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…

There is a kind of Preachers risen up but of late, which shroud and cover every rustical and unsavoury, and childish, and absurd Sermon, under the name of the simple kind of teaching, like the Popish Priests, which make ignorance the mother of devotion: but indeed to preach simply, is not to preach rudely, nor unlearnedly, nor confusedly, but to preach plainly and perspicuously, that the simplest man may understand what is taught ⟨p. 312⟩as if he did hear his name. Therefore if you will know what makes many Preachers preach so barely, and loosely, and simply, it is your own simplicity, which makes them think that if they go on and say some thing, all is one, and no fault will be found because you are not able to judge in or out; and so because they give no attendance to doctrine, as Paul teacheth them,¹ it is almost come to pass that in a whole Sermon the hearer can not pick out one note more than he could gather him self. Wheat is good, but they which sell the refuse of wheat are reproved, Amos the eight Chapter and sixth verse: so preaching is good, but this refuse of preaching is but like swearing, for one taketh the name of God in vain, and the other takes the word of God in vain. As every sound is not music, so every Sermon is not preaching, but worse than if he should read an Homily. In the eight and fortieth of Jeremiah, there is a curse upon them which do the business of the Lord negligently. If this curse do not touch them which do the chiefest business of the Lord negligently, truly I can not tell whom the Prophet meaneth. These would not have prophesying despised, and yet they make it despised themselves.

There is a kinde of Preachers risen vp but of late, which shrowde and couer euerie rusticall and vnsauerie, and childish, and absurd Sermon, vnder the name of the simple kind of teaching, like the Popish Priestes, which make ignorance the mother of deuotion: but indeede to preach simplie, is not to preache rudely, nor vnlearnedly, nor confusedly, but to preach plainly and perspicuously, that the simplest man may vnderstand what is taught ⟨p. 312⟩as if he did heare his name. Therefore if you will knowe what makes manie Preachers preach so barely, and loosely, and simplie, it is your owne simplicitie, which makes them thinke that if they go on and say some thing, all is one, and no fault will be found because you are not able to iudge in or out; and so because they giue no attendance to doctrine, as Paul teacheth them,