John Wickliff.

the People with their own Teaching, and leave 'God's Teaching which is needful, and hide it with quaint Gloffes from the mean People. But (faith be) thefe Gloffers object, that they defire not the State of Mastery to be worshipped thereby, but the more to profit the People when they preach the Word. For they fay, the People will more believe the preaching of a Mafter, that hath taken a State of School, than the preaching of another Man that hath not taken the State of Mastership. To which be replies, That it is no need that Masters bear Witnefs to Gods Teaching or Word, that it is True • and Good; neither (faith he) can any man by his State of Mafter fhip which God hath forbidden, draw any man from his Sin, rather than another man which is not a Mafter, nor will be none, because it is forbidden him in the Gospel. And a little after, he faith, Seeing we are to believe a mans Works more than his Word, the Deed fheweth well of thefe Mafters, that they defire Mastership, rather for their own Wor'fhip, than for Profit of the People, &c.

After, John Wickliffe, that Chofen Servant of Chrift, did witness against these Antichriftian Dr grees, who faith, The Clergy do busily seek ther Own Worldly Worship, and Glory, and by great Gifts and vain Cofts, to be called Masters in Divinity, and to speak before Lords, and to fit at stat with Them, and not to teach truly the Gospel to all manner of Men,by meek Life,and freely, as Chrift bids. The fame Wickliffe on Mar. 23. cap. 4. faith, Studiis No- Although in fome Studies, the name of Doctor im ris fit excel-ports Excellency, feeing it is a Heathenish Rite, bear

*Licet in

quibufdam

men Do&o

lentius, cum

*

fit Ritus Gentilis ex multis Honoribus & ftatibus aggregatus, tamen in textu Apoftoli fumitur fimplicius, pro quocunque Fideli, qui notabiliter docet Fidem Catholicam; & fe dicit nomen Do&oris Meritum & Laboram, interimit Superbiam Gatus Eminentiam quoad Mundum. Wickliffe Tract. in cap. 23. Mat.

ed

ed together of many Honours and States, yet in the Text of the Apostle, it is taken more plainly, for any Faithful Man, who doth notably teach the Catholick Faith; and fo the Name Doctor, Speaks Defert and Labour, and takes away Pride and Eminency of I State, according to this World.

omnis Se&a,

quam Chri

Again, faith he, Every Sect, State and Opera- Breviter tion, which Chrift doth not approve in his Gospel, status vel is in reason to be rejected; and therefore feeing Chrift Operatio, #doth not approve, but reprove the forementioned tus non apHeathenish Mastership, it is manifeft that it is to probat in fuo Evange be difcharged, and caft out of the Church. lio, eft rationabiliter

dimittenda; ideo cum Chriftus non approbat fed reprobat Gentile Magifterium fupradi&um, patet quod eft de Ecclefia dimittendum. Idem.

Again, faith he, Note that the Name of an Office, doth much differ from the Name of a Scholaftical Graduation, Heathenifhly brought in.

Nota, quod nomen of

ficii multum diftat a nomine Gra

duationis Scholafticæ, gentiliter introduæ. Wickliffe, in Sermon Domini in Monte.

in ifto No

He faith alfo, That Chrift hath fpecially forbidden his Difciples, Heathenifh or Scholaftical Mastership; and that Chrift would have the Name of Mafter or cum pericu Doctor, fingularly referved to Himfelf, feeing He, lum & fuby reason of his Hypoftatical Union, bath a certain perfluitas fit Excellency which cannot agree to any other of Man- mine vitekind. And concludes, That feeing there is Danger iftud Nomen ain attributing to Men the Title of Mafter or Doctor fit rationa in Divinity, therefore in good Reason, thofe Titles giendum. Gare to be shunned in the Church of God.

tur quod

bil ter fu

lib. de Reg

no, c.

John Hus alfo faith, That they who take to Them. John Hus, felves Academical Degrees, and Titles Anfwerable, do go in the Apparel and Harness of the Mystical Bo- Antichrifti. dy of Antichrift, who is the King of all the Chil, “· 14. dren of Pride, to wit, of the Mafters and Doctors in Divinity.

Again, in another Place He speaks to this purpose, Chrift, (faith he) faith, John 8. Neither came

Rr3

I of

and * Ac per

quibufdam

ut

I of my Self, but the Father fent me; fo the Saints have come in the Name of the Lord Jefus, in the Name of Jefus they have perhoc diftin- formed their Priesthood, and he is the Crown of guuntur a their Glory and by this, They are diftinguished aliunde Co- from certain, who are otherwife Crowned as MaMagiftri&fters, and Doctors, and Batchelors, and from others Do&ores, of other kind of Titles, according to the manifold Baccalau- Wisdom of this World: For Thefe excelling Others aliis varii by their Pains, and through their own Science and generis Ti-Learning, are notably beautified with their own Titles multiplici and Crowns, and therefore do rather perform their Scientia bu Office in their own Name, than in Chrift's. Thus

rei, nec non

tulorum,

hu

jus Mundi,

c.

