Exposition of the Moral Law, Book 2 · Commandment 6

Exposition of the Moral Law · Book 2 · Commandment 6

p. 84Commandement. VI.

EXERCITAT I. Of Murther in generall.

Exod. 20.13. Thou ſhalt not kill.

Great barbarity to put out the life of man.IT is a great barbarity to put out the life of man who is the workemanſhip of God: when a skilfull weaver of tapeſtry is weaving a curious piece of worke, hee permitteth his apprentiſes to weave the common ſort of worke,Simile. as the beaſts, the fowles, and ſuch: but when he cometh to the weaving of the picture of man, that peece of worke hee taketh in his owne hand: ſo the Lord when hee created the world, hee ſaid, Let the water bring forth the fiſhes,God made the water and the earth to bring out other creatures, but he made man with his owne hand. and the earth the beaſts, hee permitteth this piece of worke to be done as it were by his apprentiſes; but when hee commeth to that excellent piece of worke, to make man, then hee ſaith, Gen. 1.26. Let us make man, foreign Opus p…rygi… ni…um texer….that piece of the tapeſtrie hee will weave with his owne hand. How wonderfully haſt thou wrought me, in the loweſt parts of the earth; Pſal. 139.15. [rucamti] as curiouſly as a cunning piece of tapeſtry is wrought,foreign In…pere. which the Seventy tranſlate foreign, how wonderfully p. 85haſt thou carved me out, in the lower parts of the earth, that is, in my mothers belly; Deus est foreign, or ſtatuarius, it is the Lord that made the mould, and the mothers belly is the ſhop wherein he moulded man below here; all that hee made before he made man … but aſſaies, or trials, but when he commeth to make man, then hee cometh to his conſultation, Let us make man to our image, therefore he hath a great care that his life be not put out.

The ſecond reaſon why man ſhould not be killed,God made man to his owne image becauſe hee had no greater to make him by. is becauſe hee is made to his image. When God ſweareth Hee ſweareth by himſelfe, becauſe hee hath no greater to ſweare by, Hebr. 6.13. So when hee made man he made him to his owne image: becauſe hee had no greater to make him by. Phydias the painter painted the image of Minerva and his owne image ſo cunningly together,Simile. Phydias painted the image of Minerva with his owne. that he ſaid, whoſoever ſhould marre the image of Minerva, ſhould marre the image of Phydias; and whoſoever ſhould marre the image of Phydias, ſhould marre the image of Minerva; ſo the Lord placed his image ſo cunningly in man, that whoſoever defaceth his image, defaceth the man; and whoſoever killeth the man defaceth his image. Whatſoever is ſealed with a ſeale, that is excellent in its owne kinde, as Eſay 28.25. Hordeum ſignatum, that is excellent barly, when God ſet his ſeale upon man, it ſhoweth that hee was an excellent creature; there is no Prince that will ſuffer his image to be abuſed.

There fell out a ſedition at Antioch, becauſe Theodoſius the Emperour exacted a new kinde of tribute from the people; the people in a commotion breake downe the image of the Empreſſe Priſcilla, Theodoret. lib. 5.who was lately dead, and drew it through the ſtreets; when the Emperour heard of this, hee was in a great rage, and ſent his ſouldiers againſt the city to ſacke it; as the ſouldiers p. 86were comming forward to ſacke the city,How Macedonius the monke aſſwaged the wrath of Theodoſius the Emperour. one Macedonius a monke indued with heavenly wiſedome, came out to meete him, and ſaid after this manner: Tell the Emperour theſe words, that he is not onelyonly an Emperour, but alſo a man: therefore let him not looke onelyonly to his Empire, but alſo to himſelfe; for he being a man commandeth alſo thoſe that are men; and let him not uſe men ſo barbarouſly,God is angry when hee ſeeth man his image defaced. who are made to the image of God; he is angry and that juſtly, that the brazen image of his wife was thus contumeliouſly abuſed, and ſhall not the Emperour of heaven be angry, to ſee his glorious image ſo contumeliouſly uſed; there is a great difference betwixt this image of God, and this brazen image; for this one brazen image wee are able to to ſet up an hundred againe, but hee is not able to make one haire of the heads of thoſe, if hee kill them. This being told the Emperour, hee ſuppreſſed his anger, and withdrew his forces. The Lord highly eſteemeth of this image in man; hee made this the laſt of all his workes, and he had nothing now to make, but to make himſelfe man; and upon this piece of his worke hee ſet on his image as his Armes, and therefore no man ſhould be ſo bold as to deface it.

