POLYGAMY

An investigation of the reason why polygamous marriages are utterly condemned and banished from the Christian world cannot be undertaken by anyone, no matter how talented in the acute perception of such matters, unless he has first been taught the following propositions. There is truly conjugial love. This is impossible except between two married partners. Even between two this can only be granted by the Lord. This love has imprinted on it heaven with all its happiness.

Without these facts being previously known and serving as it were as the first stone of the structure, the mind seeks in vain to summon up from the intellect any reasons which will satisfy it, and on which it can rest like a house on its stone base or foundation, to explain the banishment of polygamy from the Christian world. It is well known that monogamous marriage is established on the basis of the Lord's saying:

Whoever divorces his wife, except for unchaste conduct, and marries another, commits adultery. This was the rule from the beginning, from the institution of marriage, so that the two could become one flesh. Man is not to set apart what God has joined (Matt. 19:3-11).

[2] But although the Lord laid down this rule based on the Divine law imprinted on marriage, even if the intellect cannot find anything in its powers of reasoning to support it, it is still able to employ its usual tricks and misinterpretations to distort that law, reducing it to unclear ambiguity and eventually to an affirmative-negative; to an affirmative, because it is also prescribed by civil law, to a negative because it does not result from their rational view. Over this the human mind will stumble, if not previously taught about the facts mentioned above, which are to serve to introduce the intellect into its own lines of argument. These are: the existence of conjugial love; its impossibility except between two married partners, nor even then unless it comes from the Lord alone; and the imprinting on this love of heaven together with all its happiness. But these matters and more about the banishment of polygamy from the Christian world must be proved in due order in the following propositions. These are:

(i) It is only with one wife that truly conjugial love can exist, and consequently the same is true of truly conjugial friendship, trust, potency and the linking of minds that makes the two one flesh. (ii) It is only with one wife that the celestial blessings, spiritual bliss and natural pleasures can exist, which have been provided from the beginning for those who enjoy truly conjugial love. (iii) It is the Lord alone who can grant all these, and they are not granted except to those who approach Him only, and at the same time live in accordance with His commandments. (iv) Consequently truly conjugial love with all its happiness cannot be granted except to those who belong to the Christian church. (v) This is the reason why a Christian is not allowed to marry more than one wife. (vi) A Christian who marries more than one wife commits not only natural, but also spiritual adultery. (vii) The Israelite nation was permitted to marry more than one wife, because there was no Christian church with them, and so they could not be granted truly conjugial love. (viii) The Mohammedans of today are permitted to marry more than one wife, because they do not acknowledge the Lord Jesus Christ as one with Jehovah the Father, and so as God of heaven and earth. They are therefore unable to receive truly conjugial love. (ix) The Mohammedan heaven lies outside the Christian heaven, and is divided into a higher and a lower heaven. None are raised to their higher heaven except those who forswear mistresses, and live with one wife, and acknowledge our Lord as the equal of God the Father, to whom dominion over heaven and earth is given. (x) Polygamy is wantonness. (xi) Chastity, purity and holiness in marriage are impossible for polygamists. (xii) Polygamists cannot become spiritual, so long as they remain polygamists. (xiii) Polygamy is not a sin for those whose religion allows it. (xiv) Polygamy is not a sin for those who have no knowledge of the Lord. (xv) Of these those are saved who, despite being polygamists, acknowledge God, and live for religious reasons in accordance with the civil laws of justice. (xvi) But no one from either of these groups can associate with angels in the Christian heavens.

There now follows an explanation of these propositions.