CHAPTER XVIII.

ON THE LAW OF MARRIAGE.

Yet once again I shake not the earth only, but also heaven. And this word yet once again signifies the remov¬ ing of those things that are shaken, as ot things that are made; that those things which cannot be shaken may re¬ main.’ Heb. 12: 26.27. Hag. 2: 6. 7.

I now enter upon an important matter which 1 would gladly have omited; did not the restitution ot tne law ot Cod require that we should clearly understand it. If we were doomed of necessity to continue involved in sin, it could not be a reproach-/ whatever else the consequences might be. But sin is a reproach to any people. A re¬ proach to our understandings. We all admit that sm is an unreasonable thing; and not to our interest.' Yet we prac¬ tice it. This proves that an astonishing frailty exists in our minds. But our sin is not tiro cause of this frailty, for it is manifest that this frailty is the cause of our sin . Whence then arises this frailty, or imbecility of mind? I answer, that I have applied myself to seek and search out wisdom; and the reason of things: and to know the cause of madness and foolishness. And I find that more bitter than death is the woman, whose heart is snares and nets, and whose hands are bonds, Solomon. And thus are we involved m Adm’s chains, and all the penalties and pains, of slaveries’ growth. But what should we understand by Adam’s chains ? Answer, Adam was enslaved by the woman, not by the serpent in the first instance, as we are taught, by the word: Adam was not deceived, but the womam being deceived was in the transgression. She gave unto the man and he did eat. Therefore said Paul, I suffer not a woman to teach or to usurp authority over the man , hut to be in subjection. Her law and government over a man we are thus taught by the Holy Spirit is an usurpation of power. But Adam was enslaved by the woman, and spare we. It is the na ture of an unatural and unlawful bondage, to degrade the mind, bred and born,and involved therein. Hence we have lost the original dignity, nobleness, and excellency of the masculine mind; and have, as it respects the sex of our minds become effeminate. That such is the character of our mind, is evident from the fact; that we are constantly deceived by the devil like Eve of old. It would have been impossible that the Christian nations with the Bible in their hands, could have remained to this day servants of ser¬ vants, and slaves to sin; continually deceiving and being deceived, even by the devil, like Eve of old; had they not been possessed of the effeminate mind like Eve. We are placed by our laws under the law of the woman. The word of God saith, for the wife is bound by the law, as long as her husband liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is at liberty to be married to whom she will, (take notice not to marry) but to be married to whom she will, only in the Lord. 1 Cor. 7: 39* This text shows what is meant by her being under the law of her husband; that is, she is not at liberty to be married to auother, while she has a lawful husband yet living. And if a man is bound to his wife in the same manner, then is he under the law of his wife. Again: Ro. 7. 2. For a woman that hath a husband is bound by the law to her husband, as long as her husband liveth; but if her husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband. But in no place in the holy book do we read that a man is bound by the law of his wife, as long as his wife lived), such an idea and law would be, and is subversive of ail righteous government; and it disorganizes the whole system of truth. A man cannot be lawfully placed under the law of his wife, for he is the head. The seat of the mind bv which beings are governed is in the head. The government of the wife is therefore placed in the husband by the law of God; for he is the head. I suffer not a woman saith the Lord to teach, or to usurp authority over the man, but to be in subjection. How then can a man be righteously placed under the lam of a woman. The word of God here expressly declares that such authority is an usur¬ pation of power. Neither can the woman herself, nor the human family prosper, when the woman takes a station for which she was not created. For Adam vyas first form¬ ed, then Eve, the man is therefore nearer the fountain than the woman; as Christ is before the man. Therefore as the Church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in all things. Eph. 5: 24. And it is writ¬ ten, let the wife see that she reverence her husband for God is not the author of confusion, but of peace. A man ought not to be bronghi under the law of a woman in any wise. But by our law he is in ten thousand instances completely enslaved to an imperious woman whereby confusion and not peace rages in society at its very root.. And the principle that performs this wicked work, is recognized, and admitted by all, and therefore operates upon all, and disorganizes the universal mind of man throughout. Christendom; it being gotton and bred in this disorganizing ruin. The evil consequences resulting from the imperfection of our •laws upon this subject, are many and destructive to this whole nation: and as Satan gained the ascendency over man, by the submission of the man to the woman; so he must be expelled by exhalting man, to his original authority and dignity, and by forming our laws exactly according to the divine pattern; or reign forever. This only can restore order, good family government, and peace. Multitudes of families are now in confusion, and wretchedly governed. This is a great evil.

For the private families are nuneries of mind: and the evils of a bad government here cannot be calculated. Ma¬ ny sons in their teens are roving about the land like the wild asses’colt, unbridled: these oft times become associ¬ ates and partners, with pick-pockets thieves and robbers. Many husbands, are induced by the unnatural and intolera¬ ble nature of female tyranny and usurpation, to even aban¬ don their families to the mercy of a heartless world. Such unnatural crimes never did exist under the ancient law of God. All law or government of a womanover a man, except it be the law of kindnesses an usurpation of powerdestructive of the order, peace, and well being of society. These evils are indeed the most ruinous in their results, of any that exist among us, and cannot, be remedied by our laws. But it is obvious that some effectual power should exist to annihilate the possibility of such a prolific ruin, at the very fountain head of humau life. A recognition and common consent, to the existance of the cause of those untold evils, opperating on, and in our minds from infancy; is such an unnatural shackle to the dignity and original excellency of the mind of man; that although we may personnallv some of us be hapily manned; yet the obnoxous principle bears upon the whole body of manly intellect forever. This ruinous, disorganizing, debasing principle cannot be eradicated but by the strong arm of the law. Our ladies have long pos¬ sessed a power, which the very nature of things, the nature of women, and the law oi God utterly forbid; it must and does produce misery, vanity, confusion, and sorrow both to them and us. You have placed the husband under the law of the wife as long as the wife lives; and at the same lime placed the wife under the 1: w of . le husband as long as the husband lives! what an absurd:h/! what an attempt loan impossibility!! what « confusion! There is no head here, or there is a double headed monster, with two different set of brains that pull different ways! How many such glaring absurdities are found in the prevailing principles of Religion and ethics! As it is written. They have spoken frauds swearing falsely in making a covenant (that is the marriage covenant). Thus judgment springeth up as hemock in the furrows of the field, Hos. 10: 4. Well did the scriptures say, that mystery Babylon was the mother of harlots, and abominations of the earth, These are the sour¬ ces of our rum and misery, and the very root of the poison. From hence springeth up the poison hemlock in society. This is the seed.

