The Topeka state journal., 1903-06-29
OPPOSES DIVORCE
DR.. J. ID. Countermine breaches
a Pointed Sermon.
Thinks That Divorced People
Should Not Remarry.
SANCTITY OF THE HOME
e Must BE Preserved Through
Marriage Laws.
Their Disregard Marks the De-
cay Of Nations.
SANCTITY OF THE HOME

ny "a AfAAAQAtoa
The General Assembly Of the Presby-
terian church recently declared against
the reTnarriage Of divorced persons. DR.
J. d. Countermine of the First Iresbv-
terian church. preached Sunday on
Marriage, Divorce and Remarriage.'
IN his sermon Or. Countermine said:
The Protestant Episcopal church is a
great church With many of her ten
cts and practices the PRESBYTERIAN
church is I'm fun accord. and always re-
ioices in her spiritual growth and pros
perity Seven years ago the Protestant
Episcopal church began to consider in
Aer councils the Important question of
the remarriage OF divorced persons. Al
Her spending six years i'm discussing the
question among themselves without ar
irving at satisfactory results, they re-
solved to invite some other churches to
cooperate with them. With this end
IN View invitations We're sent TO the
Methodist Episcol%l. the Presbyterian,
Baptist and Congf fegational churches.
Later on. at the advice of some of the
churches already invited the same in
Nitauon was extended to the Methodist
Episcopal and Baptist churches. South
the Lutheran church. the Church of the
disciples. and the Alliance of the Re
formed churches throughout the world
holding the Presbyterian system
In response to the invitation received
BY the Presbyterian church, the General
Assembly in 1902 appointed a strong
committee to cooperate with similar
committees appointed by other church
es. Not yet have all of the invited
churches appointed their committees, or
even signihed their willingness 10 CO.
operate, consequently no completed ac-
tion has been taken 10y the co-operat-
ing churches. nevertheless enough has
been accomplished by the committees
already appointed, to suggest the meth
cd of their procedure. purpose. and the
possible outcome The whole movement
rests on two propositions. First: The
family is "a divine institution. religious
and social in its nature; and, secondly,
that as such il is so vitality connected
with the state in all its highest ana best
interests. that the state cannot endure
for any great length of time. if the fam
iy becomes shorn of its original purity
and power
IN support Of the first proposition
that the family is a divine institution,
religious and social i'm its nature, six
arguments are advanced. First, God
instituted The family as a religious and
social institution in the time Of mans
Innocence He made one woman for one
man. The man was the priest Of the
home Adam could not divorce his
vife and take another for there was no
other for him 10 take.
tNnHIF. the marriage ItlaNloAA et1
thus constituted between one man and
one woman. was confirmed by the
teaching and sanctioned by the presence
or Christ Have Ye not read that ne
svho made them al the beginning made
them male and female What there
fore God hath Joined together, let no
man put asunder Tt is thus that
Christ appeals to the record and rea-
sons in the light Of the original enact
Thirdly. the fundamental law Of
marriage which is that man shall
leave his father and mother, and shall
Cieave to his wife and the twain shall
hc one flesh. is of Cod. God setteth the
solitary In families, and directs them
how they shall live. This has always
Fourrhiy God. through the ages. has
recognized and dealt with the family as
religious Institution OF the ten
commandments. the requirements OF
which are moral and therefore per-
petual the fifth is formed expressly for
the family the second contains a strik-
ing instance OF Gods proposed dealings
with families aad the fourth enjOins
uuon parents the duty Of direct ana au-
taoriratiFe religious supervision of the
household
Fifthly God has given many great
ana precious promises unto the house
holds cf them that fear HIM and keep
His commandments. Children are to be
brought Hp in he nurture and adm0ni-
ti0r of the Lord that Your days may
h- multiplied and the days of your chill
Creu as the days of heaven upon the
EARTH Such are some of the strong and
touching motives to which God appeals
in His efforts to persuade parents to do
their duty as He sees it.
"Sixthiy the integrity and prosperity
cf the family. as religious institution,
always precede and accompany the
prevalence of true religion in any com
munity The history of Scotland and
ffat of many parts of our own land
furnish many striking Illustrations of
this settlement God hlesses the people
who are blessed with bright, happy re-
lEilus homes. Not only so but on the
other hand. when the love of money
esCeudancy and to dislodge true piety,
their first inr0ads are made upon the
family institution. 1t begins later in
life is less frequent, and more corrupted
with the uNuries ana frivolties Of
Au of which shows the family to be
g divine and religious institution. The
second proposition that the purity and
prosperity Of the family are Vitally
i'i4ecle1 with the welfare of the state
that the state cannot endure unless the
family be maintained N its original de-
sign and purity. rests, first. upon the
fact that the state cannot exist without
IellElNli- Mere brute or military force
may hold people together for a while,
but ln order To have any real perma-
nency Of government or public institu-
tons. the appeal must he made to con-
.leuce- secondly the state is simply
en- enlarged family one comuosed of
many families. Take away or weaken
TIE rQmp0siug elements and YOU destroy
fra superstructure Thirdly. so Ions as
me ancient Romans were all true to the
NoNs taken at the marriage altar the
great nation prosuered but when these
vows became lightly esteemed and di-