The Layers Question, Text 1 – Title page 1
THE LAVVIERS QVESTION. The Answere to the Lawiers Question. The Censure of Christ vponupon 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 onelyonly 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 hauehave sayd, Behold a certeine Diuel stood vp bycause for the time he tooke vponupon 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 vntounto him departe Sathan. Soe when this Lawyer tempted Christ he might hauehave 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 vsus 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, & vnderunder 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 hauehave 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 hauehave 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 eueryevery 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 hauehave borne it; nor it was not his aduersarie which had lift vp himselfe against him, for then peraduenture hee would hauehave 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 giuegive 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 vntounto him. VVoe vntounto 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 vnderunder 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 hauehave 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 eueryevery faire looke is not to bee liked, eueryevery smooth tale is not to bee beleeued, and eueryevery 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 onelyonly of Lawiers and learned men, but also of all, both men and women, which are perswaded in their 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 vntounto 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 vponupon 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 eueryevery 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 vntounto 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 vsus 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 vntounto 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 hauehave 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 eueryevery 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 hauehave 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 hauehave 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. Tis true indeede that eternall life is the gift of God through Iesus Christ, Rom. 6.23. But yet this gift is bestowed onelyonly vppon those for whom it is prepared, Math. 20.23. which hauehave exercised themselues in the workes of merciemercy, 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. And I know whom I hauehave chosen, Iohn, 13.18. But in respect of our selues it is vncertaine, and therefore wee must striue to make the same sure by good workes, 2. Pet. 1.10. These are the wayes to come to heauen, though they bee not the cause why wee shall come to heauen, therefore we must keepe the way if euer wee meane to come to heauen: For as wee are ordained to the ende; so are wee ordained to the meanes which bring vsus to that end. If God hauehave predestinate any to eternall life, hee hath also predestinate them to the meanes whereby they must attain eternal life, that is faith & a good cōscience, 1. Tim. 5.19. therefore it is certaine that whoso euer is to be saued, shall at one time or other before they departe out of this life bee called truely to beleeue, and shall endeuour by all meanes as Paul did to keepe a good conscience both toward God & toward men. Act. 14.16. For that which is spoken of Christ in speciall, Psal. 45. Thou hast loued righteousnes and hated iniquitie, must bee verified and in some measure accomplished in all the members of Christ, they must louelove righteousnes, and hate iniquity. And this is the difference that the Apostle putteth betweene the Children of God and the Children of the Diuel, that the Children of God both louelove and doe righteousnes, and the Chilof the Diuel louelove sinne and doe it. 1. Iohn. 3.7. Let no man therefore thinke that he is predestinate to saluation: vnlesse hee finde and seele in himselfe the effects & fruits of predestination. For those whom God hath predestinate, them also in his good time hee calleth Rom. 8.29.30. (not to vncleannes but vntounto holines, 1. Thes. 4.7.) and whome he calleth, them also he iustifieth (and endueth with the grace of sanctification. Rom. 6.2. &c.) and whome hee iustifieth, them also he glorifieth. Rom. 8. If any bee ingrafted into Christ by a liuely faith, hee cannot but bring forth the fruit of good life. Iohn. 15. and whosoeuer doth not bring forth such fruit it is certaine that he is not yet ingrafted into Iesus Christ. Let vsus not therefore I say flatter nor deceiue our selues, as though we had true faith, when we hauehave not the true fruits of faith. For as the Sunne cannot be without light, nor the fire without heat: no more can a sauing faith be without good workes, which are the fruits and effects thereof. The penitent thiefe had but a short time of repentance: yet in that short time he wanted not good works to declare his faith. Luke. 23.40 41.42. For no sooner was it giuen him to beleeue in Christ, but that presently he maketh answere on the behalfe of Christ and cleareth him of all amisse; hee rebuketh his fellow for his incredulitie, he confesseth the greatnes of their sinne, and their iust punishment for the same, hee acknowledgeth Christ to bee the Lord and calleth vponupon him. Therefore it is not enough for vsus to saie wee hauehave faith, for the Diuells hauehave a kinde of faith (Iames. 2.19.) nor it is not enough for you to come to Church to call vponupon the Lorde, for Lorde Lorde will not serue the turne Math. 7.21.) nor it is not enough for vsus to preach vntounto you, for vntounto some that hauehave preached in the name of Christ, it shal bee saide at the last day, depart I know you not, Math. 7.22. nor it is not enough for you to be only hearers of the worde, for then you deceiue your selues, Iames. 1.22. But you that say you hauehave faith must shew it by your deedes, Iames. 2.18. And you that come to call vponupon the Lord must depart from iniquitie. 2. Tim. 2.19. And we that preach vntounto you, must practise that our selues, which we preach vntounto you, and bee an example of holie life for you to follow, 1. Pet. 5.3. And you that are hearers of the word, must be doers of the word; and then you shall be iustified, Rom. 2.13.
