The Sun.
London, England, 1859-07-16 00:00:00

FACTS

Fact 1. Marriage with a deceased wife'd sister is no where
prohibited, whether expressly or impliedly, either in the Old
or New Testament.
Fact 2. Marriage with a wife's sister is expressly legislated
for in Leviticus, xviii., 18, and there the prohibition is strictly
limited to the lifetime of the wife. ,-
Fact 3. The Jews, to whom, in, their own language, the
sacred oracles were given, have always understood this mar-
riage to havelbeen[impliedly permitted in Levit. xviii., 18, and
set a special mark of approbation on such unions, by allowing
them to take place when there were young children within a
shorter interval after the death of the wile than in ordinary
cases.
Fact 4. This marriage was never prohibited by the laws of
any country in the world before the fourth century of the
Christian Era.

Fact 5. None of the Six General Councils, held between
A.D. 325 and AID. (380, condemned this marriage. .
1 ac4e. Darin, tho first 000 years of the Christian -Era this
marrieze was condemned by only one ro-dikeata council, that
of Eliberis in Spaln,-composed of •19 Bishops.' This council
also forbad tapers to be lighted in cemeteries in the day time,
that the spirits of the Saints might not be disturbed, and re-
quired bishops, priests, and deacons to live apart from their
Wi•CS.

Fact 7. The Roman Catholic Church does not regard this
marriage as forbidden in Scripture.
Fact & The. Church of England nowhere claims authority to
prohibit any marriage not contrary to Holy Scripture.
Pact 9. Neither the common nor the statute law of the
realm prohibits any marriage of kindred or affinity on any
other principle than on its alleged contrariety to the law of
God.
Fact 10. Protestant Dissenters regard the prohibition of
this marriage as unscriptural and inexpedient, the deputies
of the three denominations having repeatedly petitioned Par-
liament for its removal.

•
Fact 11. This marriage may be lawfully celebrated in every
country in the world except England and Ireland, and one
canton of Switzerland.
• - - —"

- Fact 12. This marriage, was virtually permitted in this,
country before 1835.
Fact 13. Neither in this nor in any other country has it been
shown that the permission of this marriage has been at-
tended with injurious consequences..
Fact 14. The absolute prohibition of this marriage in Eng-
land is a recent innovation,' dating only from the year 1835.
Fact 15. The Act of 1835 was an unjustifiable comprpmise,
the majority of the House of Commons reluctantly consent-
ing to the future prohibition of marriage with a deceased
wife's sister as the means of procuring the legalisation of all
past marriages of the kind.
Fact 16. The Bench of Bishops on that occasion consented
to legalise marriage with a deceased wife's sister previously
celebrated—a measure to which it was impossible they should
have assented had they believed the marriage contrary to the
Word of God.
Fact 17. The Parliament of 1835 purposely avoided touch-
ing on the question of what marriages ought to be prohibited,
reserving that important question for future consideration.
Fact 18. The Royal C.,mmissioners on the Law of Marriage
declare that the Act of 1835 has not secured the respect or
obedielce of society.
Fact 19. Thousands of such marriages have been contracted;
they are found in every town and neighbourhood in the king-
dom.
Fact 20. Society, almost without exceptlon, regards such
persons as rightly married, and worthy of respect, and in so
doing condemns the law which declares their marriage void.
Fact 21. Twenty-one Spiritual Peers have declared it to ba
their opinion that there is no Scriptural prohibition of these
marriages.
Fact 22. Numerous clergymen of the Church of England
have petitioned for the removal of this restriction.
Fact 23. Eleven Deans, and more than 300 other clergymen
of the Established Church in Ireland, have expressed a deci-
ded opinion that this marriage is not prohibited in Scripture.
Fact 24. The principal persons in the city of London, and
in almost every large town in the kingdom, have repeatedly
petitioned against the existing, law.
Fact 25. Many persons of the highest distinction in both
Houses of Parliament have voted for this measure.
' Fact 26. The House of Commons, in 31 divisions, have voted
for repealing the existing law.
Fact 27. Three hundred and forty-six members of the late
House of Commons voted for legalising marriage with a de-
ceased wife's sister.

