The record-union., 1895-01-21
SAFETY ONLY In LOVE OF GOD.
UnbeIief Leads to Sin and Sin Fosters
Crime.
A Strong and Timely Discourse That
is Full of Thought for Those
Capable of Mental Effort.

Rev. j. W. Buxton, pastor ofthe Method
ist Church at Elk Grove, in recent SER
mon on the subject of the prevalence of
crime and bloodshed, took for his text
the following passage from Genesis
ix.. SO: ''And surely your blood of
your lives will L require; at the hand of
every beast will require it, and at the
hand of man; at the hand of every mans
| brother will l require the life of man.
Whose sheddeth mans blood, by man
shall his blood be shed; for in the image
Of God made he man,
This passage Of Scripture carries US
back, said the speaker, to that terrible
crisis in the history of our race when
man was swept from the face OF the earth
by flood. Noah, who, by faith i'll God,
had saved himself and his household
has come forth from the ark and offered
an acceptable sacrifice to God, and the
Lord is pleased TO enter into covenant
with him, and to grant to man u new
lease OF life OH the earth.
New regulations are introduced in re-
gard TO the government of society. Be-
lore the flood it would seem that God had
held the reins OF government in his own
hands. lie IN some way calls the urSt
offender 10 account. He acts as Judge
and jury, and pronounces the sentence of
Punishment from his presence. When
Cain, harrassed by a guilty conscience,
feared assassination, it was God who pro-
nounced the fearful sentence of a seven
told vengeance upon whoever might De
guilty OF lynching him.
But now we nave a new departure.
Man is to be made emphaticalIy his
brothers. keeper, the defender and guard
nt "a Of
human acts OF cruelty. When beast or
man shall take human life they forfeit
their own, and man shall execute the
penalty, "Ior in the image OF God was
man made" Surely a being endowed
with God-like powers ought to be capable
OF selt-government, and whoever lays
violent hands on such being deserves to
die; for this would only be even-handed
justice-the law of requital which has
obtained il all civil governments.
We are living under like conditions to-
day. This divine regulation has never been
changed. Civil government has been in
trusted to man. The powers that be are
ordained Of God"-ordained for the pun
| lshlnent OF evlI-doers and the praise of
| them that do we'll. 1t is u most solemn
and important trust. But, alas what
sad failures have been made in the his
tory OF the past in carrying out this di-
vine regulation. Every reader of history
! is familiar with this fact.
| We have not time to dwell upon the
| past, but hasten to inquire whether civil
government Is a success at the present
| time and in our own land. There is a
! feeling abroad that society is not pro-
! tected life and property are not secure
The voice of the Lord to Ezekiel would
! be appropriate for US: MAKE chain, tor
| the land IS full OF bloody crimes, ana the
city is full OF violence" There is no
| place of security. The red-handed MUIR
derer may enter the sacred precinct of the
! home, or the office or business place.
amid the busy hours of the day. The
public highways and thoroughtares are
| infested with robbers, was the road
from Jerusalem to Jerico in the days OF
! Old.
No age, or condition, or sex is proof
against these heartless villains who infest
society. Gray hairs are dlsregarded the
piteous cry OF helpless. Innocent child
hood, or the appeal OF delicate, tender
WOmanhOOd, are unheeded by these in
carnate iiends.
When and where has human life been
SO little regarded as now? Perhaps in the
dark days OF Roman history, when the
nod OF a Caesar sent men to death, but
surely never before in the history OF this
Nation. And the saddest thing about it is
the amazing difference OF the people
True, when 1t comes so near home That
we begin to think it may be our turn
next, 1t may awaken spasm Of indigna-
! ton, but alas, how soou it passes away
and we go OH as before!
In this country We make the boast that
this Is Government by the people and
for the people. I'VE, the people" then.
must be held responsible. When God
shall make lnquisltion for blood-the
| blood of those slain victims, which cries
out to heaven for vengeance-when He
! shall demand not only of murderers. but
of those ordained by Him to be pro-
teCtorS OF human life: "W here is tby
brother?" What will you answer? it
will not do to ask. Am L my brothers.
keeper?' For God has put this RESPONSE
OlLlty upon us and we cannot thrust il
aside.
ii we study carefully the causes which
have led up 10 this state OF society will
we not find sin lying at our door?
We have been accustomed to charge
crime largely TO the outlaws VINO have
hooked TO our shores from the old world.
Doubtless there IS some truth in this-so
much that 1t should lead us to put a
quarantine on our ilnmigration-bu we
cannot ignore the fact that statistics show
| that there Is an annual increase in the
! number OF Americans among the
criminal classes, and OF those who have
come from the better classes of society
ana even from our colleges and Sunday
schools.
But the criminals come largely from
the SlumS and saloons of our own conn
try. These places are tolerated; children
grow up with such environment in GER
tain localities as to make them almost of
necessity criminals or vagrants. 1t is a
fact SO familiar that it need scarcely be
repeated, that the saloon is prolific
source OF crime. What can be expected
OF those who spend so many hours in the
saloon amid the fumes of tobacco smoke
and strong drink and the profanity and
vulgarity that characterize such places.
| their moral sensibilitieS will be paralyZed
but that and many OF them prepared to
occupy the felon's cell?
The feeble and spasmodic manner in
which our laws are enforced ENCOURAGES
crime, instead OF being a terror to evil
doerS, and the lines OF Lowell are as true
now. at least in many localities, as when
they were written:
Win generous curve we draw the moral line.
our sW!nulerS are permitted TO resign:
Inelr gull Is wrapped in delerentiaI nameS
Ana twenty sympathize for one that ,IIameS
Inc public servant who has stolen or lied
II called on, may resign With honest bride.
AS unjust favor put hum in, why doubt
DisfaNor as unjust has turned him outp
Even ii indicted, what is that but fudge
10 MIN VINO counted in the elective iuClpe2
Whitewashed, he quits the politician S strife
AT ease IN mind with pockets filed for life
There is no doubt that the prevailing
sentiments of doubt and unbelief of the
present time leads to disregard OF nu-
man life. We often heal it said: 81 care