counsell at the mouth of the Lord Examine all thine actions by the touchstone of the worde and bee sure to doo nothing for the which thou hast not the worde for thy warrant If harlots entise thee to lewdnes as Putiphars wise entised Ioseph Genesis the thirty nine Chapter fly from them as Ioseph did from hir and remember what the law saith thou shalt not commit adulterie If sinners such as haue no feare of God before their eyes entise thee saying Come with vs wee will lay waite for blood and watch to state the simple man consent thou not but consider what is written in the Law Thou shalt do no murther If they say cast in thy lot among vs wee will all haue one purse wee shall get great riches and fill our houses with spoile Prouerbs the first Chapter and fourteenth verse Walke not thou in the way with them refraine thy foote from their path and looke what the Lawe requireth of thee thou shalt not steale If Papists would perswade thee to change thy religion because thy Fathers were of another religion looke into the Scriptures examine thy religion by the word of God and then as Elias saide vnto the people If the Lord be God then follow him but if Baal be hee then goe after him the first booke of Kings the eighteenth Chapter and twenty one verse So answere thou them if this religion be agreeable to the worde as in truth it is then will I be of this religion though my forefathers haue beene of your religion And to conclude if thy father that begate thee thy mother that bare thee thy wife that lyeth in thy bosome thy friend that is as thine owne selfe or thy childe which is the fruite of thy body Deutronomium the thirteenth Chapter and sixth verse shall require thee to doo any thing which the Lorde hath forbidden in his law or shall forbid thee to doo any thing which the Lorde hath commanded in his word then thou maist answere them as Iob answered his wife thou speakest like a foolish woman Iob the second Chapter and tenth verse or as Christ answered his mother VVoman what haue I to doo with thee Iohn the second Chapter and fourth verse or as hee answered his friend Peter Go after me Sathan for thou sauerest not the thinges that bee of God c. Matthewe the sixteenth Chapter and twenty three verse Yea if it come to this that thy Prince which hath power ouer thy life commaund one thing and the Lord commaund the contrary thou must answere as Peter and Iohn answered the Rulers Acts the fourth Chapter and nineteenth verse whether it bee meere c. Yea thou must be content with Sydrach Misach and Abednego Daniel the third Chapter to vndergoe any punishment euen vnto the death rather than thou wouldst dishonor him or disobey his worde that hath power to call both bodie and soule into hell together Matthew the tenth Chapter and twenty eight verse It followeth verse twenty seauen And he answered and saide Thou shalt loue thy Lord God with all thy heart and with all thy soule and with all thy strength and with all thy thought and thy neighbour as thy selfe Before the Lawier mooued the Question Now t is the Lawiers turne to answere and in his answere he sheweth him selfe a learned Lawier for whereas the lawe of God consisteth of tenne precepts he reduceth the same vnto two The one taken as it seemeth out of Deutronomium the sixt Chapter conteining our duety towarde God the other taken out of Leuiticus the nineteenth Chapter conteining our duety to our neighbour Here is the abridgement of Moses lawe which as it was deliuered in two tables so it is reduced to two dueties and both these require but one thing and that is loue Deutronomium the tenth Chapter So doth our Sauiour Christ himselfe diuide the lawe Matthew the twenty two Chapter where beeing asked which is the great commandement hee answereth as here this Lawier dooth Thou shalt loue the Lorde thy God with all thy heart with all thy soule and with all thy minde This is the first commaundement and the second is like vnto this Thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy selfe Heere is nothing but loue my brethren and yet here is the fulfilling of the law Romaines the thirteenth Chapter For all the benefits that God had bestowed vpon the Israelites his people hee requireth nothing but loue And for all the fauours which he hath done vnto vs he asketh no more but loue againe If wee were not too vnkinde God needed not to craue our loue hauing so well descrude our loue in louing vs before wee loued him first of Iohn the fourth Chapter But nowe hee is â—aine to become a Suter for our loue which he hath dearely bought for he shewed his loue to vs before hee craues our loue to him By his almightie power hee created vs of nothing and made vs the most excellent of all his