Show LONG CONTESTED MARRIAGE LAW The British parliament last summer after years of f agitation declared that the marriage of a man with his deceased wife's sister was legal But then the church took a hand Several Se bishops declared that the law was contrary to the church law and that persons so marrying ing would be denied the sacrament of the last supper The archbishop of Canterbury holds that while parliament has settled the question the statute has lias reversed its previous declaration that marriage marriage mar mar- marriage with a deceased wife's wife 8 sister is is contrary to Go Gods God's ds d's laws and that as regards an important point in the marriage code partnership between the church of England and the state stat is dissolved the archbishop declares that such a marriage must be ecclesiastically irregular but responsible men will not look upon such marriages as sufficient reason reason reason rea rea- son wh why such parties can be cut off from the church The bishop of Southwick holds that the statute supplies no sufficient reason wh why the church should alter her canon The bishop of Wakefield deprecates any general general general gen gen- eral statement at the moment with regard to the exclusion from the thc holy communion of persons contracting contracting contracting con con- such marriages The bishop of Lichfield declares that such marriages marriages marriages mar mar- do not offend the consciences s of many good goodmen goodmen men and women h he does not dare to sa say that they ther are certainly contrary contrary- to the laws of God and he cannot deny that the authority which made the canons of 1603 can alter them in matters which are not certainly contrary to Gods God's law but until the canon law is altered he hc is left free by the law of the theland theland theland land to observe what he lie recognizes as the law of the church and to guard his parishioners against being offended by bj the celebration of any such marriage marriage marriage mar mar- in their parish church The bishop of Hereford who opposed with all an his power the bill in the house of lords now declares that it is the duty of every crO citizen to have ha a due regard regard regard re re- gard for the statute la law v and to be very very- sure sire of his justification before setting his own individual indi conscience conscience conscience con con- science science above it It seems to us that the last named bishop is is the only one that speaks like a thorough Englishman He Hc fought the measure but when it passed he ver very properly received it as the will ill through their ir representatives representatives rep rep- representatives of the he people of England and he lie does not propose to oppose oppose that will for a single moment mo mo- ment |