MARRIAGE.

Otago Witness, Issue 3611, 29 May 1923, Page 58

MARRIAGE.

ARCHDEACON WILLIAMS’S VIEWS. CHRISTCHURCH. May 23. At to-day’s session of the Church Congress Archdeacon 11. W. Williams (Gisborne) spoke on the question of marriage, which he classed as being of the highest importance to the Church, to the State, and to the individual. He deplored the decrease in the birth rate, and the postponements of marriages until the parties were becoming advanced in years. He traced the causes of broken marriages to drunkenness, gambling, etc., and conrended that until the Church attacked them wdth both moral and spiritual weapons there could be little hope of success. It must be realised that the Church could not look for real assistance from the State. The tendency of our civil laws was to diverge oven more widely from the Christian view. In those conditions it would seem to be the best procedure that all marriages should take place before a Government official, who should register the civil contract. This involved that the Church should recognise ihe distinction between marriage and Christian marriage, that she should refuse to be associated with any marriage wjiich did not conform with her standard or was otherwise scandalous, and that she should reserve her service and benediction for those alone who were in Communion with her and who therefore accepted that standard.