to those who are barren, and to those who have born seven."

The anxiety which the Observer betrays for the maintenance of Congregational principles, and for the continued freedom of our ministers from the fetters" of the Congregational Union, cannot be misunderstood, and will not be lost upon that Association. Our brethren are well assured that the Editor's conservative solicitude is not quite disinterested, and results not so much from his love of their liberties, as from a dread of the beneficial effects which union and order will diffuse through our denomination.

or

"The new Congregational Convocation" need not trouble themselves to prepare 66 recommend" "an appropriate formula," as the services of the reformed churches of Europe and America, on such occasions would supply them with valuable suggestions, did they not possess a Directory, agreed upon by the Assembly of Divines at Westminster, 1644," which supplies a section of advice on the Solem

66

nization of Marriage, which, if observed, will secure a service quite as religious, appropriate, and edifying as that to which we and our fathers were compelled to conform, or forfeit the first privilege of human society.

As that venerable document, however, is now scarce, we reprint it for the gratification of many who do not possess it.

66 Although marriage be no sacrament, nor peculiar to the Church of God, but common to mankind, and of public interest in every commonwealth; yet, because such as marry are to marry in the Lord, and have special need of instruction, direction, and exhortation, from the word of God, at their entering into such a new condition, and of the blessing of God upon them therein, we judge it expedient that marriage be solemnized by a lawful minister of the word, that he may accordingly counsel them, and pray for a blessing upon them.

"Marriage is to be betwixt one man and one woman only, and they sach as are not within the degrees of consan

guinity or affinity prohibited by the word of God; and the parties are to be of years of discretion, fit to make their own choice, or, upon good grounds, to give their mu tual consent.

"Before the solemnizing of marriage between any persons, their purpose of marriage shall be published by the minister, three several Sabbath-days, in the congregation at the place or places of their most usual and constant abode respectively; and of this publication the minister who is to join them in marriage shall have sufficient testimony before he proceed to solemnize the marriage.

"Before that publication of such their purpose (if the parties be under age) the consent of the parents, or others under whose power they are (in case the parents

be dead), is to be made known to the church officers of that congregation to be recorded.

"The like is to be observed in the proceedings of all others, although of age, whose parents are living, for their first marriage. And in after marriages of either of those parties they shall be exhorted not to contract marriage without first acquainting their parents with it (if with ing to obtain their consent. conveniency it may be done), endeavour

"Parents ought not to force their children to marry without their free consent, nor deny their own consent without just cause.

"After the purpose or contract of marriage hath been thus published, the marriage is not to be long deferred. Therefore the minister, having had convenient warning, and nothing being objected to hinder it, is publicly to solemnize it in the place appointed by authority for public worship, before a competent number of credible witnesses, at some convenient hour of the day, at any time of the year, except on a day of public humiliation. And we advise that it be not on the Lord's

day.

"And because all relations are sanctified by the word and prayer, the minister is to pray for a blessing upon them to this effect:

"Acknowledging our sins, whereby we have made ourselves less than the least of all the mercies of God, and provoked him to imbitter all our comforts, earnestly, in the name of Christ, to entreat the Lord (whose presence and favour is the happiness of every condition, and sweetens every relation) to be their portion, and to own and accept them in Christ, who are now to be joined in the honourable state

of marriage, the covenant of their God. And that as he hath brought them together by his providence, he would sanctify them by his spirit, giving them a new frame of heart fit for their new estate; enriching them with all graces, whereby they may perform the duties, enjoy the comforts, undergo the cares, and resist the temptations which accompany that condition, as becometh Christians.'

"The prayer being ended, it is convenient that the minister do briefly declare unto them, out of the scripture.

"The institution, use, and ends of marriage, with the conjugal duties which, in all faithfulness, they are to perform to each other; exhorting them to study the holy word of God, that they may learn to live by faith, and to be content in the midst of all marriage cares and troubles, sanctifying God's name in a thankful, sober, and holy use of all conjugal comforts; praying much with, and for one another; watching over, and provoking each other to love and good works; and to live together as the heirs of the grace of life.'

