was convicted and executed for the theft. The state of NewYork, we are proud to say, stands in the foremost ranks in the scale of humanity in respect to her criminal code. But we must observe, that in our opinion the practice of throwing indiscriminately into the common Bridewell criminals for petty offences is not productive of the end proposed; and that the same term of confinement at labour would be attended with far more beneficial effects.

By the laws of this state, the punishment of death is restricted to the crimes of murder and treason. We very much doubt the necessity of going to this extremity even for these crimes; especially in a republic like ours, where a vast majority of the citizens will always be ready to support the laws. And there is no difficulty of placing those guilty of crimes in a condition to repair, at least in a small degree, the mischiefs they have committed, and at the same time suffer them to remain living monuments of their own transgressions. At any rate, if the punishment of death be inflicted, however inclined we are to the side of humanity, which dictates, in the execution of the awful mandate of death upon a fellow creature, the encouragement of hope in him, that he is going to another and a better world, still we do think that the confident assurances, which are commonly given in such cases, by the ministers of religion, are impolitic and pernicious. The criminal is taught to believe (and the same impression is made upon the bystanders) that by placing his faith in the Redeemer, all his former transgressions are instantly blotted out, and that he will ascend immediately from the gallows to the realms of bliss.

“ Believe and all your sin's forgiven.

Only believe and your's is Heaven.”

We candidly declare, that we do not believe in the efficaey of these sudden conversions. Besides, what must be the effect of this doctrine upon the multitude who attend publie executions? Why, that, after they should have committed the most abominable crimes against society, they have only,

in the cant phrase, to believe in Jesus Christ, as the author and finisher of our faith, to obtain instant pardon at the throne of God. We hold in little estimation the humanity of those, who continually torture the moral and inoffensive part of mankind with the fears of eternal torments, for lack of a few grains of supernatural faith, and reserve their charity for the repenting sinner, under sentence of death for the most atrocious crimes. We wish not to be misunderstood, we do not here speak of the myriads of our species who have suffered tortures and death for petty offences, or to gratify the fell revenge of tyrants and usurpers, many of whom were the brightest ornaments of human nature; no, we allude to real criminals, who are conscious of having committed outrages on society, worthy the punishment of death. These, no doubt, upon conviction will repent, at least that they have been detected; but we would not tarnish the character of the Supreme Judge of the world, by bartering his justice for an hvoluntary, mysterious and unintelligible faith.

OATHS.

Make not God the object of your oaths, that ye will deal justly, and be devout, and make peace among men ; for God is he who heareth and knoweth. God will not punish you for an inconsiderate word in your oaths; but he will punish you for that which your hearts have assented to. c. ii. v. 1. P. 40.

God will not punish you for an inconsiderate word in your oaths; but he will punish you for what ye solemnly swear with deliberation. And the expiation of such an inconsiderate oath shall be the feeding of ten poor men with such moderate food as ye feed your own families withal; or to cloath them; or to free the neck of a true believer from captivity: but he who shall not find wherewith to perform one of these three things, shall fast three days. This is the expiation of your oaths when ye swear inadvertantly. Therefore keep your oaths. c. v. v. 1. p. 148,

Whoever shall violate his oath, will violate the same to the hurt only of his own soul; but whoever shall perform that which he hath covenanted with God, he will surely give him a great reward. c. xlviii. v. 2. p. 382.

ORPHANS.

They will also ask ye concerning orphans: answer, to deal righteously with them is best; and if ye intermeddle with the management of what belongs to them, do them no wrong; they are your brethren: God knoweth the corrupt dealer from the righteous; and if God please, he will surely distress you, for God is mighty and wise. c. ii. vol. 1. p.

39.

And give the orphans, when they come to age, their substance; and render them not in exchange bad for good and devour not their substance, by adding it to your own substance; for this is a great sin.

And give not unto those who are weak of understanding the substance which God hath appointed you to preserve for them; but maintain them thereout, and cloath them, and speak kindly unto them. And examine the orphans until they attain the age of marriage: but if ye perceive they are able to manage their affairs well, deliver their substance unto them; and waste it not extravagantly, or hastily because they grow up. Let him who is rich abstain entirely from the orphan's estates; and let him who is poor take thereof, according to what shall be reasonable. And when ye deliver their substance unto them, call witnesses thereof in their presence: God taketh sufficient account of your actions. c. iv. v. 1. p. 92.

PARENTS.

Thy Lord hath commanded that ye worship none beside him; and that ye shew kindness unto your parents, whether the one of them or both of them attain to old age with thee.

Wherefore say not unto them, fye on you! neither reproach them; but behave humbly toward them, out of tender affection, and say, O Lord have mercy on them both, as they nursed me when I was little. e. xvii. v. 2. p. 99.

We have commanded man concerning his parents, (his mother carrieth him in her womb with weakness and faintness, and he is weaned in two years) saying, be grateful unto me and to thy parents. Unto me shall all come to be judged, But if thy parents endeavour to prevail on thee to associate with me that concerning which thou hast no knowledge obey them not bear them company in this world in what shall be reasonable; but follow the way of him who sincerely turneth unto me. c. xxxi. v. 2. p. 263.

:

PATIENCE.

O true believers, be patient, and strive to excel in patience, and be constant minded, and fear God, that ye may be happy. c. iii. v. 1, p. 91.

PRIDE.

Distort not thy face out of contempt to men, neither walk in the earth with insolence; for God loveth no arrogant vain glorious person. And be moderate in thy pace; and lower thy voice; for the most ungrateful of all voices surely is the voice of asses. c. xxxi. v. 2. p. 264.

RIGHTEOUSNESS, defined.

It is not righteous that ye turn your faces in prayer toward the east and the west, but righteousness is of him who believeth in God and the last day, and the angels, and the Scriptures, and the prophets; who giveth money for God's sake unto his kindred, and unto orphans, and the needy, and the stranger, and those who ask, and for redemption of cap. tives; who is constant at prayer, and giveth alms; and of

those who perform their covenant, when they have covenanted and who behave themselves patiently in adversity and hardships, and in time of violence: these are they who are true, and these are they who fear God. c. ii. v. 1. p. 31.

SCOFFING, SLANDER, ABUSE, &c.

O true believers, let not men laugh other men to scorn; who peradventure may be better than themselves: neither let women laugh other women to scorn; who may possibly be better than themselves. Neither defame one another; nor call one another by opprobrious appellations. An ill name it is to be charged with wickedness, after having embraced the faith and whoso repenteth not, they will be the unjust doers. O true believers, carefully avoid entertaining a suspicion of another: for some suspicions are a crime.Enquire not too curiously into other men's failings: neither let the one of you speak ill of another in his absence. Would any of you desire to eat the flesh of his dead brother. Surely ye would abhor it. And fear God: for God is easy to be reconciled, and merciful. c. xlix. v. 2. p. 389.

TESTAMENTS.

It is ordained you, when any of you is at the point of death, if he leave any goods, that he bequeath a legacy to his parents, and kindred, according to what shall be reasonable. This is a duty incumbent on those who fear God. But he who shall change the legacy, after he hath heard it bequeathed by the dying person, surely the sin thereof shall be on those who change it, for God is he who heareth and know. eth. Howbeit, he who apprehendeth from the testator any mistake or injustice, and shall compose the matter between them; that shall be no crime in him, for God is gracious and merciful. c. ii. v. 1. p. 32.

O true believers! let thy witnesses be taken between you, when death approaches any of you, at the time of making the