John Brown on Smith

This is from John Brown's book Puritan preaching in England; a study of past and present by John Brown (1830-1922). Having spoken of William Perkins he moves onto Henry Smith

... there are two preachers to whom I may refer who are not unworthy to stand out even in the searching light of that brilliant time. One of these was Henry Smith, known as the silver-tongued preacher, and therefore, as Thomas Fuller says, only one metal below Chrysostom, the golden-mouthed, himself. After a brief time at Cambridge we find him living as a student with a quaint Puritan preacher of the time, Richard Greenham, rector of Dry Drayton in Cambridgeshire, who seems to have thoroughly imbued him with Puritan principles. It was probably through his influence that Smith, from conscientious scruples on the matter of subscription, declined to undertake a pastoral charge, and contented himself with one of those Puritan lectureships, common then and later, which combined opportunities for preaching with more than ordinary freedom for the preacher. Elected in 1587 as Lecturer at St. Clement Danes, London, he quickly rose to great popularity, and came to be spoken of as the "prime preacher of the nation."

Wood tells us that he came to be "esteemed the miracle and wonder of his age, for his prodigious memory, and for his fluent, eloquent and practical way of preaching." He was, it may be, all the more welcome to his hearers from the fact that his sermons were almost entirely free from those numerous divisions and subdivisions of his subject, and from those elaborate statements of doctrine in which other preachers of the time indulged. They were free also from that "churchiness " of tone in which later Anglican divines abounded; they were practical, pungent, and interspersed with vivid and luminous character sketches.

His theory of simplicity in preaching will commend itself to you. "There is," said he, ''a kind of preachers risen up of late which shroud and cover every rustical and unsavoury and childish and absurd sermon under the name of the simple kind of teaching. 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, as if he did hear his name." And while he has thus a word for the preacher he has one for the hearers too. In a sermon on "The Art of Hearing," he says there are divers ways of hearing:

"One is like an Athenian and hearkeneth after news; if the preacher say anything of our armies beyond the sea, or Council at home, or matters at court. Another cometh to gaze about the church; he hath an evil eye which is still looking upon that from which Job did avert his eye. Another cometh to muse; so soon as he is set he falleth into a brown study; sometimes his mind runs on his market, sometimes on his journey, sometimes of his suit, sometimes of his dinner, sometimes of his sport after dinner, and the sermon is done before the man thinks where he is. Another cometh to hear, but so soon as the preacher hath said his prayer, he falls fast asleep, as though he had been brought in for a corpse, and the preacher should preach at his funeral."

He is equally keen and sarcastic on those who admire the cleverness of a man who can take in his neighbours and make money at their expense:

"He who can go beyond all in shifts and policy is counted the wisest man in court and city. Oh, if Machiavel had lived in our country what a monarch should he be! To what honour and wealth and power and credit might he have risen unto in short time, whether he had been a lawyer or a courtier, or a prelate! Methinks I see how many fingers would point at him in the streets and say, There goeth a deep fellow; he hath more wit in his little finger than the rest in their whole body."

From his character sketches here is one of the Flatterer:

"He is like your shadow which doth imitate the action and gesture of your body, which stands when you stand, and walks when you walk, and sits when you sit, and riseth when you rise : so the flatterer doth praise when you praise, and finds fault when you find fault, and smiles when you smile, and frowns when you frown, and applauds you in your doings, and soothes you in your sayings, and in all things seeks to please your humour, till he hath sounded the depth of your devices, that he may betray you to your greatest enemies. As the sirens sing most sweetly when they intend your destruction, so flatterers speak most fair when they practise most treachery. Therefore every fair look is not to be liked, every smooth tale is not to be believed, and every glozing tongue is not to be trusted. We must try the words whether they come from the heart or no ; and we must try the deeds whether they be answerable to the words or no."

On the more solemn aspects of life this preacher can speak solemn and searching words, as for example, when he speaks of repentance as a matter of urgent need:

"Whether thou be old or young, thy repentance cannot come too soon, because thy sin is gone before. If thou lackest a spur to make thee run, see how every day runneth away with thy life. Youth cometh upon childhood, age cometh upon youth, death cometh upon age, with such a swift sail, that if all our minutes were spent in mortifying ourselves, yet our glass would be run out before we had purged half our corruptions."

