Ignorance of and Enmity to the Gospel of God our Saviour For is our Union with Christ the Foundation of Error or have true Believers no real Union with Christ but imaginary Do not the Saints partake of the Divine Nature doth not Peter expresly affirm it 2 Pet. 1. 4. where he saith exceeding Great and Precious Promises are made to us that We thereby should be made partakers of the Divine Nature and what is the Divine Nature but the very Nature of God See Luther on the place Again are Believers as he affirms at an infinite distance from Christ If this were true what sad news would it be to the Church of God How can this Doctrine agree with these Scriptures that Christ may dwell in your Hearts by faith and Christ in You the hope of Glory and of Him are Ye in Christ Jesus Again saith Christ I am the true Vine and ye are the Branches and so as the Vine is in the Branches and as the Branches are in the Vine so is Christ in Christians and so are Christians in Christ. Again John 14. 20. At that day ye shall know saith Christ Himself that you need not doubt of the Doctrine that I am in my Father and You in Me and I in you And again John 17. 21. saith Christ I pray not for These alone that is who now believe but also for All that shall hereafter believe in me through their Word That they all may be One as thou Father art in Me and I in Thee that They may be One as we are One I in Them and Thou in Me that They may be made perfect in One that the World may know thou hast sent me and hast loved Them as thou hast loved Me. Here now is no infinite Distance between Christ and Believers but a Wonderful and Admirable Nearness and Oneness which the learned Ignorance of Philosophy understands not nor the ignorant Knowledge of any carnal Christian. But sure this Word of God is true and the Saints receive it in faith and will not be deluded with any Philosophical Sophistical or Antichristian Glosses of False Teachers And thus doth the Holy Word of God affirm plainly enough that Christ and his Christians are most neerly United And yet doth not this Union make an Equality and rob Christ of his due Glory seeing Christ is the Head and They his Members Christ the First Born and they his Brethren And so as Christ hath the Preheminence in all things above them all as becomes the Head and First Born so They have Communion with Him in all things as becomes his Members and Brethren And whereas he jests and saith He that hath God in Him needs not go to Man to learn I do affirm this is true enough and the Scripture hath affirmed it in several places Isaiah saith to the Spiritual Church All thy Children shall be taught of the Lord And Christ saith it is written They shall be all taught of God He therefore that hath heard and learned of my Father cometh to Me. And John saith 1 John 2. 27. The Annointing which Ye have received from Him abideth in you and Ye need not that any Man teach you but as the same Annointing teacheth you all things and is Truth and is no Lye And this Doctrine is so manifest from the Scriptures that He is of Antichrist that denies it For God inwardly teaches all his People by his Spirit his own Self and They so hear the Word by the Ministry of Man that it is alwaies God that teaches them and not Man 11. ERROR Arts and Tongues are the Cups in which God drinks to us Answer In what a sad condition then are the Common and Plain People that they cannot Pledge him But only the Learned Clergy keep these Cups to Themselves as heretofote they kept the Cup in the Sacrament But what strange Phrase is this Savouring of the Ranters Religion as if God was the familiar Companion of the Clergy and sometimes drank to them in a Cup of Hebrew sometimes in a Cup of Greek and sometimes in a Cup of Latine and as if sometimes he drank to them in a Cup of Logick and sometimes in a Cup of Ethicks sometimes in a Cup of Metaphysicks Is not this truly Profana vocum novitas a Prophane Newness of Speech never before heard of to my Knowledge in the Church of God and which the Apostle utterly condemns 12. ERROR We shall never keep up Religion if we do not keep up Learning but when Learning goes down Religion goes down too Answer The Church is founded on Christ and Christ and His Church it seems are both founded on Humane Learning It is no wonder now that Mr. Simpson lays so great stress on it everywhere And that Men of his Religion term the University Fundamentum Ecclesiae the Foundation of the Church And if Humane Learning do indeed uphold all Christian Religion let all Men and Magistrates come forth and uphold it in the Name of God But surely the Religion of the Gospel depends wholly on Christ as Christ on God and there is no need of Humane Learning to support this except God and Christ are insufficient We have a sure Word and Doctrine of the Gospel that remains firm for ever and inviolable and inconquerable in and through Christ and his Spirit and the Father and all the World shall shatter in pieces and Humane Learning go down to Hell and This shall stand fast for ever Heaven and Earth shall pass away and not one jot or Tittle of my Word saith Christ. Believers know that not one Point of their Religion depends on Humane Learning But all on Christ Himself who is the true and Living Word Wherefore these are the fears of Antichrist and his Prophets that their Religion will go down with Humane Learning because it was set up by it But the true Religion of the Gospel of God our Saviour was at first set up without it and hath hitherto remained without it and will abide so for ever And to this the Spirit and the Bride give witness 13. ERROR Seeing Religious Foundations are so Antient then keep them up Your Destruction will never be but from Your Selves Answer Religious Foundations What Religion founded the Universities is well known For by the Counsel of four Monks the Scholars of Bede to wit Rabanus Albinus Claudius and John Scotus the University which had been translated from Athens to Rome was translated by Charls the Great from Rome to Paris An. 791. And for our English Universities of Cambridge and Oxford Thus it is recorded That the Study of Cambridge was instituted Anno 630. By Sigisbert King of the East Angles who after changed his Purple or Kingly Robes for a Fryars Cool or Hood And the Lectures here were begun by four Monks of which Brother or Fryar Ode as they termed him read Grammar according to Priscians Doctrine Terricus an acute Sophister
and Temporal Power which they had gotten have stricken great fear into the whole World and have miserably vexed innumerable Consciences with a grievous and lasting bondage and have even driven them to Despair whilst none durst approve or own any Spirit or Doctrine though never so manifestly of Christ and his Gospel without their Allowance and Approbation so mightily hath the power of Antichrist prevailed in the World and that against the express Word of Christ. Now the ground of this their Antichristian Pride and Usurpation is This that they arrogate to Themselves that They are the Guides and Shepherds of all Christian men and are to teach them the Gospel which they are only to receive from their lips whereas Christ hath promised his true Church that they shall be all taught of God and shall hear and learn Themselves from the Father and hath also promised to send to them the Spirit to lead them in all Truth and to give them an Annointing to teach them All Things Now they by robbing the Faithful of this Power and arrogating it to Themselves have made themselves contrary to Christs Command Lords and Masters in the Church of God and have usurped to themselves Superiority and Authority over other Believers and have subjected all the World to their Opinion and Judgement in the things of God by which means they have set wide open the flood-gates to Antichrist and his Kingdom to break in upon the World and to overflow it whilst they had robbed all Christian People of their own Judgement in all the Things of God and had made them to depend wholly on the Judgement of the Clergy And had not Christian People thus unchristianly delivered up their Judgements to the Clergy and that in the very Highest Points of Religion Christianity had not been so miserably blinded and corrupted as it is and the Mysterie of Iniquity had not so much prevailed in the World as now it hath For when Christians would not try the Spirits whether They were of God and the Doctrines whether they were the Word of God or no but thought this a matter too High for them and would refer and submit all to the Judgement of their Ministers then Antichrist the Apostle of the Devill came forth boldly and proudly exalted Himself above all that is called God and his Kingdom above all the Kingdoms of the World having first put out both the Eyes of Christians by taking away from them their Right and Power of trying Spirits and judging Doctrines But when true Christians shall search the Scriptures as God I trust hath now fully put into their hearts to do and shall justly and