There is a great evil that lies in our law of divorcement. This law in our country is imperfect in principle. That it is imperfect is evident from the changes it is frequently undergoing and from . the fact, that it is now different in different States. How can it be that a divine lawshould be imperfect and changeable? Does not this prove at once my countrymen, and countrywomen, that you are not married, neither are you divorced according to the law of God ; We must return in this particular to the standard, to the law of God which is a perfect law upon this important subject. Who i ask has a right to make a law of marriage but God l much less tq alter or change it. The marriage law is admitted by all to' be a divine law. It is therefore spiritual in its nature, as indeed are all the laws of God, who is himself a spirit, and therefore obliga¬ tory on the spirit or mind, as well as on the body. I .et us now examine the law of Christ vpon this matter. Math. 5. 32. But I say unto you that whosoever shall put away his wife saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever marrieth her that is put away commiteth adultery. Here we learn the only true aud lawful cause of divorcement. It is the fornication of the wife against her husband. But surely this is not what is commonly called fornication litteraly, or of the body; (or this offence a married woman cannot commit. Fornication as it is generally understood, is the levvdness of un¬ married persons. But you will say that in this case you have always understood it to mean the same thing as adul¬ tery. But what propriety is there in thus understanding it ? when Christ here teaches that the body of a married woman must first be prostituted, or joined to another, or again married, and the former marriage bed defiled before adultery is committed. Fornication cannot defile the mar¬ riage bed. The nature of marriage is such, that it cannot be perfected until the bodies are actually joined, hence saith Christ, for this cause shall a man leave father and mo¬ ther, and cleave unto his wife, and they twain shall be one flesh. Paul perfectly illustrates this thing when he saith, shall 1 take the n hrist, and make them the mem¬

bers of an harlot ? God forbid. Hence it is clear that Christ teaches that th tarried woman must be first

prostituted before adultery is committed; and that a man has a right to put away his wife for fornication only, and she is then free. But if a man should put away his wife for the crime of adultery; would the man who should af¬ terwards marry tier, or the woman either be less guilty of adultery by that marriage, than if the woman had not been before guilty of that crime? Can one crime clear a person from the same crime afterwards? Observe, Christ does not call fornication a crime in a married woman; neither is it a crime in a married woman; but a justifiable cause for putting her away. It does not read,' if a man pnt away his wife except it be for the crime of adultery. But it reads, if a man put away his wife, except for the cause of" forni¬ cation; ho thereby causeth her to commit adultery by a second marriage. IS’ow it is evident that the cause why a man might put away his wife, could not be the conse¬ quence of putting her away without the existence ot that cause. The on. ; w other adultery.

The truth is this; the spiritual law of marriage is binding upon both the body and mind of the wife equally. The prostitution of the body after marriage constitutes adulterv; but the alienation of the mind or affections from her hus¬ band constitutes fornication in a married woman. The. sexual cohabitation of unmarried persons is not adultery but fornication. Because although their minds may bo united in the closest ties of affections and love; yet she is not given in marriage by the marriage covenant. There¬ fore it is fornication. But after the body and mind are both obligated by the marriage covenant; it the mind of the wife which was equally bound with the body to obey, and to be in subjection in all things, by the spiritual nature of that covenant, becomes alienated from her husband, she commits fornication against her husband; because the mind of the wife was bound to yield obedience and submission to her husband in all things as well as the body, by the spirit¬ ual nature of that covenant. In this latter case the mind of the married woman is prostituted; in the former, that is of the unmarried woman the body w as prostituted: in ei¬ ther case it is fornication and in tire case of the married woman the only proper and legal cause of divorce. And the wife can commit fornication against her husband in no other possible way. For if she prostitute her body after marriage, it is adultery. There is a spiritual fornication as well as a spiritual aduitery. When a woman apostatizes in spirit from her husband, she then commits fornication against the spiritual law of marriage, and in no other way can a married woman commit fornication. It sliQ. prosti¬ tutes her body, it is adultery. There is also a spiritual adultery as well as adultery of the body, which may be committed by the man. If a man looks on another man’s wife and lusts after her; he has committed adultery already in his heart. If he carries his unlawful desires into effect, it is adultery of the body. Adultery signifies simply, tho act which adulterates, legally, that -which defiles the mar¬ riage bed. but fornication can be committed without de¬ filing the marriage bed; in fact, it cannot defile the marriage in any case whatever. They are entirely two different things. It is impossible to understand this word fornica¬ tion to mean adultery in this case, because Christ makes the most clear, and positive distinction; and expressly de¬ clares that fornication is the only lawful cause for which a man may put away his wife; and that adultery is the con¬ sequence of putting her away without the existence of that cause. You might as' well suppose that he meant covet¬ ousness, by the word fornication, as to suppose that he meant adultery. There is not so great a distinction be¬ tween covetousness and fornication us there is between adultery and fornication. But a misunderstanding in this important point is the root of this great evil. Again, adul¬ tery by the law of God, was punishable with death. This would have been a divorce, with a lasting witness. With our eyes upon the law of God we can by no means admit the cortlmoh and erronSous understanding of this matter. Some may have supposed no doubt that Christ, in the case of the woman who was accused before him of adultery; softened, or entirely disannulled this law. If he entirely disaunulled this law, then there is no law against adultery; for he did not enact a substitute; and no gentile legislature, has a right to meddle with the law of Jehovah. But the above idea is no doubt, an incorrect understanding of the matter. We should recollect