The Sun.
London, England, 1856-04-25 00:00:00

OPINIONS.

" But has it never occurred to you, my dear Wynn, that
this law is an abominable relic of ecclesiastical tyranny ? Of
all second marriages, I have no hesitation in sayii,g that these
are the most suitable, and likely to be the most frequent, if
the law did not sometimes prevent them. It is quite mon-
strous, judges and lawyers speaking as they have done of
late upon the subject."—Robert Southey.
" All and every such, marriage within this Church of Eng-
land as shall be contracted between lawful persons (as by this
Act we declare all persons to be lawful that be not prohibited
by God's law to marry) shall be lawful, good, just, and indis-
soluble," &e.-32 Henry VIII., c. 38.
" Centuries of mistake as to the validity of the marriages in
question will not render them invalid."--Mr. Justice Erle, in
844.

" The prohibition of taking two sisters was meant for the
lifetime tonly."—Milton.
" These persons alone (of relatives by affinity) has Gocrfor-
bidden to me : the wife of my uncle, my son's wife, my bro-
ther's wife, my wife's daughter, the children of my wife's sou
or daughter, the sister of my wife, while my wife is living.
With none of these can I contract matrimony, with the rest I
may, even without paying money for a dispensation; as with
the sister of my espoused or married wife, when the latter has
departed this life, with the daughter of the brother of my
wife, with the daughter of the uncle of my wife, and with any
other of my wife's cousins, nieces, or relatives."—Luther.
" The union of husband and wife is of Divine right, which
; is binding, however contrary it may be to human laws, and
the laws of men ought to yield to it without reserve. For if
! a man leaves father and mother to cleave to his wife, how
much rather shall he traniple under foot the contemptible
and unjust laws of men, and cleave to his wife? And pope,
bishop, or officer, if be dissolve any marriage contracted is
opposition to merely human law, is antichrist, a violator of
nature, a traitor against the Divine Majesty ; for that sen-
tence still stands—' What God hath joined, let no man put
asunder.' Perish, therefore, those cursed traditions of men,
which have been brought in only to multiply dangers, of-
fences, and miseries in the Church.'—Luther.
" In her life time,' because when she was dead he might
marry her sister."—Menochies.
" In her life time.' This sufficiently indicates that he
permitted it when the wife was dead, otherwise than in the
case of two brothers."--Janseuins. -
" The ancient Roman law permitted the marriage of two
sisters in succession."—Heineccius.
" Thou shalt not marry two sisters at the same time, as
Jacob did Rachel and Leah, but there is nothing in tnis law
that rendered it illegal to marry a sister-in-law when her
sister was dead."—Dr. Adam Clarke.
" Though it is certain that the case of marriage beween
brother and sister-in-law came before our Saviour (Matthew
xxii., 24), yet we do not find that He spake one word against
it."—Fry.
" No man has examined this subject more diligently than
Fry, the author of a pamphlet which you justly commend,
and you see my opinion perfectly coincides with his."—Sir
William Jones.
" I have read over the 18th chapter of Leviticus in He-
brew, with a view to discover the true mean ng of the words
which you desire me to interpret ; and I have examined all
the passages that I could find, in the historical and prophe-
tical parts of Scripture, in which the same expression occurs.
The phrase of ' uncovering the nakedness' is literally trans-
lated from the Hebrew. It is surprising that the chapter
before us should ever have been taken for the law of mar-
riage, since it is apparent that all the laws contained in that
chapter relate only to the impure lusts and obscene rites of
the Egyptians and Canaanites, to tha abominable customs
and ordinances, as they are called, of the idolatrous nations,
who were extirpated by the chosen people. These doings are
enumerated with a special law against each of them ; and,
lastly, the general command is resumed—' Defile not your-
selves in these things, for in all these things are the nations
defiled which I cast out before you.' "—Sir William Jones.
" You are at liberty to refer to me as approving of the
abolition of the restriction on marriage to which you allude."
—Archbishop Whately.
" He did not regard the measure as infringing on any di-
rect scriptural command or precept. He could not bring
himself to understand even the passages from the 01(1 Testa-
ment which had come under discussion that night as pro-
hibiting the marriage of a man with his deceased wife's
sister." "At the same time I admit that the existing law
does press unfairly upon some portions of the community.
It does seem hard, and savours of religious intolerance, that
we should put an interpretation on the moral law of the Jews
contrary to theirs, and compel them to abide by it. If the
noble earl (St. Germans) had based his measure on the broad
principle of religious toleration—if he had claimed exemption
for the Jews, or for any other body of religionists besides
them, who may complain of these laws as contrary to their
religious tenets—l should not have been indisposed to sup-
port the bill."—Bishop of Norwich's Speech, 1851.
" The view which we had heard taken in that House
respecting the operation of Scripture must, after all, be a
mere matter of inference and construction ; and applying
himself to that view of the subject, he should say that such
marriages as the Bill was intended to legalise were not pro-
hibited, but were tacitly permitted by the words of the
chapter which had been so often quoted?. , He protested
against the opinions expressed by those who contended that
there existed any Divine prohibition."--Bishop of St. David's
Speech, 1851.

