59-5. Parents should neither compel their children to marry contrary to their inclinations, nor deny their consent without just and important reasons.

DIGEST :The exact wording of the current PCA text in this paragraph dates to PCUS 1929, while closely simiilar content dates as far back as 1645.

ANTECEDENT TEXTS:
1. PCA 1973, Adopted text, DfW, 13-5 [M1GA, Appendix, p. 160]
2. Continuing Presbyterian Church 1973, Proposed text, DfW, 13-5 [p. 75]
3. PCUS 1933, DfW, XIII-5, §367
4. PCUS 1929, DfW, XIII-5, §367
Parents should neither compel their children to marry contrary to their inclinations, nor deny their consent without just and important reasons.

PCUS 1925, DfW, XII-5 [§359]
PCUS 1894, XII-5
Parents ought neither to compel their children to marry contrary to their inclinations, nor deny their consent without just and important reasons.

PCUSA 1789, DfW, XI, Section V.
Parents ought neither to compel their children to marry contrary to their own inclinations, nor deny their consent without just and important reasons.

The Directory for the Publick Worship of God; agreed upon by the Assembly of Divines at Westminster,... [1645]
The Solemnization of Marriage, paragraph 7
Parents ought not to force their children to marry without their free consent, nor deny their own consent without just cause.

OTHER COMPARISONS:
RPCES, Directory for Worship, XIV-2
Parents ought not to force their children to marry without their free consent, nor deny their own consent without just cause. God's redeemed people are to marry "only in the Lord." There should be no exception to this rule.

COMMENTARY:
Morton H. Smith, Commentary on the Book of Church Order, 6th edition, 2007, p. 448
A word of caution is offered to parents. On the one hand, they should not force marriage upon their children. On the other hand, they should not deny marriage, unless they have a just and important reason to do so.