THE DANGER OF DISESTABLISHMENT. [TO THE EDITOR or 'PEE "
SPECTATOR."] SIR,—With your usual fairness to both sides, will you most kindly allow me a little space for a word in answer to " An English Churchman," whose letter appears in your issue of June 12th ? I will make it as short as possible. Your corre-
spondent writes :—" The Bill [Buekmaster's] . is capable of amendment. But an opposition based on irrelevant Scripture texts. . . is rather obstructive than rational." It must be assumed that the Scripture texts to which lie refers are :- (a) "For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife; and they twain shall be one flesh : so then they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God lath joined together, let no man put asunder (S. Mark x. 7, 8, 9). This certainly applies to the bond of marriage; and declares that bond to be indissoluble : husband and wife are one, by the ordinance of God, and their severance ie prohibited.
(b) " Whosoever shall put away his wife, and marry another, committeth adultery against her. And if a woman shall put away her husband, and be married to another, she committeth adultery" (S. Mark x. 11, 12). This, too, applies to the mar- riage bond; it declares that re-marriage of either husband or wife, after any separation, while the other is still living, is adultery; committed by both parties to the new arrangement. These texts are clear, definite, and decisive; and they certainly apply to marriage: they are not, therefore, " irrelevant."
(c) Again, S. Paul, the most learned and altogether the greatest of the Apostles, repeats the above tenets. After giving advice to the unmarried, he writes :—" Unto the married I command, yet not I, but the Lord, Let not the wife depart from her husband : but and if she depart, let her remain unmarried, or be reconciled to her husband : and let not the husband put away his wife" (1 Cor. vii. 10, 11). This text, too, with equal certainty applies directly to the marriage and divorce question. and is unmistakable; it is, therefore, undoubtedly relevant to the Bill under discussion.
These texts contain the Divine Law on this subject, and that there is no exception to this law is proved by the fact that lie
who gave it does not contradict Himself : and by the additional fact that the disciples fully understood that what was (mid was an absolute prohibition of any re-marriage of either party to the marriage bond while both were living. " His disciples say unto Him, If the case of the man be so with his wife, it is not good to marry" (S. Matt. xix. 10). For the sake of truth, Sir, may I hope that you will kindly allow this to appear in your widely read paper ?--I am, Sir, &c.,
JAMES MoenAN, M.A. Cantab.
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