit in the hearts of Believers but that they may at all times and upon all occasions minister spiritual Alms to them who stand in need by the teaching of the Gospel Wherefore those Teachers who are envious that any should preach the Word but Themselves and their own Tribe as they call it because they get great Worldly Advantage thereby whereas otherwise they would be contented that any should preach and so would have the civil Magistrate only to License Them to be Preachers because of their Degrees and Orders and to forbid all Others they all are false Teachers and Ministers of Antichrist The Ninth Sign The true Teachers do not only teach the Word but are also ready to seal to the Truth of it with their Estates Liberties and Lives Thus did Jesus Christ as was foretold by Isaiah Chap. 50. 5. where Christ saith by his Spirit The Lord hath opened mine ear and I was not rebellious neither turned away back I gave my back to the smiters and my cheeks to them who plucked off the hair I hid not my face from shame and spitting And in the dayes of his flesh how willingly did he seal to the Truth of his New Testament Doctrine with his Suffering and suffered himself to be apprehended by the hands of men and to be crucified when he could have commanded Legions of Angels for his succor if he had pleased and would not have made use of his own infinite and almighty Power And this submission and willingness to suffer for the Truth Christ hath commanded all his Disciples saying He that will save his life shall lose it and he that will lose his life for my sake shall save it And if any man will be my Desciple let him deny himself take up the cross and follow me And again I send you forth as sheep among wolves and ye shall be brought before Kings and Rulers for my Names sake that is for the true and Spiritual Teaching of the Gospel Now as nothing will procure us more enmity than the spiritual holding forth of the Gospel which will cause the worldly Church to cast
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
this is that Spirit of Antichrist whereof you have heard that it should come and even now already it is in the world 4. Ye are of God little Children and have overcome them because Greater is he that is in You then he that is in the World 5. They are of the World therefore speak they of the World and the World hears Them 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 IN this Scripture we may take Notice of these Six things 1. The Apostle gives notice to the Beloved Congregation of Spirituall Christians of a Great Evil risen up in the world which if not carefully heeded might occasion some great Trouble and Danger to them Many false Prophets saith he are gone out into the world V. 1. 2. He prescribes them a sufficient Remedy against this Evil saying Believe not every spirit but try the spirits whether they be of God 3. That the Faithfull might be able to make a right Judgement of Spirits he gives them one short Rule of Tryall which yet comprehends in its self all Rules vers 2. and 3. Hereby know we the Spirit of God every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God and every Spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God c. 4. He shews them with Whom these false Prophets who have the Spirit of Antichrist should not prevail to wit with none of the true Children of God vers 4. Ye are of God little Children and have overcome them because Greater is he that is in You than he that is in the World 5. He shews them with whom the false Prophets should prevail to wit with the World and Carnal People vers 5. They are of the World therefore speak they of the World and the World heareth them The World seeking its own Things receives Antichrist and his Prophets 6. He 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 either to the Teachers of Truth or to the Teachers of Error 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 These six things are held forth to us in this Scripture and they are all very Profitable and Necessary for the true Church to be acquainted withal especially in these last of the last Times I shall begin with the First which is 1. Point The Great and Dangerous Evil of which the Apostle gives notice to the Church of Believers and that is The going out of false Prophets into the World Many false Prophets are gone out into the world ANd here it is to be noted that from the very beginning of the world there have been two Seeds or Generations of Men very contrary the One to the Other as is evident in Gen. 3. 15. where God saith to the Serpent I will put enmity between Thee and the Woman and between thy Seed and her Seed so that the Serpent hath his Seed as well as the Woman her Seed and this was the Womans Curse to have her sorrows and Conceptions multiplyed and to bring forth the Serpents Seed as well as her Own that is the Children or Seed of the first Blessing and both these Contrary Seeds do partake of one and the same common Nature or Humanity And one of these Seeds are called the Sons of God the other the Sons of Man Gen. 6. 6. And Both these being the children of one Adam according to the Flesh are yet distinguished by several Spirits that dwell in them and inspire them For the Spirit of God that is the Spirit of Righteousness and Truth doth inspire the One and these are truly called the Children of God as Paul saith Rom. 8. as many as are led by the Spirit of God they are the Sons of God And the Spirit of Satan which is the Spirit of Wickedness and Error doth inspire the Other and these are truly called the sons of Men who all have sinned and are deprived of the Glory of God Now these two Different and Contrary Spirits which have dwelt in these two distinct Seeds have begun to act presently from the very beginning of the world each one according to his own Nature and to trade and traffick about Mankind and out of it to bring forth Children to Themselves like to Themselves in all things and so One hath endeavoured to beget and bring forth the Children of God and of Truth the Other the children of Men and of Error And to this end the One hath held forth the Truth of God by the true Spirit of God the Other hath held forth Error and Falshood yet as it were the Truth The One hath endeavoured to bring Man unto God through true Faith and Repentance the Other to turn Men from God through Sin The One hath sought to work Salvation in Men the