The spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1840-1844, 1843-04-14
CAPITAL PUNISHMENT.

The Church aad The WorH--'rhh recent de-
hate in tho Tabernacle on Capital PunShment
mus, hrve suggested to every hnNing mGd one
or two important thoughts. The opposition to one
great and benevolent reform Of the day seems to
have sprung from the Chuch. On one side oi The
hannnnn we saw arrayed, two Reverend digntld-
lies, who strained every nervc-inr what 10 me-
linrlte the cOndilio Of socciy'--no! but To
coai,m and strengthen one OF lis most hnrharous
laws, lis foul aud " cked code OF blood. On The
other side, we saw aymcn engaged in the active
pursuits Of life, making pre,enSons To be teach.
crs of the ben.uant and beautiful morality OF
Christ, equally Jealous with lhn Re!arend oPpo-
ncn,s, but unlike lhem in the hallowcd and phil
anlhropic attempt 10 wipe the red stain from The
statute books, and di.luse spirit OF goodness ana
love through our legislation. The wdtchwordS oil
tn, ccrica!s were 'lhe sallows and the gospel, "
that Of the sccuars, religion and reform, Nond
it be msIcprcsGning the fact 10 say that IN ms
particular instance, we have Il striking eXemp'II-
cation of The relative position in all other social
movements of the church and the world?
We remember that few years ago,a clergyman
somewhat distinguished in the Episcopal church,
wrote II book called Protestant Jesuitsm, in one
chapter of which he maintained that the world wa'
mach better than the church, II his doctrine WAS
true then, as we believe it was, it is much more
true now. The world is Ear in advance of Il large
paI,lnn of the church, White the churchmen have
been eNhausing their energies in impossible al
tenpts to strike balance between old exploded
systems of theology, the world has been going
forward in the knowledge Of truth, and from cX-
perenca has learned the necessity of better prc.
lice than that which has heen all along ,uug ht by
the church.
A higher ideal for society has possessed thu
minds ofn engaged in the actual conflicts of
life, than that which animntes the chnrch, In fact,
as far rs the moral and spiritual elevation Of mln-
kind is concerned, the church is dead agent. 1t
h'6 no vitality, no strong power, hardly any iallh
VIXEN is more active members even would accom-
p'i.h some p7aciinr good, they are obliged To step
aside Of lh2 church orslnHllnn, and erect an in
dependant organization Of their own.
How long had the church preached and thunder
cd It's dOI'naS anil anthems, without returning
one drunknrd, or aroused the conscience Of one
single moderate rum dlinkrr; What social vice
can lay its finger upon and say that i, has been
removed through is agency And are not all the
great reforms tlat have been affected within the
last twenty ycnrs, the work Of men aching separate.
" from lhr church organization, VIVA, means
this vast aud mighty temperance reformation which
appears IN have run ovoI society with the rag" of
m epidemic? have The churchnen ever looked INFO
the secret significance Of this fact? 1t is not Il
loud cXprrsson o. dissatisfaction with The iahors
Of the church, Jesus Christ intended that his
church should he the great rrlrUing agent Of 81.
Ciely-his pretended followers have made it n
stumbling block and resrGin--ThG only life it
ever m1nrSiS, Is the splsmodlc or ga'vanh'- life
whI'h Is shown during what are called lis rrNlvas,
ar those periodical states of artificial excitement
which convulSc it "bclwecn sleeps"
~ T. Diily Post