Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1867-03-19
po1Ye.my A DIVINE INSTITUTION.

PoLYGAMY A DIVINE INSTITUTION.
Not content to rest on the universal
sense of civilized nations, as to the i'm,
morality Of Polygamy, the opponents Of
Mormonism seek to reverse the decision
of three thousand years, and carry the
world back to the dark ages Of Judaism.
Because, say they, Abraham, and Isaac,
and Jacob, were Polygamists, because
the practice was then tolerated aud
were moi swept from the face of the
globe; therefore, Polygamy is a Divine
Institution, and should not only be now
tolerated, but enforced as a duty. To
make a plausible argument in its behalf
they quote scriptures most huently, not
to say glibly; and, with an assurance as
cool as it is remarkable, challenge in
vestigation.
We do not propose, just now at least,
TO take up the glove" but our recol-
lectious impress us that the old patri-
archs, as recorded in Genesis and the
other books of the Pentateuch, are said
to have done q good many things, which
would hardly meet with the appro6a-
ton Of men at the present day. But
our Mormon friends, it seems to us, in
their haste to establish the divine char
acter of their peculiar creed, like most
other people who try to uphold an er-
ror, are constrained to prove too much.
It don't do to take things by titbits, and
if they insist on taking a nibble they
must perforce, logically, "bolt the
whole animal"
Now, in our reading of the Scriptures
we have no remembrance Of any passage
wherein Jehovah commanded, much less
enjoined, as a duty the doctrine Of plu-
rality; nor have we ever known any Of
its defenders to point out any such pas
sage. Their argument seems to be briefly
this: Abraham" flor instance), was
a good man, who talked with God.
Abraham took Hager, his wife's hand
maid, to wife, while Sarah was alive /;
God blessed and prospered Abraham,
therefore Polygamy is divine institu-
ton" Now, this sort Of ratiocination
may satisfy some minds, but it hardly
meets the case. Abraham took Hager,
not by virtue of any command from God,
or with his appreciation, so far as the
Scriptures enlighsen US, but at the in
stance of Sarah, his wife, Gen. l6, verse
., "And Abraham hearkened to the
voice of Sarai." And afterward, when
Sarai discovered the blunder she had
made in this matter, when Hager COM
menced quitting on airs" she said to
Abraham, any erong be upon thee l
have given my maid into thy bosom,
and when she sew that she had con-
ceived, | was despised in her eyes; the
Lord Judge between thee and me
verse 5. Then we are told that Abra-
ham gave up Hager into his wife's hands
to do as she listed, and that Sarah, by
her cruelty, drove her forth into the
wilderness, a fugitive; that the Lord
bid her return and submit herself to her
mistress. Ishmael was the fruit Of the
connection between Abraham and Ha-
ger. What manner Of man he was to
be, we learn in the following verses OF
the 10th chapter of Genesis:
IL. And the Angel of the Lord said
unto her: Behold thou art with child,
and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his
name Ishmsel, because the Lord hath
heard thy affection"
-. And he will be a pild man: his
hand riN be against erery man n every
mans hand against him: and he shall
dwell in the presence of all his
brethren"
How was it to be with Isaac, the fruit
Of his wife, Sarah2
10. And God said, Sarah, thy ritt,
shall bear thee q son, indeed, and thou
shalt call his name Isaac; and | will
establish my covenant with him for an
everlasting covenant and with his seed
after him."
In the 2lst chapter of Genesis, it is
recorded that after the birth Of Isaac,
Sarah ordered Abraham to cast out the
boudwomau Hsgar and her child, and
declared that the latter should not be
heir with Isaac. Even in those patri-
archcal days it was discovered that
one house wasn't big enough for two
women.
u. "And God said unto Abraham,
let it not be g~rievous in thy sight, be-
cause of the lad and because Of thy
boudwoman, in all that Sarah hath said
unto thee, hearken unto her voice; for
in Isaac shall thy seed be-"
So Hagar and Ishmael had to take to
the wilderness with a morsel Of bread
and a bottle of water, and nearly per-
ished of thirst and hunger.
But, as we have said, the argument
of the P~olygamists proves too much.
The same record, land that is what 1t
really is-an historical statement OF
facts as they existed and TRANSFERRED, }
the same record which tells US that
Abraham and Jacob and the patriarchs
had several wives also informs US, "and
many oncubines had they There is
Just as much, in fact just the same su-
thority for concubinage as for Polygamy.
Yet, the Latter Day Saints have not yet
progressed so far as to openly advocate
this, even on the authority Of the
Patriarchs. On the contrary, they pro-
fess a peculiar adherence for it, and
denounce livery property the highest
pcualllCS aSaiAos
When Abraham, full Of years, came
to give up the ghost, the record, Genesis,
chapter rs, says:
5. "And Abraham gave all that he
had INTO Isaac"
6. "But unto the mi Of the eoncu-
6inss, which Abraham had, Abraham
gave gifts, and sent them away from
Isaac, his son, while he yet lived east
ward, ante the east country"
But enough for one day. In our view
| the endeavor to make out Polygamy q
| Divine Institution, is a perversion as
well of the Scriptures as Of the natural
instincts of the human race. It is only
BY torturing Holy Writ that even a
plausible argument can be brought to
| bear in its favor. We forbear to pursue
this subject further. In the eye of the
law, marriage is a civil contract, and
the law has very clearly defined ano
pointed out what is legal and valid mar
rage, and what is invalid and criminal
All nations, ever the Jews from the ear
liest antiquity, have claimed and eIer'
cised the right to regulate marriage BY
law. The United States alone Of civil
lied nations permits its laws to be open
" violated, and thus tolerates q practice
| condemned alike by the universal sense
| of mankind and the law Of the land
| C,r, T1Ls V,2,n,.