DIVORCE EXTENSION. An Ecelesiastcal Opinion.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 280, 11 July 1888, Page 3

DIVORCE EXTENSION. An Ecelesiastcal Opinion.

At SI. Andicw'rf Cathedral, Sydney, the ther Sunday evening, the Very Rev. Dean Covvper preached on the divorce law, from Matthew xix. 7—9.7 — 9. In his preliminary remarks Dean Cowper repeated the main points referred to by him a fortnight ago in a discourse upon the subject of marriage, and, after having dealt in an exhaustive manner with the teachings of Christ and the writings of St. Paul in relation to the law of divoico, he stated thai unfaithfulness:: to the marriage vow ! was the only ground on which divorce was allowed by the lav/ of God. Human laws mii-lit decide otherwise. The "jnly ground which could be found for departing fiom the law laid down by Christ i m the Gospel was the ground arising from j whai was termed 'expediency.' Those, who were now labouring tor att extension of I the law of divorce were, they all knew, actuated by benevolent motives. Having heard and known of many cases of distress and cruelty, they desired to afford relief. But it was a dangerous thing to attempt to aflord such relief by legislation which ignored the law of the Divine Master. It was a dangerous) thing to oppo.se by legislation the law of our Divine Master, who had foreseen all the suffering which would come to pass, and had enacted His Liw with a full knowledge of ic. It might be that the legislation now attempted in that colony might remedy some evils, but it might be that there was in it the seed of ten times greater evils than those attempted to be cured. In loosening the matrimonial bonds a vast mischief might be produced, and the remedy might be worse than the disease. Wicked men and women might be led to pursue their evil courses with great boldnes3, in order to bring about that which they desired, and so an impul&e would be given to unbridled pae&ions, greater cruelty and oppression, and greater trials than were now felt. It might also bring about in society a great loosening of morals and evil principles of life and action. If he had i*ead history aright, such was the result in the Roman Empire. The great principle upon which they took their stand in opposing an, extension of the law of divorce was that euch extension was contrary to the Divine law as laid down by Christ. As God was a God of wisdom, of justice, and of love, whatever law He ordained was the best for man, and the wisest and most conducive to our good. All the evils of the world had sprung from disobedience to the laws of God, and all the good in the world had been produced by obedience to the laws of God. Nations piospered just in proportion as they governed themselves or were governed in accordance with these laws, and practised the principles laid down by God in His moral law. The worst thing that could befall a nation, educated as they were in these laws, would be the setting of them aside in order to proceed on human policy, regardless of the wisdom, love and goodness of that God who sought to guide and direct us by His word. He feared that in that colony they had fallen vovy much into that condition that they weie legi&latingand living without a ciuc regard to the teaching of the Bible, and were consequently suffering in many ways. In conclusion, he appealed to his heti»ers to accept Christ as the proper authority, and God's word as a revelation of His will. i