ABSTRACT
In their discourses on the subject of marriage the Puritan divines were adamant that religion should take precedence over all worldly considerations when matches were being made. Sometimes a Puritan minister might be asked for his views on the character of a possible marriage partner or might even suggest a match himself. Although the criterion of religious compatibility was sometimes disregarded the fact remains that in the early seventeenth century there was an extensive network of Puritan marriage alliances which transcended county boundaries. When discussing the responsibilities of parents the Puritan divines were emphatic that it was one of their primary duties to inculcate in their children, both by their teaching and example, a genuine love of piety and true religion. Not surprisingly, in view of the importance which they attached to the Ten Commandments, the Puritan gentry considered that children had an essential duty to honour and obey their parents.
