Daily national Republican. (Washington City [D.C.]) 1870-1872, 1870-04-25
THE BIBLE INDICATED
Powerful Sermon by Rev. ]. ?. Newman

Metropolttan church vas literally packed
vesterdsy morning, to hear the Rev. Dr.. New.
gmsn's diseoufse on the question Does the
Hibie sanction Polygamyw Perhaps never,
since the dedication Of the church, has such
walls. The President and family were there,
Vice President Colfax, the Ohief Justice, and
senators and representatives, Interested 10
grave political, as n Always has been one OF
great moral and religious Importance.
spHaRs Ss ' SSs heard s ia, ne which mad.
them AZ the beginning. made them male and
The relation OF the text to the subject under
confederation Il apparent to all These words
arc quotation IRON the Book OF oeneals,
and In their origin and application relate 20
OF fact which has never been called IN quea-
tion, which fact contains the intention OF the
in condemnation OF polyg amy, and In approval
OF monogamy They are part o. our Lotds
reply to certain PhAriseea who had pfopounded
10 him the question Of divorce for hts decision.
At that time the Jews were divided as TO the
Interpretation Of the law Of Moses touching
TO mat law, Moses dsmsadSd Of a man who
should put away his wife, a bill OF divorce
ment which should be for her protection. The
law, is "aome unoleanness In her" Upon the
meaning Of the word "uneleanneuan the Jews
hAo different Opinions. The school Of Rabbi
miss his wife for the slightest offence, for no
offence at all II no found another woman who
pleased him better; By she school 81 Rabbi
means moral delinquency, and assumed this to
be the only lawful cause for separation.
and hoped 10 Involve him ia the pending con,
troverSy. For wise reasons he declines to
aeoede to their wishes. but taking advantage
Of the occasion, he delivered q discourse on
marriage, In which he affirmed three PROPOSE
tiona First, that marriage 10 divine inati-
s1tSn SSS0Hd ssI. %At5sss IL inc
Qod ereAtetlbut one man and one won ans that
In the marriage union the man and the woman
became one person, that the man 10 TO leave
his father and his mother and eieave 70 his
wlioi third, that marriage IL indissolublo ex-
In this reply Christ eoIncided with neither
party on the question Of Interpretation, but
DID ooineide with the school OF ShAmmai so
Soiute right 10 maintaining the strieteF view
OF the marriage obligation. Shammai may or
may not have been correct In his exposition OF
this particular law, but the general prlnoiple
that there 10 but one lustihabIe eauss for the
oopjugAl separation and second marriage IL
pfeeminently correct.
this answer, and attempted TO bring Christ
and Moses into collision. They said unto
HIN; why did Mosss son IN 400, 70 give
To this the Master made reply, consisting OF
three parts; /. Moses did not command, but |
This he ID Gp because Of he hardness S% or wick
edness Of your hearts, because Of which you |
would have disregarded all the rights OF
so, and do here and now revoke even that 10.
diligence, and say unto you, "Whosoever shall
put away his vile, exeeptit be for tornleation,
and shall marry another, oommltteth adulteryi
and whosoeyof marrieth her which Is put away
doth commit adultery
with the political aspects Of this question
do not Intend to say \ word on this occasion.
Those representing the three branches OF the
Government are competent TO the task, and I
have the utmost confidence that they will dit.
charge their duty. II they should not 1t will
be time for US then to speak, and then we will
speak, God being our helper.
In considering the biblical side OF the quea-
ton Of polygamy, shall consider two pointHi
the law and the prdeiiccj and 10 this division
Of the subject assume that there 10 differ.
enee between the law and the practice. The
law Is one thing and the practice IL smother.
The practice may favor Polygamy, but the
Christianity and the Church Is anaiogouS. The
latter 10 not aud never has been the perfect
exponent OF the former. The lives OF many
Popes, have been ssSndsiSas. 10 their "G per- =.
aonAl character In the daily life OF the beet OF
men there are serious importeetiona. Petiee-
hon belongs to heAven-ia not ptedlcAble OF
earth. Under the Divine name Of ChristiAnIty
the greatest enoTmitiea have been eommittedi
inquisition, the maTiyfdon OF the best Of men.