"After solemn charging of the persons to be married, before the great God, who searcheth all hearts, and to whom they must give a strict account at the last day, that if either of them know any cause, by pre-contract or otherwise, why they may not lawfully proceed to marriage, that they may now discover it, the minister (if no impediment be acknowledged) shall cause first the man take the woman by the right hand, saying these words,

"I, N. do take thee, N. to be my married wife, and do, in the presence of God, and before this congregation, pro mise and covenant to be a loving and faithful husband unto thee, until God shall separate us by death.

"Then the woman shall take the man by his right hand, and say these words:

"I, N. do take thee N. to be my married husband, and I do, in the presence of God, and before this Congregation, promise and covenant to be a loving, faithful, and obedient wife unto thee, until God shall separate us by death.

"Then, without any further ceremony, the minister shall, in the face of the congregation, pronounce them to be husband and wife, according to God's ordinance; and so conclude the action with prayer, to this effect.

"That the Lord would be pleased to accompany his own ordinance with his blessing, beseeching him to enrich the persons now married, as with other pledges of his love, so particularly with the comforts and fruits of marriage, to the praise of his abundant mercy, in and through Christ Jesus.'

"A register is to be carefully kept, wherein the names of the parties so married, with the time of their marriage, are forthwith to be fairly recorded in a book, provided for that purpose, for the perusal of all whom it may concern."

[17th August, 1836.] that where by any law or canon in force before the passing of this Act it is provided that any marriage may be solemnized after publication of banns, such marriage may be solemnized in like manner on production of the Registrar's certificate as herein-after provided; provided also, that nothing in this Act contained shall affect the right of the Archbishop of Canterbury and his successors, and his and their proper officers, to grant special licences to marry at any convenient time and place, or the right of any Surrogate or other person now having authority to grant licences for marriages.

Marriages of Quakers and Jews. II. And be it enacted, That the Society of Friends, commonly called Quakers, and also persons professing the Jewish religion, may continue to contract and solemnize marriage according

After Seven Days, or Twenty-one Days, Certificate of Notice to be given upon demand.

VII. And be it enacted, That after the expiration of seven days if the marriage is to be solemnized by licence, or of twenty-one days if the marriage is to be solemnized without licence, after the entry of such notice, the Superintendent Registrar, upon being requested so to do by or on behalf of the party to whom the notice was given, shall issue under his hand a certificate in the form of Schedule (B.) to this Act annexed, provided that no lawful impediment be shewn to the satisfaction of the Superintendent Registrar why such certificate should not issue, and provided that the issue of such certificate shall not have been sooner forbidden in manner herein after mentioned by any person or persons authorized in that behalf as hereinafter is provided; and every such certificate shall state the particulars set forth in the notice, the day on which the notice was entered, and that the full period of seven days or of twenty-one days (as the case may be) has elapsed since the entry of such notice, and that the issue of such certificate has not been forbidden by any person or persons authorized in that behalf; and for every such certificate the Superintendent Registrar shall be entitled to have the fee of one shilling.

Forms of Certificates to be furnished. Certificates for Marriage by Licence to be distinguishable from other Certificates.

VIII. And be it enacted, That the Registrar General shall furnish to every Superintendent Registrar a sufficient number of forms of certificates, the cost of which shall be accounted for by the Superintendent Registrar to the Registrar General; and in order to distinguish the certificates to be issued for marriages by licence from the certificates to be issued for marriages without licence, a water-mark in the form of the word "Licence," in Roman letters, shall be laid and manufactured in the substance of the paper on which the certificate to be issued for marriage by licence shall be written or printed; and every certificate to be issued for marriage by licence shall be printed with red ink, and every certificate to be issued for marriage without licence shall

be printed with black ink, and such other distinctive marks between the two kinds of certificate shall be used from time to time as shall seem fit to the Registrar General.

Issue of Superintendent Registrar's Certificate may be forbidden.

IX. And be it enacted, That any person anthorized in that behalf may forbid the issue of the Superintendent Registrar's certificate by writing at any time before the issue of such certificate the word "forbidden" opposite to the entry of the notice of such intended marriage in the marriage notice book, and by subscribing thereto his or her name and place of abode, and his or her character, in respect of either of the parties, by reason of which he or she is so authorized; and in case the issue of any such certificate shall have been so forbidden, the notice and all proccedings thereupon shall be utterly void.

