Page:Christian Marriage.djvu/155

 Marriage is either the most effective instrument through which the religion of Christ bears upon mankind for good, or the most pitiable revelation of its spiritual failure. "It concerns all that enter into those golden fetters to see that Christ and His Church be in at every of its periods, and that it be entirely conducted and overruled by religion." For the understanding, and any measure of attainment, of this ideal of marriage, it is evident that Christian discipleship must be pre-supposed in the parties; but that pre-supposition can- not be made in the case of vast numbers of people.

It follows, then, that the Christian ideal is incapable as men are at present of being universally imposed. The State must make its legislation accord with the actual condition of the citizens; and all that the Christian citizen can rightly or reasonably attempt to secure is that the action of the State shall tend towards the gradual but continuous raising of the national standard to the Christian