creatures if that bee little worth because it cost him little for he spake the word and we were made Psal. 33.9 Yet this is such a loue as cannot be expressed that when wee were fallen from that excellent estate wherein wee were created and become heyres of hell and condemnation so did he loue this sinfull world that he gaue his onely begotten sonne to die for the sinnes thereof That hee might bring vs to heauen hee came downe from heauen that hee might deliuer vs from hell hee went downe to hell for vs Not golde nor siluer but his dearest bloud was the price of our redemption 1 Peter 1. What can a man doo more than to giue his life for his friend Rom. 5.6.7 And what can God doo more than to die for sinfull men And for all this what dooth this louing Lorde require of thee but that thou loue the Lord thy God Blessed be such a Lorde that requireth nothing of his seruants but loue If any Prince were so gratious vnto his subiects that he would require no other subsidies nor tribute nor custome of them but loue how were the subiects bound to loue and honor such a Prince And such a one is our most gratious Lord and King who for all the blessings and benefits that we enioy vnder his most happy gouernment craueth no more but loue at our hands for recompence Once he required burnt offerings that was a deere kinde of seruice but now he asketh loue a kind of seruice which euery man may well affoorde He asketh not learning nor strength nor riches nor nobility but he asketh loue a thing that the simplest the weakest the poorest the basest may performe as well as he that is most learned most strong most riche or most nobly borne If God had required this of thee that thou shouldst be able to dissolue doubts like Daniell and to dispute subtile questions what should then become of thee that art vnlearned If the Lorde should accept of none but such as were strong and
so almighty God hath furnished vs with iudgement and reason as it were with certaine artillery whereby we are able to distinguish betweene good and euill and sent vs into this world as it were into the open fields and sets his lawe before vs as a marke as Dauid speaketh promising to giue vs the kingdome of heauen if we hit the same and albeit hee knoweth that wee cannot hit this marke that is keepe the lawe which he hath set before vs yet for the exercise of our faith and for the testifying of our duety and obedience towards him hee will alwayes haue vs bee ayming at it and though we come shorte of that dutie and obedience which he requireth at our handes yet dooth hee accept and rewarde our good endeuour but if we stubbornely refuse to frame our selues after his will then may hee iustly bee angry and displeased with vs. Therefore though thou must not perfectly keepe the law of God yet if thou endeuour thy selfe to the vtmost of thy power to obserue the same the Lorde that worketh in vs both the will and the worke will accept the will for the worke and that which is wanting in vs he will supply with his owne righteousnesse It followeth And thou shalt liue Heere is the promise euen life eternall Among all earthly things we count none so deere and precious as our life insomuch as we can be content to forgoe any thing before our life our bloud and our limmes we lose sometimes for the sauing of this temporall life which is no life indeed but rather a shadow and the image of death Now if we make so much and suffer so many things for the life of the body which is so shorte and momentany how farre greater things should we suffer for the saluation of our soule and for the gayning of that glorious and happy life which shall neuer end Heere Christ speaketh not of any common life but of life eternall which is the inheritance and seate of the blessed For seeing Christ must answer to the Lawiers Question and his Question was how he might inherit eternall life when the Lawier had saide what was written in the Law Christ answereth Hoc fac viues as if hee should say Loue God and thy neighbour and so thou shalt inherit eternall life this is the assoiling of thy Question Go to therefore deare brethren and consider at how small a rate or price of loue eternall life is to be purchased If we take so great paines vndergoe so many difficulties to pursue this mortall life what paines should we vndertake to enioy that immortall life If God should bid vs goe into a hote fierie Furnace and cast our selues into the burning flames we ought to doo it that wee might raigne with Christ But our gratious louing Lorde commaundeth no such thing but onely commendeth vnto vs loue that wee may liue Our God is not as the gods of the Gentiles which will haue the Parents slay their children and offer them vp in fire for a burnt sacrifice No our God will not the death of a sinner but rather that hee conuert and liue Ezech. 