INIONS.
" We'consider that theOP feeling against these marriages is in
a great measure founded rather on a vague and uninformed
assumption that they are prohibited by God's word, than on
a mature examination either of the Scriptures or the law of
the Church." "We do not find that the persons who con-
tract these marriages, and the relations and friends who ap-
prove them, have a less strong sense than others of, religious
and moral obligation, or arc marked by laxity of conduct."
" These marriages will take place when a concurrence of cir-
cumstances give rise to mutual attachment ; they are not de-
pendent on legislation."—Report of Royal Commissioners,
signed by the Bishop of Lichfield, Mr. Stuart Wortley, Dr.
Luomng-ton, JustimWilliftmo, and Lord Advocate
Rutherford.
" It seems to be established and admitted, that the moral
feeling of the community at large is not with this law—that
the law, in fact, is not obeyed, and that a great number ofper
sons, not considering themselves to commit any moral offence,
do contract marriages which' the' law prohibits. That is not
a state of things which ought to exist ; and 'not being of
opinion that there is any moral objection to the contracting
of these marriages, and believing that the law as it stands is
the cause of a great deal of misery and social evil, apecially,
among the middle an &lower classes of the community, I shall
with great pleasure give my vote for the motion."—Speech of
Lord Palmerston.
"I must say that I have satisfied myself that there is not
any religious prohibition of these marriages." "It is a mis-
fortune that the feeling of' relationship which takes place by
marriage should be weakened by any alteration of the law of
marriage. But, while I admit that, on the one hand, I think
that there is a great and practical evil which we cannot very
well refrain from remedying. The evil is not among the
upper classes of society ; but there is no doubt, partly among
the middle classes; and much more' among the lower, classes,
a feeling that, after the death of the wife, there is often no
person so fit to take care of the children as the beloved sister
of that wife." "It is not,•perha in a great number of cases
that these marriages would be contracted; but I think where
persons feel that they can without scrnple contract them, that
they Should be allowed to do so."—Speech of Lord John
Russell, M.P.
" I 'cannot bring myself to believe that the Divine law pro-
hibits a man from marriage with a deeeased wife's sister.
Archbishop of York.
"I will undertake to say that in no part of the civilised
world is there to be found a more moral and intelligent people,
especially in regard to the intercourse of the sexes—than are
the people of the State of Massachusetts ; and yet, my Lords,
in that State the marriages which the noble lord seeks to
legalise are consistent with the law. They are not only legal,
but they are of constant occurrence."—Speech of Lord Lynd-
hui'st.
" Chafin, that hath married two sisters, upon his appeal
from your Grace and me, hangeth still before the delegates,
and, las much as I can perceive, is not likely to take any great
hurt at their hands. I would they would decree it were law-
ful ti;) marry two sisters, so should the world be out of doubt,
as now it is passed away in a mockery." —Bishop Jewell, in a
letter to Archbishop Parker, dated June, 1563. From the
original in the Archiepiscopal Palace, Lambeth. (This opinion
of -Bishop Jewell was • given two years after the adverse
opinion so often quoted.)
"The view which he had heard taken in that House respect-
ing the operation of Scripture, must after all be a mere matter
of inference and construction, and, applying himself to that
vie* of the subject, he should say that such, marriages as the
Bill was intended to legalise were not prohibited, but were
tacitly permitted by the words of the chapter which had been
so o ten quoted. He protested against the opinions expressed
by eiose who contended that there existed any Divine pro-
hibition."—Bishop of St. David's Speech. 1851.
"The Scriptures should be the rule of life as well as of
faith}: and, as I can find nothing that militates against such
marriages, I feel bound to oppose any proposition that inter-
feres with the liberty of the subject."—Rev. Sir Erasmus
Williams, Bart., M.A., Chancellor of St. David's.
- The prohibition of taking two sisters was meant for the
lifetime only."—Milton.
" The context also seems to suggest a more literal interpre-