O RIGHTEOUS LAW

New Zealand Times, Volume XLVI, Issue 10612, 10 June 1920, Page 3

O RIGHTEOUS LAW

"TABLETS THAT DO NOT PERISH." "By the matrimonial law of this country the offence of every married person is recorded on .tablets which do not perish. If condonation took place the record was not blotted out, but over it. so to speak, was placed a merciful obscuring veil." This was the dictum of Mr Justice McCardie (England) in the Divorce Court, giving judgment in a case in which a wife alleged that her husband had condoned her misconduct during his absence in the army. But in the event of a now matrimonial offence, the Judge continued, the injured spouse may lawfully raise the veil and point to the record which had provionsly been hidden from view. This, however, was not the Christian doctrine of forgiveness. The question arose whether cohabitation with a wife known to have been guilty of misconduct was conclusive evidence of condonation. In his opinion, a man who had rein-, tions with his wife with knowledge of her misconduct must bo conclusively presumed to have condoned her offence. This appeared to bo a rule of righteousness, and ho was glad, concluded his Lordship, to think it was also a rule of law.