8. O how gratious is the Lord vnto vs which requireth no more of vs but loue and yet requireth vs with no lesse than life and that a glorious and eternall life Thus I haue at length explained The Lawiers Question and the Answere of Christ vnto the Question wherin I haue shewed you one way to come to heauen which is to keepe the Lawe of God and this way we finde most hard and difficult Another way there is by the death of Christ and this euery man thinks most easie to finde But this I assure you that who so euer doth not indeuour to walke in that old way that is to walke in the wayes of the Lord shall neuer come to heauen by that new and liuing way Christ Iesus because as Iohn saith cap. 3.3 who so euer hath this hope in him purgeth himselfe That is who so euer hopeth to be saued by the death of Christ hath a care to keepe himself from sinne and to walke in the commandements of the Lord. FINIS
hart as with their mouth they doo confesse that after death their bodies shall rise again Therefore though this Lawier were to bee blamed because hee came with so bad a minde yet is he to be commended because he mooued so good a question Many nowe a daies are very curious in idle and vnprofitable questions As what God did before he made the worlde How long Adam stood in the state of innocencie Whether Salomon were saued or no with many such vaine and vnnecessary questions but fewe there are which will aske as this Lawier did what they must doo to inherit eternall life You shall see many very carefull and inquisitiue howe they may get riches where they may purchase lands and Lordshippes howe they may come to aduauncement and honour and by what meanes they may procure the Princes fauour But you shall see few or none inquisitiue concerning the meanes of their saluation you shall seldome heare any aske their Pastor what they must doo to bee saued or which way they may come to heauen It is not now as it was in Iohn Baptists time when the Publicans the souldiers and all sortes of people came vnto him with Master what shall we doo Luke 3.10 c. Nor it is not nowe as it was in the time of Christ when the people came and asked him what shall we do that we may worke the works of God Iohn 6.28 Nor it is not now as it was in Peters time when vpon the hearing of Peters Sermon the people came to Peter and to the other Apostles crying and saying Men and Brethren what shall we do Acts 2.37 But now euery mans minde is of his worldly profit or pleasure or preferment This is the drift of all their deuises this is the ende of all their practises how they may liue here in delight and ease and leaue behind them a rich posteritie As for that heauenly country whereunto they were borne that newe Ierusalem wherein they should dwell it is the furthest end of their thought and the least part of all their care how to inherit it how to inhabite it The Question is how hee may inherite eternall life wherein hee seemeth to confesse that there is an eternall life for thereof he makes no doubt only the question is howe hee may attaine vnto it Heere therefore it appeareth that this Lawier was not a Saducee which denied the resurrection of the dead Mathe. 22. Nor hee was not an Epicure which are of this opinion that after death there is neither ioy to bee looked for nor paine to be feared and therefore are woont to say Ede bibe lude c. or as it is 1. Cor. 15. Let vs eate and drinke for to morrow we shall die But this man was a Pharisee such a one as Paul was before his conuersion one that expounded the law of God vnto the people and liued after the straitest lawe of their religion Acts 26.5 in a word he was such a one as both for his life and learning was admired and honoured of the Iewes Though this Lawier were learned yet it was boldly done of him to tempt the Lorde But what is it which learning dare not attempt if it bee not tempered with the feare of God Christ Iesus found no greater aduersaries than the high Priests the Scribes Pharisees which were all learned men and the Church of Christ at this day is by none so much afflicted as by those that carrie the opinion of singuler learning For looke how many heresies are extant in the Church or howe many controuersies in religion they haue bin deuisd are maintaind by learned men Let learned men therefore learne to feare the Lord yea let them learne to know nothing so much as Christ Iesus and him crucified 1. Cor. 2.2 without the which knowledge all knowledge is ignorance all wisedome is foolishnes all learning is madnes and all religion is error or hipocrisie or superstition God hath not chosen