Milford chronicle., 1904-01-15

. from him that is no reason WHY
should drink it. Because the sportinj
element of San Francisco gets a city
license for holding a prize fight that il
no reason why l am compelled to e
and witness two pugilists batter eact
others face into pulp. Because Chi
cago gives a license TO gamblers to oper
race track that is no reason why
should 80 and patronize the bookmal.
ers. Because the county clerk tells me
that l can remarry lbertine. who has
been sinfully divorced. that is no rea-
son why l should tarnsh the good
name Of my church by placing such a
black record upon the session books.
No, no, my brother ministers, we cannot
thus shirk our responsibilities. You and
/ are responsible before God when we
become officiating parties in the mar
riages Of divorced persons. A religious
marriage means infinitely more than a
mere civil contract. II not, why do
nearly all people desire to be married
by clergyman instead Of by a police
juSt4Cc VI Il COuuty JuuSef
Responsibility of Ministers.
We are responsible as ministers. A
legal divorce, in ninety-nine cases out
of a hundred, is not sufficient ground
for a church divorce. We must remem-
Der that the minister before the world
stands as the representative of the
church. Why. legal divorces are often
obtained on the fimsiest excuses.
Bishop Fallows in a scathing attack
upon this marital evil. quotes some of |
the most absurd and trivial causes on |
account Of which men and women have |
been divorced. One woman got a legal |
divorce because her husband enlisted .
in the United States navy; another be-
cause her husband smoked and gave
her headaches; another because her
husband called her sister a thief; an
other because her husband did not like
her front hair and cut part of it OFF.
One husband secured divorce be-
cause his wife refused to sew on his
buttons; another because he told his
wife he had found another woman
whom he could love better. Think of
any minister being guilty of such
heinous sin as to marry such divorces
TO other marital partners. 1t is high ,
lime for US ministers to band together
IND rouse public sentiment upon this
question. BY our actions as well as
" our preaching we must protest I
Sainst this national crime We must ?
10 this because Il church marriage be- :
ore God and man means that the 1
hurch gives its sanction to the union +
nd regards it as sacred and indissolu- +
lie. :
Another GIeakwater which may help I,
rescue this country from the divorce h
vii, as the Holland dikes have made f,
rescued ocean bed the home for the fl
'utch queens subjects, is for parents II
train up their children to regard a n
iarltal engagement as almost as sa- h
ed as the marriage itself Daughters M
ld sons should think deeply and long te
afore they plight trOth to any one Ii ii
to teach them that one of the most w
sinous of sins is to trihe with the ta
imam heart. 1t is to teach them that IN
cry young woman is compromised
r life who has been guilty Of engag- he
8 herself to different young men W
ust for fun" Such actions on the su
1T Of any young lady are less the sign tb
mental and physical grace and social tn
pularity than of depraved female tn
art Yet almost everywhere we see I'M
future tare harvest. which shall yet IN
gathered in the divorce courts. now Dii
ng planted in the poisonous seeds of bv
sagements hastily made and just as sui
Silly broken. mo