Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1888-04-27
DIVORCES DENOUNCED.

Another congregation which filed
every seat and occupied all the stand
ing room greeted Rev. 4. III. Stude-
baker on Sunday night last. He de
livered the first OF series OF sermons
on what he termed The Divorce
Abomination. Ii was an effort of
more than usual power, and 80 evi'
hently thought the vast congregation
which gave il such profound attention.
The preacher promised 10y saying that
views on the subject of divorce must
necessarily be modified by our concep-
ton Of marriage. Ia considering the
question Of disturbing the marriage
relation, il is proper that We should
inquire what are its essential elements
and conditions IL is the most sacred
relation into which human life can
come Companionship with one Of the
opposite sex il an innate necessity OF
the natures with which we are en-.
dowed, and true marriage IL the union
OF two persons 80 perfectly suited To
each other in disposition and temper
ament, that Of them II may truly be
declared. They are not twain, but
one flesh" The ceremony OF this un-
ion. and its formal declaration, differs
widely in different countries and times.
The savage beats his bride until she Is
insensible, and then carries her of To
his hut, while the simple ceremony OF
the Quakers brings la the Holy
Ghost as the moving influence In the
union. The bleaker the ignorance,
the ruder the ceremony the higher
the refinement the more marked the
culture. the nobler the forms attend
ing the union. But wherever done,
and however, true marriage requires
more than a license, n minister and n
man and woman. There must be
the union growing out Of the perfect
adaptation OF two entire natures, each
Of which would be imperfect without
the other. IL is not n mere civil con
tract. II IL a divine institution.
Too great stress cannot be laid upon
its solemnity. The times demand It.
Marriage is contracted with no appar-
ent sense Of the gravity OF the act
have had people come TO me and re-
quest that marry them (and roundly
berate me, too, for not doing 10, who
acknowledged. in response To my In
quiries. that they had never seen or
heard Of each other until an hour be-
fore they stood at my door. Marriage
H. accounted "A frolic, n venture. II IL
doesn't result satisfactorily never
mind: some way out Of II and It's obli-
cations will be found. There are mar
riages for money, marriages for social
position. marriages for freedom, and
heaven save the mark, even mock"
marriagel The appalling evil, OF
which these are the symptoms, does
not merely threaten Us, II IL already
upon us. Marriage wrote the
learned Story, lis the most important
Of all human transactions" ID IL this
basis that il to-day so seriously
threatened, and its overturning will
work the entire disruption Of all social
order. Free-love-ism and no-loye- ism
and Mormonisin strike at IL, and the
artificial life Of our time, and the prev
aIent licentiousness undermine II. The
sower Of wild oats and the common
firt can hardly be depended upon 10
make a model marriage, or exhibit a
perfect welded life. So there Is trouble
breaking out In private life, filing the
social world with scandal; trouble
flaming up in divorce courts, filing
the newspapers with details, trouble
running homes, disgraeing children.
leading often into tragedy.
This Is one thing divorce breaks up,
the marriage relation. 1t IL a great
subject, and we have scarcely gotten
the door ajar this evening. We will
push it wider open next Sunday. Bal
t,more0n.