DEATH IS The murderer's due.

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man from murdering his neighbor for his money; or the malicious, revengeful man from murdering the man whose influence he dreaded, or whose person he hated! Murder, then, would be no crime; because, where there is no law, there can be no transgression.

Now, can it be true, (contrary to Christ's own words,) that a portion of the work of the Lord Jesus on earth was thus to destroy the Moral Law, and its penalty, and render such enormities no crimes worthy of death? Who but the heaven-daring,-God-despising,—Bible-hating Infidel, would be willing to adopt such a creed for the purpose of changing the penalty of death, due to the murderer by the Divine Law, into any mitigated satisfaction that bribery could accomplish; or sympathy for the murderer could effect; or, that men, without the fear of God, would be pleased to substitute by legislation, in the room and stead of the positive Divine Law?!!

Instead of adopting such a subterfuge to abolish Capital Punishment, it is the duty of all men, of every rank, with all possible vigilance and fidelity, to assist all civil officers of government, in the prosecution, trial, conviction, and punishment by death of every atrocious malicious murderer; all his stereotype pleas of insanity, presented by counsel in his defence, with all the sagacity of a Socrates, and the combined eloquence of Demosthenes and Cicero to the contrary notwithstanding.

Do we hear another objection to the punishment of death for murder, from the facts, that the crimes of blasphemy, Sabbath-breaking, adultery, and other violations of laws given to Moses, were punishable with death under the Jewish economy; but not under the Gospel dispensation?

In reply we observe, that the fact stated, is admit

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ORIGINAL IMPORT OF DIVINE PRECEPTS.

ted, and the objection has been answered by the distinction which has been made between the Moral and Ceremonial Laws given to Moses. But, lest the distinction might not have been sufficiently perspicuous, a more particular attention shall now be given to it.

The Moral Law given to Moses on tables of stone, on Mount Sinai, was, in its nature, the original, comprehensive law of God's rule of life to man from the creation, reduced to Ten practical specifications, each of which was binding on all the generations of mankind, as will appear from the very nature of the prohibitions and injunctions designated in the law. Hence, the First Precept bound Adam and Eve, and all their posterity to the remotest generations, To love and worship God the Creator, as the One, only, living, and true God. The Second Precept prohibited the making, and paying religious homage to images after the likeness of any created object in the universe. The Third Precept forbade the profanation of the name of the Creator. The Fourth required Adam and all his posterity, to keep holy one seventh part of time, after the example of the Divine Lawgiver, who created heaven and earth in six days, and rested the seventh day from all his works; denominating it, His Sabbath, blessed and sanctified, to be kept as the Lord's holy day to the end of time.

The Fifth Precept of the Moral Law required children of the posterity of Adam, to honor their parents, in conformity with that common law of nature, which constitutes parents the honored instruments of the existence, the nurses, guardians, and governors of their children all which, entitles parents to the righteous, and natural claims of obedience and honor. The Moral Law in its Sixth Precept, forbids all mankind of the race of Adam to murder any of their species,

3

[

MARRIAGE A DIVINE ORDINANCE.

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for the reason adduced by the Almighty, viz., "For in the image of God made he man." The Seventh Precept of the Moral Law, forbids adultery, for the promotion of that Divine ordinance delivered to the first parents of mankind in Eden, (and provided for, in the constitution of the very laws of creation by the perpetual equality of the sexes in all generations,) That one man, and one woman, should be constituted one flesh in the holy alliance of matrimony. So, also, in the 8th, 9th, and 10th Precepts of the Moral Law, stealing, false swearing, and covetousness, were expressly forbidden, in conformity with implied reasons, obviously designed by the Creator for the general good of mankind.

Thus, it may be plainly perceived, that the Moral Law thus specified on Mount Sinai, comprised in its organization, all the elementary principles of original righteousness required of man before his fall in Eden. And, furthermore, let it be particularly noticed, that the penalty of death for murder, had been given by the Almighty to Noah soon after the abatement of the flood, about 900 years before the giving of the Law upon Mount Sinai, divinely requiring "blood for blood;" "Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed." And, let it be further noticed, that at the giving of the Moral Law, no specific penalty was announced as annexed to any of the Ten Precepts of the Law, nor had been, except to the Sixth Precept which prohibited murder; the penalty of which had been previously given as above stated. This shows conclusively, that the penalty of death was not annexed to any of the other nine Precepts as constituent portions of the Moral Law, but of the Ceremonial Law of typical rites and ordinances.

And here let it be distinctly understood, that the

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CEREMONIAL LAW ENFORCED.

Ceremonial Law was different from the Moral Law, in its origin, nature, design, and period of its existence. Its origin was subsequent to the Morai Law, and was based, not on any apparent natural reasons for its existence, but solely on the positive precepts of the Almignty, designed for specific purposes. One special design of the Ceremonial Law, was the organization and regulation of Divine ordinances in the Church of Israet, comprising all things relating to modes and forms of Divine worship. Another special design was the enactment of a code of laws for the civil and ecclesiastical government of the whole house of Israel, in all its departments, from the national polity to the family circle, including penalties divinely ordained. and required to be executed on violators of Divine ordinances, during the existence of the Levitical economy, under the Jewish dispensation. Hence the whole ceremonial law was typical of the Gospel dispensation; and was fulfilled when Christ, the divinely ordained Antitype, finished his mediatorial mission on the earth.

It was to enforce obedience to ceremonial ordinances, that the penalty of death was divinely ordained, and commanded to be executed upon those who should be guilty of various specific violations of the Ceremonial Law. And, because stealing, adultery, and Sabbath-breaking were subsequent specifications of the Ceremonial as well as of the Moral Law; hence, evidently, the penalty of death was divinely awarded to the perpetrators of the crimes above named, and other violators of the Ceremonial Law; as instances of executions, divinely recorded in the Bible, will plainly show.

But mark well. The Ceremonial Law terminated Jewish dispensation when Christ appeared

with

THE MORAL LAW UNCHANGEABLE.

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to atone for the sin of mankind. Then the Levitical priesthood ended in one perpetual High Priest, even Jesus Christ, who entered once for all into the most holy place, even into heaven, to intercede for all who seek redemption through his blood. Then the Ceremonial Law with all its legal rites, types, shadows, ordinances and penalties, was fulfilled in Christ. Before his death and ascension, malefactors were punished with death for the violation of ceremonial ordinances, among which were Sabbath-breaking and adultery. But at Christ's death, we are told, that "He abolished in his flesh, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, blotting it out; took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross."

But, what does all this prove against the penalty of death for murder? The antitypical fulfilment of the Ceremonial Law, with all its appertenances by the Divine Saviour, had no abrogating effect on the Moral Law and its sanctions. The Ceremonial Law, after the ascension of Christ, was like a bond that is cancelled, which becomes void and of none effect. But not so with the Moral Law. Not one jot, nor tittle of it, was ever abolished, nor diminished, nor altered in the least degree by the change of dispensation from Jewish to Christian. Consequently, it is now

in full force and virtue; and all mankind are bound by the authority of the Great Jehovah to enforce the execution of its penalty on all who are legally convicted of the crime of murder. For nothing is more certain, than that the punishment of death for murder is a penalty of the Moral Law, which Christ never came to abolish. "By the Law," [says the learned Dr. Gill, on Matt. v. 17,]" by the Law, is meant the Moral Law. This, Christ never came to abolish.” Comm.