Other Destruction Now the False Spirit hath been the most Common in the World and hath had the greatest Opportunities and Advantages to multiply it self seeing it finds the whole World already lying in Wickedness and fully prepared to receive it self But the true Spirit hath been found in very few and that from the beginning for there have been but few true Prophets who have had the true Spirit and have spoken the true Word as you may see all along in Scriptures especially in the times of Elijah and Micajah but Christ saith Many false Prophets shall arise and deceive Many and Peter saith in his second Epistle Chap. 2. vers 1 2. That as there were false Prophets among the People that is the Jews so there shall be false Doctors and Teachers among the Christians who should privily bring in damnable Heresies and that Many should follow their pernicious wayes So that as there have been many false Prophets from the beginning so especially in the daies of the New Testament for the more Christ hath appeared by his Spirit to lead men into Truth the more hath the Devill appeared by his Spirit to lead men into Error and this is properly called Antichrist For Flesh and Blood is not Antichrist but a Spirit contrary to Christs Spirit that dwells in Flesh and Blood and chiefly among those that profess the Christian Religion This is Antichrist No Spirit in the Jews or Gentiles is properly called Antichrist but the Spirit of Satan in false Christians appearing as an Angel of light this is Antichrist Before Christ came in the flesh the Devill was an evil Spirit and a Lyar and a Murderer and the Unclean Spirit and Prince of this world but he was not properly Antichrist because Christ was not then come in the flesh
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
to you and give you his own Spirit by which alone you can make a Right Judgement in this Matter Wherefore that he that reads may understand you must know that the false Prophets are not so easily discerned as you think for they seem to be true Prophets and Godly Holy Learned Orthodox men Men of Eminency and Renown in the Church and State and so to flesh and blood and the Wisdom and Religion of the world it will be a difficult yea an impossible thing to find them out for the false Prophets have several glorious Vails over them to hide and obscure them from common Knowledge Wherefore we declare unto you from the Word of the Lord touching these false Prophets who shall do so much mischief 1. That they shall not proceed or come forth from among the Jews or Turks or out of the barbarous Nations but they shall arise out of such as are called Christians 2. Seeing among Christians some are openly profane and evil others seem to be Religious and Godly the false Prophets shall be found among the better sort and therefore saith Christ they shall come in Sheeps clothing as if they were of Christs own flock and Paul saith they have a form of Godliness that is they shall be painted over gloriously with all appearances of truth righteousness honesty goodness and all the names of godliness 3. Seeing amongst those that seem to be the better Sort of Christians some give themselves to the Ministry of the Word and some do not the false Prophets shall be found among those Christians who take upon themselves to be Preachers as Paul testifies Acts 20. where having called together the Elders and Teachers of the Church of Ephesus he saith to them ex vobis ipsis out of your Own Selves shall men arise speaking perverse things to draw away disciples after them 4. And seeing among those who are Ministers some are light and vain and carnal and formal Persons and others are men of great Worth and Reputation and seem to be the pretious Members of Christ and even Pillars in the Church so that the Common People think that all Religion would go down with such Good men they having some Gifts and enlightnings of the Spirit and seeming more than ordinarily godly religious wise holy sober devout now the false Prophets shall be found among These And as they who opposed Christ at his first coming in the flesh seemed more wise and holy and eminent in the Church than the rest as the Scribes and Pharisees who sat in Moses Chair and had the outward Letter of the Word in all exactness and the outward Form of Religion in all strictness so they who do and shall most oppose Christ in his coming in his Spirit and shall contradict his Word and resist his Servants and Witnesses of his Truth do and shall appear more Wise Holy Learned and Godly than the rest of the Teachers of the Church And thus you see that the false Prophets of Antichrist shall arise among Christians and among such Christians as seem to be Godly and among such seeming Godly Christians as Preach the Word and among such Preachers of the Word as seem to be of greater Worth and Eminency then the rest and so in all these Regards it will be a hard matter to discern them 2. Again Such Persons of such appearance of Worth and Holiness as these do usually get to their side the Greatest and Highest Persons in the Kingdoms and Nations and do obtain not only their Countenance and Favor but also their Power and Authority for Themselves 3. By both these means to wit their seeming Holiness and their Interest with Worldly Powers they exceedingly enlarge their Credit and Reputation with the World and do get Multitudes of People and Nations to entertain them For Antichrist could not deceive the World with a company of foolish weak ignorant prophane contemptible Persons but he alwaies hath the Greatest Wisest Holiest and most Eminent in the visible Church for Him and by These he seduces and subjects to Himself even the Whole World Besides they that are against Him and his false Prophets are but a very handfull of Saints who have the Spirit of Christ and through his Spirit discern Them and oppose Them and for so doing are despised and hated of all the World Wherefore it is a harder matter to try these false Prophets then we are well aware of And yet as hard as it is the Apostle by the Spirit hath given us a manifest and certain Rule of Tryall And this is the third general thing I named The Third Point To wit The sufficient Rule whereby the true Church may thoroughly try the Spirits and Prophets how cunningly and subtilly soever they are disguised and this he layes down verse 3. Hereby know we the Spirit of God Every Spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God and every Spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God c. Now this Scripture we may understand two wayes 1. Of a right Knowledge of Jesus Christ in his own Person 2. Of a true Receiving of this Christ into us by faith 1. Of the right Knowledge of Christ in his own Person 1. For whereas he saith Every Spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh c. this gives us to understand that he is true God and was before he came into the flesh 2. Whereas he saith every spirit that confesseth that Christ is come in the flesh this gives us to understand that he is true Man our very Brother partaker of the same flesh and blood with us 3. Whereas he saith every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh c. this also gives us to understand that in Him true God and true Man are united into One inseparable Person 4. Whereas he saith every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh c. this gives us occasion to consider the End of his Coming seeing God did not become Man in vain or for some slight Cause but that he might Redeem unto God all those whom the Father had Elected in Him and save them perfectly from the Law Sin Death and Hell And hence we may rise up to conceive of his Offices to wit of his Priestly Propheticall and Kingly Office and of the Infinite Vertue and Efficacy of them Now he that makes this confession of Jesus Christ from the revelation of the Father is of God and he that speaks otherwise is not of God 2. But Secondly We may understand this Scripture not only of the true Knowledge of Jesus Christ but also and especially of the true Receiving of Him by faith Every spirit saith he that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God that is he is of God
that believes and acknowledges that the Son of the living God is come not only into that Humanity of Christ that was born of the Virgin but also that he is come into Us and dwells in Us according to these Scriptures That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith And Christ in you the hope of Glory And know ye not that Christ is in you except you be reprobates c. Wherefore the true Prophets do not only acknowledge that Jesus Christ is come into his own flesh but also into theirs which by this means is made His and that Christ is in them of a truth and dwells in them For Antichrist himself and his Ministers do all acknowledge that Jesus Christ is come into that flesh which he did assume of the Virgin but they will not confess that this is true in Him and in Us They will acknowledge the mysterie of God manifested in the flesh as to Christ the Head but they will deny it as to the Church his Body and so whilst they separate the Head from the Body and the Body from the Head in this Mysterie they do solvere Jesum they dissolve Jesus I say some hold that the Eternal Word or Divine Nature came indeed into that flesh which was born of the blessed Virgin but they will by no means allow it to come into Ours through our Union with him by Faith only they say some created Habits or Gifts of Grace come into us or in our flesh but not Christ himself or the Divine Nature or Son of the living God And so these men set up these Created Gifts and Graces in the Members instead of Christ Himself the Head And yet these Teachers make a Glorious Shew in the flesh and this is Antichrist to wit when men think that these Created Habits of Grace which they fancy will renew comfort sanctifie and save them and so do make to themselves of Them a Glorious but yet a false Christ. Wherefore let us know that he that denies Jesus Christ in the Members is though not so great yet as true Antichrist as he that denies Jesus Christ in the Head and he that denies Christ dwelling in our hearts by Faith to be and to be alone Wisdom Righteousness Sanctification and Redemption to Us as he that denies Him to be the Power Wisdom and Righteousness of God in Himself The sum of this matter is this that the true Spirits or Prophets do acknowledge not only that Christ the Son of the Living God is come into that Son of Man which was born of the blessed Virgin but also that Christ is come into Them and dwels in Them as in his own true and proper Members And so He that hath Jesus Christ dwelling in his heart is a true Prophet and he that hath not Christ dwelling in his heart is a false Prophet though his Knowledge and Religion be never so high and glorious and holy also in the opinion of the World And this is the chief Sign and Mark whereby we may know the true Prophets and true Christians from the false Prophets and false Christians Object Now if any shall say But how shall we know whether a man hath Christ dwelling in his Heart or no and so consequently whether he be a true or false Prophet Answ. I Answer You shall certainly know it by the truth of the Word of Christ in him and by the truth of the Life of Christ in reference to his Office in the Word 1. First then the true Prophets are to be discerned from the false By the truth of the Word of God in them From the true Prophets speak the true Word of God even the Word of Wisdom the Word of Righteousness the Word of Life the Word of Power the Word that is able to save which is the true Gospel Word For this is the Covenant that God hath made with Christ and his seed saying Isai. 59. 21. My Spirit which is upon thee and my Word which is in thy mouth shall never depart out of thy mouth nor out of the mouth of thy seed nor out of the mouth of thy seeds seed from henceforth and for ever And this was perfectly fulfilled in Christ for that Word which in the beginning was with God and was God was made flesh in him and dwelt in him and out of that Word Jesus Christ spake all that ever he spake his whole Doctrine did flow from that Eternal Word which dwelt in him And Christ communicated to the Disciples the same Word which he had received as he saith John 17. 8. I have given to them the Words that thou gavest me that is the word of Righteousness and Life and they have received them and have known surely that I came out from thee and they have believed that thou didst send me and so that word which they Themselves received by faith they also held forth to Others as John saith 1 John 1. 1. That which was from the beginning which we have heard which we have seen with our eyes which we have looked upon and our hands have handled of the Word of Life declare we unto you And to this also John the Baptist gives Testimony John 3. 