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
Saints is Greater in Goodness Righteousness Wisdom and all Things than the Devil is in Antichrist and his Prophets therefore the Faithful in whom God dwels and manifests Himself must needs overcome Antichrist and the false Prophets in whom the Devil dwels and manifests himself Now hence we may learn several things And first we may learn That Antichrist can prevail against any Outward Form of Religion and Godliness against any Humane Vertues and Graces and Works and Prayers or any thing that is of Man or flows from Him though in never so great appearance of Holiness as we by sad experience have seen many Men of great seeming Religion famous for Preaching and Praying and reputed Pillars in the Church when they have come hither into the University where Antichrist and his Spirit have remained in their full strength notwithstanding the great Consumption which God hath brought on them by his Word in other parts how soon have they cased from that sense of the Gospel which they once seemed to have had and how suddenly have they been intangled and overcome with the Spirit of the University and of Antichrist for Worldly Honour and Advantage sake and so the highest and strongest formal Religion in the Church Antichrist can soon prevail against But Antichrist can never prevail against God in the Saints nor against the Righteousness Wisdom and Power of God in them all which are contained in his true Presence nor against the Faith Hope and Love of Saints which are the Works of God in them by his Spirit against these Antichrist cannot prevail For greater is He that is in Us than he that is in the World So then if thou hast any thing in thee that is truly of God or rather that is God Himself in thee That Antichrist cannot overcome by all his Arts and Power but he will easily overcome any thing else Antichrist cannot prevail against Immanuel which is God with Us nor against the Mysterie of Godliness in us which is God manefest in the flesh but every other thing though it seem never so Angelical he prevails against 2. We may learn hence That it is not an easie thing to overcome Antichrist and to get the Victory over that Beast and his Image and his Mark and the Number of his Name seeing Antichrists coming is after the working of Satan as the Apostle saith and through Antichrist the Devil Himself speaks works and acts yet as an Angel of light in all lying or false Power Wisdom and Righteousness and this he doth for the Damnation of Men and to bring Them all who have no true love to the Truth to perish with Himself for ever And his Operation of Error is so mighty and efficacious that it cannot be resisted and overcome by any in all the World but by those who are born of God and do partake of his Nature and Presence in them For the Power Wisdom and Righteousness of Antichrist and his Prophets which is so suteable to the Nature of the World and so glorious in its Eye cannot possibly be overcome but by the true Power Wisdom and Righteousness of God in his true Children or Prophets 3. Hence also let us learn not to be dismayed at Antichirist and his Prophets who have in all Ages got such Reputation Power and Glory to Themselves in the World because of their seeming Learning Righteousness and Religion seeing Christ in Us and in all his poor People is infinitely more mighty than They are and the Devil in them and nothing can prevail against Us except first it can prevail against Christ. Wherefore if We in our selves are never so weak and through our weakness never so fearful and trembling yet let us not be discouraged or faint seeing our might is not in Our selves but in Christ who dwels in Us and who is infinitely greater than He that dwells in the World He that dwells in Us through Faith is Greater than he that dwells in Them through Unbelief and in His strength let us abide by his Word and Doctrine even to Suffering and Death if need be and in all these Evils we shall overcome Them by whom we seem to be overcome as also Christ our Head did And thus much for the fourth General thing The Fifth Point The Apostle shews with whom Antichrist and his Teachers should prevail to wit with the Worldly and Carnal People vers 5. They are of the World therefore speak they of the World and the World hears them The World hears them Antichrist and his Prophets prevail with the World and Worldly People and do obtain their favour love and applause and They are their Auditors and delight in Them and their Doctrine Now by the World here is meant such People who though they have an outward Christianity and Religion yet inwardly remain in their Natural Condition and Corruption without any true renewing through Faith and the Spirit And all such People notwithstanding their seeming Religion and Righteousness do love Themselves and this World and the Things of it better than Jesus Christ and his Truth And these here are called the World and this World or these worldly Christians do hear and entertain the Teachers of Antichrist and their Doctrine Two Grounds of which the Apostle here gives us to wit Why these People cleave to these Teachers 1. The first is Because these Teachers are of the World 2. Because they speak of the World 1. They are of the World That is though by their Breeding and Profession their Degrees and Ordination they seem