The Tryal of Spirits Both in TEACHERS HEARERS Wherein is held forth The clear Discovery and certain Downfal OF THE Carnal and Antichristian Clergie of These NATIONS Testified from the Word of God to the University-Congregation in Cambridge By WILLIAM DELL Whereunto is added A plain and necessary Confutation of divers gross Errors DELIVERED BY Mr SYDRACH SIMPSON In a Sermon preached to the same Congregation at the COMMENCEMENT Anno 1653. Wherein among other things is declared That the Universities according to their present Statutes and Practices are not as he affirmed answerable to the Schools of the Prophets in the time of the Law but rather to the Idolatrous High Places And that Humane Learning is not a Preparation appointed by Christ either for the Right Understanding or Right Teaching the Gospel With a brief Testimony against Divinity-Degrees in the Universities As also Luthers Testimony at large upon the whole Matter And lastly The right Reformation of Learning Schools and Universities according to the state of the Gospel and the Light that shines therein All necessary for the Instruction and Direction of the faithful in these last times London Printed for Giles Calvert at the Black spread-Eagle at the West-end of Pauls 1660. To all the truly Faithfull the very little Flock of Christ in these Nations now despised and almost worn out according to the Prophesies for the Word of God and Testimony which they hold Grace be multiplyed unto you and Peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Head and Hope I Could not choose but distinguish You thus from all the rest of the People of these Nations of what Condition or Quality soever seeing God Himself hath first done it having chosen you to Himself in Christ and set you apart for Himself as a Peculiar People zealous of good works And I have chosen to speak this only to You because You are all taught of God and have heard and learned from Him the Truth as it is in Jesus and because You have an inward Unction from God whereby You know the Truth from Error though it be never so much reproached by Carnal Christians and whereby you know Error from the Truth though it be never so much exalted and magnified by them You are those Spiritual Men who judge All things because you have received the Word and Spirit of Judgement in Christ from the Father Besides You are the Men whom God will use in his Greatest and most Glorious Works which he hath yet to do in the World to wit in the Destruction of the Kingdom of Antichrist and in the Setting up and inlarging the Kingdom of Christ which Things are not to be done by the Might and Power of worldly Magistrates which it may be you have not received and if you had it would not be helpful here but by the Spirit of the Lord which You all have received in some measure Yea farther none but You will be contented to live only by Faith and to follow Christ in Untrodden Paths and to undertake impossible Works to flesh and blood and none but You will be willing to have the residue of Christs Life and Works and of his Sufferings and Death fulfilled in your mortal bodies It grieves me much to see so Many Men as I have known once hopeful in the Army and elsewhere to be now so full gorged with the flesh of Kings and Nobles and Captains and Mighty Men that is with their Estates Mannors Houses Parks Lands c. that they can now be contented to take their ease and to comply with the World and worldly Church and the Teachers thereof and can perswade themselves that there is enough done for their time after it hath fared thus well with them and can leave the Remainder to Men that are as plain and mean as Themselves were at first forgetting Him who remembred Them when they were in Low Condition But they that were indeed Righteous among them are Righteous still and they that were indeed Holy are Holy still and Prosperity hath only slain the Fools as the Scriptures speak But You Christians are Called Chosen and Faithful and You will still be found with the Lamb on mount Sion and with the rest who have his Name and his Fathers Name written in their Foreheads and you dare still own the Ancient Truth Cause and Work of Christ how great disadvantage soever is for the present risen up against it through the Apostasie of Carnal Christians the Lovers of this World And You all know that all that hath been done hitherto by the Sword is but the Preparation of Christs way to his Work and that the Work it self is still behind and to be done by those Worthies of the Lord who love Jesus Christ and his Kingdom and Coming a thousand times better then the present World and all the best things of it yea then their own Lives Wherefore I advise You all to whom now I speak to take heed that you neither drink nor sip of the Clergies Cup which carries in it the Wine of the wrath of the fornication of Antichrist lest having drunk thereof you fall asleep through the strength of their Inchantments and so are rendred unable to follow Christ any farther For many Powers and Magistrates of the world once hopeful have been thus overcome and seduced into Antichrists cause against Christ to their utter ruine in the end And how have the present Clergy with their most Plausible Men attempted some of this Present Power yea some of the very Chiefest and most Godly in the Army and have put them into some that I say not great Danger Wherefore remember you that word of the Lord spoken by his Angel Rev. 14. 9 10. If any man worship the Beast and his Image and receive his Mark in his forehead or in his hand the same shall drink of the Wine of the Wrath of God which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation c. IF ANY MAN WORSHIP THE BEAST that is the Antichristian Church of the Pope and his Prelates and Clergy which is called the Beast because of its Fierceness and Cruelty against the Saints Or HIS IMAGE that is the Church of the Bishops and Presbyters which in a lesser Volume and less Letters doth answer the Other and is directly like it Whoever shall WORSHIP THESE that is highly esteem them for their Humane Learning and School-Divinity and Sacredness of their Orders and count them worthy all Honour and Respect and worldly Maintenance and also to have Power in matters of Religion to allow and determine of Doctrine and to appoint and institute in matters of Government and being Worldly Powers do subject Themselves and all the worldly People under them to these mens Religion Authority Doctrine Discipline c. Whoever shall thus worship them Or SHALL RECEIVE HIS MARK that is this Principle that It is lawful to punish and persecute men in Matters that meerly relate to Faith
