The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1904-06-08
Condemned Divorce.

Whom God hath joined together
let no man put asunder," was the text
OF an earnest sermon preached by the
Rev. A. r. Mitchell at Christ church
Sunday morning. Mr.. Mitchell's ad-
dress was filed with excellent advice
to young people and his strong denun-
citation of hasty marriages, unions
made solely with mercenary motives
or fer convenience, and Of the grow
ing evils of divorce, made deep i'm
preston upon his hearers.
Marriage was not merely civil con-
tract, Mr.. Mitchell said, but divine
right, sanctioned and approved by AL
mighty God. It was the most impor-
tant event in the life Of every man
and woman, and when once entered in
to there was no possible dissolution
in the sight OF God. Before entering
into the marriage relation, people
should know each other thoroughly
and under all conditions. They must
be prepared to bear each others sorrows
as we'll as joys. No human being was
perfect and it was serious mistake
for either man or woman to marry
with the idea that such life would
always be springtime, flowers aud
sunshine.
Tae hasty marriages and unions
made purely with meroenary and am
bilious motives were the fruitful
causes Of divorce, an evil which had
increased SO rapidly during recent
years that men and women of thought
ell over The country were becoming
alarmed at the fearful evil which was
striking at the very heart Of the sanc-
tity Of the home, the basis Of society
and civilization. Mr. Mitchell read
from speech made by DR.. Robert F.
Coyle, retiring moderator Of the
Northern Presbyterian convention,
as follows:
AS between system that allows o
man to have three or four ex-wives or
woman to have three or four ex-hus-
bands, and q system that permits o
man to have his plural wives oil at
once, there is little to choose. am
not sure but the odds are on the side
OF the Mormon. If this social soourge
Of easy divorce continues, it will call
down upon US as Q people the curse
Of Almighty God. Childless fresides
ere being substituted for family cir
cles."
Not long ago, Mr.. Mitchell said,
there had been a prominent gather
ing Of prominent clergymen and lay
men Of all denominations in New York
for the purpose of discussing plans
for checking the prevalence Of divorce,
and every member Of this gathering had
pledged himself to refuse to perform
the marriage ceremony Of any divorced
person. The Episcopal church had
long since taken strong stand against
sthe marriage Of divorced persons, and
bishops in many States had cautioned
clergymen in their respective dioce-
ses, and at the next general conven-
tion Of the church, which would take
place this coming year in Boston, Mr..
Mitchell said, he expected that the
csnons would be revised in such q way
as to make the church Law even more
stringent than at present.
Love was not everything in mar.
riage, Mr.. Mitchell said, and it was
by no means necessary for woman
to marry man simply because she
was in love with him, even if he hap
pened to wish it. Reason had an i'm
portant part to play in the choice,
andif woman's reason told her the
msnEto wnom che was attracted vas
unworthy. she should listen to its