Ignorance of and Enmity to the Gospel of God our Saviour For is our Union with Christ the Foundation of Error or have true Believers no real Union with Christ but imaginary Do not the Saints partake of the Divine Nature doth not Peter expresly affirm it 2 Pet. 1. 4. where he saith exceeding Great and Precious Promises are made to us that We thereby should be made partakers of the Divine Nature and what is the Divine Nature but the very Nature of God See Luther on the place Again are Believers as he affirms at an infinite distance from Christ If this were true what sad news would it be to the Church of God How can this Doctrine agree with these Scriptures that Christ may dwell in your Hearts by faith and Christ in You the hope of Glory and of Him are Ye in Christ Jesus Again saith Christ I am the true Vine and ye are the Branches and so as the Vine is in the Branches and as the Branches are in the Vine so is Christ in Christians and so are Christians in Christ. Again John 14. 20. At that day ye shall know saith Christ Himself that you need not doubt of the Doctrine that I am in my Father and You in Me and I in you And again John 17. 21. saith Christ I pray not for These alone that is who now believe but also for All that shall hereafter believe in me through their Word That they all may be One as thou Father art in Me and I in Thee that They may be One as we are One I in Them and Thou in Me that They may be made perfect in One that the World may know thou hast sent me and hast loved Them as thou hast loved Me. Here now is no infinite Distance between Christ and Believers but a Wonderful and Admirable Nearness and Oneness which the learned Ignorance of Philosophy understands not nor the ignorant Knowledge of any carnal Christian. But sure this Word of God is true and the Saints receive it in faith and will not be deluded with any Philosophical Sophistical or Antichristian Glosses of False Teachers And thus doth the Holy Word of God affirm plainly enough that Christ and his Christians are most neerly United And yet doth not this Union make an Equality and rob Christ of his due Glory seeing Christ is the Head and They his Members Christ the First Born and they his Brethren And so as Christ hath the Preheminence in all things above them all as becomes the Head and First Born so They have Communion with Him in all things as becomes his Members and Brethren And whereas he jests and saith He that hath God in Him needs not go to Man to learn I do affirm this is true enough and the Scripture hath affirmed it in several places Isaiah saith to the Spiritual Church All thy Children shall be taught of the Lord And Christ saith it is written They shall be all taught of God He therefore that hath heard and learned of my Father cometh to Me. And John saith 1 John 2. 27. The Annointing which Ye have received from Him abideth in you and Ye need not that any Man teach you but as the same Annointing teacheth you all things and is Truth and is no Lye And this Doctrine is so manifest from the Scriptures that He is of Antichrist that denies it For God inwardly teaches all his People by his Spirit his own Self and They so hear the Word by the Ministry of Man that it is alwaies God that teaches them and not Man 11. ERROR Arts and Tongues are the Cups in which God drinks to us Answer In what a sad condition then are the Common and Plain People that they cannot Pledge him But only the Learned Clergy keep these Cups to Themselves as heretofote they kept the Cup in the Sacrament But what strange Phrase is this Savouring of the Ranters Religion as if God was the familiar Companion of the Clergy and sometimes drank to them in a Cup of Hebrew sometimes in a Cup of Greek and sometimes in a Cup of Latine and as if sometimes he drank to them in a Cup of Logick and sometimes in a Cup of Ethicks sometimes in a Cup of Metaphysicks Is not this truly Profana vocum novitas a Prophane Newness of Speech never before heard of to my Knowledge in the Church of God and which the Apostle utterly condemns 12. ERROR We shall never keep up Religion if we do not keep up Learning but when Learning goes down Religion goes down too Answer The Church is founded on Christ and Christ and His Church it seems are both founded on Humane Learning It is no wonder now that Mr. Simpson lays so great stress on it everywhere And that Men of his Religion term the University Fundamentum Ecclesiae the Foundation of the Church And if Humane Learning do indeed uphold all Christian Religion let all Men and Magistrates come forth and uphold it in the Name of God But surely the Religion of the Gospel depends wholly on Christ as Christ on God and there is no need of Humane Learning to support this except God and Christ are insufficient We have a sure Word and Doctrine of the Gospel that remains firm for ever and inviolable and inconquerable in and through Christ and his Spirit and the Father and all the World shall shatter in pieces and Humane Learning go down to Hell and This shall stand fast for ever Heaven and Earth shall pass away and not one jot or Tittle of my Word saith Christ. Believers know that not one Point of their Religion depends on Humane Learning But all on Christ Himself who is the true and Living Word Wherefore these are the fears of Antichrist