. ,
" The petition was probably entrusted to me in conse-
quence of my having declared, without hesitation, that the
marriage of a sister of a deceased wife was not prohibited by
the Levitical law."—The late Bishop of Llandaff.
" So far as the poor are concerned, I believe that an alte-
ration in the present law is much to be desh ed."—The Hon.
and Right Rev. the Bishop of Bath and Wells (Lord Auck-
land.)

" i admit that marriage with a wife's sister is not for-
bidden in Leviticus."—The late Bishop of London.
" I know of no social disadvantages attending on such mar-
riages. The apprehensions expressed in England on this head
are entirely dissipated by our experience."—Right Rev.
Bishop Burgess, Maine, United States.
" Such marriages, I apprehend, are nearly as frequent as
the circumstances which usually give rise to them. I have
known several cases, and they created no surprise, nor did
they receive any censure from public opinion. I have not
known any social disadvantages attending such marriages."
—Right Rev. Bishop Wilvaine, Ohio, United States.
" I am not one of those who hold that such marriages are
forbidden by Scripture. They are permitted by the laws of
Pennsylvania. Several have occurred within the sphere of
my acquaintance ; and I am not aware that any special dis-
advantages, social or domestic, have resulted from them."-_.
Right Rev. Bishop Potter, Pennsylvania, United States.
" Bishop Moore, the predecessor of Bishop Hobart, was
distinguished as rubrical and canonical, and, I may say, con.
rectl:y evangelical ; yet this species of marriage met his full
sanction ; nor did I ever hear one word of disapprobation ex-
pressed in regard to this matrimonial connexion."—Rev. Dr.
Barry, New Jersey, United States.
" My opinion is certainly in favour of the relaxation of the
law prohibiting the marriage of a widower to his late wife's
sister."—Chancellor Martin, of the Diocese of Exeter.
" I have no doubt that according to Leviticus xvii., is
(Fiebrew and English), marriage with a deceased wife's sister
is permitted."—Dr, M'Caul, Prebendary of St. Paul's, and
Professor of Divinity, King's College.
" Are you of opinion that there is any prohibition in Scrip-
tare against such marriages'" " No; lam quite satisfied of
the contrary."—Evidence of Rev. J. Garbett, Hon. Canon of
Worcester.
' " From all I have been able to learn on the question,
`whether a man may marry a deceased wife's sister,' my opin-
ion is, that neither does Holy Scripture anywhere forbid it,
nor ever did the Jews."—Rev. Dr. (late Professor) Lee.
"He asked them to reflect that the parting request
of many a dying wife was, that the man should mar y her
sister, which was the best testimony to the feeling of woman
in this matter, Such marriages were not repugnant to na-
ture nor to Scripture ; and, if they did but look calmly at
these facts, sure he was that the day was not far distant
when the obnoxious law would be repealed."--Speech of
the Rev. J. C. Miller, Hon. Canon of Worcester, Surro-
gate, &c.

" I cannot perceive that it is forbidden in the Word of God;
on the contrary, the limitation of Leviticus xviii. 18, seems to
me to be a sanctioning to marry a sister of a wife when de-
ceased. lam decidedly of opinion that the present law,
while it may partially, and very partially, affect the habits
of society among the upper classes, will remove a barrier to
m rriage which now exists, but which I do not believe God
ever set up. It will prevent much immorality among the
poor, relieve many a burdened conscience, and tend to the
increase of happiness amongst largo numbers of our fellow-
couutrymeu."—Hon. and Right Rev. 11. Montagu Villiers,
Bishop of Carlisle.
" I speak advisedly whoa I gay that I come bore prepazed
- - -