If any say I my self relate to the University why then do I speak against it thus I answer that I neither do nor will relate to the University as it is polluted with any of the Abominations herein mentioned But as by the Providence of God alone I have been brought to that Relation in which I now stand and continue in it against the Wills and Workings of many so through his Good Pleasure I will remain till He shall otherwise dispose of Me and during my sojourning with them I will not fail to testifie against their evil and to endeavour to win all those whom God shall perswade to receive his Truth from Heathenism to the Gospel and from Antichrist to Christ. Wherefore let none be offended that I am made willing to hazard and part with my Worldly Accommodations for Christs Names sake but let them rather praise the Grace of God which hath enabled me to witness a good Confession what ever Worldly Disadvantage I might run into thereby Wherefore Welcom the Righteousness Power Wisdom Truth Word and whole Kingdom of Christ though they swallow up all my Earthly Accommodations For such Fear and Love of his Name hath the Lord graciously put into my Heart that I would not willingly conceal any thing of his most precious Truth either to gain or to preserve to my self the Whole World And so righteous Father not my will be done nor theirs but Thy will be done in Earth as it is in Heaven THE CONFUTATION OF Mr. Sydrach Simpsons Errors Isaiah 62.1 For Sions sake I will not hold my peace and for Jerusalems sake I will not rest until the Righteousness thereof go forth as brightness and the Salvation thereof as a Lamp that burns MAster Sydrach Simpson at the Commencement An. 1653. preaching to the University Congregation in Cambridge and to many Others especially Ministers there gathered together at that time from several parts of the Nation among other things he let fall in that Discourse of his these gross and Antichristian Errors The Rehearsal of the Errors 1. He brought in that Scripture 2 Kin. 6. ver 1 2. which was his Text the words whereof are these And the Sons of the Prophets said unto Elisha Behold now the Place where we dwell with thee is too strait for us let us go we pray thee unto Jordan and take thence every man a beam and let us make us a Place where we may dwell and he answered Go ye This Scripture he used to prove the Lawfulness and Religiousness of the present Universities and the Usefulness and Necessity of Humane Learning to the Church and Ministery of the New Testament And what the Scripture speaks of those Schools he brought to countenance encourage and justifie These adding that if it were objected That that was the Old Testament He did answer That the Old and the New were not distinct Testaments but Administrations thereby holding forth that the Universities now are answerable to the Schools of the Prophets that were then and that the Universities are as agreeable to the New Testament as the Schools of the Prophets to the Old 2. That They who have endeavoured to pull down Schools have always been Men who were found Enemies to Religion So Julian the Apostate shut up the doors of the Schools because he would have all Religion to go down 3. That the knowledge of Heavenly things cannot come to us but by things on Earth and that all Divinity is swadled in Humane Learning 4. That Paul was brought up at the feet of Gamaliel and that God took him so fitted and made him an able Minister of his Church 5. That mens hatred to God doth as well appear in their hatred to Humane Learning as if they hated the Scriptures 6. That if the spirit teach without Means men may as well be without the Ordinances as without the Universities and Humane Learning 7. That men now are not to receive the Spirit in that immediate way to understand the Scriptures in which it was given to them who wrote the Scriptures 8. That men now are to get Knowledge by Studies and Humane Learning and not by Inspiration 9. That Humane Learning is as the Out-works to the Fort of the Gospel and as the outer Court to the Temple of the Gospel and so if you will keep the Fort well you must keep the Outworks strong and if you will preserve the Inward you must look to the Outward Court 10. But what is the bottom of all this saith he to wit of some mens appearing against Humane Learning as the Unction of the Ministery and against the Universities as the Fountain of the Ministery but this that some say They are One with Christ and as Christ hath the Divine Nature in him so every Believer hath and he that hath God in him need not go to any Man to learn whereas in John 17. Christ speaketh of Believers as at an infinite distance from Him And if Believers be so united to Christ as they say then will follow that Christ should not be the only begotten of God and that Christ and We should be Equal and He not our Lord c. 11. Arts and Tongues are the Cups in which God drinks to us 12. We shall never keep up Religion if we do not keep up Learning but when Learning goes down Religion goes down too 13. Seeing Religious Foundations are so Antient then keep them up Your Destruction will never be but from Your selves These Notes were taken from Mr. Simpsons mouth and delivered to me by an honest hand and affirmed to be true for the Substance of them and I also heard several others who were hearers of that Sermon relating the same things Now because I finde that this Doctrine hath not only grieved the hearts of the Faithful but also strengthened the hands of the Carnal and Evil People The things which he then delivered being usually the Thoughts of their hearts and Words of their mouths I thought it my duty being set in my place for the Defence of the Gospel to give a Publike Reply to such Gross Errors so publikely delivered to the danger of so many and which one would never have thought should have proceeded from such a Man especially after the day of the Gospel hath so far dawned and the Antichristian shadows are so far retreated and flown away And so I shall begin with the first of these Errors and proceed in the Order in which they are set down 1. ERROR He brought that Scripture 2 King 6. 1 2. Touching the Sons of the Prophets asking leave of Elisha to go and build at Jordan to prove the Lawfulness and Religiousness of the Universities in their present Use and Customs c. Answer To this I Reply that there is a vast Difference between those Schools and these Universities as in many Other things so chiefly in This That in those Schools of the Prophets named by Him the Holy Men of
