The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-01-08

I ~ b44C CALLER ulSlOIN u lilG llQlIlc1tl
race, that he who violently destroyed
that life deserved death, has it be-
come less sacred these last days, when
the gospel has empowered that life,
and clothed it with new dignity, in
terest and capacity?
Your attention is further called to
the scriptural fact that the law fixing
the death penalty for the crime OF
murder was re-enacted on Horeb more
than 800 years $3.50 later Amid the
scenes and instructions given to Moses
when God was teaching him in refer
ence to the national religious life of
Israel, the law protecting the sacred
interests of human life was repeated.
1t was woven into the structure that
was to fashion the nation on a perma-
nent basis of righteous living. To
Moses God said: He that smiteth a
man so that he die shall surely be put
to death. If a man come pre-
sumptuously upon his neighbor and
Stay him, thou shalt take him from
mine altar that he may die. He that
smlteth his father or mother shall
surely be put to death" Exodus
xxi u, A.
Sufilcient time had elapsed since the
I law was first announced to Noah to
prove something of its working. God
was certainly competent to determine
whether it tended to barbarism. Had
J ocSA OtCli TIE E6Suil Oh the 0edIn pen
/ atty 1t would have been most opportune
! for him to have recalled the former
enactment He was instructing a ma
/ ton which was to give to the world
the highest type of individual and ma
tional life. 1t will not tax the faith
OF one who believes in the wisdom
and benevolence of God, to accept his
re-enactment of the death penalty,
under the new circumstances of Israels
coming life and history, as of the ut
most Importance. l should not know
now 10 answer to my own reason the
Supposition that God had the oppor-
tunlty of wiping out this relic of bar
! berism," but instead wrought it into
the permanent code of the morals of
his chosen people. I rather conclude
that he, who is the author of this
mysterious life of ours, who knows
how sacred it is, knows also how TO
protect 1t with appropriate laws and
adequate penal sanctions.
We have further the scriptural fact
that a little later, when God wrought
out the Leyitical code of worship, when
by all the sacrifices and libations by
Which he was leading the people into
the experience of holy worship, he
again repeated the inestimable value
that he placed on human life. by an
nouncinS the death penalty for the
crime of murder He that killeth any
man shall surely be put to DEATH
NeV. xiv. I'D Mark the fact that
God was then leading Israel into more
advanced, more holy living. The COS
pei of redemption by blood was now
being more distinctly preached to them
Christ was more clearly set before
them in the ordinances. So sacred was
life that God forbade the people eat
ing the blood of animals. "Ye shall
eat the blood of no manner of flesh:
for the life of all HpSh &c rh
thereof; whOmsOever eateth it shall be
cut off. Lev. xvii, 40 1t would be
difficult to conceive how God could
more impressively express his estimate
OF the sacredness of human life, and
of the awful guilt of the murderer.
Another scriptural fact is that So
years later just before entering the
land of promise. in view of the homes
to be builded, the better family life,
the advanced religious culture, the
more perfect security of the citizen and
the life of the state, God repeated with
an emphasis that cannot be over stated,
the penalty long since affixed to the
crime of taking human life. He made
provision for the safety of those who,
by accident, should destroy life. by
appointing for them cities of refuge.
But for those who deliberately de-
stroyed human life there was but one
law, and to that law the death penalty
was always attached.
Consider that comprehensive and
emphatic passage in Deuteronomy xxxv,
1871 If he smite him (his fellow
mani with an instrument of iron so
that he die, he IS a murderer: the
murderer shall surely be put to death.
And II he Smite by throwing a stone
wherewith he may die, and he die,
he is a murderer; the murderer shall
surely be put to death. Or if he smite
wit no,
wherewith he may die, and he die, he
Is murderer; the murderer shall
surely be put to death. The avenger of
blood himself shall Stay the murderer
when he meeteth him he shall slay him.
But if he thrust him of hatred or hurl
at him by laying of weight that he die:
or in enmity smite him with his hand
that he die; he that smote him shall
surely be put to death for he is a
murderer
You viii also mark the fact that
God makes the execution of the law
against the murderer a condition of
national prosperity. In the last an
nOuncement of the law, in the last book
IF the Pentateuch Deut., XIX God
says concerning the murderer: Thine
eye shalt not pity him, but thou shalt
put away the guilt of innocent blood
from Israel, that it may be well with
thee" That was to be done by exc
cutting the murderer.
When human life becomes cheap. |
national life depreciates in the same |
ratio. Roman law and Roman govern !
ment trembled and went down when |
senators and emperors were murdered |
with impunity. God charged Israel |
with cheapening human life and as
signed that fact as a cause for the fall |
of the nation into decadence Your |
hands are full of blood" said Isaiah. |
when, as the mOuthDiece for God, he |
laid their sins before them They |
haste to shed innocent blood" because /
the sentence of the law was no longer |
executed. God has definitely stated |
the result of this decay of conscience. |
Because sentence against an evil |
work is not executed speedily, there |
fore the hearts of the sons of men are |
fully set in them to do evil" Gel. |
viii, ID Life in Israel had become |
cheap, as the history of the kings of |
the nation proves. when Isaiah spoke
those warning words. Insecurity of
life destroyed the progress of the ma
ton. Many of the Kings were murder
erS, who polluted their thrones with |
blood, until the nation broke down
Attention is further called to the
judicial charge which David gave to
Solomon in reference to Joab who was
guilty of murder: Thou knowest |
what Joab, the son of Zeruiah, did
to the two captains of the host
Of Israel, unto Abner, the son of Ner,
and Amasa, the son of Jether, whom
he slew and shed the blood of war in
peace Do therefore according
to thy wisdom and let not his hcary