Show 0 rw f T THE E iders elders of the church of jesus christ of latter batter day Saints had forty years experience I 1 in preaching g the gospel of the lord jesus during ahat period they have frequently been 2 broughlin brough tin in contact with religious teach ers erb ers era of various persuasions and 1 as might be expected have hav havelind eliad had thou thousands ands of I 1 discussions some before the public with the subjects selected and the terms published others in more private circles we cannot at present recall a single public discussion sherea decision was wai arrived at either by an unprejudiced chairman or by the audience that was not in their favor it has been conceded that if the bible is fil true lr pr if its words are to be received as they are written the doctrines taught by the latter day lay saints are sustained by scripture the difficulty in all these dis cu has be been to get geb men to admit that the bible means what it says they have wanted to put a private interpretation i upon the word of god to attach some bome hidden and spiritual meaning which themselves or some commentator devised to tb those portions which althey as they stood adoffie came in contact with their thein creeds and practices it is easy to perceive that where this custom of spiritualizing spiritualize spiritual iz izing i ing the word of god prevails creeds I 1 dogmas q and opinions can be multiplied ad infinitum ancl and the bible under such a system becomes what many infidels sabit is S like an hn old fiddle upon which an any sav tun tune can be played I 1 I 1 these reflections are prompted by the perusal of a report af pf of a serpa serva servant sermon ot delivered on sunday april aith at the metropolitan ro methodist church washington city by the rev kev dr newman the tile chaplain of the TT S senate and a very prominent episcopal methodist minister on the subject of polygamy notice had been given for two weeks previously that he would preach such a he being enga engaged 9 ed in its preparation ann anat anft the there was a full fuli attendance president grant vlee vice president colfax chief chiet justice chase and other leading men being present it is not our purpose to review this sermon at present though it will receive a retie revie wat which we hope to have the pleasure of publishing in a few days but to call attention to 0 the fact that the speech of won hon ww wen H hooper our delegate has created so much talk and is deemed of such importance thab that the leading preacher in washington has had the duty of com batting its proofs assigned to him As every reader of the bible well knows that book must be dreadfully tortured to make it deny polygamy and sustain monogamy yet this is what dr newman attempts to doi do can the Et ethiopian bibian change his skin or of the leopard his s spots otar can a hireling an st forget to spiritualize and pervert perven gods goals word A more determined effar to de cel cei wethe the people and to throw dust dast in fil their eyes we never read the passages he quotes he uses ucb them as suit his purpose and glosses over or quietly ignores the remaining portions to give a specimen of his manner mannen of f dealing with the patriarchs he asserts asserts as boy ishmael was not acknowledged by god as abrahams son his angel called him the lad and in hii ali another olih er place the lord in speaking to abraham called isaac abrahams only sofi sodd son of course he considers this a very satisfactory method of disposing of abrahams case but how about jacob jacob had four wives by whom he ke had Ai twelve elire elive sons oh ob bays says the dockory ja acob took these wives when he was unconverted he would have his hearers bearers suppose that he learned better when he had been converted but unfortunately foi for the argument the lord told jaco jacob at the time dr newman says hirwas converted 1 I am god almighty be fruitful and multiply and aud a company of nations shall be of theland thee and kings shall come out of thy loins and J jacob I 1 obeyed him and still lived in polygamy and afterwards had polygamous offspring what absurdity therefore to quote the angels calling israel 1 1 iba ith head he alfas allas as an evidence against poly polygamy a my f or the calling of isaac th oni son of f abraham at a time hea s sh aa had been lo 10 long iong ng years a absent sebit fro froni atlis ahls bib fath fathers eils house housel if this be accosted accepted jas L a s le evidence c d what shall be done with jacobs polygamous offspring whom god recognized as his sons sona vanor 6 d and made nations of because oft wa 5 relation relationship Bh te to jacob and whose names are to be inscribed on on the twelve gateb gates of the heavenly jerusalem we might go on intile in thib this manner and review revie whis his argument but buit this is not our present they are like ilke soap bubbles pretty for people to look loox at af who do not know that they are only bub bubbles bees bies but let them be touched by s they te disappear there thero them we wa uner stan that dr newman used language though it is not ler ier in the report ot his fermoil sermon which we faveto the effect that if congress did not weed out polygamy the church would weed it out we hopa his statement will be remembered b by lils his hearers bearers nad aad bep be published u blushed so that the world may know his sAnti sentiments ments and position this is the real point at ht issue the th hustion question is shall sh alLone one religion beauge ca uld its adhe adherents rents are arem srem rii rit th the e rn dorc dorr ity andeits and its doctrines do not fiot agnee agree wit with what happens to be the pop popular ular feeling be crushed out by the majority if so let it be known aud and let CO congress n gress m make ak laws un tin the subject t SQ so tb au tili till nh rimy the and what they I 1 cannot im n bill HK j r i t io 1 |