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
and the Gospel and this under pretence of the Glory of God and Good of Christian people which is the BEASTS MARK in every Age and under every Change of Outward Form Whoever shall receive this mark IN THEIR FOREHEAD that is to profess this Doctrine only Or IN THEIR HAND that is to execute it according to Laws which the Nations have been seduced to make to this purpose The same shall drink of the Wine of the Wrath of God which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his Indignation and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy Angels and in the presence of the Lamb and the smoak of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever Wherefore You Faithful Ones have great cause to be very well advised in these things seeing the chief Designe of Antichrist is to seduce the Elect seeing he hath no Body else in all the World that dare oppose Him or know how to do it but You and He knows if He can prevail with You all the World besides will follow Him headlong as the Gadarens swine ran into the sea and were choaked Now I have adventured through the Inspiration of the Almighty to undertake Openly and Plainly against the Clergy and Universities which in their Present State are the Residue of the Hour and Power of Darkness upon the Nations And the Lord of his Grace hath helped me through this Work by his Spirit of Counsel and Might And so I have freely and willingly exposed my Self for Christ and his Truths sake to all the reproaches slanders revilings contradictions and if their power shall serve Persecutions of the Universities and Clergy and of all those People high and low bond and free who have received their Mark and Worship them choosing rather to suffer with Christ and with You his Seed all manner of Tribulations then to reign with Them and much rather imbracing Christian Communion with poor plain Husbandmen and Tradsmen who believe in Christ and have received his Spirit then with the Heads of Universities and Highest and Stateliest of the Clergy who under a specious form of Godliness do yet live in true Enmity and Opposition to the Gospel I do indeed freely acknowledge that I have often been ready to complain to God in the anguish of my Spirit that he had called Me a very Bruised Reed to a more difficult Task in one Regard then either Wickliffe Hus or Luther those strong Pillars in the House of God to wit Because much of the gross Body of Antichristianism against which They chiefly ingageed being done away by their Ministry there still remains the cunning and subtil Soul and Spirit thereof which yet is All in All in Antichrists Kingdom though it be farther removed from the Knowledge and Notice of the Common Sort of Christians And so the Mysterie of Iniquity is now become more Mysterious and Deceiving then in their Times and as Perfect and Bitter Enmity against Christ and his Spirit and the true Temple of God the Spiritual Church as ever was in all Their Times doth now prevail under the Name of Orthodox Doctrine and the Reformation of Religion by the late Assembly of Divines which the Clergy are all now ready to set up if they could gain the Secular Arm to strengthen them thereunto of which now they have greatest Hopes and without which their Religion can find no high place in this World Now herein the old Mysterie of Iniquity is renewed amongst these Men that they would have an outward Letter and Ministery without the Spirit of Christ to be the Doctrine and Ministry of the New Testament which is the Ministration of the Spirit and not of the Letter and would have the Secular Magistrate to have Right and Power to enforce men to such a Religion as Himself judges True by the Help and Counsel of those Ministers which Himself judges Orthodox as if some Men were able to teach spiritual things and all to understand them by Natural Reason made use of and improved which yet these Men deny in Terminis whilst they assert it in the Principle For they will not leave it to the Father to draw whom He pleaseth to the Son neither will they leave it to the Spirit to choose what Living stones he pleaseth to build them together to be the Habitation of God but the Ecclesiastical state having seduced the Temporal do make them believe that the Magistrates Worldly Power in union with their worldly Religion may make a National Church of all that they between Themselves please and may allow and set up such a Doctrine for Orthodox which these Men who are in Academical Degrees and Ecclesiastical Orders do approve for Such though the Spirit of God in all Believers testifies that these Men have not the mind of Christ but of Antichrist in all they teach and act and counsel in their Assemblies Churches Doctrine Ordinances Works Duties Dayes Times Fastings Thanksgivings and Every Thing else Yet these having the outward Carcass or Appearance of Religion though destitute of the inward Soul of it which is true Faith and the Spirit of God do cozen not only the meaner People but the very Magistrates of the World who are glad to hear that the Clergy have given them such high Power in the Kingdom of Christ and made them Magistrates in both Worlds though indeed in the end it be not for the Magistrates Advantage but wholly for the Clergies And thus is the Mysterie of Iniquity grown more Mysterious now then heretofore But this is our Comfort and Help that God still causes his Light to shine forth proportionably to his People to discover every new Change and Form of the Mysterie of Iniquity And though the Mysterie of Iniquity in every age is mysterious enough to cozen all the Unbelieving World though never so wise and learned yet is it never able to deceive the Faithful who have always sufficient Light from God to discover it and sufficient Grace to overcome it And now You faithful and beloved Ones to whom I have spoken all this stand You fast and depart not from Christ his Word and Work all which You know in faith for any Good or Evil things that may befall you in this short life but finish in Faith and Patience the Work which God hath given you to do in your several Places waiting for the Glory which shall be given you at the Revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ in Whom I remain though most unworthy Your humble and faithful Servant in the Gospell W. D. THE TRYALL OF SPIRITS 1 John 4. 1. Beloved believe not every Spirit but try the Spirits whether they be of God because many false Prophets are gone forth into the world 2. Hereby know ye the Spirit of God every Spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God 3. And every Spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God 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