to be set at a great distance from the Common people and to be nearer the Kingdom of God and the Knowledge and Possession of it then the Common People of the World yet for all this They indeed and in truth are still of the World and all their liberall Education their manner of Life their Study Knowledge Learning Languages Sciences Degrees and Ordination doth not at all change their inward evil Nature Mind Will Affections nor the corrupt Disposition and Principle in which they were born but notwithstanding all these things they are still the very same throughout as when they came first into the World being destitute of a New Birth and Heavenly Nature Nay by all these things they are more taken into the Spirit of the World into the corruptions and evils of it into the pride lust covetousness and ambition of it by how much through such Indowments and Accomplishments they think Themselves better than other Men and so notwithstanding their Academical Degrees and Ecclesiastical Orders they are not less but more of the World even fully of the World And hence we may learn That it is not Study Parts Breeding Learning nor any Natural Indowments or acquired Accomplishments that will deliver any man out of this World or corrupt state of Mankind or that can change his Nature or give him the least Place or Interest in the Kingdom of God
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
Day is coming when Iniquity shall have an End And thus have I done with these Things There were many Other things in that Sermon as contrary to the Gospel which for brevities sake I have omitted Now what a sad Thing is it that such poysonful Doctrine should be poured forth into an University Congregation and that by the Ministry of such a Man And if the Ceremonies of the Law were in use under the Gospel how ought we to rendour Garments at the Hearing of these Things And now O blessed Lord Jesus who wast Crucified Dead and Buried but yet art risen from the Dead by the Eternal Spirit and art ascended on High to fill all things have Mercy on thy poor Church which is so grievously rent and torn this day by Wolves in Sheeps Cloathing and is thus hurt and consumed by poysonful Doctrines of Men who seek Themselves and their own Things to the Harm and Ruine of thy poor People O thou Son of the Living God who art the Way the Truth and the Life how shall the Kingdom of Antichrist be brought down when the Hands of such Men who seem Pillars in the Church are stretched forth so strongly to hold it up And how shall the Days of Antichrist be shortned when his Kingdom is coming forth again in the Greatest Deceiveableness of Unrighteousness that hath ever yet appeared in the World to delude the Nations O Lord remember all thy Promises and make haste to destroy Babylon the Great with all its mysteries of Righteousness and Unrighteousness and let it sink as a Milstone in the Sea without any hope or possibility of a Resurrection And seeing there is no hand of Man stretched out for this Work but all Hands are against it do thou destroy it O Lord without hand even with the Spirit of thy mouth and brightness of thy Coming according to the Truth of thy Promises and the unutterable Sighs and Groans of thy Spirit occasioned thereby in the Hearts of all thy faithful and Elect. Even so Lord And let thy Kingdom come and make no long tarrying AMEN A TESTIMONY From the WORD Against DIVINITY-DEGREES IN THE Vniversity OR Any Academical Degrees made use of for the Ministry of the Gospel THE Universities whose very Soul and Life do lie in Humane Learning and School-Divinity that they might gain the greater Profit to themselves and Glory to their Children have after the example of the Heathen given their children Degrees in Divinity as They in Arts and the Glorious Titles of Batchelors Masters and Doctors in Divinity as so many Crowns of Gold upon their Heads to win them Honour and Reputation with all People who have been under the Delusion of Antichrist And in the confirming of these Graduations or Degrees which also is done for a sum of Money they give the Graduates License and Power to Preach and to Expound the Scriptures and that by the sole Authority of the University For the Vice-Chancelor admitting a Bachelour in Divinity to his Degree useth these Words in the Name of the University We admit you to declare all the Apostolical Epistles in the name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost And so the Batchelour in Divinity hath Power according to his Degree only to deal with the Apostolical Epistles but must go no farther And admitting a Doctor to his Degree the Vice-Chancelour saith thus We admit you to Interpret and Profess all the Holy Scriptures both of the Old and New Testament in the name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost And thus doth the University through power received from Antichrist give men chiefly for Money Divinity-Degrees and through those Degrees it gives Authority and priviledge to Batchelors in Divinity to expound part of the Scriptures and to Doctors to expound and profess all the Scriptures and they that gain these Degrees to Themselves are as there is good reason the Great Men in account with the University and also with the Carnal People of Antichrist how destitute soever they be of the Faith and Spirit of the Gospel Wherefore I cannot choose