Ministers of Antichrist The Seventh Sign The true Prophets and Ministers of Christ do not force any body to hear them and obey their Doctrine against their Wils neither do they vex and trouble them with Secular Power who will not obey them and be subject to them but they leave all such People as they found them lest they should seem by their Doctrine to seek any Worldly thing Thus Christ when he taught the Gospel still cryed out He that hath ears to hear let him hear and he that had not ears to hear he did not punish him and again saith Christ If any man Will be my Disciple let him deny Himself and take up his cross and follow Me and still left men to their own Freedom whether they would be his Disciples or no. And as Christ did thus Himself so he left the same thing in command with all his true Disciples and when he sent them forth to Preach Matth. 10. he charged them saying Whoever will not receive You nor hear Your Words when you depart out of that house or City shake off the dust of your feet as a Testimony against them he doth not bid them if they be refused to betake themselves to the Secular Power to get Authority from thence to stay and abide there whether they will or no or otherwise to punish them but bids them only to shake off the dust of their feet that they might know they came not to them for the Love of Earthly things And when the Apostles out of a false zeal would have had Christ to have commanded fire to have come down from Heaven to have destroyed them that would not receive Him he plainly reproved them saying Ye know not of what Spirit ye are for the Son of Man is not come to destroy mens Lives but to save them It is recorded in the life of Simon and Jude the Apostles as both Gulielmus de sancto Amore and John Hus relate That when the Chief Ruler was very angry with those who defamed the Doctrine of those Apostles and in great zeal commanded a great Fire to be made that such Opposers might be cast into it The Apostles fell down before the Emperour saying We beseech you Sir let not Us be the Authors or Causers of this Destruction who are come to publish the Doctrine of eternal Salvation neither let Us who are sent to Revive those who are Dead through sin become the Killers of those who are Alive Wherefore those Teachers who for Worldly Advantage sake will force Themselves upon those men against their Wills who will not Willingly receive them and will provoke the Worldly Powers and Magistrates to punish those who will not hear and receive Them and their Doctrine they all are false Prophets and Ministers of Antichrist The Eighth Sign The true Teachers are content that Others should teach as well as They and would not make a Monopoly of the Ministry to themselves alone for Worldly Advantage sake Thus our Lord Jesus Christ did not content Himself to preach the Gospel alone but he sent forth Others as his Father sent forth him yea he pours forth his Spirit on all flesh that sons and daughters and servants and handmaids may prophesie and so Knowledge may cover the Earth as Waters the Seas and to make the world willing to receive such Teachers he saith He that receiveth You receiveth Me and he that receiveth Me receiveth Him that sent Me. And when Eldad and Medad upon whom the Spirit of the Lord did rest did prophesie in the Camp of Israel without asking any License from Moses and one told Moses of it in great displeasure and Joshua thereupon wished Moses to forbid them to Prophesie then Moses the meek servant of the Lord replied Enviest thou for my sake would God saith he that all the Lords people were Prophets and that the Lord would put his Spirit upon them All Numb 11. 29. And so the Godly mind of any faithful Teacher desireth to be helped in the work of the Word that the pretious Truth of the Gospel which he himself alone cannot sufficiently express all mens tongues might declare And so they do not envy in Others those Spiritual Gifts which God hath given them but do wish that Every man had a Mouth and Wisdom given him to declare the Mysterie of the Gospel and the infinite Love Mercy Wisdom Truth Power Redemption and Salvation of God by Jesus Christ which cannot by all mens Tongues be sufficiently published in the World Farther as no worldly Prince or Magistrate hath such unlimited Power over the Goods of the people as to forbid them to give corporal Alms to them that stand in need as occasion is ministred no more hath any Power whether Ecclesiastical or Civil such Dominion over the Word and Truth of God written by the Spirit in the hearts of Believers but that they may at all times and upon all occasions minister spiritual Alms to them who stand in need by the teaching of the Gospel Wherefore those Teachers who are envious that any should preach the Word but Themselves and their own Tribe as they call it because they get great Worldly Advantage thereby whereas otherwise they would be contented that any should preach and so would have the civil Magistrate only to License Them to be Preachers because of their Degrees and Orders and to forbid all Others they all are false Teachers and Ministers of Antichrist The Ninth Sign The true Teachers do not only teach the Word but are also ready to seal to the Truth of it with their Estates Liberties and Lives Thus did Jesus Christ as was foretold by Isaiah Chap. 50. 5. where Christ saith by his Spirit The Lord hath opened mine ear and I was not rebellious neither turned away back I gave my back to the smiters and my cheeks to them who plucked off the hair I hid not my face from shame and spitting And in the dayes of his flesh how willingly did he seal to the Truth of his New Testament Doctrine with his Suffering and suffered himself to be apprehended by the hands of men and to be crucified when he could have commanded Legions of Angels for his succor if he had pleased and would not have made use of his own infinite and almighty Power And this submission and willingness to suffer for the Truth Christ hath commanded all his Disciples saying He that will save his life shall lose it and he that will lose his life for my sake shall save it And if any man will be my Desciple let him deny himself take up the cross and follow me And again I send you forth as sheep among wolves and ye shall be brought before Kings and Rulers for my Names sake that is for the true and Spiritual Teaching of the Gospel Now as nothing will procure us more enmity than the spiritual holding forth of the Gospel which will cause the worldly Church to cast
