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A12363 The lavviers question The answere to the lawiers question. The censure of Christ vpon the answere. By Henry Smith. Smith, Henry, 1550?-1591. 1595 (1595) STC 22679; ESTC S103005 28,698 73

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mercifull as he is mercifull he will haue vs louing as he is loue it selfe Againe it is the nature of a louing father by all meanes to procure the welfare of his children so our heauenly father desirous of our continuall happinesse commandeth vs loue that so we may leade our liues with delight and pleasure If he had hated vs he would haue commanded vs to liue in hatred and enuy and malice with our neighbours For among all the miseries that are vnder the sunne there is not a more miserable and yrksome life than the life of the enuious Salomon Prou. 14.30 calles it a rotting of the bones and as it were a consumption of the body because the enuious man alwaies repineth and pineth away at other mens prosperitie As all things worke to the best to them that loue God Rom. 8. so all things worke to the worst to them that are enuious Therefore one wisheth that the enuious man had eies in euery citie that he might be vexed with all mens prosperitie As Christ said Iohn 13. By this shall all men know that yee are my disciples if you haue loue one towards another so the diuell saith By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples if yee haue enuie and hatred and malice one towards another Therefore leauing that hatefull and lothsome kinde of life to the reprobate and damned who are alwaies mal-content like Caine Gen. 4. and their countenance cast downe they cannot looke on their brother with a cheerefull countenance nor affoord him a merry worde God hath prescribed loue to those that are his to shew how desirous he is of their welfare happines But here some churle may say vnto me If this be all I shall doe well enough if God require no more but loue I shall be well content to loue so that I be not bound to giue Alas this is a silly shift for it is the nature of godly loue to relieue and helpe him that is beloued therefore whom thou louest if thou louest him truely thou canst not see him lack if it be in thy power to supply his want If thou loue thy horse thou wilt giue him prouinder if thou loue thy dog thou wilt giue him thy crummes and if thou loue thy brother thou wilt giue him foode Therefore though nothing be expressed which thou shouldest giue vnto thy brother yet in that thou must loue him thou art bound to giue him not onely thy goods but euen thy life if neede require to doe him good This is my commaundement saieth our Sauiour Christ Iohn 15. chap. 12. vers that yee loue one another as I haue loued you but he so loued vs that he gaue his life for vs Rom. 5. ● therefore wee also ought to giue out liues for our brethren 1. Iohn 3.16 For as much then as thy life which as Christ speaketh is more worth than foode or raiment Matth. 6.25 should not be spared for thy anothers good from henceforth grutch not to giue thy goods to thy needy neighbour defraude not him of foode and raiment to whom thou owest euen thy life it selfe But let vs come to the second thing which sheweth who is bound to loue Thou shalt loue Vnder this worde thou God comprehendeth euery particular man and woman as if hee should say Thou thy selfe and not any other for thou shalt loue thy neighbour The poore man is not exempted from this precept because he may loue aswell as the riche If he say I haue no wealth and therefore I cannot shewe my loue to my neighbour Though he haue no wealth yet he hath a heart he hath a minde he hath an affection let him haue a louing heart a louing minde and a louing affection if he cannot doo well let him wish well vnto his neighbour if he can or gratifie him with any thing that he hath● let him not enuie at any thing that the riche man hath sorts the riche man shewes that hee loues his neighbour if he relieue his necessitie so the poore man sheweth that he loues his neighbour if he greeue not at his prosperitie This therefore as a generall precept bindeth the poore aswell as the riche it is a common yoake laide vpon the neck and a common burthen laide vpon the backe of euery christian but yet it is an easie yoake and a light burthen Matt. 11. because it is loue which maketh all things to seeme delightsome As there are some that would bee content to loue if they might not giue so there are some would be content to giue if they were sure they should not want therefore when it comes to giuing they post it ouer to their heires or to their executors or to their successors when they are dead they are neuer liberall vntill they die and then they are liberall of that which is none of theirs They thinke to be excused by the liberalitie of their heires but they are bound to bee liberall for themselues therefore they must not lay the burthen vppon them because euery man must beare his owne burthen Gal. 6. If they say I know not what need I may haue before I die let them remember that what they giue vnto the poore they lend vnto the Lord and he is a sure pay-maister he giues great vsurie and as Dauid laid I neuer saw the righteous