lawfully take to themselves the Power which God hath given them to try Spirits and Doctrines then Antichrist and his Agents the carnal Clergy must soon be brought down for the Faithfull by that Word shall soon perceive that They are not of God nor their Doctrine of that right Gospel which is after the Mind of Christ. Well then by what hath been said You who are of Christs true Sheep may perceive that it is evident by the Word that faithful Christians have Right and Power to try Spirits and Doctrines though Antichrist for many Ages hath robbed them of this Priviledge For that I may speak a little more to this matter the Tryall of Spirits doth unquestionably belong to all Men who have received the Spirit of God for to this Spirit of God which dwells in the faithfull the Gift of Discerning Spirits is inseparably annexed and the Spirit of Christ which truly dwells in all true Christians cannot deceive nor be deceived in the Tryall of Spirits So that this now is a Common Grace that in some measure belongs to all true Christians who have received the Unction that teacheth them all things and is true and is no lie And though there be in the Church Diversities of Gifts from the same Spirit which are given to some and not to others as Tongues and Interpretation of Tongues and Miracles and Gifts of healing c. mentioned by Paul 1 Cor. 12. yet this gift of Trying Spirits is given to All in some measure that have received the Spirit For as in the Natural Body there are several Gifts given to several Members which are not given to all the members as Seeing to the Eye Hearing to the Ear Walking to the foot c. but Feeling is given to all the Members so also in the Body of Christ that is the spiritual Church several Gifts are given to several Saints but the Tryall of Spirits and Doctrines to all Saints who have received the Spirit and if any have not Christs Spirit he is none of His and if any have Christs Spirit he can in some measure discern and judge of all Spirits in the World and the more any man receives Christs Spirit the more able is he to judge of all Other Spirits Wherefore they who are true Believers and have received Christs Spirit their Judgement is to be preferred in the Tryall of Spirits before the Judgement of a whole Council of Clergy men And they only who can try Spirits by the Spirit of God and Doctrines by the Word of God written in their hearts by the Spirit are fit to commend Ministers to the Work of God that is the Congregations of the faithful and not Universities and Assemblies of Divines And thus you may perceive that seeing many false Prophets are gone out into the World it concerns the faithful as they tender their own everlasting Salvation not to believe every Spirit that speaks of Christ and his Kingdom and his Things but to Try the Spirits whether they be of God Object But now it may be some will be ready to say We ought indeed to try the Spirits seeing there are many falfe Prophets in the world but we hope there are no such Persons among us but only some upstart Men with their new Light who with their Novelties and Fancies trouble the Nation and would fain turn all things upside down and we know these well enough already and do sufficiently despise them Answ. It is very like you do but yet let me say to you Men Brethren and Fathers understand Your selves and know what you do in this matter For at the beginning of the Reformation by the Ministry of Luther Zuinglius Calvin and divers others pretious servants of Jesus Christ the Popish Clergy applyed all these Scriptures Try the Spirits whether they be of God for many false Prophets are gone out into the world and beware of false Prophets which come to you in sheeps clothing but inwardly are ravening wolves I say these and the like places of Scriptures they applied to these Godly Men and yet they Themselves were the false Prophets indeed and the Other whom they termed such were true Ones Wherefore it is possible for You to be mistaken as well as They and no doubt but you will be mistaken except the Lord be gracious
sent to the children of Israel and bid him tell them that I AM even the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob hath sent him to them and he gave him a proportionable measure of his Presence to cause them to believe it And Christ a greater Prophet then Moses even the Head of all the children of God said by Isaiah chap. 48. 16. Come ye near unto me heare ye this I have not spoken in secret from the beginning and now the Lord and his Spirit hath sent me And everywhere in the Gospel He still declares how he came not of Himself but his Father sent him And as the Father sent Christ so Christ sends all his Seed the true Ministers of the Gospel as is manifest John 20. 21. where Christ said to his Disciples As my Father sent Me so send I You which he spake not only touching Them but touching All that should believe in his Name through their Word And Paul also saith Rom. 10. 15. How shall they teach except they be sent So that true Preaching comes from true Sending and this comes from the Grace of God Now I desire you farther to take notice that God hath reckoned the Choise of his Ministers one of the weightiest things that belong unto his Kingdom wherefore he would never commit the trust of this to any Sort of Men whatsoever Yea Christ himself did not choose his Disciples at his own Humane Will but only at the Will of God and therefore was much in Prayer before he chose them And the Apostles themselves durst not of Themselves when they were all met together choose any one into the room of Judas but they betook themselves to Prayer and desired the Lord to shew whom He had chosen And Acts 13. The Spirit said Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them And Paul tells the Galatians that he was an Apostle not of Men nor by Men but by Jesus Christ and God the Father By all which Scriptures we may perceive what care the Lord hath alwaies had to send his own Ministers Himself into his own Church and would have his true Church receive no Ministers but such as He sends them And the great and chief sending into the Church is from God Himself as we see in Moses and all the Prophets and in Christ Himself the Head of them and in all the Apostles and in all Believers Now the proof of a mans sending from God is this to be annointed with the Spirit as John 20. 22. When Christ said to his Disciples as my Father sent me so send I you He breathed upon them and said Receive the holy Spirit For his Father sent him only by pouring out his Spirit on him and he sends them so only and he that saith The Unction of the Spirit alone is not sufficient for the Ministry of the New Testament he denies Christ and his Apostles to have been sufficient Ministers and he perverts the Scripture and seduces the People Now the true Teachers through the pouring forth of the Spirit on them they do truly know Christ Himself and the great Mysterie of the Gospel and all the things that are freely given us of God and they are also filled with love to their Brethren and are enabled to confess the Truth and to do thereafter and to contemn the World and patiently to suffer rebukes c. all which is a sufficient Proof of any ones Sending from God And thus the true Prophets are all sent of God which is their great comfort and support in all trouble and difficulties because he that sends them is still with them Lo saith Christ I am with you alwaies to the end of the world But now on the contrary the false Prophets and Ministers of Antichrist are not sent of God but are sent and appointed by Men and that through their own desire and seeking And of such the Lord complains Jer. 23. 21. I have not sent these Prophets yet they ran I have not spoken to them yet they prophesied but because I sent them not neither commanded them they shall not profit this people at all saith the Lord v. 32. And Christ saith Many false Christs and false Prophets shall arise i. e. are not sent of God but shall arise of Themselves And Paul saith to the Elders of the Church of Ephesus Acts 20. Out of your selves shall men arise speaking perverse things to draw Disciples after them They arise of Themselves they are not sent of God Now such Teachers as these do usually spring up in the Church through Academical Degrees and Ecclesiastical Ordination which two things have poured forth into the Church whole swarms of false Prophets and Antichristian Ministers never sent of God nor annointed of his Spirit to the irreparable damage prejudice and ruine of the People and Nations who have received them with their false and poysonfull Doctrine Wherefore all those Teachers who are not sent of the Lord and his Spirit but arise of Themselves and come into the Church in the strength and might of their Degrees and Orders they are all false Prophets The Second Sign The true Prophets who are sent of God take all their Warrant and Authority from God for what they teach and do not at all regard Men or build on Them And this hath all along made the true Teachers so bold and so confident in the Name of God against the World and worldly Church So Isaiah 50. 