ONE sort of the Ministery of the Church of England is the Collegiat or idle Ministery, which may be divided, or rather distinguished, because sometimes they are mixed and joy­ned, one man being a Master of a College and a Deane, a Fellow of a House, and a Preband, and each of them have a Parsonage or two for a need) into these two kindes, Aca­demicall and Cathedrall. The third sort the Monasticall, being by the hand of God and the Magistrates sword cut off and suppressed. These Academicall Divines live, have their education and degrees in the Colleges, Halls and Cells of the two Vniversities. The originall corrupt customes and use of which places it is not my purpose here to discourse; neither indeed have I skill aright to discusse whether, and how they sprang from the Heathens, or from the Papists. Only this I dare affirme, that from the Booke of God they ne­ver derived these their Colleges, Schooles, Halls, Orders, Degrees, Vowes Cu­stomes, Ceremonies, Attire, that I say not their Arts, Authours, exercise and use of their learnings, disputations, commencements, &c. But as they have received them elsewhere, so have they ever belonged to another head and King­dome, and can by no means (in this state they now stand, and have time out of mind continued) be made to accord to the Gospell and Kingdome of Christ, whereof these Vniversitie Divines have ever been the professed and most bitter enemies, furnishing Antichrists Hoast in all the roomes and places even from the Popes chaire, to the Parish Priests pulpit or pue, with fresh servitors continually, corrupting the pure Fountaines, and perver­ting the text it sefe with their glosses, paraphrases, notes, figures &c. figh­ting with their Schoole-learning, vaine arts, philosophie, rethoricke, and logicke against the truth and servants of God, striving hereby to up­hold Antichrists ruinous kingdome and abominable wares, which these merchantmen set to saile for gaines as we by present experience see (now their portion and idle Monasticall life, beginneth but even a little to be reproved by the light and power of the Gospel) how these crafts-men, these Vniversitie Clerks rage and take on, and with their Schoole-learning seeke to turne away the evident truth of God, to colour and plead for all the abomination and sinne of the times, to heale the wound and uphold the throne of the Beast, to rend, reproach, and blaspheme such as speake [Page 2]and witnesse against it, as their vituperous, unchristian and erroneous bookes which they daily publish, declare.

