What has been called “The No Hanging Bill” was passed some time ago by a “free vote” in the House of Commons, although the country as a whole was not consulted as to this very important change in the law. The Synod at the time passed a detailed resolution opposing this alteration in the law on Scriptural grounds.
The question as to restoring capital punishment has been raised again on account of the dastardly crime of the murder of three police officers in the exercise of their duty, in the London area, in the month of August. Desperate and wicked men shot dead these three officers. And the law as it stands does not expose these murderers to the death penalty but only to life imprisonment. This state of affairs is quite intolerable in the view of many responsible people of all classes throughout the nation.
The Secretary of the Police Federation said in connection with the murder of the three police officers: “The police are engaged in a war against crime when they are weak in numbers . . . London and other large cities are in danger of being dominated by gangs of organised criminals. These are desperate men who will stop at nothing if anybody gets in their way. Urgent action must be taken to strengthen the police and to reform the criminal law to secure convictions.” The Federation told Parliament when they were discussing the “No Hanging Bill,” a desperate criminal can escape arrest and conviction by shooting the policeman. They said it was vital to restore capital punishment for the murder of policemen.
One member of Parliament in expressing his horror at the killing of these police officers said regarding the murderers: “When they are convicted, they should be subjected not merely to a period of imprisonment but to the same capital sentence they so lawlessly imposed on their innocent victims.” This expression of opinion is fully consistent with the teaching of God’s Word, whether intended specifically to be so or not.
One or two Members of Parliament from both sides of the House have spoken against hasty alteration of the law to bring back hanging for the convicted murderer. But on the other hand, we are greatly relieved to find that there are other Members of Parliament from both sides of the House, who are determined to introduce an amendment to this Bill when the House of Commons sits again this month. A few members of all three parties have signed a motion, viz., “That this House, mindful of the special dangers to which they are exposed, calls for the restoration of capital punishment for the murder of police and prison officers.”
We may freely state here that the Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland fully supports this amendment by Mr Duncan Sandys. But Mr Sandys and those supporting him were bitterly criticised by Mr George Wigg, M.P. and Paymaster-General, who said their views show little sign of either wisdom or knowledge. If Mr Wigg would read the Bible, he might discover there what would expose his folly and ignorance as the prime mover of the “No Hanging Bill.” Much that we have read of reports of Mr Wigg’s utterances in Parliament, on a variety of subjects, have been anything but edifying. Again, Mr Wigg had the impudence to refer to Mr Duncan Sandys and those supporting his amendment (this was immediately after the murder of the police officers) as “little men attempting to exploit deep public feelings in order to enhance their own egos.” This type of observation upon the actions of men acting according to their considered judgment is characteristic of Mr Wigg. These comments of ours are completely non-political; as these are moral and Scriptural issues with which we are dealing.
As we believe it has been pointed out to our readers before, the purpose of Capital Punishment is not at all in the first instance to be involved with the debate as to whether it is a deterrent to others to refrain from murder or not. It is Scripturally and fundamentally a matter concerning the proper punishment in justice, fitted to this terrible crime and sin of murder. The Word of God is absolutely clear on this matter. But some men today in places of authority, as in Parliament, are like Mr Wigg, wiser and more just than the expressed mind of the Most High in Holy Scripture.
To refresh the memories of our readers as to “What saith the Scriptures,” we give the following quotations:—
THE OLD TESTAMENT
“Whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man” (Genesis, chapter ix: v. 6).
“He that smiteth a man, so that he die, shall be surely put to death” (Exodus chapter xxi: 12).
“And he that killeth any man shall surely be put to death” (Leviticus chapter xxiv: 18). “And he that killeth a man, he shall be put to death” (Leviticus xxiv: 21).
“Whoso killeth any person, the murderer shall be put to death by the mouth of witnesses: but one witness shall not testify against any person to cause him to die” (Numbers chapter xxxv: v. 30).
“Moreover ye shall take no satisfaction for the life of a murderer, which is guilty of death: but he shall be surely put to death” (Numbers xxxv: 31).
“So ye shall not pollute the land wherein ye are: for blood defileth the land: and the land cannot be cleansed of the blood that is shed therein, but by the blood of him that shed it” (Numbers chapter xxxv: v. 33).
THE NEW TESTAMENT
In the parable of the Lord Jesus, concerning “A certain householder, which planted a vineyard . . . and let it out to husbandmen”; the householder sent unto them his son saying, “They will reverence my son.” But “They caught him, and cast him out of the vineyard, and slew him. When the lord of the vineyard cometh, what will he do unto those husbandmen? They say unto him, He will miserably destroy those wicked men . . .” (Matthew chapter xxi: v. 37-41).
In another parable, the Saviour tells of a king, which made a marriage for his son. Some of those who were bidden to the wedding, “. . . took his servants and entreated them spitefully, and slew them. And when the king heard thereof he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies and destroyed those murderers . . .” (Matthew chapter xxii: v. 2-7).
The Apostle Paul, defending himself against the Jews and before Festus, utters words which are very significant as an expression of his mind on the death penalty as a sentence, in law, for an appropriate crime. His words are: “For if I be an offender, or have committed anything worthy of death, I refuse not to die . . .” (Acts chapter xxv: v.11).
The view of the barbarians on the island Milita, upon which Paul and others were cast, is interesting relative to this subject. A viper fastened on Paul’s hand. “And when the barbarians saw the venomous beast hang on his hand, they said among themselves, No doubt this man is a murderer, whom, though he hath escaped the sea, yet vengeance suffereth not to live” (Acts chapter xxviii: v. 3-4). The late Dr. T. A. Alexander, Professor of Theology at Princeton, in his exposition of The Acts of the Apostles, writes on this incident thus: “… seeing him assailed by a venomous animal, whose bite they well knew to be mortal, they concluded that his crime was that of murder, as the highest known to human laws, and one appropriately punished by the loss of life.”
The Apostle Paul in writing, of course, as a divinely inspired apostle, deals with certain aspects of civil government, in the 13th chapter of his Epistle to the Romans, among other statements he writes: “For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou not then be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same: For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But 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.” Charles Hodge, D.D., in commenting upon “the sword” in this passage, says: “… that instrument is mentioned as the symbol of the right of punishment, and, as many infer from this passage, of the right of capital punishment.”
Thus the Church of God, guided by the doctrine and light of God’s Word, must support in civil government what is required by and consistent with that Word. The Church is also obliged to oppose and condemn what in civil government is clearly inconsistent with Holy Scripture. This, as in the case of capital punishment, can oblige men in authority to take serious and solemn decisions affecting their fellow men. If some are not prepared to take these serious decisions, then let them retire from places of authority in our civil government.