Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1858-04-14

Noah, Lot, and a host of others, got
drunk; hence the Bible precedent. If
the wine in Paul's day was not s'rot
gut" or belly vengeance of the present
time, and failed to generate delirium
tremens, it had the power of intoxica-
ton. And we would here add that our
mutual friend Hingley has wine from
the ''juice," and if you should indulge
freely, it will act upon You in the same
way that ancient wine did. But we
opine you are more of a Christian than
those who ''got drunk in Bible times.
and more Just than those who are al
legged to have been in s'close affiliation''
with the Almighty. Your quotations
enjolnlng temperance are gratuitous,-
we had conceded that some portions of
the Bible contained 'moral and philo-
sophical' precepts and examples.
You concede you care dull of appre-
hension," if there is no difference be-
tween murder and capital punishment.
There is a difference when viewed from
the slower law standpoint; but when
Christ quotes with appreciation, "Thou
shalt not KILL he makes no exceptions.
According to his sense of right, it would
seem that it is wrong to kill under ana
circumstances, and that this is the true
law of God. We choose to agree with
him. AS to committing murder in fit
of insanity or madness, we undertake
to say that no man ever killed another
when sane. Webster SAYS insane
means ''unsound in mind or intellect"
Do you assume that a sound mind was
ever the author of murder? 1t is lust
as impossible as it is for an idiot to be
wise. Then, sir, capital punishment
is wicked, because many an innocent
man has undergone execution. This
fact alone parades the system in such
a hideous form, that we shrink from
the contemplation of the subject
Those who execute the law of capital
punishment imbrue their hands in an
anothcr's blood premeditately and Ger
enormously, and they have no more
justifiable excuse in doing it than him
who refuses food and shelter to the fu-
gitive slave.
Now, as to the dissimilarity of Sla-
very in Bible times and American Sla-
very, we desire to be emil ghtened.-
Were not the slaves bought? whether
to work for life, fifty or seven years,
does not change the princi pie one iota.
If we are correct, ancient Slavery was
carried on in a milder form than it is
to-day; hence we say it has "waxed
fat and strong under Bible example.
With your sarcastic charges against
the Christian Register, we have moth
ing to do, only to observe that such
charges are invariably made against
those who strive to liberate the minds
of the people from mental bondage,
| compared with which chattel slavery
is bearable), and who seek to inculcate
and put in force the teachings of the
gentle Nazarene. A. J. Davis, the man
you class with Paine, Voltaire, Hume
and Bolingbroke, appears to be one OF
the mildest, conscientious followers OF
Christ we ever met with, and he is GER
tainly the best educated man that ever
lived, Notwithstanding he went to
school but very short time zone week,
We think.) He translates readily any
language that may be named, even
if he never saw it prior to its presenta-
ton. But it may be proper here to
state that we have never read works
written by either Davis, Paine, Vol
taire, Hume or Bolingbroke. We have
examined religious subjects without
prejudice and independent of any au-
thor.
But now to the attributes Of the AL
mighty, as given by the Old Tesla
ment. Turn to Deut. Xxx. 1915:
And when the Lord thy God hath delivered
it into thine hands thou shalt smite every male
thereof with the edge of the sword:
But the women and the little ones, and the
cattle, and all that is in the city, even all the
spoil thereof, shalt thou take unto myself: and
thou shalt eat the spoil of thine enemies, which
the Lord thy God hath given thee.
Thus shalt thou do unto all the cities which
are very far off from thee, which are not of the
cities of these nations.
A clear mind will not fail to discover
the tyranny and injustice here portray
ed, which represents Him as being a
''respecter of persons" Read Deut. i.
"a:
And the Lord heard the voice of your words,
and was wroth, and sware.
His wrath became so intense that he
"sware." Christ says, "Swear not at
ALL" Nahum i. ID and 9th verses:
God is Jealous and the Lord revenceth: the