Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1885-05-11
BAprIsTs IN CONVENTION.
Important Action Taken With Regard
to the Divorce Laws

to the Divorce Laws,
AUGUSTA, GA, May 10.-At the
meeting of the Southern Baptist con
vention to-day he various committees
and boards for the ensuing year were
appointed.
The committee on representation by
women reported recommending that
the word brethren" be used in the
place Of "membersr in the constitu-
ton, thus vesting membership to men
only. The report was adopted.
Senator Joseph f. Brown appeared
before the body at the evening sessio n
and delivered an address on the reso :
luton which he had introduced to
the effect that in the opinion OF the
convention the act Of fornicatiou com.
mitted by married person Is the only
cause for absolute divorce, aud that in
the opinion of the convention no min
lister of the gospel is authorized by
the New Testament to join parties to-
gether when either one has liv-
ing wife or living husband from
whom said party has been divorced
for any other than the cause aforesaid.
Senator Brown insisted that the sane.
tity OF the marriage relation was too
little regarded. The doctrine of mo-
nogamy WAS laid down by Christ aud
no excuse for dissolving the marriage
relation should be accepted. If He is
the law in one case He must be in the
other. No man could put away his
wife save for fcrnication and the man
who married when divorced for
other cause was no better
than a Mormon in Utah
The laws Of the United States punished
the latter offense; the laws OF the state
too often sanctioned the former. Bo h
are bigamists, and each upon second
marriage Is living In u state of adult
terry. de advised that the Baptist
ministers should refuse TO marry peo-
pie no have been divorced on mad.
missible grounds. He called on the
Baptist and all Protestant churches TO
follow the lead OF the Catholic church
Gu the question of divorce, and TO pre.
serve the ssnctity of the marriage rela-
tion. Senator Brown gave some start
ing statistics in regard to divorce in
New EnglaGd and said that S nth Car
DINA had wiped fem her statute DO k
all divorce laws and the New England
ideas brought here by the carpet
baggers.
senator Browns resolution was
overwhelmingly adopted amid APP
plause.
Montgomery, Ala, was selected "a
the mex place Of meeting.
George w. Nortoa of Kentucky was
elected treasurer of the convention
and Nimrod Long OF Kentucky audi.
tor.
All the local pulplts were filled with
Baptist ministers to-day.
Attic night session the action taken
by the convention on the resolution
on divorce, offered by Hon. Joseph Il
Brown OF Georgia, WAS. reconsidered
and the resolution was tabled.
a resolution WAS passed indorslnp
the policy of the American BaptiI
Utilization society in prosecuting the
Bible work.
Resolutions by the women's misslon
meeting were reported ststing that
they did not desire TO prosecute the
mission work sepal ately aud that
they desired TO be represented in the
convention as formerly.
Delegates were appointed To tho
Northern Baptist anniversary at sara.
togs,
The convention adjourned sine die
at 1880 pm. after passing the custom.
airy 'hanks TO The officers of the local
posts and the press