Queſt. Seing the life is in the blood, then the image of God may be ſaid to be in the blood, becauſe it is in the life.

Anſw. The image of God is in the blood, per concomitantiam, How the image of God is in the life of man, and the life in the blood.it accompanieth it. Firſt, the vitall ſpirits are carried by the blood. Secondly, the ſenſes depend upon the vitall ſpirits; and the reaſonable ſoule upon the ſenſes, and the image of God is in the ſoule; take away the blood, the ſpirits faile; take away the ſpirits, the ſenſes faile; take away the ſenſes, the reaſonable faculty faileth; and take away the reaſonable faculty, the image of God faileth in the man.

p. 87The image of God is in the ſoule tanquamin proprio ſubjecto, as in the proper ſubject: it is in the body,Gods image is in the ſoule, body, and blood. tanquam in organo, as in the organ, therefore the Apoſtle willeth us to make our members weapons of righteouſneſſe, Rom. 6.19. And it is in the blood, tanquan in copula, as in the bond, for the blood is that which coupleth the ſoule and the body together.

How pretious a thing is the life of man in the ſight of God, Exod. 21.22. If they follow no miſchiefe, that is,The care that God hath of the life of man before he be borne. if the child be not figured yet, as the Greeke hath it, or not a living ſoule as yet, yet the ſtriker was mulcted or amerced, and this was payed to the husband; not only for the wrong done to the woman, but alſo for the wrong done to that which ſhould have beene a child, although hee was not as yet faetus ſignatus: and when the child is borne, ſee what care the Lord hath for the ſafety and indemnity of his life; firſt hee ſetteth up a Magiſtrate to defend him, and then hee commandeth that the houſes have battlements about them, that hee fall not over, and ditches to be covered, that hee fall not in; and not onelyonly commandeth hee the man that killeth to be killed, but the beaſt alſo that killeth a man, to be killed, and his fleſh not to be eaten, Exod. 21.28.

The concluſion of this is:Concluſion. man is made to the image of God, and whoſoever killeth a man ſhall dye for it, Gen. 9.5. Surely your blood will I require at the hand of every beaſt, at the hand of a man, and at the hand of every mans brother; after that the Lord had ſaid, I will not curſe the ground any more for mans ſake, although the imaginations of his heart be evill alwayes, and after that God was reconciled to Noah, and ſmelled his ſacrifice; yet hee ſaith, I will require the blood of man, to teach us, that murther falleth not under this remiſſion, I will require it at the hands of a beaſt; although it cannot ſinne, yet it ſhall be ſtoned to death, and the fleſh of it ſhall not be eaten, p. 88Exod. 21.28.No man is free from puniſhment for murther. foreign I will require it at the hand of a common man and of a great man, and I will require it at the hands of a brother, ſo that no degree ſhall eſcape unpuniſhed for this ſinne, homo naturâ, vir dignitate, & frater cognatione: a man by nature, a mighty man by his dignity, and a brother by neereneſſe of blood.

EXERCITAT. II. Of unjuſt anger, or murther in the heart. Commandement. VI.

Matt. 5.22. Whoſoever is angry with his brother, &c.

THere are ſundry degrees of this murther before it come to the act;The degrees of murther. Firſt, if a man be angry with his brother unjuſtly, and hate him without a cauſe, then it is murther in the heart. Anger in it ſelfe is no ſinne, it is cos virtutum, it is a whetſtone to all the vertues, and the defect of it, is called foreign, when a man ſhould be angry, and yet is not angry; but this anger is a ſinne, when it anteverteth reaſon; Chriſt himſelfe was angry, Matt. 21.12. but his reaſon anteverted his anger. Ioh. 11.33. Hee troubled himſelfe, his reaſon ſtirred up his paſſions,Anger is a ſinne when it anteverteth reaſon. foreign, turbavit ſeipſum. becauſe reaſon ſtirred the paſſion and ruled it, it was juſt anger: but when paſſion ſtirred reaſon, then it is unjuſt anger.

