,transcribed from the #aheg ,william ,skeffington edition4 ,,christian ,,marriage ,,indissoluble4 99 99 99 99 99 ,a ,plain ,sermon 99 99 99 99 99 ,,preached ,,at ,,archbishop ,,tenison',s ,,chapel4 ,,on ,,the ,,fifth ,,sunday ,,after ,,trinity1 #aheg4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,by ,,james ,,galloway ,,cowan1 ,,minister ,,of ,,the ,,chapel4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,london3 ,,william ,,skeffington1 #afc1 ,,piccadilly4 #aheg4 ,price #d;d41 or #bs4 #f;d4 per doz4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the following ,sermon is printed1 partly because some who heard it wished to possess it1 and partly because it has been suggested to me that it would be useful for distribution as a tract4 ,it is simply what ,i have called it1 8a plain ,sermon10 written and printed for ordinary hearers and readers4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,st4 ,,matthew1 ,,xix1 #c1 #d1 #e1 #f4 ,the ,pharisees also came unto ,him1 tempting ,him1 and saying unto ,him1 ,is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause8 ,and ,he answered and said unto them1 ,have ye not read1 that ,he which made them at the beginning made them male and female1 ,and said1 ,for this cause shall a man leave father and mother1 and shall cleave to his wife2 and they twain shall be one flesh8 ,wherefore they are no more twain1 but one flesh4 ,what therefore ,,god hath joined together1 let not man put asunder4 8,,the priest's lips should keep knowledge1 and they should seek the law at his mouth40 ,this was part of the reproof which ,god1 through the prophet ,malachi1#c administered to ,his priests and ,his people1 for not teaching and not learning the divine will respecting idolatry and adultery4 ,the words may well arouse us1 my brethren--,god's priests and ,god's people--from the apathy which would neither proclaim nor seek for the teaching of the ,word of ,god1 in the time of a great moral and religious crisis4 ,you all know1 probably1 to what ,i allude4 ,there is a bill now before the ,lower ,house of ,parliament1 having passed the ,upper ,house1 which proposes to make it a common law of the land1 that ,christian marriages may1 in certain cases1 be wholly dissolved1 and that the divorced persons may re-marry in the lifetimes of those from whom they have been divorced4 ,yea1 and even more3 the bill would give full liberty 7designedly it would seem1 from the language of its advocates7 to the person whose guilt has rendered the divorce possible1 to perpetuate that guilt in company with the first partner in it1 and to dignify the union by the appellation of ,holy ,matrimony4 ,now1 my brethren1 ,i could adduce many moral reasons why we should take alarm at the most distant prospect of such a state of things1 and set ourselves most earnestly to work1 if not to oppose it1 yet at least to put it off1 until we have had time to judge of its expediency and its consequences2 but ,i take a higher stand1 and ,i entreat you to do so--a religious stand4 ,the ,word of ,god deals with the question of marriage1 and legislates upon it2 ,god prescribes the qualifications for it1 the duties of it1 the nature and endurance of its covenant1 and the prohibitions against entering upon it4 ,are you prepared1 my brethren1 to say that all that is now proposed as law of the land is in harmony with the law of ,god8 ,recollect you do say so1 if you do not strongly deny it and protest against it4 8,he that is not with me is against me40 ,god ,himself deals with this whole question4 ,have you so investigated the subject1 as to feel convinced that man only proposes now to carry out ,god's law8 ,if you were appealed to to petition against this bill1 or to pray that it may be put off1 would your refusal to do so 7if you refused7 be grounded upon a thorough conviction1 formed from devout and careful study of ,god's ,word1 that there was nothing religiously wrong in the measure6 ,no6 ,to many of you the trumpet has appeared to give an uncertain sound1 and you have not prepared yourselves for the battle4 8,the priest's lips have not kept knowledge1 and you have not sought the law at his mouth10 or anywhere else4 ,i say not this in idle declamation against others1 dear brethren4 ,i exempt not myself when ,i say that the vast majority of ,god's priests and people have long remained in strange and culpable ignorance or indifference about the teaching of ,god1 and the occasional human legislation on this subject2 and that it is only very gradually that they are being awakened1 and led to the knowledge of what has ,divine sanction and what has human sanction1 and consequently to a correct judgment1 as to what should be done at this crisis4 ,let us1 my brethren1 awake quickly and thoroughly1 while there is use in so doing4 ,let us1 priests and people1 betake us to the ,word of ,god1 and speak and hear what