the office in which Christ acted. The law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. John, 1: 17. Christ did not act in the capacity of a legistor, but an illustrator of the law, a teacher, a servant. It was incompatible with his mission to even act as a judge in legal matters. Hence he would condemn no sinner. It was not consistent that he, who came to redeem sinners from the condemning power of the law with his own blood; should condemn them by the law. The Jews knew this to be his profession; hence they brought the woman before him, thinking to entrap him in this case. But with what wisdom he frustrated their de¬ sign, is manifest. Stone her said he, I do not teach the violation of the law; but let him who has not violated it, cast the first stone. None but the Soil of God, situated as he was: could have escaped from this trap. You recollect the young man who applied to him to settle the division of the inheritance between him and his brother. But Christ refused to interfere in the matter at all. Said he, who made me a ruler and judge over you? Had he proceeded to pass sentence upon sinners, it would have forever put out the candle of the Lord in our minds; and we could not have come to the knowledge of the truth, the glorious re¬ demption that is in Christ Jesus by the means which God hath appointed. Therefore he condemned no man neither did he condemn the woman, but told her to go in peace, and sin no more. If he had repealed the law which stood against her; such an act of which she was accused, would' thenceforth have been no sin. But God has ordained a proper power to execute wrath upon the transgresser; upon him that doeth evil . And this power the true teacher never crippled in the least. Did he make void the law in any particular? No verily. He established the sacred authority of the law, by submitting to it himself in all things in his own name, and in the name of the everlasting God; the unchangeable Jehovah, the author of that law. But you have made it void by your ignorance and traditions. We should recollect that the marriage relation is clearly illustrated to us by the relation that exists between Christ and his Church. When the church ceases to obey Christ, and to love him, they then commit fornication against him, and thus is the term used when speaking of a bride, throughout the scriptures. When the church rebels against her lawful husband and master Jesus'Christ, and will not submit to him in all things; she then commits fornication against him and this is the plain sense of the matter* So in the case of the wife, when she refuses to submit cheerfully to her husband in all things; (a broad commandment this, but limited by reason and love only,) when she ceases to reverence her husband, to be submissive to him; trusting in her husband, and believing in him, then she commits fornication against the law of marriage, and against him; even as the false church has against Christ. And in no other possible way can she com¬ mit this act and it then becomes the right of her husband, to write her a bill of divorcement according to the strict letter of the law* of God given by Moses: and to put her away unless she repent. A right understanding of this matter, and a correct law properly executed, would restore this nation to peace and order; and man to his true dignity, authority and government of the earthly creation. It would soon rectify the domestic circle, and establish a proper head over the families of the earth, and be the means ol driving satan; together with the knowledge and resti¬ tution of the whole penal law of God, and the glorious and everlasting gospel; yea, of driving satan from the human mind and, setinga seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more until his lime. And by no other means can order and peace be restored to man. A nd by no other means can the heart of the fathers be turned to their children, and the heart of the children be turned to their fathers. The spirit of God and Christ will then re¬ turn to deliver us from all evil, and to guide the mind of happy and exalted man into all truth. Length of days, peace and blessings foretold shall be ours. Man shall then cease committing fornication against his head and husband Jesus Christ. F*'or the head of the woman is the man, and the head of the man is Christ, and the head of Christ is God. It is the disorganization and disobedience of these eternal law? of order, end of God. that has ruined us. A schism in the body. Gentlemen, the ladies laugh at your pretended authority. They, many of them hiss, at the idea of your being the lords of the creation. Even in the public prints they have styled you, the would be lords, etc. Nothing is further from the minds of our wives in general, than the idea of submitting to their husbands in all things, and of reverencing their husbands. They will bold¬ ly ridicule the idea of calling them sincerely in their hearts lords and masters. But God has positively required this of them. See 1. Pet. 3: 6. Even as Sarah of old that ex¬ cellent woman, having now no parallel on Earth. And under existing circumstances our wives can never become the daughters of Sarah in the spirit, or enjoy the inherit¬ ance with her in a glorious immortality. Alas! the ruin is unbounded even to them. But gentlemen legislators, it now devolves upon you to open the gates of glory and blessedness; both for time and eternity, to a ruined world. Alter your imperfect, and wicked law of divorcement; make it according to the law of God, and the ladies will laugh at you no more. They will soon reform, and nothing in this world will they esteem higher than your affections. They will respect your authority sincerely; and you will command their kindest*attention every where. Then will you love your wives indeed,lor they’will be worthy. And then will the health of the daughters of my people be recovered. Then shall come to pass what is spoken by Isa. the Proph¬ et, 4: 2-4. When the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion , and shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof\ by the spirit of judgment , and by the. spirit of burning. It might be under our circumstances requisite, to compel the husband who thought of putting away his wife, to go before the magis¬ trate, and there affirm "the fact, that he was about to di¬ vorce his wife; stating under oath the true cause,or causes; such as wilful disobedience to his reasonable commands, disrespectful language; a refusal to submit to him in all reasonable things; and make it the duty of the magistrate to record the oath, and testimony thus given. The magistrate exercising no other judgment or supervision in the case, than that the evidence did prove that the true cause, or causes did exist as described by the law, and that no abuse or battery, had been offered by the husband against the wife; and that persuasion had been used kindly, and