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.⁴¹²

1. 412. Genesis 2:24; Malachi 2:15; Matthew 19:5–6

Paragraph 2: Marriage was ordained for the mutual help of husband and wife,⁴¹³ for the increase of mankind with a legitimate issue,⁴¹⁴ and the preventing of uncleanness.⁴¹⁵

1. 413. Genesis 2:18
2. 414. Genesis 1:28
3. 415. 1 Corinthians 7:2, 9

Paragraph 3: It is lawful for all sorts of people to marry, who are able with judgment to give their consent;⁴¹⁶ yet it is the duty of Christians to marry in the Lord;⁴¹⁷ 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.⁴¹⁸

1. 416. Hebrews 13:4; 1 Timothy 4:3
2. 417. 1 Corinthians 7:39
3. 418. Nehemiah 13:25–27

Paragraph 4: Marriage ought not to be within the degrees of consanguinity or affinity, forbidden in the Word;⁴¹⁹ 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.⁴²⁰

1. 419. Leviticus 18
2. 420. Mark 6:18; 1 Corinthians 5:1