Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1870-01-04
ss ssS VOL. q, NO. 81.
Sermon by the Rev 0 r. Rockingham
upon Elective Affinities Divorce
Counseled in cases of Marital
Unhappiness.

Inc Rev. =. Is. rockingham
preached 10 New York upon Elective
aftinities. The speaker by touching
npop the fear entertained by men,
that every new step in liberty might
create license and disorganization-
The contary, however, had been the
fact. Liberality Of thought in re-
l'glCas matters had led in this coun-
try to greater diffusion of true
religion IN practice than anywhere
on the globe. In government we
have abolished old despolisms, and
yet III no country is order better
preserved. The family, be said. was
once considered q divine institution,
and husbands ruled their wives and
children with autocratic sway
Divorces were unheard OF, and all
married persons were supposed to
have been united by God, as the
orthodox marriage service suggests.
Marriage now, however, had be-
come @ cigl! contract, often performed
without The Intervention of o priest
or prayer. The wife was no longer
in eubiection 10 the husband. but was
an equal companion, and parents
were responsible to society Tor the
proper training OF their children
Yet, Notwithstanding this freedom,
marriages. although often unhappy.
were happier in this country than
elsew here, and the marriage bond
received a wider respect.
Fears had been entertained that
society would become lawless.
through greater social intimacy Of
the sexes. sydney Smith had said
~ bis day that man and a woman
could not marry on II friendship with
out laying themselves open to cen
sure Girls were under Surveillance,
and did ~, mix freely with men;
yet at the present day they Travelled
alone, addressed large audiences, put
up 81 hotels and were unshrinking
10 heir social Intercourse with their
.e.iov-baiugs
Ae re would assert that theirI
c9ud sc U.s less correct than forper
y u 1al -oale y meu au1 womau
met freely ard thc re-aIt was 4
ae7e' rm e 'ho ialaraci e0d
aaaafa 81 meto passion
Doetrln eaken aa. aaa G
lale tarsa vaeh regarded
tA@ man 3a naa'o
v.l E bYt 4era
mol4 teiHzeat
ao3 Ehy aa1 h0en|
found en- rs the more Ignorant 81
zee Ri a4lsi, n4l Here 341atlnud
ay thc .hlukiag class.
The doctrine If elective ailiuities
was not to be coupled with such
ideas. If the latter deifiod passion,
the former deided soul. 1t meant
that human beings were united, not
an the animal, but on the rational
plane and belonged to each other by
the torco OF congeuiSlity, and mutual
harmony and sympathy Of purpose.
~ genarated friendship, and made
them hrQthcrs and sisters. 1t did
rot ask fAe sex nor the age of an in
divldual, but simply the nature Of bis
spirit.
When this element entered into
marriage how much larger and loftier
men and women became Not be-
CAUSE they had been united by law or
gospel but because they had been
drawn together by sympathy Of soul. |
1t rendered common lie rich, beauti-
ful and divine.
Plato first made the doctrine i'm
mortal, and Jesus announced it as
The plane upon which angels met. =
Under It's Influence, q man and wo-
man totally one.
Much discomfort existed in the
mafliago state, False unions abound
ed. Men and women were united
that should never have been brought
together and those were separated
that should be conjoined. People
often married dnder mere personal
magnetism, or sensuous fascination,
intense, wild and blissful But
passion cooled, the mind developed,
and arrangement often arose. The
speaker urged that where unions
took rise IN passion, and eliminated
IN dislike o separation should take
place. AT the same time, an attempt
should be made by both parties to
cultivate thtir mentai and spiritual |
faculties and find greater companion