4 c. saith The Lord God hath given me the tongue of the learned that I should know how to speak a word in due season to him that is weary he wakeneth morning by morning he wakeneth my ear to hear as the learned The Lord hath opened mine ear and I was not rebellious neither turned away back For the Lord God will help me therefore shall I not be confounded therefore have I set my face as a flint and I know I shall not be ashamed He is near that justifies me who will contend with me let us stand together who is mine adversary let him come near me Behold the Lord will help me who is he that shall condemn me Lo they all shall wax old as a garment the moth shall eat them up See here the admirable confidence of a Teacher sent from God And so also our Lord Jesus Christ in the dayes of his flesh how bold was He in his Ministry coming in the Name of the Lord and having his Authority and Doctrine from Him how boldly did he reprove the Scribes and Pharisees the chief Teachers of the Jewish Church And what a clear and glorious Confession of the Truth of God did he hold forth against all their Opposition and Contradiction And the Apostles when the Rulers Elders and Scribes and Annas the High Priest and Caiaphas and John and Alexander and all the kindred of the High Priest were gathered together and threatened them and straitly charged them to
but only a new Birth and true faith in Jesus Christ whereby we are made the Children of God without which Men are still of the World notwithstanding all their other Improvements And this very thing manifests that Universities cannot be the fountains of the true Ministery of the Gospel seeing all the Education in it Philosophical Moral and Theological cannot change mens Natures or deliver them from their Corruptions or translate them one hairs breadth out of this present evil World yea generally we see that by University-Education as things have hitherto been managed Youth is made more of the World than they were by Nature through the High Improvement of their corruptions by their daily converse with the Heathens their vain Philosophers and filthy and obscene Poets and by these Heathenish abominable Accomplishments are they made the more fit Teachers for the World and Worldly People and become the more suitable to them and obtain the greater Aptness and Ability to please them Wherefore it may be most truly said of that Ministery that flows meerly from the fountain of the Universities that it is Of the World And now when the Teachers are of one Nature and Principle of one Heart Minde and Consent with the Hearers there must needs be a Great Agreement between them for each one approves and loves that which is like himself and so the Worldly people must needs cleave to the Teachers that are of the World Yea farther and which is very considerable the World can indure and like any Doctrine though in the Letter never so Holy and Spiritual from such Teachers are of one Nature and Spirit with it self And He that speaks of the things of Christ without the Spirit of Christ and by the Spirit of the World can never by any such Doctrine be grievous to the World but rather acceptable Seeing there is more in the Nature of those Teachers to reconcile the World to them than in their Doctrine to set the World against them For the World cannot but agree with those Teachers that are of the World let their Doctrine in the Letter be what it will Whereas on the contrary the faithfull are not of the World but of another Seed Nature and Principle which is in direct Enmity to the World and so they speaking the things of Christ in the Spirit of Christ must needs be grievous and troublesom to them who have the Spirit of the World and the Friends of Christ crucified cannot but be grievous to the Friends of this World And this for the first Ground 2. The second Ground Why the Worldly People hear the Worldly Teachers is this Because they speak of the World For as they are so they speak out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh and so They that are of the World speak of the World and this we may conceive of in three particulars 1. The Worldly Teachers speak of the World that is they speak the Spiritual Word of God in a Carnal and Worldly Sense they speak of Divine things as of Humane things according to their Natural and Humane Minde Reason Knowledge Learning and Understanding of them And so they give forth Christ himself and his Kingdom and all his Things his Redemption Reconciliation Salvation as also Faith Hope Love and all the Graces of the Spirit and Riches of Christ they give forth all these things in a Carnal Understanding and Notion to the People And the World can like well enough of Christ his Kingdom and Things in a Worldly Sense they can bear or endure Faith and Repentance and the New Creature and the New Jerusalem in a Carnal Sense while in the true Spiritual Sense of them and as they are in Themselves and according to the Minde of Christ they are the greatest Enemies to them that can be Now Believers must know in this Matter That whoever speaks the Things of Gods Spirit by the spirit of a Man or Spiritual Things in a Humane Carnal and Worldly Sense is a false Prophet and Teacher of Antichrist Whoever reading or hearing the Gospel of God our Saviour doth understand and frame it after his own Humane Sense and doth not so understand it as the Lord hath spoken it He is a false Prophet understanding and speaking the Gospel after his own minde but contrary to Christs and these open their own Hearts to the People and not Gods Now when the People that are of the World hear the Teachers that are of the World speaking Spiritual Things in a Carnal and Worldly sense and according to such an Apprehension as they have already in their own Hearts they do exceedingly cleave to and embrace such Teachers and their Doctrine For such Doctrine man in his Natural Condition can well like of seeing it leads men only to a change of Outward Works and to a performance of Outward Worship which any man by his own natural abilities can perform aad the World can well endure to put on the fairest form of Godliness and the strictest so their Nature inwardly may remain the Same And thus the Worldly People comply readily with the Worldly Doctrine of the Worldly Teachers seeing it is after the sense and mind of Man But on the contrary Christ and his Seed as they are not of the World so neither do they speak of the World but being of God they speak the Things of God according to God they speak of the Things of God by the Spirit of God and so according to the Minde of God they speak of the Things of God in the Wisdom Righteousness Truth Light and Life of God and thus the World cannot endure the VVord nor Those that teach it 2. The Prophets of Antichrist speak of the World that is they turn the Word of God into Worldly and Carnal doctrine for Worldly Advantage sake they preach the spiritual Word of God carnally that they may make it serve their own Turns and Ends. That Word of the Gospel which God hath given only to serve the spiritual and eternal Welfare of his Church the Worldly Teachers frame and use this only thereby to serve their own Worldly Credit and Reputation their Worldly Profit and Preferment and their Worldly Authority and Dominion And thus that Word of Faith which in its own proper Nature and Working calls off all Men from this World and the Things of it to the Kingdom and Glory of God they make this very Word to sound carnally that by it they may seek Themselves and the Things of this present Life But Christ and his Seed who are of God they speak of God and not of the World seeking no Worldly thing at all by the Word of God which They teach and hold forth as is manifest in the Life of Christ and his Christians 3. The Ministers of Antichrist or worldly Teachers speak of the World that is they turn the Word of God into Worldly Doctrine that thereby they may avoid
