The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-07-15
With the State Press


The Fniscopal ministers of Richmond, are
hopelessly divided on the question of recurring a
certificate of health from a candidate for matri-
mony before performing the marriage ceremony.
The cleavage has gone to the bottom and the
leaders on both sides are INDUCING In acrimon-
ious controversy through the public press.
We have already referred to the communica-
ton of Rev. Russell Bowie, rector of ST. Pauls
church. in which he argued that the government
was educational and moral and a protest against
the double standard
church and one Of the oldest ministers in the
city. came out yesterday IN a tart reply TO ms
younger brother and referred 10 Mr.. Bowle's
argument in terms bordering on ridicule. DR..
Mason intimates that the physical examination
proposed would be a sham and would vary
to the general belief OF the examining
physician about the applicants character or ms
personal relations to him and his famfly.'
THE best to be said" he proceeds. about
that method of the church's asserting her Az
horrence OF impurity is that 1t is merely a
Quaker gun-doesn't shoot, but only reminds
people that immortality Is a bad thing. The
worst OF 1t In that to most men 1t will look like
a sham, a mere show of righteousness and
purity that is not really expected to
the thing which 1t processes to do
The practical result of this method, In DR..
Mason's view would be to drive matrimonial
candidates from the church to the civil magis-
trates, In proof OF this he cites the fact that
without this proposed closing OF the church's
doors to those seeking marriage in the past
six months (sipce January ]. 1919 a civil Of
in al) than all the Episcopal clergy In Rich
mond have done.
In concluding his argument, DIT. Mason says:
but maybe the difficulty Of getting women
to consent to civil marriage will only occur when
the tide of rising Indignation against the double
standard Of morality grows great enough to
sweep the women to the doors of the church.
whilst the men go their rebollious way to the
magistrates Office. But the question remains;
what is going to happen In the meantime? We
whose eyes lack clearness. and who have not
the same high inspiration as our brothers.
greatly fear that the practical result OF the
to religious marriages Will be to- send yet more
men to civil courts for marriage, and that,
as a rule. a woman will go with them. This
effort to control people in a matter so personal
and sacred to them by an arbitrary rule of their
own making will, we fear. throw the church and
her minister into contempt in the eyes Of men
of the world, weaken its hold upon them, go
far to destroy the sanctity Of marriage. and
offer greater incentives and facilities to divorce.
ION these grounds. we earnestly plead with
our brethren. generally Of the clergy to move
with great caution in this very delicate mat
ter, lest by unwaranted zeal. we hinder the
cause OF holy and happy marriage relations.
which we all desire to promte."
We wonder III II has occurred to DIR. Mason
that the adoption Of this rule by all the min
listers of all churches might have the opposite
effect? II that were the practice. the candidate
for matrimony who declined TO produce the re-
asir.d Certificate and took h@ hriaA ~ : mag