Ignorance of and Enmity to the Gospel of God our Saviour For is our Union with Christ the Foundation of Error or have true Believers no real Union with Christ but imaginary Do not the Saints partake of the Divine Nature doth not Peter expresly affirm it 2 Pet. 1. 4. where he saith exceeding Great and Precious Promises are made to us that We thereby should be made partakers of the Divine Nature and what is the Divine Nature but the very Nature of God See Luther on the place Again are Believers as he affirms at an infinite distance from Christ If this were true what sad news would it be to the Church of God How can this Doctrine agree with these Scriptures that Christ may dwell in your Hearts by faith and Christ in You the hope of Glory and of Him are Ye in Christ Jesus Again saith Christ I am the true Vine and ye are the Branches and so as the Vine is in the Branches and as the Branches are in the Vine so is Christ in Christians and so are Christians in Christ. Again John 14. 20. At that day ye shall know saith Christ Himself that you need not doubt of the Doctrine that I am in my Father and You in Me and I in you And again John 17. 21. saith Christ I pray not for These alone that is who now believe but also for All that shall hereafter believe in me through their Word That they all may be One as thou Father art in Me and I in Thee that They may be One as we are One I in Them and Thou in Me that They may be made perfect in One that the World may know thou hast sent me and hast loved Them as thou hast loved Me. Here now is no infinite Distance between Christ and Believers but a Wonderful and Admirable Nearness and Oneness which the learned Ignorance of Philosophy understands not nor the ignorant Knowledge of any carnal Christian. But sure this Word of God is true and the Saints receive it in faith and will not be deluded with any Philosophical Sophistical or Antichristian Glosses of False Teachers And thus doth the Holy Word of God affirm plainly enough that Christ and his Christians are most neerly United And yet doth not this Union make an Equality and rob Christ of his due Glory seeing Christ is the Head and They his Members Christ the First Born and they his Brethren And so as Christ hath the Preheminence in all things above them all as becomes the Head and First Born so They have Communion with Him in all things as becomes his Members and Brethren And whereas he jests and saith He that hath God in Him needs not go to Man to learn I do affirm this is true enough and the Scripture hath affirmed it in several places Isaiah saith to the Spiritual Church All thy Children shall be taught of the Lord And Christ saith it is written They shall be all taught of God He therefore that hath heard and learned of my Father cometh to Me. And John saith 1 John 2. 27. The Annointing which Ye have received from Him abideth in you and Ye need not that any Man teach you but as the same Annointing teacheth you all things and is Truth and is no Lye And this Doctrine is so manifest from the Scriptures that He is of Antichrist that denies it For God inwardly teaches all his People by his Spirit his own Self and They so hear the Word by the Ministry of Man that it is alwaies God that teaches them and not Man 11. ERROR Arts and Tongues are the Cups in which God drinks to us Answer In what a sad condition then are the Common and Plain People that they cannot Pledge him But only the Learned Clergy keep these Cups to Themselves as heretofote they kept the Cup in the Sacrament But what strange Phrase is this Savouring of the Ranters Religion as if God was the familiar Companion of the Clergy and sometimes drank to them in a Cup of Hebrew sometimes in a Cup of Greek and sometimes in a Cup of Latine and as if sometimes he drank to them in a Cup of Logick and sometimes in a Cup of Ethicks sometimes in a Cup of Metaphysicks Is not this truly Profana vocum novitas a Prophane Newness of Speech never before heard of to my Knowledge in the Church of God and which the Apostle utterly condemns 12. ERROR We shall never keep up Religion if we do not keep up Learning but when Learning goes down Religion goes down too Answer The Church is founded on Christ and Christ and His Church it seems are both founded on Humane Learning It is no wonder now that Mr. Simpson lays so great stress on it everywhere And that Men of his Religion term the University Fundamentum Ecclesiae the Foundation of the Church And if Humane Learning do indeed uphold all Christian Religion let all Men and Magistrates come forth and uphold it in the Name of God But surely the Religion of the Gospel depends wholly on Christ as Christ on God and there is no need of Humane Learning to support this except God and Christ are insufficient We have a sure Word and Doctrine of the Gospel that remains firm for ever and inviolable and inconquerable in and through Christ and his Spirit and the Father and all the World shall shatter in pieces and Humane Learning go down to Hell and This shall stand fast for ever Heaven and Earth shall pass away and not one jot or Tittle of my Word saith Christ. Believers know that not one Point of their Religion depends on Humane Learning But all on Christ Himself who is the true and Living Word Wherefore these are the fears of Antichrist and his Prophets that their Religion will go down with Humane Learning because it was set up by it But the true Religion of the Gospel of God our Saviour was at first set up without it and hath hitherto remained without it and will abide so for ever And to this the Spirit and the Bride give witness 13. ERROR Seeing Religious Foundations are so Antient then keep them up Your Destruction will never be but from Your Selves Answer Religious Foundations What Religion founded the Universities is well known For by the Counsel of four Monks the Scholars of Bede to wit Rabanus Albinus Claudius and John Scotus the University which had been translated from Athens to Rome was translated by Charls the Great from Rome to Paris An. 791. And for our English Universities of Cambridge and Oxford Thus it is recorded That the Study of Cambridge was instituted Anno 630. By Sigisbert King of the East Angles who after changed his Purple or Kingly Robes for a Fryars Cool or Hood And the Lectures here were begun by four Monks of which Brother or Fryar Ode as they termed him read Grammar according to Priscians Doctrine Terricus an acute Sophister