to the Word of God in the Spiritual Sense of it which is only known by Temptation Prayer and Gods own Teaching And hereupon they want the true light by which only Antichrist can be discerned For Antichrist comes in so great subtilty and likeness to Christ that he cannot be perceived but by Christians much acquainted with the Word and much mortified and quickned through it 2. Such carnal Christians as they neglect the Word in the spirituality of it so also they do love this World and this quenches in their hearts the love of God as John saith If any man love this World the love of the Father is not in him now they whose Hearts are inwardly destitute of the true love of God and yet do outwardly profess and worship God all these are a fit Prey for Antichrist And thus the World loving and seeking it self and its own things receives Antichrist whilst it cannot discern Him Wherefore the Scriptures do every where give Christians so many warnings against Covetousness which takes from men all true desire after Christ and all regard sense and knowledge of Antichrist Christ therefore said to his Disciples Take heed and beware of Covetousness for where the Treasure is there will the Heart be also c. And thus all they who are Lovers of Themselves and of this World the greater outward Profession they make of Religion the more ready are they to receive and entertain the Ministers of Antichrist and their Doctrine seeing They are and speak of the World 3. Seeing the World hears Antichrist and his Teachers We are to take notice That the carnal and Antichristian Ministers have a Numerous Auditory all the Worldly People cleaving and joyning to them because they speak that which is in their Hearts And therefore it is said Revel 17. 15. That the waters whereon the great Whore that is the Ecclesiastical State which chiefly consists in the Clergy sitteth are People and Multitudes and Nations and Tongues So that the false Prophets have all the World to hear them except the Faithful and Spiritual people and Multitude is a certain Sign of their Church And Rev l. 15. v. 7. It is said that Power was given to Antichrist over all Kindreds and Tongues and Nations and that all that dwell on the earth shall worship him whose Names are not written in the Lambs book of Life So that Antichrist by degrees and by his several Forms and Appearances one still more deceitful than another doth win to Himself all mankind but the very Elect. And so from time to time hitherto he hath gotten to Himself National Churches even the Generality of all the People of whole Nations Kingdoms and Common-wealths to hear his Teachers and to receive and submit to his Doctrine and Discipline as most true and Orthodox And thus hath Antichrist Multitudes even the whole World to follow his Teachers and to submit to them But let not the true Church and little Flock of crucified Jesus be offended hereat seeing they are but the World who hear Antichrists Teachers that is they are such People 1. Whose inward Nature is earthly carnal divelish 2. Such who love an outward Form of Religion and Godliness whilst they are bitter Enemies to the Power of it 3. Such who love such a Doctrine and Religion as may stand with their old corrupt Nature and may beautifie and surport it and so may make them painted Sepulchers outwardly fair whilst they are inwardly abominable 4. Such who love the World in the sense of their own Mind but hate and abhor it in the sense of Christs Mind and reckon it so to be the greatest Error and Heresie in the World 5. Such as so profess Christ and his Gospel as to make them serve their own Worldly Ends and Advantages without the least regard or respect had to Christs true Kingdom 6. Such as love Themselves and their Own Things the provisions of the flesh and a quiet easie and commodious life better than Christ Jesus and his Things 7. In a word they are such as under the glorious Profession and subtil Pretence of Christs Church are truly and inwardly the Church of the Devil and Antichrist Such a people and no other hath Antichrist to hear Him and to embrace and depend on Him and his Doctrine Ministry and Ordinances that is the Multitude of false and carnal Christians which are almost the whole World of the outward Professors of the Gospel and Christianity For as Antichrist and his Prophets are of the World and speak of the World so also the World hears them And thus much for the fifth Point The Sixth Point In the sixth place the Apostle shews How the Spirit of Truth and Error may be known in the People as well as in the Teachers to wit by the Peoples cleaving to the Teachers of Truth or to the Teachers of Error saying vers 6. We are of God He that knoweth God heareth Us He that is not of God heareth not Us hereby know we the Spirit of Truth and the Spirit of Error We are of God to wit according to his New Workmanship in Christ Jesus through which we partake of the true Nature of God in Christ as Members as Christ Himself doth partake of that Nature as Head and being thus of God we cannot but confess God his Name and Truth in our Heart Month and Life He that knoweth God heareth Us that is he that knoweth God through the teaching of God knoweth Us who are born and taught of God because we speak to them of God and the Things of God as God himself hath taught Them of Himself and of his Things and therefore They readily receive from Us that Testimony of the Truth which God himself either hath already inwardly taught them or doth teach them by his Spirit whilst we yet speak by that Spirit And so they hear Us by being satisfied and acquiescing or being at rest in the true and wholsom and saving Doctrine of Jesus Christ which we teach Hereby know we the Spirit of Truth to wit in the Hearers when they cleave to the Truth of the Spirit or to the Truth as it is and dwels in Jesus published by the Teachers of Truth It follows He that is not of God heareth not Us That is He that is not of God through a New Birth and the Renewing of the Spirit and so is destitute of the Divine Nature or of the Eternal Word and Spirit which through his Unbelief have no place in his Heart He that thus is not of God but contrarily is of the Devil through Sin Error Darkness Death Enmity to God and his whole evil Nature He heareth not Us that is he doth not taste and relish and approve and receive and embrace and love the Word of Faith and Mysterie of Christ and his Gospel which we teach but doth rather hate oppose reproach and persecute our Doctrine And hereby know we also the Spirit of Error to wit in
God freely taught the Youth who came willingly to them to learn especially in the corrupt times of Israel and Judah I say they taught them only the Knowledge of the Books of Moses and of the other Prophets then extant and no Heathenish Knowledge or Disciplines of the Gentiles at all And these kinde of Schools began early in the Church For the Fathers before the Flood and the Patriarchs after all taught their Children and Families the Word of God And so each of their Families was such a School And that we may not be at uncertainties in this matter it is manifest what Doctrine they taught by that which God himself saith of Abraham Gen. 18. 19. I know Abraham saith God that he will command his Children and Houshold after him that they keep the Way of the Lord and to do Justice and Judgement This was the sum of Abrahams Doctrine to his Family And this is farther confirmed by that of Asaph Psal. 78. 2 3 4. where he saith I will open my mouth in a Parable I will utter dark sayings of old which we have heard and known and our Fathers have told us We will not hide them from their Children shewing to the Generation to come the praises of the Lord and his strength and the wonderfull works that he hath done Where we plainly see what Doctrine the Children received from their Parents and the Parents taught their children from one Generation to another to wit not Vain Philosophy and the Disciplines of the Heathens but the Praises of the Lord and his Strength and Wonderful Works This also is manifest by the practice of Jehosaphat King of Judah who sent his Princes with the Levites up and down throughout Judah and they only took the Book of the Law of the Lord with them and no Heathenish Authors and taught the People 2 Chron. 17. And Ezra after the Peoples return from Babylon took only the Book of the Law of Moses and read it to them and the Levites also read in the Book of the Law of God distinctly to the People and gave them the Sense and caused them to Understand it Nehem. 8. And this also James the Apostle witnesseth Acts 15. 21. saying Moses of old time hath in every City them that Preach Him being read in the Synagogues every Sabbath day So that the faithfull Prophets of the Lord during all the Old-Testament had the chief care in their Schools to keep the Word of the Lord among them in a Right Sense according to the minde of the Spirit For seeing the Lords People are his Portion they knew they were to be carefully Educated and Instructed in the Right Knowledge of the Scriptures to prepare them for the Lord and to make them meet for his Kingdom And the keeping of the Word and Doctrine of God pure is one of the Greatest Matters of all in the Church of God For as the Word is such is the Worship such is the Faith such is the Conscience such is All. Wherefore the Holy Men of God would by no means bring in the Philosophy or Doctrine of the Heathens into their Schools to teach that to their Sons or Scholars but only the true faithfull and unmixed Word of God ` And if against this it be Objected That Moses was learned in all the Learning of the Egyptians To this I Reply But did Moses ever teach any of that Learning in the Church or publish any of the Doctrines of it Or did he command or encourage any of the People of God to learn it Or did any other of the Prophets of the Lord in any Age teach their Sons or Scholars any of the Egyptian Philosophy which was the Antientest or