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
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
to you and give you his own Spirit by which alone you can make a Right Judgement in this Matter Wherefore that he that reads may understand you must know that the false Prophets are not so easily discerned as you think for they seem to be true Prophets and Godly Holy Learned Orthodox men Men of Eminency and Renown in the Church and State and so to flesh and blood and the Wisdom and Religion of the world it will be a difficult yea an impossible thing to find them out for the false Prophets have several glorious Vails over them to hide and obscure them from common Knowledge Wherefore we declare unto you from the Word of the Lord touching these false Prophets who shall do so much mischief 1. That they shall not proceed or come forth from among the Jews or Turks or out of the barbarous Nations but they shall arise out of such as are called Christians 2. Seeing among Christians some are openly profane and evil others seem to be Religious and Godly the false Prophets shall be found among the better sort and therefore saith Christ they shall come in Sheeps clothing as if they were of Christs own flock and Paul saith they have a form of Godliness that is they shall be painted over gloriously with all appearances of truth righteousness honesty goodness and all the names of godliness 3. Seeing amongst those that seem to be the better Sort of Christians some give themselves to the Ministry of the Word and some do not the false Prophets shall be found among those Christians who take upon themselves to be Preachers as Paul testifies Acts 20. where having called together the Elders and Teachers of the Church of Ephesus he saith to them ex vobis ipsis out of your Own Selves shall men arise speaking perverse things to draw away disciples after them 4. And seeing among those who are Ministers some are light and vain and carnal and formal Persons and others are men of great Worth and Reputation and seem to be the pretious Members of Christ and even Pillars in the Church so that the Common People think that all Religion would go down with such Good men they having some Gifts and enlightnings of the Spirit and seeming more than ordinarily godly religious wise holy sober devout now the false Prophets shall be found among These And as they who opposed Christ at his first coming in the flesh seemed more wise and holy and eminent in the Church than the rest as the Scribes and Pharisees who sat in Moses Chair and had the outward Letter of the Word in all exactness and the outward Form of Religion in all strictness so they who do and shall most oppose Christ in his coming in his Spirit and shall contradict his Word and resist his Servants and Witnesses of his Truth do and shall appear more Wise Holy Learned and Godly than the rest of the Teachers of the Church And thus you see that the false Prophets of Antichrist shall arise among Christians and among such Christians as seem to be Godly and among such seeming Godly Christians as Preach the Word and among such Preachers of the Word as seem to be of greater Worth and Eminency then the rest and so in all these Regards it will be a hard matter to discern them 2. Again Such Persons of such appearance of Worth and Holiness as these do usually get to their side the Greatest and Highest Persons in the Kingdoms and Nations and do obtain not only their Countenance and Favor but also their Power and Authority for Themselves 3. By both these means to wit their seeming Holiness and their Interest with Worldly Powers they exceedingly enlarge their Credit and Reputation with the World and do get Multitudes of People and Nations to entertain them For Antichrist could not deceive the World with a company of foolish weak ignorant prophane contemptible Persons but he alwaies hath the Greatest Wisest Holiest and most Eminent in the visible Church for Him and by These he seduces and subjects to Himself even the Whole World Besides they that are against Him and his false Prophets are but a very handfull of Saints who have the Spirit of Christ and through his Spirit discern Them and oppose Them and for so doing are despised and hated of all the World Wherefore it is a harder matter to try these false Prophets then we are well aware of And yet as hard as it is the Apostle by the Spirit hath given us a manifest and certain Rule of Tryall And this is the third general thing I named The Third Point To wit The sufficient Rule whereby the true Church may thoroughly try the Spirits and Prophets how cunningly and subtilly soever they are disguised and this he layes down verse 3. Hereby know we the Spirit of God Every Spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God and every Spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God c. Now this Scripture we may understand two wayes 1. Of a right Knowledge of Jesus Christ in his own Person 2. Of a true Receiving of this Christ into us by faith 1. Of the right Knowledge of Christ in his own Person 1. For whereas he saith Every Spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh c. this gives us to understand that he is true God and was before he came into the flesh 2. Whereas he saith every spirit that confesseth that Christ is come in the flesh this gives us to understand that he is true Man our very Brother partaker of the same flesh and blood with us 3. Whereas he saith every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh c. this also gives us to understand that in Him true God and true Man are united into One inseparable Person 4. Whereas he saith every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh c. this gives us occasion to consider the End of his Coming seeing God did not become Man in vain or for some slight Cause but that he might Redeem unto God all those whom the Father had Elected in Him and save them perfectly from the Law Sin Death and Hell And hence we may rise up to conceive of his Offices to wit of his Priestly Propheticall and Kingly Office and of the Infinite Vertue and Efficacy of them Now he that makes this confession of Jesus Christ from the revelation of the Father is of God and he that speaks otherwise is not of God 2. But Secondly We may understand this Scripture not only of the true Knowledge of Jesus Christ but also and especially of the true Receiving of Him by faith Every spirit saith he that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God that is he is of God
