Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1861-04-04

erences TO Slavery IN the churches OF TINS
country, as argument against our religion
Nothing Of the kind is strange in the light
Of this ''rie,o, itself libel against Chris
tianity, the Bible and its merciful author:
Since then, we brand this bloody "uie,o'
as slandor upon the Bible,p an insult to
High Heaven and an outrage, upon human
cruelty, premium to crime and bounty
on murder on the other, we ask attention TO |
this portion Of the Hebrew law under dis |
cussioa, while we endeavor to bring 1t to the
test Of reason, the rules of criticism and
sound exposition, to the anology of faith, TO
the settled maxims Of law and the positive
and fixed enactinents of the code ITSELF
|. This enactment was designed to restrain
cruelty. This in one word fixes the intent Of
the law. The merciful character Of the
Lawgiver requires such construction. The
whole tenor Of the Bible, the analogy Of its
\ teachings as a revelation of mercy and good
i will to man aud the spirit of its benevolent
religion forbid any other view. The Bishop
| himself comedies that the construction of
any part must be consistent with the mean
ing Of the whole. !. The Bible law sanctions
the use of the rod for the correction of child
rem. prov. XIV. l5.) Parents may use the
rod. Teachers may use the rod. Guardians
may use the rod for the correction Of their
wards. Masters may use the rod In the case
Of refractory minors bound TO them as ap-
lprentices. So minor servants sold to masters
for theft might be lawfully corrected with .
rod; so might any minor, lawfully held by 2
lawful master, just as . child or pupil, and
for like causes. To restrain cruel and un-
usual use Of the rod is the manifest intent
The law takes for granted elsewhere that
these are cases in which. an ordinary rod
may be used. But on the principle that
masters, not restrained by parental affection
may use it in excess this provision is enact
ed. In civilized States cruel beating Of
brutes is punished by law. But the Bible
, sanctions both "the whip for the horse-and
a rod for the fools 8 back, Prov. XAVI
81, and also provides punishment tor the
, cruel and excessive use Of these. aga
a 3. In the administration of the law, the
! Judges must apply the legal tests by which
moiires are detected in order TO find the
. intent. Judges will not decide blindly upon
) the act simply, without regard to intent on
the part Of the accused. To take life pith
intent TO kill is one thing in law; to take life
\ ,oitliom intent to kill is another This con-
stitutes the centre around which all revolves
during the process Of investigation in legal
! trial. The Bible abounds in rules Of evil
dencc land tests furnished to judges, BY
o which to detect motives, in actions brought
before them. The detail in the verses re.
4 ferred to, is manifestly 70 enable the judges
r to detect the n,otice Of the action, and dis
& cover whether the master designed to kill:
We have then the following tests clearly laid
D down: -
!. First, the iastrur,eat uscd-'Tf man
q smite his servant with rod" If the in
-. ..xk hod IN
! there would have been no clue by which to
d get at the motive. Had il been an axe, OF
r stone, or bludgeon Of wood, that fact would
h have settled the intent, and forestalled the
y decision. This Is the law positive" And
& if he smite him with an instrument of iron,
4 10 that he die, he is murderer: the mur.
ldercr shall surely be put to death. And il
a he smite him with throwing stone, where.
Q with he may die, and he die, he o a Ns1r1erer.
I the murderer shall surely be put to death
q | Or, IL he smite him with . hand weapon,
/. wherswithshe may die, and he diesheI
!. nxrslersr: the murderer shallnrely b pu
d 70 death. The reyenger Of blood shall him
Q self slay tho murderer." !" ~ Num- XXXV,
o. le-I0y The instrument being rod, alaw
o fnl and not deadly weapon, NO intent to XII
!. would be Inferred. But If the instrunen
n had bssn an unlawful and death weapon
,fI the inference would be otherwise,
Second, The servant continuing / day o
a two, the length Of time that he lived,. fur
le nishes additional and coroborating evidence
os together with the lawful instrument, tn
W rod, that the intent was not to kill. II
m Third, The masters pecuniary interes
:. in the life of his servant is q circumstanc
or corroborating the other two; and togethe
'p these then make out strong case OF CHI
g cumstantial evidence, showing, that. tn
to master did not design to kill and requirin
70 q corresponding decision and sentence. l
y tho light of this threefold evidence tn
Us master was not a murderer: he was not /
10 be put TO death. The ayenger OF bloc
should not slay him. .tlan
ie But, on the other hand, If the servan
- - dies "under his hund, then the, unftne.
~ Of the. instrument TOR u, instead OF bein bein
n,ssl against him for. to strike him with 70
z. laid on with great violence, and this ke]
y; y up TO the very death-gasp, establishes u
10 point Of intent TO kill. Hence the sentenc
y. on the ground Of this evidence, He shu
or surely be punished. That Is, he Is
w. murder. He shall ssrel be put to death.
". Thus far the way Is clesr We are no
prepared to meet the Bishops fallaoy 0
M 'es rather perhaps, We should say ehicanery
" For IL Is presumed he understands the Of
q aus ginal text and its meaning in its connectit
~. here: and it Is TO pSrvert the truth to q
ng Of IL In his summary stylc--"where imm
~, 10 date death ensaed, he was TO be puaished
ue the judges might determine. Sos
The leading term on which the argume
mt turns Is the term .punished." y" The II
lth brew word here rendered 'spnnishsd," . \
ley 90 rendered ~ another ihstaaceta Mei Bio
rot Yet, in our translatioM Of the Old. Test
p ment, tho word panisA ia employed abo
fortv.fre times but. always from anoth
on word than that pssd ,here. Tho word be
nd translated punished" il in the Hsbrt
nat Ndkdm). II occurs hirtyfve times, al
Cfl In almost every, instance It is translat
alt avenge; In very few 70 take uengeunce
on 70 revenge !; and in this instance ALoN
',punish.h Why this deviation from D
no meaning Of a word frsd by xse and the %
90. nection n which always foundf st.t'.,l. ~.
3D. Farther, a. Il stands in our translatio
ty, the pronoun preceding the word punish
II refers 10 the master shall be punishe,
ms Whereas the preceding pronoun ref
The neither to the master nor the servant, but