and Temporal Power which they had gotten have stricken great fear into the whole World and have miserably vexed innumerable Consciences with a grievous and lasting bondage and have even driven them to Despair whilst none durst approve or own any Spirit or Doctrine though never so manifestly of Christ and his Gospel without their Allowance and Approbation so mightily hath the power of Antichrist prevailed in the World and that against the express Word of Christ. Now the ground of this their Antichristian Pride and Usurpation is This that they arrogate to Themselves that They are the Guides and Shepherds of all Christian men and are to teach them the Gospel which they are only to receive from their lips whereas Christ hath promised his true Church that they shall be all taught of God and shall hear and learn Themselves from the Father and hath also promised to send to them the Spirit to lead them in all Truth and to give them an Annointing to teach them All Things Now they by robbing the Faithful of this Power and arrogating it to Themselves have made themselves contrary to Christs Command Lords and Masters in the Church of God and have usurped to themselves Superiority and Authority over other Believers and have subjected all the World to their Opinion and Judgement in the things of God by which means they have set wide open the flood-gates to Antichrist and his Kingdom to break in upon the World and to overflow it whilst they had robbed all Christian People of their own Judgement in all the Things of God and had made them to depend wholly on the Judgement of the Clergy And had not Christian People thus unchristianly delivered up their Judgements to the Clergy and that in the very Highest Points of Religion Christianity had not been so miserably blinded and corrupted as it is and the Mysterie of Iniquity had not so much prevailed in the World as now it hath For when Christians would not try the Spirits whether They were of God and the Doctrines whether they were the Word of God or no but thought this a matter too High for them and would refer and submit all to the Judgement of their Ministers then Antichrist the Apostle of the Devill came forth boldly and proudly exalted Himself above all that is called God and his Kingdom above all the Kingdoms of the World having first put out both the Eyes of Christians by taking away from them their Right and Power of trying Spirits and judging Doctrines But when true Christians shall search the Scriptures as God I trust hath now fully put into their hearts to do and shall justly and lawfully take to themselves the Power which God hath given them to try Spirits and Doctrines then Antichrist and his Agents the carnal Clergy must soon be brought down for the Faithfull by that Word shall soon perceive that They are not of God nor their Doctrine of that right Gospel which is after the Mind of Christ. Well then by what hath been said You who are of Christs true Sheep may perceive that it is evident by the Word that faithful Christians have Right and Power to try Spirits and Doctrines though Antichrist for many Ages hath robbed them of this Priviledge For that I may speak a little more to this matter the Tryall of Spirits doth unquestionably belong to all Men who have received the Spirit of God for to this Spirit of God which dwells in the faithfull the Gift of Discerning Spirits is inseparably annexed and the Spirit of Christ which truly dwells in all true Christians cannot deceive nor be deceived in the Tryall of Spirits So that this now is a Common Grace that in some measure belongs to all true Christians who have received the Unction that teacheth them all things and is true and is no lie And though there be in the Church Diversities of Gifts from the same Spirit which are given to some and not to others as Tongues and Interpretation of Tongues and Miracles and Gifts of healing c. mentioned by Paul 1 Cor. 12. yet this gift of Trying Spirits is given to All in some measure that have received the Spirit For as in the Natural Body there are several Gifts given to several Members which are not given to all the members as Seeing to the Eye Hearing to the Ear Walking to the foot c. but Feeling is given to all the Members so also in the Body of Christ that is the spiritual Church several Gifts are given to several Saints but the Tryall of Spirits and Doctrines to all Saints who have received the Spirit and if any have not Christs Spirit he is none of His and if any have Christs Spirit he can in some measure discern and judge of all Spirits in the World and the more any man receives Christs Spirit the more able is he to judge of all Other Spirits Wherefore they who are true Believers and have received Christs Spirit their Judgement is to be preferred in the Tryall of Spirits before the Judgement of a whole Council of Clergy men And they only who can try Spirits by the Spirit of God and Doctrines by the Word of God written in their hearts by the Spirit are fit to commend Ministers to the Work of God that is the Congregations of the faithful and not Universities and Assemblies of Divines And thus you may perceive that seeing many false Prophets are gone out into the World it concerns the faithful as they tender their own everlasting Salvation not to believe every Spirit that speaks of Christ and his Kingdom and his Things but to Try the Spirits whether they be of God Object But now it may be some will be ready to say We ought indeed to try the Spirits seeing there are many falfe Prophets in the world but we hope there are no such Persons among us but only some upstart Men with their new Light who with their Novelties and Fancies trouble the Nation and would fain turn all things upside down and we know these well enough already and do sufficiently despise them Answ. It is very like you do but yet let me say to you Men Brethren and Fathers understand Your selves and know what you do in this matter For at the beginning of the Reformation by the Ministry of Luther Zuinglius Calvin and divers others pretious servants of Jesus Christ the Popish Clergy applyed all these Scriptures Try the Spirits whether they be of God for many false Prophets are gone out into the world and beware of false Prophets which come to you in sheeps clothing but inwardly are ravening wolves I say these and the like places of Scriptures they applied to these Godly Men and yet they Themselves were the false Prophets indeed and the Other whom they termed such were true Ones Wherefore it is possible for You to be mistaken as well as They and no doubt but you will be mistaken except the Lord be gracious
