The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1922-07-18
CRIME OF MURDER
t MUST BE PUNISHED
Saws DR.. Hallman Who Declares
Human Law Should Not be More
Mercfiul Than Divine Law

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"The Cry of Thy Brothers Blood
was the subject of strong sermon
last night by Rev. S. T. Hallman, D
D., pastor of the Lutheran church
Using as texts the 9th and 10th vers
es of the fourth chapter of Genesis
cam l my brothers keeper? The
voice of thy brothers blood crieth
unto me from the ground" and the
fourth verse of the 142nd Psalm, "No
man barred for my soul,' DR.. Hall
man said in part:
! History records no greater evl'
dence of the Edenic sin and the de-
pravity of man than that of the ira
gedy nea~ the gate of Eden. Here
men who had heard the voice Of God,
and had close knowledge of His crea-
tive power, quarrelled over his reli-
gious offerings, and the earth was
made to drink the blood of one of the
noblest of the race.
The picture is too horrid and too
revolving for contemplation, and the
story never would have been told
but for the serious lession it unfolds.
Yes, brothers, the first of the race,
allowed difference to grow into mad
ness, and that madness becomes
murderous hate, and God-given life
is destroyed.
And, then, unblushing falsehood,
and Satanic craft, attempts to COW
er up that fearful deed, and thus
to evade the consequences of that
sin for which he could never atone.
But denial is useless. The voice of
the Eternal God, in its penetrating
power, rings out the verdict: "The
voice of thy brothers blood crieth
unto me from the ground" God
knows; the evidence of Gains guilt
rises up to heaven; and the laws de-
mand must be met.
That law crieth out "Whosoever
sheds MANS blood, by man shall his
blood be she'd" Down through the
ages that eternal decree has been ver-
flied; and it seldom, or never, hap
pens that the murderer escapes the
penalty of his guilt.
Sometimes days, months and many
years may pass, but murder will
out" and Divine retribution comes at
last. God has put an infinite valua-
ton on human life, and none may
touch that precious stream without
paying the penalty sooner or later.
Even the ancient heather knew that,
and the record of the centuries gone
by verifes that fact. When viper
fastened on Paul's hand, on the is
land of Melita, the "barbarians'
said, mo doubt this man is muir
derer, whom, though he hath escaped
the sea, yet vengeance suffereth not
to live; and, not until Paul shook it
off and no i'll effects followed, did
they change their minds.
The taking of human life is a
fearful wrong-a sin against God
and humanity, and should meet its
deserved punishment. The law of
God never condoned it, and why
should human law do otherwise?
Cold -blooded, deliberate murder
should never fail to meet it's just
penalty-its God-ordained punish
ment.
All this maudlin sympathy, this
conjured-up insanity plea, or this
self-defense business amounts to lit
tie moro than an excuse for crime.
A self-defense killing, in the strict
est sense, rarely occurs once in a
hundred times, if ever. Often the
murderous man pursues course OF
conduct intended to bring about an
opportunity for the commission of
the crime on which he is bent.
When God says, death is the
penalty for actual murder" no man
has any right to set aside that eter-
nal law.
{ And don't forget that when murder
comes into family it seldom leaves
it, but goes down through genera
tions yet unborn. Blood never lett
David's family; and that crucltixlon
imprecation, ''His blood be upon US
and our children" has lived down
through almost twenty centuries.
Oh. that men would curb their
passions, hold in check their vile tenn
pers, and avoid the stain Of broth
er's blood.
! There is, however, a greater Sir
with respect to our fellowmen than