Neither is their education and learning (if they be duely examined) such as is required in the holy Ministery of Christ: All of them (as is said) being nourished even from their Cradles with the milke of superstition, instructed in the Schooles of heathen vanity, brought up in the Colleges of more then Monkish idle­nesse and disorder, exercised in vaine and curious arts, whose divinity is by traditi­on, &c. The truth of these things Mr. Giffard not being able to gainsay, seeketh to shuffle off with a bold boasting challenge against men unto himselfe unknowne upon the dispence of bearing the shame, If he find not in the Vniversities many Bachelours of Art for exceding in the knowledge of the li­berall Arts, the three Tongues, Hebrew, Greek and Latin, or in sound judgement of Divinity, even the Principall Masters of Brownisme; which if it could in so few yeeres be obtained with more then Monkish idlenesse, then may the Brownists in some thing be believed. First, we give him, to wit, that there are of those he calleth Brownists, sundrie of greater continuance, and that have as high degree in those Schooles with as high commendation as himselfe, al­though they boast not of such things whereof they ought to be ashamed. Then that there are, as many of his brethren the Monkes, that thinke them­selves as skilfull as himselfe, or the greatest Clerke in the Vniversity. But now, in all this, what will our ignorance helpe him or their store of lear­ning shew, that they have not been, and are not thus initiate and brought up. In their Grammer Schoole it cannot be denied, but they learned, and learne the Latin tongue, from the most heathenish and prophane authors, lascivious Poets, &c. which are allowed with the priviledge of the Church of England, as most Christian rudiments to be taught the youth in the publique Schoole. When they have passed all these formes, and can both say much of those Authors by heart, and use their phrase, then are they sent to the Vniversitie to learne the arts, and to be instructed in Philo­sophie, &c. Hitherto it cannot be denied, but Heathenisme, and such exe­crable Idolatry as is found in those Authors, is written and engraven up­on the tables of their heart, and filed upon their tongues; even from their infancie. Well and when they are come to the Vniversitie, there are they first salted, as they call it in the Colledge, and matriculate in the publique Schooles solemnly sworne upon the Proctors booke, to keepe their mo­thers statutes and secrets, and not to reveale her Mysteries, or teach her Arts any where but in the Vniversitie. Then are they instructed both publique­ly and privately in Logique and Retorick in the Elenches and Topicks, in the Tropes and Figures of all kindes; wherein they must be perfect, for these Arts are of speciall use unto them and to serve at all assayes. Then proceed to Philosophie, and there Aristotle is [...] amongst them, out of whose mouth and writing they fetch their Positions and Axiomes; Definitions, Apho­rismes, Distinctions, &c. out of his Ethicks, Oeconomicks and Politicks they fetch the order and government of their manners, private estates, and common­wealth. [Page 3]He yet further instructeth them of the Soule, and of the World, in large and speciall bookes; of the heaven, of naturall and supernaturall things, of Nature, Fortune, the eternity of the world, and perpetuity of all creatures in their kind in specie, of the regions of the ayr and severall things in them contained, the Meteors, &c. there learne they the causes of the Rainbow, the making of the winds, clouds, and of the whole skie, farre otherwise then is set downe in Genesis. Yet leadeth he them higher, and sheweth them the celestiall Spheares. Planers Stars, Quintessences, even from the Moone to their Caelum cristallinum empiraeum, and their Primum Mobile, with their severall places, dimensurations, motions and Motors: yea, yet learne they more secret things with their constellations, radiati­ons, influence, and predomination according to their signes, houses, op­positions, aspects, eclipses, &c. whereby most strange and wonderfull things are prognosticate and foretold concerning the weather & seasons of the yeere the state of Kingdomes, the diseases and dangers to come, &c. concerning nativities and times of death (commonly called Fortanes) con­cerning things to come, or things past, stollen, lost, found, &c. These things, it were frensie, if not blasphemy, to call vaine and curious Arts. Master Giffard would never beare it at the hands of such blind Schismaticks (whose bane such deepe learning is) seeing these Sciences are vulgarly taught, studied, practised, allowed and maintained, not onely in the Vni­versities, but of the whole Church of England, as by their yeerly Prognosti­cations every where to be sold, is to be seen. These studies and Arts we may not call perierga, curious, because Mr. Giffard saith, Luke speaketh onely of conjuration, Acts 19. But let him approve these lawfull by the Scrip­tures, and surely I will gladly confesse mine ignorance and sin, in calling these studies and Arts prophane, curious, unfit for a Christian, much more for a Minister of the Church. Otherwise let not any through mine unskilfulnesse (who peradventure repeate not aright, or in due place the termes of these Arts, as having either forgotten them through long discon­tinuance, or it may be, never learned them a right) take occasion either to carpe at me therefore, or especially to thinke the better of these vaine and curious, yea, unlawfull and unchristian Arts and studies, which have not onely no warrant in Gods Word, but are directly contrary unto, and ex­presly forbidden in the same, as were not hard to shew and prove, if the subject were not too large, and should not make too wide a Parenthesis in this Treatise, and draw it out to a greater length then I would. I will not therefore stand here to discusse their philosophicall problemes, paradoxes, axiomes, or severall sentences and opinions, which are authenticall and currant amongst them, how evill they agree to the Word of God; or to shew how farre these curiors Inquisitors, these Star-gazers, Astrologians, Calcars, Wizards Devines, exceed the bounds of faith and sobrietiy, and passe the limits of Gods revealed Will: or, whether they may wander by these heathenish or divellish opinions of the Heavens, Stars, and their re­volutions, [Page 2]influence, &c. Motors, Demones or Spirits, and how neere this ap­proacheth to conjuration: Or to show how farre they are suffered to pro­ceed, yea, professe and practise in these divellish Arts: Let the bookes (that I charge no persons) which are commonly bought and studied in the Vniversities, and in all other parts of the Realme without their con­trolement shew. Neither will I here proceed to repeat their other vaine, curious, fond, trifling and vile Arts and Studies, which were endlesse. Only in this place I must here adde unto those publike professed Arts above recited, the study of all Heathen and prophane Histories of all ages, nations, persons wherein they must of necessity be prompt and ex­pert; as from those fountaines to draw their examples and platformes of manners and the government of States; as from whence to fetch the chiefe ornaments of their stile, Orations, Sermons, Bookes, to exemplyfie, illustrate, prove or improve: yea, as whereby to open and expound the Scriptures both of the old and new Testament, chiefly the old Prophets, without which they cannot be understood, but especially Esay and Daniel. As to Rethoricke and Logique they are so necessary, as without which it is impossible to understand or divide any part of the Scriptures aright; as without which they cannot understand or declare to the people by what trope or figure, by what form of argument or Syllogisme the holy Ghost speaketh.

