made, himself, the marriage of brother and sister the way, and the only
way, for the increase of the human race. _He commanded them thus to marry.
They would have sinned had they not thus married_; for they would have
transgressed his law. Such marriage was not even a natural evil, in the
then family of man. But when, in the increase of numbers, it became a
natural evil, physical and social, God placed man on a higher platform for
the development of civilization, morals, and religion, and then made the
law regulating marriages in the particulars of blood. But he still left
polygamy untouched. [Here Dr. Wisner again asked if Dr. R. regarded the
Bible as sustaining the polygamy of the Old Testament.] Dr. R.--Yes, sir;
yes, sir; yes, sir. Let the reporters mark _that_ question, and my answer.
(Laughter.) My principle vindicates God from unintelligible abstractions.
I fearlessly tell what the Bible says. In its strength, I am not afraid of
earth or hell. I fear only God. God made no law against polygamy, in the
beginning. Therefore it was no sin for a man to have more wives than one.
God sanctioned it, and made laws in regard to it. Abraham had more wives
than one; Jacob had, David had, Solomon had. God told David, by the mouth
of Nathan, when he upbraided him with his ingratitude for the blessings
he had given him, and said, "And I gave thee thy master's house, and _thy
master's wives_ into thy bosom." (2 Sam. xvii. 8.)

God, in the gospel, places man on another platform, for the revelation of
a nobler social and spiritual life. He now forbids polygamy. _Polygamy now
is sin_--not because it is in itself sin. No; but because God forbids
it,--to restrain the natural and social evil, and to bring out a higher
humanity. And see, sir, how gently in the gospel the transition from the
lower to the higher table-land of our progress upward is made. Christ and
his apostles do not declare polygamy to be sin. The new law is so wisely
given that nothing existing is rudely disturbed. The minister of God,
unmarried, must have only one wife at the same time. This law, silently