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…

Christ asked his Disciples,¹ what they thought of him; so; I would ask you, what you think of Preachers?² Is he a contemptible person,³ which bringeth the message of God? which hath the name of an Angel? and all his words are messengers of life? Prophets are of such account with God,⁴ that it is said, God will do nothing before he reveal it unto his Prophets; so prophets are (as it were) Gods counsellors. Again, Kings and Priests, and Prophets were figures of Christ, all these three were anointed with oil, to show that they had greater graces than the rest:⁵ but especially the Prophets are called, Men of God; to show, that all which are of God will make much of Prophets for Gods sake. Therefore women are forbidden to take upon them to prophesy,⁶ lest that noble calling should become ⟨p. 301⟩vile and despised, by such unskilful handlers of it. Therefore when the Prophet Elisha would send for Naaman the leper to come unto him, these were his words,⁷ Naaman shall know that there is a Prophet in Israel; as though all the glory of Israel were chiefly in this, that they had Prophets, and other had none: as if one Parish should triumph over another, because they have a preacher, and the other have none. Therefore when this Prophet was dead, Joash the King came unto his coarse, and wept over his face, and cried;⁸ O my Father, my Father, the Chariot of Israel, and horsemen of the same: showing, that the Chariots, and horses, and soldiers do not so safeguard a City, as the Prophets which teach it, and pray for it. Therefore when God would mark the Israelites with a name of greatest reproach, he calleth them, A people which rebuke their Priests: as if he should say, usurpers of the Priests office: for they rebuke their Priests, which are appointed to rebuke them.