The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1907-03-29
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A SERMON &SS
pY ThE REV NMeB
1EAMHtNDERS0NW

Brooklyn, y. Y.-The shocking
and alarming social conditions re-
Nealed by the testimony in the Thaw
trial and by the statistics OF divorce
recently given out by the United
States Census Bureau. over one mill
ion having been granted in the past
nineteen years, furnish the text for
the following sermon written by the
Rev. Ira Wemmell Henderson, pas
tor OF the Irving Square Presbyter-
ian Church;
TX. 20;l4, Thou shalt not commit
adultery"
II is my intcurion 10 broaden the
scope of the word which is the OBJ
ject OF this sentence. and TO cause
it TO cover, as I am certain God
means it, to-da', 70 cover, all that
field OF human 0nclcanness which
strikes at the vc.y core Of our COM
mon life. The Command hits hard
and swift against me social crime
of marital iufidelity- but also in the
light of the messages OF Christ, il
condemns with u8 uncertain sound.
all those men anC women in whose
hearts ana actiure lust receives free
rein.
The Gospel OF our Lord insists on
CleannesS OF aCtdud mind; IL Censures
unsparingly and SCathingly the viola
tion by any and all men, married or
single, of Gods law of purity.
The seventh word, with our Lord
behind il, fortiGs three sins. and the
three are these. first, the nullihcation
of the marriage bond by infidelity,
with all its attendant evils. Second
~, the pollution of The purity of per-
lHf u.
men who are without restraint or
lawful tie, Thirdly the degradation
and destruction of the spiritual and
physical elements IN man through un-
bTidled lust in the heart
And now let as to the points. The
covenant by and between two human
beings-one man and one woman
to live together in the holy estate
Of matrimony, is the most sacred
contract man may make. Rest
ing as IL should always Test-be
IL not unholy and the child OF lust
upon n growing ana q gracious love
one for the othcr-it is the grandest
of intor-human agreements. Upon
its sanCtity and prcserN alton, as the
pledges of two people 20 life-long
faith. done and given i'm the presence
of Almighty God. the glory OF our
Father and the happiness Of two
souls depend. As a civil contract lt
is the basis Of sound political and
social life. Upon the irviOlability Of
the marriage contract the health OF
the state, the integrity of the home,
entirely depend. Marriage may, be
fore God. AID should, throughout this
land and our world, be invalidated
only upon full and sufficient proof Of
. !, I.r,r D. a
are in guilt should be denied further
rights TO marry. The granting of ah-
solute divorce with permission TO re-
marry. for any cause other than proved
unfaithfulness. is unwise unsafe, un-
justiiable and un-Christian. Legal
separation and legaliZed immortality
are two very different things Two
people of SuCh unCOUgenlal dispOsi-
tious. as preclude a happy common
life. had much better pursue indie
pendent careers. But the dignity,
the importance. III" sanctily of the
wedding vow demand that il shall not
be permitted 10 be used as n cloak
for Righteousness. The disgrace Of
divorce is a menace to the perpetui'N
Of our institutions. The ease with
which absolute release may be pro-
cured does small credit 10 our brains.
or 10 our righteousness as a nation
The sin and the shame that are
bound mp in our system OF licensed
pOlygamy Will tend to our own undo
ing. do we not watch out The wrong
Of MormOuism is great one; but
IL COntempOTaneOUs COhabitatiOn be
a bad thing and it is what must
be our Judgment upon that cOnsccu-
tive pOlyGamy which pleads personal
convenience rathcrthan religious con-
viCtiOn as its best excuse? IT an
elder OF the Mormon church is 10 be
kent from the halls OF Congress be-
cause the civil law fOrhids polygamy.
what should be our attitude toward
that other leader in our national af-
fairs whose whole life COntrayenes
Gods moral law? Yes. my friends
Mormon polygamy is vicious IN prin-
ciple and fact, but not more so than
that system Of legaliZed vice that the
laws OF our country now permit. The
sacredness OF the marriage covenant
must be protected. That marriage
should be the crowuing of clean love.
and that it binds till death, cannot be
oveTemphasized The seal Ot pure al
fection is OF as much account TO those
who will 60 through life together and
10 society AZ large, as the legal seal
Of the state. Fundamentals love
should be the motive OF life
union OF two souls. OF this the
state takes no notice. The bureau
OF vital statistics has more inter
est. as a law enforcing body, i'm the
question OF how old is the woman.
than in the motives that lead tho man
10 we'd her. But God looks at the
matter with different eve; and i'm
His sight no marriage is OF good re-
port that is not based on the union
OF two souls in holy love The
courts may declare the other mar
riage legal hut the hand OF Jehovah
will stamp IL as uuclpau. Thou
shalt not commit adultery rings
the Messianic message and The law