The Atlanta constitution., 1900-11-19
New Canons on Marriage
and Divorce Are To Be
Brought Up
BEYOND MEANS OF GRACE
That Is, Where They Have Remar-
ried After Being Divorced-New
Barriers Erected To Prevent
Illegal Marriages by
Ministers.

New York. November 1i.-When the gen
erai convention Of the Protestant Epis-
copal church meets i'm San Francisco next
october three new canons on the subject
Of marriage and divorce viii be placed
before the body Tor it's consideration.
Should these canons become the law Of
the Episcopal church, through the ap-
proval of the general conference. then
the Episcopal church will have pronounced
its anathema against divorce. and more
particularly against the remarriage Of d-
Norced persons while another party 10 the
divorce still is in life. The subject of
marriage and divorce came in for a good
deal of discussion at the hands OF the
Episcopal conference of ISIS. 50 much
in fact that a committee Of twelve was
appointed for the purpose of taking .he
matter under consideration and making
such recommendations 10 the next confer
encc of that body as would pave the way
Tor changes in the present tenets Of the
church un these subjects.
This committee. after having met a
year ago. when they failed to reach an
agreement looking toward reform, again
went into session today. The committee
spent the greater portion of the day
wrestling with the problem before them.
IT the forenoon session nothing OF a der
mite Boo. rre was accomplished. Ihis AZ
teruoou the committee resumed work. ana
as the members came out AT the close
uf this session il was announced that the
conference of the committee had been
adjourned sine die. and THAI three canous
dealing with the subject of the conference
had been drafted.
Tho first canon adopted is entitled
Holy Marrimony and Impediments
Thereto" The full text Of this canon IS
as follows:
Section l. Holy AIatrimony Defined.
"(aD Holy matrmony Is an estate of
life which. for the purposes of th.s canon,
is sufficiently defined ina the form APP
pointed Tor the soicmnization of matri-
muuV in this church.
"tnl The sol,;nnization of holy matri-
mony is "a service where the mutual con-
sent of the parties is given IN the pres
cnce OF minister who tntn pronoUnceS
them in the name OF The Holy Trinity 10
hv man and wife.
Sec .. Impediments to Matrimony De-
iimcC:
This section defines the impediments Of
consanguinity and affinity as stated in
the books of Leviticus and Deuteronomy.
Tho second canon drafted deals with The
subject Of the "solcmnization of holy mat
rimony." Il is subdivided in four sections.
as follows:
section J. IL snal De the Guly OF an
Hi,.i' ,' "l 'ilia 80. - -. -, !" ''''
-, f-,-,,,. ,n..,,'har ,vbo shall /
sai.n1niza a marriage shall without de-
lay make such fecord az same as may be
required hy the law OF thls church ana
S,ctiqn 8 No minister shall solemnize
marriage without the presence of VII
tie parties are personally known. ex-
c.nt in 4 case in which il IS Impossible
for surh witnesses ,e he secured No
S-'l. ',.t ~ ..'i.,,,..
49,. ~
section g., Ea minister shall eoIcmn'zc
marriage between any two per
sons unless or until. by inquiry,
ne sn'u haN' S't 'tlSIed Hii''Setl
~. .t,r,t ~ e. NJ. ~ ,,,. o,tor -
som riyfre miles mo former marriage
was aunuleI %. decree of some court OF
competent jurisdiction for cause existing
before such former marriage.
while the ah 81. tvi canons erect new
r...rf..r I'D, , -.,r.,.,,ird ,s,fnst ilegal
il,ls as y ',,,4, -,
,iai @ 'is' 'i.' -. - "S
Ep-Scop.i mii- s'F "i any parry 10 " ~
Nprce SUIT Whtlhtr suAi'y or innocent, the
third canon goes one strp further and eX-
cludcs from al means OF grace within
tho ,lieuansttf,r, of tha rfurch anv di-
- -, ,,.,,, st,l, ba,o rom, rriea
N"i'5" -" 49, "i1 - - W ~
ana be ANihS win huS'"io or "ile rs
the case may be. while the other party
10 the divorce Still is ia life This canon,
which. however. applies only To the or
e,,.4i,, ,,,r,,. of 5ivora. nracttc,uy
-, - - -
'tiiuS 10 "u'iaW '"e "ii'"Ier as ldr as
church fellowship goes. ana provides Tor
his readoptiOn IN the fold only on tho
condition, thar Re come truly penItent and
.,,. So. ~. ,,.rt, - ~ ....a,,,
l. - ~ ,,,y, -, - -