The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-07-02
Episcopal Glergymen Of the
Diocese limo Unani-
mously Oppose it.
10 CHANGE CHURCH CANYONS
.ority Believes Innocent
Parties Should Remarry--
Among the Churches.


The clergy Of the Episcopal Church
in this diocese are nearly united on the
question of revising the canon relating
to the marriage of divorced persons,
This important question has been dis
cusscd for several years. II may pc
brought up as a special order at the
next general convention of the Protest
ant Episcopal Church of America to be
held in October.
There is now in circulation a "deela-
ration. TO which has already been at
tached the signatures of many bishops
and c~lergymen, including Bishop Starkey
and the Rev. DR.. George NJ. Christian,
pastor of Grace Church, Newark It is 70
the effect that the sigrers are persuaded
that any canon Of the church on the
question Of marriage and divorce ought
to be consistent with the words the priest
must use in solenlnizing matrimony.
They declare it to be their conviction
that en- amendment to the present
canon should be based on the following
principles
/. That the marriage law of the church
is clearly set forth in the marriage SER
vice: namely that Christian marriage
consists in the union Of one man with
one woman until the union is severed by
death.
2. That sthis law does not permit the
marriage of any person separated by d.
vorce, sd long as the former partner is
living. whether such person be innocent
or guilty.
ssThe sentiment in favor Of changing
the canon SO tina the marriage of a di-
vorced person shall be absolutely pro
hfbited, is in almost universal favor
among churchmen of the Episcopal
faith, said the pastor of one of the lead
ing Newark Churches recently.
.sThe declaration contains more than
1.1o0 signatures. The question may come
up at the next general c onvention, but
It is not probable hat it viii. In fact,
1t looks to me. judging from the little
progress made in the three years in which
the work of revising the constitution and
ce-ers has been going on, that the mar
riage canon will not be reached in the
next fen years.
II favor the consideration of this
question as soon as possible, for it is one
OF the most important. There are, OF
course. soree who dissent from the propo-
sition Of total prohibition of remarriage
Of divorced persons. They agree that per-
sons divorced for cause should not be
permitted to marry again, but they de-
i. clare tsat the g~uiltless parties to such
divorces should not be prohibited, provid-
ed they produce certified transcripts from
the records of the divorce courts to prove
their innocence.
II do not believe that such an excep-
rlon should be made continued the
clergyman. There are extremely few
cases of divorce in which one of the par
ties is entirely guiltless. and the excep-
ton would leave the way open to evade
the strict Interpretation Of the canon.
The loose divorce laws which prevail in
the various States of the Union form in
centives to violation Of the moral law
that is striking at the very foundation Of
society. We are certainly becoming more
wicked in this respect. 1t would be wise
to make the divorce laws uniform in all
the States.
9Th civil and ecclesiastical authorities
should strive in unison to eradicate the
evil resulting from the easy methods of
obtaining divorce and of remarrying.
The marriage license act recently enact
ed in New Jersey was only half a meas
ure. ] would have two checks placed
upon marriage.
1T would compel every person h
proposes to marry to first secure a Ii
cense, and I would name the clergyman
in the license. 7 would also prohibit &C.
clesiastical marriages within the State
except by those elergymen who are resi-
dents and in charge of a congregation.
These checks would go far toward doing
away with elandestine and other objec-
tionable marriages such as the union
of minors by irresponsible persons.
NssThe present law of this State does
not give the clergymen proper protec-
ton. It makes us. its officers, to perform
certain services without pay. but it does
not protect us against suit that would
be based upon errors made through the
medium of deliberate Misrepresentation
by others.
Eyes. ] am confident that the senti-
ment in the Episcopal Church is against
the marriage of Divorces whether inno-
cent or guilty. There Is also a sentiment
in favor of following the custom of the
Church of Rome in publishing the bans
Of matrimony before the ceremony takes
place SO as to give ample opportunity
for the making of objections If cause for
such should exist,