The Tipton advertiser., 1876-02-24
For the ADVERTISER
(.nnlfal PuuishDone.

u
not superseded all laws having death
as their penalty" This, however, be
nav refer 10 the world to come 70,
the time of its execution. Here We
will not materially differ. as the sin
ner will die two deaths, if he doe.
no. repent in time. Christ did mol
save the repenting thief and murderel
from the course of civil law because
of mis- repentance, though he may
have part in the paradise of God,
and no, endure the second death
Who can tell but that he might have
committed other crimes had he been
spared, ard been damned at last! So
We see that though the sinner may
repent and find pardon of God; vet
the question of pardon, or no pardon
stiil remains with the State for the
answering Of the ends Of good gov.
eminent.
For scripture authority for "han0.
iag," as my friend words it, | have
aot been pleading; but for the death
peaslty, as we have for this abund-
ant scripture precedent. l am not
% clear tina, strangulsiion is The best
or more refined mode. Might it not
be that we, in our characteristic stu
pidity, are just now waking up to =
more humane and scientific method
in the use of electrical appliances for
the extinguishment of the vital spark,
though God had given many exam
pies OF this easy means of terminating
life. How long We we're in coming
to the employment of electricity in
dispa,ching messages, though Job
had limited it long ago.
But 10 come more directly to the
matter in hand. He says that IS |
have admitted that the executive, AS
well as legislative authority had gone
ont OF the hands of the church for all
probationary time, Legislators have
no righ, to 60 back to the time OF
Moses for q criminal code" | am
sorry that nv friend should put so
light an estimate upon the things
that were written for our learning,
upon whom the ends of the world are
come" lie will not deny that God
in his word has given the world, both
civil and religious, precept and ex-
ample for the performance of his will.
The time was when Jehovah was the
king as well as God of his people.
But when he ceased to be their king
he did not abolish the civil laws of
the nations Of the earth, but his peo-
pie were pu, under law to them and
he said they should rule over them,
while at the same tine be was their
God, executing in the earth loving
kindness, judgment and righteous
ness. ! am astonisbed that Mr..
Suinn still persists il casting :eaec-
iioBs upon Jehovah's administration,
and even upon the laws themselves,
ia the Mosaic dispensation. Does ne
not see, even in the very cases to
which he cites, the jus,ifying reasons
for the execution of those criminals.
See Mum. Is, for example in the case
Of the man gathering sticks on the
Sabbath. That was s"presumptioush
case. For you will observe in the
same chapter a provision made for
sins of ignorance in which it was "a
sin not unto death" Now let US
look at Deut. 2l:2l; there the reason
fur "the ministration OF death upon
the stubborn. rebellious, drunken and
giuttonous son, who would not amend
alter proper chastisement by his
parents, is given, namely: $50 shalt
thou PIT erii a,ray from among you;
and all Israel shall hear ard fear"
l, really appears to me that if much
OF the squeamish sentimentallty now
INDUCED in by semi-inhdels of the
present iispensaiion of grace was
done away, our statute books and
much of the attending procedure of
our courts would appear with better
s.erace" than is now manifested in
that-as my friend would have it
ssthe Mesiah's everlasting kingdom"
/ ask, if Chris, is now to rule in the
civil Offices of his world by his peo-
pie, why did he not take the throne
OF his father David when it was
offered to him by the people, and the
kingdoms of this world when offered
t. him by the Prince of this world?
| answer, first, the Jews had no
civil power to confer; and seco.dly,
the devil had usurped his right as
prince and consequently our honora-
Bile Prince would not come to terms
of capitulalion with rebel, even to
save his life. Christ has no practical
right as vet to reign as king of ma
tons; not until the redemption of
the purchased possession-the earth
-as the terri ory of his everlasting
kingdom, but only as "king OF saints"
until the time when the saints of The
most high shall take the kingdom
when the kingdom and the greatness
OF the kingdom under the whole
heaven shall be theirs Of which there
shall be no end.
Ny impression is that our civil
officers have q right, and also duty
to go back to the time OF Moses, no'
only for aid to CIVIL code, but alst
for striking and well defined ex
ample for the execution of that code
AS we have not vet got into the ever
lasting kingdom OF our Lord Jesu
Christ, it will be time enough to re
fer civil matters to that kingdom
when it is come. Does my frienc
believe there were no civil or mora
laws in existence before the right O
circumcision was enjoined! Doe
not the "whole law" to which he re
fers mean the ceremonial! law?
think it does, for it was evidently
mans duty to keep Gods command
ments and laws before that demon
s,ra,ion on NJ. Sinai, (see Exodus l6
or even before circumcision, for The
people Of Sodom "were said to be
sinners exceedingly" and the Apos
tie said that ",hey vexed Lots right
eous soul with their unlawful deeds
Lastly, if it is not right "op fo'
Gods ministers of civil affairs to exc
cute the death penalty, it never was
right in past time. This would be {
grave reflection upon the character
Of he Almighty.
Respectfully,
JESSE DoRCAs.