that believes and acknowledges that the Son of the living God is come not only into that Humanity of Christ that was born of the Virgin but also that he is come into Us and dwells in Us according to these Scriptures That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith And Christ in you the hope of Glory And know ye not that Christ is in you except you be reprobates c. Wherefore the true Prophets do not only acknowledge that Jesus Christ is come into his own flesh but also into theirs which by this means is made His and that Christ is in them of a truth and dwells in them For Antichrist himself and his Ministers do all acknowledge that Jesus Christ is come into that flesh which he did assume of the Virgin but they will not confess that this is true in Him and in Us They will acknowledge the mysterie of God manifested in the flesh as to Christ the Head but they will deny it as to the Church his Body and so whilst they separate the Head from the Body and the Body from the Head in this Mysterie they do solvere Jesum they dissolve Jesus I say some hold that the Eternal Word or Divine Nature came indeed into that flesh which was born of the blessed Virgin but they will by no means allow it to come into Ours through our Union with him by Faith only they say some created Habits or Gifts of Grace come into us or in our flesh but not Christ himself or the Divine Nature or Son of the living God And so these men set up these Created Gifts and Graces in the Members instead of Christ Himself the Head And yet these Teachers make a Glorious Shew in the flesh and this is Antichrist to wit when men think that these Created Habits of Grace which they fancy will renew comfort sanctifie and save them and so do make to themselves of Them a Glorious but yet a false Christ. Wherefore let us know that he that denies Jesus Christ in the Members is though not so great yet as true Antichrist as he that denies Jesus Christ in the Head and he that denies Christ dwelling in our hearts by Faith to be and to be alone Wisdom Righteousness Sanctification and Redemption to Us as he that denies Him to be the Power Wisdom and Righteousness of God in Himself The sum of this matter is this that the true Spirits or Prophets do acknowledge not only that Christ the Son of the Living God is come into that Son of Man which was born of the blessed Virgin but also that Christ is come into Them and dwels in Them as in his own true and proper Members And so He that hath Jesus Christ dwelling in his heart is a true Prophet and he that hath not Christ dwelling in his heart is a false Prophet though his Knowledge and Religion be never so high and glorious and holy also in the opinion of the World And this is the chief Sign and Mark whereby we may know the true Prophets and true Christians from the false Prophets and false Christians Object Now if any shall say But how shall we know whether a man hath Christ dwelling in his Heart or no and so consequently whether he be a true or false Prophet Answ. I Answer You shall certainly know it by the truth of the Word of Christ in him and by the truth of the Life of Christ in reference to his Office in the Word 1. First then the true Prophets are to be discerned from the false By the truth of the Word of God in them From the true Prophets speak the true Word of God even the Word of Wisdom the Word of Righteousness the Word of Life the Word of Power the Word that is able to save which is the true Gospel Word For this is the Covenant that God hath made with Christ and his seed saying Isai. 59. 21. My Spirit which is upon thee and my Word which is in thy mouth shall never depart out of thy mouth nor out of the mouth of thy seed nor out of the mouth of thy seeds seed from henceforth and for ever And this was perfectly fulfilled in Christ for that Word which in the beginning was with God and was God was made flesh in him and dwelt in him and out of that Word Jesus Christ spake all that ever he spake his whole Doctrine did flow from that Eternal Word which dwelt in him And Christ communicated to the Disciples the same Word which he had received as he saith John 17. 8. I have given to them the Words that thou gavest me that is the word of Righteousness and Life and they have received them and have known surely that I came out from thee and they have believed that thou didst send me and so that word which they Themselves received by faith they also held forth to Others as John saith 1 John 1. 1. That which was from the beginning which we have heard which we have seen with our eyes which we have looked upon and our hands have handled of the Word of Life declare we unto you And to this also John the Baptist gives Testimony John 3. 34. Where he saith He whom God hath sent speaketh the Words of God not the words of Men or Angles but of God and this is true both in Christ and in his Seed But now the false Prophets speak not the Word of God for they have it not in their hearts but what Word they have in their hearts that they speak and so they speak the words of their own Reason Wisdom and Righteousness or of other Mens but beyond Humane Things they do not go whether they pretend to high Notions on the one hand or to sound Orthodox Doctrine on the other hand Now of this true Christians are to take speciall notice because as the true Word of God is the greatest Commodity to the Church that can be and brings the presence of Christ and all the things of Christ along with it so the Words of Man is the greatest Mischief to the Church that can be for it brings Antichrist and his Kingdom and all his Things along with it And thus doth vain Philosophy and School Divinity which is an unlawfull mixing of Philosophy with the outward letter of the Word pervert all things in the Church of carnall and false Christians 2. As the true Prophets speak the true Word of God so also they speak it by the true Spirit of God and not by their own Spirit and thus did Christ who saith of himself The Spirit of the Lord is upon me for he hath annointed me to preach the Gospel and so he spake the Word of God by the Spirit of God And Christ commanded his Disciples to stay at Jerusalem till they had received the Spirit and then to go forth and preach because he knew they could not preach Gods word aright without Gods
