The Lexington intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1901-1949, 1902-10-18
Father LIIIis on Divorce.

evening spoke at sOme length on the
subject OF divorce aud OF churchi
position upon that question. BY re.
quest an extract from this sermon
is printed below;
All the days OF life the church
commended for the indissolubilitY Of
the marriage bond and now she look:
with folded arms aud with deep Sor-
row at the fatal work caused by the
whitening hands OF divorce. This
modern evil has ruined the family and
spread poison and contagion through.
out the whole land. Marriage has nc
binding force and when the very
foundation OF society is shaken it is
impossible to prevent disaster. Every
one having the welfare of his country
at heart must view with alarm the
terrible plague spots in our social
aud family life. For trifing causes
men and women humiliate themselves
and their families by appearing 10
court and asking the law to interfere
and give them single bliss again.
They recount for the public ear the
sources OF all their misunder standings
and with shameless audacity they
insist on being free from the bond
they made to be faithful to until
death. The family as we understand
it and as we see it In thousands Of
homes IS the product of the Christian
faith and when religious influences
guide the home Of today contentmeut
and happiness prevail. The marriage
state was established ages ago and 10
the marriage is the foundation of all
human society. But when Christ
came he found that the traditions of
patriarchal times we're almost ex-
tlnct. Disorder and chaos reigned in
the family and as a consequence
there was a decadence of morals.
Woman who is the equal of man was
degraded before the eyes of the world.
Her children she cou d not call her
own. The husband adopted the rule
Of tyrant, and his wife, offspring and
servants we're as much property,
which he could dispose of at his will.
They wre completely at hi mercy-
the helpless victims Of his brutality.
When he tired of his wife she became
the object of his violence. His
children he sold into bondage or put
to death as caprice suggested He
no longer beheld Gods image in those
OF his household. Reason, affection
and love were strangers to him be-
cause he was ruled by passion and led
in defiance of divine law. Christ.
by his birth and life, elevated the
family and gave it back the s~anctity
with which God invested it. He
raised the union Of man and woman
to the dignity of a sacrament and
compared it to his union with the
church he established. He defined the
relations of the marriage union, aud
bis apostles wrote clearly of the duties
OF this sacred union. At no time or
place did he or his apostles ever teach
that this union could be dissolved and
the parties free TO enter another mar
On the contrary, in unmistak.
abe language, is that crime singled
out that is committed by the one
violating the indisSolubility of the
marriage tie. On the restoration of
lne marital union to its original DIG
nity and on It's being made a sacra-
nent ofthe new dispensation, woman,
who is the strongest link in tho
.amlly, assumed the high and holy
position for which she was intended:
5he children were looked upon as
priceless gifts, and the servants were
treated with loving Consideration.
How contrary TO the teachings Of
lhrist aud the designs Of heaven are
The actions Of our legislators. The
'crlptural warning and the practice
centuries Of Christianity find very
lttle recognition is legislation. Care
'ul and conservative ~staticians esti-
that forty-fve to fifty thousand
couples are divorced annually in the
United States. This means fifty
thousand homes abandoned and made
iesolate. Fifty Thousand families
disrupted and dlshonored 10 the fair
'st ana iTeest portion Of the universe.
ian these unfortunates be OF any SER
nee to society? Are not the children
y these unhappy couples to be pltiedY