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…

His first advice is, Quench not the Spirit, that is, when a good motion cometh, welcome it like a friend, and cross it not with thy lusts. The second admonition teacheth how the first should be kept, Despise not prophesying, and the spirit will not quench, because ⟨p. 296⟩prophesying doth kindle it. The third admonition teacheth how to make fruit of the second; Try the doctrines of them which prophesy, and thou shalt not believe error for truth, but hold the best. The fourth admonition is the sum of all, and it cometh last, because it is longest in learning; that is, Abstain from all appearance of evil. This is the sum of all, for he which can abstain not only from evil, but from the appearance of evil, is so perfect as a man can be in this sinful life: put all these together, and it is as if Paul should say, Quench not the spirit by despising of prophesying; neither despise prophesying, because all do no prophesy alike: but rather when you hear some preach one way and some another, when you see some follow him, and others follow him, do you try the doctrines by the Scripture, as the men of Beroea did,¹ and choose that which is best, and soundest, and truest, having alway such an eye to the truth, that you abstain from all appearance of error; so jealous the holy ghost would have us of our faith, that we set no article upon our religion but that which is an undoubted truth. As Moses did nothing in the Tabernacle, but that which was showed in his pattern. It seems that there were some among the Thessalonians, as there be among ⟨p. 297⟩us, which did forsake all religion because the preachers did not agree, or because the lives of professors gave some offence, therefore Paul showeth that there is no cause why they should mislike the word for the Preacher, or why they should despise religion for the professor, because the word and the religion are not theirs which teach it and profess it, but Gods, and therefore can not be polluted by them no more than God. Then he concludeth, that seeing it is necessary, that there shall be always errors and heresies to try us, we should also try them, and thereby be provoked so much the more from error, or heresy, or superstition, that we abstain even from the appearance thereof, lest we fall into the sin; this is the scope of these words.