Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1811-03-16
ESSAYS on
CAPT7iL PU.FISH.LES'-q
REPCBLlSHED
From tie .'.mrican Daily .sdurr:ise,. ,

In the next place, VII! consider NIX. e.
scripture Says concerning this EalbICus c,.
tom of shedding The btocc Ct 2Qr e7yu shsr:,
The sixth commandment Saws, TIM sLr'
not KILL" Or, ii ot..cr words, thou Shall -.
take away the lite O. c:ly human being. ~ ~
commandment requires the preservation .- H
forbits the taking away of Or own lie, Or ~
lives of others. 1t lid no exception or ,,r, VIZ
so when it was given ard needs zone f. WV,
it perfect and complete. And should c ,''Ne
der il abundantly sufficient, by Itself, 70 c ,,,
blish my position, if It had not in an n vs,-
countabc manner been made void IVY - -
customs and traditions. And since ,i,c ""~
.orn, or practice of almost AL nations i, :,
ages OF the world, hath prevailed in nnn.s ~
ton to this 6scEae commandment, and ~
position, hope that ] nay be induced !, ,,,.'
ing 4 few more remarks.
The moral law, comprizcd II zen ccnn.r,
mcnts, and engraven On the teo ,,a;..';
stole, enioins duties which are bi..tiin, ~.
mankind. This law IS, in subs..roe. =, s,n r,
as the law Of nature, or that whicl, is f,,. 4. !
III the fitness Of things writ,cn on ay.yv 5,r~.s
heart, and equally binding with The .qios.ir G'-
dialogue, SO s.r as X is Understood. Thsr,,..,
both written with the niger of Gcd bnf ~,
ther OF them had any penalties ANNEXED ,n,,
inflicted by the civil magistrate; Cd l'I
reserved to himself, solely. the ,;cht Of ;;uJ'
ing and furnishing a!l SINS, orv:cla,io9s ~
own law. He only is %b!c 70 viltc,e,,,
honor of it. No human triluasl is eos,c',.
TO TIE purpose. Every one Of ,aosc c,r
nl,ndacntS may be violated, in th0ught q, IA
heart, AID many of them hv wogd or ~ drer
ara yetlo human tribunal could FOSSIL, t,.,
cognlzalce ct the case. AID OIL the o;l,
hand, MANY acts may sc committed which ~.
not violations OF the raolal i.y, aid &c, cu..,
to be punished BY the civil magistrate IN.
cXigcEcies ct the state may be such IS "a y.
qulre the eI,acting OF l.w, with pcna;,y,ar.
nexcd, toft,GclEg man to Kill his Gor,est,
animals, Oh requiring HIM to Kill them. 4,
over. acts tl:t ere dctrI. eit-l 10 c:yi! scc.ey.
whether t..ey arc against t;.c moral law orro.,
are civil CRIMES, ana CONF within The iuy;sdr.
ton OF the civil .!l2gisc:-!. alc. Ae h.; Eli j..
disputable right to pull.,., them as such, The
CRIME which deserves tie greGtest human CT
clvl! punishment, IS that which is most dtul-
mental TO CIVIL society; and no. aivsys IT,.
which Is the most htiucus sin n the SIGHT 4
God. Hence ! conclude that the crime tt
forgery, extorti0n or robbery. NAV deserve a
greater punishment from the civil magistrate,
that the helnous sin CT covet0us,i.ss, prce
or blasPhcmy. All the renal laws in the Pc-
tatcuch, or FIVE books o! Moses, arc rationi
OF local--adaptcd to the particular circun-
stances OF the lsraelltcs, to H.csn thcv arc s.
claliy dircctcd--are part Of their code. aid
obligatory, solely on them bu. they form 10
part Of the moral law ard conscouetlv ere
not binding on any other nation. The Israel.
ties were under a theocrat!caI form Ct goveIG-
ment. tIod Was their supreme legisiatc- lF
every sin they forfeited their lives 10 hin;
and he had an indisputable right to cyact the
forfeiture, or TO remit it, according to his owa
sovereign will and pleasure. He who made
the law had right to repeal it ; or to grant
reprievc, as our Saviour did in the case Of tie
woman taken in adultery although the sT
was Indispensable; which crime by the M.sac
law WAS punishable with death God had
sovereign right to burn Sodoin AID eyalt c..
perlauln; in the FIRST instarce, to infic. par, Of
the punishment here. and in the Other to posi-
pone the wholeto future dav. But VIII any
one suppose, thatGod's burning Sodom nouId'
In any measure or degree, have justified a17
man, or body OF men, in burning C4prmsuir
although It's Inhabitants were greater s!HHei'
than those Of Sodom.
Further; God had right, inter ti' IT
nalfy Of death, to Command the isracllte5 " a''
to kindle any fire throughout their Lsblta'io.s,
on the Sabbath day" Exod. xxxy 2. g. Ani
to command them to stone to death a CERTAIN
man for gathering sticks OH the Sabbath ."
will the magistrates Ct airy other nation cam
right to do the same In like manner. NJ "a"
right to command Moses to publish !aE,
binding On the Israelites, that "v'I.os"e'st
kileth a man maliciorsiy shall sure; DC p.
to death God, who alone hath jursccOo"
of life and death, hath right 10 ,ai,e swayo%
life CT an infant before the Commission o. az
crime. And He only has a right 10 pdl.L'
sins, as vel. as ciyilC.:rcs. But will any ".s
imagine, that Gods giving special colnnaMs
to the i:cael!tts 70 isflict capital pL!ii',Ina'
for breach Of the Sabbath. murder, &C. wa
justify the magistrates Of any otlr: d Ia, .~
without such special command in Nh'"~s
the sarne punishment, for crimes. as cc.'?I..n
81, Avn, I CIV