the Smaragdine Table of Hermes Trismegistus the pretended Scholar of Moses so much boasted of or any Heathenish Author whatsoever of which there were many then extant I say let them prove that but one Heathenish Author was read by any of the Prophets to their Scholars and then they will have some colour for the present Universities and their Practice But this they can never do during all the Old Testament And now for the New-Testament it is well known that Christ himself who was the Son of God made of a woman was the first and chief Teacher of this Doctrine Even the Son out of the bosom of the Father full of Grace and Truth and He set up the first Christian School and taught his twelve Apostles whom at his own pleasure He chose to Himself And what the Doctrine was which He taught them is manifest in the Gospel in all which there is not One Word of Heathenish Philosophy or of the Doctrine and Traditions of Men but He only taught them the Words of Eternal life which no Man nor Angel could teach He teaches that Word which is the Power Wisdom and Righteousness of God through which Sin is forgiven and Righteousness is given Death is destroyed and Life is brought in Hell is put out and Heaven is planted in all them that do believe He teaches a Word through which the World is renewed and Men are made like Angels and are made meet to partake of the Inheritance of Saints He teaches a Word wherein is contained all the Treasures of Wisdom and Knowledge that are in God Himself And so Christ taught in his School no vain Philosophy or Heathenish Doctrine and yet he came from God and went to God and is a pattern for Doctrine to all true Christians that are his Disciples indeed To whom he commanded when he left the world and went to his Father that they should teach all Nations and gather one Christian School out of them all by teaching them to observe and do Whatsoever he had commanded them to wit in the Gospel and nothing else or more He commanded them to teach all that and only that and promised himself to be with them to the end of the World in all such Doctrine And the Apostles accordingly not by any help of Humane Learning but when they had received the Spirit went forth to teach the Nations and to set up Christian Schools everywhere by their Doctrine and They all only taught Jesus and the Resurrection from the dead Thus Peter first taught the Men of Judea and Inhabitants of Jerusalem That God had made Jesus whom they had crucified both Lord and Christ having raised Him from the dead because it was not possible for Him to be holden of Death who was the Lord and Author of Life And Steven disputing with the Libertines Cirenians and Alexandrians and divers Philosophers of Cilicia and Asia did hold forth to them nothing but Christ and that He should put an end to the Temple and Law and should change all the Customs of Moses And They were not able to resist the Wisdom and Spirit by which He spake Acts 6. And Paul at the University of Athens reproved there Heathenism and taught Nothing among the Epicureans and
have taught that all true Divinity is contained in God and his Word and that we can know Nothing of God aright but by his Word which Holy men have spoken by the Spirit and Believers do receive by Faith and out of this Word all the Learning in the World doth not contain in it Self neither can it reveal to Us aright â—he Least Thing of God or of his Mind and Will But I conceive he might speak thus That all Divinity is wrapped up in Humane Learning to deterr the Common People from the Study and Enquiry after it and to cause them still to expect all Divinity from the Clergy who by their Education have attained to that Humane Learning which the Plain People are destitute of For it is the Old and New Design of Antichrist to make the People depend on the Clergy for all Divinity though the People have the Scriptures as near Them and the Grace of God usually nearer to them then They seeing God resists the Proud and gives Grace to the Humble Again if all Divinity be swadled in Humane Learning then must it sadly follow that all who want Humane Learning must needs also want Divinity And then how shall poor plain People who live in lawfull Callings and have not the leisure to attain Humane Learning how shall They do to be saved Or what Help must they have to teach them Divinity who have not opportunity to gain Humane Learning And yet farther if all Divinity be swadled in Humane Learning then Christ and his Apostles had no true Divinity for they had no Humane Learning to swadle it in nor would have none Shall we say now according to Mr. Simpsons Doctrine that they had no Divinity I do with all boldness affirm that this Doctrine is contrary to the Christian Faith 4. ERROR That Paul was brought up at the feet of Gamaliel and God took him so fitted to wit with Humane Learning and made him an able Instrument in his Church Answer Not so But God took Paul not a good Scholar and so made him an able Preacher but he took Him as a Blasphemer and Persecutor and as a cruel and inraged Enemy against Christ and his Truth and People and magnified the riches of his Mercy in converting such an One and Paul having much forgiven him loved much and through his Great Love was the fitter to preach the Gospel according to that of Christ to Peter Peter dost thou love me feed my Sheep Yea Paul Himself ascribes his painfull and profitable Preaching not to his Learning and Education under Gamaliel which also was or ought to have been only in the Law and Prophets as hath been proved but to the free Grace of God bestowed on him saying I laboured more abundantly then They all yet not I but the Grace of God in me So that Paul became so excellent a Preacher not by his fitting through Humane Learning but through the Grace of God And here I shall mind Mr. Simpson of a passage which I have read in Chrysostome which comes home to this Matter in hand it is in his third Homily on the first Epistle to the Corinthians where he saith That God had no need at the beginning of the Gospel of Learned men and Sophisters to preach the Gospel and to convince the World with Syllogisms but did only use the Word of Faith in the mouths of plain Handicrafts men and Artificers Wherefore saith he when the Greeks shall accuse the Disciples of Christ as ignorant of Letters and Unlearned let Us our selves who are Christians accuse them More Neither let any one say that Paul was Wise and Learned but let us say Their Men were Wise and Learned but Ours were Rude and Ignorant For in thus doing according to the truth we shall have the Greater Advantage against them For if Paul were Unlearned and yet overcame Learned Plato his Victory was the Greater and the Grace of God the more Glorious Now this I say saith he because the other day I heard a certain Christian discoursing ridculously with a Greek each of them in their Discourse prejudicing their Own Cause For the Greek spake that which the Christian should have said and the Christian spake that which the Greek should have said For the Question between them being touching Paul and Plato the Greek endeavoured to prove that Paul was Rude and Unlearned but the Christian through his Simplicity did endeavor to prove that Paul was more Learned and Eloquent then Plato And so the Greek should obtain the Victory if the Christians Reasons should prevail For if Paul were more Learned then Plato then might men object That he overcame not the World through Grace but through Eloquence Wherefore that whith the Christian spake made for the Greek and that which the Greek spake made for the Christian. Wherefore he saith when the Greeks shall say the Apostles were Rude and Unlearned Poor Mean Simple Obscure Persons let us acknowledge it as the Truth For this is not their Reproach but their Glory that being Such they yet overcame the Learned Men the Wise Men the Philosophers the Rhetoricians the Orators the Princes and all the World as if They had not been Men. For when any thing is done above the State and power of Nature this doth exceedingly manifest and magnifie the Grace of God And so it appears that Chrysostom was of another mind in this matter touching Paul then Mr. Simpson and that Paul was of another mind touching Himself Now seeing Mr. Simpson doth here insinuate that Humane Learning fits a man to the Ministry of the Gospel and seeing this also is the Opinion of all the Carnal and Unbelieving People I do desire them to consider what some Godly Men have spoken clearly from the Word of God in this Matter Chrysostom who knew the Mysterie of the Gospel more clearly then any of the Ancient Writers in his Comment on the first Epistle to the Corinthians doth wholly exclude Humane Learning from contributing any thing either to the speaking or receiving the Gospel For saith he to believe in Him that was Crucified and Buried and to be fully perswaded that he Rose again and sits at the Right Hand of God and hath all Power in Heaven and Earth given to Him and that He is made of God to the whole Church Wisdom Righteousness Sanctification and Redemption this Doctrine stands not in need of Humane Wisdom and Reasonings but of Faith only and that both in Them that spake it and in Them that receive it For the Apostles did not proceed in this Matter in outward Wisdom but in Faith and so became more Wise and Excellent then the Worldly Wise and so much the more as it is a Greater Matter to receive the things of God by Faith then to be perswaded into them by the force of Argument He adds also That To the receiving the Doctrine of the Gospel neither is the Wise man profited any thing by
