1534. (?)
Many a country, many a custom, says the common proverb. Therefore, because marriage is a secular business, it is not for us clergy or ecclesiastics to regulate or govern it, but to let each city and country have its custom and usage as it goes. Some take the bride to church twice, both in the evening and in the morning; some only once; some announce it and offer it in the pulpit for two or three weeks.
before. I will let lords and councillors create and do all these things and the like as they wish; it is none of my business.
But if they ask us to bless them before the church or in the church, to pray over them, or even to marry them, we are obliged to do the same. That is why I have put these words and ways to those who do not know better, whether some would like to be in harmony with us in this; the others, who know better, that is, those who do not know better, that is, those who do not know better, that is, those who do not know better.
But those who can do nothing and think they can do everything do not need this service of mine without being overconfident and overmastering it; and they should be careful not to be like anyone else, otherwise they might think they had to learn something from others; that would be a great disgrace.
Since the monks and nuns have hitherto been so splendidly flaunted in their consecration, their state and nature being an ungodly and pure human poem, which has no foundation in Scripture, how much more should we honor this divine state and bless, pray and adorn it in a much more glorious manner? For even though it is a worldly estate, it nevertheless has God's word for itself and is not invented or instituted by men, like the monastic and nuns' estate; therefore it should also be a hundred times more favorably respected spiritually than the monastic estate, which should rightly be respected as the most worldly and carnal, because it is invented and instituted out of flesh and blood, and of all things out of worldly wit and reason.
Also, that the young people may learn to regard this state with seriousness and honor it as a divine work and commandment, and not so shamefully to do their foolishness with laughter, mockery and such frivolity, as they were accustomed to do until now, just as if it were a joke or child's play to become married or to make a wedding. Those who first instituted that bride and bridegroom should be led to church truly did not consider it a joke, but a great seriousness. For there is no doubt that they wanted to get the blessing of God and the common prayer and not to have a laugh or a pagan monkey game.
This also proves the work in himself. For whoever asks for prayer and blessing from the priest or bishop shows, even if he does not speak it with his mouth, what danger and distress he is in, and how much he needs divine blessing and common prayer for this state he is entering. Just as it is found every day what misfortunes the devil brings.
in the state of marriage with adultery, unfaithfulness, disunity and all kinds of misery.
So now let us act in this way on the bridegroom and bride, where they desire and demand it.
For the first, offer up in the pulpit with such words:
Hans N. and Greta N. want to take hold of the state of holy matrimony according to divine order; request that a common Christian prayer be made for them, that they begin it in God's name, and that it turn out well.
And if any man have aught to say therein, let him do it in time, or else hold his peace hereafter; God give them His blessing, Amen.
In front of the church mourn with such words:
Hans, will you have Greta as your lawful wedded husband?
Dicat (He speaks): Yes.
Greta, do you want Hans to be your husband?
Dicat (You speak): Yes.
Here let them give the wedding rings to each other, and join their two right hands together and speak:
What God joins together, let no man put asunder.
After that, he speaks in front of everyone in general:
Since Hans N. and Greta N. desire to marry each other and have publicly confessed this before God and the world, after which they have given their hands and wedding rings to each other, I pronounce them married in the name of God the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, amen.
In front of the altar above the bridegroom and bride he read God's word,
Gen. 2, 18. 21. ff.
"And God the Lord said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helpmeet to be with him. Then God the Lord caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he fell asleep; and took
of his ribs, and closed up the place with flesh. And God the Lord made a woman of the rib which he took from man, and brought her unto him. And the man said, This is bone of my legs, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife; and they shall be one flesh."
Then he turned to them both and spoke to them like this:
Since you have both entered the marriage state in God's name, hear first the commandment of God concerning this state.
Thus speaks St. Paul, Eph. 5, 22-29...:
"Let wives be subject to their husbands as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church, and he is the Savior of his body. But as the church is subject to Christ, so also the wives are subject to their husbands in all things.
"Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself for her. That he might sanctify it, and cleanse it with the bath of water in the word. That he might prepare it for himself, a church that should be glorious, not having spot or blemish, or any such thing, but that it should be holy and blameless.
"So also let men love their wives as their own bodies; he that loveth his wife loveth himself. For no man hateth his own flesh at any time, but cherisheth it, and cherisheth it, even as the Lord cherisheth the church."
On the other hand, also hear the cross that God has placed on this stand. Thus God spoke to the woman, Gen. 3, 16. f.:
"I will create much pain for you when you conceive; you shall be filled with pain
Bear children, and thy will shall be subject to thy husband, and he shall be thy lord."
And to the man God said:
"Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed be the field for thy sake, and thou shalt feed thereon with grief all the days of thy life. It shall bear thee thorns and thistles, and thou shalt eat the herb of the field. In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat thy bread, until thou return unto the ground from whence thou wast taken: for thou art the ground, and shalt return unto the ground."
Thirdly, this is your comfort, that you know and believe how your position is pleasing and blessed in the sight of God. For thus it is written, Genesis 1:27 ff:
"God created man in His image, in the image of God He created him, and He created them male and female; and God blessed them, and said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it; and have dominion over fish of the sea, and over fowl of the air, and over every living thing that creepeth upon the earth. And God looked upon all that He had made, and behold, it was all very good."
Therefore also Solomon says, Prov. 18, 22: "Whoever finds a wife finds something good and draws blessings from the Lord."
Here stretch out your hands over them and pray thus:
O Lord God, who hast created man and woman, and ordained them to be married, and blessed them with fruits of the womb, and ordained therein the Sacrament of thy dear Son Jesus Christ, and of the Church, his Bride; we beseech thy unfailing goodness, that thou wilt not suffer such thy business, ordinance, and blessing to be disquieted, nor to perish, but wilt graciously preserve it in us through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.
See also VI. part, wedding song of the marriage state and the household.