Luther.

Zuinglius.

he.

Luther fpeaks much to this purpose alfo; but I fhall have occafion to use him more largely.

Zuinglius on that Scripture, Mat. 23. Be ye not called Doctor, for one is your master, Chrift, &c. faith thus, Thou heareft here, that thefe Titles of Mafters and Doctors, are not of God, feeing Christ Titulos Ma-forbids them.

Audis bic

bujufmodi

giftrorum

Do&torum non ex Deo effe, quum Chriftus hoc vetat. Zuingl.

Melch.

Adam in

Conradus Conradus Pellican alfo, a godly Preacher, having Pellican. the fense of this on his Death-bed, defired his Friends, that he might by no means be Buried, as Vita Pelli- the manner then was, in the Habit of a Doctor, quia fperabat fe refurrecturum ad judicium non ut Doctorem, fed ut humilem Chriftianum; because he hoped he should rife to Judgment, not as a Doctor, but as an humble Chriftian.

Now methinks, the Clear and precious Word of Chrift alone, fhould take off the Universities and Clergy from giving and receiving these Degrees and Titles, if they do in good earnest prorefs themselves to be his Difciples; but how much ought they to be ashamed and confounded, when they fee other Believers, for the love of Chrift

and

and his word, utterly renouncing thefe Things before their faces, that they, if they perfift, may be left wholly without excufe before Chrift and his Church!

And now for the Conclufion of this matter, I fhall hold forth to the Universities, the true Degrees, which Chrift the Son of God, did Himself take in the Church of God, and which all his Saints are to take after his Example.

The true Divinity-De

God, which

Jefus Chrift, the Son of the living God, the firft grees in the and chief Teacher of the New Testament, did nei- Church of ther commence Batchelour nor Doctor in Divinity, Chrift Himbut he took five other Degrees, wherein the Uni- felf firft verfuy-Graduates are ufually wanting.

took.

Degree in

Chrifts firft Degree in the Church was this, that Chrift's firft He was the Son of God, as the Lord faid to him, Degree. Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee; and again, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleafed. And this is the first Degree that Chrift Chrift's first himfelf took in the Church, his Divine Sonship ac- the Church, cording to his Human Nature. And this Degree was his Diall the Faithful take with Him, for they all are be- vine Sonship. gotten of God, and born of the immortal Seed of his Word; and their being the Children of God through Faith, is the firft Degree alfo that they take in the *Church.

Degree.

2. Christ's second Degree in the Church, was His Second His Unction with the Spirit; for being the Son of His unction God, the Spirit of God came and fat upon him in the form of a Dove, which was his New-Teftament Baptifm; and his First Degree was confirmed to him by the Father, when he took this Second; for whilft the Spirit rested on him, a voice from Heaven faid, Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleafed.

And this fecond Degree alfo, all the Faithful take with Chrift; for they all as his Fellows, are anointed together with Him, the Chief among them;

Rr 4

they

they as Members are anointed together with him the Head, with the fame Oyl of Gladness; and being Sons, God fends the Spirit of his Son into their Hearts; and the Spirit of the Son in their Hearts, is a fure Teftimony they are Sons; and their fecond Degree alfo confirms their firft; to wit, the Gift of the Spirit, their Sonship.

H's third de- 3. Chrift's third Degree was this; that after gree, His he was anointed by the Spirit, and declared to be Victory over Temptation. the Son of God, than for the Proof of both, He was led by the Spirit into the Wilderness to be tempted of the Devil, forty Days and Nights together; and in these Temptations, through his Sonship and Untion, he overcame the Devil, and came away Conqueror: And this was his third Degree in the Church of God, that the anointed Son of God overcame the Devil, in all the greatest, and moft grievous Temptations, he could affault him with.

His fourth

degree.
His teach-

› And this third Degree alfo, all the Faithful take with Chrift; for when they are the anointed Sons of God, Satan fets upon them, with all forts of Temptations, and they are led by the Spirit of God, to wrestle with Principalities, and Powers, and Spiritual Wickedness fet in high Places, and the Rulers of the Darkness of this World: And yet they in the Strength of their Sonship and Unction with Chrift, do alfo with him, tread Satan under their Feet, and go away Conquerors through the Grace in them; and this alfo is their third Degree in the true Church.

4. Chrift's fourth Degree in the Church was this, That after his Sonfhip, Unction, and Victog the word. Ty over the Devil in all Temptations, He then went forth as a fit and able Minifter to teach the Gospel of the Kingdom, against all the Enmity and Oppofition of the World, Devil, and falfe Church, as it is taught us, Matth. 4. v. 11. & 17.

And