34. Where he saith He whom God hath sent speaketh the Words of God not the words of Men or Angles but of God and this is true both in Christ and in his Seed But now the false Prophets speak not the Word of God for they have it not in their hearts but what Word they have in their hearts that they speak and so they speak the words of their own Reason Wisdom and Righteousness or of other Mens but beyond Humane Things they do not go whether they pretend to high Notions on the one hand or to sound Orthodox Doctrine on the other hand Now of this true Christians are to take speciall notice because as the true Word of God is the greatest Commodity to the Church that can be and brings the presence of Christ and all the things of Christ along with it so the Words of Man is the greatest Mischief to the Church that can be for it brings Antichrist and his Kingdom and all his Things along with it And thus doth vain Philosophy and School Divinity which is an unlawfull mixing of Philosophy with the outward letter of the Word pervert all things in the Church of carnall and false Christians 2. As the true Prophets speak the true Word of God so also they speak it by the true Spirit of God and not by their own Spirit and thus did Christ who saith of himself The Spirit of the Lord is upon me for he hath annointed me to preach the Gospel and so he spake the Word of God by the Spirit of God And Christ commanded his Disciples to stay at Jerusalem till they had received the Spirit and then to go forth and preach because he knew they could not preach Gods word aright without Gods
Spirit and also Christ saith of all the faithfull that it is not they that speak but the Spirit of their Father that speaks in them yea and the whole Gospel is called the Ministration of the Spirit Now the true Prophets speaking the Word of God by and in his Spirit do also speak it in the Right Sence and after the true mind of Christ as Paul saith of himself and of other believers who had received the Spirit We have the mind of Christ. But the false Prophets though they speak the word of the letter exactly and that accordingly to the very Originall and curiosity of Criticisms yet speaking it without the Spirit they are false Prophets before God and his true Church seeing all Right Prophesie hath proceeded from the Spirit in all Ages of the World but especially it must so proceed in the dayes of the New Testament wherein God hath promised the largest effusion of his Spirit And they speaking the Word of the Letter without the Spirit do wholly mistake the Mind of Christ in all and under the outward Letter of the Word of God do only bring in the Mind of Man And this is one of the greatest Delusions and most mischievous snares that can be laid in the Church to bring in the Word of Christ without the Mind of Christ yea to bring in the Word of Christ against the Mind of Christ and according to the Mind of Antichrist this is the effectuall Operation of Error whereby all Hypocrites and false Christians are deceived and that without all hope of recovery And thus you see that the true Prophets bring the true Word and bring it also by the true Spirit and this manifests them to be of God but the false either bring not the true Word or if they bring the Word in the Letter yet they bring it without the Spirit and thus it is manifest they are not of God Object But some will object here If a man preach the Word in the Letter even good sound and orthodox Doctrine no doubt but such a man is to be heard and he may do much good in the Church though he want Christs Spirit This I have heard from very many who have thought they have said something Answ. But to this I answer That they who want Christs Spirit which is the Spirit of Prophesie though they preach the exact Letter of the Word yet are false Prophets and not to be heard by the Sheep 1. Because under the New Testament we are not to regard the Letter without the Spirit but the Spirit as well as the Letter yea the Spirit more then the Letter and therfore Paul saith that Christ shall destroy Antichrist with the Spirit of his Mouth and the Brightness of his Coming he scarce takes any notice of the Letter but calls the true preaching of the Gospel the Spirit of Christs Mouth or the Ministration of the Spirit And therefore the spiritual People cannot joyn to that Ministry where the Spirit of Christ is wanting though there be the Outward Letter of the Word in it 2. They that preach only the Outward Letter of the Word without the true Spirit they make all things Outward in the Church and so carry the people with whom they prevail only to Outward Things to an Outward Word to Outward Worship Outward Ordinances Outward Church Outward Government c. whereas in the true Kingdom of Christ all things are Inward and Spirituall and all the true Religion of Christ is written in the Soul and Spirit of man by the Spirit of God and the Believer is the only Book in which God Himself writes his New Testament 3. They who preach the Outward Letter of the Word though never so truly without the Spirit do as hath been said wholy mistake the Mind of Christ in the Word for want of the Spirit which is the only true and infallible Interpreter of his Mind and so under the Outward Letter of the Word preach their own Mind and not Christs Mind and do make all the Scriptures serve their own Turns even their own Worldly Ends and Advantages and nothing else 4. They that preach the Outward Letter of the Word without the Spirit can with such a Word both live Themselves in all the inward Evils of corrupted Nature and allow Others to do so too And thus the Gospel which in the Spirit of it is the Judgement of sin is made in the Letter of it the Covering for sin and the Encourager of it seeing such Men who have the Letter of the Word in their mouth do live in the inward Corruptions of their Hearts more securely and quietly than other Men. 5. Last of all let us know that whoever doth agree with Christ never so exactly in the Letter and yet differs from him in Spirit is very Antichrist And therefore when the Devils in him that was possessed said to Christ We know thee who thou art the holy One of God and so agreed very exactly with the Gospel in the Letter yet Christ forbad them to speak because they spake not by a right Spirit And Christ hath