they serve one another in the Gospel And as Christ himself did not sell his Spiritual Travel to his Church for worldly Profit or Gain no more do his true Seed and Servants for saith Paul Acts 20. 33. I have coveted no mans Silver or Gold or Apparel ye your selves know that These Hands have ministred to my Necessity and to Them who were with me And 2 Cor. 12. 14. Behold the third time I am ready to come to you I will not be burdensome to you for I seek not Yours but You. And v. 17. Did I make a Gain of you by any of them whom I sent unto you or did Titus make a Gain of you walked we not Both in the same Spirit And thus the true Teachers do not seek any Temporal Gain or Commodity from the hands of men by their preaching but do truly and chearfully teach out of the Love of Christ and their Brother But on the contrary the false Teachers though they do not teach the Gospel being destitute of the Spirit but vain Philosophy and Humane Doctrines instead of it yet will they live by the Gospel and not by the Labour of their Hands in a lawfull Calling they will have the temporal Goods of the Church and yet not minister the Spiritual Treasure of it and what they do minister they do it for Reward as it is written Micah 3. 11. The Priests teach for Hire and the Prophets divine for Mony and he that putteth not into their mouths they even prepare war against him And to shew they Preach for the love of gain they are brought up to the Ministry as to a Trade to live by and they run in this way from one Place to another from a Lesser to a Greater Living and where they may Gain most of this World there will they be sure to be Yea so much are they addicted to their Worldly Advantage that they had rather Christs Kingdom should never be set up in the World nor Antichrists never be thrown down then suffer any Loss or Diminution in their Profit Power Dignity Authority or in any Worldly thing whereof they have got the Possession and Injoyment Wherefore they that teach Christ not for the love of Christ and their Brother but for Temporal Gain and Worldly Advantage only are all of Them false Teachers and Ministers of Antichrist The Fifth Sign The true Teachers teach Christ to others as they have been taught him of God only for the Glory of God and not out of Vain-glory. Wherefore Christ said of himself John 8. 50. I seek not mine own Glory And John 7. 18. He that speaketh of himself seeketh his own Glory but he that seeketh the Glory of him that sent him the same is true and no unrighteousness is in him So that whoever speaketh from God seeketh Gods Glory And so also Paul saith 1 Thess. 2. 6. Nor of Men sought we Glory neither of You nor yet of Others So that the true Teachers do not preach the Word to win to themselves Glory in the World and Praise and Applause from Men but do rather seek the Glory of God by their Doctrine though Hypocrites and Carnal people for this cause do deride and scorn them But on the contrary the false Teachers seek above all things their own Glory by their Ministry and to this end 1. They get to themselves Titles and Degrees in the University for their pretended Knowledge in Divinity above other Christians and by these Degrees they get the uppermost seats in the Synagogues and greetings in the Markets and are called of men Doctor Doctor which Christ hath expresly forbidden in his Gospel 2. Having got such Titles they go forth in their own Name as men of approved Religion Learning Reputation and Worth and for Such they make account the World should receive them 3. They especially desire to Preach to Rich men and Great men and men in Place and Authority that from Them they may have Protection Favour Preferment and a Quiet Life and care not much to Preach to the poor plain mean People by whom they can expect no Worldly Advantage 4. To this end also they speak in the Words which Mans Wisdom teacheth and so mingle Philosophy with Divinity and think to credit the Gospel with Terms of Art and do sprinkle their Sermons with Hebrew Greek Latin as with a Perfume acceptable to the Nostrils of the World In a word they Preach all things in a Pleasing Spirit to the World that they by all may get Glory to Themselves and may be accounted with Simon Magus some Great Ones And in all this they shew they speak of Themselves and not of God seeing they seek not Gods Glory but their Own for He that speaketh of Himself seeketh his own Glory Wherefore they who by their Ministry do not seek the Glory of God alone and of his Son Jesus Christ but seek their own Glory and the Praise of men as the Clergy generally do and not least of all in this Place They are all of them false Prophets and Ministers of Antichrist The Sixth Sign The true Preachers and Ministers of Christ when they are opposed resisted slandered and persecuted for the Words sake they endure it with all meekness humility and patience Thus Christ endured all the reproaches contradictions revilings and persecutions from the Jews and when he was reviled reviled not again when he suffered he threatned not but committed himself to him that Judgeth righteously 1 Pet. 2. 23. And Paul saith of himself to the Corinthians 1 Cor. 12. 12. You had the signs of my Apostleship in all Patience But on the contrary the false Teachers when any Truth is preached that they know not or that is against their Gain or Glory they snarl and bark at it and bite Them that bring it And therefore saith Paul Beware of Dogs Phil. 3. 2. not Dogs by Nature but by Practice and Condition Now a curst Dog lying on a rich Garment or soft Carpet at his ease as long as he may lye still he is very quiet but if you would remove him from his place he soon snarls and flyes at you and shews of what mettle he is made So the false Teachers who have gotten a carnall Knowledge of the Word and have thereby gotten Preferment and great Advantages in the World they lye quiet on these soft things as long as they may lye still but if any seek by the Word of God to rouze them up from these things they rise up like angry Dogs and bark at them and rend them as much as they can or dare Wherefore those Teachers who cannot patiently suffer wrongs for the Words sake but on the contrary when they are reproved by the Word and their Sheeps Cloathing pull'd off even their false vizard of Religion do presently grow impatient and furious and they that bark and foam against the late revealed Truth which toucheth them very near they all are false Teachers and
