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 seems implied an allusion to the injustice implied in such frivolous divorces as the Jews admitted. "Whosoever shall put away his wife, and marry another, committeth adultery against her," that is, with respect to his discarded partner, since she is really still his wife.

I cannot doubt that He referred, and that His words were understood to refer, to such frivolous divorces as were common among the Jews and directly in debate between the Rabbinic schools. He proclaimed the indissoluble character of the marriage union, that is, its indissolubleness as against the provisions of human law, but He emphasised the gravity of that sin which, by its own mere force, cancelled and destroyed the natural union. "Precisely as divorce does not break the marriage tie, adultery does break it." The very reason why divorce for any other cause is invalid morally justifies, nay requires, divorce in the case of adultery.

Accordingly I am constrained to conclude