said Whoever is not with me that is in the Spirit is against me though he have the same outward Letter of the Word with him And so as Christ builds up his Church by his Spirit through his Word so Antichrist builds up his Church by the Word without the Spirit and Christs Church and Antichrists do often differ very little or nothing in Word or Letter yet do alwayes infinitely differ in Spirit Wherefore to conclude Let us know that that Church that hath the Word if it wants the Spirit is Antichrists Church and that that Ministry that useth the Word and wants the Spirit is Antichrists Ministry and that all works duties prayings preaching fasting thanksgiving c. without Christs Spirit are nothing but the very kingdom of Antichrist and the Abomination of Desolation And so I proceed to the second generall Rule of Tryall which I propounded whereby we may discern the true Prophets of Christ from the false Prophets of Antichrist and that is By the Truth of the Life of Christ in reference to his Office in the Word And here I shall give you many Tryals how you may certainly know and discern the false Prophets of Antichrist from the true humble and faithfull Ministers of Jesus Christ. And the Lord Jesus Christ before whom we are all present this day and before whose Tribunal we shall all be Judged He knows that I shall not purposely speak any thing at this time either to please Myself or to displease You But I shall desire to speak all out of very faithfulness to Him who hath remembred Me when I was in low condition for his Mercy endureth for ever The first sign then whereby the true Prophets may be discerned from the false is this First the true Prophets are all sent of God So was Moses whom God
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 Vial poured on them is the true Word of God or the plain and simple Gospel which is the Word of Faith than which Nothing is more grievous to them who have been bred up in Philosophy and in the Knowledge Wisdom Learning Righteousness and Spirit of the World Now the primary event of the pouring forth of this Vial of the Word of God on this Seat is the darkning of Antichrists Kingdom as it is said his Kingdom was full of Darkness it was full of Darkness before but now it is discovered to be full of Darkness their Philosophy is Darkness and vain deceit their School Divinity Darkness and Antichristianism their Divinity Acts and Clerums Darkness their Professorships of Divinity Darkness yea all their Doctrine Faith Worship Works Church-Discipline Titles Ordination and all are discovered to be Darkness even gross Darkness by the word of Faith And then follows the secundary event of the pouring forth this Vial which is They gnawed their Tongues for pain and blasphemed the God of Heaven because of their pains and sores which the Word inflicted on Them that is they had not the ordinary anger of Men against the Word but the anger and wrath of Devils causing them to blaspheme again But yet for all these things they repented not of their Deeds as we see manifestly which yet would have been more profitable for them And this also discovers them to be false Prophets indeed and the right Ministers of Antichrist and this appertains to the sixth Sign of false Prophets which I gave before The Fourth General Point And now I proceed to the fourth Thing wherein the Apostle shews with Whom the false Prophets which come in the spirit of Antichrist should not prevail namely with None of the true Children of God and this is set down in ver 4. We are of God little children and have overcome them because greater is he that is in you then he that is in the world Here now the Apostle shews the Victory which the truly faithfull and spiritual Christians do obtain over Antichrist and his false Prophets together with the Grounds of that Victory 1. The Victory is set down in these words Little children ye have overcome them 2. The Grounds of this Victory are two 1. Because the Faithfull are of God as Children of their Father Ye are of God little Children and have overcome them 2. Because that Spirit which the Faithfull have received and which dwells in them is stronger and mightier than that Spirit which the World receives and which dwells in them Greater is he that is in You than he that is in the World I shall first speak something of the Victory it self that is of that glorious Victory which all the true Children of God do obtain over Antichrist For though Antichrist and his Teachers do come in Christs Name as Christ hath foretold and in Sheeps Cloathing and though they transform themselves into the Apostles of Christ and come with all Deceivableness of Unrighteousness holding forth a false Christ the Head a false Church the Body a false Word a false Worship false Works false Ordinances and all these false things exceedingly like the True and in the very form and appearance of the True in such sort that they prevail with all the National Church and the Generality of the people of the World which all wonder after Them yet are they not able by all these things to prevail with any of the true Children of God as Christ hath taught us saying Many false Christs and false Prophets shall arise and shall come with lying Signs and Wonders able if it were possible to deceive the Elect And though they do deceive all Others yet is it not possible for them to deceive the Elect of God that is throughly and fully as they do deceive Others but the Faithful and Elect people of God do escape their Deceits and do overcome them yea though they be but little Children new in the Faith and young in Christ yet do they overcome all the false Prophets in the World For these little Children are so stript of their old Nature that they overcome the lusts of the Flesh the lusts of the Eye and the pride of Life which are not of God but of the World and through which only the Ministers of Antichrist are mighty and so these Teachers can find nothing in Them on which they can lay hold to prevail Besides as new born babes can discern and taste which is good and wholesome milk and sutable to them and can refuse what is otherwise and this instinct they have in their very nature as soon as they have a being to judge of their Food which is good for them and which is hurtful So the Children of God as soon as ever They by faith are made partakers of the Divine Nature they can immediately judge of the Milk of the