Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1906-11-29
Adopted By C|ergymen Of
The State Of Maine.
Will Be Particularly Careful in
Marrying Divorced People.
Present Conditions in State are
Declared a Disgrace.

poi,' ~, no. Erv. ga number OF
mi.:iA;t,:; "l til; Stat" hay" adopted
Ill" r".!"u I'M: rurs Oh divorce and re-
marriage:
Il. To use great care before solemn
zing any marriage lest the parties
seek to enter that relation unadviscdly
or lightly, and So to lessen the probable
numb,r Of divorces.
-. 70 refuse to snIcmniZc marriage
V hen both parties; are strangers to The
minister without satisfactory introdu,-
ton.
ITO refuse t" re- marry amy divorced
person unless tho certificate OF divorce
is produced.
Il. To make it as difficult as possible"
for the guilty divorced person tn enter
again into the sacred relationship OF
marriage.
-. To refuse to marry any divorced
person if ii he known that the divorce
was granted where the domicile was
only temporary to obtain the divorce
90 To refuse to remarry any divorce
cd person if il be known that the ii
vorcc was granted solely upon default
or with only Il formal hearing to cover
the law.
-. TO refuse to remarry any divorce
cd person within one year after the
granting of the divorce.
-. TO refuse to relnarry any divorc-
ed person except the innocent party
where the divorce was granted for the
cause of adultery, or the reunion %
thoS" divorced"
This colaract is signed by Et. Rev.
Bishop Cu.iman Cf the EplsCop diocese
Of Maine Rev. Frank ii. Watkins. pastor
Of Tie Baptist church III Portland: Rev.
J. II. MaGrudcr. pastor of the Portland
Chestnut Street Methodist church; Rev.
+. L. Hayward Of Orono. presiding elder
of the Eastern Maine Methodist Confer
ence: Prof Alfred W. Anthony of the
Free Baptist church of Lewiston: Rev.
Raymond Calkins. pastor of the State
Street Congregational church of Port
land: Rev. w. II. Gould of the Universal
ist church OF Portland Rev. H. +. Skill
Iires of the Adventist church Of Portland
and Rev. Charles w. Wcodman. pastor
of the Friends church of Portland.
In their announcement of the adoption
Of these rules they say:
Under the present system of divorce
in this State it is SO easy for any man
ard wife to separate, and SO easy for
either party to enter Immediately into
another marriage relation, that it Is be-
coming more and more common to seek
divorce il order to marry again. This is
the real cause for many divorces and
cannot be countcnanccd by a. minister OF
Christ.
Under the present system there is onn
divorce in the State for every SIX mar
riag1s-a diSgraceful record. The 1.rdc-
tee of divorce has become 50 common
that many are losing, all idea of the sane
tity of wedlock. and all that goes with
it, the dignity of womanhood tic sweet
discipline of motherhood and the I'M
broken peace of the home.
Surely the time has como for the
Christian minister t. TAX, the stand In
this way tho dignity Of the church aud
of the marriage relation will he viudi-
Gated. and in time public opinion will de-
mand n strictcr law than now obtains It
is surely within the right and belongs
to the authority of the Christian minister
tn say that he can bless no other rEion
than Gods word and the law of Christ
doth allow. For any other relationship
within the civil law, resort can he had to
n justice Of the peace. or civil officer.
Certainly it belongs to every minister Of
The gospel to DO all in his power to mako
permanent the bond between man and
wife. help them realize thc sacred char
actor Of their union and the sin Of an I'M
necessary separation.
'''The first four rules provide Cor ortli-
nary caution, the fifth and sixth refer T.
certain wel-knOwn methods Ivy which n
divorce is often obtained. the seventh
drives away those who were divorced in
order to marry again, and the eighth is
regarded by many as the Scrirtural
standard. for it is The rule of the Meth
odISt and Episcopal churches"
The official vote of Massachusetts