# Synodical Conference Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1878_S8
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

— 8 —

they were doing God a service when they sacrificed their children to Moloch. But who would, or dared, be so bold as to claim that, because God made that exception, we too may make exceptions? God has also made the exception that the government is to kill for the protection and welfare of mankind. But who, without attacking God's honor, will now say: I too will make exceptions and not be subject to the fifth commandment in every particular? When we are sheriffs or soldiers in war, then at the command of the government we are to hang the murderers and stab the enemy; there God has made an exception in His revelation; but without this revelation we always stand under the rule. — Nor can anyone appeal to the claim that he does not recognize in his conscience all the prohibitions of the chapter before us. We ought to recognize them from it, and if we do not, it is simply our own fault. —

Attention was drawn to the objection taken from the family of Adam. It was surely no sin for Adam's children to marry one another; their conscience did not tell them that they were committing a sin when the brother married the sister; therefore one cannot say that the Mosaic prohibitions of marriage are a law of nature binding the conscience of all people. Answer: The commandments, although they must stand firm, are not all of exactly the same nature. There are absolute laws of nature, which may not be transgressed under any circumstances, or one makes oneself guilty of rebellion against God; and relative laws of nature, which relate to circumstances that God wants ordered, and which are binding only in those particular circumstances. According to Acts 17:26, God willed that all nations of men should dwell on the whole face of the earth from one blood. He did not create all human beings at once, like the angels, but at first only one person, and from this one all nations were to descend. If now this mysterious counsel of God was to be carried out, brothers and sisters had to marry one another. But since circumstances have changed, no one can any longer rightly appeal to it. When Cain and Abel, with their parents, were still alone in the world, they could take land, indeed whole continents, wherever they wished; that was surely right under the circumstances of that time; but now, as everyone will admit, since circumstances have changed, it is something quite different, and no one can any longer appeal to Cain and Abel. That, moreover, long before the time of Moses certain degrees were already considered too close even among the Gentiles, we see from the fact that Abraham thought to save himself from Abimelech by saying of his wife Sarah that she was his sister. For then Abimelech would think that Abraham was not Sarah's husband, and would spare him on that account. From this we learn that even among the idolatrous peoples of Canaan, at that time already, marriage between brother and sister was held to be an abomination.