These again are lurid and terrible words with which he describes the anguish of remorse:

''There is a warning conscience and a gnawing conscience. The warning conscience cometh before sin, tlie gnawing conscience followeth after sin. The warning conscience is often lulled asleep, but the gnawing conscience wakeneth her again. If there be any hell in this world, they which feel the worm of conscience gnaw upon their hearts may truly say that they have felt the torments of hell. Who can express that man's horror but himself? Nay, what horrors are tliere which he cannot express himself ? Sorrows are met in his soul at a feast; and fear, thought and anguish, divide his soul between them. All the furies of hell leap upon his heart like a stage. Thought calleth to fear; fear whistleth to horror; horror beckoneth to despair, and saith, Come and help me to torment the sinner. One saith that she cometh from this sin, and another saith that she cometh from that sin, so he goeth through a thousand deaths and cannot die."

Benjamin Brook on Smith

Henry Smith, A. M.—This zealous and eloquent divine was born at Withcock in Leicestershire, in the year 1550, and educated in Lincoln college, Oxford; where he became well furnished with useful learning. He was descended from a wealthy and honourable family, was possessed of a plentiful estate, and was heir to a large patrimony. But he resolved to employ his talents to the utmost of his power, by labouring for the glory of God and the conversion of souls, in the work of the ministry; and therefore he left the rich patrimony to a younger brother. (This younger brother was Sir Roger Smith of Edmondthorp in Leicestershire, who died about the restoration.)

Upon his removal from Oxford, he pursued his studies under the care of Mr. Greenham, whose principles and piety he appeared afterwards to have imbibed. When the Lord Treasurer Burleigh applied to Mr. Greenham for a testimonial of Mr. Smith's character, this excellent divine observed, that he was well versed in the holy scriptures, religions and devout in his character, moderate and sober in his opinions, discreet and temperate in his behaviour, industrious in his studies and pursuits, and of a humble spirit and upright heart, joined with a fervent zeal for the glory of God and the welfare of souls."

Though Mr. Smith was eminently qualified for the sacred function, he was dissatisfied with the subscription imposed upon ministers, and the lawfulness of certain ceremonies. He was loath to make a rent, either in the church or in his own conscience. But, during this perplexity, he resolved not to undertake any pastoral charge, but to content himself with a lecturer's situation. Accordingly, in the year 1587, he became lecturer at St. Clement Danes, near Temple-bar, London. He was chosen to this public situation by the parishioners, and by the favour of the Lord Treasurer, who lived in the parish, and assisted in raising the contribution for his support. Here he set himself to do the work of the Lord faithfully. He was greatly beloved, and his ministry highly admired by his numerous hearers. But the year following, complaint being made to Bishop Aylmer, that he had spoken in his sermon some words derogatory to the Common Prayer, viz that he had not subscribed to Whitgift's three articles, his grace suspended him from preaching. The reasons alleged by the bishop, with Mr. Smith's answers, were the following:

1. That he was chosen by a popular election; that is, by the minister and congregation, without his lordship's license.

"I was recommended to the parish by certain godly ministers," says Mr. Smith, " who had heard me preach in other places in this city, and thereupon accepted by the parish, and entertained with a stipend raised by voluntary contribution. In which sort they had heretofore entertained others, without any such question or exception. And his lordship calling me to preach at Paul's cross, never moved any such question to me. Nevertheless, if any error have been committed by me or the parish, through ignorance, our joint desire is to have his lordship's good allowance and approbation, for the said exercise of my function in his lordship's diocese."

2. "That he hath preached against the Book of Common Prayer."

"However his lordship may have been informed against me," observes Mr. Smith, " I never used a speech in any of my sermons, against the Book of Common Prayer; whereof the parish doth bear me witness in this my supplication to your lordship."

3. "That he hath not yielded his subscription to certain articles which his lordship required at his hands."

