Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1841-1853, 1846-09-10
CapitaI Punishment.
To The Editors IF The STATE Sentinel,
"S"-No- q

Gle from The Christian World" signed ~ w b {"
on the subject of Capital Punishment opposing the
niiIction of IT, which you say is - conclusive on the
point discussed, and that " il anuihlaes the iupious
Pretext that capital punishment Is sanctioned
and required by the Divine Law Its being intro
duced with such flourish. caused to read il very
carefully. My views Of ats powers of annihilaiiom
Will be disclosed as proceed in this discussion, in
which contemplate reviewing all tire argument there
Is in it. may also notice souie other matters con-
tanned in il.
But before proceed further wish 10 ro,ice some
matters contained in your Introductory to that
article You say:
1T seems to US that those who contend that the
Divine Law is based upon the hellish principle of
REVENGE, do more towards tie incucaiion Of in6deI
sentiments, than all the in6des in the world could do
OF themselves" The italics aud capitals are your
own.
| With all due submission, gentlemen, let me ask
you who taught you that rerenge is heiSh principle
ii must indeed have been wiseacre Ii was GER
tainly not any body who Knew any thing sb6it it.
Why do | say sol Because VENGEANCE IS
NINE! saith The Lord. But you say it is helrs!.
Hero is direct issue between YOU and the great I
AM l, for one, think II safer to take his VOID than
yours, though by so doing ! beeotre, i'm your view,
obnoxious TO the charge Of intoxicating infde seht-
ments." An inspired christian writer has said that
the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with
his mighty nngelsi in flaming FIRE, taking vengeance
them that know not God and obey not the Gospel &c.
"
ven, &C., carrying out hc2ish principle! How
careful should we be of, OAR words, when shall
have TO account for "eyery word to him to whom
vengeance belongs
Though this is not the part of the discussion in
which wish to take up and consider vengeance and
revenge, and the right the Lord has to hold them in
his own hands. and execute them too; yet will here
say that that God who according your notion and
that Of 81. w. B." could not avenge the cause 81
the righteous. the innocent, and The unoendng would
be very lily qualified To govern tins sinful world ~
mankind alone much less the universe in which are
rebel nelIigencies of much higher order and superior
power. Ii is necessary that there be such pr exhi
bton of the justice and power Of God as is dieplyed
in ms vengeance, it that there should be such
an exhibition of his love and mercy is made in the
gospel 1.-The righteous shall rejoice when he seetlf
the vengeance which God takes ON the wicked: he
shall wash his feet in the blood Of the wicked" 40
horrd!" say you and Mr. -. w. b." "CGn it be
possible that e righteous rejoice in seeing vengeance
taken-that " hellish" principle to work 2" And
again, where can there b. any use Of ths-sny
use in setting this hellish" principle TO work
The inspired Psalmist answers you and says
so that man shall cay verify there is a reward
for the righteous: verify HE is q Gcd that iudgetI
in the earth Psalms lviii: 10, III. Ii is me-
cessary that God prove to man that he rewards the
righteous and that he Judges or dscrimnates in this
earth between good and evil, right and wrong;
righteousness and unrighteousness. Agaih eats the
Psamist, Wherefore, should the heather say Whete
is their God let him be known among the heather in
sight BIZ The rsueRgipg Of The blood IF Inv servants
'ohich IS shed. xxx: 10. God could mote
make all his character known 10 the human family
that ii is necessary for them TO know otherwise than
by rereHging his servants than he could create a hill
without valley.
Some people in this world become wise much shove
what is written. They, in their expanded htelle6ts,
and extraordinary benevoence, (according 10 their
notions of benevolence) first imagine what God ought
to be; and next, how CID ought to do himself; and
lastly how lie ought 10 direct 10 do. When you
snow them that God is not that kind Of being, bot
different one; that he does not 90 that way himself
bit different way or that he does moi direct 1s TO
do that way, but different one, then these very wise
people say that is not the way; for if il is they will
not acknowledge any such 6od-they will not be-
e,e in or worship such a God IL the Bible rebfe-
sent him to be such a God-that he do such way
that he directs man TO do such way-why AZ is not
from God This is uhat call infdelifg-a disbelief
in God and his reueded cord and setting Wp Of our
orn notions as pafzn0unt 10 The hight Of reteales
truth. And yet, gentlemen, your writef, 81. W. b."
whom YOU quote with much appreciation, and
thereby make what he says yours, admits himself To
be Just that kind Of an in6de He says:
For myself / ready TO say that IL
the book, though called his by every outward adtho
rty demanded of me, commanded nlc to hill his chila.
my brother, deliberately, the gallows for any
crime, must say, beyond the reach Of question in
my prit the book is not from God the Father
This is Il very frank and fufl admission that he
contemns the authority of God, and rgects him. For
If God dema nds I" or commando" Of lin what lac
in his very extraordinary wisdom, and benevolcnce,
aud love- concludes is not right, he will disobey be-
cause he thinks God did not say so; and he thinks
God did say So, because be thinks God ought not
90 hare said So DO say that he is the father Of
the unailhiul or nbelievers hut he stands in bold
contrast with the father Of the faithful" believers
God commanded" Abraham TO kill his child, his
only son. his son Of promise, that had been given 10
him by a miracle, deliberately" aitar, wiihs
out any cria.e whatever in the cbild5 and Abraham,
without any hesitation, any IFS or ands or ehqhrng
in any way whatever into the why's and wbereforess
went and took the child considerable distance erected
the altar, bound the child, placed him on H. and raised
the knife h. km him, when n couniermand arrested
him. And for this and other such acts he chosen
10 be the father Of the faithful
II is useless TO prove TO Mr.. -. w. B." that the
scriptures teach that kings and rulers, and those that
have the municipal aw-making and law-execo,ing TO
do should prescribe and inci capital punishment for
murder; for if il be done, he VIII al reject the
Bible rather than give in his adhesion TO capital pun
shmen But stated in last, do not at present
write 10 combat inidelity but for those who are will
ling TO acqucsce in the will Of God concerning them,
when they ascertain what IL IS
These preliminary matters having taken up 50 much
space, shall not resume the thread Of my argument
and with enter into the review of"J. W. B." until
my next number. Very respectfully, &c. S.
Tue MoRMoNs AND ANrI-MoRMoNs.-The War
saw Signal Of the 18th, says. in postscript that the
pcsse summoned by Mr.. Carlin 10 meet at Carthage
on Monday last, were assembling that sis hundred
aimed men were az Carthage and about four hundred
at La Harpe; and that feinforcemeuis were rapidly
arriving. The posse il was supposed, would march
10 Nau, the 26th under the command of Major
Brockman of Brown county. The 81. Louis Union
learns from n gentleman who left Warsaw on the