Why do fathers give their daughters away in wedding ceremonies? Is this just an empty tradition, or does it have a deep theological and moral basis? The Protestant reformation of the purity of the Christian faith had implications not just for doctrine, worship, and the church, but also in ethics. The institution of marriage,… Read More The Importance of Parental Consent in Marriage
Thomas Gataker Marriage Duties To the hopeful young couple, the right worshipful Mr. Robert Cooke esquire, and the virtuous gentlewoman, Mistress Dorothy Cooke, his wife; many comfortable days in God’s fear and favor to their mutual and eternal good. “Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord. Husbands, love… Read More Marriage Duties
William Gouge Of Domestical Duties Of husbands and wives helping forward the growth of grace in each other. Hereunto must be added an helping forward of the growth thereof: which man and wife must mutually endeavour to effect one in another. The care which Elkanah had to carry his wives along with himself unto the… Read More Helping Your Spouse Grow in Grace
A Discourse For The Comfort of Childbearing Women Stephen Charnock, Works, vol. 5, pp. 399-414. “Notwithstanding she shall be saved in childbearing, if they continue in faith and charity and holiness with sobriety” (1 Timothy 2:15). I shall not take my rise any higher than verse 12, where the apostle orders that a woman should… Read More Discourse For The Comfort of Childbearing Women
Finally, we have before us one big, strong objection to answer. Yes, they say, it would be a fine thing to be married, but how will I support myself? I have nothing; take a wife and live on that, etc. Undoubtedly, this is the greatest obstacle to marriage; it is this above all which prevents… Read More Financial Objections to Marriage and Child Bearing | Martin Luther
With the rapid destruction of the institution of marriage in recent times many well-intentioned people have begun to question whether the civil government ought to have any say in the institution to begin with. The arguments usually boil down to the idea that marriage is an institution of the family, or perhaps of the church,… Read More The Role of the Civil Magistrate with Regard to Marriage
The first post in this series examined abortifacients, health risks, and social consequences as well as a brief history of contraception. The second post went into the dominion mandate to “be fruitful and multiply” and how procreation is one of the fundamental purposes of marriage. This leads to a few questions and possible objections which we… Read More Contraception pt. 3: Barrenness, the Elderly, Natural Family Planning
In our first post we took a preliminary look at abortifacients, noting that hormonal contraception has the possibility of causing an abortion and is thus not an option for pro-life Christians regardless of their stance on preventing conception. We also examined some health risks associated with contraception, delaying and limiting child bearing, and neglecting nursing. Additionally we… Read More Contraception pt. 2: Dominion and the Purposes of Marriage
In this series we will evaluate the use of contraception in light of Scripture. Additionally, we will demonstrate that the unanimous position of the Church as a whole down through history has been one of opposition to contraception until very recently in the West. We will examine the dominion mandate, the purposes and duties of… Read More Contraception pt. 1: Abortifacients, Health Risks, Societal Factors
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