forsaken nor his seede beg their bread so they must needes confesse if they will confesse the trueth that they neuer sawe the godlye man that was liberall to the poore by that meanes to come to miserie By other meanes many men fall into extreame pouertie Alea Vina Venus Dice Wine and Women haue brought many to beggery but by beneficence and liberalitie to the poore I neuer heard that any came to penurie Such a foyson hath your almes that by the blessing of God which makes men rich it increaseth like the Widdows meale and oile which she bestowed vppon the Prophet 1. Kings 17. Therefore let no man distrust Now we are come to the third thing which sheweth whom wee are bound to loue Thou shalt loue thy neighbour He saith not thou shalt loue the rich man or thy kinsman or thy friend or thy companion but thy neighbour Vnder which word is comprehended euery man that is any way capable of thy loue yea euen thy enemie is included in this precept Matthew 5. Rom. 12. As the Iewes thought none to be their neighbours but their owne Nation so some thinke none to bee their neighbours but their equalls The rich man despiseth the poore man and he againe enuieth the rich man and euery man as the prouerbe is delighteth in those that are like himselfe But heere this lawe requireth that whosoeuer is our neighbor by any meanes is to be loued As our Sauiour Christ had two kindes of kinsfolke Matthew 12. one by the flesh and another by the spirit so we haue two kindes of neighbours one by nature and another by grace and as Christ preserd his spirituall kindred
valiant what should then become of women olde men and children which are weake and feeble If God should regarde none but the riche and wealthie what should then become of the poore and needy To conclude if God should make choice of none but such as were of noble parentage what should wee do that are the common people But now hee requireth such a thing of vs as the poorest simplest may performed as well as the wealthiest or wisest man in all the world for if we cannot loue we can do nothing specially if wee cannot loue God that hath so loued vs we go not so farre as the wicked doe for sinners also loue their louers Luc. 6.32 And therefore blessed be God that for the performance of so small a worke hath proposed such a great rewarde and for the obtayning of such a happy state hath imposed such an easie taske The eye hath not seene the eare hath not heard neither can the heart conceiue what God hath prepared for them that loue him Esay 64. chap. 4. verse 1. Corinthians 2. chap. 9. verse And for all these vnspeakeable ioyes which God hath prepared hee requireth no more of vs but loue How is God enamoured of our loue and how vnkinde shall wee bee to withholde it from him He hath an innumerable company of Angels which are inflamed with his loue and not content therewith he sues to haue the loue of men God hath no neede of our loue no more then Elisa had neede of Naamans cleansing but as Elisa bad Naaman wash that he might become cleane in the second booke of Kings the fift chapter so God bids vs loue that wee might be saued It is for our good altogether that God requires our loue in earth because he meanes to set his loue on vs in heauen If the man of God had willed Naaman doe some great thing ought he not to haue done it So if God had willed vs doe some great thing ought wee not to haue done it How much more when he saieth vnto vs Loue and you shall liue for euer Nowe if you would knowe whether you haue this loue of God in you examine your actions whether they bee done with delight and comfort In amore nihil amari In loue there is no mislike T is like the waters of Iordane wherein Naaman washed for as his flesh which before was leprous became faire and tender after his washing so all our actions and labours and afflictions which before were tedious and irkesome become ioyous and pleasaunt and comfortable after wee are once bathed in the loue of God It is like the Salte that Elisa cast into the noysome waters to make them wholesome in the 2. Kings and second chapter or like the meale that Elisa put into the bitter pottage to make them sweete as in the 2. Kings the 4. chap. So the loue of God being shed in our hearts by the holy Ghost dooth make all anguish and sicknesse and pouerty and labours and watchings and losses and iniuries and famishment and banishment and persecutions imprisonment yea death it selfe to be welcome vnto vs. Such was the loue of that chosen vessell who for the loue that he bare vnto God waded through all these afflictions 2. Cor. 12. and could not for all these and many more be separated from the loue of God as he protesteth Rom. 8. Wherefore beloued seeing God that hath done so much for vs requireth no more but loue of vs which euery one may easily affoord let him be our loue our ioy and whole delight and then all our life will seeme delightfull As Iaacob serued seauen yeares for Rachaell Gen. 29.20 and they seemed to him but a few daies for the loue that he bare vnto hir so when we haue once set our loue vpon God our paine will be pleasure our sorrow will be ioy our mourning will be mirth our seruice will be freedome and all our crosses shall be counted so many