but give in my Testimony against this Glorious and Gainful Priviledge of the Universities to wit their conferring upon their Children Degrees in Divinity and creating them Masters in that Mysterie which none can teach but God Himself and which none can learn but true Believers who are born of God and are his true Disciples And so I do openly affirm that Degrees in Divinity for I meddle with none else given by the Universities to their Children are plainly and grosly Antichristian being most manifestly contrary to the Word of the Gospel and the Light that shines in the New Testament For first In the Gospel of God our Saviour we learn That only a New and Heavenly Birth makes Men to be of the true Church and that the pouring forth of the Spirit on these Children of God according to the measure of the Gift of God makes Christians of several Degrees in this Church and not Academical Graduations Secondly In this Gospel also we are taught that all the true Ministers of Christ are Equal and not One Superior to Another as these Degrees make them Thirdly In this Gospel also we are taught that the true Greatness amongst Christs true Disciples doth not stand in Academical Degrees or Worldly Honour and Dignities but in the Faithfuls near and exact following of Christ in Word and Conversation and that the sons of Zebedee in desiring Superiority and Pre-eminence above the other Disciples contrary to the Life and Doctrine of Christ did grievously offend and were therefore sharply rebuked of Christ. Fourthly Yea here we hear Christ himself forbidding this very Thing to his Disciples that Antichrist and his Prophets might have no cloak for doing the contrary where his Gospel is truely taught and published For Matth. 23. Christ doth forbid his Disciples before all the Multitude to be as the Jewish Rabbies or Doctors who saith Christ do their works to be seen of Men and disguise themselves with different Garments or Habits from others that they might be the more taken notice of and have the more respect and do love the uppermost Rooms at Feasts and the chief Seats in the Synagogues and greetings in the Markets and to be called of men Doctor Doctor but saith Christ to his Disciples Be not ye called Doctors for one is your Master even Christ and Ye all are Brethren and so equal Whence it is evident that this Practice of Universities and Colledges in giving men Degrees in Divinity as they call it and Titles Habits and Dignities accordingly is contrary to the express Command of Jesus Christ and so is a meer Invention of Antichrist to put Honour and Reputation on his Ministers It is also manifest that this practice of the Universities hath all along made many Doctors in the Church which yet never were Christs true Disciples It is also manifest that these Degrees and Titles do cause men
with Christ in respect of Authority and Faith And hereby was the Sun darkned even Christ the Sun of Righteousness and Truth Moral Vertues being brought in instead of Faith and infinite Opinions instead of Truth and the ayr also with the Smoak of the Pit that it may be understood not to be an Eclips of the Sun but the obscurity of the Ayr and Sun by the Smoak of the Pit ascending to wit Humane Doctrines obscuring Christ and his Faith as the Sun and Air. And out of the Smoak of the Pit there came forth Locusts on the Earth Here the People of the Universities bread and born of Philosophy are called Locusts by a most fit Name because they are without a King that is Christ and flie in Companies as is said Prov. 3. and also because they waste and burn up all green things where-ever they light and so the Grammarians think they have their name Locustae Locusts à loco usto vastato from the place which they burn and waste And so this People of the Universities consumes and burns up all the green Pasture of Christ that is the fruit of Faith And Power was given to Them as the Scorpions of the earth have Power to wit to wound the Conscience of Men because the green Fruit of Faith being wasted which heals the Consciences of Men it cannot be but the Conscience must be hurt and prejudiced And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the Grass of the Earth nor any Green Thing that is that they should not hurt the Elect. For they do not hurt all neither do natural Locusts hurt every green thing but some certain Place so it is here But only those Men who have not the Mark or Seal of God in their Foreheads that is some Grass they should hurt to wit those who have not Faith which is the Mark of God which we carry in a pure Conscience and free Conversation And it was commanded Them that they should not kill them but only should torment them five months This seems to be spoken of Moral Doctrine which seeing it teaches us the Knowledge of Sin like the Law of God it doth not kill but only afflict a man with Vain Studies wherein he is alwaies learning and yet never coming to the Knowledge of the Truth For They who are killed with the Letter are quickned with the Eternal Spirit they are not tormented five Months that is the whole time of their Sensual Life in which Moral Vertues reign And we see by Experience that all Moral Divines are of a most Evil and unhappy Conscience full of Scruples and Unquietness and have Power neither of Good nor Evil and therefore it follows And their Torment is as the