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1. Marriage is to be between one man and one woman; 1neither 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.
2. Marriage was ordained for the mutual help 2of husband and wife, 3for the increase of mankind with a legitimate issue, and for 4preventing of uncleanness.
3. It is lawful for 5all sorts of people to marry, who are able with judgment to give their consent; yet it is the duty of Christians 6to marry in the Lord, and therefore such as profess the true religion should not marry with infidels 7or idolaters; neither should such as are godly be unequally yoked by marrying with such as are wicked in their life or maintain damnable heresy.
4. Marriage ought not to be within the degrees of consanguinity 8or affinity forbidden in the word; nor can such incestuous marriage ever be made lawful by any law of man or consent of parties, 9so as those persons may live together as man and wife.