Marriage (Classic Reprint)

Excerpt from Marriage<br><br>The subject of Christian Marriage, whether we reverence it as a Sacrament, or are content to view it merely as a state of life allowed in the Scriptures, is one which above others needs wary walking. On the one hand it is hedged about by weighty sanctions of Canon and Civil Law, and fenced in with the still more ominous Tapu of immemorial custom. It savours of presumption to discuss as an open question what the wisdom of our forefathers has settled once for all. Moreover it is further obscured for our instinct, if not for our intellect, by the Manichean theories of Asceticism which have never lost their hold on Christian thought. On the other hand it involves at once the largest social problems, and the most intimate personal sentiment; - sentiment which is partly silly and even prurient and safely to be dismissed without consideration; but much more of it also so sacred, that even to speak of it is, in some measure, to encroach upon the inviolable privacy, not of the family only, but of the individual soul.<br><br>Therefore to treat such a subject with authority requires a profound and sympathetic knowledge of the social conditions and inner lives of men in other times, classes and countries, as well as our own; to speak of it with sincerity and acceptance demands a habit of mind finely tempered of frankness and delicacy; - and a power of exact and noble expression which is the peculiar heritage of the poet.<br><br>It follows then that I must renounce the hope of expressing my meaning in a manner which will cause it to be gladly received by all who hear me. I must be content with sincerity; and for that I ask a hearing, patient, and as sincere as I shall try to make my utterance.<br><br>If we are to do any good, we must try to set aside our prejudices, our likes and dislikes, and to recognize loyally what is known of the facts of social and individual life which are concerned with and influenced by marriage; and further we must be scrupulously honest in our efforts to ascertain what is the real and essential teaching of Christianity. That is the condition on which we can hope that our discussion of such a subject as this will issue in wise and fruitful counsels.<br><br>I. It appears convenient, in the first place, to formulate, and, if necessary to criticize, the Canon which we intend to apply in our judgement of the facts, and in our practical conclusions.<br><br>About the Publisher<br><br>Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com<br><br>This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.