The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1851-02-05
For tho Spirit of Democracy.
CAPITAL PUNISHMENT.
/ ICoNTINUED.l

j
We closed our last commune alton
while we were considering Romans IS. 10
which our opponents refer to prove that
sail civil Governments are ordained Of
God" We will add but little more to
what we have already said upon this pas.
sage Of scripture. The evident object Of
Paul, in this letter to the Romans, was to
enforce upon the church at Rome obedi-
ence 10 the law. This, however, neither
proves the law good or bad. He says:
"The powers that be are ordained Of God.",
1t does not follow that because Govern
ments were "ordained of God" in Paul's
day, that, therefore, all Governments in oil
time then yet to come, would be "ordained
of God" That the Almighty ordained
the destruction OF the Jewish Government,
long before its occurrence, by that Of the
Romans, is evinced by the evidence in the
case. Still we are left without evidence
that Governments are ordained of God, in
this our day. Now let it be remembered,
that the position must be sustained, that
all civil Governments are ordained Of God,
or else, even if it were shown that the law
of capital punishment is now in force,
there would be no power to authorize its
execution. Hence the tenacity with which
our opponents adhere to this old, worn-out
dogma, and their frequent reference to
Romans l3, to sustain themselves. Our
opponents being now driven from this po-
sition, they are left without place to which
to retreat, and are compelled to sur
render at discretion" They have shown
zeal worthy better cause. Poor fellows,
we being naturally benevolent, are led to
sympathise with them in the inextricable
difficulty into which they have so unfortu.
nately fallen. e aosa
We now dismiss this part Of our subject,
and will only add, by the way, that psr-2
haps greater contrast could not easily be
than exists between Mr.. Camp,
BELLS production and that of our own. His
reflects the views Of the learned and rs.s
spectacle school to which he belongs
ours contains the crude cogitations Of the
brain of one unpretending in discussion
of this kind. Given, however, in good
faith, uninauencsd by popular opinion, or
sectarian bias. We do not believe, not.
withstanding the mighty intellectual pow.
ers brought into this discussion, that either
one or both these productions will produce
quite as much change in the moral condi.i
ton Of the world as was brought about BY
the efforts ofthe poor fishermen of Galiles.
We hold that tho law of capital punish.
ment was but temporary civil regulation,a
and that its existence terminated with the
Jewish nation; and that all the law Of the
Old Testament was wholly repealed lex.
cepting only tho moral precepts) by the
New. In addition to what has already
been said in support Of this position, We
give the following quotations. Galatians,
3: "a, 25: "Wherefore the law was our.
to bring us unto Christ, that
we might be justified by faith. But after
that faith is come, we are no longer under
a schoolmasier." Romans 10: 4: "For,
Christ is the end Of the law for rightsous-s
ness to every one that believeth." Hebrews
10: 9: "Then said he, Lo, | come to do
thy will, 9 God. He etaketh away The first,s,
that he may establish the second Gala.
tians 5: IA, IS: &" For all law is fulfilled
in one word, esen in this, Thou shah love