VVhat shall I doo? The Papistes will hauehave other men doo good works for them. For some of the holier sort (forsooth) hauehave workes of supererrogation, that is, more good works than they neede themselues, which they can spare and bestow vppon those that pay best for them. And wee that are Protestants, because wee will not disable Christ, nor derogate from his merits, will hauehave Christ doo all for vsus, and we will doo nothing for our selues.
But this Lawier was of another minde; Hee asketh what hee shall doo to gaine eternall life, because hee knewe that another man could not deserue it for him. The soule that sinneth that same shall die, and the soule that dooth righteousnes shall surelie liue saith the Lord, Ezec. 18.4.5. And though Moses and Samuell stoode before the Lorde, to make intercession for the wicked, it shall not helpe them, Ier. 15.1. Yea, though Noah, Daniel, and Iob, were in the Land when the Lord bringeth his plagues vppon it for sinne, they shall saue neither sonnes nor daughters, but onelie deliuer their owne soules by their righteousnes, Ezech. 14.20. Therefore it behooueth eueryevery man to know what he must doo to inherit eternall life, and not onelyonly to know, for hee that knoweth his Masters will and doth it not, shall bee beaten with manie stripes, Luke, 12.48. but hee must doo it, and so shall hee hauehave cause of reioysing in himselfe, and not in another. For as another mans sinne shall not bee laid to my charge, so another mans righteousnes shall not bee reckoned to be mine, but euerie man shall beare his owne burthen, Gal. 6.4.5.
VVhat shall I do to inherit eternall life? There is a life which is short and temporall, which Iob compareth to a winde that soone bloweth ouer, Iob, 7.7. Iames to a vapour that soone vanisheth away, Iames, 4.14. This Lawier asketh not after this temporall life, for this is common to beasts with men: But here he inquireth concerning that life which is eternall, and shall neuer hauehave an end. Tis strange to see how eueryevery man almost desireth to be eternall, and yet how fewe do vse the meanes to be eternall: As the fowles by a naturall inclination, delight to flie, the fish to swimme, and the beastes to goe; so men are naturally carried with an earnest desire to liue for euer.
And albeit men know themselues to be mortall, yet eueryevery man according to his seuerall disposition, deuiseth some meanes to be immortall. Some like Lycurgus doo publish wholsome lawes: Some Plato like, pen learned bookes: And some like Salomon build goodly houses, and call the landes after their owne names, thinking by this meanes that their names at least shall continue for euer, Psal. 49.
Thus eueryevery man almost, either for some valiant enterprise like Dauids worthies that killed the Giants, 2. Sam 21. or for some desperate attempt like Saul that killed himselfe, the first of Samuel, and thirty one Chapter; or for their famous and stately buildinges, as the builders of both the Babels, in the eleuenth Chapter of Genesis, and fourth Chapter of Daniel, will bee eternixed. But howsoeuer men by such meanes may bee remembred after death, yet this is not the way to get eternall life. For this is life eternall to know the onelie true God, the seauenteenth Chapter of Iohn, and third verse. And to beleeue in the sonne of God, the third Chapter of Iohn, and sixteenth verse. But these knowers must be dooers; for he that saith I know him, and keepeth not his commandements, is a liar, and the truth is not in him, the first of Iohn, the third Chapter, and fourth verse. And these beleeuers must be good liuers, for this is a true saying, and these things I will thou shouldst affirme, that they that hauehave beleeued God, should be carefull to shew forth good workes, Titus, third, eight. Therefore to the obtaining of eternall life two things are necessarie. The first is, to beleeue well; the second is, to liue well. By the first we are iustified in the fight of God, for hee respecteth our faith. By the second wee are iustified in the sight of men, for they regard our workes. And thus are the Apostles Paul and Iames reconciled; for when Paul maketh faith the cause of iustification, Romanes, third Chapter, and twenty eight verse, he meaneth such a saith as worketh by louelove, Galathians, the fifth Chapter, & sixth verse; whereby wee are iustified in the sight of God. And when Iames maketh workes the cause of iustification, Iames the second Chapter, and twenty foure verse, hee meaneth such workes as proceede from faith, Iames, the second Chapter & the eighteenth verse, whereby we are declared to be righteous before men.
