The San Francisco call., 1896-08-25

ants, that IN ml3eu mafTldgeS, WAeio Oh Z
party was a Catholic and tue other a
Protestant, it did not apply; and he re-
stored contract marriage. II Catholics
marry in secret, or Protestant ana q
Catholic marry, the church feels that II Is
sinful. but that does not affect the validity
of the marriage. If Protestants get
married the Catholic church looks on the
marriage as valid if the marriage contract
is valid. The Catholic church. does not
consider that Protestants are Douno oy
the Council of Trent.
"But you will not find Catholic saying
anything against being married by
priest and getting the blessing CT God on
the union. Protestants do not believe that
marriage is a sacrament; Catholics 40.
When two persons agree TO marry tney
are the ministers of the sacrament. we
give them an honor higher than which IL
is not in our power to bestow.
seals from which flows the fountain OF
life / do not think Protestants have any
particular grievance on the way we look
on their marriages. We look upon the m
as valid, and as the Protestants them
selves do not as a sacrament"
The speaker gave what he declared was
the true story of the marriage OF Jerome
Bonaparte, brother of Napoleon, in this
country to Miss Patterson of Philadelphia.
to refute the charge that gold and high
position found a way for divorce IN
the Catholic church. He read
letter written by Napoleon to Pope
Plus asking an annulment OF the mar
riage, and read the refusal of the Pope to
do so, saying that the American girl had
a champion at Rome for her womanhooo
and the legitimacy of her children, Tor
what God hath joined together let n no 9
man put aSunder." Though disapproveo
of by the church. the marriage was ac-
knowledged as valid.
He read letter from Martin Luther to
the Landerave of Hesse approving polyIg-
amy by the Landgrave and suggesting the
greatest secrecy in the matter OF the
Princelet taxing a second wife. aid made
a pointed reference to Revs. Ollie, Case
and Goodwin in this connection.
He said also: "Luther was the origin
ator of that famous saying, which has
been appropriated by the Southern Paclhc
Company, The public be . He
begged the blessing of God on polygamy
and this reminds me of the prea chers get
ting down on this platform and asking the
blessing of God on religious strife"
He said polvgamy was not permitted IN
the marriage contract, and that the church
believed that divorce was permissible only
on Scriptural grounds, where Protestant
husband refuses to live with Catholic
wife or vice versa, by reason OF hatred OF
her religion. Children were not able TO
provide for themselves until parents were
we'll along in years, and this was reason
from nature against divorce.
He declared 1t shame that divorce
could be secured in this and many other
States for almost any cause. and he hoped
that public sentiment would grow up
that would put an end to such divorce
mills as South Dakota and Oklahoma.
Replying to John S. Etell, he said the
Catholic Church looks upon Jewish mar
riages as real, true marriages. He said in
this connection that the Argonaut re-
spects the truth just as the good house
wife respects her front room-she seldom
uses it.
Other denominations, particularly the
Episcopalian, did not approve divorce
except for Scriptural cause, and the
speaker said he did not see why they were
not included in the same anathemas as
the Cath olics.
divorce is sapping the foundation of
society,"" he said. eff it goes on as it has,
l fear the time will come when the family
will become extinct. Upon the home and
marriage tie depend the future of this
country. Within the home is set the tree
of life. TO be the daughter of an Ameri-
can citizen is greater than to be called a
queen. If we cannot raise good children
we cannot raise good citizens"
In few closing remarks Rabbi Levy
said that during the last twenty-five years
he had performed 100 marriage cere-
monies, and that not one in 100 of this
number had sought divorce. This was
because the domestic tie was regarded by
the Jews as sacred, and marriage as
founded in the doctrines of the Bible is a
divine institution.