BISHOP RICHARDS ON THE MARRIAGE LAW.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18047, 22 September 1920, Page 6

BISHOP RICHARDS ON THE MARRIAGE LAW.

At St. Paul's Cathedral last Sunduy evening tho Bishop of Dunedin outlined briefly the. touching of the Anglican Church on Christian marriage, following this with a releroiice to clause 6 of the Marriage Amendment Bill now before Parliament C.ling tho wording of that clause Bishop Kichiirds said:— "'llie words, then, as they stand in the said amendment are ambiguous, aJid, although on reading them at hrst it, seemed to mo that the words "truly and sufficiently married" were intended to refer only to (he legal aspect of it yet according to the interpretation given by so eminent a lawyer as Sir John Findlay, the words may refer to tho teaching o f tho Church and it may be prode an otfenco lit law for anyone to say that persons who are .named before the civil registrar aro not truly and sufficiently married accordG g d C-hurch and in the sight of

of &V re t eb r ted V- Archbisho P °' Shcaof Wellington, for bringing this matter to the light ot day and 1 gladly acknowledge our indebtedness to him for doing m Lor, indeed, a great principle is at ' S ,°T ,S °'T gh in the P res ent inH"; but mor ? far-reaching in its effects, T' '" fa ? t ' , the civil alld religious Wh ,/ i° f. . evor ? bo . d y in New Zealand. What is this principle? It is this: If in i °. f .. mar g e 3° we may not criticise L ,nVT Jt;S effecls when onco tlie Parhaniont has enacted it, then the same may m-«4fn , f any . whats °ever. Moral questions of any kind may be involved; the ntv hn 0, , 0 SC f' lOnS of tho community ™ t b Vv stake; but only let the Parlia ouesL NeW , ZeiLalld loßislnte upon such questions, and immediately they are anyone will be liable to bo fin d ° r . '™Pr'sonod ,f ei ther openly or by imh ion' 0 o t° Pr °n U ' ne - t0 Criticise ="eh legislation or to call it in question. In such circumstances <«y Lord Himsel would be S'Th f< ? glVi " g His toachin ? °n Tnar. m fnnnri f d VT°: We sho be impnsoned for following in His steps tion p 5 Sa ' d that His not tllp '"nation ot the Government to legislate in such ft 11 '' 5 - *W am read * £ believS m',-1, 1 e - ffGCt ot a law is not determined by. the intention of those who framed ,« • T B J j actual mp aning of the law counf, erP^ et?d the Mrt really ■Sri a £ d ■" th l s prescnt the coiiSTi opinion °i a n eminent lawyer cannot a. h« 1? se \™d%- If, on the other hand, ten nr, bo f ei \, m nted, it is the deliberate in! tentipn.of the Government to provoke n the cU th ° A Church ' then accept Litf f , A , tr »st has been no fnl f tO ° Ur lreepins ' and J P»v mp iTu? c ° nse <J u onces may . ever" cause y » !0 trnst and t0 shrin k from SE if ,V tterancc to those moral and "S tr f\ S T h -' ch are bol, nd up with tlie life and teaching of our Lord it may be that matters will bo carried and I th «*.«>n,e of the bishops may find themselves m prison. Well in ,llL o ,ff r Sh °^ ld thank God that we allowed to suffer for His name We the t tl?ank if b -V this mean! the consciences of men were aroused 10,I 0 , t'e seriousness of the issues which are teaJ,;™ f Alrea< ?V the . Purely material teaching of marnage is bearing fruit. Already the purity of family life is beinincreasmgly defiled; sexual sin is li-hHv S™^h d: V a f , flo « , ° f ™™orality i, let loose throughout the land, bringing ln corruption, weakening of tho manhood of our race, threatening disaster. • " 0 New Zealand, called at times God's Own Country yet the scene of the devil's deceits and human lust! May the hearts of thy children _be brought back by the Divine compassion to things that are spiritual and true and pure! Slay thy fe* * \ mend T e T d - a , ccord, ' n ff to thfi law of Christ May His love prevail: His willmay it reign supremo!"