is there written2 and then let us go forth to be doers of that ,word1 according to our several abilities and opportunities4 ,marriage1 you know1 was instituted in the time of man's innocency4 ,god judged that it was not good for man to be alone2 ,he therefore gave him a help meet for him4 ,that help was a creature formed1 not separately and independently1 but out of himself--bone of his bone1 and flesh of his flesh4 ,and so close and dear was the union1 divinely cemented between them1 intended to be1 that ,adam was taught by ,god to say--and ,moses to record for future men--8,therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother1 and shall cleave unto his wife1 and they shall be one flesh40 #e ,thus was marriage1 by ,divine institution1 made the first and closest of human relationships4 ,and fresh1 and higher1 and holier honours were bestowed on it1 when ,christ made it the glorious type of ,his own never-to-be-broken union with ,his ,church2 calling ,himself the bridegroom1 her the bride2 giving ,himself for her1 and loving and cherishing her as ,his own flesh2 and providing that she should be presented to ,him a glorious ,church1 not having spot or wrinkle1 or any such thing2 that her espousals should be celebrated by angels1 and that she should be for ever with the ,lord4 ,the history of the institution of marriage1 and this exaltation of it into a type of ,christ's eternal union with the ,church 7so much dwelt on in some books of the ,old ,testament7 would teach us clearly1 that no divorce1 save by death1 was originally contemplated in the ,divine mind2 and this is further incontestibly proved by ,christ in the language of the text--8,have ye not read1 that ,he which made them at the beginning0 7,he1 that is1 who designed what they should be and do1 and has an indisputable right to exercise ,his will7 8made them male and female10 7male and female man1 this means--imperfect parts of one being--8man107 and joined them together1 8and said1 ,for this cause shall a man leave father and mother1 and shall cleave to his wife2 and they twain shall be one flesh8 ,wherefore they are no more twain1 but one flesh4 ,what therefore ,god hath joined together1 let not man put asunder40 ,this1 brethren1 is ,,christ the ,,word',s answer to the question of the ,pharisees1 8,whether it is lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause40 ,he refers ,his inquirers immediately to the original institution of marriage1 as a sufficient answer1 and1 quoting the words then used by the ,creator ,himself1 or dictated by ,his inspiration1 expressive of the most entire and permanent union required between a man and his wife--words which ,he says make them no longer 8twain1 but one flesh0--,he adds ,his own absolute1 peremptory1 and unqualified decree1 8,what therefore ,god has joined together1 let not man put asunder40 ,in this sentence1 observe ,he makes no exception2 ,he allows neither adultery nor any other cause1 as a justification of a breach of ,his prohibition4 ,he positively forbids every human being to dissolve a union1 which1 as ,he shows1 the ,almighty designed to be indissoluble4 #g ,his words were objected to by the ,pharisees1 as my interpretation of them will doubtless be by some1 because in the ,old ,testament--in the ,law given by ,moses--there were distinct rules of divorce2 not simply of putting away1 but of marrying again4 8,they say unto ,him1 #8,why did ,moses then command to give a writing of divorcement1 and to put her away4'0 ,it is to these words1 contained in the #bdth chapter of ,deuteronomy1 vv4 #a1 #b1 that the ,pharisees alluded3 8,when a man hath taken a wife and married her1 and it come to pass that she find no favour in his eyes1 because he hath found some uncleanness in her1 then let him write her a bill of divorcement1 and give it in her hand1 and send her out of his house4 ,and when she is departed out of his house1 she may go and be another man's wife40 ,now this1 it must be admitted1 was naturally a stumbling-block to the ,pharisees1 preventing the easy reception of ,christ's teaching4 ,and yet it should have presented no permanent difficulty to teachable minds4 ,was this1 in ,moses's time 7and since1 till ,christ's71 the law of ,god8 ,what of that8 ,god1 by ,his prophet ,jesus ,christ 7we can say ,god in ,his own person71 now repealed that law1 and reverted to ,his original declarations and prohibitions4 ,who1 then1 shall perceive a contradiction in the forbidding of divorce1 because it had been previously allowed1 when it is the same authority which exerts itself first to allow1 and then to disallow8 ,who shall venture to say it is lawful for man to act now upon a law long since repealed by ,god1 and replaced by a directly contrary one8 ,but1 brethren1 this never was ,god's law4 ,hear what ,christ says--8,moses1 because of the hardness of your hearts1 suffered you to put