New-York tribune., 1900-05-18
DISCUSSED BY CLERGYMEN,
HOW THEY LOOK AT DR. MORGAN'S RE-
FUSAL TO MARRY MRS. HUNEKER
BISHOP POTTER'S WARNING.


The positive refusal of the Rev. Dr. D. Parker
Morgan, rector Of the Church of the Heavenly Rest,
to marry Mr. Bracken and Mrs. Clio Hinton Hun
eker, divorced woman though an innocent party
at bis church Wednesday is regarded as an indi-
cation by many of the local clergymen of the Eps-
copal Church. as proof that Bishop Potter's warn
ing his address In September last at the conven-
ton of the Diocese of New-York is bearing fruit
DR. Morgan justified his action by saying that while
he might have had the right TO marry Mrs.
Huneker 10 Mr.. Bracken he would have gone
against the wishes Of his Bishop. The canon on
divorce. adopted by the last General ConVentoh'
in Washington in 1895, is as follows:
No minister knowingly. after due inquiry. shall
s9emnize the marriage OF An any ps pf1eo such hus
wife has been put s away for any Ta cause s
be held apply to the innocent party In divorce
for the cause of adultery or to parties once
divorced seeking to be united again
At the 116th Convention of the Diocese of New
York at the Church of the Incarnation. in Sep
tember. 1899 in his annual address to the brethren
of the clergy and laity. Bishop Potter said:
Our General Convention at its last session gave
as you know considerable arreHuoh TO the anon pn1
(as it seems to me- of marriage and divorce. us
SGeson wheth Sat could best be amended
by Withdrawing from it all authorization OF re re-
words In ST Matthew xiv, 9th, 10th, or otherwise.
or by mag Re the for he oTdnaf
10 sanction, with the authority of these words
/ need not reopen that discussion here. The
Church will doubtless always be divided as to the
authority of those words of Holy Scripture 10
which | have referred. and no less divided as TO
in the Ordinary. But meantime the whole sub
ject has gained new aspect from events to which
have VesG undoubtedIy awakened in ali sober minded
Christian CHI people % sense 6am 0 al a. ahe h
necessity of legislation which shall prohibit the re-
stances whatever has greatly wdened and deep
ened. Some of the foremost jurists and
oh, rood in tha iDin hat
only safe canon, in view. of Tendencies painfully
us 70 9ne in ThGa h for ChTGh nv aaae
arising after marriage absolutely and universally.
less he. as some of us may think, a very drastic
one but the evil has grown to such proportions % iii It
no other and in one sense this is undoubttedly
have come TO be SO lightly, regarded that now at
length the least thoughtful among us are begin
fifty different Commonwealth of our composite
and Gontradicory egSlation and to recognize
may be taken on and put off is menace to Jne
We may reiterate with the utmost solemnity,
put Inder'; it will be quite in vain unless
we see to it that those reasonabe Of
understanding of the Ooligations to be assumed
wise provisions of fathers times but that spirit
OF indivduaisrn which in the case Of the authority
has swept them away and man and woman-a
may walk into the study of priest in this diocese
and be married out of hand without any license
from the State or warning in the church, or any
other preliminary. in fact than such consists
in-must ] say it?-the sometimes very Indifferent
discretion of the minister
Many clergymen of the Protestant Episcopal
Church yesterday were averse to discussing
the subject of divorce without previous preparation.
Privately. however, they invariably praised DR..
Morgan for his action. Some CT those gave
their views follows
The Rev. Percy Stickney Grant Church of the
AscenSOn.-The proper course where divorced
person wishes remarry is to lay before the cler
gyman whom it is desired to have offciate papers
containing evidence TO the effect that the party
wishing to remarry was the innocent party in the
divorce
The Rev DR.. David H. Greer. St Bartholomews.
Whether not I would marry a divorced inno-
person would depend wholly upon circum-
less | know them know those who with
them. l consider that to he a wise and reasonable
rule.
The Rev DIR. J. Wesley Brown, st. Thomass.-I
must be excused from discussing the subject in
any form till / have first talked with DIR. Morgan
about it. The Bishop is the right one to see.
The Rev. Mr.. Grosvenor Church of the Incarna-
toni only discuss the question by saying
that every clergyman obeys the canon law.
But the canon law permits the marrying of the
innocent divorced person" suggested.
Yes know it, said Mr.. GrOsvenor land every
clergyman obeys the canon law and the discipline.
If he doesn't, he soon gets the Bishop down
him"