THE MARRIAGE VOW.

Gisborne Times, Volume LXXII, Issue 11452, 28 February 1931, Page 11

THE MARRIAGE VOW.

MRS. INGE ANSWERS BACK. DEAN’S VIEWS OPPOSED, The secret is out —the Dean and his wife don’jt' agree.) Though happily married, they sharply disagree on marriage. The Dean of St. Paul’s, Dr. W. 11, Inge, who is 'constantly in the headlines for his liberal utterances on matters of church and State, and who is regarded in England as a brilliant thinker, has startled and. shocked some of his clerical brethren, and laymen, too by his advocacy of two kinds of marriage. “'■ In his latest book } “Christian Eth-. ics and Modern Problems,” he suggests these two forms of marriage,:; “A limited contract for persons, who do not recognise lifelong vows of fidelity,” which would be recognised by the State, and a marriage hallow-, od.by the church in . which the vows of fidelity would be for, life. The, first is his concession to what he regards as the modern spirit. It.j is a temporary arrangement, to bo; dissolved at. will. • ’ ' j The second of course, is for that, large company in all communities who, still adhere to monogamy and the old standard of morality. The Dean is not sure whether those who choose the first form ought to be admitted to the church, and says: “It is a difficult question of discipline.” He thinks that if the matter had been brought beforo Jesus of Nazareth, Jesus might have said. “Marriage was made for man, not snan for marriage.” l He idcclaitos that “those members of the Church of England who maintain that divorce .should not be granted hi any circumstances are making a claim historically untenable, and which through the ages has proved unworkable.” He would liberalise divorce by permitting the. State, to grant divorces for causes other than misconduct, including desertion, brutal cruelty, habitual drunkenuess, conviction for felony, and concealment of bodily or mental defect beforo marriage. MRS. INGE DIFFERS. But Mrs Inge differs strongly from her distinguished husband. She is not content to stand in the shadow of his fame as a man of-letters and a liberal churchman, hut steps out to speak her mind no less emphatically than lie. The spiritual gloom with which legend has enveloped him does not cast its . shadow on her own soul. The instinct that-the old morality is still the best is strong within her. So she flatly challenges his state* meats. Docs she have him in mind when sh e writes in the London “Daily Express”: “How sad that so many people in these days of enlightenment should fall into the error of imagining that the Christian sacrament of marriage affects only tlio two p*eople involved. The Christian ideal, happily, is not so limited, so selfish.” Mrs Inge insisLs: — “There can not be two types of Christian, marriage! “True, there may be types of marriage other than the Cln-istian. The State, legally, can marry people and give respactability to those that enter into matrimony under its protection. But that, to a Christian, is not what is meant by marriage, “Marriage signifies a great deal more than that two people shpuld live together with the sanction of the State. . It means, or should mean, •>. according to Christian concept, that two people have decided to weld together all the power for good that each possesses and sharo this force with the whole world, “Unless they enter into marriage in that spirit, their union can not achieve the Christian ideal. Beneath the Christian vo.ws lies a profound knowledge that the State suffers each time that two people have failed to unite in such a way as to utilise their full capabilities for raising the standard of morality as it should be seen within th 0 home. “Christian opposition to divorce and to temporary unions has not been an arbitrary- rule imposed for tbe purpose of making poople unhappy. “On the contrary, its, championship of the 'indissolubility of marriage has been based on the idea of giving men and women innumerable chances of beautifying their union by achieving harmony and that contentment of mind and heart that enables them to develop to lhair full capacity. “Frankly, I am sorry for those who have not .coriio to realise the awe-inspiring solemnity and tender beauty of the Christian union. They miss that deep joy which comes lrom living- with the intensity of emotion that all true Christians feel when (they como in contact with love, which to them is more than actual add, indeed," is symbolical of the highest goodness. “In my opinion, it is religion, and hot legislation, that will keep people [from divorce.” So' Mrs. Inge! The Dean is a prophet without honour in his own home.