Principles of Marriage

1Nowe concerning the thinges whereof ye wrote vnto mee, It were good for a man not to touche a woman. 2Neuertheles, to auoide fornication, let euery man haue his wife, and let euery woman haue her owne husband. 3Let the husbande giue vnto the wife due beneuolence, and likewise also the wife vnto the husband. 4The wife hath not the power of her owne bodie, but ye husband: & likewise also the husband hath not ye power of his own body, but the wife. 5Defraude not one another, except it be with consent for a time, that ye may giue your selues to fasting and praier, and againe come together that Satan tempt you not for your incontinecie. 6But I speake this by permission, not by commandement. 7For I woulde that all men were euen as I my selfe am: but euery man hath his proper gift of God, one after this maner, and another after that.

8Therefore I say vnto the vnmaried, and vnto the widowes, It is good for them if they abide euen as I doe. 9But if they cannot abstaine, let them marrie: for it is better to marrie then to burne.

10And vnto ye maried I comand, not I, but ye Lord, Let not ye wife depart from her husband. 11But and if shee depart, let her remaine vnmaried, or be reconciled vnto her husband, & let not the husband put away his wife.

12But to ye remnant I speake, & not ye Lord, If any brother haue a wife, ye beleeueth not, if she be cotent to dwell with him, let him not forsake her. 13And the woman which hath an husbande that beleeueth not, if he be content to dwell with her, let her not forsake him. 14For the vnbeleeuing husband is sanctified to the wife, and the vnbeleeuing wife is sanctified to the husbande, els were your children vncleane: but nowe are they holie. 15But if the vnbeleeuing depart, let him depart: a brother or a sister is not in subiection in such things: but God hath called vs in peace. 16For what knowest thou, O wife, whether thou shalt saue thine husband? Or what knowest thou, O man, whether thou shalt saue thy wife?

Live Your Calling

17But as God hath distributed to euery man, as the Lorde hath called euery one, so let him walke: and so ordaine I, in all Churches. 18Is any man called being circumcised? Let him not gather his vncircumcision: is any called vncircumcised? Let him not be circumcised. 19Circumcision is nothing, and vncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping of the commandements of God. 20Let euery man abide in the same vocation wherein he was called.

21Art thou called being a seruant? care not for it: but if yet thou maiest be free, vse it rather. 22For he that is called in the Lorde, being. a seruant, is the Lords freeman: likewise also he that is called being free, is Christes seruant. 23Yee are bought with a price: be not the seruants of men. 24Brethren, let euery man, wherein hee was called, therein abide with God.

The Unmarried and Widowed

25Nowe concerning virgines, I haue no commaundement of the Lorde: but I giue mine aduise, as one that hath obtained mercie of the Lord to be faithfull. 26I suppose then this to bee good for the present necessitie: I meane that it is good for a man so to be. 27Art thou bounde vnto a wife? Seeke not to be loosed: art thou loosed from a wife? Seeke not a wife. 28But if thou takest a wife, thou sinnest not: and if a virgine marrie, shee sinneth not: neuerthelesse, such shall haue trouble in the flesh: but I spare you. 29And this I say, brethren, because the time is short, hereafter that both they which haue wiues, be as though they had none: 30And they that weepe, as though they wept not: and they that reioyce, as though they reioyced not: and they that bye, as though they possessed not: 31And they that vse this worlde, as though they vsed it not: for the fashion of this worlde goeth away.

32And I would haue you without care. The vnmaried careth for the things of the Lord, howe he may please the Lord. 33But hee that is maried, careth for the things of the world, how he may please his wife. 34There is difference also betweene a virgine and a wife: the vnmaried woman careth for the things of the Lord, that she may be holy, both in body and in spirite: but shee that is maried, careth for the things of the worlde, howe shee may please her husband. 35And this I speake for your owne commoditie, not to tangle you in a snare, but that yee followe that, which is honest, and that yee may cleaue fast vnto the Lord without separation.

36But if any man thinke that it is vncomely for his virgine, if shee passe the flower of her age, and neede so require, let him do what he will, he sinneth not: let them be maried. 37Neuerthelesse, hee that standeth firme in his heart, that hee hath no neede, but hath power ouer his owne will, and hath so decreed in his heart, that hee will keepe his virgine, hee doeth well. 38So then hee that giueth her to mariage, doeth wel, but he that giueth her not to mariage, doeth better.

39The wife is bounde by the Lawe, as long as her husband liueth: but if her husband bee dead, shee is at libertie to marie with whome she will, onely in the Lord. 40But shee is more blessed, if she so abide, in my iudgement: and I thinke that I haue also the Spirite of God.