gently, and space giv en her to repent, and she repented not. This would be precisely the law of Christ on the subject, and in essence the very way he hath proceeded with his own rebellious bride. Then let the husband write her a bill of divorcement, and put her away, and she may then go, and be married to another man; the bill which should also be a matter of record, signifying a freedom from her former husband. Thus does the law of God declare, and the ex¬ planation given by Christ clearly signifies the same thing. Because he makes this exception, saying, if a man put away his wife save for the cause of fornication, by an after marriage she commits adultery, and he that marries her commiteth adultery. If the word fornication, here used by Christ, means adultery; and a woman is put away for that crime; it would follow that she is thereby free, and that by an after marriage she would not commit adultery; neither would the man that married her commit adultery. But if she is put away innocently, without committing adultery; then an after marriage is adultery. Thus it is necessary according to such a definition of the word for¬ nication; that the woman should commit adultery in the first place; in order to protect her from that crime by an after marriage. This is absurd for any rational being to believe. That Christ did not mean adultery by the word fornication is therefore absolutely decided beyond the pos¬ sibility of error; for the following irrefutable reasons, if no other did exist, 1st. Because it is impossible that the crime of adultery committed by a wife, should be the means of exonerating her from the same offence afterwards. 2d Because the crime of adultery was by the law of God punished with death; and with no other penalty; and Christ has declared that he in no case made void the law of God, although the truth, which came by Christ is; that he has redeemed the spirits of men from the condemning power of the law, with his own blood; as we have before abundantly proven; glory and honor be to his name, yet the natural earthly man is under the law and liable to its penalties in the flesh; and by right ought so to be. These are great hail stones of truth that cannot be resisted: beating with destructive violence upon the very foundation of mystery Babylon; and I am persuaded as we advance in the investigation of these things, that the storm will thicken. But you may enquire if the husband becomes alienated towards his wife, while she remains sincerely attached to him; has he not a right ro put her away? No, by no means, lie shall not drive his affectionate and faithful wife from him, while she remains pure in heart, and sin¬ cerely attached to him. This is that putting away which the Lord hates, which he hath forbidden, and in which he has not set the example. This was the principle reason why the disciples being bred Jews, thought it was not good to marry. Moses for the hardness of their hearts suffered them to do this, for some fancied uncleanness, or personal dislike on the part of the husband, see Deu. 24: 1. But from the beginning it was not so, and there is a legal reason, which is that a man shall not take advantage of his own wrong. But more especially the cruelty of the act, forbids it: but if a woman be alienated in her heart the case is different. There is then a serious reason why she must be put away. Children begotten and born of an ali¬ enated woman, are born of fornication in the spirit or mind. This is a great injury to the minds of such children. It injures theif intellectual powers, and disposition of mind. Hence we have often observed that children born of young women in an unmarried state, the production of an illicit love, arc often the most bright and active, and possessed of greater natural gifts than many other children. God who knows the nature of his own work has therefore ferbiden the propogating our species from an alienated woman. But in the case of the affectionate girl, saith Paul, there is no sin, let them marry, andso saith the law of God expressly. But a bastard, that is a child born of fornicatiou, or of an alienat¬ ed woman, shall not enter into the congregation of the Lord to the tenth generation. Here we are taught that the injury is so great as to disqualify them from becoming saints to the tenth generation! What do you think of this my countrymen? How many bastards have we in these states completely disqualified from entering into the congregation of the Lord, to the tenth generation ? It is evident that minds or souls are propagated by natural generation as well as bodies. No marvel that wise men are so rare in Christen¬ dom. And that they have read the scriptures for ages, without understanding the plainest facts. And have consequently constituted so many jarring sects, from the same authority, all in confusion like the builders of Babel. The woman is the producer, and while she remains pure, truly attached in spirit to her husband, her children are pure, and born in honer, but not otherwise. An idea from this root is alluded to by Paul, where he sayeth. The husband is sanctified by the believing wife; and the wife is sancti¬ fied by the believing husband, else were your children un¬ clean, but now are they holy. But in all cases the natural affections of the wife must be towards her husband, cu* it is fornication. She must be pleased to live with him as saith the apostle, else he must put her away. But there is a sanctifying power in the belief, and knowledge of Christ taught in this book; which is indeed the balm of Gilead to the children of suffering humanity, and if it be not re¬ ceived by this nation at this time, wo, wo be to them.— Cannot a man put away his wife for the crime of adultery? Answer, this crime was punished by the law of God with death, it is therefore absurd to talk of divorce in such a case. There is no act that can be named under heaven for which a man can lawfully put away his wife, save for the cause of fornication. But if the husband commit fornication, shall not the wife be entitled to a bill against him? Impossible. Did Christ say a woman shall not put away her husband saving for the cause of fornication? Here is a wrong idea in your head; an idea of a woman divorcing her husband. How can she do this for any oflcnce? The man is not under the law of marriage to his wife. But the wife is bound by the law of her husband as long as her husband liveth. A divorced man is a creature no where recognized in the scriptures , or in the laic of God. Where did you ever read in the law of God, or in the holy book, such a false idea? or the least allusion to the righteousness of such a thing on any account whatever? How can property put away its owner? The bible must become as absurd, and as foolish as the gentiles themselves; and its whole phraseology entirely changed to make it read according to our perverted ideas and laws upon this subject.

