The true Democrat. [volume] (Bayou Sara [La.]) 1892-1928, 1914-05-16
A STRONG SERMON AGAINST
DIVORCE.

Rev. A. R. Edbrooke, pastor of
Grace Church, Episcopal, on Rampant
Street, New Orleans, preached recent
ly on divorce, SO forcefully that his
words deserve wide audience.
Referring to the Ransdell divorce
bill, he said:
THANK God it was senator from
| Louisiana who introduced this bill In
the Senate. 1t will correct the evil.
The sooner we wipe out these petty
state divorce laws and have one gov
eminent measure covering all, the
better off we will be-"
He brought out the following points
on divorce:
Divorces are caused through igno-
rance of the Bible.
Eighty or ninety per cent of sepa-
Irations could be spared II Christian in
fuence was brought to bear on the
lparties.
"You ladies-you go to weddings in
all your satins and silks, and never
once have l heard of you praying for
the happiness of the bride and groom.
"You go just to talk about the
brides dress, etc.
"Ive seen you women do things in
church you wouldn't do elsewhere.
Don't make the church gossiping
, shop.
when you hear of married cou-
pies disagreements, don't gossip about
lit. Kneel and pray for, them-that a
divorce may be avarted
. divorce is wretched leper which
o is eating into the heart of our country.
Think of it, in twenty years 32S,716
divorces were granted in this country.
"This country is rapidly verging on
n a condition where ancient Rome will
:. be good alongside of it.
"All the books of the Bible instruct
o against divorce, but st. Johns, which
does not mention it.
!. "St. Johns gospel is love, and where
A divorce enters, love goes out the back
). door. That is why it is silent on it.
= What we need is publicity about
v these things publicity of all marriage
q bans, like they have in England.
o Divorce is the great curse Of the
. country. Let us think of it as some
~ thing harmful and sinful.
. There is never a divorce brought
into court but what some sweet anG
innocent people have to suffer JUS
q think what it means for the little off
Il spring of divorced couple.
l. "Yet we are the measure which al
ID lows this all to go on!
,. 81 do say that there are cases IL
= which the writ. of separation is war
~ ranted, but it does not ever warran
. remarrying.
u "a woman after a quarrel with he
5. husband told me she didn't know which
!, was the best for her-suicide in thu
~ river or divorce. Frankly, couldn'
: tell her which was best"
Modern illustrations which Mr.. Ed
brooke made use of included the d
=, vorce statistics of the United States
;, the Louisiana divorce laws and news
- paper clipping advertising divorce
- quietly obtained" The Louisiana Law
- one of the forty-two different divorc
" laws in this country, was a grea
~ source of establishment, he said.
. caused the average Louisianian to gas
and wonder what he will find next i
eu the state laws.
ne He quoted from st. Matthew xix,
Oh as follows:
OF whatsoever shall put away his wit
ell except it be for fornication, and sha
ne marry another, committeth adultery
'h- land whatsoever marrieth her which
III put away doth commit adultery"
er From ST. Mark, x, 4, he quoted: IAN
w they said, Moses suffered to write
ts' bill of enforcement, and he put he
TX Iaway. And Jesus answered and sal
I'm unto him: For the hardness of you
lty heart he wrote you this precept. b
his from the beginning of the creation Go
ar. made them male and female. For tn
I'm cause shall man leave his father an
les mother and cleave to his wife. An
they twain shall be of one flesh;
on they are no more twain, but one fees
nix What, therefore, God hath Joined
gether let not man put asunder."
He added, from ST.. Paul to the c
8. rinthians "Let not the wife depa
from her husband, but if she depal
ri. let her remain unmarried, or be r
nth conciled to her husband; and let n
M. the husband put away his wife"