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 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 with 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 seeâ—ng 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 onely 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 with Christ in respect of Authority and Faith And hereby was the Sun darkned even Christ the Sun of Righteousness and Truth Moral vertues being brought in in stead of Faith and infinite Opinions instead of Truth and the ayre also with the smoak of the pit that it may be understood not to be an Eclipse of the Sun but the obscurity of the Ayre and Sun by the smoak of the pit ascending to wit humane Doctrines obscuring Christ and his Faith as the Sun and Aire And out of the smoak of the pit there came forth Locusts on the earth Here the people of the Universities bred and born of Philosophy are called Locusts by a most fit name because they are without a King that is Christ and flie in companies as is said Prov. 3. and also because they waste and burn up all green things where-ever they light and so the Grammarians think they have their name Locustae Locusts a loco usto vastato from the place which they burn and waste And so this people of the Universities consumes and burns up all the green pasture of Christ that is the fruit of Faith And power was given to them as the scorpions of the earth have power to wit to wound the Consciences of men because the green fruit of Faith being wasted which heals the Consciences of men it cannot be but the Conscience must be hurt and prejudiced And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth nor any green thing that is that they should not hurt the Elect. For they do not hurt all neither do natural Locusts huâ—t every green thing but some certain place so it is here But onely those men who have not the mark or seal of God in their foreheads that is some grass they should hurt to wit those who have not Faith which is the mark of God which we carry in a pure Conscience and free conversation And it was commanded them that they should not kill them but onely should torment them five months This seems to be spoken of Moral Doctrine which seeing it teaches us the knowledge of sin like the Law of God it doth not kill but onely afflict a man with vain studies wherein he is always learning and yet never coming to the knowledge of the truth for they being killed with the Letter are quickned with the eternal Spirit onely they are tormented five months that is the whole time of their sensual life in which moral Vertues reign And we see by experience that all Moral Divines are of a most evil and unhappy Conscience full of scruples and unquietness and have power neither of good nor evil and therefore it follows And their torment is as the torment of a Scorpion when it strikes a man Behold here a wounded conscience for here he expounds what he had said before that they are not savingly killed nor spiritually quickned And in those dayes men shall seek death and shall not finde it and shall desire to dye and death shall flee from them to wit the death of sin which doth too much live in the conscience and yet is not rightly known for if it were known presently it being slain would perish but this cannot Aristotles Ethicks do but it is the office of the Letter and the Spirit And the shapes of the Locusts were like to horses prepared to battle to wit of Scholastical disputation and conflict He describes the war by this Allegory for they are ready to argue pro contra as they speak And on their heads were as it were crowns of gold that is the Names and Titles of Degrees as Magister noster eximius sacrae Theologiae humilis indignus professor c. that is Our famous Master and the humble and unworthy professor of sacred Theology and the like And these crowned ones John Hus called Hypocritas Coronatos Crowned Hypocrites and by reason of these Crowns they have Authority and power among the multitudes of carnal Christians who are willing to entertaine Antichrists pompe into Christs Church Yet have they not true crowns but as it were Crowns of Gold which they are very proud of and are much pufft up with them though usually they are set on the head of Ignorance and Error And their faces are like the faces of men because their doctrine and life is governed not by the spirit of faith but by the dictate of natural reason and by the light of nature illuminated by Aristotle And they had hairs like the hairs of women For Philosophy brings
the world by wisdom that is its Philosophy knew not God how can it by that wisdom reveal God and his things which it never knew Nay the Apostle doth clearly testifie against this carnal and corrupt Doctrine in 1 Cor. 2.7 8. saying We speak the wisdom of God in a mysterie even the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the world unto our glory which none of the Princes of this world knew and by Princes of this world he means not only wordly Powers as Chrysostome affirms but also Philosophers and Orators who often obtained the chief Government among the nations God hath wrapped up his Gospel saith Paul into such hidden wisdom that they are never able to search into it or to discover the least part of it seeing God contrived it all and appointed it before the world unto our glory and all their knowledge is but from the world Yea he adds Eye hath not seen nor ear heard neither have ever entered into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him In which words God hath shut out the natural man for ever with all his study knowledge abilities and attainments from the having any right understanding of his Kingdom or the things of it For the eye