The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1882-02-04
The Bible and POlygamy.
Talaaga Replies to Ingsrsoll.

luStISOll uecldreS the Bible IA :
vors pOlygamy. He says: ais
there a man here who believes in I
that institutiongr You say, "No.
we do not" Then you are better
than your God was 1000 years ago.
He believed, taught it and upheld |
it.h Let us see if the Bible ap-
proves of pOlygamy. How many
wives did God create for Adams
One. AS God was there starting
the marriage institution, your com.
mon sense would say he must have |
started it as he wished it TO con.
tlnue. If God had wished him to
have six wives, he would have
given him six; or twelve wives, he
would have given HIM twelve.
Genesis ii. "a. Therefore shall a
man leave his father and mother,
and shall cleave unto his wife,
Not his wives, but his wife. How
many wives did the Lord tell Noah
to take with him into the ark 2
Two and two the birds, two and
two the lions, two and two the
cattle, two and two the human
race. If God had wanted to favor
polygamy, he would have spared
for Noah a multiplicity of wives.
AS at the first launching of the
human race he started Adam with
one wife, now, at tie second laun-
ching of the human race he saves
Noah with one wife, and Shem
with one wife, and Ham with one
wife, and Japhet with one wife.
Does the Bible favor polygamy
In Leviticus xviii. is, God thun-
ders his prohibition on having
more than one wife. No doubt
God permitted polygamy to con
tinue for some time, just as he per
mits murder and arson and theft
and gambling to-day to continue
although he is against them. Be
cause President Hayes and Gar
field and Arthur permit polygam.
in Utah FOR the time, and did no
already cut it to pieces with thu
sword, is no reason why you shoulC
say they approve of it. Tho jew
understand that the Bible and itI
Author were against polygamy
There is but one case of polygam,
mentioned in all the four hundre,
and thirty years of the stay of III
jews in Egypt. All the might,
men of the Bible stood aloof iron
polygamY, except those who TO
falling into it were chastised fo
their crimes. Adam, Noah, Moses
Aaron, Joshua, Joseph, Samuel
jeremiah, Isaiah, Ezekiel, Paul
were all monogamists.
But you say David and Solomon
had plurality of wives. Yes, an'
did they not get well punished fo
itg BY the way the Lord chas
tised them ia it not evident tha
all the edicts of the Eternal Go
, were against their behavior! Ds
! vid suffered for his crimes anon
T the cavcrns of Adullam and Mass
da, and in the wilderness of Maol
and in the bereayements of Zicl
lag; the Bedouins after him, sicl
ness after him, Absolom after hin
} Ahithopel after him, Adonijah a
: ter him, tho Edomites after hin
: the Moabites after him, dethron,
+ ment after him, death after hin
!, the Lord God Almighty after hin
: There was not poor person in a
: his empire married to one plai
n Jewess but was happier than Il
e king in liaison with Bathsheb
I And Solomon, how did he get Q
+ with his polygamye Read his wa
: ming to others in Proverbs. Res
h his disgust with himself in Eccles
:, astes. He was enthroned wretc
V edness. He was crowned despai
l. He thrust up his hands in utt'
II loathing when he says: " "Nani
l. of vanities.n His 700 wives near
f pestered the life out of him. !
peat, all the mighty men of Il
Bible were monogamists exec
those who were pounded and fla
|, ed aud cut to pieces for their insr
\. to the holy marriage relation. Y,
h behold the effrontery of Mr..
q gersoll, who stands before t
y audience and tells me the Bib
n favors polygamy. If that were
r. how do you account for the IA
"a that polygamy reigns il all Ian
w except where Christianity is do
\. inant Polygamy all over Chin
q. and all through India, and all ov
Ie Africa, and all through Heathe
m dom, except where missionari
d have been, while polygamy cann
ii abide in England and America c
cept in defiance of the law, as
Utah, from which place the Pre-
An