Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1888-11-26
GO AND SIN NO MORE.

A distinguished theologian, Rev. DR..
Dwinell, who is one of the faculty of the
Pacific Theological Seminary, in public
print, as in debate, maintains that except
the evidences are that there is total loss
of love, single act of infdelity on the
part of either husband or wife ought not
to justify divorce. The reverend gentle
man is bold in his judgment, and deserves
public commentator for the courage of
his convictions. The liberality of this
Christian gentleman ought to be reflected
in the sentiment of society. As it now
stands, it is simply merciless, so far as inf
deity to the marriage vow is concerned.
Human beings are frail, else they would
not be mortal that because under great
temptation and temporary subsection of
the better self, the wife or the husband
proves untrue there should follow final
condemnation and the afiixing forever of
the stigma of dishonor, is not only cruel
but it is inhuman. OF course, with DIR.
Dwinelle, it must be agreed that where
the element of deliberation enters into the
act, as where one abandons the home to hy
with another, the case is different. 1t is a
fact that where for single ofense of weak
ness husbands and wives have been for
given by wives and husbands with more of
mercy and love in their hearts than of
the rigor of justice and jealousy of their
own rights, neither have suffered rebuke
from their race for this charity.
The world appears TO move upon the
theory that the wife should forgive once.
twice, thrice, or oftener; and even Courts
advise some who pursue their legal rem
edies for single offense to condone the
crime of the husband, and restore the rela-
ton of love and confidence Why, then,
should there be more rigid exaction where
the wife is the offender? 1t exhibits the
better side of human nature that, as DR..
Dwinell says, husbands and wives do so
often pardon each others weaknesses.
Conformation is not sharing in the crime
in these cases-it is extending to frail hui
manity that charity that was taught by
the Hero of the Cross, and has been
written ineff; cably upon the tablets of
mercy. Because there has been SO little
of that mercy extended to women,
the ranks of homeless class are largely
swelled. The interests of society, there
fore, would be conserved by the forgiving
spirit for the single error. The Bureau of
Labor Statistics of this State reports for a
single city, out of 527 female outcasts
whose cases were Investigated, 17S-or "a
per cent.-came from the married state.
Who shall say how many of these might
have been saved from the greater by for
giveness of the initial sin +?
We are often impressed with the folly
NOT to say the cruelty-that publishes
the shame of a wife and mother who for a
moment yields to temptation, though not
, manifesting loss of love for her home and
family. We are in many such cases dis
posed to visit rebuke upon the I'M
forgiving husbands, so large majority of
whom well know that the wives have
cause, if merciless, to turn to them stony
faces.
Society can well place itself level with
the code of Him who taught as never man
did. 1t might well bid the erring for a
single ofiense unmarked by depravity of
heart and abandonment of sense of shame
to g Go. and sin no moreD