The Historical Development of the Book of Church Order

Chapter 59 : The Solemnization of Marriage

Paragraph 4 :

59-4. The parties should be of such years of discretion as to be capable of making their own choice; and if they be under age, or live with their parents, the consent of the parents or others, under whose care they are, should be previously obtained, and well certified to the minister before he proceeds to solemnize the marriage.

[DIGEST: The current PCA text retains the exact wording of PCUSA 1789, with only minor differences in punctuation.

ANTECEDENT TEXTS:
1. PCA 1973, Adopted text, DfW, 13-4 [M1GA, Appendix, p. 160]
2. Continuing Presbyterian Church 1973, Proposed text, DfW, 13-4 [p. 74]
3. PCUS 1933, DfW, XIII-4 [§366]
The parties should be of such years of discretion as to be capable of making their own choice; and if they be under age, or live with their parents, the consent of the parents or others, under whose care they are, should be previously obtained, and well certified to the minister before he proceeds to solemnize the marriage.

1. PCUS 1925, DfW, XII-4 [§358]
2. PCUS 1894, XII-4
The parties ought to be of such years of discretion as to be capable of making their own choice; and if they be under age, or live with their parents, the consent of the parents or others, under whose care they are, ought to be previously obtained, and well certified to the minister, before he proceeds to solemnize the marriage.

PCUSA 1789, DfW, XI, Section IV.
The parties ought to be of such years of discretion as to be capable of making their own choice; and if they be under age, or live with their parents, the consent of the parents, or others under whose care they are, ought to be previously obtained, and well certified to the minister, before he proceeds to solemnize the marriage.

The Directory for the Publick Worship of God; agreed upon by the Assembly of Divines at Westminster,... [1645]
The Solemnization of Marriage, paragraph 2 [emphasis added to highlight the relevant section]
Marriage is to be betwixt one man and one woman only; and they, such as are not within the degrees of consanguinity 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 mutual consent.

OTHER COMPARISONS:
Alexander Henderson, The Government and Order of The Church of Scotland (1641)
They require for marriage the free consent of the parties come to the years of discretion, and the knowledge and consent of the Parents; they do not allow the marriage of Infants, nor secret and clandestine contracts and marriages, nor do they use any idle rites or superstitious Ceremonies, in the time of the Solemnisation.