and his Prophets that their Religion will go down with Humane Learning because it was set up by it But the true Religion of the Gospel of God our Saviour was at first set up without it and hath hitherto remained without it and will abide so for ever And to this the Spirit and the Bride give witness 13. ERROR Seeing Religious Foundations are so Antient then keep them up Your Destruction will never be but from Your Selves Answer Religious Foundations What Religion founded the Universities is well known For by the Counsel of four Monks the Scholars of Bede to wit Rabanus Albinus Claudius and John Scotus the University which had been translated from Athens to Rome was translated by Charls the Great from Rome to Paris An. 791. And for our English Universities of Cambridge and Oxford Thus it is recorded That the Study of Cambridge was instituted Anno 630. By Sigisbert King of the East Angles who after changed his Purple or Kingly Robes for a Fryars Cool or Hood And the Lectures here were begun by four Monks of which Brother or Fryar Ode as they termed him read Grammar according to Priscians Doctrine Terricus an acute Sophister
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
Reader touching the following Reply to Mr. Sydrach Simpsons Sermon IF it shall seem grievous to any that I have dealt thus freely and plainly with Mr. Sydrach Simpson one of the first Pastors of an Independent Congregation in England let them consider how Paul dealt with those Brethren Gal. 2. to whom according to his right Zeal and the present occasion he gave no place by subjection no not for an Hour that the Truth of the Gospel might continue with the Galatians and though those brethren seemed to be somewhat yet saith Paul what ever they are it makes no matter to me seeing God accepteth no mans Person And so notwithstanding their Reputation he did not spare them Yea let them consider how Paul at Antioch withstood Peter to the face for dissembling with the Jews in the case of the Gentiles and for not walking uprightly according to the Truth of the Gospel wherefore Paul did publickly and sharply reprove Him before them all For no true believer is to keep silence when the Doctrine of the Gospel is corrupted by the Doctrines of Men or is to be modest in this matter Wherefore I was compelled to speak thus plainly to him for his gross prevarication in the things of God and I am well satisfied in my conscience in the discharge of my duty whatever shall be the Censure of carnal Christians who have no true sense of the Glory of Christs Gospel or of the Profit of his People Whom yet Christ so loved as to lay down his life and to be Crucified for them Again if it shall offend any that I deal thus roundly against Humane Learning Let them know that I am not against Humane Learning upon all accounts but do allow Humane Learning so it be sober and serious in its own Place and Sphear as well as other Humane things But I do oppose it as it is made another John Baptist to prepare the Way of Christ into the World or to prepare the Worlds way to Christ And also as men make it Necessary for the true Knowledge of Scriptures Yea the very Unction for the Ministry And herein according to the Grace of Christ I both do and will contend against it for ever Seeing Humane Learning mingled with Divinity or the Gospel of Christ understood according to Aristotle hath begun continued and perfected the Mysterie of Iniquity in the outward Church Wherefore I do in all boldness appear for Christ the Wisdom of God against Humane Learning the Wisdom of the World knowing assuredly that He is as very Antichrist who opposes Christ as the Wisdom of God as he that opposes Him as the Power and Righteousness of God and Men may as well bring into the Church of God another Righteousness then Christ and another Power then Christ as another Wisdom then Christ. Wherefore as They who bring in Humane Righteousness that is Civil or Moral Righteousness or any Works or Duties of Men for Righteousness into the Church of Christ They are true Antichrists in so doing seeing herein they are contrary to and do oppose Christ the Righteousness of God And as They who bring in Humane Power or the Secular Arm into the Church of Christ to do or leave undone to reward or Punish to promise or threaten to encourage or discourage by That They are true Antichrists in so doing seeing herein they are contrary to and do oppose Christ the Power of God So also They that bring in Humane Wisdom or the Learning and Philosophy of men into the Church of Christ They also are true Antichrists in so doing for herein they are contrary to and do oppose Christ the Wisdom of God For Christ is and is to be the only Power the only Wisdom and the only Righteousness in the Church of God And he that brings in any other Power Wisdom or Righteousness besides Christ Himself that Man is in very deed Antichrist And in this matter also it was necessary that I should be bold for Christ against Antichrist 3. Again if any shall be offended that I speak thus freely against the Universities which are of such Honourable Esteem everywhere in the Nation especially with the Ignorant and Vulgar people and with Men of all sorts who have not the right Knowledge of Christ and his Gospel wherein are so contained all the