Torment of a Scorpion when it strikes a Man Behold here a Wounded Conscience for here he expounds what he had said before that they are not savingly killed nor spiritually quickned And in those days men shall seek Death and shall not finde it and shall desire to Dye and Death shall flee from them to wit the Death of Sin which doth too much live in the Conscience and yet is not rightly known for if it were known presently it being slain would perish But this cannot Aristotles Ethicks do but it is the Office of the Letter and the Spirit And the shapes of the Locusts were like to Horses prepared to Battel to wit of Scholastical Disputation and Conflict He describes the War by this Allegory for they are ready to argue pro contra as they speak And on their Heads were as it were Crowns of Gold that is the Names and Titles of Degrees as Magister noster Eximius sacrae Theologiae Humilis Indignus professor c. that is Our famous Master and the Humble and Unworthy Professor of Sacred Theologie and the like And these Crowned Ones John Hus called Hypocritas Coronatos Crowned Hypocrites and by reason of these Crowns they have Authority and Power among the multitudes of Carnal Christians who are willing to entertain Antichrists Pomp into Christs Church Yet have they not true Crowns but as it were Crowns of Gold which yet they are very proud of and are much pufft up with them though usually they are set on the Head of Ignorance and Errour And their Faces are like the Faces of Men because their Doctrine and Life is governed not by the Spirit of Faith but by the Dictate of Natural Reason and by the Light of Nature illuminated by Aristotle And they had Hair like the Hairs of Women For Philosophy brings forth effeminate Ministers given to case and luxury and in whom is nothing of Spirit nor of Manly Abilities in Christ. For the Hairs are Priests as you may see Psal. 68. Isa. 3. and in other Places And their teeth are like the Teeth of Lyons Consider only the Thomists instead of all other Divines whether they be not biting slanderous and devourers of all that speak a Word against Aristotles Divinity Yea the Thomists Scotists and Modern men bite one another among Themselves and sharpen against one another not any teeth but the teeth of Lyons neither is there any sort of Men which war more fiercely or with greater hatred then those Sects of Divines each of which desires to devour the Other that it may reign alone And they have Brest-plates as it were Brest-plates of Iron and this is the pertinacious and confident Presumption of Each Sect on the truth and soundness of his Opinion and by these Iron Brest-plates they are unconquerable And these are the Principles of each Sect. And the sound of their Wings was as the sound of Chariots and of many Horses running to Battel the Wings are the Words of those that dispute and conflict by which they do impetuously brawlingly and clamorously rush on one another and fight as we see in the Tumults of Disputants both by Words and Writings where neither yields to neither but Each one is Unconquerable For he signifies this pertinacious affection of Disputing by the rushing of Chariots and Horsemen And they had Tails like unto Scorpions and there were Stings in their Tails and their power was to hurt Men five Moneths Here he explains what before he had propounded to wit that the Fruit and End of this Divinity is nothing but evil Consciences during all the time of the Sensual Lives of Men. For that Divinity is an Abomination to those who are Spiritual because these are without the bounds of the five moneths in the Spirit of Liberty And they had a King over them which is the Angel of the Bottomless Pit whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon and in Greek Apollyon Here we may learn that the Rector General of all Universities is not Christ nor the Holy Spirit nor any Angel of God but an Angel of the Bottomless Pit that is one that is Dead and is among the Dead and Damned Who is it then even that Light of
Ministry when they have got Countenance Strength and Ayd from the Worldly Magistrates how have they with their Academical Philosophical Heathenish Divinity infected poysoned and destroyed the People to Eternal Death and No Body durst shun Them upon Pain of Temporal Death or Punishments But now through the great Goodness of God and his mighty Providences and Works from Heaven it is a more Happy Age and Happy shall They be who being called forth shall do the Work of God against all Discouragements and Difficulties and shall not with Ephraim being harnessed turn their Backs in the Day of Battle And now to return to our Business again touching the Universities let none object that Luther speaks against Popish Universities only for this is but a weak and simple Defence and altogether unable to ward off the Mighty Blow of Gods Word from their Heads and Hearts For the Things condemned in the foregoing Testimonies of Luther are the Self Same for the Substance of them as do live prevail and flourish in our present Universities as hath been before declared and I leave it to every faithful Christian to judge the Truth in this Matter But men would fain preserve their Titles Degrees Authority Dignity State Stipends and therefore for Defence of These Things they must needs say Something though it be to never so little Purpose but yet by