# Old Forms For Marriage



## JohnV (Dec 13, 2006)

I think that the PuritanBoard is better than Google, don't you? You ask, and someone has the answers, right?

Does anyone have a collection of old formularies for the institution of marriages? I recall some old ones that were used in movies, about the reasons or purposes for marriage. I'm interested in things like that right now. I'm just wondering if there are some old formularies still available, that I can compare to each other?


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## dannyhyde (Dec 13, 2006)

The historic Dutch Reformed liturgy is here, among other places: http://www.ccel.org/creeds/neth-ref-liturgy.txt

The 1552 BCP of Cranmer, which revised the 1549 with the help of Bucer, Vermigli, andd Hooper: http://justus.anglican.org/resources/bcp/1552/Marriage_1552.htm


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## JohnV (Dec 14, 2006)

Thank you Daniel. This, in part, was what I was looking for:



> an honorable estate, instituted of god in Paradise, in the time of man's innocency, signifying unto us the misticall union that is betwixte Chryste and hys Churche:... Duely consideryng the causes for whiche Matrymonye was ordayned. One was the procreacion of children, to be broughte up in the feare and nurtoure of the Lorde, and prayse of God. Secondlye it was ordeined for a remedye agaynste synne, and to avoide fornicacion, that suche persons as have not the gyfte of continencie myght marye, and kepe themselves undefiled members of Christes body. Thirdly, for the mutuall societie, helpe, and coumforte, that the one ought to have of the other, both in prosperitie and adversitie; into the whiche holy estate these two persons present come now to be joyned.



If I remember rightly, these are the very words that I heard. I can't remember now if it was Pride and Prejudice (not the recent one) or some other movie. But somehow the teaching got stuck in my mind. 

I think this gives pause for a lot of thought about our present culture, both in our cultural surroundings as well as in our churches. Right now there's just too many springing to mind all at once, so much so that I can't write a coherent sentence on any one of them. At the very least, I think, here lies the groundwork of an arresting apologetic for the "traditional definition of marriage".


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## VirginiaHuguenot (Dec 14, 2006)

This is the formulary in our church:



> Westminster Directory of Public Worship
> 
> The Solemnization of Marriage.
> 
> ...


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## JohnV (Dec 14, 2006)

Thank you Andrew. There are some commonalities, but also some differences. This one is quite short in comparison, for example. 

Of particular note is the introduction, that special instruction is needed for those who marry in the Lord in distinction from those who also commonly marry but not in the Lord. This is interesting. 

The one that Daniel linked to, other than the Anglican one, is similar to the one that I have here in the back section, the doctrinal, liturgical, and order section, of the songbook of my former denomination. Yet it too has singular things about it that stand out as different. 

If there are any others, I'd be interested to see them. They don't have to be old. I asked for the old ones because there are obvious cultural differences within the common confessional standards.


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## VirginiaHuguenot (Dec 14, 2006)

You're welcome, John. Also here is the Genevan Form of Marriage.


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## toddpedlar (Dec 14, 2006)

And how could we ever forget...


"Mawwiage. Mawwiage is what bwings us togethew today. Mawwiage, that bwessed awwangement, that dweam within a dweam. And wove, twue wove, wiww fowwow you fowevah and evah… So tweasuwe youw wove..."


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## toddpedlar (Dec 14, 2006)

VirginiaHuguenot said:


> You're welcome, John. Also here is the Genevan Form of Marriage.



Seriously - I was going to point y'all to the above (but Andrew beat me to it) from Knox's works. Here's the same from books.google.com (go to page 198):

http://books.google.com/books?vid=OCLC03954294&id=4yoMAAAAIAAJ&printsec=titlepage&dq=Knox,+John

I know a couple who had this form used in their ceremony... I wonder what their unbelieving relatives thought of it all  

Todd


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## VirginiaHuguenot (Dec 14, 2006)

toddpedlar said:


> And how could we ever forget...
> 
> 
> \"Mawwiage. Mawwiage is what bwings us togethew today. Mawwiage, that bwessed awwangement, that dweam within a dweam. And wove, twue wove, wiww fowwow you fowevah and evah… So tweasuwe youw wove...\"





[video=youtube;t62RwTU4O7k]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t62RwTU4O7k[/video]


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## JohnV (Dec 14, 2006)

VirginiaHuguenot said:


> You're welcome, John. Also here is the Genevan Form of Marriage.




That one has texts with it.


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## Kevin (Dec 14, 2006)

toddpedlar said:


> And how could we ever forget...
> 
> 
> "Mawwiage. Mawwiage is what bwings us togethew today. Mawwiage, that bwessed awwangement, that dweam within a dweam. And wove, twue wove, wiww fowwow you fowevah and evah… So tweasuwe youw wove..."


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