The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-01-08
r the crime of murder.

I against human lie. Inc quit OF IN
nocent blood had not been put away
/ from the land.
In Jeremiah's tender lamentations
over the calamities of Israel, he says:
They have polluted themselves with
+ blood so that men could not touch their
garments" Nor is there found any
where the shadow, or faintest init
nation, of repeal of the divine safe
/ guard thrown about human life. Even
the life of the slave was protected by
/ the same penalty, for murder While
the master had the right to correct his
servant, he had no right to take his
life If the servant received injury
from his master and survived a few
days it was regarded as evidence that
the master had not attempted to COM
nit murder and he was therefore eX-
empt from the penalty of the law. Eek.
XXI 20:21)
The crowning fact on this subject is
that the New Testament does not alb
rCgate the law of the Old, but is in
harmony with it. Our Savior taught
US to exercise gentleness and kindness
toward those who despitefully use us.
He referred to the old law of AN eye
for an eye and tooth for a tooth and
taught us the better way of forgive
ness in matters concerning our social
life; on the same principle that the
apostle rebuked his brethren for going
tea ching had no reference to the great
and fundamental law that underlies
the state, that makes the life of the
commonwealth possible, through the
security of the life of the citizen. In
stead of lowering moral law and moral
obligation, he eXalts both immeasur-
ably. 'Ye have heard it was said by
them of old time, thou shalt not kill;
and whatsoever shall kill shall be in
danger of the judgment; but l say
unto you, that whatsoever is angry with
his brother without cause is in danger
of the judgment" Matt. V 21:22)
1t is a perilouS mistake to conclude
that Christ came to lower the demands
of the law, or in any way weaken its
claims by abrogating the tremendous
penal sanctions by which its righteous
ness is indicated. Yet this is one of
the popular mistakes of those who en-
terrain small conception of the moral
interests which are protected by divine
law. Christ rebukes and correctS this
error in the plainest language possible.
Think not that l am come TO destroy
the law or the prophets, l am not come
to destroy but to fulfill For verify L
say unto you, till heaven and earth
shall pass, one jOt or one little shall
in no wise pass from the law until all
be fulfilled" Matt Y. 1913. The
phrase, the law and the prophets" en-
braced the moral and ceremonial law
and the prOpheSieS concerning him. He
fulfilled the prophesies concerning him
self, fulfilled the ceremonial law which
typified his person and work, and
obeyed the moral law. became the
end of the law for righteousness to
everyone that believeth." His most I'M
mistakable and sublime certification of
the death penalty was when he took
the Saviors place, against whom the
sentence OF death had gone forth, and
laid down his immaculate life at the
behest of the law.
Our Lord had occasion also to reiter-
ate the exact thought contained in the !
penalty announced to Moses infiicting
the death penalty When the officers
came to arrest him Peter drew his !
sword and smote off the ear of the |
high priests servant. Our Savior re-
buked him, saying: They that take |
the sword shall perish with the sword"
This was the exact thought of Gen. TX
6: Whose sheddeth mans blood, by
man shall his blood be shed"
Paul accepted the teachings of the |
Old Testament on this subject. When |
the Jews laid heavy and grievous |
charges against him before Felix, |
which they could not prove, he an
swered them: If 1 be an offender, or
have committed anything worthy of |
death, L refuse not to die" He held |
himself subject to Gods unrepealed |
law. Further, in the 18th chapter of /
his epistle to the Romans, he discusses
the right and duty of the executive of !
fcer to represent God in the righteous !
execution of law. After setting forth |
the authority of the government, as !
lodged in the person of the ruler, he |
declares that the executor of law
'beareth not the sword in vain
The sword was the symbol of the |
majesty of law and the instrument !
which inflicted the death penalty, the t
use of which, under proper legal con-
ditions, was duty to the state. For /
he (the ruler) is the minister of God to
thee for good But if thou do that !
which is evil be afraid, for ne beareth
not the sword in vain, for he is the
minister of God, g, revenger to execute
wrath upon him that doeth evil See |
Rom. xiii: 1-4.)
In the last book of the Bible (Rev.
xiii: 100 the old law is emphasized in /
these unmistakable words: He that
killeth with the sword must be killed
with the sword" He that killeth any
man shall be put to death" Oev xiv:
I'D saws the Old Testament, and the
same is the law of the New Testament.
Yet again the Scriptures justify the
death penalty by clearly setting forth
the heinous nature of the crime of muir
der. 1t is a crime against the divine
son and character of God.
That fact God stated as d justifica-
ton of the extreme penalty when he
first announced the law. 1t has all
ready been alluded to in the discus
sion, but deserves further and special
Whose sheddeth mans
blood, by man shall his blood be shed"
For in the image of God made he
man."
Man was created a rational and NOR
al being, as God is a rational and
moral being-in this respect he was
created in the divine image. And God
breathed into him the breath of life.
This importation of that mysterious
which we call life was di-
rect from God himself, in consequence
of which man became a living soul"
While he was indeed a creature of
God, he stood in a different relation to
him from all the other works of his
hands. He was Gods representative
in the midst of all created life, for God
gave him dominion over all the works
Of his hand. Therefore. the violent act
which terminates this life, this repre-
sentative of God in the earth, is a blow
at God himself, and stands out pre-
as q crime, for which moth
ing but the life of the murderer can
make any reparation. He who dares
TO lay violent hands on this rational
and moral likeness to God, strikes at
God himself. Man is. in such d sense,
he browning work of God. His destiny
s of such paramount Importance, so
under divine direction, that
Any malicious interference with his