Page:Unlawfulmarriage00jane.djvu/177

Rh not of the Hebrew commonwealth, but of the Church of God in all ages. We are Christians; we live under the glorious light of the gospel; Jesus Christ has explained to us the law of marriage; He prohibits divorce, except for one cause: all this we are to remember, and to interpret the law in all the light which Christianity sheds upon it for ourselves.

But says Omicron, (p. 27,) "With us, indeed, this question assumes a somewhat different shape, in consequence of our Saviour's prohibition of divorce. Matt. 5:31, 19:6. But this, it must be remembered, was unknown to the ancient Hebrews." The declaration which God made by Malachi, "that he hateth putting away," was also unknown to the ancient Hebrews; but were the later Jews, who knew it, to pay no regard to it, in their interpretation of the law of divorce? Or are we, who not only know this, but what our Saviour has said of divorce and polygamy, and who enjoy the light which our Redeemer has shed upon all laws, not to avail ourselves of the light imparted to us in interpreting the law of incest and of marriage? What inexcusable ingratitude would this be! If the