The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1901-10-12

asked and obtained permission to withdraw his
assent to the amendment that was proposed to
In our zeal for sanctity let US not forget
sanity. desire to do these things: First. to.
say word for the innocent parties; secondly,
to call attention to divers prayer book falla-
cies that have been heard in this debate.
First with regard to the innocent party
who has been active in this discussion, and
who. but for my knowledge of his tender heart,
| should have charged with cruelty for say
ing it, speak of the 'so-called innocent party
in this discussion. 1t reminded me. 1 confess.
In his diatribe against modern science when
he spoke of this 'so-called nineteenth century
Uaughter)
criminal case involving other interests than
those of. the one, and 1 marvel that in this
US Of their wisdom that it has not occurred to
any one of them to quote the maxim. 1t is
better that ten guilty men should escape thai
that one innocent man should suffer.
For the legal aspect of this question am
well content to rest with what has already been
said by those more competent to speak than
l. l am glad to have heard the words of an
ex-Attorney General of the United States;
am glad to have heard the words of a Judge
of the Court of Appeals of the great State of
New York 1t is not for me to attempt COM
mentary upon what they have to tell us They
have sided with the innocent party. I do not
yield for one moment to my eloquent and dear
friend, the rector of St. Bartholomew. New
York in zeal for the purity of the family and
the sanctity of the home. But. sir. I put
high any of these considerations justice to
the innocent. -
Now, sir for the prayer book fallacies.
They are two I may not have time to bring
first is with reference to that sentence in the
office of matrimony Those whom God hath
Joined together let no man put asundeT.'
I'VE have had that referred to here as if this
were the church shaking its fist in the face of
Who has not listened in the congregation when
holy. matrimony being solemnized and
heard those words read in precisely that spirit?
can show in word or two that that is an
are not addressed to the public at large; they
are not addressed to the congregations there
present; still less are they addressed to God S
institute, the state. They are addressed to the
parties concerned
Some years ago I received a letter from an
denotes who thought that he could improve on
the office of holy matrmony in the prayer
book, and, knowing that had taken an inter-
est IN such subjects and being personal
friend he sent me draft of his proposed SER
vice for matrimony and wanted to know what
thonpbt of II. mi one of H. i,,INi.o,a 49, a
which he considered especially valuable was
that he had transferred these words Those
whom God hath Joined together let no
ordinarily occupy in the office of the prayer
to the congregation and the blessing. That Is
where 1t belongs he said Not at all; not at
all. 1t is spoken to the. parties, as you will
see by examining the rubric, And after that
has been said then shall the minister speak
unto the company
This is not liturgical refinement and I
can justify 1t by an appeal to history. The
last speaker, or the last but one, called our
attention to the fact that in the DAYS when
Lord was the earth there were no
courts of divorce. Well, then Christ de-
flying the state? No; he was saying something
that the man who married the woman needed
to keep in mind, and which he alone was con-
cerned to keep in mind To him. he says
therefore What God hath Joined together let
no man. Get not you) put asunder.' There
can be no other exegesis; it is pure fact.
II should like to use the few minutes remain
ing to me, If few minutes there be remain
ing. in disputing this assumption of the posi-
ton of the Christian state if it were some
thing alien from the church Of God No man
who takes that view of the matter has studied
his Bible or his prayer book and especially
1 say his prayer book, for in that book the
institution of human society and of civil gov
eminent is recognized just as distinctly lust
as clearly, am almost prepared to say more
distinctly and more clearly than the institu-