The record-union., 1898-11-13

Ia ldcl, tndI argument against remarri-
age IS for the most part based upon
the idea that the marriage tie is ab-
solutely indissoluble and divorce is not
10 be permitted, at least not recognized.
os the church, for any cause what
ever"
Another admirable negative act.''
says the New York "Independent.'
was the refusal by the House Of
blshops to pass the proposed canon on
divorce. The present canon has ir it,
quite too much of that 'forbidding to
marry which Paul so severely COM
demns. The present canon allows re-
marriage to the innocent party in
dlVorce for adultery, while the proposed
canon would forbid it equally to both
parties. There is really not one valid
argument that can be brought forward
fer such vicious unscriptural rule.
We suppose it is founded on false
conclusion from false premise which
makes marriage a certain sort of sac
rament. But both premise and conciu-'
s;or are beyond the understanding of
culiar kind of ecclesiastical training to
know that the innocent should not be
punished for the sin of the guilty. And
common people can read their Bible and
| they know that divorce was allowed
by our Lord for adultery, and that ii-
vorce Isl not divorce if remarriage is not
allowed. They know further that ST
Paul distinctly declared that in the case
of desertion the party deserted was not
bound in such case. Yet further, the
maintenance of the institution of mar
ridge belongs to the State as we'll as to
the church. and the common sense of
the world has settled it that the. scrip.
tural law Is to be interpreted reason
ably"
II he hopeful element in the present
situation says the New York Church
man P. E.), is that the general con-
vention realizes the need of further de-
bate, the necessity of more thorough
going information. This is exactly The
proper stand to take. 1t distinctly re-
FUSED to adopt language that made the
VICIOUS elements of the present canon
perfectly plain and obvious. Happily.
the church is saved from plain.
straightforward permission of remarri-
age. The ambiguity of the canon as
l. STANDS now is better because it's a,G-
plsulty may and, we trust, will be
changed In the direction that tends to
the social amelioration of the Amari-
can people. The church is fully alive
TO the necessity of fuller, clearer ex-
preston of sits views on divorce. But
1t refuses, on the one hand, to adopt
without further investigation the course
suggested by our arguments. On the
other hand, it as firmly refuses to ac-
cept as its own new canon that de-
flnitely places it's attitude toward di.
vorce on low level In other words
tHe tlme is now come for a thorough
going and far-reaching campaign of ed
ucatlon on the subject of divorce. The
situation thus created cannot be unwel-
come mere, and the opportunity mus1
be used and improved unhesitatinyIv ,,
Replying to John Baptists art
Thou He that should Gomez Christ
among other evidences of His Messiah
ship, quoted this: To the poor the Cos
pei is preached In another place we
read, And the common people heard
Him gladly Is it true to-day i'm this
Christian land" asks the New York
Evangelist" (Pres.), that the GOSPEL
is preached to the poor, and that the
common people have an opportunity of
hearing the word of God? In answer.
visit almost any of our churches on a
Sunday morning. The pews are occu-
pied almost entirely by the wealthy. the
cultured, the fashionable portion of So
ciety. The furnishings are elaborate.
the music artistic, the sermon. some
times plain and practical but more Of
ten metaphysical or oratorical. The
common people, the workingmen and
women, not to speak Of the lowly and
degraded, are conspicuous by their alb
sence. One reason why they do not
come is because they could not feel at
Eome in such surroundings. Nor will
it meet the case to say, as may be said,
that efforts to reach those people were
never so abundant or more successful
Witness the Salvation Army, the Mis-
sion Sunday y-school and evangelistic
work. For all these only accentuate
and emphasize the social and class dis
tinctions that never ought to be found
inside the Church of God. The very
existence of such agencies implies that
there are two kinds of sinners, the rich
SliiHCIS dilQ TIE pOOl OilCS, dilQ Luz 0dCn
of these a different Gospel must be
provided"
"It is the Church of Christ" says the
New York observer" (Pres.), that
is the stay of truth through the CEN
turies, from which, and not from the
vagaries of individuals. whether unbal-
anced as unbelievers or as fanatics, the
most consistent and persistent testi-
mony to the essentials of the Gospel is
to be expected. Cheap substitutes for
organized Christianity will not do De-
predatory views of the mission and
worth of the church argue in their au-
thors lack of critical insight and his
toric sense The church. with all its
human errors. has proved itself to be
In all ages the great conservator of
just views and practices among men.
and it is too late in these days to begin
to rail at it or to treat it with cold neg
lect. Empires may rise and fall, armies
and fleets be mobilized or dispersed.
markets may change, political issues
vary with the years. and heresies as
sault or abate, but through all muta-
tions, and despite all enmities, the
Church of Christ. which is the Church
Of the living God, remains the pillar
and stay of truth. the continuous con-
servator of the faith once delivered to
the saints