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 Cross which the Word of God in the Spiritual Sense of it would certainly expose them to But now these Worldly Teachers as they love the World so they cannot endure the Cross that is reproach poverty shame sufferings and death for the true Word Wherefore they Preach the Gospel in such a sense as shall please the World but never offend them as shall make the World their Friends but never their Enemies for they cannot endure to think of much less to suffer the utmost Hatred and Persecution of the World for Christs Names sake Wherefore I say again though in Christ they will praise his reproach his shame his poverty his tribulation his death and crucifying yet they cannot endure these things in Themselves for his Truths sake but are most careful and studious to preach the Word of God in such a Worldly Sence as shall never provoke the World against them to do them the least harm but shall rather incline them to confer upon them according to thir own phrase all Countenance and Maintenance And thus the worldly Teachers speak of the World in this sense also But Christ and his Seed who are of God they speak not of the World but of God that is they speak the Word of God according to God never regarding whether the World be pleased or displeased therewith Yea they speak Gods Word according to Gods Mind though they certainly know that it will procure them all sorts of reproaches and tribulations and all manner of evil to be spoken and done against them in as much as they love God and his Word more than Themselves and this World and so they are so far from declining the Cross of Christ which the right Confession of the Word will bring upon them that they account it their greatest Glorifying to have fellowship with Christ in his Sufferings and to be made conformable to him in his Death all which things He endured because he spake Gods Word according to Gods mind and contrary to the mind of the World and Worldly Church And thus we see by Johns Doctrine who spake by the Spirit Who they are with whom Antichrist and his false Prophets prevail to wit the World and worldly People as also the Grounds why they prevail with them namely because They are of the World and speak of the World And now for the Use. The World hears these Teachers who are and speak of the World And hence first we learn That Antichrist and his Prophets the Worldly Teachers come with such Deceivableness of Unrighteousness that no Natural or Worldly men whatever of whatever Parts Learning Knowledge Righteousness can possibly discern Them If men are but Natural men though never so accomplished Antichrist deceives them all and makes them his Disciples For Antichrist comes so subtilly and in such glorious appearances of Holiness and Religion that none can know Him and his Wayes except they be singularly taught of God according to that of Christ to his Disciples To You it is given to know the Mysteries of the Kingdom of God to them it is not given And to whom it is given to know the Mysteries of the Kingdom of Christ to Them also it is given to know the Mysteries of the Kingdom of Antichrist and none can truly know either the One or the Other without a special Gift from God Whence it is most evident That Men are not able to understand Antichrist and his Kingdom and Things as they are men learned in Philosophy and in the Knowledge of the Tongues or as they are men of such and such Degrees and Titles in the University or of such and such Ecclesiastical Orders in the Church I say Men by all such abilities and accomplishments as they speak are not able to discern Antichrist but rather are the more ready to be overcome by Him seeing by all these Humane and Ecclesiastical Things Antichrist can lay the faster hold on them and make them the more his own And Antichrist must needs be unknown to such men in as much as Christ Himself as he is held forth in the Word and whatever he is and doth both in Himself and Members is wholly unknown to them yea is so strangely unknown that by a prodigious mistake they do judge Christ and his Members and their Doctrine to be Antichrist and his Members and their Doctrine And on the contrary they do judge Antichrist and his Members and their Doctrine they do account and esteem of as of Christ Himself and his Members and their Doctrine And thus is the Multitude of carnal Christians which are even the whole World almost through the effectual Operation of Satan brought to think and believe assuredly that the Prophets of Antichrist who handle the Scriptures carnally and after the mind of Man do verily teach the very Doctrine and Truth of God and of this they are so confident that they would have the Worldly Powers and Magistrates to force all Men to believe as They say and to practise as They command Yea these Worldly Men with all their Worldly Accomplishments are so deluded by Antichrist that whilst they oppose and persecute the faithfull People of God or rather Christ Himself and his Word Works Truth and Righteousness in them they verily think they oppose and persecute Antichrist Himself and the falseness of his Members And as the Scribes and Pharisees the chief Teachers of the Jewish Church being Deceivers Themselves did yet call Christ a Deceiver and in killing and crucifying Him thought they did God good service so the carnal Clergy and the Head of them being Antichrists Themselves do yet tell of and terrifie People with another Antichrist And being Seducers Themselves do yet rise up against the very Members of Christ as Seducers that thereby they may boast themselves to be Righteous So throughly and perfectly hath Antichrist deluded and inchanted them through the cup of the Wine of his Fornications Thus the whole World is overcome by Antichrist and cannot by all their Highest Attainments discern Him from Christ only they who are born of God and are his true Children and being plain simple meek and lowly in Spirit are taught of God These only know Antichrist and overcome Him but these are the little flock Secondly In that the World Hears the Ministers of Antichrist We are given to understand That men that are of a Worldly Spirit and through that are addicted to the World and so seek and follow after the Profits Pleasures and Honours of this life they cannot possibly understand the Impostures and Deceits of Antichrist and his Teachers but They all are seduced and overcome by them Whoever therefore do profess or pretend to Religion and Godliness and nevertheless live in the Spirit of this World and are swallowed up with the Cares and Comforts of this World all such Christians are a fit Prey for Antichrist Seeing 1. Such carnal Christians are so addicted to Worldly Occasions that they cannot attend
