The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-02-11
DIVORCE.
Scriptural and Legal View as Seen
by Veteran of Petersburg.

The following article on divorce
was prepared for The Virginian by
Mr. Thomas H Boisseau, of Peters
burg, who Is seventy three years of
age, and has been married for fifty
five years The article follows:
The strictest view in the matter Of
divorce may be found in the teach
ing of the Bible.
When the Pharisees came unto
Christ, saying, Is it lawful for a man
to put away his wife? He answered
and said. Have we not read, at the
beginning He made them male ana
female" For this cause shall a man
leave father and mother and shall
cleave unto his wife. What, there
fore, God hath joined together let
not man put asunder. And | say
unto YOU, Whosoever shall put away
his wife, except 1t be for fornication
and shall marry another, commItteth
, adultery, and whatsoever marrieth her
which Is put away doth commit
adultery
But, then, those who would have
the whole matter to lie between the
parties themselves and the civil law
appear wholly 10 forget that marriage
Is also a solemn religious act. In
which VOWS are made TO God by both
persons. who. when the rite is prop
erly understood. engage to abide by
all those laws with which He has
guarded the institution. to love and
cherish each other and to remain
faithful to each other until death.
For If. at least. they profess be-
lief in Christianity. whatever duties
are laid upon husbands and wives in
the Holy Scriptures they engaged to
obey by the Very act of their con-
tracing marriage.
The question, then. ~ whether such
vows to God as are involved in mar
| riage are to be left between the par
ties and God privately or whether
they ought to be publicly made be-
fore His minister and the church
On this the Scriptures are silent
Therefore. the enactment of divorce
| laws which impair the marriage con-
tract should be carefully considered
| and based-upon= the iaw=of GOD.
The women of My people have
ye cast out from their pieasail,
houses; from their children have We
| taken away My glory forever
Yet ye say, Wherefore? Because
the Lord hath been witness between
thee and the wife of thy youth,
against whom thou hast dealt treach-
erously Yet is she thy companion ana
the wife OF thy covenant.
And did not He make one? Yet
had He the residue of the Spirit. And
wherefore one! That he might seek
a Cody seed
Therefore take heed to your Spirit
and let none deal treacherously
against the wife of his youth
These are serious considerations.
and the Lawmakers of the State-ot
Virginia should so consider them, and
thereby protect the rights of the
women, the happiness of their homes
and the correct training of their chill
dren against unwise divorce laws.
AS Christ loved the churcn, 80 hus-
bands are to love their wives; as
Christ gave Himself, His life, for
the church, so are they to hazard
life for their wives. They twain shall
be one flesh" So ought men to love
their wives a. their own bodies Pre-.
cept and illustration can 90 no high er
than this. and nothing evidently is
wanting either OF direction or au-
thority to raise the state OF marriage
into the highest. most endearing and
sanctified relation In which two hu-
man beings can stand to each other.
In conclusion. let me say to the young
people of the State of Virginia: Mar
ry. increase and multiply; be assured
that no improper divorce laws will
ever be enacted in the good old State
of Virginia
THOS. Fl. BOISSEAU,
Who IL seventy-three years old. and
was married ffty-fve years.