Treasures of Wisdom and Knowledge that no part of this Treasury is left out thereof to enrich Heathenish Philosophy withall which by the Gospel is left as a Desolate Thing empty and destitute of all true Wisdom and Knowledge I say if any think that I have too deeply censured these Universities let them know that I have done in this matter but as Wickliff Hus Luther and several others Holy Men of God and Happy Instruments in the hand of Christ have done before me As for instance Wickliff terms the Universities Castra Cainitica Cains Castles Synagogas Satanae the Synagogues of Satan and affirms that They were never Ordained or Instituted by Christ. John Hus or Otho Brunfelsius if he set out the Contents of the Chapters calls them Satrapas Antichristi the Lieutenants of Antichrist Luther in his book Contra Ambrosium Catharinum shewing out of Daniel the Prophet that Antichrist is Rex facierum the King of Faces or Appearances he affirms that the Universities are one of those Faces of Antichrist and that they are very comely or sightly to look on and yet indeed are a very Chaos and open Gate of Hell and that in these the most Choise Youth of Christian people are prostituted and are cast into the open throat of Hell And that in these Aristotle is read whereby the wits of Christian Youth are possessed and busied with Humane and Heathenish Learning Yea are quite blinded and oppressed with it He saith also that the Universities are the Woe that the fifth Angel mentioned Rev. 9. brought upon the earth and that whoever it was that did first institute and confirm Universities he was a Star fallen from Heaven to Earth to wit from the Gospel of Christ to Humane Learning And in his Exposition on Psal. 22. he calls the Universities the Mothers of Learned men the Gates of Hell and saith they are called Scholae i. e. Ludi Schools that is Plays by a Fatal Name seeing they make Sport with the Scriptures and cast lots upon them as upon the Garments of Christ every one dividing to himself a share of them according to his own Humane and Philosophical Apprehension And he saith that the Doctors of these Universities are by the same providence called Doctores Scholastici i. e. Ludicri vel Illusorii School-Doctors that is trifling or May-game Doctors Again he saith those most Glorious Mothers of Studies the Universities stink before God with most Loathsome Abomination These Universities are those Antichristian Souldiers who put a Reed into Christs right Hand instead of a Scepter and this Reed is Philosophy that vain deceit
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
have taught that all true Divinity is contained in God and his Word and that we can know Nothing of God aright but by his Word which Holy men have spoken by the Spirit and Believers do receive by Faith and out of this Word all the Learning in the World doth not contain in it Self neither can it reveal to Us aright â—he Least Thing of God or of his Mind and Will But I conceive he might speak thus That all Divinity is wrapped up in Humane Learning to deterr the Common People from the Study and Enquiry after it and to cause them still to expect all Divinity from the Clergy who by their Education have attained to that Humane Learning which the Plain People are destitute of For it is the Old and New Design of Antichrist to make the People depend on the Clergy for all Divinity though the People have the Scriptures as near Them and the Grace of God usually nearer to them then They seeing God resists the Proud and gives Grace to the Humble Again if all Divinity be swadled in Humane Learning then must it sadly follow that all who want Humane Learning must needs also want Divinity And then how shall poor plain People who live in lawfull Callings and have not the leisure to attain Humane Learning how shall They do to be saved Or what Help must they have to teach them Divinity who have not opportunity to gain Humane Learning And yet farther if all Divinity be swadled in Humane Learning then Christ and his Apostles had no true Divinity for they had no Humane Learning to swadle it in nor would have none Shall we say now according to Mr. Simpsons Doctrine that they had no Divinity I do with all boldness affirm that this Doctrine is contrary to the Christian Faith 4. ERROR That Paul was brought up at the feet of Gamaliel and God took him so fitted to wit with Humane Learning and made him an able Instrument in his Church Answer Not so But God took Paul not a good Scholar and so made him an able Preacher but he took Him as a Blasphemer and Persecutor and as a cruel and inraged Enemy against Christ and his Truth and People and magnified the riches of his Mercy in converting such an One and Paul having much forgiven him loved much and through his Great Love was the fitter to preach the Gospel according to that of Christ to Peter Peter dost thou love me feed my Sheep Yea Paul Himself ascribes his painfull and profitable Preaching not to his Learning and Education under Gamaliel which also was or ought to have been only in the Law and Prophets as hath been proved but to the free Grace of God bestowed on him saying I laboured more abundantly then They all yet not I but the Grace of God in me So that Paul became so excellent a Preacher not by his fitting through