away your wives3 but from the beginning it was not so40 ,moses1 the civil magistrate1 finding it impossible to restrain the obstinate and rebellious ,israelites within the bounds originally set for them by ,god1 attempted to regulate1 in some measure1 their lawless ways1 and to secure some regard for public and private rights4 ,accordingly1 as they had fallen into the practice of dismissing their wives for many frivolous reasons1 and often in momentary displeasure1 of which they afterwards relented1 and sought them again1 ,moses required that when they did so dismiss their wives1 they should do it deliberately1 and in a formal way1 writing a bill of divorcement2 and with the understanding1 probably as a check upon precipitancy1 that no after repentance should render them able to claim their wives again1 if they had availed themselves of their supposed liberty1 and taken other husbands4 ,so much of sanction and regulation of unlawful courses did ,moses condescend to4 ,but it may be objected3 8,moses was ,god's deputy1 what he sanctioned ,god therefore must have approved40 ,now1 truly1 we do not suppose that ,moses acted without ,divine permission2 but such permission did not amount to approval4 ,suppose you that ,god approved of the ignorance of the heathen1 because we are told ,he 8winked at it80 ,was wicked ,balaam's forbidden journey approved by ,god1 because ,he directed what should be said and done on it8 ,was the lawless divorce between the king ,jehovah and ,his kingdom ,israel1 and the re-marriage of that kingdom with an earthly king1 divinely approved1 because regulations for the management of that adulterous kingdom were vouchsafed by ,god8 ,no1 brethren2 ,god simply made the best of the evil4 ,he set bounds to it1 and so diminished it2 in a measure condescending to human infirmities1 and effecting through them ,his good and wise purposes4 ,thus ,he has ever done and still does3 but not in the case of separation of man and wife for re-marriage2 all sanction1 all toleration of this breach of ,his commandment ,he has withdrawn for ever4 8,i say unto you0 7they are ,christ's words7 8whosoever shall put away his wife1 except it be for fornication1 and shall marry another1 committeth adultery2 and whoso marrieth her which is put away1 doth commit adultery40 ,but here it is objected3 8,this is granting the whole matter in dispute--#8,except it be for fornication4' ,this is all that is proposed to the ,legislature now3 the putting away of an unfaithful wife1 and 7the vows between them being thus loosed7 the removal of obstacles to a fresh marriage or marriages40 ,now1 ,i confess1 brethren1 that the full explanation of this apparent exception is what ,i cannot offer within the space of time allowed me this morning4 ,neither can it be given at all to those who will not bestow on it close and somewhat learned attention4 ,i am satisfied in my own mind 7and ,i believe ,i could satisfy any one who will study the passage with me71 that this is no real exception to the general prohibition4 ,but ,i can show you all1 in few words1 how little its ordinary interpretation is to be relied on4 ,it is mentioned twice1 #aj once in the hearing of the multitude1 once to the ,pharisees4 ,it is found only in the ,gospel of ,st4 ,matthew1 written for ,jewish converts4 ,it does not occur in the ,gospel of ,st4 ,mark1 or in that of ,st4 ,luke1 written for the ,gentiles1 in both of which the prohibition of putting away is absolute and without exception1 and it is never once alluded to in any other part of the ,new ,testament4 ,not even in the ,epistles to the ,corinthians1 among whom the sin in question was a very common one1 and to whom ,st4 ,paul gives full directions about the married state1 is there the remotest hint of such a separation being lawful1 though the verse of the ,gospel in which it occurs is actually referred to in the seventh chapter of the #ast ,epistle1 7vv4 #aj1 #aa74 8,and unto the married ,i command1 yet not ,i1 but the ,lord 7#8,matthew xix1 #f1 #i1' says the marginal reference71 ,let not the wife depart from her husband3 but if she depart1 let her remain unmarried1 or be reconciled to her husband2 and let not the husband put away his wife40 ,now1 when we remember that all ,holy ,scripture was dictated by the same ,spirit2 that that ,spirit brought to the remembrance of the ,sacred ,writers1 or taught them all that ,christ did and said1 and suggested to them all that they should write2 that all the sacred writings were not at once put into the hands of each ,christian disciple1 but that in most cases probably only a single gospel and an epistle or two were to be found in any one church1 what inference are we compelled to draw from this exception being mentioned only in the ,gospel written first1 and written for ,jews2 but that it was a parenthetical recognition of the ,jewish criminal law1 which put