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…

To show the love which should be between man and wife, Marriage is called Coniugium, which signifieth a knitting or joining together: showing, that unless there be a joining of hearts, and a knitting of affections together, it is not Marriage in deed, but in show and name, and they shall dwell in a house like two poisons in a stomach, and one shall ever be sick of another.

To shewe the loue which should be betweene man and wife, Mariage is called Coniugium, which signifieth a knitting or ioyning together: shewing, that vnlesse there be a ioyning of hearts, and a knitting of affections together, it is not Mariage in deede, but in shew and name, and they shal dwel in a house like two poysons in a stomacke, and one shall euer be sicke of another.

Therefore, first that they may love, and keep love one with another, it is necessary that they both love God, and as their love increaseth toward him, so it shall increase each to other. But the man must take heed that his love toward his wife be not greater than his love toward God,¹ as Adam & Samsons were,² for all unlawful love will turn to hatred, as the love of Amon did toward Tamar,³ and because Christ hath forbidden it, therefore he will cross it. This made Uriah so fearful,⁴ least the pleasure of his wife should withdraw his heart from God, that he would not go to his own house, so long as he had ⟨p. 37⟩cause to mourn and pray, although he had a wife which feared God like himself: & that you may see it is no cheap dalliance for the husband to make the wife, or the wife to make the husband less zealous then they were. In