Humane Learning but through the Grace of God And here I shall mind Mr. Simpson of a passage which I have read in Chrysostome which comes home to this Matter in hand it is in his third Homily on the first Epistle to the Corinthians where he saith That God had no need at the beginning of the Gospel of Learned men and Sophisters to preach the Gospel and to convince the World with Syllogisms but did only use the Word of Faith in the mouths of plain Handicrafts men and Artificers Wherefore saith he when the Greeks shall accuse the Disciples of Christ as ignorant of Letters and Unlearned let Us our selves who are Christians accuse them More Neither let any one say that Paul was Wise and Learned but let us say Their Men were Wise and Learned but Ours were Rude and Ignorant For in thus doing according to the truth we shall have the Greater Advantage against them For if Paul were Unlearned and yet overcame Learned Plato his Victory was the Greater and the Grace of God the more Glorious Now this I say saith he because the other day I heard a certain Christian discoursing ridculously with a Greek each of them in their Discourse prejudicing their Own Cause For the Greek spake that which the Christian should have said and the Christian spake that which the Greek should have said For the Question between them being touching Paul and Plato the Greek endeavoured to prove that Paul was Rude and Unlearned but the Christian through his Simplicity did endeavor to prove that Paul was more Learned and Eloquent then Plato And so the Greek should obtain the Victory if the Christians Reasons should prevail For if Paul were more Learned then Plato then might men object That he overcame not the World through Grace but through Eloquence Wherefore that whith the Christian spake made for the Greek and that which the Greek spake made for the Christian. Wherefore he saith when the Greeks shall say the Apostles were Rude and Unlearned Poor Mean Simple Obscure Persons let us acknowledge it as the Truth For this is not their Reproach but their Glory that being Such they yet overcame the Learned Men the Wise Men the Philosophers the Rhetoricians the Orators the Princes and all the World as if They had not been Men. For when any thing is done above the State and power of Nature this doth exceedingly manifest and magnifie the Grace of God And so it appears that Chrysostom was of another mind in this matter touching Paul then Mr. Simpson and that Paul was of another mind touching Himself Now seeing Mr. Simpson doth here insinuate that Humane Learning fits a man to the Ministry of the Gospel and seeing this also is the Opinion of all the Carnal and Unbelieving People I do desire them to consider what some Godly Men have spoken clearly from the Word of God in this Matter Chrysostom who knew the Mysterie of the Gospel more clearly then any of the Ancient Writers in his Comment on the first Epistle to the Corinthians doth wholly exclude Humane Learning from contributing any thing either to the speaking or receiving the Gospel For saith he to believe in Him that was Crucified and Buried and to be fully perswaded that he Rose again and sits at the Right Hand of God and hath all Power in Heaven and Earth given to Him and that He is made of God to the whole Church Wisdom Righteousness Sanctification and Redemption this Doctrine stands not in need of Humane Wisdom and Reasonings but of Faith only and that both in Them that spake it and in Them that receive it For the Apostles did not proceed in this Matter in outward Wisdom but in Faith and so became more Wise and Excellent then the Worldly Wise and so much the more as it is a Greater Matter to receive the things of God by Faith then to be perswaded into them by the force of Argument He adds also That To the receiving the Doctrine of the Gospel neither is the Wise man profited any thing by
already past lay this to Heart how much thou hast departed from the Gospel of Christ in this Matter as well as in all the rest and hast received the Doctrine and Laws and Methods and Manners of Antichrist wherewith thou hast deceived Thy Self as well as the Nations And thou University hast like thy own mother Babylon Mysterie written on thy Forehead for thou hast taken to Thy Self this Glorious Title ALMA MATER the Beautiful Mother which only belongs to Jerusalem from above and though thou hast brough forth a company of Prodigious Children Heathenish Foolish Vain Vile and Abominable yet hast thou called them Learned and given them Degrees in Divinity contrary to the Degrees in the Gospel and hast sent them forth into every City Country Town and Village as Ministers of Christ yea as Sons of the Morning though yet very Unbelievers and altogether destitute of the Spirit And thus hast thou deceived the Nations and given them a false Ministry instead of a true and by this false Ministry a false Word in stead of the Gospel and the World hath not at any time received a Greater Wo nor more Grievous Plague then from Thee Wherefore thus saith the Word of the Lord The day of thy Vengeance is coming and the Yeers wherein thou shalt be made Desolate and thy Dainty and Goodly Things shall depart from thee and thou shalt find them no more at all and the voice of Musitians and Pipers shall no more be heard in