comforts for his sake whom we loue a great deale more then Iaacob loued Rachell because his loue to vs is like Ionathans loue to Dauid passing the loue of women 2. Samuel 1.26 Thus we haue heard what it is that the Lord requireth of vs namely loue Nowe let vs see what manner of loue he requireth Thou shalt loue the Lord thy God with all thy heart with all thy soule with all thy strength and with all thy thought Here the Lord setteth downe the measure of that loue which he requireth of vs that first it must be true and vnfained as proceding from the hart minde secondly that it must be sound and perfect with all the heart with all the minde The Lorde which is a spirit and trueth Iohn 4. will be serued in spirit and in the truth He cannot away with hypocrites which drawe neere vnto him with their lips but their hearts are farre from him Matth. 15. He cannot abide dissemblers which flatter with their lips and dissemble in their double heart Psal. 12. and therefore though he requireth all the heart yet he requireth not a double heart to signifie that a single heart is pleasing vnto him and that he detesteth a double hart As there is a glosing tongue a wanton eye an idle eare a wicked hand and a wandring foote so there is a false and dissembling heart which marreth all the rest As is the eye such is the light if the eye be single the body is full of light if the eye be wicked the body is full of darkenesse Matth. 6.22 So as is the heart such are the actions of the body which proceede from the heart A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth foorth good things and an euill man out of the euill treasure of the heart bringeth foorth euill things Matth. 12.35 therefore as Christ saith Make cleane within and all will be cleane Luc. 11. So I say vnto you looke that your heart be sincere and single and then your tongue your eye your eare your hand your foote that is all your actions will be holy to the Lord. The heart of man is the storehouse wherein his treasure lyeth and therefore God seeking to haue the treasure requires the heart For where the treasure is there will the heart be also Matth. 6.21 But he will haue it freely not by constraint and therefore he requires the heart because whatsoeuer is done with the hart is done willingly and that which is done against the heart is done as it were against the haire Therefore in requiring the heart God sheweth that hee delighteth in voluntary seruice Among all the offerings that the Lorde in his lawe required of his people he liketh none so well as the free-will offerings of their hande Princes require helpe of their subiects because they stand in neede of helpe not regarding whether they doe it willingly or against their willes but God requireth the heart because he needeth not our helpe As God giues to all men
hearts with all our soule that is with a sound perfect loue As we loue a ring or a iewell for his sake that gaue it so we must loue althings of this life for his sake that gaue them for his own sake aboue all the rest This perfect loue we can bestow but once and but one can haue it and who so hath it must be our God if we set our hart vpō riches we make riches our God therfore Dauid saith Psal. 62 If riches increase set not your heart vpon them if our whole delight be in eating drinking then we make a god of our belly and the Apostle tels vs Phil. 3. that our end is damnation if we be giuen to wantonnesse and fleshly pleasure then Venus is our goddesse and Salomon tels vs Prou. 6. cha 26. ver that our end will be beggerie But if we haue set our loue on God the eye hath not seene the eare hath not heard neither hath it entred into the heart of man what God hath prepared for them that loue him 1. Cor. 2.9 Nowe if you woulde know how you must loue God with all your hart thus you must doo it When the diuell or the world or the flesh shal set any thing before thee to loue wherewith thou shalt offend thy God thou must bee content to loose and forgoe the same be it neuer so precious be it neuer so louely He loueth God aboue all which not for the loue of any thing that is created can be brought to sinne against his Creator So Ioseph loued God aboue all who though hee might haue had the loue of his Ladie and Mistresse without suspition of man yet he would not consent and so to loose the loue of God Gen. 39. Such was Dauids loue to God 1. Kings 24. who when hee had gotten Saul his greatest enemy that sought his life into a Caue where hee might at once haue beene reuenged on him for all his iniuries was content onely to cut off the lap of his garment and so to let him goe vnhurt rather than hee woulde sinne against the Lord in laying his handes vppon the Lords annointed Such also was the loue of chast Susanna Dan. 13. who when shee might haue gained the loue and fauour of the Elders without any note of infamie chose rather to vndergoe the danger of hir life than to sinne in the sight of the Lorde Therefore thou mayest loue the things of this life thy parents thy wife thy children and the rest the Lorde giues thee good leaue to loue them so long as thou maiest loue them without offence to God But if once they be vnto thee an occasion to sinne thou must leaue to loue them