chapter xix with the words “and shall marry another” omitted, yet

carries the liberty to do so, see text given above, pp. 72, 73. Divorce, as understood by the Jews, meant divorce _a vinculo_, i.e. divorce with liberty of remarriage. Is any sane man prepared to say that divorce, in the sense of separation of a wife from bed and board, without liberty of remarriage, is only permissible to a Christian when the wife has been adulterous?

I do not think then that the obvious force of the passages in St. Matthew can be dissolved.

2. On the other hand, admitting all that can be said as to the difficulty, which is due to the historical relation of Church and State in England, of saying what is Church law pure and simple, it does seem to me that the Western law of divorce, as distinct from the Eastern, was accepted by the English Church and not only never repudiated, but at least assumed to be permanent in the Post-Reformation Canons. What has happened since then is (1) that the opinion of a great number of the best English divines and commentators on St. Matthew has been expressed in favour of allowing the remarriage of the “innocent party” after a divorce for adultery; (2) that the Lambeth Conference of 1888 allowed such remarriage; (3) that statute law in England has recently allowed the remarriage of both innocent and guilty party.

But the Lambeth Conference only expresses the opinion (however weighty) of a gathering of Anglican bishops. It cannot legislate for the Church of England. And the legislation which has taken place is purely civil legislation made from a civil point of view and going beyond what the Lambeth Conference would allow. And on such a matter as marriage which lies at the heart of our religious life it seems quite unreasonable to ask Christian people to accept this, as authority sufficient to upset an ancient practice of the Church.

Granted then (1) that Christ did not prohibit[95] the remarriage of an innocent party after a divorce for adultery, (2) that the unaltered Church law of England does prohibit it, it seems to me that the best course is _not_, at least in the present state of Church feeling, to alter the Church law on the matter, up to the point which Christ allows, by getting leave for Convocation to make a new Canon――though this would be a course to which no one could take just exception――but to retain and observe the Church law, allowing no remarriage with the rites of the Church, but simply leaving it to bishops to act on the decision of the Lambeth Conference as far as admission to communion is concerned.

This refusal to allow remarriage in churches may involve some collision with statute law till an equitable concession to our principles is accorded. But the difficulty is not greater than has been overcome by a little resolution in the case of the Public Worship Regulation Act. If in the process of the controversy the institution of compulsory civil marriage here in England, with the same publicity as in most foreign countries, to be followed by a voluntary religious ceremony, becomes a more likely event, there would be a good many Churchmen who would not regret it.

As regards the allowance of remarriage to the innocent party after a divorce for adultery, it is sometimes pointed out that it is only explicitly allowed by our Lord to the innocent _husband_. But it is, I submit, at least competent to the Church to interpret this in the more lenient sense as extending to the aggrieved wife also. It is more often urged that it is illogical to forbid to the guilty party what is allowed to the innocent――that if declared adultery dissolves the marriage tie for either, it does so for both. To this I should only reply that our Lord appears on the matter to be _legislating_ rather than laying down a principle. His legislation covers the one exception but not (with any degree of clearness) the other. He appears to be sanctioning in the case of an innocent and deeply aggrieved person a dispensation which violates the logic of the marriage tie on grounds of equity: but this carries with it no necessary consequence of a similar dispensation in favour of the chief offender.

INDEXES

I. PERSONS AND AUTHORITIES CITED

Aristotle, on the “Blessed Life,” 18 on pity, 39 on the use of the drama, 39

Augustine, St., on the relation of Old and New Testaments, 1, 56 on the law and grace, 4 his prayer, 108

Bacon (Francis), note-books illustrate Christ’s method, 12 his scientific method applied to prayer, 147

Bengel, on self-mortification, 70

Buddha, on the “Blessed Life,” 18 on pity, 38‒9

“Carton, Sidney,” 106

Cassian, on sorrow, 32

Chase (Bp.), on the Lord’s Prayer, 132, 135

Chichester, Dean of, on Christ under semi-false accusation, 88

Chrysostom, on the Beatitudes, 28

_Didaché_, on reconciliation and communion, 65 on almsgiving, 100 on duty to neighbour, 181 _n._

