Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1905-07-10
DIVORCE UPHELD BY PREACHER

Against divorce fcT any re
whatever, the claim may be n45e
that God has abs hltcIv forbidden IL.
another claim may be tha; il = a.
ways injurious 10 the parties chief
concerned: and in the third place.
it may be held that society is 80
much injured by divorce that hu..
band and wife ought to endure their
unhappy condition.
However, is there a definite. decis
i've statement in the bible on the sub
ject? And. if we do net find il there.
are We not justified in saying that
God has not leSislated in regard tc,
this matter except so far as We are
able TO discover His laws in the an
folding evolution of human society.
and those conditions Cn which. as
the result of experience. we find thai
i human welfare depends
Is it always an injury to the has.
4 band and wife? There are cases
where ii is apparently perfectly pla; n
that it is. for the advantage of the
husband or The wife or beth that they
+ are separate.
Is ii always an injury to society
! II seems to me that. if we look over
4 human society. this matter. so far as
clear. There is no place in the world.
no other country. where divorces ere
/ so easily obtained, whore so many
! have been cbtainel. as in the United
States Of America: and there is 30
! place where women stand SO high
where they are so generally respect.
ed. granted so many liberties and
rights. no place where they are S711-
rounded by SC much care. by s1leh
spect.
believe that. if careful investi-
CATION were made, we should fjrd
that large proportion of the d.
vorces granted in this country mean
kindness and consideration towards
women. readiness en- the part Of man
hood of America to deliver her from
crushing burdens, to set her free II
give her an opportunity tC retrieve q
so-far wasted life.
believe with my whole soul that
what God hath joined together man
has no right to put asunder.
I believe mere than that. | believe
that in the cases where God has Jein
ca them together no man CAN put
them aunder No man ever does, cl
even can, or even will I have tee
much respect fer God to feel willing
to hold Him responsible fer all MARI
ages that have taken place since tht
beginning of the world.
l believe that we have the rish1
tc turn that saying right around
Where God has put people asunder
no man has right tc force them te
eether
There exist cases that are utter19
intCllerable that make no noise be
yond the noiseless walls Of the
| houses that shut them in. There are
cruelties unbearable that do not vent
themselves in blows. There are gulfe
of separation between hearts arr
! and minds and bodies that the hNe
band and wife have found that they
may be invisible to the outside world
Now, where for any cause real mar
! r;age does net exist and there is r.
hone Of it's coming into existence, |
fer one. fail to see any reason fct
maintaining that which is unreal an
a sham.
If the husband and wife beth hayf
ceased to love each other, and therf
ere no children, then it ought to b.
simple and easy.
However. let US take another ste.
and find how the matter becomes
complicated If man finds cut tnat
| ne mas codSeu W lONG hio VIZ ~
she still loves him. he must remem
ber this: that years ago, when sht
was to him & lite girl, he entered in
% a solemn contract to guard art
keen her happiness and her love
and Sc long as her happiness denen 4
uuon him. he is bound by that, befCf
his own honor and high heaven. Ar
3 similar thing is true if we reverse
the case.
Suppose there are children. and this
the husband and the wife have los
their love for each other. II th'
children's welfare would be subserE
eli by their maintaining home the
they are under the higest obligation
70 maintain that home.
But there are cases where the ccn
ditions of the home that have be
come so intClerable that it is bette
for the children to be out of 1t, to o.