The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1848-05-24

mediate on ne lAns o. Mosess ne mnrr
Striking and Brighter does their Misdom
sppesE. II would br : lsbonous but not
IN nnPrO6ishls Investigation. 10 red1ce
ini0 regular classification. Ike that of
the Institutes II Jnsiinisn ar The Con-
menlsTies Of Blackstone, lie whole code
nf Moses. whieh embraces not only he
ordinary subjects Of legislation. h,eelher
with The principles Of F-ligiOn snd moral
iiy. but laws Of ecclesiastical directions
concerning the minulesi aeiions and dress
of individuals. This. however. would
lead me TOO far iron ny presen. purpose.
which 10 merely 10 ronsider The Bible 40
; system Of morality ] shall therefore
notice ihnse pars Of the Law which may
be referred particularly 10 that class. and
Al present must eOniine mysslf TO Few
remarks upon the dcealogue itself. whirh.
having been spoken by the voice. and
iwiee written upon the stone tables by the
finger of God. may be considered as the
foundation Of The whale syslem-Of the
ten commandments. emphaIically so call.
ell. for the extraordinary and miraculous
distinction by which they were prOmul.
gated.
The first four are religious laws. The
fifth and tenth are properly and peculiar.
~ neral and domestic rules. The other
four are nf The criminal department Of mn.
n;ripal laws. The unity Of the GOdhead,
The prohibition Of making craven images
10 worship. that Of taking lightly, Tor in
vain, rs the English translation expresses
ill., The name OF the Deity. and The injunc-
lion to observe the Sabbath as day sane
tilted and set apart for his worship, weIe
all intended 10 inculcate The reverence for
The one only and true GOd-lhs. profound
and penetrating sentiment Of pieiY, which,
in former letter, urged as The great and
only immovable foundation of human yir-
the. Next TO the duties toward The Gre
aior, that Of honoring The earthly parent
is enjoined. Il is TO them that every in
individual owes the greatest obligations,
and 10 them that he is consequently hound
by the first and strongest oil all earthly
Ties. The following commands applying
10 the relations between man aud his Gel-
low martals, are all negative. as their ap-
plicaticn was universal 10 every human
being: !. e. il was not required that any
pOsiiire acts Of bene6cence towards them
should be performed, but only 10 abstain
from wronging them, si,her, ls.. in THEFT
person: Cd. in their property: 3D.. in
their conjngaI rights; 4ih. IN their good
name after which, all the essential en-
joymenis of life being thus guarded from
voluntary injury, the tenth and closing
commandment goes 10 the very source Of
all human actions-the heart-and posi-
lively forbids all those desires which first
prompt and lead to every transgressiun
upon the properly and right Of our fellow
creatures. Vain indeed would he the
search among the writings Of profane an
,iquity, mot merely of that remote anti.
guilty, but even in the most refined and
philosophical ages Of Greece and Rome.)
10 find so broad, so complete and so solid
basis for morality as this decalogue lays
down. Yet have said il was imperfect
its sanctions, its rewards, its punish
men,s, had reference only TO the present
life. and il had no injunctions Of positive
henefcence toward our neighbors. OIL
these, the law was not entirely destitute
in other paris; but, both in this respect
and i'm the other, il was TO be perfected by
Him who brought life and Immortality TO
light in the gospel. Upon which subject
YOU shall hear more.
From your affectionate father,
JOHN QUINCY ADAMS,