The Scripture describeth this eternall life by diuers excellent names: to shew the worthines and excellencie thereof, it is called a Kingdome, Luke, the twelfth Chapter, and thirty two verse; but yet such a Kingdome as cannot bee shaken like the Kingdomes of this worlde, Hebrewes, the twelfth Chapter, and twenty eight Verse; for it is a heauenlie Kingdome, Matthew, the eighth Chapter and eleuenth verse. It is called Paradise, Luke the three & twenty Chap. and forty three verse; for it is more pleasant than the garden of Eden. And Abrahams bosome, Luke the sixteenth Chapter, for it is a place of rest and comfort. It is called the house of the father, wherein there be many Mansions, Iohn, the fourteenth Chapter. The ioy of the Lord, whereinto eueryevery faithfull seruant must enter, in Matthew 22. Chapter; and all to expresse and declare vntounto vsus the beauty, excellencie, and glorie of that life which is eternall: And yet as glorious & excellent as it is; such is the louelove and fauour of God vntounto vsus, that he hath appointed it to be our inheritance, as here the Lawyer termeth it. Inheritance is a kinde of tenure, whereby a man in his own right holdeth or possesseth any thing, as his own; as when a lawfull heyre doth inherite his Fathers landes: Euen so the kingdome of God belongeth vntounto vsus as our lawfull inheritance, because we are the Sonnes of God.
It is a great prerogatiue to bee the Sonnes of God. Iohn, the first Chapter and third verse. But to bee Heyres and Heyres with Christ, (Rom. the eight Chapt,) of that heauenly inheritance is a wonderfull priuiledge. How are wee bound vntounto Almightie God? that where as hee might hauehave made vsus stones, or trees, or beasts, or such insensible and vnreasonable creatures: it pleased his diuine Maiestie to make vsus men, the vndoubted heyres of eternall happines. Behold (deare brother) and consider that heauen is thine inheritance, eternall glorie is thy patrimony; thou art borne to a kingdome, thou hast a title to it, & when thou doest depart this life thou shalt bee sure to finde it: If before thou departe this life thou doe not loose thy right and title by thy sinfull life.
Let euerie one therefore as hee tendereth the saluation of his owne soule, forsake his wicked waies and nowe begin to walke in the waies of the Lorde: If heretofore thou hast prophaned the Lords Saboath, remember that henceforth thou sanctifie it: If thou hast beene a Blasphemer of the name of God, see that henceforth thou vse it with al reuerēce: If thou hast beene malicious, from henceforth be charitable: If thou hast beene contentious, now learne to bee peaceable: If thou hast beene incontinent, now begin to be chast: If thou hast beene a drunkard, from henceforth be sober: & in a worde. If thou hast beene inclined to any sin, bee sorrie for it and forsake it: If thou hast neglected anye good worke: now begin to doe it, that in so dooing thou maiest inherite that eternall life which is promised and prepared for them that knowe the will of God and doo it. as it is written in Luke, the eighth Chapter, and twentie one verse.
The Lord in merciemercy graunt that you bee not forgetfull hearers but dooers of the word.
Here endeth the first Sermon.
Printed at London for Thomas Gosson: and are to bee solde at his Shop by London Bridge Gate. 1595.
THE LAVVGIVERS Answere to the Lawiers Question.
By HENRY SMITH.
LONDON, Printed for Thomas Gosson: and are to be sold at his shop by London Bridge Gate.