It is of undisputed historical record that both the Christian Church and the Christian State in different centuries and under a number of differing circumstances gave their influence in the practice of polygamy. With the Reformation polygamy entered Protestantism. The FIRST synod of the Reformation was assembled for the purpose of sustaining Polygamy.
Philip, Landgrave of Hesse Cassel, applied to Martin Luther for permission to marry a second wife while his first wife, Catherine von Salms-Laumbach, was still living. His union with Catherine was not a happy one, and having fixed his affections upon Margaret of Savoy (d. 1566), he obtained an opinion from the Protestant theologians that bigamy was not forbidden by Holy Writ. Luther and Melancthon at length consented to the marriage, but stipulated that it should be kept secret, and it was celebrated in March 1540. The marriage, however, became known, and a great outcry arose against Philip, whose friends quickly deserted him. Since this was all done in secret when it came to light Luther told Landgrave to lie. Philip objected to Luther's counsel to deny the existence of a second marriage; abused John Frederick, elector of Saxony, for not coming to support him; and caused bigamy to be publicly defended. Alarmed, however, by the strength of his enemies, and by their evident determination to punish him as a bigamist, Philip in June 1541 made a treaty with Charles V. at Regensburg. In return for a general pardon he undertook to break off relations with France and England and loyally 'to support the emperor.
In deciding the issue of polygamy, Luther had called together a synod of six of the principal reformers—Melancthon and Bucer among them—who in joint consultation decided, "that as the Bible nowhere condemns polygamy, and as it has been invariably practiced by the highest dignitaries of the church," such marriage was legitimate, and the required permission was given.
Martin Luther, himself with both the Old and the New Testaments in hand, said, "I confess for my part that if a man wishes to marry two or more wives, I cannot forbid him, nor is his conduct anti to the Holy Scriptures."
Thus we have the proof that the doctrine of polygamy was brought into Reformation by its earliest promoters under assertion that it was NOT inconsistent with the Bible or the principles of the Gospel.