of man hath not seen them at any time nor his eare heard them nor hath any knowledge of them entered into his heart so far is this Doctrine from truth that the Knowledg of heavenly things cannot come to us but by things on earth But the Apostle shews how the faithfull come to know these high holy spiritual and eternal things which lie infinitely beyond the knowledge and discovery of all men to wit by the Spirit saying But God hath revealed them to us by the Spirit for the Spirit searcheth all things yea the deep things of God So that the people of God know the things of the Gospel not by earthly things as Mr. Simpson affirms nor by Philosophy and outward wisdom which only reaches to earthly things but by the Spirit Farther if all Divinity be swadled in Humane Learning then I do affirm that all such Divinity hath no great Depth seeing the bottom of Humane Learning is easily fathomed But can any Christian Heart think that all true Divinity which comprehends in it the heighth and breadth and length and depth of the love of God which passeth knowledge and all the unsearchable riches of Christ and all the infinite and incomprehensible Treasures of his wisdom power and righteousness of his love goodness truth faithfulness and of all the fulness of the Godhead wherewith he is filled can be contained and wrapped up in the narrow and scant bounds of Humane Learning How much truer Doctrine had it been to 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 the 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 swaddle 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 Schollar 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 by 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 painful 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 the 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 ridiculously 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
these studies thus confined to these places and do * swear men to read and teach them nowhere else certainly it is most manifest that these men love their own private gaine more then the common good of the people But now seeing by the hand of God a Kingdome is turned into a Commonwealth and Tyranny into freedome we judge it most prejudicial to the common good of a Commonwealth that these two Universities should make a Monopoly of Humane Learning to themselves especially as is said seeing they say no body can well understand or teach the Scriptures without it and so by reason of this their incroachment against the rule of love through the former Grants of Popes and Kingâ— all men should be necessitated to send their children hither from all parts of the Nation some scores or hundred mileâ— for liberal education to the great trouble and charge of Parents especially this considered that the Universities usually have been places of great licentiousness and profaness whereby it often comes to pass that Parents sending them children far from them young and hopeful have for all their care and cost after several yeers received them back againe with their tongues and Arts proud profane wicked abâ—minable and incorrigible wretches Wherefore doubtless it would be more suitable to a Commonwealth if we become so indeed and not in word onely and more advantagious to the good of all the people to have Universities or Colledges one at least in every great town or City in the Nation as in London York Bristow Exceter Norwich and the like and for the State to allow to these Colledges an honest and competent maintenance for some godly and learned men to teach the Tongues and Arts under a due reformation And this the State may the better do by provision out of every County or otherwise as shall be judged best seeing there will be no need of indowment of Scholarships inasmuch as the people having Colledges in their own cities neer their own houses may maintain their children at home whilst they learn in the Schools which would be indeed the greatest advantage to learning that can be thought of 8. It would also be considered whether it be according to the word of God that youth should spend their time only in reading of books whilst they are well strong active and fit for business For commonly it so falls out that youth lose as much by idleness as they gain by study And they being only brought up to read books and such books as onely containe wrangling jangling foolish and unprofitable Philosophy when they have continued any long time in the University in these unwarranted courses by God they are commonly in the end fit for no worthy imployment either in the world or among the faithful To remedy which great evil Colledges being as hath been spoken dispersed through the great cities and towns of the Commonwealth it may be so ordered that the youth according to Luthers counsel may spend some part of the day in learning or study and the other part of the day in some lawful calling or one day in study and another in business as necessity or occasion shall require And thus shall youth be delivered from that ease and idleness which fills the hearts of University-Students with many corruptions and noisome lusts whilst they fill their heads only with empty knowledge and foolish notions whereby neither can God be glorified nor their neighbour profited 9. And if this course were taken in the dâ—sposing and ordering Colledges and studies it would come to pass that twenty would learn then where one learns now and also by degrees many men on whom God shall please to pour forth his Spirit may grow up to teach the people whilst yet they live in an honest calling and imployment as the Apostles did And this would give them great efficacy and power in teaching