The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1864-03-31

tTor the News.
"The Twin Relics Of Barbarism," Po-
lygamy and Slavery--Their Claims,
to Divinity Tantamount.
(CoNCLUDED)
Jacob had two wives, from which wives
spraDg the twelve patriarehs. Jacob
was never ccnsured for this, yet, TO.
day, bigamy is a crime, and its penalty
incarceration in the penitentiary.
David, who, it was declared was Ga man
after Gods own heart" had a great
number Of wives and e0neubiues, but he
was never rcproved for it. Nathan re-
proved him for the wicked manner in
which he obtained one Of his wives, but
that was another question. Solomon,
who is attested by Scripture to DO the
wisott man that ever lived, rejoiced in
the possession Of seven hundred wives
and three hundred eoneubines-a round
thousand 10 Gll--wheh eclipses B.
Young, ESQ, so completely that he
never can hope to become distinguished
in that line. Yet Solomon was never.
rebuksd for tue number Of his wives and
concubines, but because he chose
Strange women" not Of his own nation,
who led him astray from the path Of
reciitud0.
In view of the instances quoted, and
many others that might be addueed, no
candid mind will deny that Pslygamy
was as lawful an institution among the
Tsraelites as Slavery. There is not
passage in the Old 7 estamen that for
bids it.
Turning to the New Testament We
find but little, bearing, even remotely,
on either slavery or polygamy. Peter
szhorted servants to be subject ii. Q.
ObedienD to their masters. But there
is DO evidence whatever that those sere
wants spoken to were slares. Hirslinqs
are termed Servants" throughout the
Bible, and employers are tyled "masters." !"
1t is merely an assertion, incapable of
proof, to say they were slaves. But
grant they were slaves, and what does it
prove? Not that slavery is q holy in
stitution, surely; for it is neither approv-
ed nor condemned. Those servants wero
r undoubtedly white men, and if that text
is sufficient to rear the structure of sla-
e very upon, it is also sufficient to sano-
D tion the enslavement of t0his men as
] well as black. This is perhaps what
= the editor Of one Of the Richmond pa
pers was limiting at when he asserted to
the world.through his journal that at"capi-
7 tai should own labor, whether white or
black" Batitis to be feared that men :,
II who resort to that Injunction Of the
, apostle for the purpose ofjustifying tho
dark and bloody institution that has been
signal curse to this great nation, and
to-day looms up before the Imagination
in all its appalling hidoousness--itis is to
be feared, that such are wrestling the
Scriptures to their own destruction, -
and have been given over to believe
lie, that they may be damned" ...
Polygamy is hinted at in but one
place, perhaps, in the New Testam e Mt,
and that will be found in 1st Timothy,
9. 3rd chapter and End verse. Among
J. other qualifications of a bishop, it is
!, defined that he must be "the husband
NJ !; Of one wife" From this it may be in
of fOrred that polygamy existed at that
or tims. If net, why should the apostle
e prohibit bishops from having plurality
'r of Wivc ? But this restriction applies
to to bishops only, and leaves others free
It's Under the old dispensatiOn, the priests
y, were restricted to certain rules in re.
n, gard TO matrimony; and SO, under tho
q Rsw dispenSation, the bishops, whose
81 efics corresponds to that of the priests.
II. are also restricted in the Same. But as
ia ia to the general practice of polygamy, the
isH1 apostle is siont--ho neither approves
II.r nor condemns, ......... ..-..
ia! tat 1t has often been urged that if SLAYER,
Ike ,ho were so great crime our Savior and
.yc his apostles would have expressly con
ig' demned it, But there is the same Argu
" mOnt for polygamy. It was never con
BE-, demAod directly or indirectly by them
N, Hence, Eve advocate from the Bible
oTi tho "time1hOnored institution" o
rn' slavery, on the same ground, we shoul(
.oi soi go for the no less time, honored institu
,e; ,ry ton of MOrmonism. They are "twiu
"S, %s, relics" and have equal claims to our re-
II. iGGS spect. There would then be somo cen
.,: at: sistency in adopting the whole Of th'
ing Old Testament practices, instead Of onlJ
ant an, a part. True, Southern slave-oWnSrI
rS by have, in many iDtaneeF, gone one stsl
'n,i, further, by falling back on the old Sys
'ir' tenn Of concubinage. But this Is stop
". ys ping short. To use vulgar saying
no they should "so ths whole hog, Ol
D.