of Men at his Pleasure and in great Readiness and with much Ease shall gain it to Himself And Antichrist by such Men saith I. Hus doth make his Body or Church strong against the Saints of God and Welfavoured and Glorious that it may appear very taking to the World and may win in all Men to it that are not taught of God and renewed by his Spirit And thus Antichrist serves himself of all Learning and Learned men whereas Divine Learning and the Teaching of God He could never in any measure subject to Himself but is alwaies discovered resisted and overcome by it Martin Luther saith That whosoever it was whether Alexander of Hales or Thomas of Aquine who first instituted Universities he was a Star fallen from Heaven to Earth who received the Key of the bottomless Pit and opened it and brought forth into the Church Philosophy long ago dead and damned by the Doctrine of the Apostles and from the Smoak of the Bottomless Pit that is Philosophy came forth Locusts on the Earth that is saith he populus Universitatum è Philosophia natus the people of the Universities born and bred of Philosophy c. thus Luther Abbas Joachim Calaber who was long before these and flourished about the year 1230. in his Commentary on Jeremy the Prophet speaks to this purpose That the sixt Angel mentioned Rev. 9. opens the Bottomless Pit and brings out Philosophy into the Church and out of the Smoak of this Doctrine Lecusts proceeded and are spread over all the Church into every Fruitfull Place and these Locusts he saith are Scholastici Magistri qui nunc facie tenus blandiuntur ut decipiant nunc cauda tenus feriunt ut subvertant simplices incautos that is the Locusts are Scholars and Masters according to the Academical Degrees who sometimes flatter with their Countenances to deceive and sometimes strike with their Tails that they may subvert the Simple and Unadvised And to these Scholars and Masters the Ignorant and Common People resort and they open to them the old Cisterns of Heathenish Learning and Disciplines long ago stopt up by the Doctrine of the Apostles and these Cisterns they open by teaching Philosophy to the People But they shut up the Living Fountain of saving Water that is the Word of Faith But the Spirit of the Lord saith he in the following Prophets whom the Lord shall raise up idola studiorum carnalium visitabit shall visit the Idols of Carnal Studies maintained and kept up by Secular Stipends Further he saith that as Antichrist brings forth his Mark which is Philosophical Doctrine in the Church of Christ and by this Mark all his Teachers and People are known so there shall rise up against these such as have the Mark of Christ or the sign of Thau in their foreheads that is the Open and Manifest Doctrine of Christ Crucified And as the Signs of Moses destroyed the Signs of the Magicians so shall the Word or Preaching of the Cross destroy all Philosophical Doctrine and Humane and Secular Learning out of the Church And then the Children and Youth and men of all Ages Sorts and Conditions shall be taught no other Doctrine in the Church of Christ then that which is found in the Scriptures even in the Writings of the Prophets and Apostles and that not according to any Humane and Philosophical Understanding but according to the Teaching and Mind of the Spirit And God by all his true Servants shall destroy the Studies of carnal Doctors and Masters in Divinity and shall dissipate all Secular and Philosophical Learning by the Word of Truth in their mouths And so shall the Church be reformed aright when the Doctrine of Christ only shall be received and esteemed of and shall live and flourish among Christians And thus as Antichrist hath laid aside the Scriptures and all true Spiritual and Divine Learning out of his Schools and Universities and hath brought into them instead thereof Philosophy and Humane Learning and so these Schools are most unlike to the Schools of the Prophets so in due time when God shall undertake to reform his Church all this Sort of Learning shall be cast out again as dirt and dung and the plain Word of the Gospel only shall prevail and flourish among the Christian People Which Time the Lord hasten for his Elects sake 2. ERROR That they who have endeavoured to pull down Schools have always been Men who were found Enemies to Religion So Julian the Apostate shut up the doors of the Schools because he would have all Religion to go down Answer True it is that they who have sought the subversion of Christian Schools wherein the Doctrine of the Gospel is purely taught without the mixture of Philosophy and Heathenism They all have been and are very Enemies to the true Religion But they that seek to put down Heathenish Schools and to erect Christian or to reform the Schools of Heathen into Christian or to remove Heathenism out of Christian Schools They are not before God and Good Men Enemies to true Religion but the great Friends of it Nay they that call Heathenish Schools by the name of Christian that they may still remain with the better credit in their Heathenism without any true Reformation according to the Gospel I rather judge them to be Enemies to the true Religion and Friends only to their own Profit Preferment and Ends. Julian indeed did forbid that Christians should be instructed in the Disciplines of the Gentiles but saith Sozomen the Writer of the Ecclesiastical History he did this because he thought that by those Disciplines men might attain to a Great Faculty to perswade which Advantage he would not have the Christians to gain to the Help of their Religion Now certainly this was done as Socrates another Writer of the Ecclesiastical History doth acknowledge by the Singular Providence of God For seeing then Christians had begun to degenerate from the Gospel and to betake themselves to Heathenish Learning Julian attributed all the Glory and Excellency of Christianity to that Learning and so thought with Mr. Simpson that if Humane Learning were denied to Christians Christianity it Self would soon be at end Wherefore the Lord stirred up Julian to put down the Doctrine of the Heathen in the Schools of Christians that it might appear to all the World That as the true Christian Religion is not helped by Humane Learning so neither is it hindred by the Want of it And that there is more Light Knowledge Truth Wisdom Power Utterance given to Christians by the Unction of the Spirit alone which all receive who believe then through all Heathenish Disciplines And also that it might be manifest that true Christianity is founded on Faith in Christ and the Gift of his Spirit only and not at all on Humane Learning For what Humane Learning had Peter and John and yet in what Wisdom and Authority did they being Ignorant and Unlearned
