The things of the Go

foretold by Joel, chap. 2. ver. 28. And it shall come to pass in the last days faith the Lord, that I will pour out of my Spirit on all flesh, and your fons and daughters shall prophefie. There needs nothing to the Ministry of the New Teftarent but only Gods pouring out his Spirit: Wherefore Chrift bids his Difciples ftay at Jerufalem till they fhould receive the promife of the Spirit, and then they should go forth and Teach.

And fo after, as Believers received the Spirit, fo they became Minifters of the New Testament, as we fee in the Acts of the Apoftles, and in the first 300 years after Chrift. For there is but one only Miniftry of the New Teftament, which is common to all men alike who have received the Spirit of God, and to none elfe, though never fo excellently qualified with Natural Abilities and Humane Learn ing.

For the things of the Gospel are altogether inpel cannot visible things, and cannot be known but by the Put by the teaching of the Spirit, though a man have all the feaching of Wifdem, and Knowledge, in the World, as Paul de the Spirit. clares I Gar. 2. ver. 8. 9, 10. Eye hath not feen,

the

nor Ear heard, nor the Heart of man understood the things which God hath prepared for them that love him; but God hath revealed them to Us (Believers) by the Spirit; for the Spirit fearcheth all things, yea the deep things of God. For what man knoweth the things of a man, but the Spirit of a man that is in him? even fo the things of God knoweth no man but the Spirit of God, Now we have received, not the Spirit of the World (which for its highest perfection hath only humane Wisdom and Knowledge) but the Spirit which is of God, that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.

Where we learn that the things of the Gofpel and of the Kingdom of God are not known at all, por difcerned, in the least measure, bug by Gods Spirit;

Spirit, which Spirit is given to all that believe, and this Spirit alone is fufficient, both to enable us to know clearly and certainly the things of God, and alfo to publish them unto others, and nothing of Man or the Creature can add to it.

Wherefore when Chrift chofe his Minifters according to his Fathers Councel, he chofe not the Wife and Learned, but plain, fimple men; that it might appear to all the World, throughout all ages, how infinitely able the Unition of his Spirit alone is, without any addition of any thing else, for the Ministry of the New Teftament: and Chrift upon the ferious confideration of this strange choice of God by Him, breaks forth into this Thanksgiving, Mat. 11. 25. I thank thee Father Lord of Heaven and Earth, that thou haft hid these things (that is, the Word of Faith and Mystery of Chrift and his Kingdom) from the Wife and Prudent, and haft revealed them to babes; even fo Father because it pleafed thee. And David admiring this wonderful difpenfation, fpeaks thus in the joy of his heart, Pfal. 8. ver. 1. 2. O Lord our Lord, how excellent is thy Name in all the World, who haft fet thy Glory above the Heavens! and then fhowing wherein this high Glory of God appears, faith, Qut of the mouth of babes and fucklings haft thou ordained ftrength, because of thine enemies, that then mightest still the enemy and the avenger. God ufeth no other leftrument to overcome the greatest Enemies and Avengers, that arife in the World and worldly Church, than the ftrength he ordains out of the mouths of babes and fucklings, that is true believers, who live only on the fincere milk of the Word.

The Lord had all the World before him, to have chofen out of it whom he pleafed to be the Inftruments by whom he would hold forth his Word and Gospel to all Nations, Yet in his infinite wildom, and gracious Councel, and good Pleasure, he

would

κατεύς.

would pass by the Wife and Learned men, and great Philofophers, and fubtile Difputants, as Paul affirms, 1 Cor. 1. 19. that God hath faid, I will deftroy the Wisdom of the Wife, and bring to nothing the Understanding of the Prudent. God is fo far from making ufe of Humane Wisdom, and Prudence in the Gospel of his Son, that he quite deftroys it, y and brings it to nothing: Wherefore Paul adds ver. 20. Where is the wife? where is the learned, or lettered man? where is the Difputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? For after that in the wisdom of God, the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleafed God by the foolishness of Preaching to fave them that belive. By the foolishness of preaching, that is, by the Word of Faith out of the mouth of Babes and Sucklings, which the World reckons, foolishness; by this alone, doth God bring a bout the Salvation of the Elect.