In these Arts and Studies, are the Academicall Divines, or rather Peripate­ticke Philosophers, trained and exercised. In these they must needs spend seven of their first yeeres at the least, else should they be unfit to take those degrees of Batchelor and Master of Art; or to make that publike profession they doe of the Arts at their Commencements. In these Arts and Studies when they are once a little exercised and instructed, that they begin to perceive the grounds and method thereof, then are they trained both pub­likely and privately to defend or oppose against some of these Axiomes or Positions, both by way of Oration and Argument in their Sophismes and Disputations, and therein all being approved (or at the least allowed) they then take the first degrees of Schocles, and commence Bachellors of Art; and have as ensignes of their degree and knowledge, speciall attire and furni­ture assigned them to be knowne from other common schollers; as the square Cap, troncke Gowne, the Hood of one shoulder, the habite, &c. which they must weare. Afteward having spent more then three yeeres in study on these Arts, and having done their publike acts Pro gradu, then they commence Masters of the said Arts, and are againe solemnly sworne and made Regents and Lecturers of their Schooles, and sit, reade, and dis­pute of the same Arts publikely in a solemne high Seat, Pulpit or Chaire for Orations; as also reade private Lectures thereof in their Colleges. Now I would here by the way know of Master Giffard, what time and leisure a Bachelor of Art that continueth in the Vniversitie, and proceedeth in those orders and degrees can have, to study Divinity, or to grow so prompt in the knowledge, judgement, and exercise thereof, as he dare ingage his credit [Page 5]he shall be found farre to passe therein such as in therein [...] been allowed publikely to preach, and of the Bishops been made full Ministers. But to our purpose, when these Clerkes are thus instituted and furnished with these liberall sciences, and this ground-worke throughly laid, then may they in good time proceed to the study of Divinity, (as they call it) which is set out unto them in great volumes and infinite bookes of mens writings, both old and new, where they have such variety of Paraphrases, Commentaries, Common places, Catechises. &c. (Not to trouble them at the first with the Primitive Histories, Doctors, Councells) as they may in short space (if they study hard) become pretty Divines, and be able to shew their Authors judgement, yea (through the help of Roto­ricke and a good memory) to make a Sermon an houre long: Alwayes carefully provided that they utter no more, then that they have read in some allowed Author, having the privilege of the Church of England and presume not either to understand the Text otherwise then their Authors interpret it, or to adde one note of their owne observation, for that (how consonant soever to the truth) were great presumption & rashnesse. Nei­ther may they over-far apply or inforce the judgement of their Authors against any present enormity established by authority in the Church of England, for that were intollerable against the peace of the Church, yea, seditious against the Magistrates authority, &c. Thus, whilest these Di­vines are held within these limits of modesty and sobriety, and continue with their Mother the Vniversity, they may in due time set up their bills of challenge upon the Schoole doores that they meane to dispute upon such and such questions of Divinity, and doe their acts pro gradu. Which being dispatched, either in tenebris or in luce, then are they fit for the Commencement to be made Batchelors of Divinity. In like manner against that day must such of them as have before passed all these degrees, and now are fit to proceed Doctors of Divinity, doe their acts in the publique Schoole accor­dingly in these Divinity Disputation Sermons ad derum, &c. And against this solemne Commencement must especiall choice be made of those that are to commence Batchelors and Doctors of Divinity, to keepe the publique acts that day. And these for their further credits often times will under­take to defend against all commers, such Propositions as are most odious to all men, in whome is any light, conscience, knowledge, or feare of God. As that it is lawfull for one man to have more Benefices and Flockes to attend on, then one at one time; That it is lawfull to be a Non resident, to live from his flocke whereof hee taketh charge; That the unpreaching Ministers are true and lawfull Pastors, and the Sacraments by them delivered true and holy Sacraments; That Christs outward go­vernment in his Church, practise and set downe by his Apostles, is not of necessity or perpetuall, but variable and arbitrable at the will of men, according to times estates &c. These and such like, these Graduates pub­lish and defend, the Vice-Chancelor and and whole Senate of the Vniversity [Page 6]conclude and confirme, as Catholike Orthodox and most sound, rejecting whatsoever Scriptures or Reasons shall by these comicall Disputers ei­the Vniversity Doctors and Divines, be brought against them. Well, unto this famous act are these Commencers solemnly brought in their severall attires and arrayes, in their scarlet gownes, hoods, habits, caps, tip­pets, &c. with the Bedells proclaiming and carrying staves and maces before them, with a great troupe of Graduates and Clerkes following them. And thus they march thorow the streets to the place appointed and pre­pared for these prizes, where they have their sticklers and moderators ready to rescue, when they are in any distresse and where their adver­saries fight booty, being of their owne confederacie. Where it is not lawfull for any that will to oppose or to speake for the truth of God. Neither are these questions discussed in the English tongue before those multitude of people and strangers, but in the Latine tongue after their Syllogisticall and Romish manner lest the folly of these Prophet should be laid open unto all men, and these gamesters be hissed off the Stage by the people. Thus though with many other trifling ceremonies and cir­cumstances then either I can, or care to recite, are these Academicall Di­vines, advanced to their degrees. Which degrees, titles, ceremonies, orders oathes vowes, manner of disputations, &c. how consonant they are to the Ministry of Christ by the Apostles rules, let Master Giffard or those learned Divines approve by Christs Testament, as it standeth them upon, that bring them in and exercise them in the Church. For our selves we protest we never there read or heard of any such: and therefore cannot but thinke them fond strange, and Antichristian, such as no way belong to or beseeme the Ministry of Christ, neither are necessary or tolerable in Christs Church. Thus, even by this very brief and insufficient recitall of but some of their Arts, studies, orders, degrees &c. I hope this assertion will not prove so false or incredible That the learned Ministry of the Church of England is nourished even from their cradles with the make of superstition in­structed in the Schooles of heathen vanity, brought up in the Collidges of more then Monkish idlenesse and disorder.

