Chapter XV - Of Marriage

I. 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.(Gen. 2:24; Mal. 2:15; Matt. 19:5,6)

II. Marriage was ordained for the mutual help of husband and wife,(Gen. 2:18) for the increase of mankind with a legitimate issue,(Gen. 1:28) and the preventing of uncleanness.(1 Cor. 7:2,9)

III. It is lawful for all sorts of people to marry, who are able with judgment to give their consent;(Heb. 13:4; 1 Tim. 4:3) yet it is the duty of Christians to marry in the Lord;(1 Cor. 7:39) 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.(Neh. 13:25-27)

IV. Marriage ought not to be within the degrees of consanguinity or affinity, forbidden in the Word;(Lev. 18) 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.(Mark 6:18; 1 Cor. 5:1)

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