rob them of their faith in Christ through Philosophy and deceitful Vanities and through the Traditions of Men and Ordinances after the World and not after Christ And after But now Ye drive them from Gods Word and will let no man come thereto until he have been two years Master of Art First they nuzzle them in Sophistry in bene fundatum And there corrupt they their Judgements with apparent Arguments and with alledging to them texts of Logick of Natural Philosophy of Metaphysick and Moral Philosophy and of all manner of books of Aristotle and of all manner of Doctors which yet they never saw c. Again Huldricus Zuinglius speaks thus to this matter We must needs be taught of God and not of Men to wit in the knowledge of the Gospel For this is the saying of the Eternal Truth which knows not how to lye Joh. 6. But and if you do not firmly believe that you may be taught of God Humane Doctrines being utterly rejected ye are yet destitute of true Faith Neither have I my self devised this thing For Hilarie also is of this opinion But there is no need of his Testimony when we hear that both Christ and all the Apostles were of the same minde And here the whole use of School Divinity falls to the ground and whatsoever is drawn out of the Philosophers For all these things do lean on Humane Reasons which when they have once possessed a mans Mind he then thinks that the Heavenly Doctrine is wholly to be directed and framed according to the Rule of Humane Learning which he judges to be most firm and infallible Which thing they sufficiently discover in their words saying ubi cessat Philosophus illic incipit Theologus where the Philosopher ceases there the Divine begins whereby they signifie thus much that he is able to judge most rightly in Divine Things who comes most furnished with Humane Learning As if so be the Light of our Will were more excellent and more perspicuous then the Divine Glory When yet we hear Christ saying I receive not Glory of Men but I know You that you have not the Love of God in you Joh. 5. For they who have the Love of God cleave to no Word so constantly as to the Word of God seeing This is the Light that enlightens every man that comes into the World But no man is able to prove that Philosophy is such a Light For which of the Philosophers instructed the Apostles Those simple and in the Judgement of the World those foolish Men unskilful and unlearned Fishermen were elected and instituted of God and then were sent forth to preach that they might become the Masters and Teachers of the whole World to wit that God according to the saying of Paul might make ashamed all the strength of the World and all the Wisdom of the World Thus he Luther also saith It is an Errour to say that a man cannot be a Divine but through Aristotle Nay saith he A man cannot be a Divine except he become one without Aristotle And again A man becomes a Divine by living yea by dying and by being damned to wit in his own sense not by studying reading or speculating And again In Holy Things we must not dispute or play the Philosophers but in Divinity we must only hear and believe and resolve in our heart that God is true though the Things he speaks in his Word seem never so absurd to Reason And again We shall then do well if we leaving Logick or Philosophy in their own Sphere do learn to speak with New Tongues in the Kingdom of Faith without all Sphere For the Affection of Faith is to be exercised in the Kingdom of Faith and not a Philosophical Understanding And thus have these Godly men held forth and proved from the Word that Humane Learning is rather a hindrance then a Help to the Ministery of the Gospel and doth rather unfit then fit men for it and that the Grace and teaching of God only prepares and enables men to this Divine work and no Humane Thing at all Wherefore let all true Christians be advised that Humane Learning is so far from fitting men for the Gospel and the Ministry thereof as is suggested that indeed there is nothing in Greater Enmity to Christ Crucified nor more Contrary to the Word of the Cross then that Yea nothing in all the world hath been such an Introducer Favourer Supporter and Inlarger of Antichrists Kingdom as Humane Reason Learning and Philosophy This hath brought in all the Hypocrisie Superstition false Doctrine false Worship Sects Schisms Divisions which have at any time prevailed in the Church during all the Reign of Antichrist And the Gospel of Christ and the true Belief and Practice of it hath not had at any time a greater and more subtile and plausible Enemy then This. Yea farther the Gross Ignorance and Blindeness of the rude World hath not so perverted and falsified the Word of the Gospel nor rendred it such Contradiction and Resistance nor hath brought such annoyance to the Faithful who have received and confessed it as Humane Science hath done For this hath enabled men stoutly to oppose the Truth and subtilly to defend Errour as the Truth this hath made men bold and cunning to suppress Gods Minde from the World and to hold forth their own Minde to them as if it were Gods under the pretence of the outward Letter of the Word and a multitude of other Evils have sprung from this Corrupt Fountain Wherefore the Apostle Paul is so far from encouraging Christians to betake themselves to Humane Learning to fit them for the Gospel that He by the Spirit utterly forbids Christians Heathenish Philosophy lest they should be spoiled through the Vanity of it and beled away from Christ. And thus in this matter hath Mr. Simpson manifestly departed from the Doctrine of the Scriptures and of Faithful Men who have spoken from it 5. ERROR That mens Hatred to God doth as well appear in their Hatred to Humane Learning as if they hated the Scriptures Answer I conceive Mr. Simpsons Heart was hot within him out of his great Zeal to Humane Learning the great Goddess by which the University lives when he thus spake And it appears he is very tender of the Reputation and Glory of it who thus vindicates it at as high a rate as the very Scriptures But Sir do you know no more Difference between the most precious Word of our Eternal Lord God and his Son Jesus Christ and the foolish corrupt and stinking Doctrine of Men is there no more Difference in your Divinity between the Word of Righteousness Life and Salvation which God hath spoken by Christ and Christ by his Servants and the Word and Doctrines of wretched Men full of sin death and destruction And if the Law it self given by the Ministration of Angels loseth its Glory before the Gospel as the Apostle testifies
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
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
recovered out of the Errors of Antichrist and prevailed against them Lastly Seeing all the true Children of God do overcome Antichrist and his Ministers Antichrist hath no cause to boast of his Reign in the World nor the true Church of Christ to be discouraged at it Antichrist by all his subtilty and strength and by all his own Ecclesiastical Power and by all the Temporal Power of Princes whom he hath seduced hath conquered to Himself none but the World that is the people that were not of God And the true spiritual Church of Christs own building the new Jerusalem from above that sojourns in this World hath not lost one stone out of its Building nor one Member out of its Body by all that Antichrist and the Devil his Head could do And therefore Antichrist hath no cause to boast for He hath got none but his own and the true Church hath no cause to be discouraged for it hath lost none of its own and None ever went out from it but those that were not of it and all that were truly of it have ever continued with it And thus much briefly touching the Victory which the Faithful obtain aganst Antichrist and his Prophets Now the Grounds of this Victory here named are two 1. The first is Because they are of God Ye are of God little Children and have overcome them Antichrist and his false Prophets cannot prevail against the truly Faithful because They are of God as the Spirit also speaks elsewhere saying 1 Cor. 1. 30. Of Him are ye in Christ Jesus and they are of God as Children are of the Father as it is written Jam. 1. 