For of such kinde of Societies and Colledges of Ministers and Clerks, to live together after this Monasticall manner, we never read in the whole Booke of God. How like they are to the Schools of the Prophets at Naioth, Rama Iericho let their Arts studies vowes customes, orders, ceremonies, degrees disputations exercises &c. declare. And as to the holy exercise of prophesie spoken of in the new Testament, it belonged unto and alwayes was exercised in some Christian Congregation, in a more holy, reverent, and free manner, and not after those Heathenish Popish customes above said. We in Christs Testament never reade of such a Monastical Ministry so withdrawne and sequestred from any particular Congregation, Office, Charge and Function, as these Vniversitie Divines and Ministers are in their Colledges, Halls, Cells: Where they must needs live in idlenesse and dis­order, [Page 7]that are thus licentiate and dissolute, that will beheld within no Christian bonds or order. Wee never reade in Christs Testament of any such Societies or Ministers, that lived in no particular Congre­gation, that were called to no particular Office, or Flocke, that live idlely, professing to be Ministers, and yet execute no certaine Mini­stry or Function. When Master Giffard shall directly prove by the Scriptures these things to be lawfull, then so farre forth wee shall allow of these Vniversitte Divines, these Collegiat Ministers: And the rather, if hee also approve by Gods Word their worship in their Service-booke; and last of all (not to comber him with their manifold other superstiti­ous enstomes, Commemoratons, &c.) if hee can shew it to be lawfull for any Minister or Christian to joyne unto and live in any such Col­ledge, Societie or Fellowship, where Gods holy Ordinance of honest mar­riage is by expresse law forbidden all the Fellowes and Schollers of these Colledges, they being no longer to remaine in that Societie, then they live unmarried, I say not now chastely: For how pos­sibly or likely that is, for so many young men in the flower of their youth and prime of their strength, especially being noseled in such hea­then vanity prophanenesse, vaine-glory, curiositie, superstition, disorder, dissolutenesse, and (as is said) contempt of Gods Ordinances, let any judge: yea, let the Scripture it selfe judge; where God sheweth the reward of these sinnes, how hee therefore giveth them up to the lusts of their owne hearts, unto uncleannesse, to shamefull lusts, Rom. 1. contrary to nature, to worke filthinesse, and to dishonour their owne bodies amongst themselves &c. And so untill some of them can justifie this their life, or­ders, custome, vowes and proceedings of these Academicall Devines in their Schooles and Colledges, we must number and leave them with their brethren and sisters, the Monkes, Friers, Nuns, &c. under Gods fearefull judgements, utterly in this estate unfit for the Ministrie or Church of Christ.

