The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1877-04-18
About Marrying Broihcrs.fn-E'aW or
SssSers-in-T.aw.

tFor the Dispatch.l
The Journal of Commerce is wrong rs to
the law Of Virginia on the subject OF mar
rage to u deceased wifc's sister. Our laws
aop allow such marriages.
The change OF public sentiment on TINS
subject is remarkable. About the year 1917
distinguished minister OF Virginia mar
ried his deceased wife's sister, who was also
the widow OF his nephew. There were some
other circumstances connected VIVA .ne
marriage which made it the cause OF ueep
humiliation to this good man, rs nc irankis
confessed. "Thc excitement against MN eN-
ceeded all reasonable limits" He was uh~
successfully indicted under an obsciete iam'
The aid Of the Legislature was hNoheu'
and that body, Jealous for the conserVat,o,
nf n,bIic morals, revised the law; ana tia1
nnth;nr might be wanted for the PUNISH,
,,nr. of so great q criminal gave II ca pos.
frrto authority. lie cvaded the penalty OF
,hc law on the plea of its unconstltutioha',
itv." "Some of the principal asSailahts o,
Mr.. -, on account OF the aoove-natneu
affair. were either deadly foes 10 Chrlstiat,
ity or under strong scctarlan lnnuenccS.
Gin process OF time he fully rcSaineu MS
Standing both in the Church and the
world (See Taylor's "llrslnia bap-
t;st Ministers, Second Series" pages
ssS and s6s: also. Jcter's Life OF
the same minister.] Drs. Taylor and
Letter have written of this remarkable
nsssare in the life OF one OF their brethren
With a candor and good sense which Is
birhly honorable to them both; and the
sej;.conGemnation Of the eminent clergy
man Mt the tar oi his own conscience Is as
crsditablc 10 hi> sincerity and humility as
Christian: and on higher grounds than
those taken. perhaps, by some OF his aSsall-
ants. OWN. ~ his discovery OF wrong
motive in the marriage. The law OF Flr-
oinio forbidding such marriages, arising
1nder these circumstances, continued In
force till after 1850, when, with other Ike
dubious innovations, a license on this subject
came in to remove the old landmarks OF Viz
ginia society.
more thorough examination OF the
views held by religious denominations
would have revealed to the Journal Of Com
7nerce the position OF the Presbyterian
Church. which is so restrictive that no
member can be thus married; ana no NM
lister, whatever his Interpretation OF the
scriptural iniunctionS bearing on the qles-
ton may be, can, consistently with his
vows OF ordination, perform ceremony IN
such a case Dr.. Jeter truly remarks that 1t Is
"an act as to the morality of which the most
Sharp-SlSHlcu anu puiC-iilihuSu S'h'oiSto
are not agreed" but Presbyterian clergy
man, having bound himself by "sincereIy
receiving and adopting the Confession OF
Faith of this Church, as containing the svS-
tenn OF doctrine taught in the Holy Scrip
lures. and by approving its government
and discipline" cannot go beyond the law
as laid down in Or ''ConfeSSion OF Faith"
CHAPTER "A, section i "The man may not
marry any OF his wife;s kindred nearer in
blood than he may OF his own; nor the
woman Of her husbands kindred nearer in
blood than OF her own" The scriptural
citation to support this statute may he
found at the foot OF the page.
TIE object OF this communication is not
to discuss the subject, which the Dispatch
very Justly would not allow, but simply to
state facts required by the publication OF
the Journal Of Commerce.
AS proof of the tenacity with which
Presbyterians hold to their view it may be
mentioned that many years ago (perhaps
tifty), in consequence Of the frequent viola
tions of the law, which were brought to the
notice OF the General Assembly (before the
division into North and South), some of the
parties being ministers, an overture was
sent down to the Presbyteries for q change.
Seventeen Presbyteres were in favor of the
change, but fifty We're opposed to it. [See
Baird's Digest OF the action OF the General
Assembly, Since that time no similar pro-
posal has been made. The long trial Of a
minister in North Carolina for violation is
familiar to many persons now living.