SANCTITY OF MARRIAGE

Stratford Evening Post, Volume III, Issue 223, 10 December 1934, Page 6

SANCTITY OF MARRIAGE

'A.PiaHT HAS TO BE MADE'

. ARCHBISHOP'S APPEAL. ■-■■-•_■■■*■■-. Auckland, Dec. 6. 'Xho tlieme of Archbishop Averil T's address at the annual diocesan festival of. the- Mothers' yarned; It would have been an easy matter for Esther to refuse to accept'the challenge to intcrUnon yesterday was the story of Esther, who slaved her people from extermination by her dauntlcss readiness to face the wrath of King Ahahucrus, and, if need be, sacrifice her life. In applying the story to the work of the Mothers' Union, Archbishop Averill quoted the words of Morecai to Esther: ' ''.And who knows whether thou ari; not come to the King, which is not according to 'the law and if I perish, I perish." These two quotations, said the Archbishop, held an important message for the union. The foundations of Christian morality were threatened by forces which were gathering momentum in the world to-day. These forces were a challenge to all that the union cede with the King. It would have been easy v for her to say: "Why'not leave tins matter to men? What can a woman do?" Yet it was a woman who saved the situation.

"I believe," said the Archbishop, ''that the Mothers' Union has a 1 great part to play in endeavouriing to combat the false and insidious propaganda which is seeking to pervert the young people, the home, morality, and the sanctity of marriage, and which sneers at purity and selii-restraint.''

Women must' face the responsibilities as well as the privilege of citizenship in the Kingdom of God. The union stood for definite principles and definite allegiance to the Divine Kingdom and the Divine King, tlnless it was reflecting in these it was only a shadow and'not a reality. "It is not easy'to stand up for definite Christian principles in a society that is ; honeycombed "with moral laxity," continued ;ae Archbishop. "To take a definite stand against evil is often to be taunted with narrow-mindedness and with bigotry, but we want bigots if we are to stand up for righteousness. "Are we going to do nothing to prevent marriage from becoming no more than legal cohabitation,', terminable at the will of one or the other? It is useless to pray: "Thy will be done" unless we arc doing God's will. It is folly to ignore the forces that arc contending against us. Do not undcr-estimate the enemy, for we have come to the time when a very definite, fight for home, for the sanctity oi: marriage has to be made."