A12406:206
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…
The sermons of Master Henry Smith gathered into one volume. Printed according to his corrected copies in his life time.The sermons of Maister Henrie Smith gathered into one volume. Printed according to his corrected copies in his life time.
London: printed by Richard Field for Thomas Man, 1593
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
And beside, so long as all her children, are his children, she must needs be his wife, because the father and mother are man & wife: but when her children are not his children, she seems no more to be his wife, but the others whose children she bears, and therefore to be divorced from him. In all the old Testament,1 we read of no divorce between any, which showeth that they lived chaster then we: yet no doubt this law was better executed amongst them, then amongest us. Such a care God hath had in all ages and callings, to provide for them which live honestly: for divorcement is not instituted for the carnal, but for the chaste, least they should be tied to a plague while they live. As for the adulterer & adulteress,2 he hath assigned death to cut them off, least their breath should infect others. Thus he which made marriage, did not make it unseparable, for then marriage were a servitude. But as Christ saith of the Sabbath,3 The Sabbath was made for man, that is, for the benefit of man, and not for the hindrance of man: so marriage was made for man, that is, for the honour of man, & not for the dishonour of man:4 but if marriage should turn to fornication, and when it is turned to fornication, there might be no separation, then marriage were not for the honour of man, but ⟨p. 71⟩for the trouble, & grief, & dishonour of man. Therefore now ye have heard how divorcement is appointed for a remedy of fornication, if any be ashamed of this physic, let them be more ashamed of the disease.5 Because I have spoken more then you can remember, if you ask me what is most needful to bear away, In my opinion,6 there is one saying of Paul, which is the profitablest sentence in all the scripture for man & wife to meditate often, & examine whether they find it in themselves as they do in other, least their marriage turn to sin, which should further them in godliness.