whilst they lived by faith through their honest labour and were delivered from the mischief of idleness But and if the faithful shall desire any one that is more apt to teach and hath received a greater measure of the anointing then his brethren to spend more of his time in the word and prayer then his calling will afford at such times they ought to supply him and the law of love in the hearts of the faithful will be law enough in this matter without calling in the aide of the Magistrate And by this means may the chargeable and burdensome maintenance of Ministers by degrees be taken away and the Church of Christ and the very nations themselves be supplyed with a more faithful Christian and spiritual Ministery then now it hath at a far less rate For God hath promised in the last dayes to pour out his Spirit on all flesh and the sons and daughters and servants and handmaids shall prophesie and then shall knowledge cover the earth as waters the seas Now for conclusion I do conceive that none of the faithful and wise haâ—e any just cause to be offended for speaking for the use of humane learning in this reformed way which the Gospel will permit seeing by this means these two errors of Antichrist would be dissolved among us the one of making Unâ—versities the fountaine of the Ministery which one thing is and will be more and more as Christs Kingdome shall rise up and prevaile in the world a milstone about their necks and the other of making the Clergy a distinct Sect or Order or Tribe from other Christians contrary to the simplicity of the Gospel 2. Let the faithful consider that this reformed use of Tongues and Arts justly hath its place in the world For if all men cannot be Chrâ—stians as Paul saith all men have not faith yet let them be Men and improved in the use of reason and sober learning where by they may be servâ—ceable to the Commonwealth in their age whilst the Church of Christ hath its own members and officers through the call of God and unction of his Spirit onely For * humane learning hath it's place and use among humane things but hath no place nor use in Christs Kingdome as hath been sufficiently proved And thus have I freely offered my advice for mending things that are amiss and making strait the things that are crooked in this matter FINIS Omnes Scholas esse hareticas vel Theologia Scholastica arguit Melanct. in Apol. pro Mart. Luther The Rehearsal of the Errors 1. Error Answer No Heathenish Learning was taught in the Church of God all the time of the Old-Testament Object Answ. Peter Steven Paul The Primitive Christians and Believers taught no Philosophy Justine Martyr forsook Philosophy and betook himself only to the Scriptures Non ad humanaâ— cationes sed ad voluntatem Doctrinae Spirituâ— interpretatio est accommodanda Justin. in Exposit. fidei Constantine the Emperor took care for the teaching the Scriptures to Christians Eâ—s lib. 4. de vità Constaâ—tiâ— Berno Augiensis Abbas Se
and royal priesthood to show forth the vertues of him that hath called them out of darkness into his marvelous light as Peter testifies and they all speak as they do believe and have experience and their 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 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 confirme his Doctrine with his death and seal to the truth of it with his blood exposing himself to the most shameful and ignominious death of the cross to confirme 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 suffering 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 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 are come to do the will of him that sent them even to the laying down their lives Now these are the onely 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 onely and every heathen or humane creature Turke or Infidel may take them aswel as they with a little time and paines and money Wherefore that I may turn my speech a little to the University do thou University 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 aswell as the Nations And thou University hast like thy own mother Babylon Mystery written on thy forehead for thou hast taken to thy self this title ALMA MATER the beautiful mother which onely belongs to Jerusalem from above and though thou hast brought forth a company of prodigious children heathenish foolish vaine 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 County Town and Village as Ministers of Christ yea as Sons of the morning though unbelievers and destitute of the spirit And thus hast thou deceived the Nations and given them a false Ministery in stead of a true and by this false Ministery 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 finde 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 slaine upon the earth thy humane learning to wit thy Philosophy and School-Divinity the false Ministery that they have set up and the false Christians that have proceeded from that Ministery have devised and executed all these murders and massacres on the true Saints of God FINIS Quis est sapiens intelliget haec The Testimony of Martin Luther upon the whole matter To wit touching Vniversities Humane Learning or Philosophy Vniversity-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 pasâ— 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 subtile and effectual Invention and engine Eutterly 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 onely 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 Eâ—amples 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 sense and also seeing the pretence of Examples doth onely 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 kingdom of faces This deceitful face seems to