cHAPTER 25
Of Marriage
Paragraph 1
Marriage is to be between one man and one woman; neither is it lawful for any man to have more than one wife, nor for any woman to have more than one husband at the same time. 1
(1) Gen. 2:24; Mal. 2:15; Matt. 19:5–6
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Marriage was ordained for the mutual help of husband and wife, 2 for the increase of mankind with a legitimate issue, 3 and the preventing of uncleanness. 4
(2) Gen. 2:18, (3) Gen. 1:28, (4) 1 Cor. 7:2,9
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It is lawful for all sorts of people to marry, who are able with judgment to give their consent; 5 yet it is the duty of Christians to marry in the Lord; 6 and therefore such as profess the true religion, should not marry with infidels, or idolaters; neither should such as are godly, be unequally yoked, by marrying with such as are wicked in their life, or maintain damnable heresy. 7
(5) Heb. 13:4; 1 Tim. 4:3, (6) 1 Cor. 7:39, (7) Neh. 13:25–27
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Marriage ought not to be within the degrees of consanguinity or affinity, forbidden in the Word; 8 nor can such incestuous marriages ever be made lawful, by any law of man or consent of parties, so as those persons may live together as man and wife. 9
(8) Lev. 18, (9) Mark 6:18; 1 Cor. 5:1