The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1848-05-21
Sunday Readings.

Ohhady htdulhSS'
Communicated to the New York Tribune
LETTERS
From Hon. John Q. Adams TO his Son,
On the Bible and its Teachings.
LETTER NO. VII.
The imperfections 6f the Mosaic institutions
which it was the object of Christ's mission,
upon earth to remove, appear to me to have
been these: lst-The want of a sufficient sane
ton. The rewards and penalties of the Levitt
cal law had all a reference to the present life.
There are many passages in the Old Testament
which imply state of existence after death,
and some which directly assert future state
of retribution; but none of these were contain
ed in the delivery of the law. AT the time OF
Christ's advent, il was so far from being set
tied article of the Jewish faith, that it was
subject of bitter controversy between the two
principal sects-of Pharisees who believed in,
and Sadducees who denied it. 1t was the spe
cial purpose of Christ's appearance upon earth
to bring Immortality to light. "He substitu-
ted the rewards and punishments of future
state OF existence in the room OF all Others
The Jewish sanctions were exclusively tempo
raj; those Of Christ exclusively spiritual. 3D.
The want Of universally. The Jewish dispen.
satiOn was exclusively confined to small and
obscure nation. The purposes Of the Supreme
Creator in restricting the knowlege of himself
to one petty herd of Egyptian slaves, are as in
having concealed from them, and the rest of
mankind, the certain knowledge of their own
yet the fact is upquestionable.-
The mission of Christ was intended TO commu-
nicate to the while human race all the perma-
nent advantages CT the Mosaic law, superadd
| ing to them-upon the condition of repent
ance-the kingdom of Heaven, the blessing of
eternal life. 3d-The completely of the OBJ
jects of legislation. l have observed in a for
mer letter, that the law of Sinia comprised, not
only all ordinary subjects of regulation for hu-
man societies, but all those which human le-
legislators cannot reach. il was q civil law, a
municipal law, an ecclesiastical law, law Of
police, and law of morality and religion: it
prohibited murder, adultery, theft and perjury;
1t prescribed rules for the thoughts as well as
for the actions of men. The completely, how
ever practicable and even suitable for one small
national society, could not have attained to all
the families of the earth. The parts of the
Jewish Law adapted TO promote the happiness
Of mankind, under every variety of situation
were all recognized aud adopted by Christ; and
He expressly separated them from the rest He
disclaimed all interference with the ordinary
objects of human legislation, He declared tina I
His Kingdom was not of this WORLD" He ac-
knowledged the authority Of the Jewish magis.
trates; He paid for His own person the tribute
Of the Romans; He refused in more than one
instance to assume the Office of Judge in mat
tiers of legal controversy; He strictly limited
the object of His own precepts and authority
to religion and mo rails; He denounced no tenn
poral punishment; He promised no temporal
reward; He took up Man as governable being,
where the human magistrate is compelled 10
leave him, and supplied both precept of virtue
and motive for practicing it, such as no other
moralist or legislator ever attempted to intro.
duce. 4th-The burdensome duties of posi-
tive rights, minute formalitics and CT pensive
sacrifices. All these had tendency, not only
TO establish and maintain the separation of the
Jews from all other nations, but in process OF
time had been mistaken BY the Scribes and
Pharisees and Lawyers, and probably the body
of the people, for the substance of religion
All the rites were abolished BY Christ, or las
Paul expresses it) "were nailed to His Cross. '
You will recollect that am now speaking oil
christianity, not as the scheme of redemption
to mankind from the consequences OF original
sin, but as a system of morality for regulating
the conduct of any man while on earth; and
the most striking snd extraordinary feature Of
Its character In this respect is its tendency and
exortations TO absolute perfection. The Ian.
lguage of Christ to His disciples is explicit
Be We therefore perfect, even as your Father
in Heaven is perfect"-and this he enjoins al
the conclusion of that precept, SO expressly laid
down, and so unanswerably argued, to "love
their enemies, to bless those that curse them
and pray for those who despitefully used and
II L. L. l.. L
temper Of benevolence in return for injury, as
constituting of itself perfection similar to tina
Iof Divine nature. Ii is undoubtedly the great
est conques: which the spirit of man can
achieve over its infirmities; and TO him who
can attain that elevation of virtue which it re.
lquires all other victories over the evil passions
must be comparatively easy. Nor was the alb
lsolute perfection merely preached by Christ as
la doctrine; il was practised by Himself through
out His life; practised TO the last instant Of
His agony on the Cross; practised under cir
lcumstances of trial, such as no other human
being was ever exposed to. He proved by His
Iown example the possibility of thai virtue
which he taught; and although possessed oil
miraculous powers sufficient to control all the
laws of Nature, He expressly and repeatedly
declined the use Of them to save Himself from
lany part of the sufferings which He was able
to endure.
The sum Of Christian Morality, then consists
in piety to God, and benevolence to Man; pi.
ETY. manifested not by formal rites and sacrif-
ces Of burnt offerings, but by repentance, BY
obedience, by submission, by humanity, by the
worship Of the heart, and by benevolence; no,
founded upon selfish motives, but superior &c
even sense of wrong; or the resentment Of
injuries. Worldly prudence is scarcely motto.
ed among all the institutions of Christ; the
pursuit of honor and riches, the objects Of am
bition and avarice are strongly discountenanc-
ed in many places; and an undue solicitude
about the ordinary cares of life is occasionally
reProved. OF worldly prudence, there are