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

¹Genesis 2:24; Malachi 2:15; Matthew 19:5, 6

2 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

²Genesis 2:18 ³Genesis 1:28 ⁴1 Corinthians 7:2, 9

3 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

⁵Hebrews 13:4; 1 Timothy 4:3 ⁶1 Corinthians 7:39 ⁷Nehemiah 13:25–27

4 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

⁸Leviticus 18 ⁹Mark 6:18; 1 Corinthians 5:1