The San Francisco call., 1896-02-16
addressed to the bride and groom except

addressed to the bride and groom except
as to gender"
THE custom of requiring promise of
obedience from a bride arises from New
Testament teaching said Rabbi Voor-
sanger. "No such VOW was ever included
in the simple wedding service of the Jews.
service that unites man and woman on
plane of equality"
1.-THE old or so-called orthodox branch of
the Lutheran church insists that bride
shall promise to obey her husband, but the
liberal does not" said Rev. j. Fuendeling,
pastor OF st. Marks Lutheran Church. Il
nave never used the word in our ritual
either in this country or Europe.
The scriptural injunction may have
Deen necessary precautionary measure at
the time 1t was pronounced, but does not
apply IN this age of civilization. i 90 not
Ike to think OF marriage as the bondage or
servltude that VOW of obedience implies.
1t should be relation characterized by
tenderness
Rev. a. >. Wells, pastor of the Second
Unitarian Church, said the use OF the
word ''obey' in the marriage service was
"repugnant to manly feeling" Said he:
My experience for twenty-five years is
that woman is generally and unqualifiedly
opposed to the use of the word obey in the
marriage service. My own custom has
been all my life to leave it out. 1t is re-
pugnant to manly feeling, i. e., to true
reverence Tor woman 1t is a relic of time
gone by, when woman was either toy or
a slave, when man considered her in some
sort his property. Perhaps a relic of that
bygone time remains in the language of
ignorant men-a Southern phrase, think
1t ls-'My woman AS to woman's posi-
tion. 1t is not wholly due to the Bible.
Early Christianity taught woman subjec-
ton. Let her learn in silence in all sub
lection, Paul said 1t was not until Chris
fv rafi Ifo
to the West and met there the superior
reverence for woman among the Teutonic
races that Europe began to show her due
respect.
Both human slavery and the subsection
OF woman can be vindicated by the text of
the Bible and the practice of early Chris
tlanlty. The new woman is the producer
OF many forces, and while in some forms
In which she appears to-day she is not
wholly loyable these extremes will pass.
Steadily she is securing her rights and
assuming her privileges and as she does
SO some OF the evils of our social, indus
trial and political life will disappear"
The views of the Mormons or latter-day
Saints on the question were voiced by
Henry S. Tanner, the president of the
California division of that church.
The sect employs the mooted word in its
ceremony, and President Tanner iustifes
its use in this wise: "We believe the mar
spirit of promise, and If the contracting
persons have properly complied with all
the requirements the Lord makes of them
they are bound together forever. AS
Christ is bound to the church and the
church to him, so the man is bound to the
woman and the woman to the man. BY
mutual consent Christ stands at the head
OF the church ana the man at the head of
the family, its strength and support. We
do not consider it arbitrary power on the
part OF Christ to require obedience from
the church because we have willingly ac-
cepted him as that head, knowing him to
be kind and just and willing to protect his
own.
$50 men and women should be consider
ate and make proper selections, that their
obligations may be kept in righteousness
and that reproach may not come upon the
marriage relation. Marriage is ordained
of God unto mar for the purpose of pro-
creation, that the earth might answer the
end OF its creation, and Joy, happiness,
confidence and love reign in the hearts of
the people. Something is wrong if q
woman oDeys her husband through fear or
oppression. One or tie other, or both,
are. failing to comply with their sacred
Obligations.
Bishop Nicholas, the chief authority at
the Russo-Greek cathedral, says the new
woman's tabooed word is not used in the
m arriage service of the Greek church. The
bride is asked, is it your firm intention
to take this man for your husband?" II
she replies in the affirmative she is asked
whether she "has avowed any other man."
There is no promise to obey IN those
vows, but in the prior charge of the Off
ciating priest she is told that she must
reverence her husband. Reverence in
cludes obedience" said Bishop Nicholas,
therefore, while we do not use the lesser
term in the service the greater one ab-
N Mi I In
church it is regarded as woman's duty
to yield obedience to her husbands author
ity My opinion as to the scriptural
grounds for that belief? 1t is not mat
ter OF opinion. The command stands as
it did the day it was written. Greek Cath
ollcs have not changed an iota of it, so
there can be no mistake as to the intention
OF the writer st. Paul is the authority on
the subject.
THE implication of obedience on the part
OF the wife occurs also in the prayer read
by the priest during the marriage service"