Word and can surely taste and discern whether it be sincere or adulterated whether it be good or hurtful for them And so in the vertue of their New Nature they reject and overcome all the false Doctrine of the false Teachers And thus we have seen all along in the several Ages of the Reign of Antichrist that Christ hath alwayes had a People of his own though but few in number and mean in condition and despised of the World whom Antichrist never could prevail against neither by the subtilty of his Doctrine nor by the violence of his Tyranny but they have by their Faith and Patience and Word of their Testimony withstood Him and his Multitudes yea the whole World whom he hath all along seduced Thus in every Age hath Christ had so great Care of all those whom his Father hath given him that he hath lost none of Them no not one Single Person but by his Word and Spirit which he hath put into them and by his own Presence in them through his Word and Spirit he hath still preserved them and hath strenghthened them to oppose and resist Antichrist to the Death and to overcome as He overcame And so during all the Reign of Antichrist in the World whom hath he prevailed withall and deceived but only the World but not one Single person of the Elect children of God though he hath especially sought to prevail with Them But Jesus Christ who only knows who are his hath kept all along Those whom he hath Known that we might understand that the Care of the true Church is committed to Him alone from the Father and that all the Magistrates and Powers of the World are not at all Capable of such a Trust which would have been too Great for the very Angels of Heaven And though Antichrist during his Reign had inwrapped the Elect Themselves into all his Errors before Faith came as the first Adam had inwrapped them in all his Sin yet as God wrought Faith in them and gave them his Spirit so they by degrees
the Christian Religion and being afflicted in Mind he did withdraw Himself into a solitary Place where there met Him an old Antient Father of comely Visage and gentle behaviour who began to reason with Him and to tell him that there was no Knowledge of Truth among the Philosophers who neither knew God nor were ayded by his Holy Spirit And did farther reason with Him of the Immortality of the Soul of the Reward of the Godly and Punishment of the Wicked Then Justine being Satisfied with his Reasons yeilded to him and demanded of him How He might attain to that true Knowledge of God whereof he had spoken Who counselled Him to read the Scriptures adjoyning therewith Prayer c. And as this Justine left all other Learning and betook himself only to the Scriptures so in the understanding of the Scriptures he rejected all his Philosophy and Philosophical Apprehensions Saying that the Interpretation of the Scripture is to be accommodated to the Will of the Doctrine of the Spirit and not to Humane Reasonings And that he might be sure and safe in all things he had constant recourse to the Scriptures thus understood So that Justine Martyr being effectually Converted wholly left his Philosophy and betook himself to the Scriptures and taught them to the Church as He had been taught them of God by his Spirit Constantine the Emperor though he were the first that brought in the Mysterie of Iniquity into the Christian Church by mingling the Civil and Ecclesiastical states and Laws together there being in His time a great Increase of Christians through the Ministry of the Gospel and a great Confluence of them to his Imperial City for the Words sake he wrote to Eusebius Bishop of Nicomedia in a special Letter Wherein he desired him with all Diligence and Speed to procure fifty Volums of the Scriptures to be written in parchment Well and Legibly and in such a bignenss or Volume as might be carried with greatest ease for the further teaching and instructing of Those that came to attain the Knowledge of the Christian Religion Judging it most meet that Christian People should be Instructed in the Doctrine of Christ only and not in Heathenish Philosophy And though afterwards when the Suffering Times of the Church began to be over Christians became more carnal and secure and that in the very days of Constantine and so began to decline the Word of Faith and to seek after Philosophy yet had God in all the Ages of his Church some of his Servants who did reject it and did cleave only to the Word Among which I shall only for the present produce the Testimonies of Berno who lived above six hundred years ago and Zuinglius of latter times Berno who lived about the year 1008. and was a man furnished with all sorts of Learning saith That he had for many years rejected as dung the figments of the Poets and the Histories of the Heathens and the study of Secular Letters and had converted the whole Intention of his Mind to the Word of God and the Divine Things contained therein And accordingly he taught no other Doctrine to any Huldricus Zuinglius also Pastor of Zurich in Helvetia a man who had been educated in all kind of Learning and was after through faith and the teaching of God an eminent Instrument in his Church he saith thus of himself When saith he I being yet a Youth was exercised in all sorts of Learning I can truly say that I did not profit less then the rest of my Equals But when about seven years ago I betook my self to the study of the Holy Scriptures then the things that I had before sucked in or learned from Philosophers and Divines did procure me so much Trouble that being then moved by the Authority of the Scriptures I judged that all those things were to be cast away and counted as dung and that the true Mind of God was only to be received from his pure and simple Word And therefore I began humbly to intreat the Lord that he would vouchsafe me his own Light By which means it shortly came to pass that the reading of the Holy Scriptures did much delight and please me and they being nakedly and alone propounded did flow unto me with more ease then if I had read them divided and distracted with variety of Comments And as he rejected Philosophy wholly and entertained the Word So did he only teach this Word to faithfull Christians who are the only true School of Christ in the World Now by all this it appears that the Schools of the Prophets and Apostles and of Christ himself the Head of them and of the most faithfull Christians