"Concerning the third," says he, " I refuse not to subscribe to any articles, which the law of the realm doth require of men in my calling; acknowledging, with all humbleness and loyalty, her majesty's sovereignty in all causes, and over all persons, within her highness's dominions; and yielding my full consent to all articles of faith and doctrine, taught and ratified in this church, according to a statute in that behalf provided, the 13th year of her majesty's reign. And therefore I beseech his lordship, not to urge upon me any other subscription than the law of God and the laws positive of this realm do require." (Strype's Aylmer, p 155, 156)

The above charges, with the answers subjoined, Mr. Smith presented to the treasurer, accompanied with a supplication to his lordship, humbly requesting his favour and influence at this painful juncture. This great statesman had the highest respect for him; and, as Mr. Smith was not long deprived of his lecture, he most probably espoused his cause, applied to the bishop, and procured his restoration. It is, indeed, observed, " that the lord treasurer looked very favourably upon Mr. Smith ; and that he was often the screen to save him from scorching, by interposing his greatness betwixt him and the anger of certain episcopal officers." (Fuller's Life of Mr. Smith prefixed to his sermons)

In the year 1589, upon the death of Mr. Harewood, the incumbent of Clement Danes, the churchwardens and parishioners petitioned the treasurer to bestow the living upon our pious divine. In their petition, they observe, "that by his excellent preaching, his exemplary life, and his sound doctrine, more good had been done among them, than by any other who had gone before, or, as they feared, would follow him." But Mr. Smith, for the reasons already mentioned, was most probably unwilling to accept the benefit, if it was offered him. He does not appear ever to have enjoyed any greater preferment than that of his lectureship.

Mr. Smith was a preacher uncommonly followed by persons of piety, especially those of the puritanical party. He was generally esteemed the first preacher in the nation; and, on account of his prodigious memory, and bis fluent, eloquent, and practical way of preaching, he was looked upon as the very miracle and wonder of the age. (Strype's Aylmer, p 157). It may be truly said of him, that he was a man peaceable in Israel. For though he scrupled conformity himself, and utterly disapproved the imposition of it on others; still he could live on terms of intimacy with those from whom he dissented. His fame was so great, that he was usually called the silver-tongued preacher, as if he was second even to Chrysostom. His church was so crowded with hearers, that persons of quality, as well as others, were frequently obliged to stand in the aisles; and his wonderful dexterity in preaching was such, that, by his solid reasons, he fastened conviction upon the judgements of his auditory; by his apt similitudes, upon their fancies; by his orderly method, upon their memories; and by his close applications, upon their consciences. He died apparently of a consumption, about the year 1600, aged fifty years. Mr. Smith was author of many Sermons and Treatises, published at various times. They passed through many editions, and some of them were carried abroad and translated into Latin. His sermons were so universally admired, that they were for many years used as a family book in all parts of the kingdom. They are so solid, says Fuller, that the learned may partly admire them; yet so plain, that the unlearned may perfectly understand them. His "Sermons, with other his learned Treatises," and his Life by Fuller, were collected and published in one volume quarto, in 1675.

Smith as described on Wikipedia

Henry Smith (ca. 1560 – 1591?) was an English clergyman, widely regarded as "the most popular Puritan preacher of Elizabethan London." His sermons at St Clement Danes drew enormous crowds, and earned him a reputation as "Silver Tongued" Smith. The collected editions of his sermons, and especially his tract, "God's Arrow Against Atheists" were among the most frequently reprinted religious writings of the Elizabethan age.

Despite his popularity in the Elizabethan period, considerable uncertainty surrounds Smith's biography. Probably born in Leicestershire around 1560, Smith may have enrolled during the 1570s in colleges at both Cambridge and Oxford, but seems not to have taken a degree. He was in any case by 1589 among London's most popular preachers; however in that year, Smith seems to have contracted an illness which according to Charles Henry Cooper's Athenae Cantabrigienses caused him to devote his remaining time to preparing his writings for publication:

During his sickness, being desirous to do good by writing, he occupied himself in revising his sermons and other works for the press. his collected sermons he dedicated to his kind patron Lord Burghley.

He died before the collection came from the press, being buried at Husbands Bosworth in his native country. In the register of that parish is this entry: Anno 1591, Henricus Smyth, theologus, m filius Erasmi Smyth, armigeri, sepult. fuit 4to. die Julii.

Smith's preparations allowed his writings to become among England's most popular, after his death. However, some sources indicate that Smith may have survived until around 1600, or even until as late as 1613.