Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1878-07-06
THE DEATH PENALTY-PARD0N AND
EXECUTION.

near the conclusion of all article uh-
der the above heading, i'll yonr Issue
of June 22l, q kind and reSpectiu'
criticism of All article of mine, which
appeared in your issue of May -tth.
In reference to which criticism, Will"
your permission. | would Ike 10 say
q few things. And first would re-
mark that the manner n spirit OF
ynur criticism is more Ill harmony
with the spirit and genius OF the
Christian gentleman than those Often
found in professedIy religious pa
pers; yet you have, unintentlonaiiy'
made me say some things whlch,upoh
reading my article. You VIII hna i
did not saw. You say | reached the
conclusion that no Christian man
could properly execute such SEN
teuce'' (death sentence-) Now the
word ..properly" does not fully rep
resent my idea nor my words. Inns
is what | did say: sin my oplnlon no
Christian sheriff can, with divine
approbation. intlict the penalty al
capital punishment upon ms ieiio"-
man at the behest of the civil govern
meut." ain still of the same opin-
ion. Again YOU say There are Two
radical faliacies III the doctors rea-
souiug. He denies that any lnalvlu-
nal Christian can do what the church
as A BODY cannot" This is what my
esteemed friend, the editor, thinks
said. This is what | did say and what
now say Il deny that the in0iVid-
nal members of a church have a dl-
vine right 10 do that which the church
collectively may not do wish the
editor would tell us of one aci-Just
oue-which the Individual members
of a church NAV, By divine authority,
do, which the church collectively may
not do. Well, he has attempted IL,
but | really think he was Jfstlng
He surely is not candid when he says:
eLet US see. 1t would not be very
proper for the church TO keep a store,
and yet al Individual Christian may
do So" Wherein would 1t be lW-
proper, or q breach of divine author
itv, for all the members OF u church
to keep store aud sell goods, If they
have them to sell, and the surround
iups demand il? Or in other words,
would it be in violation of divine or
human law for a whole church or cou'
gregation to form themselves into q
mercantile company or firm, and buy
and sell goods, provided they d" 1t
honestly, and the circumstances
Justify 1t? Surely, not if W or more
of the members may thus act. The
word church,a as used at PRESENTS no
q very definite expression. The WORD
congregation is often more propeI
and expressive. Again, my friend
the editor, i'll exposing my "radlca
fa,lacies of reasoning says: "Oul
friend would not approve of the Do
YER church engaging III the practic
of medicine, and yet he feels Ia
uualms of conscience i'll doing so.
You are right, Mr.. Editor. | woul
not approve of it, for woe betihe tn
poor doctors who are here, if every
body engages III the practice of med
icine. Yet if all the churches i'll Dove
wish to form themselves into u med
iral faculty, they certainly have bot
adiyine aud human right to do st
So far.I an too obtuse to see the"tw
radical fallacies' into which | hav
fallen. But this may be my two IA,
ical fallacies after all. The edltt
saws: THE church might have Il
warrant to execute a criminal, but
Christian sheriff may" II there
divine authority for any one mcnbt
OF a Christian cengregation-no ma
ter what YOU call him, sheriff or OF
erwise-to take human life, by Il
same authority any other mcmb'
may do the IN Ii these may tai
human life bv divine authority, VIII
NAV not ten, or ten thousand do Il
same, if it becomes necessary! | d
not think this can be the 1.-TWO fall
cies," so we will look further. "Tl
doctor approves of capital punis
mcnt, aud thinks society should eX
cute it: That the sword of Justice
placed in the hands OF the civil go
ernment for that purpose" do II
think said society; that Is tool indie
mite, and the word has too ma
meanings. That is not the way /
apostle talks TO men. [ think ] sill
ply repeated what the apostle i'll I
18th, of Romans, SAID : 1.-The CT
ruler is Gods minister: a revenger
execute wrath upon him that doe
evil" The editor asks, "How d
Christians, then, to avoid execute
criminals? Mauifes'ly, by refusi
to be sheriff; that is by refusing
take their part in the civil Cover
ment. which is ordained of God"
this quotation there are two assun
tions, bald and naked, without G
particle of evidence for either. FL
1T is assumed by the word tn
that Christians have an actual du
to perform in civil government,
yond paying taxes, ana praying
those in authority, that God wo'
give them wisdom, aud so GU
them thai we Christians may !
peaceable and quiet lives in all Gt
illness. This position ought not to
assumed, but proven. 1t is the V
thing that | deny, and the very tn
that my friend can never pro
Second-because civil government
ordained of God. My friend assuI
that therefore Christians may t
an active part in its admiuistra'
He'll is ordained of God, not bcca
it is good and right in itself, but
cause of sin and rebellion. The
fore, according to this logic, the
ing disciple John, or the angel
briel may descend into that ray
abyss, and infiict the punishment
the lost spirits there. The editor
agood politician, and altogether v
<h,, tbo ouppnrt Of his folio " .oiti,