that followed Christ in the first and latter Ages were in no sort like the Schools in the present Universities where Humane Learning according to the Statutes of the Universities prevails for the first seven years and they think Youths cannot be made good Christians except they be first made good Heathens The Schools of the Prophets and Apostles would not meddle with the Philosophy of the Heathen but led the children and youth presently to the Word of God and therein to the true Knowledge of God in Christ But these Schools first lead Youth from God and his Word several years together to the corrupt Reason Wisdom Notions Conceptions yea to the Idolatry Blasphemy Atheism Lusts Filthiness and Villanies of the cursed Heathen that thereby in a strange and Antichristian Method they may be the fitter to know and understand the Scriptures The Schools of the Prophets taught only Moses and the Prophets to the Jewish Youth and the Schools of the Apostles taught Christ only and his Gospel to the children of Christians But the Universities lead men both from Moses and from Christ both from the Law and the Gospel to the Heathen to make men hereby the more able Christians and Divines The Queen of the South neglecting the Magi or Wise men of the Heathen came from the utmost parts of the earth to hear the Wisdom of Solomon And the Universities leave Christ who is Infinitely Greater and Wiser then Solomon and go to the utmost parts of the earth for Wisdom from the Heathen So that in these Universities there hath been the greatest Apostacy and Withdrawing from Christ and the greatest Dishonor and Disparagement offered to Him and his Gospel as ever was known in all the World For Is it not a matter of greatest Wonder and Amazement that after that Word which was with God and was God and is God blessed for ever hath been manifested in the flesh and that Flesh of His hath been justified by the Spirit to have the Fulness of the Godhead dwelling in it bodily and that This so Wonderfull a Person hath come to his Church in the same Common Nature with it filled with all the Righteousness Wisdom Truth Power Life Peace and Joy and all the things of God I say is it not strange
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
them the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation in the Knowledge of Christ without which Spirit of Revelation Christ and the Father can never be known What can Humane Learning and the Studies of Men find out of the Mysterie of Christ which was hidden from Ages and Generations as Paul testifies till the Spirit revealed it Yea Christ hath taught that God hides these things of the Gospel from the Wise and Prudent that is the Studying and Learned Men and reveals them to Babes and that this is his Good Pleasure so to do And so no man can know Christ and his Gospel and what is the Faith Hope and Love of the Gospel but by the most present Teaching and Revelation of God Himself by his Spirit Wherefore to deny the Inspiration of Gods Spirit now and to ascribe all Knowledge of the Word of God to mens Studies and to Humane Learning is the most Gross and Palpable Doctrine of Antichrist and his Prophets whereas all the People of God are taught of God Himself in all the Things of God as Christ hath said Because no Man by his own Studies and Pains can attain thereunto And in this matter I shall also add the Testimony of Luther and Latimer Luther saith No man sees one jot or title in the Scriptures but He that hath the Spirit of God For all men have a Darkned Heart in such sort that if they could speak and knew how to bring forth all things of the Scripture yet have they not any true sense or right Knowledge of them For saith he the Spirit is required to the Understanding of the whole Scripture and of every part thereof And Latimer saith The Carnal and Philosophical understanding of the Scriptures is not that Wisdom of God which is hid from the Wise and revealed to Little Ones 9. ERROR That Humane Learning is as the Outworks to the Fort of the Gospel and as the outer Court to the Temple of the Gospel and so if you will keep the Fort well you must keep the Out-works strong and if you will preserve the inner you must look to the outer Court Answer How highly hath Mr. Simpson honoured Socrates Pythagoras Plato and Aristotle c. to make them a strong Guard for the Person of Christ And how highly hath he honoured their Learning to make it a defence for the Gospel And how weak and feeble hath he sought to render the Word of Faith that must be thus defended by the Arts Disciplines of Men as not being able to stand alone and to defend it self Doth this man truly believe in the Son of the Living God who makes Him such an helpless Idol or doth he believe the Word of the Gospel which hath given Eyes to the Blinde and Ears to the Deaf and Feet to the Lame which hath raised the Dead and cast our Devils and commanded the Winds and Waves and they have obeyed I say doth he believe this Word to be of God which hath done the very Works of God and yet openly affirms to the World that it cannot maintain it Self or subsist without the Help of Philosophy Is that Word which mightily and perfectly saves all the Elect and that in despight of the World and the Devil and the Gates of Hell not able to save it self without Humane Help Must that Word be secured by Aristotle which delivers all the Elect from Sin Death and Hell for ever Are Grammar Rhetorick Logick Ethicks Physicks Metaphysicks Mathematicks the Weapons whereby we must defend the Gospel Is Mr. Simpson so ill a Proficient in Christianity that he hath not read or doth not remember that of Paul Ephes. 6. 12. where he saith We wrestle not against Flesh and Blood but against Principalities against Powers against the Rulers of the Darkness of this world against Spiritual Wickedness in high places Wherefore take unto you the whole Armour of God that you may be able to withstand in the Evil Day and having done all to stand Stand therefore having your loyns girt about with Truth and having on the Brest-plate of Righteousness And your feet shod with the Preparation of the Gospel of Peace Above all taking the shield of Faith wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the Wicked And take the Helmet of Salvation and the Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God Praying always with all Prayer and Supplication in the Spirit and watching thereunto with all Perseverance Here now are the true Christians Weapons whereby he defends Himself through the Word and defends the Word against all the World And the same Paul in 2 Cor. 10. 