332. POLYGAMY If investigation is made into the reason why polygamous marriages are wholly banned from the Christian world [it will be found that], by no one, howsoever endowed with the gift of genius in acutely searching into matters, can that reason be seen as in clear day, unless he has first been instructed THAT THERE IS A LOVE TRULY CONJUGIAL; THAT THIS LOVE IS NOT POSSIBLE EXCEPT BETWEEN TWO; THAT NEITHER IS IT POSSIBLE BETWEEN.TWO EXCEPT FROM THE LORD ALONE; and THAT ON THIS LOVE IS INSCRIBED HEAVEN WITH ALL ITS FELICITIES. Unless these knowledges precede and lay the first stone, as it were, the mind can never be sufficiently equipped to draw from the understanding any reasons to which it can assent and on which it can stand, as a house on its stone or foundation, why polygamy is banned from the Christian world. It is known that the institution of monogamous marriage is founded upon the Lord's Word, that whoever shall put away his wife except for whoredom, and shall marry another, commits adultery; that it had been ordained from the beginning, that is, at the first institution of marriages, that two should become one flesh; and that man should not put asunder what God has joined together (Matt. 19:3-11). [2] But although the Lord dictated these words from the Divine law inscribed on marriage, yet, if it cannot support that law from some reason of its own, the understanding, by twistings to which it is accustomed, and by sinister interpretation, can get around it and reduce it to obscure ambiguity and finally to what is affirmative-negative--to what is affirmative because it is also taken from the civil law, and to what is negative, because it is not deduced from the man's own rational sight. It is into this negative that the human mind will fall unless previously instructed respecting the knowledges mentioned above which shall serve the understanding as an introduction to its reasonings. These knowledges are: That there is a love truly conjugial; that this love is not possible except between two; that neither is it possible between two except from the Lord alone; and that on this love is inscribed heaven with all its felicities. This and more also respecting the banning of polygamy from the Christian world is now to be demonstrated in the order of the following articles:
I. That except with one wife there can be no love truly conjugial, consequently, no truly conjugial friendship, confidence, potency, and no such conjunction of minds that the two may be one flesh. II. Thus, that except with one wife, there can be no celestial blessings, spiritual happiness, and natural delights such as have been provided from the beginning for those who are in love truly conjugial. III. That none of these can be given except by the Lord alone; and that they are given to no others save those who approach Him alone and at the same time live according to His precepts. IV. Consequently, that love truly conjugial with its felicities is not possible except with those who are of the Christian Church. V. That hence it is, that for a Christian it is not lawful to marry more than one wife. VI. That a Christian, if he marries more wives than one, commits not only natural adultery but also spiritual adultery. VII. That for the Israelitish nation it was permitted to marry more wives than one because with that nation there was no Christian Church, and hence no possibility of love truly conjugial. VIII. That it is permitted Mohammedans at this day to marry many wives because they do not acknowledge the Lord Jesus Christ to be one with Jehovah the Father, and thus as the God of heaven and earth, and hence cannot receive love truly conjugial. IX. That the Mohammedan heaven is outside the Christian heaven, and is divided into two heavens, a lower and a higher; and that no others are elevated into their higher heaven save those who renounce concubines, live with one wife, and acknowledge our Lord, to whom is given dominion over heaven and earth, as equal with God the Father. X. That polygamy is lasciviousness. XI. That with polygamists conjugial chastity, purity, and holiness are not possible. XII. That polygamists, so long as they remain polygamists, cannot become spiritual. XIII. That polygamy is not a sin with those with whom it exists from religion. XIV. That polygamy is not a sin with those who are in ignorance of the Lord. XV. That of these, those are saved, although polygamists, who acknowledge God and from religion live according to the civil laws of justice. XVI. But that none of the latter and the former can be consociated with angels in the Christian heavens. Now follows the exposition of these articles.
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