Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1885-05-15
Southern Baptlsts.
Tnr QUESTION OF DiyoRcE-sTRoNo
SPEECH BY SENATOR JOSEPH &.
upoVN

THr QUESTION OF DiyoRcE-sTRoNo
SPEECH BY SENATOR JOSEPH &.
BROWN.
AUGUSTA, GA, May 10. The
fourth days session of the Southern
Baptist Convention today was call.
cd TO order By President Nell. On
motion of DIR. ii. A. Topper the Ter
port of the committee on woman's
work and a substitute offered Tor
the same were rccommitted to the
committee.
The discussion on home missions
was participated in by Dr. Ellis,
Mr.. j. Lowering aud Rev, "A. q.
Dixon, of Baltimore, and resolu-
tons we're adopted pIedgibg mem
bers of the convention to individual
effort TO extend the work Of home
missions. 4l txaa 5liiil oai ~
The various committees and
boards for the ensuing year, were
appointed. The committee on re-
presentation by woman in conven-
tiods reported, recommending that
the word 'brethren' be used in place
of the word members in the con
stitution, thus restoring members
ship to men only. The report was
adopted. 'hi .f'D
Senator Joseph Il. Brown ap.
peared before the body at the af-
ternoOn session and delivered an
address on n resolution which he
had introduced to the effect that in
the opinion OF the convention an
act of fornioation committed by
married person is the only cause
for absolute divorce, that in the
opinion Of the convention no minis
ter of the gospel is authorized by
the New Testament to join parties
together when either one has a
living wife or living husband from
whom said party has been dlyorc-
ed for any other than the cause
aforesaid. Senator Brown insisted !
that the sanctity of the marriage |
relation was too little regarded. The
doctrine of monOgamy was lald
down by Christ, and no excuse for
dissolving the marriage relation
should be accepted. If He is law
in one case He must bean the other
No man could put away his wife |
save for fOrnicatiOn, and the man !
who married when divorced for
other cause was no better than al
Norman in Utah. The laws OF the !
United States punished the latter |
Oaense, the laws or the State too
often sanction the former. Both !
are bigamists, and each upon
second marriage is living in a state
of adultery. He advised Baptist
ministers to refuse to marry people,
who had been divorced on inadmis-
sible grounds. He called on Bap-
fists and all Protestant churches to
follow the lead Of the Catholic
Church on the question of divorce
and preserve the sanctity OF the
marriage relation. ..,.s..tt
Senator Brown gave some star.
ling statistics in regard TO divorce
in New England, and said that
South Carolina had wiped all
divorce laws and New England |
ideas brought to her by carpet
baggers from her statute-books
Senator Browns resolution was
overwhelmingly adopted with APP
plause. st asflI" 93ilf
Montgomery, Ala, was selected
as the next place Of meetinsg Geo..
w. Norton, of Kentucky was elect
ed treasurer Of the convention, and
Nimrod Long,of Kentucky, auditor.
At the night session ofthe South
ern Baptist Convention the action
taken on the resolution On,,divorcei
offered By Hon. Joseph E. Brown,
of Georgia, was reconsidered and
the resolution tabled.
Aresolution was passed indoors
ing the policy of the American
Baptist Publication. Society 10 pro-
scouting the Bible work. Resolu-
tons by the women's mission meet
ing were reported, stating that they
did not desire to prosecute the mis-
sion work separately, and that they
desired to be represented sin the
convention, as formerly. Delegar
ties were appointed to the Northern
Baptist anniversary at Saratoga. A
quilt worked by ladies of Spartan
burg, s. c., and sent to the conven.
Tor the benefit of the missions was
bought for S75 raised by collection, !
and the quilt was sent to the wife |
of Rev. ". d. Powell, missionary |
to Mexico, with greetings of the |
convention and sympathE-iD herd
illness. The money raised on the
quilt goes to the foreign missions.
Adjourned sine die.-Balt. Sun. /