Yet would I not here, that any should deeme or suppose that wee con­demne any lawfull Arts or necessary Sciences, or any holy Exercises, or Schooles of institution; and so doe labour to bring in barbarisme, as Master Giffard, Master Some, and others have given out. No, we are so far from it, as wee blame these Vniversities, Colledges and Schooles, for their heathen, prophane, superstitious unchristian societies disorders, customs, ceremonies, for their vaine, curious, unlawfull Arts and studies, and their manner of teaching and exercising them, &c. We desire with our whole hearts that the tongues and other godly Arts were taught not in the Vniversi­ties, or a few places onely, but in all places where an established Church is, at the least in every City of the land. Yet this indeed we hold, That eve­ry Christian man ought to have his abiding and dwelling, and to bring up his children in some such place where a Christian Congregation is, and that all Schools of learning ought to be kept in such places, where both Teachers and Schollers may be under the holy government and censures [Page 8]of Christ in his Church, and may live and be kept in holy order. Then, that the Arts and Sciences which are thus taught or studied, be not vaine, curious, or unlawfull but necessary and godly. Thirdly, that they be not taught, exercised or practised after any prophane, vain-glorious or super­stitious manner, but in all sobriety, modesty, and in the feare of God. To these few rules; if their Vniversities, Colledges, Schooles, were reformed, then should they not be as they now are, the Seminaries of Antichrist, the bane of the Church, the corruption of all youth in the Land: But then should they be (that which they now pretend) the Schooles of all godly learning to garnish the Church, to furnish the Commonwealth with fit and vertuous men for every place, office, and estate.

Here they will with one voyce answer, that the Vniversities are the Se­minaries of Religon, of the Ministery of the land; the Schooles and Colledges of learning wherein the sonnes of the Prophets are trained up as they were in Naioth, in Bethel Ieriche Iorusalem and Corinth.

If the tree be knowne by the fruit, the Cockatrice by the poisoned Egges the Viper by the spawne the nest by the birds; then let the Religi­on and Priests of the Land shew what kinde of Seminaries and Colledges these Vniversities are. If these be the best fruit and famoufest men (that are instructed in nothing but [...] corrupt and cavill against the truth) then let them take heed for the Axe is laid to the root of the tree, &c. If also these your Vniversities be compared to the Cities, whither these faithfull men re­paired (because of these famous Prophets) to be instructed in the Lawes of God, we shall find them more like to the Sodomiticall Colledges and Fellow­ships of the Idolatrous Monks and Friors, brethren of a birth, even by both parents; then unto the holy assemblies of the Prophets. And this will ap­peare, if we compare them either in the persons assembled, or in the man­ner and ends of their education and training.