18. Of his own will begat he us by the Word of Truth that we should be a kind of First Fruits of his Creatures So that as the Children of Men are of their Fathers through a Natural Generation and Being so the Faithful are of God through a Spiritual Generation and Being And as the Children of Men partake of the very Nature of their Fathers so do the Children of God partake of the Divine Nature the Faithful being born again not of corruptible but of incorruptible seed by the Word of God which lives and abides for ever That as Jesus Christ who according to his Humane Nature was a Man and in all things like to us sin excepted came to be of God and to be the Son of God through the coming and dwelling of the Living Word of God in his flesh according to the Love Will and Counsel of the Father so the same Living Word coming and dwelling in the Faithful his Members according to the same Love Will and Counsel of God They also come to be of God in Christ as Christ is of God according to his Humane Nature And as Christ being thus of God according to the Word of God that dwelt in his Humane Nature overcame the Devil the Head of Antichrist and Antichrist and his Body the Temple of the Devil So do all Christs Members overcome Antichrist and his Prophets through the same Living Word of God dwelling in Them or through the Word of Righteousness and Life its being incarnate in them that is its being written in their Hearts by the Spirit or put into their inward parts Wherefore Christ throughout that is from the Head it self to the lowest Member is called Immanuel God with us or which is all one God manifested in the flesh And for this Cause these faithful or little Children of God cannot be prevailed against inasmuch as they are of God and so have in them by true Union and Communion the Nature of God and the Word of God and the Spirit of God and the Righteousness of God and the Wisdom of God and the Power of God and the Life and Light of God and all the Things of God as the Apostle Paul saith in the New Creature all things are become New and all things that is all these New Things are of God that is they are the very Things of God And so these Faithful People cannot be prevailed against by Antichrist or by the Devil the Head of Antichrist but They do prevail against the Doctrine of Antichrist by the Doctrine of Christ against the Spirit of Antichrist by the Spirit of Christ against the Sin of Antichrist by the Righteousness of Christ against the Error of Antichrist by the Truth of Christ and against all the Things of Antichrist by the infinite and eternal Things of Christ. Wherefore you see that all they that are of God through a New birth and are the trne Children of that Heavenly Father and do partake of his Divine Nature and all his Divine Things they cannot be overcome of Antichrist and his Prophets but they do mightily overcome them all through that Immortal seed of the True and Living Word of God of which they are born and in which they live and act But They that are overcome by Antichrist and his Teachers through their deceivableness of Unrighteousness they never were the true Children of God but Hypocrites and Unbelievers under a form of Godliness that is as the Apostle stiles them Bastards or false Children who never had received the true Nature of God through Faith The Second Ground And now follows the second Ground why the Faithfull cannot be overcome by Antichrist and his Prophets to wit Because greater is he that is in You than he that is in the World And here the Apostle shews that the true faithful Christians are not only of God but also have God himself dwelling and abiding in them For they are built up by the Spirit to be the Habitation of God and God is in Them of a Truth and that not by created Habits of Grace as Antichrist and his Prophets have thought and taught but the true God is in them of a Truth and He dwells in them and walks in them as Himself hath said and the Tabernacle of God is with Men. And now as the Sun is never without its light and heat and all its Vertues and where-ever it goes all these go along with it being inseparable from it so where-ever the Lord God comes He comes with all his Righteousness Wisdom Power Peace Joy and all his infinite and eternal Things and where God Himself is there are all the Things of God And thus God in his Faithful People is Greater than He is that is in the World that is He is greater than Antichrist and the Devil his Head He is greater in his true Word than They in their pretended Word greater in his true Spirit than They in their pretended Spirit greater in his true Righteousness than They in their pretended Righteousness greater in his true Wisdom and Power than They in their pretended Wisdom and Power c. Greater is He that is in You than He that is in the World Now for certain the Less is overcome by the Greater and seeing God and his Spirit in his
the Hearers when they do not receive the Word of Truth from the Teachers of Truth but do contrarily cleave to Humane and Philosophical or Moral or Formal and National Doctrine published and held forth by the Teachers of Error Now hence it is evident That there are two Heads or chief Teachers in the World which are Christ and Antichrist and also that there are two Seeds or Generations which flow from them begotten by their Doctrine The One is Christs Seed or the Elect and Faithful the Other is Antichrists Seed or the Reprobate and Unbelievers And each Sort of these People do joyn Themselves to their several and proper Heads and by this they are certainly distinguished known and discerned Antichrist and his false Teachers who are the Head of the Malignant Church and People they come in great Pomp and Glory as to the eye of the World being beautified and dignified with Degrees Names and Titles being exalted to great Honour Authority and Power being full of fleshly Wisdom Rhetorical Eloquence and Philosophical Learning and so to Humane Judgement They are most considerable Persons in the Church and very Angels of Light in appearance And they being thus adorned and beautified to the pleasing and content of the World all the World come in and commit fornication with Them and do hear and conceive Them and are conquered by their Inchantments But Christ and his Teachers come in true Humility and Self-denial and Meekness and Lowlyness and without the Titles and Glory of the false Teachers which they utterly despise and refuse and without all Excellency of Speech and Wisdom and Learning of this World and These do contradict the Religion and Righteousness of the World and speak the Truth which is of God by the Spirit which is of God and these Teachers all the true Sheep of Christ the faithful flock do own and acknowledge and they come and hear the Words of their lips being assured that it is not They that speak but the Spirit of their Father which speaks in Them For the Body and Members of Christ do necessarily cleave to Christ their Head and the Body and Members of Antichrist do in like manner necessarily cleave to Antichrist their Head And as the Body and Members of Christ do cleave to Christ their Head and to those that are in his Spirit and will not nor cannot joyn to Antichrist and to those that are in his Spirit so also the Body and Members of Antichrist do cleave to Antichrist their Head and those that are in his Spirit and will not nor cannot joyn to Christ and to those that are in his Spirit For such as the Body it self is such a Head will it choose to it self and so a Spiritual Heavenly and Faithful People will joyn Themselves to such a Teacher or rather to Christ Himself in and through him And a carnal worldly and unbelieving People will joyn Themselves to such a Teacher and to Antichrist Himself in and through him Wherefore as they that hear the true Teachers and Christ in them and do joyn and cleave by faith to the Word and Doctrine which they hear knowing that it is of God as all Such are certainly of God even his true Children and People and the true Sheep of Christ in as much as they know his Voice and cleave to it So they that hear the false Teachers and Antichrist in them and do cleave to their Doctrine and Ministry and do like commend and applaud that all such are not of God but of their father the Devil and the true and natural Members and People of Antichrist And this very Doctrine Christ Himself hath clearly taught in his Gospel as John 5. 43. where he saith to the Jews I am come in my Fathers Name and ye receive me not another shall come in his Own Name and Him ye will receive That is the Unbelieving Jews would not come and cleave to Christ as their Head though coming in the Name of God that is in the true Power Wisdom and Righteousness of God because they were none of Christs own Sheep But Antichrist coming in his own Name that is in his own Power Wisdom and Righteousness they receive Him and joyn to Him as to their own true and Natural Head And again John 8. 