OCR Text |
Show Page 199 marshaled every polygynous detail of Bible history in support of the doctrine, but did not stop there. He argued from cultural history as well, pointing to the widespread practice of plural marriage among most populations of the earth. Many so-called heathen nations considered polyg-mic relations the norm - from this, the Mormons in their writings and speeches began to develop a peculiar affinity for the Moslems, 24 reflected in sermons by Parley Pratt and George A. Smith on "Mahometanism," and indeed many of these polemics mused over the possibility that Mohammed had been, to some extent, an inspired prophet. Orson also developed a theological history of "Christian polygamy," deducing that the "Romish priesthood" was to blame for its proscription in the early church. Concluding his series, he served up a letter bearing the signatures of Martin Luther and Philip Melanchthon advising the Landgrave of Hesse to go ahead and marry his concubine, "For the gospel hath neither recalled nor forbid what was permitte d in the law of Moses with respect to marriage." He points out the irony that the practice of polygamy should be approbated by the Reformers and yet condemned by 25 outraged Protestant divines in the Nineteenth Century. To the question, "Cannot Gen. Pierce do something to stop this 26 dreadful evil?", Orson replies that laws forbidding plural marriage "are founded wholly on custom...the American nation...are only free in part," because European traditions still bind, and there is nothing inherently reprobate in the practice of plurality: "We wish some of our wise statesmen...would take up the subject of plurality and show wherein it is immoral, or unscriptural, or criminal. Upon this subject the people ^ want arguments, not denunciations; reason, not sophistry." The Seer did well for subscribers, at first; counted among them were several "old apostates...William McLellin is a subscriber..." and they gave „mc of correspondence - some fifty letters a week *<»TTI7 a mm |