What the sonnes of the Prophets were, is already shewed; namely, god­ly men that repaired to the Cities where these famous Prophets were most resident, to be instructed in the Law of God. But the persons that resort to these Vniversities are the children of all the prophane in the Land, that repaire thither to be instructed in heathen and vaine Arts, whereby they may get their living; or if they study Divinitie, (as they call it) they make an occupation, of it: It is but for their belly, for worldly promotion, and not for the glory of God, as the greedy seeking after their Ecclesiasticall li­vings by the one sort, the selling of their cunning, and letting forth their tongues to hire of the other sort, declareth.

Third holy companies of Prophets mentioned in the Scriptures, were trained up in the Law of God, lived orderly in the feare of God together with their wives and families. But these Vnivensity Colledges are a misse line rowte of very young men for the most part, and boyes together, lead­ing their lives in Idolaity, confusion; disorder; spending their lives if vanity, folly, idlenesse, living neither in the feare of God, not in an [Page 9]well established order of his Church, neither in any lawfull calling in the Common-wealth. They are forbidden in these societies to live in holy wedlocke: If he be married, he may not there enter: If hee being entred marry, he may not there tarry. An endlesse discourse it were, but to recite their severall Idolatrous prophane usages mysteries, others, vows, ceremonies; all which evidently shew from whence they had their ori­ginall, namely, from Antichrists chaire, to which they have ever served, and still mall places do serve, fighting stoutly under his banner against the Faith and Church of Christ, supplying him continually with fresh soldi­ers to carry abroad his merchandise, and fet abroach the deceits of Satan.

Neither are they more like unto the Churches of Christ, Revel [...] 1 Iohn [...] 2 Cor. [...] then unto the Schooles of the Prophets: the Church of Christ is no cage of such un­cleane and hatefull birds of their frie and off-spring: the Churches of Christ have no such Colledges, Societies, Fellowships; the Churches of Christ have no such heathenish and Idolatrous customes, excercises usa­ges, othes, vowes, ceremonies; they have no such prophane Arts, 1 Tim [...] & 4. [...] 3.4.5 [...] 1 Tim [...] Tit. [...] 1 Pet. [...] Acts [...] 1 Cor. [...] Mat [...] Acts [...] vaine education and literature; they have no such degrees and ostentations of learning, neither are there found either Batchelors or Doctors of Divinity. Their Pastors and Teachers are chosen for their knowledge, gravity, good­nesse of life; they have no such fastuous and blasphemous titles, but are called to a labour and a charge; for the faithfull performance where­of, they rather desire to be commended, then to be thus greeted in the Market-place. As they are by the Church wherein they serve, called to to this office; so are they orderly and reverently ordained by and in the same Congregation, with fasting and prayer, &c. and not arrayed in searlet with the habit, hood, tippet, corner-cap, with their maces and beadles proclaiming before them, and such a traine of the Popes Olerks, young and old following them through the streets, till they march to the place where they play their prifes: Neither are they in this manner dub­bed Doctors by the delivering a booke unto them, sworne upon a booke to their fathers fidelity, and their mothers mysteries adopted their sonne by a ring and a kisse, or enthronized in a chaire, with many other ceremo­nies, and made Doctors of Divinity, Doctors in name and title onely, Act [...] 1 [...] with­out any certaine office or Church wherein and whereunto to administer.

