The San Francisco call., 1904-04-26

anything like an expression of accord
with the principles advanced by the
reverend gentleman from Oakland.
He held that divorce may be granted
on any ground that plainly defeats
the end for which marriage is insti-
tuted: that the innocent party should
be restored TO the position occupied
before marriage. and that the cure for
the divorce evil is to be found in edu-
cation, and not in legislation.
There are two general causes, he sug-
gested, which lead to divorce-first, the
lack of sanctity toward the marriage
bond and. second, the lack of a knowl-
edge of duties the parties owe one to
the other. There is nothing wrong with
the law, he said, but the trouble is in
the abuse of the law.
CONSCIENCE REVOLTS.
The Rev. Mr.. Hoag considered that
there were some instances where it
was proper to perform the marriage
service in case where the parties have
been divorced.
He said that Christ had mentioned
one thing that disrupted the marriage
tie, and there were, said the speaker,
other things that also disrupt the tie.
AS an instance he spoke of the loving
and cherishing wife who is beaten and
starved by a brutal husband, whose
promises have been broken. In such
case, he said, the conscience of human
ity revolted that an innocent woman
who had borne with such a husband
when freed should suffer the unde-
served penalty of the loss of two things
most dear to true womanhood-home
and motherhood.
General Ballington Booth delivered a
stirring address before the San Fran
cisco Evangelical Union yesterday aft
ernoon in the lecture hall of the Y. NJ.
c. A.
The generals topic was devoted to
the too highly cultivated" sermons
which. he held, were given from some
pulpits. He exhorted his hearers to be
certain that the simplest language be
employed in the churches and warned
against the proneness of the twentieth
century toward mechanical methods
and, display and advocated the old
fashioned inspiring manner of reach
ing and reforming hearts.
CHOIRS' WORDS ARE LOST.
There was required, he said, some
thing more than the Introduction of
cultivated music, stronger propelling
influence than found in the mere charm
of words.
In speaking of the plain spoken
words needed from the lips of the
preacher, the general gave an illus
tration of the absolute impossibility of
l, ~, he
bers of some choirs and quartets.
Choirs, he declared, must be under
stood if they are to be effective.
The Methodist Ministers Association
met yesterday morning in Epworth
Hall, DR.. Matthew, presiding elder, In
the chair.
The Rev. J. II. N. Williams. presid-
ing elder of Napa district, mentioned
with deep feeling that their friend and
brother t. B. Hutchinson of Napa was
lying at the point of death, and a reso-
luton expressing sympathy with the
anxious family was adopted.
A picture of the lamented Rev. DR..
Beard was unveiled by DR.. Bovard
amid solemn silence and touching
tribute was paid to the late doctors
memory.
An urgent appeal was made for the
immediate purchase of the Beard Me-
mortal Library for the benefit of the
Deaconesses' Home, the University cf
the Pacific and for the family of the
late DR.. Beard.
DELEGATE FROM INDIA.
Mrs. Parker, wife of Bishop Parker,
lay delegate from the North India Con-
ference to the General Conference, and
Miss English, who is known as the
mother Of foreign missionary work"
were among the visitors, and each lady
briefly addressed the meeting.
An idea of consolidation of the pub
lication houses of the Methodist Book