Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1898-04-16
DIVORCE AND REMARRIAGE

DIVORCE AND REMARRIAGE.
Rev. DR.. Hall Harrison, of EIlicott
City, Md, was one of the principal
speakers at dinner fthe Episcopalian
Club at Boston, Thursday night. His
subject, Marriage and Divorce from d
Church Poiut of View" related to q
leading topic in Pro; estsnt Episcopal
circles at present.
DR.. Harrison discussed the texts in
st. Matthew's Gospel, chapter xix, s, 8,
as follows;
"Moses, because of the hardness of
your hearts, suffered you to put away
your wives but from the beginning it
was not so.
And say unto you, whosoever shall
put away his wife except it be for for
uication and shall marry another, COM
miteth adultery; and whose marrieth
her which is put away, doth commit
adultery"
1.-The Saviour's words" said DR.. Har
rison, "@ere uttered in answer to 6
question put to Him by the Pharisees.
Every one admits that to understand
an answer you must consider the ques-
tion TO which it is an answer. The
Pharjsees had anticipated and even
gone beyond the divorce laws of Indi-
ana, Dakots, Connecticut and other
American States. Whenever man was
tired of his wife and wanted another
be alleged some trihing defect in his
wife's health, or temper, or habits, and
wrote bill of enforcement. In this
way be got rid of her and could marry
agair, aud his divorced wife had he
same liberty of remarrjage.
This scandalous practice OF wanton,
causeless, caplicious divorce was what
our Lord sternly condemned. The
Phar5ees justified their practice by the
law of Moses, but it was only legaliz-
ed adultery or polygamy, involving all
parties in the sin. This the Saviour COZ
demned, but at the same time said that
His condemnation did not apply when
there was just cause of divorce, and
thst cause was fornication, which in q
wife is adultery.
1.-THE Pharisees ask if it is lawful for
man to put away his wife for every
c.use. BY putting away, they mean
divorce, with the right to remarry,
for they knew of no other divorce.
This question gives the keynote to the
| true Interpretation of our Ssviour's
reply. Our Lord answers Certainly
not There is but one cause that us
titles vorce. / say unto you, whose
ever shall put aa az his wife, except i
be for fornca ion, and shall marry "a
other, committeth adultery But b
words imply, according to any rational
interpretation, that if she be thus put
away the husband dos not by marry
ing another commit adultery. Why?
Because he is no longer married ma,
the woman has cess.d 10 be his wi:';
The viuculum has been dissolved. This
is case l.
But the Saviour continues, still az
swering the Pharisees and covering the
second case: And whose marrieth
her which is put away Z. e., put aw y
for any aod every cause according w
YOUR ques ion), doth commit adultery
Why? Because in this case ne is mar
ryng the lawful wife of another man.
But it has just been declared that when
the wife has been put away for fornica.
tion she is no longer wife. CoDse-
quently this saying of our Saviour can
not ref r to man who marries wom-
an lawfully put away for the excep
ed and permitted cause. The man jn
this case does not marry another mans
wife"
DR.. Harrison then examined the Ian
gusge of the marriage service and main
tanned that the words "Those whom
God hath joined together let no man
put asunder" must be understood as
subject to the exception which the
Saviour Himself allowed. The Duke
of Argyle was quoted as having said in
the House of Lords that he could not
understand how any rational man could
read those passages in St. Mattl ew
without coming to the conclusion that
distinct permission was given to marry
again in case of divorce by reason of
adultery. With this conclusion DR..
Harrison agreed.