Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1843-10-20

tempted an Interpretation OF the passage, going TO
destroy lis received and established sense II is as
if the Lord had said, "Athough have enlarged
your means of subsistence by the grant of animal
food, think not that sci diminished value upon
life. In order to evince this ] now forbid your
eating the blood, which is the lite OF the animal,
and strictly forbid you TO touch the life of man,
which is of vnslly greater importance, because |
have made him in my own image.
If a brute beast shall, in the exercise of vicious
propensities, destroy The lie of a man, his life
shall be iaken because ii would not he safe that
he should live, Gen. 9: s. SO if one man shall
wfuy teke the Ito OF another, his own life shall
DO the forfeit. His fellow men shall take his life.
He is a dangerous member of community. He is
not fit to live. 1t is not proper that any man
should be exposed to the influence oil his evil pas
sions. Make him example 10 deter all others
from offending in the same way. Moreover ye
shall take ITO satisfaction mo substitution Of other
punishmenl) for the life ola murderer; ole shall
surely be put to DEATH" Such, and no other, to
every mind, is the pluin meaning Of this law
Notice,
2. The Extent of il. Some have argued as if
this law were n Jewish regulation, aud had pass
ed away with the Leviiica dispensation. But
no, this law had no more reference to the Jews
than to the Russails Americans or Chinese. 1t
had no connection with Mosaic institutions. It
was given TO Noah eleven hundred years before
Moses--he law OF God to man as man, through
all generations, binding upon all who admit The
right of their maker to govern tbrnI. II was the
primal law of our race rescued from Destruction
to replenish again the EARTH given upou the uicep.
ton ul the new condition thGy WIRE CulerluG upon,
as the rule for al succeeding lim".
1t is II law a. nnceSsary IN uur age aud lnr our
people AS for any other. In Ills ruac m III it wa,
not restricted 10 any age or rlbe lat gwen Ia the
human family In short, it is an ordinance eX
lenslve aud comprehensive the PROMISE thai
while the earth continued, cold aud heat, seed
time and harvest should not cease-aS universal III
its Obligation as is the promise connected with the
rainbow III the sky, III 1T God will more de
slroy the earth with food. See ais
3 lis perpetual obligation. As This law throws
its claims over all men, so II continues lis anno>
tiles through all time. Ii is standing ordinance
for the perfection of Gods image ia man. II Is
not statute OF limitation, intended to secure Il
temporary purpose and Then expire. No evil
dence Of this has ever been adluced 10 my know
ledge.
some have supposed that it has been repealed.
Such are bound to bring the proof We can show
them when and where the law was enacted, and
for what end. We can point hetn to chapter and
verse; II it has been repealed, il must have been
by Gods authority, tor no other is competent
We must be shown chapter and verse; t0hen and
,Ohere it has been repealed. II its Obligation
ceased at any time says Mr. Cheover,l ,ohen did
it cease and by what sign message from God
dld men know it. These questions that no
man answer. Not trace of the ahrogalun
of this ordinance can he found either in The coarse
of Gods providence. or in The tenor OF Grd's
word either in sacred or prpiaue history her
in the Old or New Testament" All the rsasous
Tor It's existence at ALL are equally reasons Tor its
perpetual obligation.
But, sir, the lubored and plausible argument n
gains The divine law of capital punishment is this.
VIZ "1hat The coming of Christ and the introduction
of The Christian dispensaion has abrogated H. so
that Il is no longer Of binding force" five
to admit, what is Ivy 10 means the fact, that the
law in Gen. .: q, was in any given pecu.
ary to the Jews, 1t would 10y 10 means follow
that the Introduction Of the Christian dspensnton
had repealed it, 1t is admitted that Christ vacat-
ell what was merely typical and ceremonial in that
dispensaIon, but it could he easily shown that he
did not touch single moral precept. He says |
himself that he came, not to destroy the Law, bur |
to fulfil.
But we have already shown that this law is in T
no sense Jewish institution that it was given
10 Noah and his as the progentors of new !
race more than u thousand years before the jews |
had existence rs Il nation.
When the Jews were embodied as people The |
existence and obligation OF this law was taken for
granted as much the continued permission to
eat animal food. The code giveu to the Hebrews
was u commentary upon il, defining accurately The
crime Of murder, (see Mum. 3j;h chapter) and
regulating the execution offs penalty, prescribing
the form oil judicial investigation, aud iorbldliug
the people 10 make any compromise Whatever Tor !
the life of n murderer under The pam of fostering |
the guilt Of innocent blood, aud drawing down |
the wrath OF God upon the whole community
Ii we proceed to the christian dispensation aud
examine lis spirit and preceptS, we find strong
confirmation Of the doctrine TAUGHT on this sub
ject, 10 The Old Testament The gospel gives us
no warrant for irttering away the penalty of the
crime, through sympathy for tho criminal. itrep- !
reseuts God as wishing lransgressioh with uncom-
promising retribnon. AT the same time, il re- /
veals him as the most mercitu OF beings, ard |
teaches that this, his unyielIlng course with re-
spect to crime, is in mercy's cause, and for mer-
cvs sake; that mortas may know the character
and desert of crime aud be fortified TO Withstand |
its allurements and guard against it's temptations,
"ihat they may hear and fear and commit no more
any such crime"
1t is true that Christ repudated the false CLOS
SEES and the perversions which Jewish rabies had
put upon moral laws, as in Mat. 81 80, when
Christ says Ye haze heard that IL hath been said an
eye for an eye, &c. Whoever will read attenliyey |
the 5h of Matt will he satisfied, | think, that our
Lord intended only TO forbid private retaliation
and revenge. 50 tar from repeating any moral
law, in The decalogue, he even friends the duty
of obedience to these laws 10 the very thOngh's
Of the heart. The letter of the law condemned
the overt act OF murder, but tie says, whatsoever
is angry with his brother, without cause shall he
in danger of the Judgment; and whosOever shall
say 10 his brother, Raca, shall be in danger OF the
Council but whosOever shall say, thou fool, shall
be in danger OF he'll fire.
The conduct olthe Saviour in respect to the
adulterous woman, john &: ii when he said
" Neither Oh / condemn thee" &c. has been Appeal
ed to. But thus was only intended TO administer
a merted rebuke 10 tie hypocritical scrhes aud
phursGes and to decline al! interference in the
administration Of the civil laws, MS he had done Oh
other occasions, Luke IL: l3-l4.
Our Lord plainly ackno wedges both The ex-
sIence and justice of the law OF capital punish
hp IN ~ in " Ihai Iuka