The wife is given to her husband, and is bound by the law of her husband, and the husband, cannot legally be put under the law of his wife. Unless you should thereby indeed fulfil literally; as in fact you have done, the saying of the Prophet Isaiah. Children are the oppressoi's of my peo¬ ple, and women rule over them. But if you have understood the true cause of divorcement to be adultery; yet yon have not formed your laws upon that principle altogether. You have been compelled by your experience to deviate from it in several of the states. What, although a woman is not known to be an adulteress; yet she may be a perfect devil to her husband, train him in the most imperious manner, dispise him in her heart, abuse him before his children, drive him like a menial slave where she pleases; and he must tamely submit to the ungodly law of his wife, must hug the ser¬ pent to his bosom, and love her as he does his own body! Impossible, and degrading to the nature of man. It is al¬ together unlawful and ruinous to the families of the nation. The means which your ungodly law, puts into the hands of a proud termagant, and alienated woman of torturing her husband, and ruining all his affairs as well as his soul, and his children to the tenth generation , cannot be written on paper. The evils that this nation now suffer by this erron¬ eous law cannot be enumerated; neither shall we compre¬ hend them until the law of God is restored, and true order, and righteous government is established in the land. Then will we discover the contrast, and not till then. And then will the smoke of the torment of those who now bow , to the beast, or false government, ascend up forever and ever. That is, it will be discovered by the contarst, and the remembrance thereof remain forever. Order and government must, and should exist, and God only knows where the pow er should be placed to effect it. And he has placed it in the hands of the man. And how is it possible that it ever should be effected, by placingtwo powers of equal force, in direct opposition to each other? This power of the man over the woman does not consist in the right of abuse and corporal punishment, which does violence to the nature of the marriage relation; but in the true law of divorcement established by God himself for the purpose of righteous government and peace. Neither has any legislature in Christendom a right to alter, amend, or change it in the least; only to appoint the means, and order the execution there¬ of. For what God has joined together, let not man out asunder. Bills of divorcement according to our laws* of the Gentiles are therefore unlawful. They cannot by their acts separate lawfully what God has joined together; he hath forbidden it. And many are now' living in iornicatiou and adultery in the sight of God. In which they, and all those who thus cause the violation of the law of God must give an account to him, who is ready to judge the quick and the dead at his; ppearppg, and in hi king¬ dom. The ceremony or covenantor marriage should be according to the iaw of God. The officiating officer should say to the man; you hereby take this woman which you hold by the right hand to be your wedded wife according to the law of God. He should answer I do. Then the officer should say to the woman you do hereby agree to become the wedded wife of this man which you hold by the right hand according to the law of God. She should ans¬ wer I do. Then the officer should say; according to the law of God 1 pronounce you husband and wife.

The idea of a woman taking a man to be her hus¬ band is not found in the word of God. But the man marries the woman; and the woman is given in mar¬ riage. She is therefore the property of tne husband in marriage. But the husband is not the property of the wife in any sense of the word. It is not said even in the holy decalogue when Mount Sinai was all on fire; and trembled at the presence of Jehovah, in that solemn exhibition of the power and glory of God; in the holy decalogue, written with the finner of God himself, it is not said; thou, shah not covet thy neighbor’s husband, no verily, she has no such property. But thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s wife, nor his man servant, nor his maid servant, his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing thy neighbor possesses. Here the wife is pronounced the husband's property, as much so as his man servant, his maid servant, his ox, or his horse. Although she is a different kind of property, very precious, near and dear to him as his own body. For she is the glory of a man, and if a virtuous woman, her price is above rubies. A different kind of property, and held be a different tenure according to law being bound to the husband, and can¬ not be sold. By the law a man had a right to buy and sell men servants and maid servants. Yet if he took a maid servant to be a concubine; she was under the same law to her master as was the wife; but the master then could not sell her, after she had been thus taken: but lie could let her go out free, and she was then a free woman. But the man is in no sense of the word the property of his wife. How can property possess its owner? How can the owner be put. under the law and government of his property? When God made the woman he gave her to the man; but he never gave the man to the woman. Therefore the woman has no power to divorce the man. How can property divorce its owner? Think of these things my countrymen seriously. For Zion shall be re redeemed with judgement, and her converts with righteousness; and the destruction of the transgressors and the sinners shall be together; and they that forsake God shall be consumed. Isa. 1; 27. Thus you «ee my countrymen, how the old harlot Rome, the old moth¬ er of harlots has committed fornication against Christ, and then has taught our wives to commit fornication against us with impunity. And has thus made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication. Rev. 10:3. This, was in the first place most infamously and wickedly done by the Priesthood, by the aid of the old dragon; that is Paganism. The converts to professed Christianity having been brought up in Paganism, were by that means, that is by the power of their education, and the fraud of the priests; deceived, as it is written. The dragon gave the beast his power, and seat, and great authority. Rev. 13: 2. And they worshiped the dragon who gave power to the beast. The authors, the Roman Priesthood knew better than this; hence they forbid their own class to marry at all: and under the pretence of sanctity. O shame! And their object \vas to degrade and enslave the world; while they preserved their*own dignity and power by not com¬ ing under the unnatural yoke of the woman. For they well knew that putting the man under the woman, would degrade his mind, and that of his posterity in many cases wretchedly: and produce imbecility of mind,disorder and con¬ fusion therein,like intoxicating wine: and render them finally their passive slaves. In the mean time to justify their natural wants the nunerv was invented; for they chose to degrade and prostitute their bodies rather than their minds. No doubt the whole scheme of the Priests was never carried into full prosecution, which part that failed, was the man¬ ner of bringing forward successors to perpetuate their no¬ ble order. But poor souls they must now bear their deg¬ radation forever. There is no help for them now, as they vainly imagined by the means of purgatory. They turned the grace of God into liciviousness, and their foslish minds became darkened. But heaven smiles on us, a glorious day is now opening. The harvest has come, and in the time of the harvest will the Lord send forth his angels and gather his elect from the four winds; from under the whole hea¬ vens; and they shall bear rule over those wicked Priests forever. In ancient times under the law of God, the per¬ mission of a plurality of wives had a direct tendency, to prevent the possibility of fornication in the wife. For the law of divorcement, and all the law on the subject, sustain¬ ed the lawful and independent power of the husband over the wife; and his dignity of character was thereby sup¬ ported. The interest, the hopes, the prospects of the wile, were all turned in the opposite direction by the law; , where indeed her mind always sho. Id be. Her m an object was to win, and retain the atfections of