The daily morning journal and courier., 1895-02-11
IS M4BRIAGE 4 FAI1UREa

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 Points From MT. Dickerman's Sermon Last
 Night at the Messiah Church.
 ITS Marriage a Failure?" was the sub ject of Rev. MT. Dickerman's discourse
 at the Church of the Messiah last even
 ing. The church was crowded to the
 doors and many were obliged to secure
 room as best they could. The sermon
 was one of a series on Social Purity,
 which are largely attended.
 MT. Dickermans remarks were very
 interesting and features of his lines of thought are as follows:
 Marriage, as I understand 1t, is not failure I have studied it closely in
 many families and my testimony is that
 marriage is a success when followed to the true idea, and then it is more than | up to the anticipation.
 This is the age of reforms in politics, | religion and morality, and should be in | marriages. A lady friend told me the other day that the reason of so few mar l riages was the scarcity of men, and let
 me here impress upon your mind that if I had something to say about them just l half the men would marry who wanted to. Nothing but pure love justifies mar riage. Anything else that holds hus- band and wife together is bondage and iriquity. This is fundamental and inn plies the whole thought. Love that can- not endure will result in disaster.
 What are the inducements offered for ,.iec Ty, NTiohioaY1 vUharp have resided, the people sometimes marry for revenue only; whether they do or not in New Haven I cannot say. It fills me with feelings of mingled horror and in- dignation to think that & woman, edu- cated and refined in all other respects, will immolate herself upon the altar of conventional vice in a. marriage for rev enue only. Woman is the victim of race education Her prime thought has been that she was made only for marriage, hence her abject dependence. l would guard the door of marriage with the eternal vigilance of love. would make the stigma as great for her who should sell her person in marriage as for her who sells it otherwise. I would have every husband true enough to admit that his wife is the rightful owner of her being.
 Following are selections from the terse and epigrammatic remarks of the speaker in last nights lecture:
 If marriage is failure it is because human nature is a failure.
 True marriage is the divinest relation on earth-untrue the most diabolica1.
 Anything less than love that holds husband and wife together is bondage and iniquity. There is no lot so terrible for woman and so demoralizing for man as a Ioveless wedlock.
 It fills me with feelings of mingled | horror and indignation to think that a | woman educated and refined in all other 1 respects, will immolate herself upon the | altar of conventional vice in marriage | for revenue only.
 Woman is the victim of race educa- tion. Her prime thought has been | that she was made only for marriage | hence her abject dependence.
 If women were independent indus | trial members of the community they | would never be forced into distasteful, | ill-assorted, or convenient marriages, which are the most fruitful of all | sources of vice and crime in children | and thus in the community
 I would guard the door of marriage with the eternal vigilance of love, I would have no one enter it's precincts save on pended knee and with prayer fuI heart, as if approaching the throne of God. So strictly would I guard it that none who should once enter could ever wish to retrace their steps. would make divorces an unknown thing by abolishing imprudent and ill- assorted marriages.
 I would make the stigma as great for her who should sell her person in marriage as for her who sells it other wise.
 I have seen husbands and wives i whose hearts after long years of mar 'iage always glowed at the approach of each other, whose whole natures seemed stimulated into their highest attributes in each others presence . Sorrow and pain but drew them closer ] .ogether. These instances are excep- z ional but they prove what the relations { if the sexes may be. } I would have every husband true though to frankly admit that his wife I s the sole, rightful owner of her own l ,eing in every respect I If there is anything in this world ! nore cursed than another, it is the e ,retense of marriage, where no genuine lnion exists. q When love has flown marriage is a weight dragging down the finer in- tincts, the holier emotions, and supply ng desperation and despair. No man r woman has 8 moral right to live his way.
 Marriage is the most serious busi- ess of life. What other vocation half 0 important would be entered with uch ignorant, headlong haste. ro11Id have eobooIo for. m ,r;,co