The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-11-13
THEIR VIEWS ON DIVORCE.
MINISTER'S DISCUSS AN INTEREST
ING TOPIC.


vOrced Person other Ministers
Agree That Divorce should BE
Granted on ScripturaI Grounds
Only and That 40 Person Divorced
for other Cause should he Remar-
ricd-No Divorce Permissible In
Catholic Church.
The position of the church toward di-
vorce and Of the remarrying Of divorced
persons, which occupied such prominent
part in the discussions at the recent gem
eral convention Of the Episcopal Church.
is one interesting to church people gener-
ally and in fact to all intelligent persons
interested in the welfare of society.
The Protestant ministers of Savannah
appear to be practically unit on this sub
ject with one exception. They agree that
there is a scripturai ground of divorce and
that the innocent party to a divorce of
this kind has a right to marry again. They
admit that there are difficulties ia the
way of the minister who seeks to investi-
gate the claim of innocence on the part of
parties so situated, but the blame for this
they say, is due to the lax law upon the
subject of divorce.
Of the ministers who were seen only one
Rev. ]. L. Scully, rector of st. PauPs
Church, differed from the others in their
general view of the subject. Rev. Mr..
Scully is totally opposed to divorce and
announced positively that he would not
marry a divorced person under any cir
cumstances during the lifetime of the
other party to the marriage even though
he might know that the party applying
for marriage was the innocent party to the
divorce.
Marriage is until DEATH" said Mr.. Soul
ly. what God hath joined together let
not man part asunder. How can man
presume to separate that which God hath
joined"
Mr.. Scully held that the passages of
scripture alluded to by other clergymen
as authorizing divorce upon the ground of
adultery and permitting marriage to the
Innocent party were not properly under
stood and that at most the permission
granted by Christ extended only TO a sep
aration.
The movement against divorce and the
remarriage of divorced persons is quite
extensive in the Episcopal Church, Mr..
Scully said.
"There are nineteen bishops and fifteen
hundred clergymen in the Episcopal
Church" said he, who repledged not to
remarry a divorced person under any cir
cumstances. They are the ones who made
the fight for the change of the canon at
the convention and the question will GER
tainly be brought up again and in the end
the effort viii be successful"
Rev Robb White, rector of Christ's
Church, does not see the matter in the
same light as the Rev. Mr.. Scully. 81
hold to the canon" said he, divorce on
one scriptural ground only. Divorces may
be granted for this cause and the innocent
perty to the divorce may remarry. This
is the position Of the church in the matter
and I think II. is the correct one"
The views of Rev. Mr.. Strong of St.
Johns Church we're given IN a sermon
delivered by him last Sunday night on the
action of the convention. His position is
identical with that of Rev. Mr.. White. He
was opposed TO the change in the canon
and believes that 1t should remain as at
present
1.-THE Lutheran Church." said Rev. w
c. Schaeffer, simply takes the scrptural
position that divorce Is permissible on one
ground only and that the innocent party
to the divorce should have the right to
| marry again. The effect of the lax di-
| Vorce laws are very demoralizing. l do
| not know but what it would be best if all
| the states would adopt the South Carolina
| law and permit no divorce The great
need of our country to-day is true homes.
We shall never multiply them unless we
| have high sentiment of the sanctity of
| the marriage tie. The Lutheran peoples
| have little TO do with divorce. They are
| great home makers and home lovers. I
| don't remember to have ever married but
| one person who had been divorced and the
| circumstances of this case were very pc
culiar."
DR.. J. o. Branch, pastor of Wesley Mon
Umental Church said THE present Epis-
| copal canon law is right. Christs position
is that he that putteth away his wife and
taketh another causeth her TO commit
| adultery, and he that marrieth her that
| is put away also commtteth adultery The
| discipline of the Methodist Church pre-
| scrlbes that ministers shall be prohibited
! from solemnizing the rites of matrimony
between divorced persons, except in case
of innocent parties who have been divorce
ed for the one scriptural cause. II would
| not be just to the innocent party to a di-
vorce suit 90 prohibit remarriage
THE divorce laws of our country are a
| disgrace TO our civllEa tion,' said Dr.
! Branch. The efforts to change the canon
| of the Episcopal Church appear to me 10
be protest against the present lax meth
DDS There are cases where a brutal and
| drunken husband mistreats his wife and
| fails to provide for the support of her and
her children. Safe leglsla ton in such cases
would be to grant divorce from bed and
| board Full divorce should not be granted
for any other than the scrIptural cause"
Rev. DR.. ]. II. Scruggs of Trinity Meth
| odist Church expressed himself on the
| same line with DIR. Branch. Divorce
should be granted only for adultery" he
said. THE subject was discussed in the
| general convention of the Methodist
| Church some time since. No law was
adopted, but the opinion was expressed
| that ministers should refuse TO solemnize
| the rites of matrimony in any case where
| divorce has been obtained upon any except
scriptural ground. The injured party to a
| divorce has the right to marry
| again." said DR.. Scruggs. 1.-THE
| guilty party has done. There were various
| grounds for divorce under the old Mosaic
law. Christ, when approached on the sub
| ject, gave only one-adultery. The Protest
| ant churches have been entirely too lax
| in this matter of the marriage of divorced
| persOns Marriage is a civil rite provided