New-York tribune., 1909-10-18
DIR. PETERS ON DIVORCE
Episcopal Clergyman Says Moral
fzcakeRing Is Needed.

Marriage and Divorce" was the subject OF ser
mon yesterday by the Rev. Dr John p Peters
rector Of ST MichaeTs Church. I'm the crypt of the
Cathedral OF ST. John the Divine, in which he de-
olsred that Il was not legislation but moral awak-
ening that was needed He said:
In our Western civilization. especially our
american civilization. we are now accorallng 10 20
fore She is coming 20 her rights, as the help
r q h f9 b nSTbaT nST nT SS and this is
breaking up some OF the old conceptions connect
In This ' process Of change there has developed
. certain moral laxity with regard TO the purity
90 woman A divorce is not under the same
stigma here in Continental Europe. or even in
seeks release from her husband i'm order TO mate
with another man. In demanding purity Of the
phasis the absolute obligation OF purity in the
woman ang or me InnoaneRtaI a. cnaraeter OF that
Again, we have tended 10 emphasize unduly the
cisi relation So YOU viii often hear plea made
sometimes by very respectable and religious peo-
PIE. that II rs better that man and woman who
have lost their love for each other should sepa-
love than 30 continue 10 live in unhappiness to-
gether-the affinity doctrine. sometimes in a
gross and offensive, sometimes in a persuasive
Al SUCH piesdng recognizes the man and i1 the
which exists. or should exist. and to which they
and brought that family into existence. so that
they are bound to sacrifice themselves for it, II
forgets the obligation 10 society. which depends
upon the family relation; and without which So
A medieval Jewish rabbi has said: Man should
first secure living, then prepare residence. and
after that seek wife. But fools act otherwise:
they marry first then look out for house and at
last think Of the Of obtaining a lveli-
hood" This is true, but IL does not follow that
q marriage Of convenience is morally any better
or practically any wiser than the marriage Of anil
NAL passion. woman who sells herself TO
man because of the money he give her the
position he can give her is no better than paid
mistress.
theoretically the Church of Rome has established
fhe law that there may be divorce for any
cause. In practice, ! regret to say that the law
IS not carried out. The Church eVades the law
NY multiplying Of notification of marriage,
among which, like the Jewish Church, il includes
difference Of faith. Further. il has, by its con-
nection with the state. made itself too often a
party 10 the dissolution of marriage on no proper
ground. but only because of the position, influence
wealth Of the parties seeking TO annul the
marriage II has. through its alliance with the
state IN the so-called Roman Catholic countries
France, Spain, Italy. Austria and Portugal-laid
the emphasis feminine purity, and winked at
immortality and impurity on the part OF the man.
DR. Peters then quoted the encyclical letter of
che bishops OF the Anglican Communion, who met
at Lambeth in the summer OF 1908 and condemned
the growing disregard OF the sanctty of mar
TieEe" and the artificial restriction of the fam
Sly" which. they declared, had resulted in a
marked decline in the birth among English
speaking people, and said it well that the
bishops had spoken with some degree of directness
the question.