Some important truths about conversion, delivered in sundry sermons, / by Increase Mather, D.D.…

All which name• were at first honourable among the Lord's Ancient People till they did by degeneracy from their primitive Institution become odious; Amos 2.11. Ezr. 7.6. Mat. 13 52. and 23.34. Mal. 2.8, 9. And as for the New-Testament Church, the Teachers therein have all along been Learned Men. Albeit, as for the Apostles, Christ found most of them very unlearned, when he first called them, yet he would not suffer them to continue so, but would rather work a Miracle ⟨p. xviii⟩Miracle to make them understand the tongues, than that they should be unlearned still. Yea the truth is, that there never was any man eminently serviceable as a Teacher in the Church since the Apostles, except he were a Learned man. Ancient (Fathers as they were called) who defended the Truth against the Heathen Philosophers and the Heretics of those times, such as Justin Martyr, Cyprian Austin, Hierom, &c. were Learned men: And had some of them had more Learning in the Original Languages, it had been better for them, and for the Church of God; for thereby many a misinterpretation of the Scripture would have been prevented. And as for the great Instruments of Reformation and opposers of Antichristianism, such as Calvin, Luther, Melanchthon, Zwinglius, &c. they were all of them very Learned men; wherefore believe not those that would persuade you; that Schools of Learning, Colleges &c. are Antichristianism, or late Popish Inventions. Doth not the Scripture, before ever Popery was thought of, inform us of Schools of Learning? Do we not read of the School of Tyrannus, where Paul was once a Disputant, Acts 19.9? and doth not the Old Testament speak of Masters and Scholars, Mal. 2.12. 2. Chron. 25.8. yea of Colleges.