Thee For in Thee is found the Blood of Prophets and of Saints and of all that have been slain uppon the earth Thy Humane Learning to wit thy Philosophy and School-Divinity and the false Ministry that they have set up and the false Christians that have proceeded from that Ministry have devised and executed all these Murders and Massacres on the true Saints of God Quis est sapiens intelliget haec FINIS The Testimony of Martin Luther upon the whole matter To wit touching Universities Humane Learning or Philosophy University-Degrees c. MArtin Luther in his Answer to Ambrosius Catharinus expounding the Vision concerning Antichrist Dan. 8. speaks thus The twelfth and last face of Antichrist is that Chaos and open Gate of Hell yet very comely to behold to wit the Universities into which Perjurie and the Abuse of Gods Name are the Entrance and the Progress is a free and most licentious Conversation in all manner of Wickedness And yet under these Sins and Destructions Science and Sapience are promised Yea Titles and Degrees are given in stead of Rewards But what do they perform at length First the more Choice Youth of Christian People are here prostituted and are cast into the open Throat of Hell that I verily think this Destruction was figured by the Idol Moloch to whom anciently they made their Choice Children to pass through the fire Afterwards Aristotle being read to them and not rightly understood the Wits of Christian Youth are exercised with Heathenish and Humane Learning yea are quite blinded and oppressed with it And in stead of the Word of God the Doctrine of Antichrist is delivered that it may seem the Devil Himself could not bring forth a more subtil and effectual Invention and Engine utterly to extinguish the Gospel then to set up Universities Wherein under the Pretence of Christian Doctrine nothing should be taught but that which is most contrary to the Christian Faith And if at any time it seems good to call forth the Choicest to the Government of the Churches they call them out of these Stews and Dens And truly to me this last Face of Antichrist seems to be the most hurtful of all because this hath the Pretence of the Word when all the rest have only the colour of Example and this is plainly Schola Hidoth the School of Propositions of which anon For it is incomparably the Greatest Prejudice under the colour of the Word to teach Things contrary to the Word seeing the Face of Examples is formed and strengthened by the Face of the Word which otherwise would soon come to nothing if the Word should reign in its Genuine Sence and also seeing the pretence of Examples doth only deceive the Manners but the Pretence of the Word overthrows the Word But if by any Grace of God the Universities should receive the Word to wit instead of Philosophy and School-Divinity how soon would the Papacy with all its Faces or Appearances perish seeing this Face to wit the Universities is the Prop Bones and whole Strength of that Knigdom of Faces This Deceitful Face seems to be foretold Rev. 9. which Scripture it is worth the while to rehearse and a little to unfold For John saith The first Angel sounded and I saw a Star fall from Heaven unto the Earth and to him was given the Key of the Bottomless pit c. I will here make tryal a little saith he with my own Apprehension Now certain it is that by Angels through all the Apocalyps is meant the Overseers of Churches as doth plainly appear out of the second and third Chapters where it is written to the Angel of Ephesus Smyrna and others Further that other sort of Angels which sounds the Trumpet of which there are seven mentioned chap. 8. cannot agree to any but the Roman Bishop seeing no others are said to sound with Trumpet Now to sound wtth Trumpet can be nothing else as appears by the consequence of the Text and the following effects then to make Decrees which none ever arrogated to Himself besides the Bishop of the Roman Church Neither is it said in vain that they prepared Themselves to sound seeing chiefly in these Popes there hath been an impatient fury and unquiet Tyranny to make Laws and thereby to subject Others to Themselves But let us come to our first Angel who was the first among three who were to bring three Woes upon the Earth and this is He who did first institute and confirm Universities whom it is not easie for me to name Histories so varying in this matter But let him be whosoever he was he was a Star fallen from Heaven to Earth whether it were Alexander of Hales or which I rather think St. Thomas who only after the Universities were approved and this Angel had sounded was either the first or chief Author of bringing in Philosophy into the Christian World being the most Aristotelian yea plainly Aristotle Himself to whom as to the Earth he fell from Christ the Heaven having obtained the Authority of that most Wicked Angel approving such Studies And he received the Key of the Bottomless Pit and opened it and brought forth to us Philosophy long ago Dead and Damned by the Doctrine of the Apostles and from thence ascended the Smoak of that Pit that is the meer Words and Opinions of Aristotle and the Philosophers as the Smoak of that great Fornace for then Philosophy prevailed and became of large Extent and Power so that Aristotle was made equal