The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-04-27
Letters to The Editor


Ths Presbyterian Church and Divorce.
Editor Advertiser:
news w s Article headed "A Hitch at a
Wedding" 1t is stated that a certain
minister In this city refused to per-
form a marriage ceremony on the
been divorced. with the added COM
ment that this minister has taken
O Arm stand for the strict interpreta-
ton of the Scriptures upon the ques-
his priestiy office to solemnise a Sec
ond marriage when both parties to the
first werJstill living. Rev. Neal l..
Anderson of the Central Presbyterian
went at once to the house and per-
formed the ceremony"
In view of the above statements 1t
will >doubtless be interesting to the
public to be informed as to the official
attitude of the Southern Presbyterian
Church on the question of the remar-
riage of divorced persons. This posi-
tion is stated very frankly and clearly
both in the Confession of Faith and
In the Minutes of the General Assem-
bly, for 1900. The Confession of Faith,
Chapter XIV, Section 8, treating Of
the general subject of Marriage and
Divorce says I'm the case of adult
terry after marriage 1t is lawful for
the innocent party to sue out a di-
vorce. and after the divorce to marry
| another as IL the offending party were
dead"
The Assembly of 1900. in answer to
an overture from the Synod of Ala.
bama and the Presbyteries Of Norfolk
s ana sronpds of divoree remarriage Of
divorced Earsons. and the duty of min
listers as 10 officiating at sucn remar-
riages, the Assembly calls attention to
the teaching of Gods Word upon this
subject. The only grounds upon which
divorce can rightfulIy be obtained are
adultery and such wilful desertion as
can in no way be remedied by the
church or civil magistrate. (Ses Mat
thew v:31. 80. xix:9, and I Cor. Wills.
See Confession of Faith Chapt "a, sec
tions 8 and 81. 1t naturally follows that
the innocent party in cases of divorce
scriptural right to contract another
marriage, and the Assembly takes this
OCCASION to admonish our ministers to
watch carefully and to officiate only
at the marriage of innocent parties"
1t may perhaps be a matter of inter-
est for me to add in the case of the
marriage described in the article refer
red to that the bridegroom is men,
Der of the Central Presbyterian Church.
and to the knowledge of his pastor
was the innocent party in the divorce
which released him from his former
marriage. When requested to per-
form this ceremony by the brother
whose attitude Is given such promi-
nence in your news notes I declined
to do so. until this brother had obtain
ed from the groom elect the ract that
he held q certificate from the Judge
granting the divorce that 1t hade been
obtained on the Scr.ptural grounds
given by the Confession of Faith that
the groom was the innocent party in the
case,
The Presbyterian Church has been
especially careful in the relation of
its ministers to the remarriage of d.
vorce parties. Its ministers acting IFS
the representatives of the Church de-
termine their official conduct however
views. but upon the Interpretation of
the Word of God by the HIGHEST Court
of the Church, and by its Constitution.
wrong as provided by the Word of God.
as we'll as sustaining the sauctity of
the marriage covenant.
Neal L. Anderson.