Secondly, when this anger is not moderated, then it is unjuſt anger,foreign as Ionas anger was, cap. 4.9. I do well to be angry even unto the death. So Moſes anger; his paſſion blinded him ſo, that he ſpeaketh to God in the feminine gender, Num. 11.15. [veim cacah at gnoſheh li] If thou deale ſo with me, kill me I pray thee.

p. 89Anger followeth reaſon more then concupiſcence, & concupiſcence is more brutiſh: when anger revengeth it ſelfe, it is ſub ratione vindictae, but luſt hath no regard to reaſon. This anger being exorbitant, is turned into ſin,Simile. and the philoſopher compares it to an haſty ſervant that runnes away before he get all the directions from his maſter; and unto a dog that barketh at his maſter when he knockes at the doore, before he know him; ſo anger when it ſtayeth not to be directed by reaſon.

And thirdly, when it endureth too long, then it is not juſt anger, Let not the Sun goe downe upon your wrath. Eph. 4.26. and anger reſteth in the boſom of fooles. Eccl. 7.9.

There is nothing that a man is more tryed in, then in his anger, the Hebrewes have a proverbe, Bekis bekos, bekagnas, that is, a man is tried by his purſe,foreign in marſupio foreign in poculo. foreign in ira. He is o… great ſtrength that is, long ſuffering. by his cup, and by his anger: if hee bee ſoone angry, hee is contrary to the Lord who is ſlow to anger. Nahum. 1.3. The Lord is ſlow to anger, and [Gadol coah] great in power. So Num. 14.17. And now I beſeech thee, let the power of my Lord bee great, foreign Magnus virtute, id eſt, longanimis. foreign Longas irarum, id eſt tardus ad iram, ſic foreign brevis irarum, Pro. 14.17. id eſt, praeceps ad iram.Prov 14:17according as thou haſt ſpoken, ſaying, the Lord is long ſuffering, and of great mercy, and a man of this ſpirit is called a man of a coole ſpirit. Prov. 17.27. and Mat. 18.26. Produc ſuper me ſpiritum tuum; that is, have patience, and Erech Appaijm, one who hath wide noſtrils, Exod. 34.6. For he who hath narrow noſtrils, commonly is of a haſty ſpirit.

So if hee continue in his anger; there is nothing that a man is more ready to keepe then his wrath, and therefore the Hebrewes put Servare, pro ſervare iram, SERVARE pro ſervare iram.as Ier. 3.5. Will hee reſerve for ever, that is, will he reſerve his anger for ever. Pſal. 103.9. Neither will hee keepe for ever, that is, hee will not keepe his anger for ever. So Levit. 19.18. Thou ſhalt not revenge [Velotittor] nor keep, foreign non ſervabis, a foreign ſervavi…that is, thou ſhalt not keepe thine anger againſt thy brother. Eſau kept his anger againſt his brother Iacob untill p. 90the day of his fathers death. Gen. 27.41. and his poſterity after him, who ſaid, raſe it, raſe it, even to the foundation thereof. Pſal. 127.7.

Queſt. Whether is this a commandement or not, when the Lord ſaith, be angry, but ſinne not. Epheſ. 4.9.

Anſw. Although it ſeeme to bee given out by way of commandement,Scriptura protonit abſolute & ſi… conditione quid ex Hypotheſi intelligs actes. yet it is rather to be underſtood here conditionally; If yee bee angry ſinne not, ſo Pſal. 86.1. The Lord ariſeth and his enemies will be ſcattered; that is, if the Lord ariſe, his enemies will bee ſcattered. So Verſe 9. Thou O God ſentſt a plentifull raine, and thou confirmedſt thine inheritance, that is, when thou ſendeſt a plentifull raine, thy inheritance is confirmed.

