The Wyandot pioneer. (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1853-1868, 1868-08-13
From the Lutheran Standard. !
Family Matters.

The doctrinal Indifference which is
prevalent at the present time is an in
dicatiOn that hearts do not cling to the
Word of God as Christian hearts should
This weakness in faith, this want of the
tear OF GOu, man1TesJS 1Useff atoU III JIIe
sphere of morals. Thefts. murders and
adulteries are alarmingly on the in
crease, and seemingly lesser vices which
in better times would have shocked the
Christian, are exhibited now with such
frequency and such ..affrontery that
many have ceased to regard them as at
all sinful. Our social life is sinking
into heathenism.
During the year ending July l, there
were 81 divorce suits commenced in
this county, the papers say, and this
county is probably no worse than 9TH
ers. In Vermont there has been, for
the last five years. one divorce to every
one to thirty-seven in Connecticut, one
to ten. These things show that infidel-
ity is gnawing at the root of our social
organizations, and Christians do well
to be alarmed about it. The marriage
vow is broken with a facility that would
have astounded believers of purer days.
There are men in the law trade who
make business of this sundering what
God has Joined together. Things like
this are published without shame and
almost without rebuke: 'Notice-Ab-
solute divorces obtained from the courts
of the several States without publicity
or fee till successful. Communications
free and strictly CONFIDENTIAL
We read in an exchange, in notice
of this species of advertisement, the fol-
lowing; Very many Of these divorce
suits are conducted in manner so ex-
ceedingly confidential, that one of the
parties most interested is not informed
of the proceedings at all until astound-
ed by the presentation of the decree.
We were cognizant of case wherein
an estima ble lady, innocent OF all wrong,
and ignorant even of any dissatisfaction
on the part of her husband, parted with
him atfectionately at the steamboat
dock as she started on journey to see
some friends; some hours after, IN the
privacy of her State-roOm, she found
leisure to examine paper her husband
had handed her at the last moment, and
discovered it to be copy of decree of
divorce rendered by an Illinois Judge.
Before the steamboat had been six hours
gone, her late husband had married an
other woman. Numbers of these con-
tidential divorces are obtained for I'M
worthy purposes by the most rascally
means"
The principles of reckless Free Love-
ism are harbored by thousands who
have not openly cast in their lot with
that satanic sect.
We cannot refrain from presenting,
in conclusion, the following extract
from an outspoken pastoral of Bishop
Coke; -r=
"When see the tawdry fashions, the
costly vulgarity, and the wicked ex-
travagance of the times, feel sure that
thousands of American women are
strangers to the first law of refinement
simplicity in manner and attire.
When l see that thousands of Ameri-
can women read the most shameful rO-
mances and the most degrading news
papers; frequent the vilest dramatic en-
tertainments. and join in dances too
shocking to be named among Chris
tians, feel that Christian matrens are
becoming too few, and that civilized
heathenism is returning to fields We
have wrested from the Indians.
When l read, daily, of the most un-
godly divorces, of crimes against htl-
man life itself, which are too gross 20
| be mentioned more particularly, 1eei
| that too many of our country women
are without God in the world, ana tbaG
radical reforms are necessary IN the
| systems of education on when the
Young women of America are depehu-
| ent for their training. -.
When | see thousands of housenoids
| in which young girls are reared ioF
| life of pleasure, without reference 10
duty, L cannot wonder at these results.
nor at the misery in which they involve
families anu communities. Sow the
wind and reap the whirlwind!
Asa Christian Bishop. therefore, l
make my appeal to you, Christian wo-
men, and ask You to begin the reforni-
alton by faithfuliy bearing your testl-
mony against all that tends to the ee-
yradation of your sex. and the more so,
When such crime is not only winked at,
but receives counteGance III creleS
which ought to be exemplary.