“Dream of Gerontius,” 44

Edward the Confessor, story of, 98‒9

Esau and Jacob, essential difference between, 57

Franks, conversion of, low standard, 51

Gnostics, and the “Mysteries,” 174

Gospel, uncanonical, record of a word of Christ on prayer, 143

_Hermas_, on alms, 101

Hillel (Rabbi), on duty to neighbour, 181

Irenaeus, on Old and New Testament, 55

Jacob and Esau, essential difference between, 57

Jehoshaphat’s reforms, 62

Job, his detachment (poverty of spirit), 25 “seeing God,” 43

Kant, on duty to neighbour, 182

Law (Wm.), indiscriminate charity, 102

_Les Miserables_, 99

Maurice (F. D.), and fasting, 123

Mill (J. S.), on Christ’s moral teaching, 8

Mohammedanism, 51‒2

Mozley, on the imprecatory psalms, 103

Newman (J. H.), and the cardinalate, 119

Origen, on Ps. xii, and Christ’s teaching, 8

Plato, _Symposium_, 9, 181 _n._

Pusey, on Mill, 8 on fasting, 123

“Sidney Carton,” 106

Simeon (Chas.), and fasting, 123

_Tale of Two Cities_, 106

Trent, Council of, its catechism, 132

Wisdom, Book of, and the world, 22

Xavier’s hymn, 112

II. SUBJECTS

Act, sin of, 63 Advertisement, self-, 190 Altar, of new kingdom, 65 Answer to prayer, 177‒8 Anxiety, for health, 160 in holidays, 161 for success, 161 worldly, 157‒60 Christ’s freedom from, 160 Appreciation, power of, necessary for reception of religious truth, 172‒3, 175 Asceticism, 69 Christian, compared with Indian, 71 Atonement, nature of true, 199 need for, 198

Bad motives, playing upon, 118 Beatitudes, order of, 20 Beggars, attitude to, 99‒102 Benevolence, impartial, 175 Best thing in the world, 108 “Blessed Life,” 16‒21 according to Buddha, 18 according to Aristotle, 18 Body not evil, 71‒2 Body relation to spirit, 69‒70 Brotherhood of Christians, 68 Burdens, bearing others’, 30

Carelessness, moral, 71 Character, 188‒9 in the new kingdom, 16 of Christ’s teaching, 16 Christian, in the world, 47‒53 of Christ, the best thing in the world, 108 of Pharisees, 164‒5 CHRIST, His authority, 60 bearing our burdens, 30 character of, the most precious thing in the world, 108 Divine nature, 6, 56‒7, 179 only foundation of life, 193 His freedom from anxiety, 160 His freedom illustrated by Ps. cxxvii, 160 gives principles, not laws, 109 Judge of all, 191‒2 His methods, 92‒4 His method to give principles, 64, 67, 109 parable of unmerciful servant, 41 Prince of Peace, 44 principle of interpretation of all laws, 64 use of proverbs, 92‒3 proverbial manner, 159, 168 was He revolutionary? 54 saying about prayer, an uncanonical, 143 His superiority over other teachers, 180 His teaching unique, 15, 16, 180 teaching of truthfulness, 81 under semi-false accusation, 89 the WORD, 6 His words the foundation of life, 193 His words the foundation of the Church, 193 Church, test of, 196‒7 Conditions, of power of reception of truth, 173‒4, 175 of the offer of spiritual privileges, 174 Conduct, motive of, 107, 118 social, principle of, 181 Conscience, 155‒6 Conversation, 80 Courts of Law, Jewish, 62‒3 Covenant, old, check on savage human instincts, 86 Criticism, the temper of, 165‒9 wrong, 167 right, 167

“Daily,” significance of the word in the Lord’s Prayer, 132 Dealing, laws of the Divine, 40‒1, 54‒5, 85, 134 “Detachment” = poverty of spirit, 25 “Detachment” of Christ in the Incarnation, 25 Devil, existence of, 136‒7 Discipline, of self, 69 Divorce, 72‒8 in law of the Church of England, 77 in the Eastern Church, 76 “innocent party” in, 76 Duty, threefold, to God, neighbour, and self, 114‒5 to self, fasting the expression of, 115 to self = making the best of ourselves, 115

Education, of man, God’s method of, 56 Enlightenment of conscience, 153‒4

Fall of man, 179‒80 Fasting, expression of duty to self, 115 abuse of, 122‒3 examples of practice, 123 Fictitious pity, 40 Forgiveness, nature of, 133 for the past, by itself no real remedy, 199 Foundation, of life, 193 of the Church, 193 Freedom, the end of self-discipline, 72

GOD, centre of all in Christ’s teaching, 19 character of, 187 dealings with imperfection, 55 dealings with us, 40‒1, 54‒5, 85, 134 Fatherhood of, 129, 141‒2 love of, how learned, 153 and mammon, 154 method of education, 56 nature of, 154‒5 Name = His revelation, 129 not tied to His own ordinances, 191 Presence of, degrees of, 82 purpose, 55 seeing Him, 43‒4 sole object of new righteousness, 111 and the world, 22 Gradation of crime in Jewish law, 62

Health and anxiety, 160 Heathen teaching in relation to Sermon on the Mount, 6‒10 “Heaven,” 129, 152 treasure in, 152 Hiding money, 151 Holidays and anxiety, 161 Holy Spirit, and good character, 191 Humility, 165 Hunger after righteousness, 36‒7 illustrated by boat-race, 37 Hypocrisy, 189‒90 English, 189

Imperfection, God’s dealing with, 55 Imprecatory psalms, 103‒4 Impurity, antidote to, 42 Injustice, legal, resistance to, 96 Intention = sin, 68

Jewish courts of law, 62‒3 gradation of crime, 62 Judgement, Christ’s coming to, 191 duty of, 166, 169 standards of, to be maintained, 48‒9, 167‒8 Justice, public, and private feeling, 89‒90

