Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1843-10-13

allutements and guard against its temptations, "Htdt
they may hear and fear and commit no more any
such crime"
It is true that Christ repudiaed the false CLOSES
and the perversons which Jewish rabies had put up
on moral laws as in Matt 5: 3S when Christ says
Yc hare heard that IL hath been said, an eye for an
eye, dc. Whoever will read nttentively the 9th of
Matt will be satisfied Think that our Lord intended
only to forhi private retaliation and revenge. 30 far
from repeating any moral law in The decaogue, he
even ertcnds the duty of obedience TO these laws, to
the very thoughts of the heart The letter of the law
condemned the over, act of murder, but He says,
whatsoever is angry with his brother, without cause,
shall be in danger of the Judgment and whatsoever
shall say 10 his brother Raca, shall be in danger of
the Councils but whatsoever shall say, thou fool. shall
be in danger of hell fire.
The conduct of the Saviour in respect to the adul
terons woman, John 8: IL, when he said "Neither
do condemn thee" dc. has been appealed to. But
this was only intended to administer nlerited rebnke
TO the hypOcrtcnl scrihrs and pharlsees and TO dis
claim all interference in the administration of the civil
laws, as he had done other occasions, Luke l2 Is
IA.
Our Lord plainly acknowledges both the existence
and justice OF the law of capt. punishment when he
says to Peter, san they that take the sword shall
perish by the sword Matt. &c: 81. Again in Rev
l3' 49, He that killeh with the sword must be killed
with the sword
If we pass now to the Epistles we find them inter
spersed, witt, acknowledgements of the necessity and
righteousness of capital punishment. OF this charac.
ter, IL the passage in Rom. ID: IA, when Paul
and the magistrate as The minister of God, bear
ing not THE SWORD in rain, but drenger TO er-
ecute ,rraM ~ on him that doeh evil" The sword of
the magistrate is an instrument of DEATH and he mode
of execution in that age was. beading as in the case
of John, the Baptist.
Again, when Paul was on his trial before Fes,us
He says, If Ibe an ofender or hare committed any
thing 1eorthy Of deats Ir.tuse not 10 die Acts %
H.. There were crlne>, then, in PauIs view worthy
OF death. He here fully acknowledges the righteous
ness of DEATH as the penalty for certain crimes, at
least for crime, and he acknowledges that n hui
man government may rightfu'ly nhict that penalty.
All agree that any crime deserves this penalty is
MURDER. This is decisive of the question. The ron.
cnson is unavoidable, that the spirit of the New TIES.
lament, and the teachings of Christ and Of inspired
apostles, fully sanction and uphold the law. Whose
sHEpDETH MANS blood, ny MAN SHALL HIS BLOOD BE
SHED.
Such, Dear Sir, is an outline of what hnmhly con-
cclve to be the true theological argument this con-
trover'ed subject There are other and deeper views
which intended to bring forward in this xon,
but the pressure of Indispensable duties and the fear Of
being tedonslv icngMyprcvent my giving 10 The ar.
gument the fnllness designed.
The firm conclusion of my own mind from these
premises, is that the Inv requiring the murderer TO
he put to death, Is of God II is craven upon the hl
man conscience and recorded in the written word
1t was ressued from Mt. Sinai amidst the august TO.
tens OF Jehovahs presence. 1t stands enshrined
among the immu'abllitrs Of Gods truth in the very
soul and centre OF the Decnlogue, ms if God intended
that man should never reath Law his hand upon
this, until he had broken down all other barriers Ii
Is of universal extent and Of perpetual ohgaiion-
Regarding II, religlOusly n Law of God invested
with these attributes, am deeply persuaded that NC
HUMANS LEGISLATURE HAS ANY CONTROL OVER 1T, Sc
far MS the crime of murder is concerned that the re-
peal OF II would he offensive to God and unsafe to
community that il must stand and govern the con.
duct Of mankind until God himself shall see fit ,c
modify or repeal 1t. As ever,
Yours truly, C.