| Show DIVINE AND HUNAN HUMAN LAWS A deal of is to a bulged in I 1 n against the on OB account of their attitude on OB the marriage question and particularly be cause of their position IQ rete fen to the relative values of divine lavi la wand add human law but while there Is ia sop go great ka an outcry against the views ol of theMen ahm or moni ll 11 we w hear nothing said about the doctrines ot of the catholics although alt hough they are very much alike in 19 many respects on n this subject we are not now te referring ferring to plural marriage which is only an incident to the question it is ia well known that the catholic is as mach opposed ep posed to that biblical system as any of the churches chei called protestant we are touching upon the nor ariage question iu ia general two points of moarten Morr ten doctrine OU on this subject seemed to be specially obnoxious one is that a tr true marriage must receive divine sanction that a secular union or one not solemnized by divine authority to Is unrecognized luizer of heaven the other Is tut nen when human law conflicts with divine law the latter is paramount I 1 fat these the mormons cormons Mor mons are Asdal assailed led with a virulence and bitterness most host ing when the two propositions are ar weighed with candor amor aud and spart apart from passion for it must be clear to every entry sane mind that god will not hot recognize that which ho he does not authorize and that any divine commard comm must take precedence of a man made edict the divine character of a law ord ordinance or ceremony may be open to dispute but the truth ot of foregoing Oro propositions positions la is indisputable to deny them isto say eay that god must conform to the will wil I 1 ot of man mid and that humanity is L superior to deity ane mormon church does not inte with the secular laws in regard to the union ot of the sexes the legality of a marriage outside of its fold is not drawn in question it does not refuse to recognize the validity ot df contracts made according to human enactments neither does it if interfere with or seek to annul them un the contrary ry persona I 1 who have been married by the forms or ceremonies established in various nations and societies are considered as under obligations that are binding I 1 but these are human arrangements they belong to time they donot do not reach into eternity they are not acknowledged of god because he be did no aal aol authorize them they have when the parties are dead A divine marriage which is the true marria marriage gb must be performed by divine authority the root of this matter is in the doctrine that marriage is ordained of god it is a divine institution and should be under Divine regulations when it is not iti it is only sonly a human ordinance arid and stands simply ground the mormon church claims tp be of divine origin ltv priesthood acts by b virtue ot authority revealed from heaven what is sealed by bv that authority on earth is sealed in heaven its marriage laws and ordinances and covenants and promises have been received from vie the almighty it makes no difference to the argument if this is disbelieved by tae people eople I 1 gut gutsine side of the churco what aley they di dispute is settled conviction with tue me mell members abers ot at the church they have the right to yiew thie mattir matter as they understand it and to regard marriages not solem nieca in the way they believe god has ordained as imperfect and unrecognized of heaven and as longas long as they do not compel others to adopt their views and conform to their customs they are entitled to ane free exercise of their religion the laws and regulations established by governments in ia regard to matrimony mony are to be respected for what they are aney do not claim to be anything but bat sec secular ularand and for the purposes of this world wod they need not J intrude upon that which wh ich is ecclesiastical and for the world to come in this country under the restrictions of the constitution the government has no richt to infringe upon the domain of the church in this important establishment of religion xe ligion 21 marriage is and always has been a religious matter and subject to religious regulations Tegu lations itis it is therefore in its religious aspel aspeci be beyond yond the tee d domain 0 of the state on n the same game principle ei the church does not cot intrude upon the province of the state in regard to its enactments conc concerning erving civil As to thi choice between divine and human laws when the two conflict it would almost seem idle to contend no sincere and consistent believer would hesitate a moment as to his duty ditty the question would only turn upon his conviction if he was satisfied that a given give a auf anc tion was re ally think of preferring a contrary enactment of man were werd it not bot tor for the attacks made upon the IM cormons mormons Mor armous mons for their course on this question it would not be viewed as open to controversy skeptics may deny the divi divinity ty of a pu purported arted revelation or c commandment men and even of any communication from nigh high governments may act upon n this infidel hypothesis but the la faith th of the believer would not be affected by this nor should his actions bo be hindered thereby reason says cays he be must to be consistent obey the df divine behest and risk the earthly consequences quen ces the province of religion and ilie the domain of the state are divided by a sharply defined line faith must be left free and also actions springing from faith which do not infringe upon natural or acquired human rights Govern governments meats are for the protection of citizens and the maintenance of liber ty riot not for its improper curtailment or destruction devotees of any abye reed creed should have freedom to obey every law which they deem to be divine so long as they do not encroach upon the rights 9 of t others this applies to marriage r are regulations a thoas as w well ell as other re I 1 us 8 because marriage has an n essentially ti 11 reli religious kious element the e catholic at 01 c church has just usi as pronounced noral laced views on these matters matter sas as the wo mormon mon church has elven alven them stronger 6 1 I utterance marriage is a catholic Cat bOlIc sacrament it has always been regulated by bv ecclesiastical bat as cal law wherever catholicism prevailed VIN d the enefer encroachment of state i nf nee upon it led eato to the establishment in 1741 under ito cope e benedict XIV of at the office of 91 1 debender Dei ender of the marriage tie 1 iti vat that office offic was wag instituted institute din in tins country coultry by the plenary council of baltimore and ud after its to R rome 0 o eld I 1 anc kno 18 approval app royal and okd a choice wa was s imado imd a deien der elected xu his eff iclal r executive acts re only proceeds proceed ale in n the settlement of questions wat that arise after sf ter ruark marriage has bees been celebrated celebrAte a he reports report to t the th whop bishop of odthe the diocese in which toe bell parties artles reside wap as the judge beffre whom all clues cases be trig dt church does not recognize auy any marriage as valid when either oi of the parties has not been baptized neither does it recognize the validity of a legal dl di vorce borc e thus the catholic church claims power over marriage questions superior to that of the state toe the general law of that church in regard to matrimonial causes has been extended to the united states and its most important application is found in the instruction of the sacred congregation oj of the propaganda the first article of which lays down the follO following winz unalterable principle matrimonial causes are to be tried before an ecclesiastical judge for such only is competent to decide as to the validity of marriage and to determine the obligation thereof the civil effects of marriage are defined by the courts the churor receives from god her right over ove r the marriage of christians and hence no state can ever deprive her or ol it the marriage contract ot of christians that is all sons is a sacrament and is entirely under the I 1 jurisdiction uris diction of the church bathas to its substance and to the obligations ligat ions that naturally flow this does not pi event the state stat even a state not christian f from rom ini making in laws with regard to tho the civil effects olg of a marriage and citizens are bound to obey such laws if the state however should enact laws in with the divine divwer 0 they on can have no binding force upon the conaci ence even lu in some countr countries countree le called christian the state claims jurisdiction the sacred contract itself pre tends it a right to decide what makes it or breaks it 14 as if its sanction were derived from government or er society whereas tills this contract and its sanction antedates all huntr the Oh church however under these circumstances tolerates recourse to the civil courts to secure the civil effects of 01 her own judgments in ii matrimonial causes it matters little that chat thi the civia courts assume to decide about the substance ol of the contract itself Is there anything in the Molli mormon boull position more pronoun pronounced cd than that mark the words we q have italicized italicised sed the they govern all catholics whether in the united states or any other coun try they refer specially to the mar I 1 ariage question 9 and nd generally to any matter of bf conflict between divine and humia human I 1 laws yet though these renunciations enunciations of the catholic church affect the conduct of of millions in the united states they make no commotion in the land while similar views entertained by a few thousands of latter day daly saints stir tip tap such a storm of opposition that the country is continually ti agitated thereby and con gress tv is besieged with applications to aress 18 the people of utah of all ah political rights because they hold to these opinions the catholic church Is strong because axe she maintains the divinity of he her r teachings and acts on that pat hypothesis the protestant sects assume to have divine authority and act abt as 98 though they did not beli believe bire in their own pretensions any religious society or individual that views a law of nian man as superior to a law of own that which is divine must mast be supreme only what deity rec recognizes is valid in religion and he who truly believes in god will be willing to obey him hida 1 in all 1 things lings ti as the highest and greate greatest ti of all powers and authorities in in heaven dr on earth in time or in eternity L L |
