The Wedding Day / The Service—The Marriage Certificate—Words of Counsel

E-text prepared by Eileen Gormly, Norbert H. Langkau, Daryl Hrdlicka, and the Project Gutenberg Online Distributed Proofreading Team (http://www.pgdp.net)
The Service—The Marriage Certificate—Words of Counsel.
EDITED BY JOHN F. HURST, D.D., LL.D.
BUFFALO: H. H. OTIS. 1889.
Copyright, 1888, by H. H. OTIS Buffalo, N. Y.
CONTENTS

At the day and time appointed for the Solemnization of Matrimony, the persons to be married—having been qualified according to law—standing together, the Man on the right hand and the Woman on the left, the Minister shall say:
early beloved: we are gathered together here in the sight of God, and in the presence of these witnesses, to join together this man and this woman in holy Matrimony; which is an honorable estate, instituted of God in the time of man's innocency, signifying unto us the mystical union that exists between Christ and his Church; which holy estate Christ adorned and beautified with his presence, and first miracle that he wrought in Cana of Galilee, and is commended of Saint Paul to be honorable among all men; and therefore is not by any to be entered into unadvisedly, but reverently, discreetly, and in the fear of God.
Into which holy estate these two persons present come now to be joined. Therefore, if any can show just cause why they may not lawfully be joined together, let him now speak, or else hereafter forever hold his peace.
require and charge you both, that if either of you know any impediment why you may not be lawfully joined together in Matrimony, you do now confess it; for be ye well assured, that so many as are coupled together otherwise than God's word doth allow are not joined together by God, neither is their Matrimony lawful.]
If no impediment be alleged, then shall the Minister say unto the Man: