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…

How then when they take a bad cause in hand, and prolong it too, which keeps their Clients in suspense from day to day, and from week to week, in great charge and sin together. I would to GOD that some did not sit in counsel against good Christians, as these Priests did against Christ, but GOD in his mercy doth daily confound and bring to nothing the accursed counsels of the wicked Antichrist, and all his rebellious confederates. So when the wicked took counsel together, wickedness was the end of their counsels: ⟨p. 886⟩for there is nothing worse to the ungodly than to meet together: for before they meet, their wickedness is a little hid like the poison in a Serpent: but when they meet together, one setteth on another, and the poison breaks forth into vile speeches, and detestable works, and ungodly practises, as we see in Taverns and such like assemblies as this.

How then when they take a bad cause in hand, and prolong it too, which keeps their Clients in suspence from day to day, and from weeke to weeke, in great charge and sinne together. I would to GOD that some did not sit in counsaile against good Christiās, as these Priests did against Christ, but GOD in his mercie dooth daily confounde and bring to nothing the accursed counsailes of the wicked Antichrist, and all his rebellious confederates. So when the wicked tooke counsaile together, wickednesse was the ende of their counsayles: ⟨p. 886⟩for there is nothing woorse to the vngodlie than to meete together: for before they meete, their wickednes is a little hid like the poyson in a Serpent: but when they meete together, one setteth on another, and the poyson breakes forth into vile speeches, and detestable workes, and vngodly practises, as we see in Tauernes and such like assemblies as this.

For now they are met together, they have conspired amongst themselves to accuse unto the Governor the most innocent man in the world, as if he were the worst man living, they abused him, and mocked him, and reviled him, and buffeted him, before they brought him to the Governor, which showeth that they would have killed him too, if they durst without the Governor, but sin is crafty, and therefore they observe the order of law, and form of judgement, lest they should be taken in the snare which they made for him.