and rather choose to susteine any losse though it bee to the cutting off thy hande or thy foote or to the plucking out of thine eye Math. 5.29 or to the hazard of thy life than thou wouldst offend so diuine a Maiestie Now thou seest if thou be not wilfully blind how farre thou art from this perfect loue which God requireth of thee Thou hast not alwaies preferred God before all thy worldly profit thou hast not alwaies preferred God before all thy fleshly pleasure when thou hast gotten oportunity to be reuenged of thine enemie thou hast not spared him when thou hast gotten oportunitie to commit wickednes thy loue to God hath not restrained thee where God required all thy heart thou hast giuen him no part of thy heart Somtime all thy heart runneth after thy couetousnesse Ezech. 33.31 Sometime thy soule is wholly set vpon-delight and ease sometime thy minde is all vppon thy corne Luke 12. or thy cattle or thy pasture and sometime thy thoughts are all vpon thy merchandise seldome thou thinkest vppon God but when thou commest into the Church of God and then thy minde is so distracted with diuers thoughts and eares and affaires of this life that thou canst not thinke vpon God one houre together Therefore what remaineth in this case for thee to doo but confesse thine owne imperfection and flie to Christ to supplie thy wants and earnestly to desire the Lorde to change thy heart to take from thee thy old heart thy vaine thy wandring heart which hath loued other things more than God and in stead therof to giue thee a new heart and to create a right spirite within thee Psal. 51. wherwith thou maist loue God aboue all things in this life that in the life to come thou maiest finde the rewarde of thy loue such ioyes and comforts as cannot be expressed Thus we haue heard what duety wee owe vnto God himselfe Now wee shall heare what duety we owe vnto our neighbour That which we owe vnto them both is loue but yet the loue which we owe vnto them is not alike For albeit the second commaundement bee like vnto the first Matthew 22. for the necessitie thereof and in respect of the subiect or qualitie which is required namely loue yet in respect of the obiect which is God and the measure of our loue which must bee perfect there is great odds betweene them In that they both require but loue they are both alike but in that the first requireth loue to God the second loue to men the first requireth a greater loue than the second there is the difference But here a doubt ariseth seeing God requireth the loue of all the heart soule c. what loue remaineth for our neighbour If God must haue all our loue what loue is left for any other Whereunto I answere that the loue of our neighbour doth not derogate nor detract from the loue of God As the light of a candle doth not dazel but rather commend the light of the sunne so our loue to our neighbour doth not diminish but rather accomplish our loue to God He that loueth the frute will loue the tree whereon it groweth and hee that loueth the streame will loue the fountaine from whence it floweth euen so he that loueth man which is a creature will much more loue God that hath created him But let vs examine the words Thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy selfe Heere are foure thinges to bee obserued First what is required namely loue Secondly who must loue thou that is euery man Thirdly whome wee must loue namely our neighbour And lastly howe and in what manner wee must loue him as we loue our selues Concerning the first as in the former precept so in this also the Lord requireth loue wherein hee dealeth as a kinde father with his children who desirous to haue them so to resemble him as by their conditions euery man may knowe whose they are Therefore our louing father desirous to haue vs like himselfe requireth vs to be kinde and louing one to another as he is kind to the vnkind to the euill to the iust and to the vniust Matt. 5. He will haue vs perfect as he is perfect he will haue vs holy as he is holy he will haue vs
before his carnall kindred so we must preferre our spirituall neighbours before our carnall neighbours Therfore although by this law we are bound to loue all men indifferently yet because there are degrees of neighbours therefore there must be degrees of loue we must loue our parents and our kinsfolke more than strangers because they are bound vnto vs by a straighter bonde of nature according to that of the Apostle 1. Tim. 5. Hee that hath not a care of his owne specially they of his houshold c. So we must loue the faithfull more than the vnfaithfull because they are bound vnto vs by a straighter bonde of faith and religion as the same Apostle willeth vs Gal. 6. VVhile yee haue time do good vnto all specially to them of the houshold of faith signifying that as we are bounde to loue all men with a generall loue because they are all the ofspring of Adam yet must we loue some with a more speciall loue because they are the children of God Nowe followeth the measure of that loue which we owe vnto our neighbor expressed in the last words As thy selfe Heere is the rule whereby our loue must be squared and a most exquisite example of singular loue found in our selues for vs to