The morning call., 1894-10-01
HE TALKS ABOUT DIVORCE.
And Gives Some New Advice to
Motfers-in-Law.
THINKS WOMEN MAY PROPOSE.
The Doctor Tells fiis Hearers That
Marriage Is Not Necessary to
Salvation.

with religious instruction., in The sermon
preached by Rev. S. Nj. Martin on MAR
Rage and Divorce" yesterday noon,
in the big tent on Devsadero street. The
preacher quoted from the Scriptures and
from the statutes of the country, regret
ting that it was not more the custom with
clergymen TO point out to their focks that
they might keep within the law in their
matrimonial ventures, and yet not he act
Jag in a manner becoming to Christians.
what. therefore, God hath joined to-
ietner. let no man put assunder," was
the text. '"This statement of our Lord. F"
said DR.. Martin. SHOULD certainly be
more needed in this. our beloved land,
than it is. The fountainhead of the
trouble does not lie in the laws, but in
each individual mind and heart"
Contract marriages were legally de-
fiued. and DR.. Martin strongly advised
his hearers who were contemplating
matTimony to have public ceremony.
81 should advise it because it protects
the woman; for there are many men so
heartless. so fiendish in their instincts.
that they would repudiate contract mar
rage.
Some marriages are void, others are
voidabe. l don't know how many of you
have been into the courts, but you may
have to 60 there. and it is as we'll that you
should know that in the case Of lunatics,
or if one of the parties is bigamist. no
decree is necessary 10 set the ceremony
aside; the marriage is void. There are
other cases in which it might become
vOldabe il 1t were taken into the cOur Is.
You must understand that that would n OF
be divorce.
''St. Paul says that marriage is honor
HE. Int friends has haan
dishOnOred. because men have not looked
upon it from the highest standpoint. They
have not thought that they were entering
into it for better or worse. All. friends,
you thought you were ntering into it for
better. When you found it was for worse
the vows you made were cast to the winds
and you applied to the divorce court to
settle your woes. But there's another
settling up yonder. and you'll have TO set
| tie that by and by.
"There are some Of you who have been
trying forty Or fifty years and have not
got married yet. Remember this: You
can get to heaven withou, il, and yC
might go to hell if you did. If you are !,
Christian woman and your husband dies
you must OF marry the second time exec ut
in the Lord You did not know that, did
you? but just look at Corinthians vii
chapter, seth verse. and you will find that
the second husband must be a Chris tian.
does.
''The innocent party in q divorce OBJ
tanned Tor lnhdellty may marry again; the
guilty party may not. IL both are guilty,
neither may marry. Ii one of them does,
that relation ship is called in the Lord 5
Book the relationship OF adultery. Pure
love should always exist as the basis of
marriage, but other things must always be
considered. Divorce is no more compul-
sorry than marriage. You may have legal,
you may even nave spiritual grounds for a
divorce, but you are not compelled TO get
one.
II do not see why women have not as
good light to pop the question as men.
A wealthy and beautiful lady once pro-
posed TO the late Phillips Brooks and he
told her to give her fortune to the poor,
her heart to God and her hand TO the man
that asked for it. Evidently be did not
think that woman had right TO propose.
That was one mistake of a great man."
The speaker urged judicial separation, if
either party desired II, for drunkenness,
desertlon and failure TO provide. but he
spoke strongly against divorce on any but
scriptural grounds. The sermon con-
Guided with All eXhortation to men and
women 10 bear with one another and 10
regard the marriage vow as one taken be-
fore God, to be severed only by death.
The evening address was upon the sub
iect of Christian Bicycling" The Chris
tian'S course was compared TO a bicycle
track, and the various obs tacies over
which he might stumble in his race after
righteousness were pointed out.
did any of you ever take a header over
| l0ng-necked bottle? Some Christians
might go into saloon without drinking,
but there's danger there for them, and
| they had better steer clear of it, Another
| fellow falls over a deck of cards. Some
have fallen over that Shiny. slippery, eely
thing called 'sassiety,' and others take
| headers over politics An elder who had
tried both once said to NE: / either had to
give up religion or politics; Christian
man cannot get into Office. [ don't know
what politics are myself from experience,
but have heard of good men who have
gone to the bad through them.
Some people take a header over
mothers-in-law. Pm on the side of the
mother-in-law. Ii he treated that daugh-
ter of yours properly you would not quar-
| rel with him. l say, give it to him, warm
him up, make it so hot for him that when
be gets to hell he will think he is In a
shower-bath. You have all of you taken
headers over something, but | say to you
TO- light just pick yourselves up again and
keep your wheel rolling till you get to the
end of the track. Come tonight and en-
ter this great and glorious race for eternal
life"