He also affirms,

that one ideot, through the help of "the grace of God, doth more good in the church, than many graduates in the fchools and colleges: and, that "God's infpiration of fuch doth more profit the community of the faithful, than all the univerfities, and all "their studies and privileges."

86

Thus hath Wickliff witneffed in this matter, who was alfo himself master of Baliol College in Oxford: And Philip Melanthon gives this testimony of him, Equidem fapientem virum judico fuiffe Vicklefum Anglum, qui omnium primus, quod ego fciam, vidit univerfitates fuisse Satana fynagogas ; that is, "I do indeed judge Wickliff of England to have "been a wife man, who for ought I know, first of all, "faw universities to have been the fynagogues of Satan.”

John Hus alfo, that excellent inftrument of Jefus Chrift, and bleffed martyr, faith, fpeaking on that fcripture, Ifaiah xxviii. "Wo to the crown of the pride of Ephraim, "and the crown of pride fhall be troden underfoot, faith, The doctorships and masterships of many, who having the "word of God wholly choked in them, do now too "fhamefully make broad their philacteries, and inlarge "the borders of their garments, and love the chief chairs "in the schools, and to be faluted in the markets, and to "be called of men doctor; and by this they go "parel and harness of the mystical body of antichrist, "because it is written, that he is the king of all the "children of pride. And the crown of pride, of thefe "children of pride, fhall be troden down *."

in the

ap

And

gradus quos Deus ordinat, in Sion cœleftem afcendere, fed per lationem Satanæ ad templi pinnacula tranfvolvere. Quæ ergo eleemofyna eft, fic fovere puerulum talem diaboli in caftris Cainiticis contra Chrif tum?

Idem.

Pedibus conculcabitur corona fuperbiæ. Nam multorum docto ratus et magiftratus, qui fuffocato in ipfis prorfus verbo evangelii, jam in verecunde nimis magnificant embrias & dilatant phylacteria fua, &

amant

And thus, as it is manifeft, what religion founded the univerfities; fo it is as manifeft what religion will, in the appointed time, destroy these foundations, if they be not truly and thoroughly reformed. For furely as they are, if the work of Chrift go forward in the world, as it neceffarily must do, notwithstanding the prefent defection, in the appointed time, they can no more be held up than the house built on the fand, in the time of tempest. For the true spiritual "church is built on the foundation of the prophets and apoftles, Jefus Chrift himself being the chief corner ftone;" and fo it is firmly founded upon a rock, and can never fall. But the univerfities are built on the philofophers and heathens, Plato and Ariftotle being the chief corner ftones; and fo they are built upon the fand. And neither can their own hands uphold them, nor the fecular arm establish them, in that day, wherein the Lord alone fhall be exalted. But it is not men of moral and civil religion and righteoufnefs, who will do this work, and execute this vengeance; for the inchantments of the universities are too strong and mighty for all human fpirits; but the called, chofen, and faithful ones of Christ, when he shall fummon them, and call them to his foot, they fhall not ftand on complements, formalities, and niceties; nor regard friendship or enmity; but through the power of faith, fhall break through all that can be faid and objected by the wifdom, policy, prudence, and religion of man, and fhall execute the righteous judgments of the Lord on these mothers of harlots, and fornications of the nations.

And whereas he faith, their deftruction will never be but of themselves: I do verily believe that: For seeing

amant primas cathedras in fcholis & falutari in foro, vocari ab homimibus rabbi; ac per hoc cedunt in apparatu & armamento corporis myftici antichrifti, quoniam fcriptum eft, eft rex fuper omnes filios fuperbiæ. Joh. Hus. lib. de regno antichrifti, cap. 14.

their root is rottennefs, their fruit must needs be deftruction. Yea, the Lord will raise up his word in the midst of them, to destroy them: For the more the word of the Lord fhall blow upon the univerfity, the more shall this grafs wither, and the flower thereof, that is, human learning, fade away, till it be at last quite dried up. And this is the university, whofe day is coming, when iniquity fhall have an end.

And thus have I done with these things: There were many other things in that fermon, as contrary to the gofpel, which for brevity's fake I have omitted.

Now what a fad thing is it, that such poisonous doctrine fhould be poured forth into a univerfity congregation, and that by the miniftry of fuch a man? And if the ceremonies of the law were in ufe under the gofpel, how ought we to rend our garments at the hearing of these things

The conclufion. And now, O bleffed Lord Jefus, who waft crucified, dead, and buried, but yet art risen from the dead by the eternal Spirit, and art afcended on high to fill all things, have mercy on thy poor church, which is fo grievously rent and torn this day, by wolves in sheeps clothing; and is thus hurt and confumed by poisonous doctrines of men, who feek themselves, and their own things, to the harm and ruin of thy poor people! O thou Son of the living God, who art the way, the truth, and the life, how fhall the kingdom of antichrift be brought down, when the hands of fuch men, who feem pillars in the church, are ftretched forth fo ftrongly to hold it up? And how fhall the days of antichrift be fhortened, when his kingdom is coming forth again, in the greatest deceivableness of unrighteousness, that hath ever yet appeared in the world to delude the nations? O Lord remember all thy promifes, and make hafte to deftroy Babylon the great, with all its myfteries of righteoufness and unrighteoufnefs, and let it fink as a mill-ftone in the fea,

without

without any hope or poffibility of a refurrection. And feeing there is no hand of man ftretched out for this work, but all hands are against it; do thou destroy it, O Lord, without hand, even with the Spirit of thy mouth, and the brightness of thy coming, according to the truth of thy promises, and the unutterable fighs and groans of thy Spirit occafioned thereby in the hearts of all thy faithful and elect. Even fo, Lord, And let thy kingdom come, and make no long tarrying. Amen.

A

TESTIMONY from the WORD

Against Divinity-Degrees in the University,

Or any ACADEMICAL DEGREES made ufe of for the Ministry of the GOSPEL.

T

HE univerfities, whofe very foul and life do lie in human learning and fchool divinity, that they might gain the greater profit to themselves, and glory to their children, have, after the example of the heathen, given their children degrees in divinity, as they in arts, and the glorious titles of BATCHELORS, MASTERS, and DOCTORS in divinity, as fo many crowns of gold upon their heads, to win them honour and reputation with all people who have been under the delusion of antichrift,

And in the confirming of these graduations or degrees, which alfo is done for a fum of money, they give the graduates license and power to preach, and to expound the fcriptures, and that by the fole authority of the university.

For the VICE-CHANCELLOR, admitting a batchelor in divinity to his degree, ufeth these words in the name of the university, "We admit you to declare all the apof

tolical epiftles, in the name of the Father, Son, and "Holy Ghost. And fo the batchelor in divinity, hath "power according to his degree only to deal with the "apoftolical epiftles, but must go no farther." And admitting a doctor to his degree, the vice-chancellor faith thus, "We admit you to interpret and profefs all the

"holy