Seven Motivations for Family Religion

Thomas Boston exhorts heads of families to propagate religion to their children and families giving, seven motives and ten practical ways to implement Christianity in the home. Motivations include accountability for their souls, the natural bent to sin, and the need for guidance in a world full of snares. Children are urged to make a choice between Christ and the devil, because eternity is at stake.… Read More Seven Motivations for Family Religion

Prohibited Marriages: Consanguinity & Affinity

Charles HodgeSystematic TheologyVol. 3, pp. 407-421. Prohibited Marriages. That certain marriages are prohibited is almost the universal judgment of mankind. Among the ancient Persians and Egyptians, indeed, the nearest relations were allowed to intermarry and in the corrupt period of the Roman Empire, equal laxness more or less prevailed. These isolated facts do not invalidate… Read More Prohibited Marriages: Consanguinity & Affinity

Polygamy in the Old Testament

God did not approve the polygamy of the fathers or commend it, but did only tolerate it as a lesser evil for the preventing of a greater. Marriage is the indivisible conjunction of one man and one woman only. This Christ of purpose teaches (Matt. 19) where He says that “God created them at the first man and woman,” and not women (v. 4), “that a man must forsake father and mother, and cleave to his wife,” not to his wives (v. 5), that “they twain shall be one flesh” (v. 6). And in all this Christ makes no new law, but only revives the first institution of marriage made in paradise. And Moses having set down this divine institution, adds withal that Lamech was the first that broke it by taking many wives.… Read More Polygamy in the Old Testament