The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1903-09-21
The Law of Moses and the Courts

Editor Constitution: Please grant me
a little space in your columns upon 4
question of personal privilege. The re-
port OF my sermon at Macon on The
Cities Of Refuge" published in The Con-
stitution, some two woels ago. was very
accurate. but in the abbreviated form
that was unavoidable. there is abundant
temptation TO read between the lines and
put things in my mouth l never said and
TO attribute conclusions to me that I
never expressed. Criticisms published in
your paper convinced me that this has
been done TO wide extent.
do not approve of lynchns. / do not
believe that anything could induce me to
participate in lynchips. I indorse the
strong stand which The Constitution has
taken against mob law, and beg to unite
in the great uprising Of sentiment against
it, and in everything that can be said int
denunciaton of the lyching evil.
But all this is combating Il position
very different from the one l took In the
sermon alluded to. The interest which
seems to have been awakened by that
sermon shows that the whole country
is aroused on the subject. Even the clip
ping bureaus are seeking my patronage.
The scope OF the comments. favorable
and unfavorabe Justify my sermon.
Many of these criticisms. with zeal to
denouuce lynching as an absolute outlaw,
err greatly when they give unqualified in
dorsenent TO the criminal jurisprudence
Of our country, while they utterly ignore
the facts that God has spoken on the
subject OF the punishment Of crime.
nv sermon was preached to direct the
attention TO the law of God on the sub
iect. My object was conservative. My
method was strictly Biblical. As matter
of illustration. | pointed out some of the
WAYS in which our criminal courts and
nardoning boards ignore the law Of Moses
and DEFY the law Of God. Our laws say
mat crime is punished to deter Offenders
from repeating the crimes thar they nave
committed. and to deter others from COM
Writing like offenses. Moses. on the con-
-, eavs: so We shall NOT pollute
inc land wherein We are. for blood It
dedleth the land, and the lalAd can not
no rleansvd or the blood mat is shed
tncrein. but by tne blood OF hln mat sned
IT, "-Deut. AANV, 80
1et the reader turn to this chapter
ana read il, especially from verse 50 to
~ end Here we see that the great
ahioct OF the divine law is eNpiation. ana
not simply punishment or warming. But
our law courts ignore the doctrine o.
a criminal. except on the testimony OF tWo
witnesses. But the tribunal that sits il
iudemenr except In the case OF the acct
dental killing of a person, seems 10 have
been constituted of those people who We're
conveniently situated as TO the crime 1t
vas tribunal of bystanders The
trial was free from formality, from tech
meal hindrances 1t followed the crime
Immediately. and the law was executed
promptly in cases Of accidental killing.
If the offender could reach a city of
refuge. he was protected from the other
wise summary trial and given an oppor-
tnnity to show his freedom from malice
Our jury system. which is about 500
wears old was. doubtless, inaugurated
to carry out the divine law. In its main
principles it did this at first but it does
not do it now. The whole system is
permeated with injustice to society De-
lays and evasion have come in until it
"rnakes void the law of God by its ira
ditions."
THE powers that be" are ordained of
God But they are not, for that reason.
to be allowed to defy the law OF God.
and God always finds a method for de-
stroyine the powers that He has ordained
when they forget His law Anarchy may
be just as ripe in the court house as on
the roadside, where a criminal caurht
red handed in the preparation of A crime
is executed by the decree of a mob II