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
Spirit and also Christ saith of all the faithfull that it is not they that speak but the Spirit of their Father that speaks in them yea and the whole Gospel is called the Ministration of the Spirit Now the true Prophets speaking the Word of God by and in his Spirit do also speak it in the Right Sence and after the true mind of Christ as Paul saith of himself and of other believers who had received the Spirit We have the mind of Christ. But the false Prophets though they speak the word of the letter exactly and that accordingly to the very Originall and curiosity of Criticisms yet speaking it without the Spirit they are false Prophets before God and his true Church seeing all Right Prophesie hath proceeded from the Spirit in all Ages of the World but especially it must so proceed in the dayes of the New Testament wherein God hath promised the largest effusion of his Spirit And they speaking the Word of the Letter without the Spirit do wholly mistake the Mind of Christ in all and under the outward Letter of the Word of God do only bring in the Mind of Man And this is one of the greatest Delusions and most mischievous snares that can be laid in the Church to bring in the Word of Christ without the Mind of Christ yea to bring in the Word of Christ against the Mind of Christ and according to the Mind of Antichrist this is the effectuall Operation of Error whereby all Hypocrites and false Christians are deceived and that without all hope of recovery And thus you see that the true Prophets bring the true Word and bring it also by the true Spirit and this manifests them to be of God but the false either bring not the true Word or if they bring the Word in the Letter yet they bring it without the Spirit and thus it is manifest they are not of God Object But some will object here If a man preach the Word in the Letter even good sound and orthodox Doctrine no doubt but such a man is to be heard and he may do much good in the Church though he want Christs Spirit This I have heard from very many who have thought they have said something Answ. But to this I answer That they who want Christs Spirit which is the Spirit of Prophesie though they preach the exact Letter of the Word yet are false Prophets and not to be heard by the Sheep 1. Because under the New Testament we are not to regard the Letter without the Spirit but the Spirit as well as the Letter yea the Spirit more then the Letter and therfore Paul saith that Christ shall destroy Antichrist with the Spirit of his Mouth and the Brightness of his Coming he scarce takes any notice of the Letter but calls the true preaching of the Gospel the Spirit of Christs Mouth or the Ministration of the Spirit And therefore the spiritual People cannot joyn to that Ministry where the Spirit of Christ is wanting though there be the Outward Letter of the Word in it 2. They that preach only the Outward Letter of the Word without the true Spirit they make all things Outward in the Church and so carry the people with whom they prevail only to Outward Things to an Outward Word to Outward Worship Outward Ordinances Outward Church Outward Government c. whereas in the true Kingdom of Christ all things are Inward and Spirituall and all the true Religion of Christ is written in the Soul and Spirit of man by the Spirit of God and the Believer is the only Book in which God Himself writes his New Testament 3. They who preach the Outward Letter of the Word though never so truly without the Spirit do as hath been said wholy mistake the Mind of Christ in the Word for want of the Spirit which is the only true and infallible Interpreter of his Mind and so under the Outward Letter of the Word preach their own Mind and not Christs Mind and do make all the Scriptures serve their own Turns even their own Worldly Ends and Advantages and nothing else 4. They that preach the Outward Letter of the Word without the Spirit can with such a Word both live Themselves in all the inward Evils of corrupted Nature and allow Others to do so too And thus the Gospel which in the Spirit of it is the Judgement of sin is made in the Letter of it the Covering for sin and the Encourager of it seeing such Men who have the Letter of the Word in their mouth do live in the inward Corruptions of their Hearts more securely and quietly than other Men. 5. Last of all let us know that whoever doth agree with Christ never so exactly in the Letter and yet differs from him in Spirit is very Antichrist And therefore when the Devils in him that was possessed said to Christ We know thee who thou art the holy One of God and so agreed very exactly with the Gospel in the Letter yet Christ forbad them to speak because they spake not by a right Spirit And Christ hath said Whoever is not with me that is in the Spirit is against me though he have the same outward Letter of the Word with him And so as Christ builds up his Church by his Spirit through his Word so Antichrist builds up his Church by the Word without the Spirit and Christs Church and Antichrists do often differ very little or nothing in Word or Letter yet do alwayes infinitely differ in Spirit Wherefore to conclude Let us know that that Church that hath the Word if it wants the Spirit is Antichrists Church and that that Ministry that useth the Word and wants the Spirit is Antichrists Ministry and that all works duties prayings preaching fasting thanksgiving c. without Christs Spirit are nothing but the very kingdom of Antichrist and the Abomination of Desolation And so I proceed to the second generall Rule of Tryall which I propounded whereby we may discern the true Prophets of Christ from the false Prophets of Antichrist and that is By the Truth of the Life of Christ in reference to his Office in the Word And here I shall give you many Tryals how you may certainly know and discern the false Prophets of Antichrist from the true humble and faithfull Ministers of Jesus Christ. And the Lord Jesus Christ before whom we are all present this day and before whose Tribunal we shall all be Judged He knows that I shall not purposely speak any thing at this time either to please Myself or to displease You But I shall desire to speak all out of very faithfulness to Him who hath remembred Me when I was in low condition for his Mercy endureth for ever The first sign then whereby the true Prophets may be discerned from the false is this First the true Prophets are all sent of God So was Moses whom God
