Norwich bulletin., 1913-10-31
BALDWIN FOR EUCENIC MARRIAGES
Governor Makes Plea Them National Council of Congregational Churches-No Minister Bound to Marry Couples Who He Thinks Are Not Proper Subjects For R4arriage-Duty of Ministers in Cases of Divorces

 , stitute or direct an inquiry" said Cow ernor Baldwin. He can. however, de cline to perform the ceremony, unless he personally kaeWs the parties well or is satisfied that the woman or her friends have made proper investiga- tion Certainly he should never per form it for those whom he knows to be unfit to enter into the new rela- ton"
 Marriage of Divorced Persons.
 Contrasting the practice in this re- spect betWeen ancient and modern times, the speaker said:
 Tt often happens that a haSty mar riage is agreed on. in a state where a previous notice of some days is re- uuired, and has not, perhaps cannot, be given A trip to another state, in such q case, ought not. ordinarily, to be suffered to work an evasion of the home law.
 The Protestant churches, in refus- ing to recognize marriage as sacra- ment have left their ministers a free hand as long as they keep within the law of the Jurisdiction. Where either party to Q divorce is. under the decree of the court disqualified from marry ing again during the life of the other, an attempt 10 do so, whether in the state granting the divorce, or else where, ought not to be countenanced by any minister, A statute is of force only in the state where it is enacted. and therefore d marriage in a state other than that where the Judgment was rendered is, at common law, le- eally valid. To get all the facts. no minister ought to marry q divorced person without first reading copy of the judgment
 But in most of our American states a divorce for adultery does not entail a prohibition of remarriage.
 
 Ministers Not Bound to Marry.
 Tn modern times, the state denies any rishC ot he husband to divorce at will. T. regaI ds marriage as civil contract IL believes it to be best to allow the contract to be dissolved for certain causes by an impartial public tribunal In taking this attitude 1t seems to me wholly within it's rights If so, minister need not scruple subject to one possible exception. to relnarry persons whC have been di- VOrced, where the civil laws do not forbid The possible exception is. of course. where adultery occurred during the previous marriage. The reasoning of CEeiS5 seems to me to cover such cases but the letter of his words does not
 A minister is never bound to marry everyone who asks it. Here he does noJ occupy the position of 9 civil off, Cer of the stale, chosen, as such, for the discharge of a particular function. \ public officer must perform his of- flee. He has assumed that obligation in accepting the position He must act or resign But a minister is given the right tt celebrate marriage not because he has been chosen a public officer but because he has been made an ecClesi- astical officer. Ii is because he is an ecclesiastical officer that he is author iZcd to act as a public agent for this particular purpose At bottom it is to satisfy those who regard marriage a 8 q sacred thing or go still further and consider il a sacrament,
 No man can be made another 8 agent without his consent No nIin1s- ter is bound to marry people who. he thinks, are not proI'er subjects Of marriage
 "God is More Thar GoId.'
 Rev. Newell Dwight Hills of Brook lyn N- Y, sajd-
 ''The greeIesl need of this hour in American society is the need of minis