How a man is to releive his en …ies Aſle under the burthen.The vertue contrary to this continuing in anger, is to ſeeke to be reconciled to our neighbour. Exod. 23.5. If thou ſee the Aſſe of him that hateth thee lying under his burden and wouldeſt forbeare to helpe him; thou ſhalt ſurely helpe with him. The Chaldee paraphraſt in his paraphraſe hath it this way; when thou ſeeſt the Aſſ of him that hateth thee lying under the burden,Triplex geminatio ejuſ dem r…. foreign thou ſhalt leave thine owne buſineſſe, thou ſhalt leave the Aſſe with his burden, and thou ſhalt leave thine hatred, and bee reconciled to thy neighbour; and then thou ſhalt learne to know quickly, what it is to helpe the Aſſe of him that hateth. So Chriſt, Mat. 5. If thou bring thy gift to the Altar & there remembreſt that thy brother hath ought againſt thee, leave thy gift at the Altar, and goe and be reconciled to thy brother; ſo, leave the Aſſe for a while, and firſt bee reconciled to thy enemy: the Lords chiefe intention is here of reconciliation, hath God regard of Aſſes. 1. Cor. 9.9?

How murther ſheweth it ſelfe in the eye.Secondly, this murther commeth to the eye; the hea…hen ſaid, animus habitat in oculis, the minde dwelleth in the eye; there is an evill eye, which is a covetous eye. Prov. 23.6. Eat not the bread of him that hath an evill p. 91eye, that is, of a covetous eye; ſo there is an adulterous eye. 2. Pet. 2.14. And there is an envious eye, Deut. 15.9. Take heed that thine eye be not evill againſt thy brother; and there is a murthering eye, 1. Sam. 18.9.foreign ſcribitur cum Vau & legitur foreign cum Iod foreign ab foreign immanis & foreign oculas. And Saul eyed David from that day forward, Hebraicè, he looked upon him with an evill eye: So Iob. 16.9. Mine enemie ſharpeneth his eye upon me; theſe the Greeks call foreign, theſe who looke fiercely.

Thirdly,How anger ſheweth it ſelfe in the countenance. this murther ſheweth it ſelfe in the countenance, Gen. 4. Why is thy countenance fallen, foreign Ira. Naſus.Aph is called the noſe, and it is called anger, becauſe anger ſheweth it ſelfe in the noſe, and ſo I take that place. Eſay. 2.22. Ceaſe from man whoſe breath is in his noſtrils, that is, meddle not with Chriſt, who if his wrath he once kindled, yee periſh from the way. Pſal. 2.12. The breath to be in the noſtrils is commonly taken to bee a ſigne of infirmity, becauſe the breath ſheweth it ſelfe at the noſe.

But it would ſeeme here that it ſignifieth infirmitie, for the words following imports infirmitie, [Ki ba me] wherein is he to be eſteemed?

The words ſhould not bee read Ba me, wherein,foreign in quo. foreign qui excelſ…s reputatas eſt. but [Bamme] excelſus in one word, becauſe he is eſteemed the high and mighty, beware that yee anger him not, for hee is the mighty God; and the words of the next chapter following import this, For behold the Lord, the Lord of hoſtes doth take away from Ieruſalem and from Iuda, &c. this the Greeks call foreign, for foreign ſignifieth ſupercilium contrahere, to frowne as men doe when they are angry.

So it ſheweth it ſelfe in the face, Levit. 17.10.Face put for anger. I will ſet my face againſt that ſoule that eateth bloud; that is, mine anger. So Gen. 32.20. I will appeaſe thy face, that is, thy anger; and Lament. 4.16. The face of the Lord hath divided them. So Ier. 3.12. I will cauſe my face to fall upon them, and 1. Pet. 3.12. The face of the Lord is upon them p. 92that doe evill, that is, his anger is upon them.

Anger ſheweth it ſelfe in the face.Fourthly, this anger ſheweth it ſelfe by the foaming at the mouth,foreign Spuma. Ira. therefore the Hebrewes marke, that Ketzeph is put both for foame and anger. Eſther 1.12. The King was very wroth, and his anger burnt within him; theſe the Greekes call foreign who are angry untill the foame ſtand at their mouth.