her husband. And there was no means more successful for this purpose, than to hoar him many children; for reasons which will hereafter ap¬ pear. Hence wives were so grieved at the idea of barren¬ ness. The ruinous evil of a woman’s being jealous of her husband, could not then exist under the law, and this evil is almost the only source of fornication in a wife. This fruitful source of evil was not then in existence. And the wife was perfectly passive, submissive and non-resisting towards her husband. The existance of fornication in a married woman, thatdistructive evil, even to her posterity; Was then hardly possible. It was not therefore defined or even mentioned in the law. It was improper so to do: as it would have had a tendency to' create an unknown evil. As the woman was then perfectly governed in right¬ eousness: nothing as it respected law on this subject was further necessary, but proper laws to govern the man. But when Christ came they had by being under ihc Baby¬ lonians, and afterwards the Romans, and mingling with trie Pagan nations; and from various other causes in many respects corrupted the law. It now became necessary to define the proper cause of divorce, to fit the law to the cir¬ cumstances of the age and to all future generations, not really to change the law at all; but to illustrate its spirit and real nature. This is ail the Saviour did at that time. A knowledge of the proper cause of divorcement would in this new case, be sufficient when duly appreciated, to maintain the proper dignity and authority of the man, and submis¬ sion of the woman, and consequently the natural excellen¬ cy of the children. The first law ever, made upon this subject of marriage is contained in these words, And unto the woman he said, in sorrow shalt thou bring forth chil¬ dren, and thy desire shall be unto thv husband; and he shalt rule over thee. Gen. 3: 16. This shows that the desire of wives cannot be maintained towards their hus¬ bands; unless they do absolutely reign over them by the strong, and righteous arm of the law. Because these prop¬ ositions are both pronounced by God himself in connection; and the*y must be connected, or neither will exist. And it is so, in the nature of things. It is evident that the sovreignt'y of tiie husband, over his wife, herein bestowed by Gid himself; cannot righteously be supported by any other means, than by tae law, neither can prosperity attend the human family upon any other principles.

But suppose a married man entice a maid; shall not the wife be eutided to a bill of divorce against him? This is notan offence against his wife; neither is it against the maid; but altogether in the maid's favor. It is not against the wife, for t ie man is not under the law of marriage to his wife m any sense whatever; neither can he be put un¬ der the lav/ (it the woman, without disorganizing the whole system of tae law of God, and of righteousness. If he has addressed the maid without her fathers consent.it is against the lather, for which the law of God expressly provides. And the wife has no concern, or control in this matter. Tiie wile cannot put away the husband for any cause. As well might a servant put away his master, or a child his father. A divorced man is a creature, not known in the whole canon of the scriptures. Here lies your error: and the law of him who made man must rule, and you my countrymen must and shall understand it; either in this life, to your advantage or in that which is to come to your everlasting loss. But if a man commits adultery with an¬ other man’s wife; it has a direct tendency to produce the great evil of alienation in the wife; which is murder to her posterity in its nature: and he robs the husband of his most precious rights, violates the interest of his life and family in the mo?t sacred points of man’s existanee. He there¬ fore, and the adulteress shall be put to death. God now ;alis us to peace, and purity and order; for liis house is a house of order, and not of confusion. This is the object of the whole law. But your laws upon this subject, lays the ax at tiie root of the tree of peace and order, and good government in the earth. And the fruits of disorder and cruelty and wickedness that have prevailed this thousand years, even with the gospel in your hands, is a demonstra¬ tion of this fact. Now then make the reasonable law of God your guide; instead of own misguided vain imagina¬ tions of what is fiting and best for mankind; and a glori¬ ous reward, both in time and eternity, will be the blessed consequences. The families of the earth are the root, of *11 righteous government among men. And unless order, a perfect and independent head is here established' by law, wretchedness, and confusion in the very nature of things will, and must be the certain consequences. The honor, the affections, the prosperity of the father and the husband, are powerful checks to his becoming a tyrant. The fa¬ therly government has in all ages where it has been sup¬ ported, been found the most virtuous and just. Besides the law can easily, and completely control any disposition of a tyranical nature in the supreme head of a family; with¬ out bringing him under the unlawful, and ruinous bondage of a woman. If he requires any thing of his wife which love and reason would not dictate; or if he inflict blows upon his w'ife; it is of the nature of assault and battery. And if he is convicted of such an offence; it is the law of God that he be publicly whipped, not to exceed forty stripes; according to the agravation of the offence. And where, I enquire, would such a man go to get a wife, after he was known? Such men, if any there be among us, ought not to be the fathers of the rising generation: for we now enter the Millennium. For by the law of Christ; a man is bound to be kind to his wife, and he is under the law to Christ who is his lawful head: but not under the law to his wife. The wife has no right to teach, admonish, reprove,.rebuke, or to exercise any kind of dictation what¬ ever. He is her head, and she should be guided by the head. If the wife wants to know any thing, let her ask her husband at home. She hath therefore the right of petition. And this is a right that all who are governed should possess. If she will seek any other guide, depending on something else besides her husband, (except it be the Lord who is head of all,) she must be miserable; she is out of the order which God has established in the creation, and wretchedness is the inevitable fruit. Therefore the law should confine her completely under her husband’s power for good, but not for evil. Has the church a right to ad¬ monish or dictate Christ? But the head of the woman is the man, and the head of the man is Christ. I suffer not a woman to teach, or to usurp authority over the man, but to be in subjection. Here we are informed that an at¬ tempt, even to teach her husband is an usurpation of pow¬ er forbidden by the holy spirit. But the church have the free right of respectful petition, and Christ encourages the use of that right in his bride. Some men argue that it is invain to petition the Lord in any case, for say they the plans of the Lord are immutable, and cannot change to accomodate our petitions, without imperfection in him. But such persons do not consider, that it is one of the grand objects ot the Creator in creating rational beings, to bring them acquainted with himself: and there is in the head of man a design of creating a communion between himself and them. Therefore the thing petitioned for by us, might as well be foreknown by him as any other thing; and to constitute the blessings of communion and society with God, ali those right petitions are included in the original design, without supposing any change in our Lord and Master. While we may enjoy the comfort and consola¬ tion of beholding our petitions granted, and our faith is thus strengthened, and we may enjoy society and com¬ munion with God. But to return. Let it be remembered that the law of God cannot be changed without bringing down ruin, misery and eternal degradation upon the heads of thote who change it. If a woman does commit fornica¬ tion against her husband, and does not reform, it is his indispensible duty to put her away. And how is it possible that a reasonable woman could desire to live w ith a man, when in her heart she is alienated from him? Surely she would much rather be free, that she might lawfully