3. saith For though we walk in the flesh we do not war after the flesh For the Weapons of our Warfare are not Carnal but Mighty through God to the pulling down of Strong Holds Casting down Imaginations and every High thing that exalteth it self against the Knowledge of God and bringing into captivity every thought to the Obedience of Christ And having in readiness to revenge all Disobedience So that the faithful do not defend the Gospel by Philosophy as is heat henishly suggested but by the Gospel they defend the Gospel and the Gospel hath in it self that Wisdom Righteousness Strength and those Vertues which are infinitely able to defend it self against all the World and against all the Powers of Darkness And how contrary is this Doctrine to Mr. Simpsons And thus much for his Outworks to the Gospel Now for his outer Court to the Gospel I know no other outer Court the Gospel ever had then the Law of Moses which Law was the Preparation to the Gospel and the School-Master to bring us unto Christ which Humane Learning never was But Humane Learning is the outer Court to Antichrists Temple it is the School-Master to bring men to Antichrist And thus would Mr. Simpson also turn the Law out of its place and set up Humane Learning in the stead of the Law and so would make void both Law and Gospel for Humane Learning sake Surely one would think he hath some considerable Advantage thereby that he thus sences for it 10. ERROR But what is the bottom saith he of all this that is of some mens appearing against Humane Learning as the Unction of the Ministry and against the Universities as the Fountain of the Ministry but this That some say They are one with Christ and as Christ hath the Divine nature in Him so every Believer also hath and he that hath God in Him need not go to any Man to Learn Whereas Joh. 17. Christ speaketh of Believers as at an infinite Distance from Himself He their Lord they his Servants He in Glory they in the World And if They be so united to Christ then it will follow that Christ is not the only begotten Son of God and that Christ and We should be Equal and He not our Lord c. Answer Now doth not all this declare a most woful
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 only contain 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 disposing 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 annointing 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 the carnal Clergy by degrees be taken away and the Church of Christ and the very Nations Themselves be supplyed with a more Faithful Christian and Spiritual Ministry 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 have 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 Universities the fountain of the Ministery which One Thing is and will be more and more as Christs Kingdom shall rise up and prevail 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 Christians as Paul saith all men have not faith yet let them be Men and improved in the use of Reason and sober Learning whereby they may be serviceable 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 only For Humane Learning hath it's place and use among Humane Things but hath no place nor use in Christs Kingdom 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 ☜ Six observable things in this Scripture 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. ☞ 6. 1. Point The great evil endangering the Church Note Two contrary Seeds from the beginning of the World The two Seeds distinguished by the Spirits that dwell in them They act differently about mankind The false Spirit the most common in the world The true Spirit more scarce 2. Point The Remedy against false Prophets Note Christians have right power to try Spirits It concerns the faithfull to try the Spirits for two causes First Secondly The Clergy have usurped to themselves this power of trying Spirits By this usurpation the Clergy have made themselves Masters in the Church of God The Gift of Trying and Discerning Spirits is a Common Grace in the true Church ☞ ☞ Objection Answer False Prophets not easily discerned Because of their several Vailes under which they lye hid First Secondly Thirdly Fourthly 2. Difficulty in trying false Prophets 3. Difficulty 4. Difficulty Third Point The Rule of Tryall A twofold understanding of this Scripture 1. Of a right knowledge of Christ. 1. That true God 2. That true Man 3. That both are united in Him in one Person 4. The End wherefore this excellent Person came into the world whence flows the Knowledge of his Offices 2. Of a right receiving of Christ. Objection Answer Signs whereby the true Prophets are discerned from the false The true Prophets speak the true Word of God Thus did Christ And his Disciples The false Prophets speak not the Word of God but their own or other Mens Word 2. They speak it by the true Spirit of God And so in the right sence of it The false speak without the Spirit And so do mistake the mind of Christ. Objection Whether a man destitute of the Spirit may not be a profitable Preacher Answer 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. The second general Rule of the Tryall of Spirits The true Prophets are known by the truth of the Life of Christ. 1. Sign The true Prophets are sent of Christ. ☞ God hath not committed the choise of his Ministers to any sort of men He sends them himself The proof of his sending them ☜ The false Prophets run without sending 2. True Prophets take all their warrant from God in what they teach The Learned i. e. they who are taught of God and have heard learned of the Father who are the learnedest Men in the world whatever the foolish and ignorant world saith to the contrary False Teachers take all their Authority from Man ☜ 3. True Prophets they only preach Jesus Christ. Non dixit Christus suo primo Caetui Ite praedicate mundo Nugas sed verum illis dedit Fundamentum illud tantum sonuit in ore Ipsorum Dante 's The false preach nothing less than Christ. 4. The true Prophets Preach Christ for love and not for gain The false Preach for gain and not for love of Christ. 5. The true Prophets Teach for the Glory of Christ and not for vain glory The false seek their own glory neglecting Christs 6.