LAW AND SUFFERING make them cease to be husband and wife than it could make a father and son cease to be father and son. But within the law laid down by God, the Church can legislate. It can, for instance, decree that for the marriage of a Catholic, the presence of a priest as witness is necessary. These laws being its own the Church can alter. But she cannot alter the laws given to her by God to be taught to men. Nor does she want to. First, and most obviously, because of the nature of the law, as already set out. As it stands, God’s law is a statement by man’s maker of the right way for men to act. It is an expression of God’s knowledge, and for human knowledge to try and change it would be absurd. Human institutions may try to alter the law out of pity for suffering men: but the law they are trying to alter is the law given by one who is Infinite Love. But even if God’s law were a lesser thing than that, the effort of men to make it easier would still be futile. No one but the lawmaker can alter the law. If an^ne else claims to, it is of no avail. Fot at the end of life it is the lawmaker who is to judge us, and He will judge us according to His laws as He made them, not according to the modifications introduced into His laws by men. It is as though one were doing an examination paper and some kindly soul, entering the room and discovering that we were in difficulties, altered the questions to make them easier for us. His act would undoubtedly make the writing lOI