How much more doth Heathenish Philosophy brought forth partly from the corrupt Reason of Man and partly from the Inspiration of the Devil become loathsome and abominable before it for ever And cannot we be Enemies to this say You without hating the Blessed Word of God Nay the blessed Word of God where it prevails in truth doth make men to hate This and to count it loss and dung and filth and the most loathsome Baseness in the World in comparasion of it self Wherefore through the Grace of Christ we will so love the Scriptures which are Divine Learning as to hate Humane and Heathenish Learning for thier sakes seeing it hath put a veil of Darkness in the Church over this Glorious Sun the Word of Faith 6. ERROR That if the Spirit teach without Means men may as well be without the Ordinances as without the Universities and Humane Learning Answer We do not say that the Spirit usually teacheth without Means in the Church of Christ But we say he teacheth by Means of his own appointing And how will Mr. Simpson prove by any Scripture that Universities and Humane Learning are Means which the Spirit of God useth to teach his Church by Where did ever the Lord speak one Word that he would use the Disciplines of the Gentiles as Means whereby to teach men to know the Mysterie of Christ Wherefore this is strange Doctrine that Arts and Sciences are the means whereby the Spirit teacheth the Church For sure I am the Lord never taught his Church either of the Old or of the New Testament by these Means Only Antichrist hath taught his Church after this manner and hath set up Humane Learning as an Ordinance of God yea as an Ordinance of the New Testament to learn Christ by that Christians might be trained up to know Christ the Wisdom of God by Humane Learning the Wisdom of the World which is in direct Enmity to God The chief Ordinances whereby God helps his Church are the Word of Faith and the Prayer of Faith And by the Ministration of the Spirit he begins and carries on the Salvation of his Spiritual People And these Ordinances the true Church cannot want neither doth God do any thing in his Church without Them But the Spiritual Church for ought that I could ever yet read in the Word may well want their Divine Ordinance of Humane Learning and yet not want any Ordinance of God that he hath appointed and sanctified for the Use of his true Church 7. ERROR That Men now are not to receive the Spirit in that immediate way to understand the Scriptures in which it was given to them who wrote the Scriptures Answer Surely Mr. Simpson will not deny that the Spirit is given to that whole Church which is the body of Christ seeing Paul saith If any man have not Christs Spirit he is None of his he is no Member of his Now the Spirit is alwayes given to whomsoever it is given by the Father and the Son as Christ taught his Disciples promising them that the Father would send the Spirit to them in his Name and also that he Himself would send it to them from the Father And was this Promise only made to Them and not to all the Faithfull also who should believe in Christ through their Word doth not Paul say Rom. 12. 13. of the Whole Church that by one Spirit we are all baptized into one Body and are all made to drink into one Spirit He saith also to the Galatians Chap. 4. because ye are Sens God hath sent the Spirit of his Son into your hearts crying Abba Father And thus it is manifest that the whole Church of Believers and every true member thereof do receive the Spirit of God And do they not receive it alike immediately from God Who can give the Spirit of God to Man but God Himself when God promised to pour out his Spirit in the last dayes upon all flesh did he name any difference in the pouring of it out saying some shall receive it immediately and some mediatly No but all that are counted worthy to receive the Spirit of God do receive it alike immediately from Him neither hath Christ left any Lieutenant or Deputy in the World to give his Spirit to men in his Absence But he Himself is alwayes Present in his true Church to the end of the World both to teach them and to give them his Spirit He is too much in the Darkness of Antichrist that denies this It is manifest then that all the true Church do alike receive the Spirit of God and that They all receive it alike immediately from God seeing no Man nor Angel can give the Spirit of God but God himself gives his own Spirit to Whom he pleases by his own Word which he Himself Ministers by his own Spirit And by this Spirit did Holy Men speak the Scripture and by this Spirit only do Holy Men of God understand the Scripture as Paul saith 1 Cor. 2. 12. Now We have received not the Spirit of the World but the Spirit which is of God that we might know the Things that are freely given to us of God among which his Word hath a Chief Place and after saith that by the Spirit They had the Mind of Christ which Others want who yet have the same Letter of the Word and are destitute of the Spirit And so as the Faithfull spake the Word by the Spirit of Faith so through the same Spirit of Faith only so given do the Faithfull understand it And though this thing be clear in it self yet I judge it convenient to add here the Testimonies of Luther and Calvin in this Matter Luther saith The Scriptures are not to be understood but by that very Spirit by which they were writ which Spirit can be nowhere found more readily and effectually then in those Holy Letters of his which He hath written And Calvin saith The same Spirit that spake by the month of the Prophets it is Necessary that That should pierce into our Hearts to perswade us that They faithfully delivered that which was committed to them of God So that We must necessarily have the same Spirit to know his Mind that They had to utter his Mind Wherefore it is evident that Mr. Simpson is not Orthodox in this Point neither 8. ERROR That men now are to get Knowledge to wit of the Scripture by Studies and Humane Learning and not by Inspiration Answer This Doctrine carries the Visible Mark of Antichrist upon it For it is only the Inspiration of God that enables a Man to know the Things of God and not a mans Study or Humane Learning It is not in this Case in Him that Wills or Runs but in God that shews Mercy Wherefore Christ hath said No Man knows the Son but the Father and He to whomsoever the Father will reveal him Wherefore Paul prays for the Ephesians that God would give
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