Year: 1866

! And if we are honest, [ think we
will be obliged TO say that the Silver
rule is the highest maxim we have yet
| learned to honor. In fact many per-
sons will say, in plain terms, 'If | am
just that's enough. If [ do my neigh
bors no harm, what more can be requir-
ed Of me 2" Ny friend, nothing more is
required Of you by the silver rule of
jewish rabbis and heathen m0ralists;
but if you mean to be a christian, you
must make up your mind, and open
your heart for great deal more. /
admit that it is something, yea, that
it is much, if man come up to the
standard Of the silver ruIe-if man
carefully abstain from inficting upon
others injury and injustice, which he
would not have inflicted on himself
am afraid that the majority Of us have
scarcely come up to this point yet;
but we must aim at something higher
than this; we are not perfect; we are
not Christ-like; we are not christians,
unless not only strict justice, but also
the most expansive generosity be firm
Iy established in our hearts, and con-
stantly shown forth in our conduct A
just man, who is nothing more than
just, does not and cannot fulfil this
right royal law; he pays every man
his dues, and pays punctually and in
full; he is never guilty of slander; he
bears in his heart no ill-will to any
one; he does to no man what he would
not have done to himself; but still he
oha OF ha, h. lo++
OF this command, "All things whatso-
ever ye would that men should do to
you, do we even SO to them" This
law can scarcely be misun derstood by
any intelligent and conscientious man.
Although Christ says, in unqualified
terms, that we are to do to others all
things that we would wish them to do
to us, it is very plain that he can only
mean all things that are really right.


But this law, as it stands, with the un-
qualified call things whatsoever" is
liable to abuse on the part of the un-
conscientious. For instance, there
stands a prisoner at the bar; he has
been tried for wilful murder, the Jury,
after careful deliberation, have return
ed verdict of guilty, and the Judge
is putting on the black cap, and about
to pronounce the sentence of death.
Stop. says the prisoner, "your lord
ship processes to be christian, and to
take the golden rule for your motto.
Now, my lord, if you were in my place
in this dock, and in yours upon that
bench, you know very well that you
would wish me to spare your life
therefore l ask you to spare mine-to
do to others as you would they should
| do to you. To this his lordship might
reply that he was not at liberty to act
for himself; that, in fact, he was the
representative of the nation in that
act of passing sentence, and he might
further say, 'In hanging you, | am
only doing to others as | would they
should do to me. | am doing, if not
to you, to the people of this country,
what | should wish them to do to me
| am ridding them of dangerous char
acter; l am consulting their safety, as
| would wish them to consult mine."
| If every scoundrel is to plead the gold
en- rule in mitigation Of the punish
ment Of his guilt, then there is an end
of all public justice. The magistrate
has his duties to the people, as well as
to the criminal; he must not wrong
them, ont Of pity for him; every per-
| son under such circumstances must


have justice; they deserve justice;


consequently this rule cannot lie APP
piled in mitigation of their punish


ment. Therefore the criminal, the idler


aud the impostor in vain plead this law,
as if it were in their favor. 1t is not
! a law that connives at iniquity. It's
spirit is essentially this-that | am to
do to others all those just and gene
rous things which | would fairly and
reasonably expect others to do to me.