many wise men nor many nightie men nor many noble men but God hath chosen the foolish thinges of the world to confound the wise and God hath chosen the weake things of the world to confound the thinges that are mightie and vile things of the world and things which are despised hath God chosen yea and thinges which are not to bring to nought things that are 1 Cor. 3.19 Our Sauior Christ in the choice of his Apostles called not one that was learned yet hath he not reiected all that are learned for from heauen hee called his Apostle Paul a learned Lawier Acts 22.3 to be the Apostle and Preacher of the Gentiles Rom. 11.13 And there is no doubt but that in all ages and euen at this day hee calleth some in euery place and endueth them with excellent learning that they may serue to the gathering together of the Saints and to the exercising of the ministrie and to the edifying of the Church of God Ephe. 4.12 The Lorde Iesus so moderate our learning with his holy feare that wee may direct al our studies to the enlarging of his glorie and kingdome here on earth that when the chiefe shepheard shall appeare 1. Pet. 5.4 we that haue instructed other and turned many to righteousnes may shine as the brightnes of the firmament and as the staerres of heauen for euer Dan 12.3 Good Master what shall I doo to inherite eternall life Marke heere the discretion of the Lawier in asking this question As the man was a Lawier so there is no doubt but that hee had read the Lawe and the Prophets If you looke into the Law you shall not finde Cursed is hee that continueth not in all thinges that are written in the booke of the Law to know them If you peruse the Prophets you shall not finde Cease from doing of euill and learne to speake well But the Law saith Cursed is he that continueth not in all thinges that are written in the book of the law to do them Deu 27.26 Gal. 3.10 And the Prophets say Cease from doing of euill and learne to doe well Esay 1.16 Psal. 24.14 And therefore the Lawier saith not How much must I knowe nor what shall I beleeue but what shall I doo to inherite eternall life Wee haue beene taught too long that wee are saued by faith without the workes of the Law Which Doctrine though it bee most true and both soundly proued and flatly concluded Rom. 3.28 Yet being vnderstood amisse as Paules writings sometimes are 2. Pet. 3.16 it hath beene the decay of all good deedes and brought in Epicurisme and all vngodlines T is true indeede that eternall life is the gift of God through Iesus Christ Rom. 6.23 But yet this gift is bestowed onely vppon those for whom it is prepared Math. 20.23 which haue exercised themselues in the workes of mercie Math. 25.35 In respect of God our election standeth certaine from all eternitie For it hath this seale The Lord knoweth them that are his 2. Tim. 2.19
THE LAVVIERS QVESTION The Answere to the Lawiers Question The Censure of Christ vpon the Answere By HENRY SMITH LONDON Printed for Thomas Gosson and are to be sold at his shop by London Bridge Gate THE LAVVIERS Question Luke 10.25 And behold a certain Lawier stood vp and tempted him saying Master what shall I doo to inherit eternall life IT is a waighty question and hath beene long discoursed by what meanes a man may come to heauen and who is not desirous to bee resolued in it Here the question is propounded by a Lawier and answered by the Law-giuer whose iudgement in this case is worth the hearing Hee propoundeth the question as one desirous to learne when indeede he meaneth nothing lesse But as Ahab when he asked Micheas in the first booke of Kings and second Chapter if he should goe vp to fight against Ramoth in Gilead meant not to follow the Prophets direction but onely desired to heare his opinion so the Lawier propoundeth this question not with the minde to learne of Christ but with the mynde to tempte Christ to try his learning as the Diuel came to tempt Christ in the wildernes soe the Lawyer comes to tempt Christ in the City and therfore whereas the Euangelist saith Behold a certeine Lawyer stood vp He might haue sayd Behold a certeine Diuel stood vp bycause for the time he tooke vpon him the Diuells office to be a tempter When the Diuel tempted Christ Math. 4. he bid him Auoyd Sathan And when Peter tempted Christ Math. 16. He said vnto him departe Sathan Soe when this Lawyer tempted Christ he might haue saide Auaunt Sathan because in his action he was the instrument of Sathan But though the Lawier was worthie to be repulsed because hee was so importunate yet was his questiō worth the aunswering because it was of such importance We see then with what minde the Lawier came to Christ now let vs see how he saluteth Christ. Though he came with a bad mynde yet doth he vse good wordes that he might deceiue with lesse suspicion he saluteth him by the name of Master as if he did professe himselfe to bee his Disciple So doth Iudas salute him when he meant to betray him Matth. 