Saints is Greater in Goodness Righteousness Wisdom and all Things than the Devil is in Antichrist and his Prophets therefore the Faithful in whom God dwels and manifests Himself must needs overcome Antichrist and the false Prophets in whom the Devil dwels and manifests himself Now hence we may learn several things And first we may learn That Antichrist can prevail against any Outward Form of Religion and Godliness against any Humane Vertues and Graces and Works and Prayers or any thing that is of Man or flows from Him though in never so great appearance of Holiness as we by sad experience have seen many Men of great seeming Religion famous for Preaching and Praying and reputed Pillars in the Church when they have come hither into the University where Antichrist and his Spirit have remained in their full strength notwithstanding the great Consumption which God hath brought on them by his Word in other parts how soon have they cased from that sense of the Gospel which they once seemed to have had and how suddenly have they been intangled and overcome with the Spirit of the University and of Antichrist for Worldly Honour and Advantage sake and so the highest and strongest formal Religion in the Church Antichrist can soon prevail against But Antichrist can never prevail against God in the Saints nor against the Righteousness Wisdom and Power of God in them all which are contained in his true Presence nor against the Faith Hope and Love of Saints which are the Works of God in them by his Spirit against these Antichrist cannot prevail For greater is He that is in Us than he that is in the World So then if thou hast any thing in thee that is truly of God or rather that is God Himself in thee That Antichrist cannot overcome by all his Arts and Power but he will easily overcome any thing else Antichrist cannot prevail against Immanuel which is God with Us nor against the Mysterie of Godliness in us which is God manefest in the flesh but every other thing though it seem never so Angelical he prevails against 2. We may learn hence That it is not an easie thing to overcome Antichrist and to get the Victory over that Beast and his Image and his Mark and the Number of his Name seeing Antichrists coming is after the working of Satan as the Apostle saith and through Antichrist the Devil Himself speaks works and acts yet as an Angel of light in all lying or false Power Wisdom and Righteousness and this he doth for the Damnation of Men and to bring Them all who have no true love to the Truth to perish with Himself for ever And his Operation of Error is so mighty and efficacious that it cannot be resisted and overcome by any in all the World but by those who are born of God and do partake of his Nature and Presence in them For the Power Wisdom and Righteousness of Antichrist and his Prophets which is so suteable to the Nature of the World and so glorious in its Eye cannot possibly be overcome but by the true Power Wisdom and Righteousness of God in his true Children or Prophets 3. Hence also let us learn not to be dismayed at Antichirist and his Prophets who have in all Ages got such Reputation Power and Glory to Themselves in the World because of their seeming Learning Righteousness and Religion seeing Christ in Us and in all his poor People is infinitely more mighty than They are and the Devil in them and nothing can prevail against Us except first it can prevail against Christ. Wherefore if We in our selves are never so weak and through our weakness never so fearful and trembling yet let us not be discouraged or faint seeing our might is not in Our selves but in Christ who dwels in Us and who is infinitely greater than He that dwells in the World He that dwells in Us through Faith is Greater than he that dwells in Them through Unbelief and in His strength let us abide by his Word and Doctrine even to Suffering and Death if need be and in all these Evils we shall overcome Them by whom we seem to be overcome as also Christ our Head did And thus much for the fourth General thing The Fifth Point The Apostle shews with whom Antichrist and his Teachers should prevail to wit with the Worldly and Carnal People vers 5. They are of the World therefore speak they of the World and the World hears them The World hears them Antichrist and his Prophets prevail with the World and Worldly People and do obtain their favour love and applause and They are their Auditors and delight in Them and their Doctrine Now by the World here is meant such People who though they have an outward Christianity and Religion yet inwardly remain in their Natural Condition and Corruption without any true renewing through Faith and the Spirit And all such People notwithstanding their seeming Religion and Righteousness do love Themselves and this World and the Things of it better than Jesus Christ and his Truth And these here are called the World and this World or these worldly Christians do hear and entertain the Teachers of Antichrist and their Doctrine Two Grounds of which the Apostle here gives us to wit Why these People cleave to these Teachers 1. The first is Because these Teachers are of the World 2. Because they speak of the World 1. They are of the World That is though by their Breeding and Profession their Degrees and Ordination they seem to be set at a great distance from the Common people and to be nearer the Kingdom of God and the Knowledge and Possession of it then the Common People of the World yet for all this They indeed and in truth are still of the World and all their liberall Education their manner of Life their Study Knowledge Learning Languages Sciences Degrees and Ordination doth not at all change their inward evil Nature Mind Will Affections nor the corrupt Disposition and Principle in which they were born but notwithstanding all these things they are still the very same throughout as when they came first into the World being destitute of a New Birth and Heavenly Nature Nay by all these things they are more taken into the Spirit of the World into the corruptions and evils of it into the pride lust covetousness and ambition of it by how much through such Indowments and Accomplishments they think Themselves better than other Men and so notwithstanding their Academical Degrees and Ecclesiastical Orders they are not less but more of the World even fully of the World And hence we may learn That it is not Study Parts Breeding Learning nor any Natural Indowments or acquired Accomplishments that will deliver any man out of this World or corrupt state of Mankind or that can change his Nature or give him the least Place or Interest in the Kingdom of God