imitate He saith not as he loueth thee or as hee is beloued of other but as thy selfe Who knowes not howe well hee loues himselfe and therefore who can excuse himselfe I say I know not how well I should loue my neighbor but how doo we loue our selues fainedly or coldly or for an houre I trow not but truely and zealously and euery houre so wee must loue our neighbour with a true zealous and a constant loue Wee must not passe by as the Priest the Leuit but powre our oile into their wounds with the Samaritan to helpe relieue them and comfort them Wee must loue our neighbour though he be enuious as Dauid loued Saul requiting good for euill and as Ioseph loued Putiphar not enticed to sinne against him Loue is the fulfilling of the Lawe It beginneth young with Moses to resist the oppressor and endeth not in old age but desireth to perish for the beloueds preseruation calleth infants in the streete with wisedome to learne comforteth the imprisoned with Abacucke burieth the dead with Tobie visiteth the sicke and possessed with our Sauiour couereth the multitude of offences and shall finde this last comsort Come ye blessed to which ioy hee bring vs that with his loue from euerlasting death hath bought vs. Here endeth the second Sermon THE CENSVRE 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 CENSVRE OF Christ vpon the Ansvvere NOwe wee are come to the answere of Christ vnto the Lawiers Question The Question was What must be done to inherite eternall life The Answere is Doo that which thou hast saide that is Loue God aboue all and thy neighbour as thy selfe and thou shalt liue thou shalt inherit eternall life Where first it is to bee obserued that though this Lawier came with the minde to tempt Christ yet because hee had truely alleaged what was written in the Lawe Deut. 6. Leuit. 19. our Sauiour Christ approoueth his answere and commendeth him for it whereby wee are taught to like and allowe of those good thinges that wee see in any though they be our enemies Many there are that if their enemie be endued with many excellent vertues yet they will not acknowledge it nor giue him his due commendation but rather seeke by all meanes to disable him and disgrace him and dispraise him behinde his backe If hee be temperate and sober then they say as it was saide of Iohn-Baptist he hath a diuel If hee be sociable and familiar then they say as it was said of Christ He is a glutton and a winebibber Luke 7. If hee be learned they say as Festus saide of Paul Acts 26. hee is mad If hee bee a good housekeeper they call him a Papist If hee be religious they call him Precisian Yea if hee be a Prophet yet if hee tell the truth they account him their enemie Gal. 4. as Ahab termed Elias 1. King 21. And as the same Ahab cared not to heare Micheas because hee hated him 1. Kings 22. so they despise the Doctrine and mislike the Sermon because they hate the man that preacheth it These kind of people are like their father the diuel who both by his name and nature is an acouser of the brethren Reuel 12. Hee could not giue Iob a good worde though hee were a iust man that feared God Iob 1. and no meruaile for he could not speake well of God himselfe Gen. 3 But Christ is of another minde for though this Lawier were his tempter yet doth he allow his Answere so though a man be thine enemie yet let him haue his due If hee be learned report no lesse of him If he be an honest man defame him not If he be humble say not he is prowd If he be liberall say not hee is miserable If hee deale iustly say not he is vnconscionable and if he haue any thing in him that is praise-worthy as there is no man but hath some good thing in him acknowledge it report it and commend him for it though he be thine enemie But heere againe we see that though Christ commend this Lawier for his aunswer yet doth he not commend him for any thing else to teach vs that as we must giue euery man his due so we must giue no man more than his due The Lawyer had aunswered directly to Christs demaunde therefore Christ commends his saying but the Lawyer had not done so well as he had spoken therefore Christ doth not commend his doing so the words of many are very commendable but their workes are most detestable If you come to their sermons you shall heare them speake maruellous well but if you looke into their liues you shall finde them farre differing from their profession They are like our Bells which can call the people together to the seruice of God but cannot performe any seruice vnto God so these men can giue good counsell vnto others but they cannot follow it they can teach the people to knowe the will and pleasure of God but they go not about to doo the will of God that the people might be mooued by their example to doo the same And if you seeme to mislike their dooings then as Christ said of the Scribes and Pharisies Mat. 23. They sit in Moses chaire c. so they aunswere for themselues Doo as we say and not as wee doo A bad excuse fit for so bad a cause As if they should say Wee would haue you to bee godly but wee will not be godlie we would haue you to be saued but we our selues will not be saued How can their doctrine do any good that liue not according to their doctrine or how can the