05-Order For Solemnization Marriage
ORDER FOR THE SOLEMNIZATION OF MARRIAGE.
DEAELY BELOVED: We are gathered together in the sight of God and in the presence of this company to join together this man and this woman in the bonds of holy Matrimony; which is an honorable estate, instituted by God in the time of man’s innocency, confirmed by the teaching and hallowed by the presence of our blessed Lord, and likened by St. Paul to the mystical union which subsists between Christ and his Church.
Into this holy estate these two persons are come to be joined. Therefore if any man can show any just cause why they may not lawfully be joined together, let him now declare it, or else hereafter for ever hold his peace.
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Hear now what holy Scripture doth teach as touching the duty of husbands to their wives and of wives to their husbands, Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the Church and gave himself for it, that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word. Bo ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth him self. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.
And, wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the Head of the Church. And he is the savior of the body. And again he eaith, Let the wife see that she reverence her husband.*
Let us pray, Most holy and most merciful Father, at once the God of nature and of grace, Crea tor, Preserver and Redeemer of mankind, fill these, thy servant and thy handmaiden, with a profound sense of the religious obli * The above is borrowed by permission from the Liturgy of the Reformed (Dutch) Church in America.
SOLEMNIZATION OF MARRIAGE. 45 gation of the vows they are about to make. May they look to thee for thine assistance, and enter into these sacred obligations in humble dependence upon thine enabling grace. Grant this, O Father, with the for
C5 7 * giveness of our sins, through Jesus Christ, thy Son. AMEN.
[ The, man and woman joining their right hands, the minister shall say:], Wilt thou, M, have this woman to thy wedded wife, to live together after God? ordinance in the holy estate of Matrimony I Wilt thou love her, comfort her, honor and keep her in sickness and in health, and, forsaking all other, keep thee only unto her, so long as ye both shall live? The man shall answer, I will.
[Then the minister shall say:}
Wilt thou, N, have this man to thy wedded husband, to live together after God’s ordinance in the holy estate of Matrimony *!
Wilt thou obey him and serve him, love, honor and keep him in sickness and in health, and, forsaking all other, keep thee only unto him, so long as ye both shall Jive? The woman shall answer.’T will.
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[ When a ring is used the man shall put the ring on the third finger of the woman’s left hand, and, holding it there, the man shall say after the minister, With this ring I thee wed, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. AMEN.
Or, the minister may say, Dost thou, M, give this ring in pledge that thou wilt keep this covenant and per form these vows? The man shall say, I do.
Dost thou, N, receive this ring in pledge ihat thou wilt keep this covenant and per form these vows? The woman shall say, I do.], [ Then the minister shall say:], Forasmuch as you, M, and you, N, have consented together in wedlock, and have plighted your faith and truth to each other in the presence of God and this company [and have confirmed the same by giving and receiving a ring]; now, therefore, I pronounce you husband and wife, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. AMEN.
Whom, therefore, God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.
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Let us pray, O God, by whom marriage was ordained; O Christ, Son of God, by whose presence this service was adorned and rendered for ever sacred; O Holy Ghost, the Lord, the Giver of life, who art the only source of true blessedness, look down upon these thy servants, and unite their hearts and lives in all the grace and true affection of a happy marriage. May their mutual love, now plighted, never know doubt nor change. Do thou bless them in each other, and crown their lives with thy loving-kindness and tender mercies. And thou, O Lord, we beseech thee, enable them so to live together in this jife that in the world to come they may have life everlasting, through Jesus Christ our Lord, who has commanded us to pray, saying, Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come; thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven; give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our debts, as -we forgive our debtors; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil; for thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, for ever. AMEN.
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[ Then the minister shall pronounce over them the Benediction:], The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious unto you. The Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.
AMEN.
NOTES fl Marriage is a civil contract, inasmuch as the state, for the welfare of human society, must recognize and en force it in its civil relations and consequents.
1[ Yet it is not a mere civil contract, but also a religious contract under a divine constitution. Because (1) it ig founded upon the nature of man as constituted by God.
(2) It was instituted by. God in Paradise before the existence of civil society, and consequently civil society for ever presupposes marriage, and marriage therefore can not essentially presuppose civil society. (3) In his inspired word God has defined the nature, conditions and mutual duties of marriage, and the conditions of its lawful dissolution. (4) The vows of mutual fidelity are made by the parties to God as well as to each other. (5) The grace which alone can enable the parties to realize marriage in its highest sense is from God only. fl Hence it follows: (1) That Christians are bound te observe in their marriages the laws of the commonwealth, as far as these are consistent with the revealed laws of God. (2) That the state has no right to ignore or to vio SOLEMNIZATION OF MARRIAGE. 49 late the divine law in its legal provisions for marriage or divorce, and that when it does so Christians are bound to obey God, even if that involve disobedience to man. (3) Christians ought to marry in the Lord, and their marriages should be solemnized by a lawful minister, who alone is competent to interpret and enforce the divine (aw and invoke upon their union the divine blessing.
See Directory for Worship, ch. xi, g 2. fl “ While our Form of Government does not recognize licentiates as ministers of the gospel, yet this Assembly (1844) does not consider them as violating any rules of the Church by solemnizing marriage in those States where the civil laws expressly authorize them to do it.” Moore’s Digest, p. 402. fl “ It is lawful for all sorts of people to marry who are able with judgment to give their consent, yet it is the duty of Christians to marry only in the Lord. And, therefore, such as profess the true Reformed religion should not marry with infidels, papists, or other idolaters; neither should such as are godly be unequally yoked by marrying with such as are notoriously wicked in their life, or maintain damnable heresies.” Confession of Faith, ch. 24:3.
<f “The purpose of marriage ought to be sufficiently published a proper time before the solemnization of it.
It is enjoined on all ministers to be careful that, in this matter, they transgress neither the laws of God nor the laws of the community; and that they may not destroy the peace and comfort of families, they must be properly certified with respect to the parties applying to them, that no just objection lie against their marriage.” Directory of Worship, ch. 11:6.
\ “The Synod do recommend it to all their members to ase the greatest caution that they do not countenance any 4 50 MANUAL OF FORMS. clandestine marriages, and especially that they do not marry any that they have reason to suspect to go contrary to the minds of their parents and guardians in seeking it.” Original Synod, 1735, Moore’s Digest, p. 691. fl “ Let the minister keep a proper register for the names of all persons whom he marries, and of the time of their marriage, for the perusal of all whom it may concern.” (Directory for Worship, ch. xi, $ 8.) Such records are often the only legal proofs available of marriage and of legitimate inheritance. The minister should also give a certificate of the marriage when requested so to do.