The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1875-03-23

ley. In the evening. at haIf-past Z o'clock,
Right Rev. Bishop Gibbons delivered the
last Of his series Of very inslructing and
pleasing discourScS which have been the
great attraction Of the Cathedral during the
past Sundays in Lent.
His subject was Matrimony," and it was
clearly evident from the unusually large
gathering that. while all Of the RI. Rev.
Bishops discour>cs gave general satisfaction,
the present subject Appeared 10 excite the
most interest. The Bishop, after reading
The second chapter OF the gospel OF st. John,
which relates so the Stviour's presence at
the nuptial ceremony in Cana Of Galiee. pro-
cccdcd TO show the sacrament OF matrimoDy
to be of the most ancient origin that
it was holy =; that it was binding; and
that it was sancsitied by God, by Jesus
Christ, and bv the Church. He spoke
at length upon the indi-solubility OF
the bond. and the utter impracticaoilitr
OF the divorce cmcul0 mdtr1non1,,
and held that the Catholic Church, while IL
made exceptional cases in favor Of the di.
vorcc q mensd et Mor0, would never permit
the remarriage of one party 10 q marriage
bond during the lite Of the other. lie cited
numerous instances Of foreign potentates,
who, for their own ACKNOWLEDGMENT, or TO
gain particular ends, had endeayored time
and again. to break through this rule Of the
Church without success. He claimed that
Christian wives and mothers, no matter OF
what denomination, owed great debt OF
gratitude TO the Catholic Church for their
emancipation from the thraldom OF former
days, and for the present dignitied aud hon.
ored position now held by them. He re-
ioiced in that fundamental principle OF relI-
gion in this country; in the great respect
the people had for law, and civil and reli-
gious liberty their Observance OF the SAB
bath; their recognition of the Holy scripture
rs the word of God; at the same time ne
deprecated the action of our Lawmakers ana
judicial officers in granting the divorce 01n-
c,tlo matrfmonii, which the very book they
believe in aud take their solemn oathS upon
utterly ignores. He said there were thirty
different grounds upon which applications
for divorce were based, many Of them being
OF the most trivial character. iu referring
to the various States Of the Union, he men.
toned that in Ohio during the past year there
bad been LAP applications for divorce from
the bond of matrimony. He took Ohio as an
example, not that she was the worst ia this
regard nor was she the best, but because
she furnished good average. tDdlsna
he styled 1.-THE Paradise of discenso-
late spouses." The remedy for all this,
the Bishop said, was to recognize the Gospel
rs the supreme law, and let Legislatures
make laws to conform Herewith, and thus
refuse 10 admit Of the divorce and the second
marriage of either party while the other
lived. This would tear up that great social
evil by The roets-. The Bishop then pro-
ce erdcd to explain the maUner OF entering
this holy and important state, which Involved
the lifelong happiness OF all, and concluded
with words of advice TO aspirantS for matrl-
mony a> to the manner cf selecting their
partners and their treatment after marriage.
After concluding his discourse the Bishop
thanked his hearers lor their patient attention
10 the instructions during Lent, ana hoped
the Word OF Almighty God would abide
with them for lite.