Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1885-05-22

II W A''"i Nphih w 40 blIltllIS dS w lltll
first delivered. There itstands along
with and inseparable from the Di-
2 vine promise Of the perpetuity and
, stability Of the cause Ofnature. There
as part of the same covenant in
+ which we find this law inflicting the
. death penalty for murder, is the
promise ofsced time and harvest, cold
and heat, summer and winter, day
and night. There, side by side with
the promise that God would no more
curse the ground for mans sake
Along with the permission to eat
animal food, and prohibition from
eating blood. Along with the well
assured supremacy given to man
over the entire domain of animal and
vegetable nature. Along with the
assurance that the earth should no
more be laid waste by devastating
Hood of water. These are all stipula-
tions in the same covenant, and as
the sign, and seal of that covenant
the rainbow was hung out in the
Heavens, SO that as long as man can
see the bow in the clouds he may
know that the covenant giving him
all these things is still IN force. So
as long as the bow continues TO ap-
pear III the cloud, iu { so long may
we know that The law inflicting
death upon the murderer has not
been repealed. So long as summer
and winter continue to come, as seed
time and harvest, cold and heat, yea,
so long as the established course of
nature continues, just so long is the
law for capital punishment in force.
And ii Is no more TO be restricted TO
any one nation, or form of religion,
or period of time than is the estab-
liShcd course Of nature TO lie thus re-
stricted. 1t was designed TO be as uni
versal and perpetual, as the posterity
of Noah, as ii was given for them.
We may as well be told when we see
the bow in the clouds, that we see
no taken OF Gods everlasting coven-
ant with every living creature, as TO
say that in this statute they see 10
evidence that it is Gods will that the
murderer shall expiatc his crime with
his own life. There is also won
derinl precision in the words of the
enactment, it stands out from the con-
test as if in raised characters, "Who
so sheddeM m0n'S blood by mda ShdH
his blood be Shed," etc.
The same mode of reasoning which
would eXpunge this the general obli-
CATION OF this statute from the codes
Of nations would also rob the ten
commandments of their divine au-
thority over men. This enactment
should have the same high rank in
the criminal code of all nations that
the ten commandments occupy in re-
gard TO all moral duties. 1t stand,
at the head of the science of crimi-
nal Jurisprudence, just as the Deca-
logue does at the head of christian
ethics.
4. At this point may remark that
the burden of proof rests upon those
who contend that this law is not TO
be observed now. 1t is an obligation
now, il not repealed, but il it has
been repealed where? If superseded |
by what, ? and where's the evidence? ? |
II 1t was TO be restricted to any one
nation, or people, or time, or was in
time to be superseded by some other
system, where may we learn that
fact, and when did its obligation
cease?
D. Another reason of Overwhelm-
ing force for the perpetual obligation
of this law is found in the reason
given for its enactment. "For in
the image of God made he man."
The reason for this is founded upon
human nature-upon the exalted
character of that nature. "The i'm
age of God" whatever that may be,
is something so precious, of such
great value, that in the divine mind
it was worthy of the highest and
strongest guaranty ofprotection from
anger and caprice of men. But this
doubtless means that man, being in
the image of God, is an immortal be-
ing, and moral being also, and as
he is accountable in future state
for the life here, and death is the
end Of probation, and brings him to
his final accounts, that life here then,
as the state of preparation for any
eternal state, is Of such infinite value
as not to be left to the capricious an
ger of men, but must be left to the
decision of infinite wisdom as to
when it shall end.
But this teaches also that murder
is crime directly against God. Man
is i'll Gods image, | strike at that
image, | strike at God. Murder is
an attempt to. blot out the image of
God from the earth, and is therefore
the highest and most fearful crime
man can commit. o that young men
who carry with them the weapons of
death could be made to feel the force
of this truth. God views murder in
this light. John Calvin says upon
this Scripture "Though men are un-
worthy of Gods goodness, yet he
doth here show the ground of his
care for the sacredness of hie."
d. The reason Tor this enactment is
perpetual, therefore the law is of per-
petual obligation. The reason is
founded upon human nature, ain
lHe image OF GOu maze nc man III is
the nature with which man is
endowed, which furnishes the
reason for the law prescribing death
as the penalty for murder. So while
man has the nature with which he is
created, his life is to be protected by
this law. Gods image is not only
moral, but natural also, the moral
may be lost by sin, but the natural
never so the law is never to be re-
pealed.
s. can only merely call attention
to the law Of Moses on this subject.
1t punished murder with death.
8. But did not Jesus abrogate the
old Testament laws and substitute
for them the gospel, when he said
at hath been said unto you by them
of old time" etc, and "but say unto
you," answer no. His teaching
was not directed against any old
Testament law but against the
abuse Of that law, and wrong con.
struction of it. But even if he had
repealed the law of Moses it would
not effect this, as it was give almost
i I