Thus Christ himself, though he could have immediately furnished his Apostles with admirable and sufficient abilities for the great work of Apostleship, yet kept them two years, as the Harmonists gather, under his peculiar charge and information. In the Old Testament likewise, though the gift of prophecy was by immediate inspiration, yet we read that even then there was the College of the Prophets, and the sons of the Prophets, 2 King. 2. 7. So we read 2 Chron. 34. 22. of the College of the Prophets. Hence it is also in the New Testament, that the Apostle directing of Timothy, how to keep up the sound Doctrine of Christ after his departure, giveth this notable instruction, 2 Tim. 2. 2. That what Doctrine he had heard from Paul, he should commit to faithful men, that should teach others. That is a very full and pregnant Text. For the usefulness of Universities, that there should be Nurseries, wherein young ones should be trained up to deliver the sound Doctrine to their Posterity after them. Though in those primitive times there was such a plentiful effusion of the Spirit of God in the gifts thereof, yet he there commands, that faithful men should be chosen, who should commit to posterity, one age after another, the true Doctrine of Christ; and therefore in the primitive times, before there were Universities, the Bishops house was a Nursery to train up young Disciples. And in Origen's time, he began to be a Catechist, and to set open a School in reference to the Christian Religion. If there be in such public Nurseries and Universities, gross abuses, men degenerating into laziness, and not fulfilling the general intention of the Founders, the abusers are to be purged away, but not the order or manner of education it self. If it be said, The the Spirit of God is that which alone enableth a man to such Offices and Employments. We grant that the Spirit of God is the alone Sanctifier of all gifts and abilities; but yet now the Spirit of God doth not work in an immediate and miraculous manner, else why is there not working of Miracles? Why do they not speak in all Tongues? Why do they not understand Hebrew and Greek, which are the original Languages the Scripture was written in? If therefore we must not look for the Spirit of God in such an immediate way, it must be in a mediate and acquired way.
Thus Christ himself, though he could have immediately furnished his Apostles with admirable and sufficient abilities for the great work of Apostleship, yet kept them two years, as the Harmonists gather, under his peculiar charge and information. In the Old Testament likewise, though the gift of prophesie was by immediate inspiration, yet we read that even then there was the Colledge of the Prophets, and the sons of the Prophets, 2 King. 2. 7. So we read 2 Chron. 34. 22. of the Colledge of the Prophets. Hence it is also in the New Testament, that the Apostle directing of Timothy, how to keep up the sound Doctrine of Christ after his departure, giveth this notable instruction, 2 Tim. 2. 2. That what Doctrine he had heard from Paul, he should commit to faithfull men, that should teach others. That is a very full and pregnant Text. For the usefulness of Universities, that there should be Nurseries, wherein young ones should be trained up to deliver the sound Doctrine to their Posterity after them. Though in those primitive times there was such a plentifull effusion of the Spirit of God in the gifts thereof, yet he there commands, that faithfull men should be chosen, who should commit to posterity, one age after another, the true Doctrine of Christ; and therefore in the primitive times, before there were Universities, the Bishops house was a Nursery to train up young Disciples. And in Origen's time, he began to be a Catechist, and to set open a School in reference to the Christian Religion. If there be in such publick Nurseries and Universities, gross abuses, men degenerating into laziness, and not fulfilling the general intention of the Founders, the abusers are to be purged away, but not the order or manner of education it self. If it be said, The the Spirit of God is that which alone inableth a man to such Offices and Imployments. We grant that the Spirit of God is the alone Sanctifier of all gifts and abilities; but yet now the Spirit of God doth not work in an immediate and miraculous manner, else why is there not working of Miracles? Why do they not speak in all Tongues? Why do they not understand Hebrew and Greek, which are the original Languages the Scripture was written in? If therefore we must not look for the Spirit of God in such an immediate way, it must be in a mediate and acquired way.
