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…

Again,¹ there is a law, that if any free man, or free woman make a vow, it must be kept. But if a virgin make a vow, it should not ⟨p. 29⟩be kept, unless her father approve it, because she is not free: therefore if she did vow to marry, yet the father hath power by this law to break it. Again, our Saviour saith, that in heaven there is no marrying, nor giving to marriage, showing that in earth there should be a giving to marriage, as well as marrying. Therefore the law speaketh unto the father, saying.² Thou shalt not take a wife for thy son of strangers. Therefore Paul speaketh to the father,³ If thou give thy daughter to marriage, thou doest well. ⁴Therefore Jobs children are counted part of Jobs substance, showing, that as a man hath the disposition of his own substance, so he hath the disposition of his own children. Therefore in Mat. 22. 30. the wife is said to be bestowed in marriage, which signifieth, that some did give her beside her self: therefore it is said,⁵ that Jacob served Laban, […] Laban might give him his daughter to wife.⁶ Therefore Saul saith to David, I will give thee mine eldest daughter to wife:⁷ therefore it is said that Judah took a wife to Er his son.⁸ Therefore Shechem saith to his Father,⁹ get me this maid to wife. Therefore in the marriage of Isaac, we see Abraham's servant in the place of Isaac, and Rebecca the maid and her parents,