47. Christ saith to the Jews He that is of God heareth Gods Word ye therefore hear it not because ye are not of God Whence it appears that to hear and cleave to the true Word of God taught and held forth by Christ and his Prophets is a manifest Token that men are of God but to turn away from it and to despise it and to embrace another Doctrine is as manifest a Sign that they are not of God but of the Devil as Christ saith to the same people ver 44. Ye are of your Father the Devil for there is no Truth in Him and he abides not in the Truth no more do Ye Again John 10. v. 4. 5. Christ saith His own Sheep follow Him the true Shepherd because they know his Voice and a stranger will They not follow but flee from Him because they know the Voice of Strangers Wherefore they that hear the Word of Faith in the true Teachers of the Gospel They have in them the Spirit of Truth but they that dislike and disrelish that Word and joyn to the Teachers and Doctrine of Antichrist They all have in them the Spirit of Error And therefore it concerns us more than the World is aware of to take heed Whom we hear For if we cleave to the Teachers of Truth as hath been declared then have we the Spirit of Truth but if to the Teachers of Error then are we of the Spirit of Error And thus this Scripture teacheth us how to know and discern the Spirit both of Christ and of Antichrist and that both in the Teachers and in the Hearers both which are of great Use to the true Church of God in all Times but especially in these Last Times And these things I have spoken and testified freely according to the measure of grace given knowing that they will be as acceptable to the true Friends and Members of Christ crucified as they are troublesome and displeasing to the Members of Antichrist FINIS A Plain and Necessary CONFUTATION Of divers gross and Antichristian Errors DELIVERED To the University Congregation At the Publick Commencement Anno. 1653. By Mr. Sydrach Simpson Master of Pembroke HALL in CAMBRIDGE Potentior est veritas quam eloquentia potior spiritus quam ingenium major fides quam eruditio ut Paulus ait Stultum Dei sapientius est hominibus Luther Epist. ad Caspar Bornerum Profes Lipsens Non est istud temeritas sed fides neque inconsideratio sed ratio neque furor sed fiducia Hillarius lib. contr Constantium Augustum LONDON Printed for Giles Calvert and are to be sold at the Sign of the Black-spread-Eagle near the West-end of Pauls 1660. An Apologie to the
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
The true Prophets endure reproaches persecutions with meekness The false are angry against the reproofs of the Word 7. The true Prophets force no body to hear them against their wills The false force men by the power of the Magistrate 8. The true Prophets are content that others should teach as well as they The false would have none to teach but themselves and their own Tribe lest their gain should be prejudiced 9. The true Prophets are willing to suffer for the Truth they teach The false teach to avoid suffering Two uses 1. use To spiritual Christians ☜ 2. Use. To the carnal Clergy The fourth General Point To wit With whom Antichrist cannot prevail 1. The Victory which the faithful do obtain over Antichrist his Prophets Uses 1. Christ hath alwayes kept his own Antichrist hath never prevailed against one of the Elect. The care of the true Church committed only unto Christ. 2. Use. Antichrist hath no cause to boast nor the true Church to be discouraged for any that are lost 2 The grounds of their Victory 1. Because they are of God As Children of their Father And sâ— partake 〈◊〉 his veâ—â—â— Nature 2. Ground of the Victory of the faithful to wit Because greater is he that is in them than he that is in the World 1. Use. Antichrist prevails against Forms but not against God in the flesh 2. Use. Not easie to overcome Antichrist seeing he is the Temple of the Devil 3. Use. Not to be dismayed at the fulness of Antichrist seeing the fulness of Christ is greater The fifth General Point To wit With whom Antichrist doth prevail The World hears them Who are the World Grounds 1. Because they are of the world Use. Universities cannot be the fountain of the true Ministery ☞ 2. Because they speak of the World Their speaking of the World may be understood in a threefold sense 1. They speak the Spiritual Word of God in a carnal sense 2. They speak the Spiritual Word of God to a carnal end 3. They turn the Word of God into worldly Doctrine to avoid the Cross. 1. Use. All natural men deceived by Antichrist whatever their accomplishments may be ☜ Antichrist is unknown to them seeing Christ is unknown to them 2. Use. Men of a 〈◊〉 worldly Spirit cannot understand the Deceits of Antichrist ☜ 3. Use. The carnal Clergy have a numerous Auditory The Hearers of Antichrists Prophets How the Spirit of Truth and Error may be known in the Hearers aswell as in the Teachers Two Heads or chief Teachers in the World Why the Anthor deals so plainly 1. With Mr S. Simpson 2. With Humane Learning How the Author is for Humane Learning how against it The great mischief of Humane Learning mingled with Divinity ☞ ☞ 3. With the Universities Men of unquestionable Worth and Godliness have spoken freely of the Universities in former times as Wickliff Hus. Luther ☞ ☞ Melancthon Omnes Scholas esse haereticas vel Theologia Scholastica arguit Melanct. in Apol. pro Mart. Luther Objection Answer The Universities the same for the Substance now as formerly Objection Answer Objection Answer The Rehearsal of the Errors 1. Error Answer No Heathenish Learning was taught in the Church of God all the time of the Old Testament What Learning the Fathers before the Flood taught in their Schools and the Patriarchs and Prophets afterwards Objection Answer Neither was any Heathenish Learning taught the Church in the time of the New Testament Christ taught no Philosophy to his Apostles The Apostles taught no Philosophy Peter Steven Paul The Primitive Christians and Believers taught no Philosophy Justine Martyr forsook Philosophy betook himself only to the Scriptures Non ad humanas rationes sed ad voluntatem Doctrinae Spiritus interpretatio est accommodanda Justin. in Exposit. fidei Constantine the Emperor took care for the teaching the Scriptures to Christians Euseb. lib. 4. de vita Constantin Berno Augiensis Abbas Se multis jam annis Poetarum figmenta Paganorum Historias seculariumque Literarum studia velut stercora respuisse omnemque mentis intentionem ad divina perscrutanda convertisse Berno in Epist. ad Magnifred Cum juvenis adhuc in omni Disciplinarum genere exercerer certo affirmare possum me non minus quam reliquos aequales meos profecisse c. Zuingl lib. de Certitud Veritat Verbi Dei The sad Fruit of University Education The Testimonies of the Faithfull to the former Doctrine Matthias Parisiensis Antichristum omnes Universitates eruditorum Collegia seduxisse ita ut jam nihil sani doceant aut Christianis rectè suà Doctrinè praeluâ—â—ant Illyric Flac. Catal. Test. Veritat John Hus. Seduâ—it Antichristus à Diviâ—a sapientia plenâ— Salute Spiritu Sancto ad prudentiam scientiam Hominum Principum hujus mundi quam copiavit nimis vehementer dilatavit au thenticavit lucrosam Divitiarum Honorum in hoc seculo effecit ut ita Divina Sapienta Scientia esset neglecta à Christianis inveterata obducta quasi vilis inutilis ab iisdem reputata c. Joh. Hus. Lib. de vita Reg. Antichr cap. 30. Martin Luther M. Luther De Captiv Babylon Joachim Calaber 2. Error Answer Vetuit ne Christiani Gentilium Disciplinis instruerentur Sozomen Histor. Eccles cap. 17. ☞ True Religion depends not on Humane Learning Acts 4. 13. Acts 6. 10. Christianos de integro Gentilium Disciplinam imbibere nemo est qui Christianae Religioni prodisse concesserit Nam non est extra periculum Christianos Gentilium eruditione institui quippe quae docet multos esse Deos. Socrates Histor. Eccles. cap. 14. Meum consilium est ut adolescens vitet Philosophiam ac Theologiam Scholasticam ut mortem animae suae Luth. Tom. 2. fol. 434. b. 3. Error Answer The Knowledge of Heavenly things comes down from Heaven to us Ver. 10. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysostom in 1 Epist. ad Cor. Hom. 7. Humane Learning too strait narrow to comprehend true Divinity 4. Error Answer Paul made a Preacher through the Grace of God and not through Humane Learning * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Humane Learning doth not fit a man to the Ministry of the Gospel Testimonies Chrysostom 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysost. in 1. Epist. ad Corinth Hom. 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Idem ibid. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysost. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Wickliff Through Love we understand the Scriptures ☜ How the Ministers may come to understand the Scriptures Tindal Zuingl Lib. de certitudine Veritate Ver. Dei Quod si non firmiter creditis vos humanis Doctrinis desertis divinitus doceri posse vera fide etiamnum vacui estis Cadit hic Theologiae Scholasticae usus universus quicquid ex Philosophis haustum est Error est dicere Sine Aristotele non fit Theologus imò Theologus non fit nisi id fiat sine Aristotele