unite with some man whom she could respect and love. It is therefore a privilege to a wife in such case, to be legally freed* If a wdl'e desire a bill in any case, jt is a proof pos¬ itive by 4 her confession that she is alienated in heart from her husband. And the law then, should compel the hus¬ band to give her a bill, whatever the husband’s feelings or afiections towards her might be notwithstanding. Thus it is the woman that can break this covenant, not the man, because the woman is the subject of this law, and not the ruler by the law. So neither can Christ Jesus himself break the covenant of promise that binds the church to him. But the church can apostatize as she has done, and whereby she has been put away. Yet the law however fixes a check upon the light versatility of the mind of the woman by her not being allowed any dowry in suuh case; and no control over her children if she have any. The support and education of the children belong to the father, and all his substance to perform those duties with. The law therefore in all respects is calculated to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children; and the hearts of the chil¬ dren to their fathers. Not only in this instance, but by exhalting their authority, influence and dignity of charac¬ ter in the earth. Even so let it be saith the Lord; lest I come and smile the earth with a curse. The father of a fam¬ ily is the image of God, and it is not well pleasing to him that his particular image on earth, should be degraded by law, unlawfully. The wife in tire above case takes noth¬ ing but her own property unless t.ie husband is pleased to*give, for the law allows of no schism in the body, or ground of contention, and there is none. And the divorc¬ ed wife after being married to another cannot return to iier former husband. The highest signification of the term law, is governing power. And the per lect perml law of God'should be the governing power of all nations. All nations being thus brought under one and the same system of perfect government, would soon have no cause of war; and with a clear illustration of the rational truth of God, they Would soon beat their swords into plough shares, and their spears into pruning hooks; and learn war no more. So mote it he.

We have been treating of the governing power of mar¬ riage, and we clearly show that it is placed in the hands of the husband as chief executive; and no where else un¬ der heaven. And that he is not. a subject of that power. To suppose that this governing power is placed in the husband', and wife equally, is an absurdity. In the name of common sense, who then worn. ■ •venting

power of marriage was placed equally in the hands of the husband and the wife, there would be no subject, conse¬ quently no possibility of violating the power of the gov¬ ernment, for it is the subject only that can violate-a law; and therefore there could be no possibility of divorcement. For 1 cannot possibly hold a governing power over one, that holds a governing power over me in the same case. If 1 hold the power as a father, to govern my son; ho can¬ not at the same time hold the legal power of governing me. But you may object, that you place the governing power of marriage in neither of the parties, but in the Court. But the law of God never placed this power in the hands of. the Pep% nor Covrt. Do you not perceive that this opens a door of unlawful litigation between the husband and the wife; and places the power we speak of equally in the hands of both; seperating in open hostility what God has joined together. And thus your absurd unright¬ eous law, binds the husband by the law of the wife as long as the the wife lives; and at the same time binds the wife by the law of the husband as long as the husband lives? what folly then to talk of divorce at all? For a righteous' power cannot be Constituted to violate another righteous; power in any case. If thus they are wedded' together* no power'out death can righteously* part them. And in fact you have no settled principle of divorcement: but Popes and Courts do as they please with the bodies and souls of mankind. Nothing but death, could possibly disolve such a covenant. Do you not even blush, at your own absurdity? Tliis is not the nature of the true mar¬ riage covenant by any means, for that admits of divorce¬ ment, executed by the husband; who holds the power of this law in his hands, and to exercise it for the fornication of the wife, and for no other cause whatever. So sait/i the Lord Jesus Christ amen, lienee it is written of me. That kin g.s- sh all sh u i th e ir mo uthsa th im jftor th a t wh ich has not been told them shall they see; and that which, they hare not heard shall they consider. Isa. 32: 13. Is Christ under the law to the Church in any sense of the word? impossible. So neither is the husband under the law of marriage to his wife in any sense of the word. But is he not bound to love his wiio and provide for her bv the law of marriage? Truely he is thus bound, but not by the law of marriage, but by the law of Christ, which also binds him even to love his enemies; consequently to provide for his own, and especial¬ ly them of his own household. So also by the law of his head and husband he is bound, to give his wife a bill of divorcement when she becomes alienated from hum God anciently said unto his church, I am married unto thee, Jer. 3: 14. If the law of marriage places the husband under any government whatever, or if he is thereby laid under any obligation whatever; then was God under the law and government of his church; and under the same obligations to her, by being married to her. The fact is , the man is under the law to Christ , but not tinder the law of marriage to his wife: or in any sense obligated by it. More ver the covenant of marriage is, or ought to be conditioned accor¬ ding to the law of God, which admits of divorcement; but not according to the absurd law of the gentiles, which con¬ sistent with itself admits of no divorcement. According to this latter law the kingdom of marriage has but two sub¬ jects, and both of them are equally sovereigns over each other: and consequently in reality there are no subjects. at all: therefore no possibility of violating the sovereign authority; hence there can be no divorcement, and at the the same time no possibility of exercising sovereignty, and finally no kingdom or government; but a tyranical’ state of anarchy, whereby the families of the earth are filled with confusion, and held together, only by a principle similar to that by which the goats, and wild’ beasts herd together. Hence it is termed in scripture the governmont of the beast. But according to the law of Christ there is but one supreme governor only; who is 1 bound by Christ to gov¬ ern according to law; and who has power thereby, if his subjects rebel to banish them his dominions, and at the same time absolve them from their allegiance. And then to supply his government with other subjects, that it may be a house of order and peace. The former is a kind of mon¬ grel imitation of the latter; that amounts to a solemn ab¬ surdity and confusion. It establishes a positive ground of of contention unlawfully between the parties; (as among the beasts.) to determine which shall be master. As two oxen will not wmrk peaceably together in the yoke until this point is settled: so in the marriage yoke, there is no peace, until this matter is determined; which often re¬ mains a continual jar, and confusion through life; begeting coldness and contempt for each other, and sowing the seeds of ruin in the family. Because the strong arm of the law is the only thing that can peaceably settle this matter. The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof, be¬ cause they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordin¬ ance broken the everlasting covenant. Isa. 24: 5. That is the ordinance and covenant of marriage; spoken of in the singular number and deffinite manner: because there is no other everlasting ordinance that man ever had the pow¬ er to change. The everlasting covenant of the gospel found first in Gen. 3: 15—is ordered in all things and shure. It is the covenant of life beyond the grave. That found in the next verse is the ordinance that "regulates the introduction of man into this life, and provides for his child¬ hood. . This we have changed, on which account sorrow and affliction prevails on the earth.