Now at these things how grievously are the Worldly-wife, and deep learned ones (as they esteem themselves) offended? that Gods Spirit alone fhould be a fufficient Unction for the Ministry of the New Testament, and that God should on fet purpofe lay afide the Wife and Prudent men, and choose babes, and out of their mouth ordain his great strength to fet up Chrifts Kingdom in the world, and to destroy Antichrifts? Yea this Do*University trine will chiefly offend the University.

and all in it

of all De

For you will fay; if this be fo, What need is there grees. then of our Philofophy, and of our Arts and Sciences Objection to the Ministry of the New Testament? And what By the Uni- need is there of our Acts and Clerums? And what verfity.

need is there of our Scarlet, and Tippets? And what need is there of our Hoods and Caps, &c. If the Unition of the Spirit alone be fufficient for the right Ministry, and Christ do perfect his praise by the mouths of babes and Sucklings, then what need is there of all these things?

I Answer,

I Answer, No need at all, as to Chrifts Kingdom, Anfwer to it and the Ministry of that: For it is one of the groffeft errors that ever reigned under Antichrifts Kingdom, to affirm that Universities are the fountain of the Minifters of the Gospel, which do only proceed out of Chrifts flock.

taxat Aca

humines

dierunt om

catores, c.

hos Jontes

bus featu

And because you will be greatly offended at me Que indubiæ for fpeaking thus, you fhall hear what Luther faith demias in to this matter on 2 Pet. 2. 1. upon these words, quibus tales but there were falfe Prophets among the people, as there creantur, e fhall be falfe Teachers among you; the word Peter u- quibus profes here, is feudosisdonano, false Doctors, or false nes in orMafters; and Luther faith it came to pass by the bem prædifingular Councel of God, that our Teachers fhould Totus enim be called Doctors and Mafters, that it may appear orbis in bac to all, whom Peter here means: and he farther fententia eft faith, that Peter hereby doth undoubtedly tax the Uni-ce, e quiverfuties, in which fuch men are created, and out of riant quidowhich have proceeded all the Preachers in the World, focere poputhat there is no Town or City under the whole Kingdom Hic eft erof Antichrift, which hath not fuch Doctors and Ma. For bornfters as are Created in the Univerfities. For the whole world (faith he) is of this Opinion, that the Univer- nibil æque fities are the fountains whence they should flow who ought to teach the People. Now this (faith he) is a most quam ex horrible and abominable error, so that nothing hath pro- prodierit, ceeded in all the world, out of any thing, fo much to c. Luth. be oppofed, as out of Univerfuies: wherefore (faith he) Peter faith that all these are false Masters, and falfe Doctors. Thus Luther.

lum debeant

dus abominandus,ut

averfandum ulla ex re,

Accademiis

in loc.

Now if any fay, This Doctrine being commonly Objec taught and received, will throw down the Univerfities.

I answer. If the Universities will ftand upon an Answer, Humane and Civil account, as Schools of good Learning for the inftructing and educating Youth in the knowledge of the Tongues, and of the liberal Arts and Sciences, thereby to make them useful and ferviceable

The third

General.

serviceable to the Commonwealth, if they will
ftand upon this account, which is the fureft and
fafeft Account they can ftand on, and will be con-
tent to shake hands with their Ecclefiaftical and
Antichriftian Intereft, then let them ftand, during
the good Pleasure of God; but if they will still ex-
alt themselves above themselves, and place them-
felves on Chrifts very Throne, as if they had afcen-
ded
upon high to lead captivity captive, and to give gifts
to men for the work of the Ministry, and fo will pre-
fume to darken the Glory of Jefus Chrift and his
true Ministry which He fends forth, as his Father
fent Him, then let them in the Name of Chrift de-
fcend into that darknefs out of which they first
fprang,that the Glory of Chrift may fill the World.

And thus have 1 declared how the World and
worldly Church are offended at Chrift and his Word,
and Worship, and Church, and Government, and
Miniftry, and fo confequently at all his things.
And Now I proceed to the third General I pro-
pounded; to wit, to fhew

3 Point.

How great an evil it is to be thus offended at Chrift To be of and his Things.

fended at Chrift.

1. It's a fign

norant of

Chrift.

And this appears in many particulars.

1. One Evil is, That to be offended at Chrift and men are ig his things, is a certain Evidence that men are wholly Ignorant of Chrift and of God, though they be called Chriftians, and save the Name of God always in their mouths; For if men knew Chrift aright, and God in Chrift, it were impoffible they fhould be offended at Him; and inafmuch as they are offended, it is certain they do not know Him by any revelation from the Father. Wherefore Chrift tells his Difciples, John. 16. 3. that the chief ground of that offence which the World and worldly Church fhould take against them who are his true Members, and have received the fame Word

and