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T h e K i n g ’ s B u s i n e s s
April 1928
man, and every violation of this in the history o f the race has been fraught with consequences disastrous to domes tic happiness. A few moments’ thought will convince anyone that the relationship which existed between Adam and Eve was even more intimate than that which existed between Cain and his wife. While Cain’s wife was un doubtedly related to him, yet she was not made of him, as was the case with Adam and Eve. “ The natural law o f selection would, as soon as pos sible, lead men away from these close unions, and at a later period the marriage, o f near relatives was prohibited by law; but in the beginning there was no such law, either natural, civil,, or "ecclesiastical; hence, as ‘sin is not im puted when there is no law’ (Rom. 5 :13 ), there was no wrong in such a union as we are contemplating. W e hold that the wife o f Cain was one o f the daughters o f Adam. The fact that Cain’s wife went with him into the land of wandering, would indicate that at the time when God pro nounced judgment upon him, he had been married for some time, long enough certainly for his wife to recognize him as her natural protector instead o f Adam, her father.’’ I KB I H| — o — The Antics of the Anti’s One I. D. Palmer boasts in an Atheistic paper that he was an infidel before he became a member o f the church; that now he is “ both, and finds in this unique combina tion a most happy and delightful experience.” W e wonder if it has occurred to Mr. Palmer that he has labeled him self a hypocrite? Circulation of- Atheistic propaganda in or near the school buildings o f Washington, D. C., will not be per mitted, Dr. Frank W . Ballou, Superintendent of Schools, announced recently, in commenting on plans o f the newly organized Association for the Advancement o f Atheism. The American Anti-Bible Society has declared war on the Gideons. -Bryan, the secretary, writes to A . B. T. Moore, secretary o f the, Gideons, that pressure will be brought to bear upon all hotel owners and patrons to pre vent the placing o f Gideon Bibles. Agents of the Associ ation will also visit the hotels and place in the Bibles leaflets characterizing the Bible as the work o f men in a low state o f civilization. “ Within a generation,” he says, “ we hope to bar the Bible from all the better hotels.” For this propaganda, it is proposed to spend $100,000 this year. It would be interesting to know what part o f that sum comes from Russia. Dr. George W . Carter, secretary o f the New York Bible Society, says o f the work o f the Anti-Bible Society: “ The more they do, the more the desire will be to read Bibles. People will want to read for themselves and see if these charges are true. The society will kill itself by its very vindictiveness. The literature they propose plac ing in Bibles throughout the country will meet as many friends as foes, perhaps more, for it is usually those inter ested in the Bible for itself who read the volume in hotels and other public places. So some will not see the leaflet at all or will leave it in the book through indifference; some will destroy the leaflet in indignation and disgust; and perhaps a few, sympathizing with the movement, will destroy the Bible itself. Then we will replace the lost — -o —
niB. 8 .B.B.'«
With no apologies to The A. A. A. A.
B U S Y BAND OF BIBLE BOOSTERS
Cain’s Wife NE of the hard nuts which the Atheists chal lenge us to crack, is the Biblical story of Cain going into the land o f Nod and knowing his wife. A splendid and, concise comment has recently appeared in an excellent little paper called The-World’s Crisis. W e take the liberty of reproducing some paragraphs. “ The Bible says nothing about Cain taking unto him- .self a wife. Gen. 4:17 says that ‘Cain K N EW his wife,’ which is vastly different frbm taking her unto himself. “ It is claimed by Prof. Winchell that Cain could not have taken his own sister to be his wife, (1 ) Because he had no sister. Now, while we freely admit that there is no record o f Cain’s having a sister, yet two facts show that the probabilities are in favor of his having not only one sister, but several, (a ) In biblical history no account is kept of the birth of daughters, nor even o f sons, aside from the first-born. This would account for the fact that no daughters are mentioned as having been born to Adam and Eve. (b ) Between the birth o f Abel and the birth of Seth, there is a long period of time, of which no account is given. In this time, which must have included nearly thirty years, both Cain and Abel grew to manhood, and each took up that line o f business which- best suited his taste. Cain became a tiller o f the Soil, and Abel a keeper o f sheep. During this period all will admit that there was time enough for several other children to have been born to Adam. This would show that at the time of Abel’s death, the probabilities were that Cain not only had one sister, but several, ( c ) Again it is claimed that Cain could not have taken his own sister to be his wife because of man’s natural repugnance to such a union. While we admit that this argiriftent has weight, yet it is an open question as to how much education and moral training has had to do with the developing o f this feeling. This education arid training Cain could not have had the benefit, of, and hence would not feel that measure o f repugnance which would be possible to us. Prof. Winchell finds a remedy for this condition o f things in the existence of a pre-Adamite race, into which he supposes Cain to have married. It will require but a moment’s reflection to con vince any one that if such a pre-Adamite race existed, it had a beginning, and in that beginning a brother must have married a sister, or the race would not have de veloped. So, wherever one seeks to start the race, the same conditions obtain. “ While the children of Adam did not have the benefit o f a university course on ‘moral philosophy,’ yet they were fully instructed upon two great questions, both by precept and example.W “ First. God had commanded the race to multiply, and this command carried with it the authority for a union o f the sons and daughters of Adam. “ Second. In the fact that God had provided but one wife for Adam, would be seen the will of God as touching the law of marriage; namely, one helpmeet for each single
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