Kindness to enemies, effect of, 105

Lambeth Conference, on divorce, 76 Law, old, relation to new, 1, 4, 54 check on savage human instincts, 86 Lawful subjects of prayer, 149‒50 “Letter,” of the Commandments, the meaning of, 3 Life of Blessedness, 16‒21 Lord’s Prayer, 128‒49 type and model of all prayer, 138 converging point of all ancient liturgies, 138 in Morning and Evening Prayer, 139 paraphrased, 145‒8 Lost, and saved, number of, 186‒7 Love of self, a true, 113 of God, how learned, 153

Mammon, and God, 154 Man, fallen state of, 179 Matthew, record of the Sermon on the Mount, his, 14 Maxims, of the world, 24, 28, 33 Meekness, 34 Mendicity, 99 _et seq._ Mohammedanism, compared with Christianity, 51‒2 Money, hiding of, 151 Motives, 109, 111‒27 bad, playing upon, 118 of religious life, 151 test of, 118, 151 Mourning, for sin, 29 false, 32‒3 of sympathy, 30

Name, God’s, His revelation of Himself, 129 “National Church,” idea of, danger of, 52

Oath, defined, 79 accepted by Christ, 82 accepted by St. Paul, 82 Ordinances, God not tied to His own, 191

Peace, 44‒5, 157 Peacemakers, 44‒6 Perfection, to be striven after, 108 Pharisaic religion, 59‒60 Pharisaism of the Publican, 66 Pharisees, character of, 59, 165 Pity, 38‒42 Aristotle’s, 39 Buddha’s, 38‒9 “dramatic,” 39 Poverty, of spirit, 25‒8 voluntary, 28 Prayer, definition of, 147 answer to, 178 effective, 178 “in Name of Christ,” 140, 142 in the region of uncertainty, 149 = intercourse with God, 126‒7 its reward, 118 lawful, 149‒50 Lord’s, 128‒49 and scientific method, 147 and selfishness, 144 spirit of, depends on idea of God, 129 test of, 141, 142 uncanonical saying of Christ about, 143 wheels and flags (Buddhist), 125 Presence of God, degrees of, 82 Prevision, is not anxiety, 160 Pride, 42 Principle, of safe life, applied to art, 70 of social conduct, 181 Principles, of Commandments, 64 Christ’s method to give, 63, 65, 109 new, in Seventh Commandment, 69 Proverbs, Christ’s use of, 92‒3 Psalms, imprecatory, 103‒4 Public justice and private feeling, 89‒90 Purity of heart, 42

Rates and taxes, 96 Reception of religious truth, condition of, 172‒3, 175 Reciprocity in life, 171 Relief cases, how to deal with, 99‒100 Religion, outward, visible, 112, 121‒2 Pharisaic, 59‒60 Religious life, true motive of, 151 orders, and voluntary poverty, 28 Remarriage of “innocent party,” 78 Lambeth Conference of 1888 upon, 76 “Reserve” in Christian teaching, 171‒4 in early Church, 174‒6 Resistance to legal injustice, 96 Revenge, law of, 84 and public justice, 89‒90 Rewards, 112‒3, 118‒9 Righteousness, definition of, 36

Salvation, dependent on three great principles, 187 Sanhedrin, nature of, 62 Saved, and lost, number of, 186‒7 “Seeing God,” 43‒4 Self-discipline, 69 Self-love, true, 113 Sin, nature of, 133 forgiveness of, 133 Single-mindedness, 43, 154 Sins of act, 63 in intention, 68 of thought, 64 Social conduct, principle of, 181 Social law, for Christians, 109 Socialism and the Sermon on the Mount, 183 Sonship, of Christians, 142 Spirit, relation to body, 69‒70, 124 Spiritual fabrics, test of, 193‒6 privileges, offer of, 174 Standard, of Christianity, compared with Mohammedanism, 51‒2 of judgement, to be maintained, 167‒8 danger of lowering, 51‒2 Story of the Confessor and the scullion thief, 98‒9 Story of the Bishop and Jean Valjean, 99 Success and anxiety, 161 Sympathy, 30

Taxes, and rates, 96 Teaching, discrimination in, 167‒70 of Christ, universal, 16 Temper, critical, 165‒9 Test, of Christianity, 199 of the Church, 196‒7 of motives, 115, 151 of prayer, 141, 142 of spiritual fabrics, 193‒6 Thought, sins of, 64 Transport service of the Empire, 97 Treasure in heaven, 152 Truth, religious, condition of reception of, 172‒3, 175 Truthfulness, as taught by Christ, 81 enjoined by Third Commandment, 81

Uncertainty, as to lawfulness of subjects for prayer, 149

Victory, final, of Christ’s kingdom, 198

Ways, the two, in life, 185‒6 Westminster Abbey, old sculpture in, 98 Words _v._ character, 185 “World,” definition of, 21 in Book of Wisdom, 22 in Old Testament, 24 maxims, 24, 28, 33

III. TEXTS ELUCIDATED

Job i. 21, 25

Ps. lviii. 2, 82

Isa. lxvi. 1, 82

Ezek. xxix. 18‒20, 118

St. Matt.