The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-10-19
Marriage and Divorce In the Episcopal
Church.

Tho House Of Bishops Of the Episcopal
General Convention having rejected on
Monday, by seven majority, all PROPOSE
tions TO change the existing canons as to
marriage and divorce, the question Is now
settled. for three years, at least, or until
the next triennial convention. The law of
the Church permitting the marriage Of the
innocent party to a divorce for adultery re-
mains unaltered. But the earnest discus
sion of the subject in the convention at
Washington and the narrow majority by
which that conclusion was reached indicate
that the warm controversy over 1t which
has been going on sc long in the Episcopal
Church will continue with undated vigor.
The controversy is really between the
party OF s~acerdotalism and the Protestant
party OF evangelicalism, reinforced by the
Broad Church " or liberal element, and in
essence it Is the same as that which is
arousing so intense u feeling in the Church
of England. The s%acerdotal party demand
that marriage shall be made indissoluble
for any cause. on the ground taken by the
Roman Catholic Church, that marriage is a
sacrament. Its representatives in the House
Of Bishops at Washington have used various
arguments against divorce as socially inju-
rious, but their real and serious opposition
is due to that belief in them and to their de-
termination to enforce 1t on their Church..
One Of these subsidiary arguments, as
presented by ono OF that party, is
very striking. 1t Is that no man
ever marries a divorced woman with
out suffering great anguish of spirit
eventually, because OF the thought that she
has been in conjugal relations with a man
still living, the certainty OF that fact being
more unbearable than even the suspicion OF
infdellty. Apparently. this clergyman
spoke from knowledge acquired by him pro-
fessionally; but II there are such feelings in
! the breasts OF husbands OF divorced women
they are kept secret, and fear Of them does
| not deter men In circles Of social cultivation
or OF fashion from taking such women as
wives; nor does 1t appear that they are IN
pleasant to the imagination OF that society.
The purpose OF this clergyman and OF all
others who bring up such sentimental Oh
j~ections to divorce, however, Is simply to
create q feeling in the Church which would
help along the sacerdotal party by intro
ducing into the canonical law a prohibit
ton involving the recognition OF the sac
ramental character of matrimony. Bishop
POTTER and his school. representing the
more liberal element OF the Church, brought
up an objection to such a radical change,
which is likely to command approval in tho
social circles to which we have referred.
1t Is that II the Church should now decree
the absolute indissolubility OF marriage and
make complete divorce a violation OF the
Christian law, it would cast the stigma of
adultery on many existing marriages OF
divorced Episcopallans. Such marriages,
however, have occurred not ~infrequent-
ly where even tho present canon has
been violated. Men and women who
nave obtained divorces for other causes
than adultery. as allowed by the civil law
OF most of the States, have entered into
new marriages without provoking social
~disapproval or. 20 far as We have heard,
ecclesiastical condemnation. They go on
their way. with their social position unaf-