By Ralph Erskine
There is no national reformation can take place, till there be a personal reformation: if personal returning to the Lord were general and universal, then there would be a national returning. Therefore, if you would wish to see a national reviving, let every person put in for a share of gathering power and grace, saying, “Turn me and I shall be turned; draw me and I shall run”: and, under the conduct of drawing power, let us say, “Behold we come to Thee, for thou art the Lord our God.” Hath your personal backsliding, man, woman, been great and grievous? Hath this been your disease all your days, a backsliding heart, a backsliding nature, a backsliding practice, a bentness to backsliding in thought, word, and action? Is that your disease, that you are a backsliding heifer, a backsliding devil, that, it may be, thinks the disease is desperate and incurable? O let me assure you, that there is a Healer come here to-day, that says, “I will heal your backslidings”; and He will not say the thing that He cannot do. And while His mercy is saying, “I will heal your backslidings,” let your heart be saying, Lord, I will come to Thee for that healing, for that is my disease, and there is none in the world needs it so much as I: the church and the nation need to have their backslidings healed; but I am the particular person that needs it most of all: heal me, and I shall be healed; behold, I come to Thee for that end. Is your heart saying so? Then welcome be all comers; welcome, welcome, welcome! “Him that comes, I will in no wise cast out”; nay, He will in no wise cast up your former backslidings, but heal you, without upbraiding you; for He gives liberally, and upbraids not. “I will heal your backslidings”: it is spoken without limitation, either of former or future backslidings; and therefore the fear of backsliding again, needs not discourage you from coming to Him; your former backslidings will not cast you out; and though you backslide again He will not cast you off. He may visit your iniquity with the rod, but His loving kindness will He not take away: no, He will in no wise cast out.
RESOLUTION RE DEATH PENALTY ABOLITION BILL
The Southern Presbytery of the Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland met at Glasgow on Tuesday, the 15th day of December, 1964, resolved to protest against the Death Penalty Abolition Bill as encouraging to criminals, discouraging to the police in the detection of crime, and contrary to the Scriptural principles outlined in the Resolution re Capital Punishment adopted by the Synod of this Church in May, 1962, which is added to this Protest.
It is the earnest desire and prayer of the Presbytery that this Bill will never become law in this nation.
Resolution re Capital Punishment
The Synod of the Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland, convened at Glasgow this 23rd day of May, 1962, note with disfavour the impression given by various religious bodies, such as the Convocations of Canterbury and York and the British Council of Churches, that Capital Punishment is Unchristian.
The Synod would point out that this misconception generally arises from a failure to distinguish between those principles laid down in the Bible governing Christian conduct between man and man as neighbours, and these principles which refer to the administration of law and justice through properly constituted courts. The question is further confused by discussions with regard to the use of Capital Punishment as a deterrent and also the need for the reformation of the criminal. It is quite true that both these matters require careful attention. But the raising of them in the context of Capital Punishment only serves to cloud the real issue, which is the laying down of the proper punishment for the crime of murder.
The Synod would further remind all concerned that the clear Scriptural teaching with regard to sin is that it must be punished. This arises from the fact that God is just and that the claims of His law and justice must be satisfied. Unless this principle is emphasised in a clear way, the lawbreaker can have no respect for the law or the Lawgiver. It is quite true that God’s punishment of sin may and does serve to deter men from continuing in a course of evil. It is further true that the threat of being visited with condign punishment may cause men to reform their ways. But these two latter issues do not affect the fundamental Scriptural principle that sin must be punished in accordance with law and justice.
The authority of the civil magistrate to rule and to exercise his power in the punishment of evil-doing and in the protection of those who do good arises from the authority of God. “The powers that be are ordained of God.” It is further a Biblical principle that the power of the sword clearly involves the taking away of life in the exercise of justice, should the crime deserve that punishment. The Scriptural basis for this authority is to be found in the words of Genesis ix: verse 6, “Whoso sheddeth man’s blood by man shall his blood be shed, for in the image of God made he man.” It will be remembered that this portion of truth was given to mankind in the time of Noah, when, after the destruction of that evil generation by the flood a new beginning was given, as it were, to the human race. It is plain beyond all doubt that this Scripture was given for the express purpose of governing the conduct of the human family with regard to the punishment of murder down to the end of time. An attempt is sometimes made to confuse the issue by saying that laws which were suitable for the theocratic government of Israel are no longer suitable for the present day. This argument proceeds on an ignorance of the Word of God, because Noah lived long before Moses.
It is exceedingly important to notice that the reason given in the Scripture for the taking away of life for the crime of murder is in the words, “For in the image of God made he man.” This was true in Old Testament times; it is also true in New Testament times, that man is still a creature who was created in the image of God. Therefore the reason for punishing the murderer with death in New Testament times is exactly the same as the reason for punishing such a criminal in Old Testament times.
The New Testament is equally clear and emphatic on this particular matter. In Romans, Chapter 13, already referred to, we read with regard to the civil magistrate in verse 4, “For he is the minister of God to thee for good; if thou do that which is evil be afraid, for he beareth not the sword in vain, for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil. Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake.” We read again in I Peter, Chapter 2, verse 13, “Submit yourselves unto every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake, whether it be unto the King as supreme or unto governors as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of them that do well.” It is abundantly clear from these passages that the magistrate derives his authority from God to exercise the sword in the punishment of evil doing. Consequently, he ought to exercise that sword according to the Word of God, and, in connection with the punishment for murder, he should exercise the sword in the execution of the sentence of death.
The Apostle Paul, whose outstanding labours in advancing the cause of Christ in his day and generation have their renown throughout the Churches of Christ, said on one occasion, “I stand at Cæsar’s judgment seat where I ought to be judged.” This statement was made when he was before Festus, and he continues to state with regard to his position, “for if I be an offender and have committed anything worthy of death, I refuse not to die” (Acts xxv, verse 11). From these words it is perfectly plain that Paul recognised the fact that the magistrate had the power to execute the death sentence if the crime was worthy of death. It is clear, therefore, from this expression of the Apostle’s that he recognised the validity of the death sentence in New Testament times.
From the above instances, it is evident that the infliction of the death penalty on the murderer by the civil magistrate is a punishment which is based upon the divine revelation of God’s mind in the Holy Scriptures. The matter is solemn, and dreadful, and serious, and the Government of this country should not be swayed to depart from Holy Writ on this particular matter, or any other matter, by those who have no clear understanding of the scriptural principles involved. Other arguments, however plausible they may seem in themselves, can only bring forth evil fruits, the inevitable result of departing from the fountain of Divine Wisdom found in the Word of God. The Synod, therefore, appeal to the British Government to retain the death penalty for the crime of murder, as the abolition of Capital Punishment would be an insult to the Majesty of Heaven and the cause of bringing Divine displeasure upon our beloved land.
(Sgd.) MALCOLM MACSWEEN,
Clerk to the Southern Presbytery.
Free Presbyterian Manse,
Oban, Argyll.