Consent.

X. And be it enacted, That after the said first day of March the like consent shall be required to any marriage in England solemnized by licence as would have been required by law to marriages solemnized by licence immediately before the passing of this Act; and every person whose consent to a marriage by licence is required by law is hereby authorized to forbid the issue of the Superintendent Registrar's certificate, whether the marriage is intended to be by licence or without licence.

Superintendent Registrar may grant Licences for Marriage-To give Security.

- Proviso.

XI. And be it enacted, That after the said first day of March every Superintendant Registrar shall have authority to grant Licences for Marriage in any building registered as herein-after provided within any district under his superintendence, or in his office, in the form of Schedule (C.) to this Act annexed, and for every such licence shall be entitled to have of the party requir ing the same the sum of three pounds above the value of the stamps necessary on granting such licence; and every Superintendent Registrar shall four times in every year, on such days as shall be appointed by the Registrar General, make a return to the Registrar General of every licence granted by him since his last return, and of the particulars

stated concerning the parties: Provided always, that no Superintendent Registrar shall grant any such licence until he shall have given security by his bond in the sum of one hundred pounds to the Registrar General for the due and faithful execution of his office: Provided also, that nothing herein contained shall authorize any Superintendent Registrar to grant any licence for marriage in any church or chapel in which marriages may be solemnized according to the rites of the church of England, or in any church or chapel belonging to the church of England or licensed for the celebration of divine worship according to the rites and ceremonies of the church of England, or any licence for marriage in any registered building which shall not be within his district. Certificate to be given before the Licence is granted.

XII. And be it enacted, That before any licence for marriage shall be granted by any such Superintendent Registrar one of the parties intending marriage shall appear personally before such Superintendant Registrar, and in case the notice of such intended marriage shall not have heen given to such Superintendent Registrar, shall deliver to him the certificate of the Superintendent Registrar or Superintendent Registrars to whom such notice shall have been given, and such party shall make oath, or shall make his or her solemn affirmation or declaration instead of taking an oath, that he or she believeth that there is not any impediment of kindred or alliance or other lawful hindrance to the said marriage, and that one of the said parties hath for the space of fifteen days immediately before the day of the grant of such licence had his or her usual place within the district within which such marriage is to be solemnized, and where either of the parties, not being a widower or widow, shall be under the age of twenty-one years, that the consent of the person or persons whose consent to such marriage is required by law has been obtained thereto, or that there is no person having authority to give such consent, as the case may be ; and all such licences and declarations shall be respectively liable to the same stamp duties as licences for marriage granted by the Ordinary of any diocese, and affidavits made in order to procure the same.

Caveat may be lodged with Superintendent Registrar against Grant of Licence or Certificate.

XIII. And be it enacted, That any person, on payment of five shillings may enter a caveat with the Superintendent Registrar against the grant of a certificate or a licence for the marriage of any person named therein; and if any caveat be entered with the Superintendent Registrar, such caveat being duly signed by or on behalf of the person who enters the same, together with his or her place of residence, and the ground of objection on which his or her caveat is founded, no certificate or licence shall issue or be granted until the Superintendent Registrar shall have examined into the matter of the caveat, and is satisfied that it ought not to obstruct the grant of the certificate or licence for the said marriage, or until the caveat be withdrawn by the party who entered the same; provided that in cases of doubt it shall be lawful for the Superintendent Registrar to refer of any such caveat to the Registrar General, who shall decide upon the same: Provided likewise, that in case of the Superintendent Registrar refusing the grant of the certificate or licence, the person applying for the same shall have a right to appeal to the Registrar General, who shall thereupon either confirm the refusal or direct the grant of the certificate or licence. Marriages not to be solemnized until after Twenty-one Days after Entry of Notice, unless by Licence.

XIV. And be it enacted, That after the said first day of March, no marriage after such notice as aforesaid, unless by by virtue of a licence to be granted by the Superintendent Registrar, shall be solemnized or registered in England until after the expiration of twenty-one days after the day of the entry of such notice as aforesaid; and no marriage shall be solemnized by the licence of any Superintendent Registrar, or registered until after the expiration of seven days after the day of the entry of such notice as aforesaid.

New Notice required after Three Months. XV. And be it enacted, That when