The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1873-03-28

SeImeHIS lDeuL. xxi. Ii COncern-
ing women taken captive in war
(Deut. xxi. l0-18); the treatment
Of nations in war (Deut. Xxx. 10 -18).
Such is our authors entire proof on
this point fer the overthrow of the
law which requires capital pnrish-
ment for murder. Those parts of the
judicial law which were applicable
merely to the position of the Jews at
that time, have indeed been abroga-
ted but every provision of that law
which involved moral principle re-
mains, and will remain Tor ever. And |
the prohibition Of murder and the
punishment are like in their very
nature. How long will our country
men fail to perceive that the repeal
of the divine law for the capital pun
ishment of murder morall oyerthrows
all divine institutions, snd makes our
condition as degraded, if not worse,
than that Of the pagan nations? II
our opponents views of the Judicial
law of the Jews be correct, tnen we
have no church OF God. For, the
duty OF prayer ard praise in the
worship of God, and contributions
tor the support OF Christianity, con-
stitute part of the judicial law of
the jews Was prayer, singing the
praises Of God, and giving rs the
Lord hath prospered us, abrogated |
"by the introduction OF the New
Testament dispensstion p II so.
where is the Christian church ? Oh |
says our opponents, these duties are
eDjoined in the New Testament. So
is the duty of inflicting capital pun
ishment on the murderer enjoined in |
the New Testament. "Know this,
that the law is made for murderers
OF fathers, and murders of mothers,
for manslayers'' I Tim. i. 81 Whist
law? The moral law. For this same
Apostle declared, year before this
in his epistle 10 the Hebrews, that all
merely Jewish and ceremonial laws
had beer abolished. Does the Apos-
tie here declare, contrary to his tor
mer teachings, that the law for mur-
der had been abolised p? If abolished,
why speak any more of it at all ?
But, in order to remove the least
shadow of doubt respecting his
meaning, he classes various other
violations of the moral law in the !
same connection such as profanity,
lewdness, slavery, lying and perjury.
If these things, like murder, be not
against the moral law, what things
are violations of that law? It is
true, indeed, that the Apostle makes
no allusio5S in this place to the par
ticuiar penalties annexed to these
crimes, because they are clearly
specified in tie law 1t is also true
that all these penalties were con-
nec:ed with the Jewish economy, as
well as the penalty for murder. Of
that penalty it is said, in the most
explicit language, d" Ye shall take no
satisfaction for tie lite of tie murderer,
6eh lie shall be surely put to death
NUN. xgxv. 81 No such ipjunc
ton is given concerning any other
penalty inflicted for crimes under the
Jewish dispensstioD.
1t would be we'll for he law makers
of those States which have abolished
the death penalty for murder, and
for those judges in several other
States where the law yet remains up-
on their statute book without being I
executed, to pcnder the facts here 1
set forth. Trials for murder in seyeal
States have become a mere mockery
OF sli law and justice. The merest
technical cavils are permitted 10 {
overthrow fGcts established beyond
all troveIsy, and the pardoning power
in the hands of some of oIr Govern
ors usurps absolute supremacy, and
tramp.es down all law and Justice.
Il some Of the theologians of the
humanitarian stripe would search the
mere instead of substitut-
ing in their plsce their own fancied
superiority, it would be well for our
country. Most of this theological
type of opponents 70 cepital punish
ment base their reasoning upon the
theory that God has exalted his mer-
cy on the ruiEs of Lis justice. Their
reasoning mars the glorious unity of
Gods attributes. Nor do they stop
Jere. They fancy the law OF God I
to be 10 conformity to mans's fallen
nature, even IS it vas in conformity
to Adam IN state of innocence.
Faus, instead Of making man the
aeIvant Of Gods law, they make that
law 3 servant OF man. More than all j
.his, instead Of hassing human gov T
ernments On the divine law, they ex I
cit them above it. The history OF
The human race confirms these truths {
Il indeed true tina. God has, from
time 20 time, ensc,ed certain moral, d
positics laws, such as the JeTsish GER i
emOrial az ! such judicial laws as we're O
Inseparably connected with the cere- t
uoEial. Aich be has repealed, be- "
cause those laws, in themselves con i,
involved no.bing moral or v
immoral. Such, also, are the ordi- a
nances of the Gus istion church c
SID tia Llri's Supper have d
10 moral character themselves, yet u
are eHsc,ei 20 pTJpo'e moral objects n
d the lighest pUtanee; and these i
awe, So long ss tie Law giver sees r
proper 10 retain them, are binding on h
Is. But the moral natural law EN- n
lodiei in the ten commandments, 4
mi explained and enforced through. d
IA. tie Bible, Is the basis OF all hu b
naE goYsrnn, IL. b8th civil and &C. Y
.lesiastiesl, cJafTinIng both these n
,OvernueE. Tach in lis own assign 4
d sphere Tbs is the law which 7
lrese'ioes tie death penalty for de- |,
iberate and wil,ul murder. l. never q
ias been abroga,ed or sltered, aud r
never can be While the human race a
.nGure on eartn. e. WKBsTER Ia
FEB -, 1873 ....- .