The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-03-27
THIS MASKED DEMON OF LUST
CAN BE SLAIN BY THE CHURCH
Divorce, Whose Spread Threatens Purity of Home
and Nation, May be Crushed if the
Church Will Act

every fabric oil our social ana religious
world, from the deadly effects of this
to,lible parasite. And we'll they may,
Cor nothing could so effectually destroy
our civilization, and uproot the founda-
lions of our faith; striking as it does at
the vitals of all true civilizations. The
home is the unit of society What ever
affects the home affects society. Society
is the output OF the home, and what
ever destroys the possibilities of the
home, to produce good citizens, destroys
society. This being true we may see
how vital to the welfare of our State and
nation are those subjects which affect
her home and social life. The alarming
increase of divorces, and the ease and
rapdity with which they are obtained,
together with the flinlsy and unwarranted
grounds upon which they are obtained,
is sufficient cause for immediate and
careful consideration and investigation.
A few statistics will serve to open the
eyes of the unawakcned to the import
GnCe of this matter. The Government
statistics of the United States show that
there were over $4,000 divorces in the
nineteen years, 1S67-'S6. In every 1000
maria ges in 1880 there were of divorces:
In England, TWP Scotland, three;
France, nine; and in cultured Massa-
clusetts, forty-ive. Divorces now num-
Der over $4,000 a year, and one paper,
In Cleveland, Ohio, said some few years
ago, that there was None divorce for
every four marriages." Many VIII recall
in this connection, the excellent work
done by Judge Walter H. Neal, of Scot
land county, in gathering and compiling
the statistics on divorces in North Caro-
Ira. By reference to it, a bTd's-eys
view of the situation in our own State
RAY be seen. l haven't a copy OF his
statiatics, or / WOULD quote from 1t
freely, for the benefit of those who may
not have seen it.
But it is not to the evils of this para
site on society, already accrued, l wish
TO call attention so much as the i'm
morality of the thing, and the remedy
fer it.
To begin with, let me lay down this
broad propositions: Nothing is right or
permanent in civil enactments that is not
founded upon or warranted by the Word
OF God. This being true, we must appeal
to THUS saith the Lord in order to
find a foundation for our civil laws, if
we would seek permanency and justice
in all such legislation. What, then, are
the grounds of DIVORCE as set forth III
Gods Word? There are three grounds.
as / am informed in this State: 1.
Adultery; 2. Abandonment; ). Cruel Treat
ntent. Let us examine these grounds and
gee whether or not the Scriptures will
warrant any or all of them.
To employ the language of another,
distinguished writer and theologlan, we
would call attention to the fact THAT
by the creation OF but one man and one
woman, God showed that He never in
tended for a man TO have a plurality OF
wives or woman plurality OF husbands.
Adam said when Eve, his wife, was pre-
sented to him. This is now bone OF my
bone and flesh of my flesh; she shall be
called woman, because she was taken out
OF man. The Lord added, Therefore
shall a man leave his father and his
mother, and shall cleave unto his wife;
and they shall be one flesh 1t is clear
from this incident in mans creation, that
one man was made for one woman, and
ono woman for one man. If God had in
tended to foster on the world the doc
trine of a plurality OF wives OF hus-
bands, He would have made Adam more
wives than one, and Eve more husbands
than one; and would have presented
them to each of these, and said: For
this cause shall a man Tor woman) leave
his father and his mother, and shall
cleaye unto his Tor herr wives Tor hus-
bands) and they three Tor four, as the
case might Bc) shall be one flesh.
From this time until the time of
Ianech we have no account of the pros
ttution of the marriage bed. OF him it
is said, "And Lamech took unto him two
wives: the name of one was Adah. and
the name of the other was Zillah."
From this time that sacred institution
was dragged down almost to the level OF
the brute. Moses allowed polygamy for
try cause whatever, may be seen by
reference to Deut xxi Is to II. But this
was allowed to prevent greater evil,
we are told by Ecclesiastical writer's, in
hi; capacity as civil governor; and not as
the mouthpiccc of God, or by His au-
lkority. But all this was instantly
charged by our Savior when he began
His earthly ministry.
In His first sermon, on the Mount, he
again set up the Edenic standard of
marital purity. He said, ut hath been
said, whatsoever shall put away his wife,
let him give her writing OF divorce
Eent; but l say unto you. that whose
ever shall put away his wife, saving for
the cause of fornication, causeth her to
commit adultery; and whosever shall
marry her that is divorced committeth
adultery Mat, v.-31, 80. Note the fact
that Jesus carries us back to the law OF
Moses. and positively abrogates that law,
by setting up the original law of the
Creator in the creation of man, and wo-
man. and forbids emphatically the put
TIM, away of companions, except for the
cause of fornication. This exception
seems not only fair, bur essential for
tho. protection of innocent persons to an
unfortunate marriage. The marriage bed
being the pivotal unit of the marriage
vow; it is but fair that the innocent
should be released from further obliga.
tons to the guilty profligate, who would
dare to sell their virtue to another. But,
while this cause, Gornicatiom. is suf-
fc:ent cause to put away the guilty, and
fully restores the innocent to celIbacy/
still it does not release the guilty c.
warrant the assumption of the marriage
-ye,yy with another. The guilty can never
rr.rry again while the innocent party
sG4f. l. A