Sermon 8 February 1588, Part 9
D: BANCROFT page 33. lin. 26. & pag. 34. lin. 19. & 41. lin. 17. The popiſh falſe Prophets wil ſuffer the people to try nothing, but teach them wholly to depend vppon them. The giddy ſpirits woulde hauehave men to be everſeeking and ſearching. The meane therefore betwixt both theſe extremities I holde to be beſt. And this it is, that when you hauehave attained the true grounds of Chriſtian Religion, and are conſtantly built by a liuely faith vponupon Ieſus Chriſt,1. Cor. 3. being incorporated into his miſ…eal body, by your baptiſme, and afterwards nouriſhed with the Lords Supper: you then content your ſelfe and ſeeke no farther, &c.
ANSVVERE.
It is well known, that wee allow neither popiſh, norgiddy ſpirites, no nor yet ſlaunderous and lying ſpirites. As for the rule of the popiſhe falſe Prophets, you hauehave ſquared your doctrine page 43. juſt according vntounto the ſame, as the reader ſhal perceiue in the proper place.
You hauehave plotted vsus out heere ſuch a meane, betweene two extreamities, as they muſt needes bee meane Chriſtians, that will go no further, then the reſting place which you hauehave ſet downe for them. I will not ſay heere that the Papiſtes will graunt the miſerable people vnderunder them, leaue to goe thus far, which is true: but this I will ſay, that this doctrine of yours, tendeth wholly to remooue an able Miniſterie out of the Church, and ſo conſequently, to robbe the people both of the ſcepter of Chriſts gouernement, and alſo of his word. For if the people neede no more, (nay, if it bee vnlawfull for them to go any further) then to bee baptiſed, and after they hauehave attained vntounto the true groundes of Chriſtian religion, & are engraffed into Chriſt, to receiue the Lordes ſupper; to what vſe ſerueth the preaching of the word? And to what end ſhould the Apoſtle require,Phil. 1.9.10. that the word of God, ſhould dwell plentifullie. among Chriſtians, and pray that our louelove maye abound more and more in knowledge,Phil. 1.6. and in al feeling, that we may diſcerne things that differ, that we may bee pure, and without offence vntill the day of Chriſt, filled with the fruits of righteouſnes, &c. If you could once M. Bancroft, bring this meane of yours to take place: then indeede might you place readers inſteed of Preachers, ouer the people without controllement, and ſay that they need no other teaching, becauſe they are baptiſed, engraffed into Chriſt, and fed with the heauenly foode exhibited vntounto them in the Lords Supper: and what need they more? For Tertullian ſaith,Page. 42. that we need not be curious, after we hauehave apprehended Chriſt, nor in quiſitiue, after we hauehave receiued the goſpell. But a miſerable teacher are you, that in ſuch ſort doe open a windowe vntounto the deuill and mans corruption, to breake faith into all impietie and wickedneſſe. For how ſhall either the rage of ſathan againſt vsus, or the rebellion of our owne corruptions within vsus, be reſtrained, but by that mighty ſcepter of Chriſts word preached, euen vntounto vsus that hauehave receiued the firſt fruits of the ſpirit. If you had euer knowne what it had bene, to receiue Chriſt truly, and to retain him being receiued, you would neuer hauehave endeuoured to ſeduce your auditors, in this monſtrous & popiſh ſort. But becauſe the light of your owne conſcience doth tell you, that chriſtians cannot containe themſelues within this priſon, wherein you hauehave ſhutte them: You ſet downe a good ſupply of the want of teaching, if men would deſire to be reſolued in anye matter of doubt: your owne wordes, or rather your popery I will ſet downe.