Page:Cihm12428.djvu/36

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31

The late Chief Justice Story of Massachusetts,, said:— "Nothing is more common in almost all the States of America than second marriages of this sort; and so far from being doubtful as to their moral tendency, they are among us deemed the very best sort of marriages. In my whole life I never heard the slightest objection against them founded on; moral or domestic considerations. Everything, that I have read upon this subject for the last 20 years, has satisfied me that the objection is utterly unscriptual and unfouuded."

The Reverend Dr. Eade, Professor of Biblical Literature to the United Presbyterian Church, Scotland in answer to the question of the Royal Commissioners, "Is the marriage of a widower with his late wife's sister within the prohibited degree?" said:—"'In all frankness and honesty I am obliged, to answer—No. It is interdicted neither by express veto, nor yet by implication. Canonical austerity is not to be identified with moral purity or matrimonial fidelity"

The Reverrend Dr. Chalmers says, in his Daily Scripture Readings:— 'In verse 18 (of Leviticus xiii,) the prohibition is only against marrying a wife's sister during the life of the first wife, which of itself implies a liberty to marry the sister after her death,"

The Reverend Dr. Cumming, of London, said:—"I can find nothing in Scripture prohibiting marriage with a deceased wife's sister. At the same time I feel that conformity to the Word of God is always, and in all circamstances, the highest-expediency."

Bishop Jeremy Taylor remarked:—" No man hath power to contract against Divine law; but if he have contracted against human law, his contract is established by a Divine law, which is greater than human."

We will conclude in the words of the late Reverend Dr, Alexander McCaul, Professor of Divinity and Hebrew Literature in King's College, London:—

"Having again carefully examined the question, and consulted some of the highest authorities in Hebrew literature as to the meaning of the Scripture passages, I am confirmed in the opinion formerly expressed, that marriage with a deceased wife's sister is not only not prohibited, either ex-