the Christian Religion and being afflicted in Mind he did withdraw Himself into a solitary Place where there met Him an old Antient Father of comely Visage and gentle behaviour who began to reason with Him and to tell him that there was no Knowledge of Truth among the Philosophers who neither knew God nor were ayded by his Holy Spirit And did farther reason with Him of the Immortality of the Soul of the Reward of the Godly and Punishment of the Wicked Then Justine being Satisfied with his Reasons yeilded to him and demanded of him How He might attain to that true Knowledge of God whereof he had spoken Who counselled Him to read the Scriptures adjoyning therewith Prayer c. And as this Justine left all other Learning and betook himself only to the Scriptures so in the understanding of the Scriptures he rejected all his Philosophy and Philosophical Apprehensions Saying that the Interpretation of the Scripture is to be accommodated to the Will of the Doctrine of the Spirit and not to Humane Reasonings And that he might be sure and safe in all things he had constant recourse to the Scriptures thus understood So that Justine Martyr being effectually Converted wholly left his Philosophy and betook himself to the Scriptures and taught them to the Church as He had been taught them of God by his Spirit Constantine the Emperor though he were the first that brought in the Mysterie of Iniquity into the Christian Church by mingling the Civil and Ecclesiastical states and Laws together there being in His time a great Increase of Christians through the Ministry of the Gospel and a great Confluence of them to his Imperial City for the Words sake he wrote to Eusebius Bishop of Nicomedia in a special Letter Wherein he desired him with all Diligence and Speed to procure fifty Volums of the Scriptures to be written in parchment Well and Legibly and in such a bignenss or Volume as might be carried with greatest ease for the further teaching and instructing of Those that came to attain the Knowledge of the Christian Religion Judging it most meet that Christian People should be Instructed in the Doctrine of Christ only and not in Heathenish Philosophy And though afterwards when the Suffering Times of the Church began to be over Christians became more carnal and secure and that in the very days of Constantine and so began to decline the Word of Faith and to seek after Philosophy yet had God in all the Ages of his Church some of his Servants who did reject it and did cleave only to the Word Among which I shall only for the present produce the Testimonies of Berno who lived above six hundred years ago and Zuinglius of latter times Berno who lived about the year 1008. and was a man furnished with all sorts of Learning saith That he had for many years rejected as dung the figments of the Poets and the Histories of the Heathens and the study of Secular Letters and had converted the whole Intention of his Mind to the Word of God and the Divine Things contained therein And accordingly he taught no other Doctrine to any Huldricus Zuinglius also Pastor of Zurich in Helvetia a man who had been educated in all kind of Learning and was after through faith and the teaching of God an eminent Instrument in his Church he saith thus of himself When saith he I being yet a Youth was exercised in all sorts of Learning I can truly say that I did not profit less then the rest of my Equals But when about seven years ago I betook my self to the study of the Holy Scriptures then the things that I had before sucked in or learned from Philosophers and Divines did procure me so much Trouble that being then moved by the Authority of the Scriptures I judged that all those things were to be cast away and counted as dung and that the true Mind of God was only to be received from his pure and simple Word And therefore I began humbly to intreat the Lord that he would vouchsafe me his own Light By which means it shortly came to pass that the reading of the Holy Scriptures did much delight and please me and they being nakedly and alone propounded did flow unto me with more ease then if I had read them divided and distracted with variety of Comments And as he rejected Philosophy wholly and entertained the Word So did he only teach this Word to faithfull Christians who are the only true School of Christ in the World Now by all this it appears that the Schools of the Prophets and Apostles and of Christ himself the Head of them and of the most faithfull Christians that followed Christ in the first and latter Ages were in no sort like the Schools in the present Universities where Humane Learning according to the Statutes of the Universities prevails for the first seven years and they think Youths cannot be made good Christians except they be first made good Heathens The Schools of the Prophets and Apostles would not meddle with the Philosophy of the Heathen but led the children and youth presently to the Word of God and therein to the true Knowledge of God in Christ But these Schools first lead Youth from God and his Word several years together to the corrupt Reason Wisdom Notions Conceptions yea to the Idolatry Blasphemy Atheism Lusts Filthiness and Villanies of the cursed Heathen that thereby in a strange and Antichristian Method they may be the fitter to know and understand the Scriptures The Schools of the Prophets taught only Moses and the Prophets to the Jewish Youth and the Schools of the Apostles taught Christ only and his Gospel to the children of Christians But the Universities lead men both from Moses and from Christ both from the Law and the Gospel to the Heathen to make men hereby the more able Christians and Divines The Queen of the South neglecting the Magi or Wise men of the Heathen came from the utmost parts of the earth to hear the Wisdom of Solomon And the Universities leave Christ who is Infinitely Greater and Wiser then Solomon and go to the utmost parts of the earth for Wisdom from the Heathen So that in these Universities there hath been the greatest Apostacy and Withdrawing from Christ and the greatest Dishonor and Disparagement offered to Him and his Gospel as ever was known in all the World For Is it not a matter of greatest Wonder and Amazement that after that Word which was with God and was God and is God blessed for ever hath been manifested in the flesh and that Flesh of His hath been justified by the Spirit to have the Fulness of the Godhead dwelling in it bodily and that This so Wonderfull a Person hath come to his Church in the same Common Nature with it filled with all the Righteousness Wisdom Truth Power Life Peace and Joy and all the things of God I say is it not strange
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