For this title of Divinity, I know not how to give it unto any mor­tall man without blasphemy, Christ onely excepted, Col. [...] in whom the ful­nesse of the God head dwelleth bodily. Rev. [...] Rev. [...] The English of Christian Reli­gion and Profession of the Gospell and faith of Christ, I can well away with and digest; but this English, Romish abstract of Divinity, I am as­sured came from the same forge that their title of the supreme Head of the Church did, and cannot with all the glosses, scholions, and learned interpretations they can devise, be made other then most high blasphe­my against the sacred person of Christ, [...] who is onely universall Doctor of all his Disciples, and of all true Religion. And evill may D. S. either [Page 10]defend or paterne his Doctorhood by Saint Paul, who in the same verse, by him alledged, 1 Tim. 2.7. sheweth a lawfull calling, a lawfull and cer­taine office, and also a sincere and faithfull administration thereof. But now, as Saint Pauls Apostolique office is ceased, the Church being esta­blished and delivered to other certaine offices; so if Pauls Apostolique roome of Doctorship (as he calleth it) were void, I suppose, D. Some not the fittest man in the world for it; although (if it be as I heare) he can be no lesse then an Apostle by his offices, hee being a Pastor, if not a double or plurified Nonresident Pastor of many Churches; a Doctor you see by privi­ledge and stile, and a Deacon I meane also at Ely. And what was or could any Apostle be more? Yet, seeing all these are but forged stuffe, and that he hath neither any true office in the Church neither any true calling thereunto, &c. we can take him but for a false Apostle at the best, if he sit not in an Apostataes chaire, that I say not an Apostataes gowne some­where else, and so leave him either to repentance, or to follow his prede­cessors to his appointed place.

But by following this bird over farre, I had almost been trained from the nest. I was shewing what little affinity there is betwixt the Churches of Christ, and these Vniversities, these Colledges of Clerkes, these Schooles of Prophets. In the churches of Christ, the names and offices of Chancellor, Vice-chancellor, Commissary, Proctors, Taskers, Bedells, Provosts, Masters of Col­ledges, vice-Masters, Bowcers, Deanes, Fellowes, &c. are all strange and unheard of; as also their severall statutes, customes, ceremonies their manner of degrees, and disputing for their degrees and order of teaching, which were no small labour but to reckon up.

All which, as they are strange to the Church of Christ, who find not in all Gods Word, any of these offices, degrees, statutes, orders, cu­stomes, ceremonies, vows &c. neither any such Vniversities, colledges, Societies of Schollers; so (seeing they have no ground in the Word of God, no fellowship or communion with the Church) I see not why they should have any more toleration then their elder brethren the Monks, who every way had as great shew of holinesse and colour of utility to the Church as they, or these other Cathedrall Collegiate dens have, yea, and might both as soone and as well have beene purged of their Masse and Latine-service, as these are: so that the same end that is besalne the one remaineth the other. The Lord is not pleased with any voluntary Religion. That building that hath not the Word of God for the foundation, though it be dawbed with never so great cunning and learning, [...] and undershored with never so great policy and power, though it be built as high as Ba­bel, yet shall it assuredly fall, and the greater shall be the fall thereof. As there is no building without the Word of God for the foundation; so is there no fellowship or communion out of the Church of God. And therefore no such consused Colledges, no such Idolatrous assemblies as are not gathered unto Christ, but unto Antichrist, as live not in that Christian [Page 9]order and fellowship which Christ hath appointed to all his servants in his Church, but leade their lives in Antichristian disorder, in Babylonish, if not Sodomitish confusion; no such heathen Schooles wherein youth is not trained up in the feare, knowledge and order of Christ, but in vaine Arts, Ephes [...] Prov. [...] superstition, Idolatry, disorder, &c. have any foundation in the Word of God, any fellowship with or allowance in the Church of God.

But here will the Vniversity Knights draw mee within the com­passe of these two absurdities: First, that I condemne all good Arts and Literature; then, that I quite drive them out of the world by ta­king away the Schooles of the same, wherein youth might be trained and brought up.

Nothing lesse, I with my whole heart allow of any Art or Science that is consonant to the Word of God, and to the Doctrine which is accor­ding to godlinesse; onely the curious and heathen Arts prophane and vaine babblings and oppositions of Science falsly so called, which they professe, and wherewith they poyson and corrupt all the youth of the Land I abhorre, because God condemnech.

