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3. Twenty-six Spiritual Peers, including two Archbishops, have declared it to be their opinion that there is no scriptural prohibition of these marriages, more than 100 of the London Metropolitan clergy have petitioned Parliament for the legalization of such marriages; eleven Deans and more than 300 other clergymen of the late Esatablished Church of Ireland have expressed their decided opinion that these marriages are not prohibited in Scripture; the Deputies of the three denominations of Dissenters in England, have repeatedly petitioned Parliament to repeal the Act of 1835 prohibiting such marriages; and the House of Commons, in 35 divisions, (commencing with 1835, before public discussion had taken place on the marriage question) have voted for the repeal of the almost smuggled and hastily passed Act of 1835. The Legislature of South Australia has for the fifth time, by almost unanimous votes of both Houses, passed a Bill for legalizing such marriages, and within the last few days it is announced that Her Majesty has given the Royal Assent to the Bill—thus making such marriages legal in England, as well as in South Australia, so far as Australian residents contracting such marriages are concerned.
OPINIONS OF DISTINGUISHED ENGLISH AND AMERICAN DIVINES AND JURISTS.
To conclude. Out of upwards of one hundred and thirty opinions of distinguished Divines, scholars, jurists, and statesmen, in both Europe and America, which we have collected on this subject,—all speaking to the same effect,—we will quote a few in regard to the moral influence as well as Scriptural character of these marriages. The late celebrated Cardinal Wiseman gave the following evidence before the Royal Commissioners on this subject in 1818:
"Question.—Do you construe that passage in Leviticus (xviii. 18.) as prohibiting marriage with a deceased wife's sister, or merely us saying that a man should not take two wives together at the same time, being so related?
"Answer.—Certainly, that verse appears to have the latter meaning, that two sisters should not be living together in the same house, wives of tho same person.
"Question.—Is such marriage held by your church as prohibited in Scripture?
"Answer.—Certainly not. It is considered a matter of ecclesiastical regulation."