men Reprove Convince and Silence the Greatest and Ablest men of the Jews And what Humane Learning had Steven and yet he confuted the Libertines and Cyrenians and Alexandrians and all the Philosophers of Cilicia and Asia which disputed with him and they all were not able to resist not the Humane Learning but the Wisdom and Spirit by which he spake And Christ hath promised all his People that when for his Names sake they should be brought before Kings anh Rulers who usually have the greatest accomplishments of Humane Learning that then They should not study before hand what to say for He would give them in that very hour a Mouth and Wisdom which None of their Adversaries should be able to resist And the Power and Vertue of the Gospel and the Wisdom Knowledge and Utterance of Gods Spirit is more gloriously manifest in Plain Men then in Learned Men For in the One the Grace and Vertues of the Spirit are attributed to Humane Learning But in the Other to God only who dwells in them Wherefore that the Wisdom and Knowledge and Light and Power of the Word of Faith in true Christians might not be attributed to Humane Learning God stirred up an Enemy to Christian Religion to be so serviceable to it as to hinder Heathenish Doctrine from being taught in the Schools of Christians that so the Church might be restored to be as in the dayes of its Youth when there flourished in it only the simple and plain Word of Faith without any intermingling Philosophy or Humane Doctrine And if Constantine had made such an Order in his time Julian had not had such an opportunity to have renounced Christianity and turned Heathen for Julian being instructed in the Philosophy and Disciplines of the Heathen by Libanius his Tutor by this means He came to love Philosophy better then the Gospel and so by degrees turned from Christianity to Heathenism Which may be a fair Warning to all Christians that they suffer not their Children to be so educated lest at last with Julian they at least in their hearts loath and reject the Gospel and become with him Apostates and Pagans And hence it is most evident that Heathenish Philosophy is so far from being a Profitable Study for the Children of Christians that it is very Dangerous for them to be so educated as Socrates is forced to confess where he saith For Christians to be thorowly instructed in the Disciplines of the Gentiles there is none will grant that this is Profitable to the Christian Religion For it is not without Danger for Christians to be taught in the Learning of the Heathens seeing this teacheth that there are Many Gods And therefore saith he the Doctrine of the Heathen is not approved by Christ or any of his Apostles or Disciples Wherefore said Luther My Counsel is that a Youth should shun Philosophy and School-Divinity as the Death of his Soul 3. ERROR That the Knowledge of Heavenly things cannot come to us but by things on Earth and that all Divinity is swadled in Humane Learning Answer I conceive that all Christians at the first reading of this will acknowledge that this Doctrine is not Divine but Philosophical The Philosophers say that nothing is in the Understanding but that which is first in the Sence which is proportionable to that which Mr. Simpson speaks and yet they know not what they say when they say so But let us consider if this be so That the Knowledge of Heavenly Things cannot come to us but by things on Earth then how shall we know the Mysterie of God even the Father and the Mysterie of Christ who is God manifest in the flesh Or how shall the Mysterie of Faith and of our Union with Christ through Faith into One Flesh and Spirit with Him be known Or the New Birth and New Creature which hath all things New in it and all those New things the Things of God Or how shall the free Justification of a Sinner through the Death of Christ and his Reconciliation to God be known with all the rest of the Things of the Gospel seeing Nothing on Earth can reveal the least part of these things And if the World by Wisdom that is its Philosophy knew not God how can it by that Wisdom reveal God and his things which it never knew Nay the Apostle doth clearly testifie against this Carnal and Corrupt Doctrine in 1 Cor. 2. 7 8. saying We speak the Wisdom of God in a Mysterie even the Hidden Wisdom which God ordained before the World unto our Glory which None of the Princes of this World knew and by Princes of this World he means not only Worldly Powers as Chrysostome affirms but also Philosophers and Orators who often obtained the chief Government among the Nations God hath wrapped up his Gospel saith Paul into such Hidden Wisdom that they are never able to search into it or to discover the least part of it seeing God contrived it all and appointed it before the World unto our Glory and all Their Knowledge is but from the World Yea he adds Eye hath not seen nor Ear heard neither have ever entered into the Heart of Man the Things which God hath prepared for them that love Him In which words God hath shut out the Natural Man for ever with all his study knowledge abilities and attainments from the having any Right Understanding of his Kingdom or the Things of it For the Eye of Man hath not seen them at any time nor his Ear heard them nor hath any Knowledge of them entered into his Heart so far is this Doctrine from truth that The Knowledge of Heavenly Things cannot come to us but by Things on Earth But the Apostle shews how the Faithfull come to know these high holy spiritual and eternal things which lie infinitely beyond the Knowledge and Discovery of all Men to wit by the Spirit saying But God hath revealed them to Us by the Spirit for the Spirit searcheth all things yea the Deep Things of God So that the People of God know the things of the Gospel not by Earthly Things as Mr. Simpson affirms nor by Philosophy and outward Wisdom which only reaches to Earthly Things but by the Spirit Farther If all Divinity be swadled in Humane Learning then I do affirm that all such Divinity hath no great Depth seeing the bottom of Humane Learning is easily fathomed But can any Christian Heart think that all true Divinity which comprehends in it the Heighth and Bredth and Length and Depth of the Love of God which passeth Knowledge and all the Unsearchable Riches of Christ and all the infinite and incomprehensible Treasures of his Wisdom Power and Righteousness of his Love Goodness Truth Faithfulness and of all the Fulness of the Godhead wherewith he is filled can be contained and wrapped up in the Narrow and Scant Bounds of Humane Learning How much truer Doctrine had it been to