The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-07-10

Biblical law OF Maria e-Ele Sues
tion Entered Into at Length and the
Answer Conclusive.
For the benefit of his congregation the
Rev. R. r. Bigger, Ph.D.. pastor of the
Third Presbyterian church. devotes a
part Of his evening services to the an
sweripR Of questions 1t not unfre-
oueutly occurs that church-gOers are de-
slrous Of being enlightened on certain
dlaieult portions of Scripture, or on
questions relating to public and private
morals. or on ecclesiastical questions re-
iating to the church laws, and discipline
and church history. or it may be that
certain questions with reference to good
citizenship and sociology in general are
not clear to them. To meet these wants
Mr. Bigger has provided the Pastors
Question Box" which has been placed
Mt the entrance Of the church auditor
ium. In this box all questions are to be
placed. and no attention will be paid to
questions otherwise asked. The person
asking the question is requested NOT
to sign his name for two reasons, First
the pastor can more freely discuss the
question IL he does not know who asked
II; and, secondly, as the pastor has re-
served the right to pass over any ques-
ton which he may think unwlse to dis
cuss publicly, 1t would be more pleasant
not to know who asked 1t. At least one
week will be taken to study the ques-
tion and consult the proper authorities
and when the answer is given that ends
1t. If the answer is not satisfactory
the questioner must seek elsewhere for
what he considers better information.
In no case will any debate be entered
into.
question /. How do you answer Con-
gressman-elect Roberts claim that
polygamy is upheld by the Bible?"
Answer-I lay down the proposition
that the Bible does not uphold polyga-
my on the contrary 1t teaches that
monogamy is the God-ordained law of
! marriage. In proof of this statement
the Bible itself is my authority. And In
the FIRST place let US remember that the
Bible In part is history; giving a true
record of the customs and practices,
both good and bad, OF the ancient He
brews, Gods chosen people, to whom he
committed his revelation. This history
tells of their sins as well as of their
virtues; of their violations OF Gods law
as well as Of their obedience to it. The
Bible tell Of Gains numbering Able, of
Noah's getting drunk, of Davids adult
terry, and of Abraham's and solomOn's
polygamy in plain, unvarnished Ian
guage. But in speaking OF the. existence
OF these sins 1t by no means sanctions
or upholds them. Noah, Abraham, Da-
yld and solomon were among the best
moral men of their times, but their
times were vastly different from what
ours is. Good as these men were they
were not perfect, and they fell into
grievous sins; and forthwith God AL
mighty exposed their wicked ways to
the world as warning to men Of all
time. But the history of their sinful
practices in no way argues that the Di-
vine historian sanctioned or upheld
their practices. II so then every news
paper, both religious and secular up
,holds murder, robbery and rape, for
they relate the occurrence Of these
crimes every week. But how absurd to
maintain this idea. Gods word does
mention the fact frequently that some
men had more than one wife, and even
men who were accounted good men, but
does that teach or uphold polygamy?
II SO then the mention Of drunkenness
and adultery upholds them! But how
absurd this position.
In the second place, through mercy
and compassion. rather than to destroy
his people for their sin of polygamy,
God suffered It to be so for many gem
erations, but all that time he legislated
against It and finally destroyed 1t en-
tIrely from among the Jews over 700
years before Christ. In Deut. 1917.
kings were forbidden to multiply wives
to themselves" but In spite of this pro-
hlbitIon many OF the kings violated the
explicit command. Moses leglslated for
the restriction and regulation of .the
evil; and while his laws on this question
were not such as might be considered
the best for every condition; they were
such as were best suited for their con-
dition. 1t was only through the mercy
of God that a polygnmous people were
permitted to remain in existence. When
our Lord was asked about the violations
of Gods marriage laws, he answered
Moses because OF the hardness Of your
hearts suffered you, but from the be-
ginning 1t was not So" Matt. 1879
Therefore the laws of Moses were but
a temporary regulation as a political
measure with reference to polygamy
and not an upholding Of polygamy by
God as n moral ruler. All the evils OF
that early age could not be remedled In
a moment. And until the people of that
age could be brought into such state
that they could feel and understand the
force Of law, 1t was necessary for their
rulers meanwhile to devise prudential
regulatlos for the purpose of checking
their lawlessness. But that the evil OF
polyBaIny was eradicated under Gods
dealings with the Hebrews 700 years II,
c. is proof enough to any candid In