the adulterer and adulteress to death8 ,as though ,christ had begun to declare ,his decree1 that marriage should in no case be dissolved1 and then stopped short to announce in a parenthesis1 that ,he meant not1 at least in their case1 at that time1 to interfere with the husband's right to deliver up a faithless wife to the officers of justice1 to be dealt with by the law4 ,the ,gentiles had no such law delivered them from ,god3 they were receiving ,divine law for the first time3 in writing for them1 therefore1 there was no need of such an allusion to the ,mosaic law1 and accordingly the ,spirit left it out1 though it had been spoken by ,christ4 ,but1 however this may be1 even if there is an exception in the case of such sin1 to the general law against putting away1 there is no exception whatever to the general law against re-marriage in each other's lifetime4 8,whosoever shall put away his wife0 78except it be for fornication10 belongs only to these words1 most clearly not to those that follow71 8and shall marry another1 committeth adultery2 and whoso marrieth her which is put away0 7this means in the original ,greek any divorced woman7 8doth commit adultery40 ,you get the full force of this whole prohibition1 if you bear in mind that our ,lord is answering the ,pharisees' reference to the permission given by ,moses in the first and second verses of the #bdth chapter of ,deuteronomy1 and showing what was to be observed in future4 ,with reference to the first verse1 which recognises putting away in certain cases1 ,christ says1 8,whoso putteth away his wife 7except it be for fornication71 and marrieth another1 committeth adultery40 ,in answer to the second verse1 in which ,moses permits1 8,when she is departed out of his house1 she may go and be another man's wife10 ,christ says1 8,whosoever marrieth any divorced woman1 committeth adultery40 ,this1 then1 is the sum of the matter3--,perhaps ,christ permits a man so to put away a faithless wife1 as no longer to have his home and children contaminated by her presence1 or to be responsible for her maintenance and recognition as his wife3 but ,he does not allow him to take another wife in her lifetime2 and if any one marries her1 ,he counts him an adulterer1 a sinner of that odious class which ,god1 when ,he ruled temporally1 commanded to be stoned to death1 and whom ,he still condemns to spiritual and eternal death1 saying through ,his apostle1 that they 8shall not inherit the kingdom of ,god40 #ab ,in the face of all this1 and ,i have urged but a tithe of what might be said1 can a ,christian ,state provide for the divorce of ,christians1 and their re-marriage with others1 during the lives of their only lawful husbands or wives8 ,i say most confidently1 ,no6 ,in my ,master's name ,i protest most loudly against such dishonour to ,his commands1 and entreat you protest with me4 ,but suppose the ,state insists upon her civil power1 alleging the rule of expediency1 which is so lamentably urged in these days1 and maintaining that we cannot legislate now according to the law of ,god4 ,suppose she legalises such divorces and reunions4 ,what then8 ,why1 let her take the responsibility wholly on herself3 let her treat them as civil contracts1 and not require the ,church to join in such spiritual adultery against ,christ4 ,i crave your earnest attention and warm sympathy1 dearly beloved1 in the terrible alternative which threatens us1 the ministers of ,christ4 ,if this bill passes1 without a proviso1 that the ,church shall not be called on to celebrate or sanction such unions1 then we must either wholly renounce our allegiance to ,christ in this behalf1 or brave the law of the land by becoming rebels against it1 in not marrying adulterers and adulteresses1 and not admitting them to ,holy ,communion4 ,a politician of the nineteenth century may urge 7and be applauded for it71 that you cannot legislate now by the ,decalogue4 8,you cannot put down atheism10 he may tell you1 8or idolatry1 or blasphemy1 or ,sabbath desecration40 ,that may be1 though the admission is a fearful one4 ,but you do not call upon the officers of religion to take part in those sins4 ,now1 if you make me marry adulterers1 or administer to them the blessed ,body and ,blood of ,christ1 it is all the same thing as if you compelled me to preach atheism from this pulpit1 or to worship an idol before ,god's altar1 or to blaspheme ,his holy name in ,his sanctuary1 or set the example of ,sabbath desecration4 ,look at the ,church's service for ,holy ,matrimony4 ,it requires the respective parties to say before ,god1 that there is no disqualification in ,his sight to their union4 ,it pledges them to take each other for better or worse1 till death parts them4 ,it unites them with the solemn words1 8,those whom ,god hath joined together1 let no man put asunder40 ,it makes the priest say to ,god1 that it shall never