The Bishops in Convocation had a debate on Thursday on
the scandal of the celebration in church of the marriage of a guilty divord, which took place recently at St. Mark's, North Audley Street, and there appears to have been complete unanimity on the point that the Church should not be required to give its sanction to such a marriage, which, if the State thinks it a desirable concession to the "hardness of men's hearts," ought to be celebrated by a Registrar, but no to receive the sanction of a Church whose head has distinctly described such a remarriage as an act of adultery. The Bishop of London was careful to say that he did not com- plain of the Church's being asked to remarry the innocent party to a divorce suit, but that he did regard it as a wry grave evil that the Church should lend herself to the conse- cration of the marriage of the guilty party, especially when there was no proof that the guilty party repented his offence. We think he might safely have gone further, and asked that the Church should not be required to sanction such a person's remarriage at all during the lifetime of the woman from whom, for his own offence, he had been divorced. The Registry Office is surely good enough for one in his position, and even for any one who chooses to take him for a husband.
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