Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1840-02-19

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own demonstration of the case?
Now Non-Resistants hold that the teach
ing of our Savior which prohibits violent
blow, much more prohibits taking life-tbat
if The construction were TO be allowed
which our opponents put upon the passage
in Genesis, as pertaining TO government.
then the spirit of our Lords teaching which
abro2ates the law 10 Moses much more
abrogates the law TO Noah.
have said that friend Curtis has endors-
ed The doctrine that duty requires taking
life for life. If am mistaken in this-if
have misunderstood him on this point-if
ne can find any way TO extricate himself
from this attitude, then it is plain that he
has introduced the passage merely for The
Erect To accomplish his present purpose
ne has put construction upon it which he
VIII not allow TO be carried out to lis most
iegi'imate results. For if the passage were
ever any authority for human government
II was just so far authority for taking life
for life.
Friend Curtis ridicules the idea of any
one in modern times departing from The
ancleniiy received opinion of the passage
just as though it were temerity and pre-
sumption for "modern" to dare tbipk
himself "wise" enough 10 entertain an
opinion OF his own, if that opinion clash
IN any wise with the opinions of ancients.
For one have not so far communal ~,
conscience or judgment TO the keep;ng Of
'reSpecta6Le comm entaLorsn as 10 acknowI.
edge their infallibility or disallow myself
the right and privilege of forming an opin-
Ion OF my own. Aside from the contexr
ana the circumstances, the language, she
that leadeth into captivity shall 90 INF,
captivity: he that killelth with the sword
must be killed with the sword "-Rey. vii.
lo-"all they that lake the sword shall
perish with the sword"-Matb. XVI. 81
is as strong as "whoso sheddeth mans
blood, by man shall his blood be sbedn-
Letus now lock at the context. The who'll.
paragraph reads thus:
But flesh with the life thereof WISH i
me blood thereof, shall We not eat ArJ
surely your blood OF your lives will / r..
quire: al The hand of every beast will I 70
fune ", ana at The hand Of man: AT the
,hn r ~ every mans brother will require
- me vi man. whose sheddeIh man.
oIooa, by man shall his blood he ,LeJ -
IN the image Of God made he man ioi
you, be We fruitful, and mulriplv: brinr fo,,S
in'' '"i''F'! 'AeTe- |
Is there word in all this giving man
discretionary authority and power over his
brother? Not one. Whatever venoaa,.s
there was TO be taken fer blood was tho
Lords. He would require it. And if II
were with him an invariable law, origina,-
Ing IN the nature and fitness of things and
never to be departed from, why did he mar
don the first murderer, and set a mark uooo
HIM that his life should not be taken2
Friend Curtis is certainly weak when ba
undertakes 10 rdicule those who look upop
The passage as prophetic, by undertaking 10
sho" that such view would implica,e
goo. What does he think Of The nronho, |
Ehsha?- Kings, viii: II. Will be make
'he prophet to be "palticeps c,imin;sn-
or at least sharer in the guilt Off Ha-
Zael! The eSregious error he falls into
mere comes from his confounding the utter
Ing OF prophecy with the appointing Of dp,v |
Just as though the prophet must be resnons.
io!e Tor the acts of those whose conauc,
,u'liS The prophecy. In this way our Lord
himself Is made TO be "particeps crininism
10 Tue SIN OF Peter in beiraying him.-for
he expressly told him of his treacbero,s
conduct but few hours beforehand.
! can not leave this point without again
GAZING attention 10 our Savior's teacbino
relative to physical punishmen1s. wbat,
ever may be said or thought of The DESIGN
Oh MS teaching, as it pertained to his disc;.
Pies' when he said, eye have heard tina, !,
main been said, an eye for an eve. and
'oo'n ior tooth: but say unto YOU thai
ye resist not evil" it is universally admit
'ed mat he here abrogated that part of The
mosaic code alluded to in the LANGUAGE
winch he rehearsed. And it may NOT be
s'la here that this was peculiarly law for
individuals. There is not the least in,;na.
'ion or manifestation that the clause ahro-
sa'ed was designed for individuals moro
'nan other laws with which il stood in i'm
mediate connection. And is not The abro-
gauon OF 1t as broad as the enactment Of 10
when therefore it is granted that il was
enacted for communities INNS, :,