be lawful to put asunder those whom ,he by matrimony has made one1 and it requires him to pronounce1 as by ,god's authority and in ,god's name1 two solemn benedictions on the union of those before him4 ,is not this an awful profanation if used in the case of adulterers8 ,is it not1 in the memorable language of the ,archbishop of ,canterbury1 #ad 8beyond the power of charity itself to hope for ,god's blessing on an union which had its origin in a guilty passion1 and was only rendered possible by the commission of a heinous crime80 ,a few words in answer to the objection3 8,has not the state of things you deprecate1 been already lawful for some three hundred years8 ,is not the only change proposed now1 the substitution of a judicial court to try the case and pronounce sentence1 for the direct legislation of the ,houses of ,parliament80 ,brethren1 there is as yet no common law of this land which allows divorce and re-marriage4 ,there is indeed an imitation now and then of one of the great corruptions of ,popery4 ,the ,church of ,rome pronounces marriage absolutely indissoluble1 and utters a loud anathema against any one who presumes to say that it may ever be dissolved4 ,but if she is well paid for it1 she will readily grant the ,pope's dispensation 7at least she has often done this to those whom she has a mind to favour71 and allow of their divorce and re-marriage4 ,a relic of this ,popery1 ,i say1 exists among us4 ,the law of ,holy ,scripture1 echoed by the ,church1 is generally recognized by the ,state1 who therefore has no statute on her books permitting divorce and re-marriage2 but if any one will go to the expense and prove his case1 she will grant a special dispensation1 passing a 8private act10 which nullifies1 in that individual case1 the law of the land4 ,the toleration of this kind of legislation for more than three hundred years1 is a shameful reproach to those who brought it about1 and to those who do not seek to alter it2 but it is no precedent for a general dispensation with the law3 unless it be a good plea for continuing in sin1 and plunging deeper into it1 that we have already sinned1 and more than once4 ,neither is the effect of such a private act anything like so great or so injurious as a general law would be4 ,whoever has heard of these special dispensations1 either in righteous indignation1 or in jealousy because he is not rich enough to secure a like privilege1 has cried 8shame0 on them4 ,but let the ,state utter with her whole strength of voice1 and to all1 that the marriage bond can be easily cancelled1 and fresh unions formed2 let her add this sanction1 this favouring of adulterers to the encouragement they already derive1 from knowing that the ,state does not regard their sin as a crime1 though ,god calls it a deadly one1 and--not at once2 probably ,english decency will long delay it1 but surely ultimately--the ,word of ,god will be made of none effect2 married life will lose all its privileges1 and safeguards1 and charms2 morality will be outraged2 evil called good1 and good evil4 ,this view1 my brethren1 is illustrated by the effect of a similar licence in ,prussia3 and it is awfully corroborated by the past ,providence of ,god1 ,who has ever smitten with judicial blindness1 those who would not see1 and has left them to grope in foul darkness1 and to fall into destruction4 ,my dear brethren1 ,i trust that none of you will think that ,i have taken up your time unprofitably this morning4 ,with so few opportunities of speaking to you of our common salvation1 and urging you to lay hold of it1 we should be very blameable if we misused any of them4 ,but the glory of ,god in ,christ in the assertion of ,his holy law2 the vindication of ,his ,church2 the preservation of ,his ministers from unworthy temporizing1 or from conflict with the secular powers2 the welfare of the ,state1 and the defence of our dear ,english domestic life from the heaviest blow that ever threatened it1 and the foulest blot that ever assayed to stain it1 is surely a ,christian minister's most legitimate use of his time and opportunity2 and ,i1 for one1 most strongly feel1 that ,i should have been fearfully guilty had ,i not so employed it2 and that my position would have been an unaccountable one1 if ,i had been now silent1 and yet1 if this bill becomes law1 had ventured to say 7as may ,god give me grace to do67 8,whether it be right in the sight of ,god to hearken unto you more than unto ,god1 judge ye4 ,for we cannot but speak 7and do7 the things which we have heard and seen40 99 99 99 99 99 ,f4 ,shoberl1 ,printer to ,h4,r4,h4 ,prince ,albert1 #ea1 ,rupert ,street4 ,,footnotes4 #c ,mal41 ii4 #e ,gen41 ii1 #bd4 #g ,see ,considerations on ,divorce a ,vinculo ,matrimonii4 ,by a ,barrister4 ,london3 ,stewart4 #aj ,st4 ,matthew1 v1 #cb2 xix1 #i4 #ab ,galatians1 v1 #bj4 #ad ,debate on ,adulterers' ,marriage ,bill4