Year: 1865




dains life for life


! Again it is urged that the mild teach
ings Of Christ repeal the stern vindictive
ness of this ancient law. Reference il
made to such passages as the following


"Ye have heard that it hath been said
AL eye for an eye and a tooth for tooth
but say unto you, that ye resist not evil
but whosoever shall smite thee on thy
right cheek, turn to him the other also. >
These are manitestly enough rules laid
down by our Saviour for the individual
and not for governments. The old postu.
lates Of justice had been permitted to min
lister to the cravings of a private revenge
Under color of the law, the injured one
excuses himself from the difficult exercise
of a private forgiveness and pursued the
wrong doer with personal malice, triumph,
ing in the expiation he exacted. This
abuse of legal provisions the preacher on
the mount condemns, and inculcates in all
private relations forgiying spirit, which
after all is perfectly consistent with a
prosecution of injuries as justice requires.
Christ did not abrogate the old law, he
did not touch its integrity-it was his aim
to cut up the indulgence of schemes Of re-
venge between man and man Will those
who demand the abolition of capital pun
ishment on the strength of these scri pturcs
apply them Just as rigidly to all injuries as
well as to those invading human life. On
all their rights upon their ertates upon
the banner of our country will they place
the Inscription ''resist not evil; will they
open their doors to the midnight robber :;
will they yield to a fraud in mercantile
transactions will they look quietly on
while their homes blaze before the wasting
march of war and give their kindred TO
the sword. their own breath to the hoof
of the battle stced, the wheels OF artillery
Did our Saviour mean to break down the
statutes OF the Jewish law! What Is his
own announcement of the scope of his
mission 1t is found as preface TO the
very passage we have quoted, think not
that am come to destroy the law and the
prophets, an not come to destroy, but to
fulfill"


Paul surely understood the intention OF
the New Testament as we'll rs those with
whom wo argue What is his language
respecting the sanctions Of the civil admin
istration Rom. iii. l. ''Let every soul
be subject unto the higher powers, for
there is no power but of God : the pow
crs that be are ordained of God. And
they that resist shall receive to themselves
damnation For rulers are not a terror
to good works, but to the evil Wilt thou
then not be afraid of the power? Do that
which is good and thou shalt have praise
of the same. For he is the minister OF
God to thee for good. But if thou 90
that which Is evil be afraid, for he bear
eth not the sword in vain, for he Is the
minister OF God, revcngcr to execute
wrath upon linn that doeth evil Does
this look ike the annulling of retributivc
law What is it this heaven-appointcd
ruler bears as his baton of Office? Not a
pair OF scales to weigh out fine, a wood
en- bolt to ta,ten q prison door, but a
Swmd, to execute wrath. to intlict the
stern award of violated justice "upon him
that docth evil"


1t Is altogether mistaken conception OF
the spirit of the gospel if we turn from the
letter, to take it as proclamation of inn
punily fer crime. The gospel has indeed
both mission Of peace on earth good will
to man it illustrates gloriollsly the inf
mite mercy Of God, but it does more than
this There isnothing in the dealings OF
Ciod with his creatures which so eNaltS
the majesty of justice as this same scheme
of redemption. The hurting of the rebe
angels from the battlcments of heaven &c
chains and darkness utters not half so aw
tilly the inhexible decree of God, that he
will by no means clear the guilty as tho
voices OF Gethsemanc and Calvary. What
do we behold on that biood-staincd height
but all incensed Justice broken law


pouring out the smoking phials of wratl
upon human guilt, that guilt garnered uE
and laid upon the head of the innocent
substitute-the spotless son of Gci p
What a perverSlon to speak of this grca
exhibition of death for sin, as introducing
, a dispensation in which justice resigns it
: scepter to a mercy which has thencefortl
, no capital retribution for transgression.-
Forever does that grand tragedy declare
''The soul that sinneth it shall die" Jus
5 ticc will be honored. Its eternal demand
f never slumbcr Law remains forever slI
] prcme. So then the statute of four thou
g sand years ago is indestructable-by al
subsequent iegislation-by the wide con
: senting providence of God-by the gospo
9 of mercy itself, it is declared to b
v throughout the whole extent of human
e history, .torerer IN force. But we have t
4? defend this doctrine Of capital punish
: mcnt not only in respect to its divine au
: thority, but in its bearings to the wcll-be
e ing OF society. We might indeed excuS
If ourselves from this demand, for if the dc
5 cree be of God they who contravene ii
Ii Righteousness are found fighting again:
II the most high. But we will fill our r,
d manning space with the consideration {
d objections drawn from the grounds of e>
l. pediency and humanity.


l. 1t is alleged that the doctrine is imcor
le sistent with the origin and des IGN Of h,
le man government This objection lool
d upon government as the mere creature
1t the human will, deriving its powers al