The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1873-06-20
[For the Marietta Journal
AGAINST CAPITAL PUNISHMENT
NO. II.

"Thou shalt not kill 1t is val
for poor weak feeble man, to den
the truth of the word of God as re
vealed in the Bible. To what
teaches we SHOULD humbly bow
Revelation is in harmony with ma
ture. For God is the Author of all
Is the Ruler and Governor Of all. :
Ought and must be obeyed by ALL
Nations, as well as individuals, ar
alike subjects, and should alike
obey the laws of God. The Bible ii
the Constitution--the Fundamental
law of Gods Government Thai
government IS dual, having for It's
foundation both the moral and civil
codes. No human law violative Of
the principles of either, is binding
on the subjects. Any suQh law is
null and void.
The fundamental principles of that
government are few. They are the
Ten Commandments, written on two
tables of stone, and in the last analy
sis are found to be but two. "All
the law and tho prophets hang on
two points," The first table oon>
tains the first point under four heads,
regulative Of our duty to man, known
as the civil or political code, fostered
and iuculcated by good governments.
This abundantly proves the duality
Gods government, and that he il
the Author of all good government.
"Be in subsection to the powers that
be, for they arc ordained Of God, is
very pregnant viii, meaning and
proof positive of the Divine origin
of civil government, and if Divine,
founded on the principles Of the
second table. There is in the Bible
no other foundation than this. God
wrote the commandments with his
own finger. He : rote nothing else.
He wrote no more, 1t Is said in the
Book of Deuteronomy, chapter 8,
verse %, "These words the Lord
spake unto all your Assembly in the
mount out of the midst of the fire, of
the cloud, and of the thick darkness,
with great voice; and He odded
no more. And He wrote them
these words) in two tables Of stone,
and delit cred them unto me-" The
Bible is one harmonious whole, :
Here are the fundamental principles
All other parts oft (the Bible) mus
DO explained with reference to these
The quotation that heads this article,
is the constitutional law of the world,
in reference to the life of man. It,
as the other commandments, stands
on a foundation more sure, than do
those quotations, relied on for the
proof Of capital punishment. God
wrote them ON tables of stone wrote
them in-so that they appeared on
both sides---wrote on stone to show
their perpetuity-wrote them for all
time, for all nations and peoples. 1t
is true there were other laws and
regulations given antecedent to these,
but they we're local in their applica-
ton and limited in their duration,
DESIGNED for use only, until the per-
feot law came. The writer will
therefore rely on the quotation re-
ferred to, to prove that capital pun
ishment is not taught by the Bible.
And right here would emphasize one
fact worthy of notice. Writers on
constitutional law, usually refer to
the writings Of the fathers, their
usages and their application Of prin-
ciples, as proof Of what was meant
or intended by any particular prin-
ciple laid in the constitution, say in
any supposed government. This all
may be well enough in some gov
ernments, but it should never be
taken as infalIible proof. The faith
ers were human and liable to err. =
ANY one conversant with the gov
eminent Of the Jews, will see at
once, that they misapplied by mis-
construction almost every principle
of the decalogue; therefore, neither
their writing, their usages, nor then
application Of principles, prove any
thing in reference to the question a
issue. This quotation then being
the fundamental being Divine
the principle governing, in reference
to the life Of man, in the world'r
constitution, all laws enacted not il
harmony with it, are null and void.
Thank Heaven for the breadth Of
meaning, the fulIness Of expression
found ia this simple imperative SEN
tence, "Thou shalt not kill" Ye
nations and ye rulers of earth hear
It. Hear now the voice from Heav-
en-. "Thou shalt not kill.o 1t does
not say, thou shalt not murder, and
thus furnish legislators, lawyers and
governors with a play Of technical,
ities with which to scar conscience
and play the fool, but simple ant
plain, aTiou shalt not kill" Herr
| the mode is ignored. It is not tb'
mode Of death, that is forbidder
here directly, but death itself. Th'
end is interdicted, the means there
fore are also implicitly forbidden
since sane means are inseparablj
connected with proposed end.
Whoever therefore takes life, vie
llates this commandment and is gull
ty before God. Acting under ths
= - Al.