All the laws of our country, and decisions of courts upon this subject, have a direct tendency to establish the weaker vessel as the lead, and head of the family. Many men of the best tallents that this generation affords, remain bache¬ lors, or are totally mined: and in their course are the ruin bf many females; for the better the intellect, the less willing* is he to be a slave: and especially under the tyranny of an unnatural yoke of bondage. But the law of God settles this matter at once, and declares that the head of-the woman is the man, and the head of the man, is Christ. And fixes the governing power accordingly. In ninety-nine instances out of an hundred no doubt, where the woman is naturally of a mild and submissive make, families live in peace. . And where it is otherwise, it is reason, that the law should en¬ force peace; so that this great and important object should be effected. If the law of God was established, and faith¬ fully executed in this important matter, it is manifest that peace in all the families of the nation would be the inevitg^ ble result: and the marriage state would become a para¬ dise. And this would be the greatest blessing in its effects and consequences ever yet conferred upoh any people. And as we have already shoiyn the law of Christ, who is the proper head of man, has power effectually to correct anv disposition in the present wicked generation of men, to act the tyrant. The practice of courts and legislative bodies in granting bills of divorcement, is an assumption of power and tyranny in its nature; not authorized by the scriptures, the only true authority upon this subject: and in imitation of the Pope of Rome, who formally assumedall pow¬ er, and from whom this wicked and unlawful assumption of power has manifestly been derived. And it was first effected, when the beast made war with the saints and and overcame them; and power was given him over all nations. Rev. 13: 7. Then did the dreadful divorcement take place, called the apostacy, in consequence of which we.have gone astray, and run into disorder and confusion, wretchedness, ignorance, misery, bloodshed, wars, and cru¬ elties: which have prevailed even among Christians ever since. And we have lived in continual fornication and adul¬ tery, in every sense of those words. Hence the prophets and apostles, speaking by the spirit, and w hen referring pro¬ phetically to these days, continually use such language. No doubt many persons in reading the prophets have passed over this kind of language lightly; considering it indelicate in them; and supposing the reason why they used such lan¬ guage so much, was because of the unpolished age in which they lived: and in fact, have thought it strange that they could hot find better figures to express their ideas, suppos¬ ing it all to be figurative. But they spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost, and we now discover my b£-' loved brethren and sisters, that the eyes of those holy men Of old were upon us, upon the Christian nations since the dpdstacy; and upon the latter days: and they have fore¬ told in the only language that could foretell our real situa- ^ tion. Hence old Rome is styled correctly Mystery Baby- , Ion, the mother of harlots, and the abominations of the \ fcarth. And she has made all nations drink of the wine, ( of the wrath of her fornication. And hence the confused , state of our minds, as if inebriated with wine. And this , wine is thfe poison of the dragon, and the cruel venom of the j asp, see Deut. 32: 33. Sin is the transgression of the law. But we trahSgress the law of God, by law. This is a na- ] tional abomination, and from this great evil, by its very nature, a nation must be recovered and born at once; (if , recovered at all) as the Prophet Isaiah more than tw r o thou¬ sand years ago, hath foretold. Isa. 6-6: 7-8. Before she ] travailed , (that is, before Zion travailed) she brought forth: , before her pain table she was delivered of a man child (even the author of this book)i Who hath heard such a thing? j who hath seen shch a thing? shall the earth be made to bring j forth in one day? or shall a nation be bom at once? For as soon as Zion travailed she brought forth her children. Rejoice ye with Jerusalem and be glad with her all ye that love her: that ye may suck and be satisfied with the breasts of her consolations; that ye may milk out, and be delight- ; ed with tire abundance of her glory. For behold, I will send my messenger and he shall prepare the way before me: : and the Lord whom ye seek shall suddenly come to his Tern - . pie; even the messenger of the covenant whom xje delight in: Behold, he shall come saith the Lord of hosts. But who ! may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand ] when he appeareth? For hd is like a refiner’s fire, and like fuller’s soap. And he shall set as a refiner and purifier of : silver. And he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver; that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousnes. Mai. 3: 1-3. Then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto the Lord as in the days of old, and as in former years. And I will come near unto you in judgment, and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulter¬ ers, and against false swearers, and against those that op press the hireling in his w-ages, the widow and the father¬ less, and turn aside the stranger from his right; aud fear not me saith the Lord of Hosts.