As sor Schooles to teach the Tongues or any laudable or necessary Art, I wish them in abundance; that if it were possible, not onely the youth, but even the whole Church might be trained therein: I with my whole heart wish that all the Lords people were Prophets: such an ene­my am I to the true knowledge and learning that I would not have it any longer kept secret in a mysterie, but even proclaimed upon the house top in every Cit, and in every street; yet still and ever with this caution, that these Schooles both be in an established Church (I meane in such pla­ces where the Saints live together in the faith order obedience and com­munion of Christ) and not in such Monkish, Idolatrous confused idle, prophane Colledges and Fellowships as theirs are: Likewise, that the Tongues or Sciences be here taught in an holy, sanctified, reverend grave manner, and not in such an unsanctified vaine manner as they use: So shall the earth be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters that cover the sea: for in the Church of Christ are all his springs inclosed which by this meanes should runne at every conduct and water the whole land abun­dantly, whereas now they lie in miserable darknesse, wholly over­growne with brambles and briers.

And surely, I even with marvell wonder, how these men can be so blinded to compare these wicked Idolatrous societies, to the assemblies of the Prophets or unto the Church of Christ, when you see they have no­thing common with them, or like unto them, either in the people assem­bled, Doctrine taught, manner of teaching and learning, or order of life; when they utterly want warrant in the Word of God for such kinde of Colledges, Societies and Schooles, these having beene derived either from the Heathens, Egyptians, Greekes, Persians, that had their peculi­ar Colledges and Schooles to their peculiar Sects, or else have issued [Page]out of the smoke of Antichrists inventions out of the bottomlesse pit. They alwayes have beene, and still are the very hives and nurseries of these armed poisoned Locusts and venomous Scorpions, I meane, either that false Ministery of Antichrist, even all the governing and teaching Priests as Cardinalls, Archbishop. Bish. Suffraganes, Archdeacons, Chancellors, Commissaries, Civill Doctors, Advocates, Proctors, Vagrant, roving Ministers and Preachers, parish Priests, &c. or those counterfeit religious hypocrites, Monks, Friers, Nuns, Clerkes, or (as we now of late call them) Schollers. All which have in innumerable multitudes from time to time, and at all times swarmed and issued out of these hives into the face of the whole earth, corrupting and destroying every greene thing, poysoning the pure foun­raines of Gods Word with their accursed glosses, deepe learning, subtill and figurative interpretations, darkning the sunne and infecting the ayre therewith; as also with the blasphemous traditions of their King Apolluon that Angell of the bottomelesse pit. They have alwayes most pestilently fought under this their Captaine against the Lambe, his Gospell and Church, plentifully furnishing and continually supplying all the offices and roomes belonging to that huge Midianitish Host of Antichrist: the Leaders, Captaines, and Officers whereof, are, and ever have beene, wholly taken out of these Seraliaes; even from the Popes person to the lowest Priest.

How they are reformed by having this English portesse their service-booke in stead of their old masse-booke, may partly by that which is above written concerning the same, appeare: but more manifestly, by taking a view of fome of the blasphemous Idolatrous customes which still remaine in practise with them in the same manner, as they did un­der the Pope: all or any of which it is not here my purpose any fur­ther to describe. It sufficeth me to have shewed them to be confused, Ido­trous, unchristian, unlawfull assemblies and societies; so farre from be­ing to be compared unto, or justified by the assemblies of the Prophets or that heavenly exercise of prophesie now in the Church of Christ, as they are not to be suffered in a Christian Common-wealth. And there­fore here againe once more I conlude, that both these ungodly assem­blies, as also the Cathedrall Dennes and Colledges, ought by as good right to be abolished, as their other brethen and sisters of a birth, the Mo­nasteries and Nunneries are, seeing they all want foundation in the Word, had one and the same hellish originall, had and these still retaine the same blasphemous incurable abuses, which can by no way be re­formed but by their utter dissolution.