Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1876-02-10

spared.
Next In order comes the command
ment, Thou shall not Kill" The
commandments are in force yet.
Not selected one of them, but all.
Not obligatory upon one man, a part
Of mankind, but upon all, individu-
ally and collectively, and for all
future time. "7hoa shalt not kiN."
Who, shall not kill? Why, every
body, singly, and aggregated. Who
has authority to exempt even the
haneman from obedieuce to the COM
mandment?
i Next, we have the law given to
Noah, Genesis IX-6th, and the same
in substance to Moses, Exodus XXI
-i2, with suadry others. all of which
were made suitable to the condition
and circumstances OF the children Of
Israel In a pilgrimage through a
wilderness. There the death PEN
atty was a necessity, not only for
murder but for many minor oifenses.
Why? Because they were like an
army whose circumstances require
the discarding Of civil laws, and the
establishment and enforcement OF
military laws and discipline. Sum
mary and sanguinary punishments
become an absolute necessity, else
there would be 10 subordination, no
safety. Hence we see the propriety
and wisdom of the Mosaic code.
They had no jails, penitentiaries, or
means OF enforcing other and ade-
quate penalties. The law Of retalia.
ton was indispensable.
Now five are about to restore that
dispensation aud It's laws, or any OF
them, who can show authority to
select and adopt some portions, and
discard others? | should like to
| know who has a heavenly commits
sion to do this. know OF no repeal
of any one, which does not affect all.
| Ifw have the ier tdiio.is, let Us
| have IL all.
| But we are under new d!spensa-
/ ton, aud in circumstances where We
may safely depend upon laws, II en-
| forced, which are reformatory. We
punish by imprisonment, flor life III
sequired), aud thereby give the
offender chance for repentanoe and
to make peace with his God.
This Is the dispensation OF the Re-
deemer, whose atoBement made 1t
l possible for the repentance and sal'
walton OF the yilest sinner the world
ever saw, and whose iast words TO
his murderers, were " "kather Jorgice
them.p
i five go back to the Mosaic dispen.
sation, let US see what code Of laws
we should have TO live under, and
the law to Noah, Genesis IX-G, IL of
no higher authority than those TO
Moses In Exodus and elsewhere, the
former being part and parcel OF the
latter:
Erodus Y.YI-r. l2. He that smlteth
"A man so that iie die, shall surely be
| put To death. Verse ID, And he that
! smiteth his father or mother shall be
| surely put to death. Heyse ", And
/ he ttIat cursetn his father or his
mother. shall surely be put to death.
/ perse a, Eye for eye, tooih for tooth,
I hand for hand, foot for foot. Verse -,
Burning for burning, wound Tor
I wound, stripe for stripe.
4 Chap. .xIIi-r. ls, Thou shalt not
snfier a witch to live. Verse 20, lie
that sacriticeth unto any god, save
unto the Lord only, he siiall be- utter
| ly destroy ed. :,
Chap. x1XV-u. 2, Six days shall
work De dune, but on the seventh
day there shall be TO you mn holy
| day, "A Sabbath Of rest tO the Lord
and whose doeth work therein, shall
De put 10 death.
Leritic,a YKV-r. Al, Both thy
bond. and thy bond maids,
which thou shalt have, shall be OF the
hputhPn t1ht are FuuHu hUout you
Of them shall SO buy bond. men and
| bond. .maids. Verse 10, Moreover, Of
the children Of the strangers that do
soiourn among you, Of them shall ye
| buy, aud OF their frnilies that are
with you, which they begat IN your
/ land and they shall bs your posses
slon. perss 48, And ye shall take
them IN MI inheritancefor your chii'
dren after ynu, 10 inherit them for y
possession, they shall be your bond
men forever, bat over your brethren
the children ot Israel, so shall not
rule with rig0ur.
Ali the foregoing Bible passages
were In fnrce at peculiar times and
under special circumstances, but have
| long since i,een abrogated by the dts
pensation of tn. MESSIAH. and who
shall dare 10 re-enact and enforce,
what he hath annnlledy There ~
no binding -criptural Injunction TO
take life for life. any nnor. than there
Il 10 take the hrath-n fpr our slaves
ns az inheritance forever. The only
....I.