THE GOLDEN RULE EXPLAINED.

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the Bible. Now let it also be explained on the principle and by the rule of Rationalism, and it will be seen that reason itself teaches that by this rule, rightly understood and applied, no man would ever be hung for murder. Who, that had only killed a man in a duel; or even murdered a man to get his money; or poisoned a wife or husband to death merely to obtain a more agreeable partner; or had given a dose of arsenic to a child to get rid of supporting it; or had stabbed a man to death with a jack-knife for interfering in love calculations, (as was proved to have been the case of Wilcox ;) who, it is inquired, that had committed murder in any of the aforesaid instances, or similar circumstances, would wish to be hung for it? Not one. No, not one! Does not reason itself, then, founded on the Golden Rule of the Bible, cry aloud to all constables, sheriffs, grand-jurors, witnesses, lawyers, judges, hangmen, governors, and to all the people of the land, to do by the poor murderer as they would wish to be done unto, if one or all of them had murdered somebody? So clear it is on rational principles, and Bible too, when explained rationally, that every murderer's life should be spared, whether he be sent to state prison or not. So reasons the enlightened, the refined, the wise, modern, reasonable, rationalist on Rationalism, in this "age of reason," the Bible, to the contrary, notwithstanding.

Another class wish capital punishment abolished, on the principle of promoting man's chief good on the earth. Man's chief good (say they) are his honor, self-esteem, self-respect, self-interest, and the superlative happiness of his nature during his rational existence in the world. The punishment of death for any breach of law, is held by them as repugnant to every source of sensual enjoyment. Capital Punishment,

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DOCTRINES OF NATURE'S GREAT BOOK.

they tauntingly affirm, is a doctrine originating only from the Bible, supported only by priestcraft, and priest-ridden people who believe in the Bible, and are enemies to man's happiness on earth. We believe (say they) in no Bible, but the book of Nature. We believe in no priestcraft, only that it exists in the world as a curse, and the greatest foe to human happiness. Now, only rid the world of Bibles, and priestcraft, and the punishment of death for murder will be exterminated from the earth. Every day in the week (Sunday NOT excepted) will be alike free for labor, and free for pleasure, without the restraints, remonstrances, and annoyances of Bibleism, and of priestcraft. Sexual cohabitation will, also, be free and indiscriminate, agreeably to the enjoyment of an unmolested gratification of all the propensities of nature throughout the whole system of animal existence in pursuit of sensual delight. This is the religion of Nature. Its doctrines accord with man's inclinations. Nature's great Book, extensive as the universe, teaches it. And man's superlative, sensual enjoyment, requires nothing more. And, were it not for the Bible, that upholds priestcraft, and laws to punish with death, and narrow contracted rules to prevent mankind from the same selfgratification that all other species of the animal race enjoy without being bound together, two and two, by Bible laws; this world would soon be illuminated and reformed on the principles of rationality, which is the

true RELIGION OF NATURE.

But, (say they,) to be more particular,-Does not reason itself teach us, that the God that made a law that all the generations of men should die because a woman and a man ate an apple, cannot be the God of nature? Does not reason teach that the book which contains a law to prohibit men of courage from the

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SUCH A PLACE AS HELL MUCH WANTED! use of their own sword, pistol, or any other weapon of death to kill those who insult their honor, on penalty of being hung for it, cannot be the true Bible of nature, which allows every man to be governed by his own will and passions, and instead of being hung, to be extolled and honored for his courage and bravery, whenever he kills a man that insulted him? And does not reason teach that the books which contain a law and penalty that men shall be hung for murder, ought all of them to be burned? That every priest that promulgates such a law and penalty, ought to be beheaded, shot, or torn into quarters instantly, and sent to **** Oh, if there only was such a place as hell, a lake of fire, or bottomless pit of endless torment, they ought to be cast headlong into it, without the least pity! Wretches that they are, to preach and try to make people believe in a God, and in a Bible, and in a religion, each of which upholds hanging for murder! Let them be hung to death with a broken neck, and be left hanging under the gallows till their followers shall learn to pity the poor murderers, and commute their sentence of death to confinement in a state penitentiary, if that shall be found most conducive to their greatest sum of happiness.

Thus, haters of the God of heaven; haters of the holy Bible of Divine inspiration; haters of orthodox Bible religion, and haters of all who preach, love, and practise the true godliness which the Bible inculcates; find abundant reason for wishing to abolish Capital Punishment by commuting the penalty of death into a milder form of satisfaction for the blood shed by the murderer. And this annulling of the Divine penalty of the law prohibiting murder, is justified on a variety of principles which are chiefly founded on the Deistical or Atheistical religion of nature, under the specious

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A PARADOXICAL PROBLEM!!!

appellation of Rationalism. A religion which is found by the philosophy of Illuminism, to be the only religion needful to promote the honor, self-esteem, selfrespect, self-interest, and superlative happiness of man in the unmolested enjoyment of sensual pleasures! A religion that furnishes the most effective weapons to oppose the alleged antiquated laws of the Bible! A religion full of sympathy for the murderer! And hence, the adherents of the religion of Nature determine that no murderer shall ever suffer the barbarous death of strangulation under a gallows, if they can prevent it.

Thus the commandments of God are reasoned away, and all the authority and veneration for the Holy Bible are swallowed up and annihilated in the Maelstroom whirlpool of rational Infidelity. No wonder that men, whose god is self-love, and whose religion is nature's unmolested, unrestrained sensuality, should be opposed to Capital Punishment. But it is matter of wonder, and may be considered strange, indeed, that there are some, perhaps many, who devoutly profess belief in the Holy Bible and its evangelical orthodox doctrines of Christianity; and still, by confounding the unchangeable Moral Law of Ten Commandments with the Ceremonial Law of rites, types, and shadows, which ended in Messiah's advent to atone for sin; thus blending laws which God had never joined together, they justify themselves in seeking to abolish Capital Punishment on the same celebrated modern principle of rational sympathy which characterizes the popular plea of the downright Infidel!!!!

II. Another point which demands investigation is, that all human legislation on the Divine Law, or attempts to annul, commute, or amend any portion of it,

RESULTS OF A PERVERTED PRINCIPLE.

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tends ultimately to the most preposterous results conceivable.

None of God's laws can be subject to human abrogation, nor emendation, without adopting the principle, that inferiors have the right to control the laws of superiors! This is precisely the position that man assumes when he changes, or seeks to annul, or amend any portion of God's Law. And this is the principle which he practically adopts in every attempt to scan any part of the Divine Government with a view to annul, amend, or alter.

The adoption of the aforesaid principle, in its practical tendency, would sweep to utter desolation the foundation of all human governments of earth. If inferiors have the right of control, then, children who are required by the laws of God, to "Honor their father and mother, and obey their parents in the Lord,” would be furnished with a new rule by which they could assume authority over parents to despise, violate, annul, or change the laws, and totally cast off and disregard all authority of parental government.

Apprentices and servants who are commanded of God to honor and obey their masters, would be furnished with a rule to usurp the authority into their own hands, and domineer over those whom God had ordained to rule over them as superiors.

Pupils in every seat of learning on the earth, from the district school to the highest order of the classical seminary, would be furnished with a rule to usurp authority and trample on the laws of their instructors with impunity.

And, by the same principle, practically carried out, the foundation of every government under heaven might be uprooted, destroyed, and fall into anarchy and confusion. Kings and their kingdoms, emperors