The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1884-09-10

equally with the murderer. The fir
eleven verses OF tie sth chapter of Johi
are an Interpolation. They are tount
u none ~ the Bibles of the earlier cen
turl,s Yet how many sermons hay,
been preached from these verses.
Our present criminal code was -amet
by men who przed lie more than the,
priced honor. BY men who though
the >educer could work less cyl 10 then
families than the murderer
But Gods laws on the subject are moi
a. mans laws. They are comFrilll IL
a nutshell
The alulterer and the alu,tcrcs-
s'lhil surely be put to death lev
2pta and 10th. And. lie that mar
ric,h her that j, divorced comm.ttetl
adultery. Matt. 9Th and 32nd
/, it not possible that some guilty
monk introduced the Interpolation ,5und
il the Sth chap. oc John, to shield A.m-
+ sci. or his trienss from possible punish
meut. Ii he could represent our savior
as exempting such sinners from punish
ment, how many wrong-docrs would le-
4 ioice with him
When the Reformation took Place.
/ the Romish priests declared that the re-
/ formers had forsaken the church ,~tth
! llshed By God, for q book True. tlcy
4 Acknowledged that this book Was Iii
VINE. but only divine aS interpreted by
the successors of tie apostles Tie re-
/ formers claimed that tile book alone
was sufficient to guide them Alright
But this one book has not been taught
in its entirety by them. The church
winch claims infallibility forbids divorce;
and the book for which the Protestants
claim infallibility forbids the marriage
| OF divorced women. As a multitude OF
divorces are obtained for the sole pug-
pose Of enabling the parties to enter iu-
To new marital bonds, the enforcement
of the Bible law would be a powerful
check on this social gangreue.
Do the Protestant clergy never feel a
sting OF conscience when they reflect on
the use Of the great power which they
have in their hands for the prevention
Of evil: Suppose some such vision as
visited the pillow of Henry III were to
come to each one of them. That able,
but selfish and tyrannical monarch
dreamed, in the year ll3O, that his sub
.iects, III long procession, passed be-
fore him the farmers, the soldiers, the
priest Sts-Cach III turn sent to threaten
and curse and reproach him, for the
wrongs which they had received at his
hands.
The Protestant clergyman is the Gus
todian Of the intallible book. Let him
dream as Henry 2nd did First would
come a long, long array of broken
hearted men and women to say, Had
you taught the civil ruler how TO punish
adultery, cording to Gods word, our
homes would have remained inviolate. "
Then would come a long array of sui
ci,ies hundreds of thousands and they
would say, Had you taught the law OF
God according to that book you hold di-
vlne, life to us would have been toler-
able Then a fearful procession OF
maniacs s-wild, maddcned crowds, and
they too echo the doleful cry, Iolt did
not teach us our duty according to the
word of God" Lastly and saddest OF
all, the pale, famine-pinched faces OF
| little children the remnants Of broken
tamly's, deserted by the mothers who
had been enticed away by the adulterer.
And they 100 join the cry, Had yol
/ taught the word of God which you hold
i in your hands, our parents would have
done their duty to each other and to
US
/ Oh, you teachers of the Bible. it IS not
enough to say that you teach the spirit
of the Bible. You must teach also its
/ forms. As well could YOU build house
without scatfoldng, and expect the feet
of your masons to be supported on emp
ty air, as to attempt to teach the spirit
OF Gods laws without the letter.
The world Is beginning to call you to
account.
Richard Heath in the Contemporary
Rerielc asserts firmly that the clergy
who call themselves christian have not
taught Christ. They have divided the
/ spoil with the oppressOrs of mankind
+ Upon the poor and helpless fall the
heaviest burdens of woe. They look
for help and find none. Their faith
/ fails. IT, says Richard Heath, that
4 faith Is mute to-day, it is because there
4 is no heart III the suffering poor. And
/ because this gospel of the kingdom oi
4 heaven is not preached in England
christla have not recognized that the
i primary object Of their calling is to
bring about the reign of justice Of
earth.'
Other journals also, are. e..complaining
/ that in the great moral reforms of the
age. the clergy are not taking then
place at the front as they should do.
/ They are Ike men who have in then
possession a vast armory full of tie
/ finest weapons, and they look coldly on
while their tellow-men are beating then
plough shares into swords. and their
] pruning hooks into spears, to resist the
invading foe Vain is the conflict
Satan is a skilful general, and is irwin
chile to all weapons save those of divine
! origin.
Just SO surely as the spiritual laws o
the Bible will give us spiritual life. vii
the civil laws OF the Bible give US tenn.
poral life.
Some iufidcl exclaims, ~ ou will re
yive the bloody expressions of the mid
die ages, if YOU intilct the death penalty
for slns like these Nay, we woulC
save life. When town is on ti.e, VT
do not hesitate to blow up one block o
houses in order to save a THOUSAND
| blocks. ToCSIN.
Il Tho hiu dpmopStro ,f II orki o.