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…

Now if marriage be a remedy against the sin of fornication, then unless Ministers may commit the sin of fornication,¹ it seems that they may use the remedy as well ⟨p. 13⟩as other: for as it is better for one man to marry then to burn, so it is better for all men to marry then to burn: and therefore Paul saith, Marriage is honourable amongst all men. ²And again,³ For the avoiding of fornication let every man have his wife. ⁴And as though he did foresee that some would except the Minister in time to come; in the first Epistle of Timothy, the third Chapter and second verse, he speaketh more precisely of the Ministers wife then of any other,⁵ saying; Let him be the husband of one wife. And least ye should say that by one wife he meaneth one Benefice, like the Papists; he expoundeth himself in the fourth verse, and saith, that he must be one that can rule his house well, and his children.

Now if mariage be a remedie against the sinne of fornication, then vnlesse Ministers may committe the sinne of fornication,¹ it seemes that they may vse the remedie as well ⟨p. 13⟩as other: for as it is better for one man to marie then to burne, so it is better for all men to marie then to burne: and therfore Paul saith, Mariage is honourable amongst all men. ²And againe,³ For the auoiding of fornication let euerie man haue his wife.