A12406:1037
The sermons of Master Henry Smith gathered into one volume. Printed according to his…The sermons of Maister Henrie Smith gathered into one volume. Printed according to his…
The sermons of Master Henry Smith gathered into one volume. Printed according to his corrected copies in his life time.The sermons of Maister Henrie Smith gathered into one volume. Printed according to his corrected copies in his life time.
London: printed by Richard Field for Thomas Man, 1593
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
May we not say again with Christ, What went ye out to see, rather then What went ye out to hear, seeing ye remember that which ye see, and forget all which ye hear? So you depart from our sermons like a slidethrift's purse which will hold no money, and as you go home one saith he doth not edify: another saith, I cannot profit by him: another saith, he ⟨p. 644⟩keeps not to his text: another saith, he speaks not to the heart: as if the ground should con plain of the seed which will not receive the seed. Is not this the cause why your Preachers about the City care not how they preach, because their flocks have no care to hear? Is not this the cause why God doth not hear us, because we will not hear him? Is not this the cause why ye are such Doctors in the world, and such Infants in the Church? Ye learned your trade in seven years, but you have not learned religion in all your years. Can you give any reason for it but this? you marked when your master taught you your trade, because you should live by it: but you marked not when the Preacher taught you religion, because you do not live by it. Come now to the danger by hearing amiss. Christ saith, Take heed how you hear: In Deut. 4. it is said, Take heed how ye forget that which ye hear. This Take heed aways goeth before some danger: therefore as Paul saith, that men receive the Sacrament to their salvation, or to their damnation, 1. Cor. 11. so Christ saith, that men hear the Word to their salvation, or to their damnation, The word which I have spoken shall judge you in the latter day. Joh. 12.1 It is called the savour of life, because it saveth, and it is called the savour of death, ⟨p. 645⟩because it condemneth. An evil eye engendereth lust, & an evil tongue engendereth strife: but an evil ear makes an heretic, and a schismatic, and an Idolater. This careless hearing, made GOD take away his word from the Jews: therefore you may hear the word so, as it may be taken from you, as the talent was from him that hid it,2