Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1902-02-01
gHE Law AND THE Gospel

A friend IN Idaho writes TO the Des-
eret News letter Of inquiry, upon a
subject that appears to be misunder'
Htood by great many readers Of the
New Testament Tie says;
'Wlll you please explain through the
'News' James 2, chap lO
g For Whos0eVer shah Keep the whole
law and yet offend IN one point, he is
guilty OF all
"There are great many different
opinions In this locality as 70 what
James meant, by the above words
We have been surprised many times
10 hear the comments that have been
offered by intelligent persons on this re-
mark made by the Apostle james. The
idea that II person is guilty Of theft
he is also guilty OF murder; or II Of
drunkenness he Is guilty Of bearing
false witness; or II OF Sabbath break
irg he Is guilty OF robbery; seems al
most too absurd to be entertained by
my rational person. But this seems to
be the notion that Is held by religious
individuals who follow'th common GUS
tom, Of taking some isolated passage
of Scripture and blndly accepting IT.,
without comparing It to other Scrip
lures and exercising the common sense
with which the Creator has endowed
ihe majority Of mankind
The Apostle James was referring to
that which Is called IN the New Tesla
ment 'tle law Of carnal command
rnents" which was viewed as CONF
rlete code, every part of Il being es-
sential TO the integrity OF the whole. It
was likened BY some commentators to a
perfect chrystal II one part Of It was
broken the whole substance was de-
faced II any Of It's regulations were
violated the law as an entire system
.was broken.
When the Mosaic code was given in
Its complete order TO the lsraetes for
whom It was formulated the commando
ment was issued that the body OF the
people, assembled, should hear the
reading Of IT'S precepts and agree to
keep all the commandments It oontaln-
ed. Curses were pronounced upon those
who violated either Of It's inhlbitlons,
and the people were required to say,
Amen The final anathema was thls'
Cursed be he that conflrmeth not all
the words Of this law 10 do them. And
all the people shall say, Amen. -Deut,,
xvii, rs,
II was this provision that James had
in mind when making the remark
which Is quoted. II is clearly explained
in the following verse 10 those who
have reasoning minds,
"Foi he that said do not commit adult
tery, said also. do not kill. Now II thou
commit no adultery, yet II thou kill,
thou art become a transgressor OF the
law"-Jas., II, H.
James meant simply what We have
explained. A sinner breaking one Of the
commandments which formed a part of
the law given through Moses. was gull
" OF breaking the code, That is all
there ia TO II,
That law was adapted 20 the con-
ditlons existing when It was revealed.
and was necessarily stringent and
binding and was formulated to meet
the capacity Of people just emerged
from the cruel bondage which they and
their forefathers had endured under the
Egyptian yoke Their habits, customs
and spiritual state were evidently Of
low order They were unable appar.
emily, to receive the higher law which
was at first offered to them through the
Prophet Moses The Gospel was preach
ed to them, and Paul declared that
'Thoy were all baptized unto Moses.
In the cloud and in the sea. and did an
cat the same spiritual meat. and did
all drink The same spiritual drink, for
they drank Of that spiritual rock that
Followed them and that rock was
Christ, Rom, <, "a.
But we are told further that the Cos
pei which was preached to them did not
profit them moi being mixed with faith
in them THAI heard It (Heb,, iy: p it
was therefore, taken from them and
the lesser law OF carnal command.
ments' was gwen In It's place and re-.
malned with the Hebrew nation az "a
achoolmaster TO bring them unto
Christ" When the Messiah came and
restored the higher law, the Gospel.
'the perfoci law Of liberty" He In His
own person fulfilled every requirement
Of the Mosaic code, and delivered all
who received Him as the Christ from
those particular rules ana obligations
which were embodied therein
Christ did not however, abolish or
render less imperative those command
ments OF God which were from the be-
ginning, but which he summed up In
the two great prccepts, Thou shalt
love The Lord thy God with an thy
heart and with an thy mind and Thy
strength, and thou shalt love thy neigh
Dor as myself" He that receives
Christ acfpts His commandment and
Ills spirit And while he need not need
the particular rules that were imposed
upon the Hebrews under the Mosaic
code, ne yet must 1--we in the spirit Of
the diylne viii which must regulate
his personal conduct, SO as 10 be- In
conformity TO the life and example Of
Jesus Christ, and to eventually become