CAPITAL PUSISHMEST.
SERMON BY THE KEY. JAMES MILNE, M.A. In Ohalmer'. Church, last night Sunday, June 15th, the Rev. James Milne, pre>ching from the text, Luke xxiii., 33. " There they crucified Him,' 1 and that tbe cross was the extreme penalty of the law m the Roman state, s»w its end during tbe -eign of Constantino, who declared against v, because of its sacred associations. Sinoe then Christianity had seen the passing away of thumb screw and rack, aud ultimately beheld the same fate befall the gallows, already science waa demonstrating that many a criminal was more to be pitied than puoished, and medical experts were beginning to see that however far they advanced m diagnosing diseases of the body, they knew iittle of the diseases of the miod or emperamenK Tbe question of the abolition of capital punishment conid nob be approached boo cautiously, as at present ib was impossible to say' of any criminal where his responsibility as a man ended, and bis irresponsibility as the creature of environment or heredity began. The element of fear, (00, as a deterrent to crime, could not well be overlooked. As many were bonest and virtuous, nob through any 1 love of integrity or virtue, bnt through fear of consequences m breaking of their laws, so a man might be kppb f nm crime through fear of the gallows While the hearbs of men were possessed of lust and the greed of gain this fear had to be reckoned with. Only when the spirit of the cross animated more the publio life, bringing men to acknowledge the beanty of holiness and the glory of self-sacrifice only bben wonld bbc community be ethically prepared for the abolition of capital punishment. As far as the colony was concerned, things were at least ripe for bringing an old law more into harmony wibh the statute as it held, say, ia England. Againsb that it might be argued that there was a certain tell-no-taleness about a new nnd sparsely populated country, which favored no such change, bub even were mercy alone placed m the balance against expediency, it shonld oat* weigh it, by declaring life to be forfeib, only when life bad been taken. — Daily Telegraph. ■
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Bibliographic details
North Otago Times, Volume XXXVI, Issue 8508, 30 June 1896, Page 4
Word Count
371CAPITAL PUSISHMEST. North Otago Times, Volume XXXVI, Issue 8508, 30 June 1896, Page 4
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