But Christianity neither sanctions those evils
nor 10 she responsible for them. with this
distinction stated l shall now proceed to
prove that Gods law condemns the union In
nsTTlsEe Of more than two persons.
J. What are the laws that seem TO sanction
polyEAmyi The adVoeAtes OF polygAmouH
marriage quote with much confidence Exodus
2lst chapter, from the 7th to 18th verses "And
II q man sell his daughter to be = maIdseTvant,
she shall not 20 out as the menGervAnis DO.
II she please not her master who hath be-
trothed her to himself, then shall he let her DO
redeemed, ito sell her to q strange nation, he
shall have no power, seeing that he hath dealt
deceitfully with her. And " he have betTothed
her unto bis ,o3, he shall deal with her after
another wife, her food, her TAiment and her
duty q marriage shall be not diminish. And
she 60 out free without money"
The significant points In this passage are;
The law permitted father who was In utter
destitution to apprentice his daughter for =
monetary consideration. But the apprentice
step was guarded BY the following conditions;
The period OF the indentute could not exceed
six years, At the expiration OF that time, or
sooner, as at the year Of Jubilee, or at the
death Of her master, she should 90 frOe; and n
hsT master sn should 6esTo'h her 10 marriage,
two general conditions OF the indentute. But
what are the facts touching the betTothall II
iu important to remember that the Jews made
Adiatinetion between botrOthAl aud marriage
~ we recognize the distinction between en-.
EaEement and marriage. Now, the law directs
that II the master, having betrothed her, ahA all
change his mind before the commencement OF
the marriage, he shall permit her to be re-
deemed. In this case she had not become his
wife. And the law further provides that 70
the master shall betroth her to his son, aud
u, after her betrothAl and before her marriage,
the son shall change his mind And prefer an.
other, and take her to wife, then the betrothSd
shall have her marriage DOVER and II he fails
to do this, then shall she go out free without
moneyh-thut 10, without paying the price Of
her redemption. Thus the law Ia on The side
OF the woman, for her protection when an en-
gAgement IL broken, and does not directly or
indirectly sanction PolygAmOuh marriages.
with equal confidence the Abettors Of Po-
lygAmy quote LeYitlous, NVillis: "NeltheF
shalt though take a wife TO her sister to
the other, in her lifetime" IL Is an accepted
canon Of Interpretation that the scope Of the
sense OF any portion Of It, and It IL equally
binding upon US to ascertain the mind OF the
legislator from the preface OF the law when
the chapter are predatory, aud IN the third
verse II 10 stated, "Atter the doinga OF the
isnd 81 hEyP wasT,lS ys dSSs e ,hS no,
whittier l bring you, shall ye not dos neither
shall ye walk 10 their ordInAnees." What are
their ordinAnoeti Both the Egyptians and
the OAnAAnites praetieed Incest, adultery,
sodomy, idolAtry add polygamy. From verse
six TO verse seventeen the law Of eonsABguin.
ity 10 laid down, and the blood TelAtionIhips
are defined within the limits OF which persons
are forbidden to marry. But In the eighteenth
verse the Law against polygAmy IL given.
or, as the marginal reading 10, Thou shalt not
take one vile TO Another,h And this render.
iPs L sustained BY Go9kson, Bishop Jewel,
According TO Edwards, the words, "a wife
to her sister, are found In the Hebrew but
asains9s oOsS " fss 'S S,sr 5ss 81 tho 10
eherubim, tenous, moTtieeG, ko., and signify
eoupiinE together one to another. They de.
note the exact likeness OF one thing to another,
and here forbid, as the margin expresses Il,
the taking Of one wife to another in her life
time And the reason assigned for this prohibl.
tion OF plurality Of wives 10 natural, logical,
and meToiful Because II would " VeX hefn-
prove the cause OF innumeFable jeAlouslea and
contention. The history OF RolygAmouI mar.
HAges 10 the history Of family bFollh and do.
nestle ealamities. From Lameeh to Jacob,
from Jacob TO David from David to solomon,