26.49 And so doo the Pharises salute him when they meant to bring him within the compasse passe of treason Mat. 22.15 And this hath bin alwaies the guise of the wicked to vse the smoothest speech when they intend most mischief vnder colour of frendship to practise their treacherie When Absalon meant to bee reuenged on his brother Ammon for defiling his sister Thamar he made a great feast and caused him to bee murdered in the middest of the banquet 2. Sam. 13. When Ioab meant to murder Amasa hee saluted him curteously saying Art thou in health my brother 2. Sam. 20. and with his right hande tooke him by the beard to kisse him and with his left hand sheathed a sword into his bellie These are such as the Psalmist speaketh of Psal. 28. which haue glosing tongues and bloodie mindes which speake friendly to their neighbours and imagine mischief in their harts As the Scorpion hath an amiable face and a poisoned taile so these men haue faire lookes and murdering hands Their wordes are as soft as butter and as smooth as oile but their deeds are cruell as the deeds of warre and deadly as the dint of swords The Prophet Dauid was fore troubled with such dissemblers as hee complaineth euery where in his booke of Psalmes Psal. 41. That euen his owne familiar friend whom hee trusted and which did eate at his table had laide great wait for him And Psal. 55. that it was not an open enemie which had done him dishonour for then he could haue borne it nor it was not his aduersarie which had lift vp himselfe against him for then peraduenture hee would haue hid him selfe from him but it was euen his companion his guide and his owne familiar friend which tooke sweete counsell with him and walked in the house of God as friends At this day the world is full of such fained friendes which will flatter thee to thy face and bite thee behind thy backe They will giue out hard speeches of some man that is absent in thy hearing to see if thou wilt speake as hardly of him which if thou dost thy words shall presently bee tolde vnto him VVoe vnto him saith the wise man Eccle. 2.13 that hath a double hart wicked lips and mischieuous hands and to the sinner that goeth two manner of waies The Lorde hath giuen but one heart and one tongue and one face to one man therefore we should not carrie a double hart in our brest nor two tungs in our heade nor two faces vnder a hood It was not lawful for the Israelites to weare anie garments made of linnen and wollen Deut. 22. to signifie that it should not be lawfull for Christians to bee dissemblers to carrie fire in the one hand and water in the other to carry hony in their mouth and gall in their heart or as Dauid speaketh Psal. 12. to flatter with their lips and dissemble in their double heart Of all kinde of cattell these are the worst because they doo most hurt where they are least mistrusted Therefore they are compared to the wilie Foxe for their craftie fetches Ezech. 13. And Herode is termed a Fox for his dissembling Luke 13. For as the Foxe faineth himselfe dead that hee may catch the birdes to deuoure them so the flatterer faineth himself to be harmlesse and honest and conscionable and religious and holy that hee may deceiue the harts of the simple Rom. 16.18 Hee is like your shadowe which dooth imitate the action and gesture of your bodie which stands when you stand and walkes when you walke and sits when you sit and riseth when you rise So the flatterer dooth praise when you praise and findes fault when you find fault and smiles when you smile and frownes when you frowne and applauds you in your dooings and sooths you in your sayings and in all thinges seekes to please your humour till hee haue sounded the depth of your deuises that hee may betray you to your greatest enemies As the Syrens sing most sweetely when they intend your destruction so flatterers speak most faire when they practise most treacherie Therefore euery faire looke is not to bee liked euery smooth tale is not to bee beleeued and euery glosing tongue is not to be trusted But as we must trie the spirits whether they bee of God or no 1. Iohn 4.1 So we must try the words whether they come from the hart or no we must try the deedes whether they bee answerable to the words or no. Now we are come to the question which is by what meanes a man may inherit eternall life A waightie question worthy to be knowne not onely of Lawiers and learned men but also of all both men and women which are perswaded in their