MARRIAGE AND DIVORCE.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 633, 9 October 1909, Page 13

MARRIAGE AND DIVORCE.

VIEWS OF AN ANGLICAN BISHOP. "A SOLID BIT OF WORK TOWARDS CHRISTIAN UNITY." Illj Telcsrnuli-hocclnl CorrosDoncJenl I Auckland,/ October 8. In (ho coarse of hs address to 'ho AucMnn 1 Dioceian Synod to-day, tho Anglican Bishop Of Auckland (Dr. Ncligan) dealt at some length Vrith the problems of marnago ami di\orco. Tho following is a sunirnaiy of his remarks;— Y"Tbp/purity ( o'f family, life is. the. basis, of all national Btabiiityj.nnd it.istho function; of tho .Church'.nbt;! only- to ■ bless:■ the marriage itself, but'also to/guard "• the'. integrity/of the Jairiily in; all. its stages," ..These, words, from the.report of.\the;'Lambeth ■.Conference ■'. want repeating !oTCrJand;'pTpr ;agaih.,:W6 : ore Responsible, each inihis'ora-tlegrcoi'and' sphere,.for: discharging the function'-:of the Church (iri/thty matter! ■>-' Y How.idoes, the Church, 'of \ this province" stand in' : roliitipri;:torth6'.: marriage :.;faws of ) this Dominion!'^i'Tlio;:answerto ..this ;question'- is: simple •.vl'ho Church' stands .in.; a' position of entire freedomi',',-;Mor6 than..ten. years ago/the bish'6ps\bl::this.'prp'viuce;:put:forthia:'*Declafa-, tibri-: on Divorce; and ,lio-marrioge." The principle underlying -that /'Declaration"' is'-'incon-'■ trovertible/Y.lt is. thus -stated t—. /'■,/'!// /'■-, ■'-.: ■"(1) '-That'■■■the: .Church- of- thisYprbyihce'.re--ceiveijtiiCoDßtitution on the'l3th'day Of June, ; >:"(2)'i'That,cit:that- tirde the reWrriag'o: of divorced /persons -was .strictly.- forbidden in the 'Church'of-EriglandiVVrV : ->'v : \klj;f^,-■';-. ■/'/' ;''(3)-,That the-rule which; prevalled:•at:.that , time.in-:thevChurch-' of Engiand;*became:.the rule of/the Church of this province;-and.must, continue so", to'bo until-.suoh .time: as it fshall be'altered by-act of the General Synod.":; .\Vh6ther'wo ! lik6 it or do notuiki it,', the fact r'omaius: -tbd .law'yin'fofce.'on;:June 13, ■1857, is -the-ecclesiastical; law in force to-day in'-tho Chiirchof the province of Ne(v Zealand;-: -•-Maynb't.tho law: of the Church.of. this pro-, vi'nbe/ as thus'.stated; press: hardly. :npoiv'indi-vidualsf.ViThe'-'aiMweris:;Yes; but tho.ChUrcn,; is-a society-' and;-as/ 'such; has.its r.ulesj-it is. impossible:'tb';srame' rules i for;.tho:existence, or boiiduot-of -anyi-sort; or/kind-'of;-.society. which wilt.not;: in some "particular; demand .from ah. individual-' a surrender, of: Mb ;own will; for- thb. 'lienefttibf for/the; furtherance of ; tnb.6bjebts' ; for which it exists..'; In '.all this 'bonsideratl6n,.-'.h6weverV. bo:-, itYbbrne'-in.-'mirid : that thb.Churbh:is hot open : to; any charge of pressly'reserve'd-fof "open arid'■ notorious.evil, livers,'-: riot,.'for'/persons 'who./iri.'gbodYfaith; may,'have-:-', contracted;- marriages: which;: the Church,'-'regards; (is, : ' ecclesiastically, -irregular. iYV-V.' T Facuiti^s';,-for; : divorce,l increase, /everywhere ;;-.cases/are. '.frequent; '..especiallyYarhnrig 'the moreweli-to-d6,-in l which the;,husbahd; and.' the wife are in'collusion:in. the-appeal;-to the Courts'of'iawj.statlstibs Support Uho -cbnteri'tibri '.that increase', of -divorce is, connected: with .'WilfulvteStrlction'Aor. ;i population, /deliberate.: tampefing'/withYhascent; life.;;;/': '//Viv^::.;%' ;y: The'-;'appeal ■ frbiri; Lambeth: is, made ..to:, : "all, good;w'omen in.-all ranks of' life" tq..use; : their 'lhfluehce,- to. remedy' the evil.Y It true .that, the Iriibrttlb.bf.'ariy'.couritry;. its'-stahdard,:.'aro !. ; tK6s'eJ-';'of-.'-'th'e';'wonieu : I Zealahdvis'rh'appily-yoUrig/enough,stlllito/safe-.euar'd.'itß/future,:.-It':tho::wbmen,>pf New. Zen-' .laM-ror; ".indeed, .ol'.ahy , apply/the"somal-punishment which -lies' at" their dispoiSal;t6",theidefilcrs*bf:,the/sahoKty of, roarj" ifiagoiotKey/will'do'niueh.-.towards securing :the: :dp.s,uetude'.-;bf,VAots; of -'Parliament-.i rendering divorce-easy,';' towards irplegatirig them, to- the .'death/ Inflicted/by: clean public •' opinion,', upon ''all that Ais -inimical : 'tb family"' life," arid,'!ih bon:£equenctefatat:; to/national~,stability.i-v !;'i : :.l, 'canriot;;butjMpreS"s;riiy:.own clear-.conviction ..that ibriStheYquestiori'-of th6:-sanbtity--of',riia'r-.--riage :'a;sblid ,'arid;,.beriefioi(il ; bit' of work .'towards ,Christiah .unity-niight be'done almost.at bneb. : .\Y6rW'arit::tb shbiv^bn,.-.this'subjebt';that- theri. ,:isYa, ; :borisbierice:-.bigger/, than. the/'Ariglican, -or Romah, or.Presbyterian,- Or Methodist,: or; othoi.bbdy/:albhe;;;;We;.:warit,,to; show.that/there .ii srich'a thing*aSY-the;-Christian conscience,'about 'm'arriage,|di'vofce,*femarriage,-.- "the integrity :of.;:the;family/,in ,'alVUt'S.:stages,'.','j-I/ami'satis; fied myself:thajAthe/cause'of/national l morals, and/.in/tim'd (tliat/of'Chfistian'.Unity;■ Mould-' materiallytbev/advarita'ced•> if ■* fall-.,- Christ!an ■bo'dies:;'combined ..inY'refusirig/to/ perform'any. -m arrive YKhich-' plainly :Was"repugnant/to':the acknowledged,'btiStotri : arid [practice of /historic' Pi^-i^te'';T])bY-,effeof 'of,:suoh : cbriSbinierl. '?^ l 6!?)^ o ilW't ef ##M#teTO : -bf ik°w ;benefi?l|oii«S famife/SKfr $ anlOTer country,.rpjniilarly'.,situated..as ;;to its" State■ 'inarriage/lawsS/'v-:,//:::'//;!/' :?.<}';■. :,;,-.;;. :" v..;;, y :