DECEASED WIFE'S SISTER.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 25, 24 October 1907, Page 5

DECEASED WIFE'S SISTER.

'■ ;: ' •' —' t '. SOLEMNISATION OF MARRIAGES. , ANGLICAN ATTITUDE. CLERGY ADVISED NOT TO ACT. BY, TEI,EaiUr]I-rRESB A3SO'OIATIOS-H!OrYIIIGHT. London, October 22. On tlio eve of a private mcoting of Bishops at Lambeth Palace, nt which the Archbishop of Canterbury was expected to make a pronouncement on tho sxibject of tho Dcceasecl Wife's Sister Act, Viscount. Halifax, ■President of tho English Church Union, forwarded to tho Archbishop an address signed by 8700 priests, eight Bishops (including Dr. Goo, oxBishop of. Melbourne), seven deans, and seventeen , arohdoacons, thanking His Grace for vindicating the marriage law of tho Church, and assuring him of tho heartiest support. ■ , .. ;

Tlio'Afohlilshop of Canterbury and the Bishop of London have both. issued pronouncements agai;i?t the cloifeymen; solemnising marriages under the Deceased Wife's Sister Act or lending their chnroheil for .that purpose. "H mav bo well," the Archbishop of Canterbury writes "that I should at,onco let.it bo known that we shall, in myoudgmont, serve best the interests of the Church nndpeople bj riot solemnising such marriages or furthering their solemnißiition in'.church. - ■ ■; . "This counsel may appear to some people to bo unreasonable, knowing, as we do, that there are many good Christian men that these marriages aro compatible with what uiey regard as a true interpretation of the teaching of Holy Scripture, and : even' of the Jiarly Clmrcli, respoeting marriage. ' . . ~' "I shall he ready in. due time to explain, tlio reasons which make mo believe in the_ wisdom and propriety of. tho courso which I recommend.: ■• .. ■.■■■.■■■'..- ' "I deploro on national, ns well, as on religions grounds, the passing of this Bill. I have expressed my objections fully in Parliament, and wo iiavo, I hope,, relieved the .clergy froni tho unfair compulsion, which at one timo appeared to bo threatened. _ . ; . "I,hope, however, that in. anything•,we may. say or dp in.this doliciito and difficult matter wo' shall avoid harsh and uncharitable words, the use of which serves to harrii rathor than to promote respect for tho clearly defined marriage law of tho Church of England as Ret forth in what is called.'The Table of Kindred and' Affinity..' ,: !■. " i'.'V< ~ '■■ ■' ;'~; '(We believe that table to bo based on tho teaching of Holy Scripture as interpreted by tho roasonablp judgment of tho Church of Christ throughout the. Christian centuries. . The Bishop of Salisbury, in a letter to his diocese, reminds the clergy that they aro stilli bound by tho canon law, and'says jt may be possible, and,,ho- hopes, probablo, that no mariria'go with a deceased wife's sister will take place in tho .churches within his diocese. 1 ■ i ■' According to h Homo paper, a summary, of the. public petitions presented to .Parliament between February 13 and August 28, issued ae: a Parliamentary paper, shows that 131 petitions, signed by 777G persons, were presented against the Marriage with a Deceased Wife's Sister'Bill.- , One pedtiori,'. signed by one person, •. was presented in favour of the measure.