St. Paul daily globe., 1892-01-27
Opening Sessions Of the Epis-
copal Convention in
Christ Church.
Spirited Discussion on the
Much Mooted Divorces
Question.
The Episcopal Position Com
pared With That Of the
Catholics.
Papers on Topics Interesting
to Clergy and Laity
Alike.

The Central Convocation of the Epls-
cOpal diocese of Minnesota met in the
guild hall of Christ church yesterday.
At half-past 10 in the morning Bishop
Gilbert celebrated holy communion.
The sermon ne was to have preached
was postponed TO this morning. At
80 the actual business of the session
was begun, with Rev. A. j. Graham,
dean, presiding. The morning was
taken up with routine business. AT noon
lunch was served to the delegates in the
guild house. and at 2:30 Rev. w. B.
Hamilton read his paper on "Divorce."
1t was an uncOmpromising and earnest
stand for the absolute and utter indis-
solubility of marriage, and was based on
Scriptural warrant. According to the
church, death alone can dissolve the
bond of matrimony. I he writer stated
that this teaching he supported by ap-
peal to the Holy Scripture, the tradition
of the early church, and the canonS and
formularies of the church today. 1t is
generally supposed that the innocent
adultery may, by the laws of the
church, be married again during the
lifetime of the offending party. But
the writer showed that the teaching of
Christ and the church is contrary to
this, and that neither Christ nor the
church allows a divorced person to
marry again while the first partner
lives, no matter what the cause of
the separation or divorce may have been.
The practice of allowing the remar
riage of the innocent party is supposed
to be Santioned by two texts in St.
Matthew where divorce is spoken of
with the implied privilege of ramar-
riage. Rut these texts were shown not
to apply to this case at all, but to be a
Judgment passed upon different case.
The case was that of a man who had
married a woman whom he supposed
To Be Virgin,
but who was not, having deceived him.
In this case the marriage was declared
voidable if the husband wished it, as he
probably would not have married her
had he known the truth. But for any
canSe arising after marriage the church
does not allow a divorce with the right
of marriage during the life of either
party. The canon of tho church which
is supposed to sanction such union
does not do so in fact. 1t only provides
that if minister soemnizes such
union he may not be tried and punished
for breaking the canon. One Father
Tertulian, whom the writer quoted.
held that marriage-true Christian mar
riage--was not dissolved even by death.
Th essayist inclined to this view.
The paper was intensely ecclesiastical
in tone, but was interesting in the eX-
eme.
The first speaker in the discussion
which followed was Rev. Mr.. Moyses,
of Hastings. He, too, agreed with Ter
tullian that death may for time sepa-
rate husband and wife, but does not de-
stroy the marriage tie. lie admitted
that there were many cases of mis-
mating, and favored legal separation,
but the absolute prohibition to either
party of remarriage. The laws Of the
land, he said, were lax. People marry
hastily. and repenting, seek dissolution
of the tie. Not only do they obtain di-
vorces with the intention of marrying,
but often times they have decided upon
the persons whom they will marry be-
fore seeking divorce. The feeling which
prompts this Mr.. MoyseS stigmatized as
| lust, not love. He said people in Mime
sofa were practically Mormons, and
worse than Mormons. He thought
| clergyman justified in refusing to marry
| divorced people.
Rev. Dr.. Wright spoke in condemna-
ton of the conflicting laws governing
marriage and divorce in the various
states, and urged upon the clergy the
duty of agitating the question of ma
| tional uniform law OH the subject. Such
law, he said, would elevate the morals
| of the community and would make
marriage more sacred. In illustration
of the f1ippant way in which people
marry, DR.. Wright gave the instance OF
couple who came to him to be married
| just because the idea ot cured to them
while out enjoying a moonlight walk.
"That is the way" said he, too many
people marry-at the end of moon
| light walk; and there isn't much moon
| light afterward." lie considered the
question under discussion the most serl-
| Gus thing pertaining TO our civilization
Rev. Mr.. Holmes, in explaining the
church usage which allows the remar-
riage of the innocent party in case
where divorce has been granted because
of the Scriptural reason, said that the
| offender, by reason of the sin,
Was Virtually Dead.
and thus he marriage was dissolved.
| Nh Hamilton said that view of the
case reminded him of the "Mikado," in
which the lord high eXecutioner said
that whoever the mikado condemned to
death was as good as dead already, and
| might just as well be called dead.
Revs. Clark, Pope, Doherty and
| Faude took part in the discussion of
divorce. Mr.. Faude diSapproved the
ten iency of the church to lower its
standard III the matter.
Bishop Gilbert said he was gratlfed
to see the clergy taking such high
ground on the subject, He thought,
that while the church did not sanction
the remarriage of the innocent party,
it had permitted it, recognizing exist
ing circumstances and the weakness of
humanity and human laws. Divorce.
ne said, is the evil of the age. The
Roman Catholic church is strong be-
cause of the absolute stand it takes
against divorce. The tendency of the
age is toward license in this matter,
and toward regarding marriage as
mere civil contract, whereas it is higher
| than any mere contract and is almost
Sacramental in nature.
| RevS. Cummings, Graham, Mills
paugh and Holmes further discussed
| the question.
Rev Frank Millspaugh read paper
on ''Deacons," urging the necessity of
the order and ifs great use to the
| church. His admirably written paper
was discussed by Rev. Messrs. Rollitt,
Faude. Bishop Gilbert took issue with
| MIR. Millspaugh, who contended that
| each deacon should serve under priest
| year before becoming rector and be-
| ing entrusted with parish. The first
| difficulty. in the way of such course
was the inability of the priest and his
parish to support the deacon. The Sec
ond difficulty was that deacon Is some
| times spoiled by serving in city par
| sh,and will not go Into the country to a
country parish. Third. most deacons are
| engaged before taking orders, and want
to marry, which they cannot do on
deacon's living. He thought deacons
| should be perpetual, and not candidates
in secular pursuits. and receive no sup
| port but honor from the church.
| The discussion of this paper ended
| the afternoon session.
Who Were There.
The clergymen present were:
Bishop Gilbert Revs St. Lawrence, NJ.