such Discourse they sufficiently declare how cool and icie they are for Christs Interest and how zealous for their Own But certain it is that as the Universities were set up at first as Nurseries for Antichrists Kingdom Men being therein so educated according to the undertaking of Charles the Great in Philosophy and School-Divinity that it might be said to them Vos estis Sal Terrae Lux Mundi Ye are the Salt of the Earth and the Light of the World which yet only agrees to the Faithful who are born of God so have they still remained the Same hitherto in Substance though not without some small Change of Outward Form 2. For first the Philosophy taught and studied in the University is the very Same that it was at first and this Philosophy is nothing but the Religion of the Heathen For what the Law was to the Jews and the Gospel is to the Christians Philosophy was and is to the Heathen and in this Study the poor Lads waste the flower and cream of their Lives to no purpose but to make them more Heathenish Corrupt and Bold in Evil then they were by Nature And For their Divinity which they usually learn in the Universities out of the Fathers Schoolmen and Systems and in which they are trained up to Dispute either for it or against it in the Schools it being in seriousness all one to Them what they hold and maintain in Religion seeing all is but Opinion to them and which they after teach to the People with special Regard to their own Profit and Advantage this is not the true Word and Ministry of the Gospel For the Gospel is the Word of Faith which Word is the Word in our Hearts according to the Tenor of the New Covenant wherein God saith I will write my Law in their Hearts and put it in their Inward Parts But now the University-Divines the Truth being indeed dead in their Hearts and having no Presence nor Power there they take it up out of the Books and Writings of Men wherein it hath been buryed and by this Means bring forth a dead Doctrine to the World which Other Men have spoken but Themselves have no Experience of and not the Word of Life which hath quickened them but only a Dead Letter raised up like the Living Letter which they present to them as the Witch of Endor raised up a Dead Samuel in the outward Habit and Appearance of the Living Samuel and presented him to Saul so these University-Divines bring forth the outward Garments and Appearance of the Truth to the People when they do best but the Substance Soul and Life of the Truth they cannot bring forth because they have not the Living Word of God in their Hearts but have only a Dead Word which they gather out of the Books and Writings of Men. And this is the University-Divinity And Lastly The Preachers which the Universities send forth are usually in the greatest Enmity to Christ and his Gospel of all other Men whatsoever and do bring greatest Prejudice to Christs Kingdom and greatest Advantage to Antichrists For when Men without Learning and yet without the Spirit of Christ will undertake to teach the People as many also now do their Ignorance is manifest to all and is judged of all and they through their Rudeness can never long deceive the World but now when Men are as destitute of the Spirit as They and yet have Humane Learning and the Letter of the Word in a Philosophical sense to help them this is that that exceedingly endangers and deceives the World the People supposing the Doctrine of the Gospel according to Philosophical Learning to be the Ministration of the Spirit and to be sufficiently enough to instruct the Church And so Antichrists Kingdom is set up with Credit and Renown by These whereas the Ignorant Teachers who are destitute of the Spirit are able to do Him no considerable Service But Christ will not have the Learned Men to be Teachers in his Church through their Learning and as little will he have Ignorant Men to teach in his Church because of their Ignorance but whether Men be Learned or Ignorant according to the World it is no matter in Christs Church where each Man is to speak in the Spirit of Christ which makes both the Ignorant and the Learned alike wise in Christ and so the Learned Man becomes Ignorant in the Church to be Learned in Christ and the Ignorant Man without Worldly Learning forthwith becomes Wise in Christ and the Learned and the Ignorant meet together only in the Wisdom of Christ which is the Wisdom of God and swallows up at once all the Learning and Ignorance of the World alike and will have all Wise alone in it Self Wherefore all Universities being left and forsaken as to this Matter let Learned and Ignorant Men come alike to Christ to be made Wise in Him who is made unto us of God our only Wisdom FINIS THE Right Reformation of Learning Schools and Universities according to the State of the Gospel and the True Light that shines therein THough I do not pretend to that Wisdom which might direct the World farther then the Word of God is with me yet shall I be bold as one who desires to be faithful to Christ and profitable to his true Church to offer my apprehensions and advice to the Called Chosen and Faithful Ones of Christ that either now are or hereafter may be in Authority in these Nations touching the instructing Youth and ordering Schools 1. First therefore as to this matter I do judge there neither
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