Anger ſheweth it ſelfe in the teeth.Fifthly, they expreſſe the anger of the heart with their teeth, when they gnaſh with their teeth. Act. 7.5. foreign, is properly to ſaw with a ſaw, becauſe their teeth goe, as if they were ſawing with a ſaw.

How the tongue murdereth.Sixtly, to murther with the tongue; Ier. 18.18. Come let us ſmite him with the tongue. The tongue is compared to a ſword,The tongue compared to diverſe things. and to an arrow; to a ſword that killeth comminus, neare hand, and an arrow that killeth eminus, that is, afarre off. Gen. 49.23. and to the ſharpeſt ſword that is call ſica, Pſal. 42.10. and to a razor, and to the Iuniper coales that burne moſt hotly. Pſ. 120.4. & to a rod, Prov. 14.3. In the mouth of the fooliſh is a rod of pride; that is, with his tongue hee beateth others. And Hierom interpreteth that place, 1. Tim. 3.3. A miniſter muſt not be a ſtriker, that is, hee muſt not raile with his tongue, and verſ. 18. He muſt not be given to wine, becauſe when men are given to wine, they have no care of their tongue; the Hebrewes ſay that lingua continet pharmaca vitae & mortis, the tongue hath both the drugs of life and death, & mors & vita in manu linguae, death and life are in the power of the tongue. Prov. 18.21.

Chriſt ſetteth downe the three ſorts of puniſhments anſwerable to three ſorts of anger. The Scripture borroweth compariſons from Ieruſa em, Canaan, and the places about it, to ſhew the eſtate of the godly and the wicked.Chriſt deſcribing here three degrees of anger, ſetteth downe the puniſhment anſwerable to them; and he alludeth to the puniſhments which were uſuall amongſt the Iewes; it is the manner of the ſcriptures to borrow compariſons from Canaan, Ieruſalem, and the places about Ieruſalem, to expreſſe the future and bleſſed eſtate of heaven, anagogically; ſo by other places, to expreſſe p. 93the paines of the damned in hell, as Tophet is called Gehenna; ſo the lake of Sodome is called the torments of hell. Revelat 19.20. Theſe were caſt into the lake of fire, burning with fire and brimſtone. So Iude. 7. and here our Saviour Chriſt alludeth to the puniſhments that were amongſt the Iewes.The three puniſhments here, and the three judicatories in Iſrael doe not agree in every thing. But we muſt not make theſe three judicatories in Iſrael, and the three puniſhments ſpoken of here to agree all together; for in the leaſt judicatorie in Iſrael they judged not of matters capitall, of life and death, but in matters of goods; but Chriſt ſaith here, hee that is angry with a man is worthy of judgement, the judgement which Chriſt ſpeaketh of here, cannot be applied to theſe judicatories that were in Iſrael: and there is a third ſort of judgement aſſigned here to Gehenna, but the Iudges in Iſrael puniſhed none in Gehenna, onelyonly the idolatrous fathers burnt their children there to Moloch: we muſt onelyonly then make the compariſon this wayes, as there were diverſe ſorts of puniſhments amongſt the Iewes, ſome leſſer and ſome greater; So in the life to come,As there were greater and leſſer puniſhments, for greater or leſſer ſins in Iſrael ſo ſhall there be greater or leſſer paines in hell. there ſhall bee ſmaller and greater paines and puniſhments, for ſmaller and greater ſinnes; and as the greateſt torment amongſt the Iewes was the burning of their children unto Moloch, ſo for the greateſt ſort of anger, there ſhall be the greateſt puniſhments in hell.

The ſecond thing to be conſidered here, is the word Raca: Hebrew and Syriack words,Why Raca is not interpreted in the new Teſtament. uſually are interpreted in the new Teſtament, but this word is not interpreted; and the reaſons are; Firſt, becauſe it was a word commonly uſed amongſt the Iewes, convitium non acre ſed familiare, a word which in familiar ſpeech the maſter uſed to the ſervant, as when hee called him noddie or witleſſe body: So Iudg. 9.4.foreign Abimelech. hired vaine and [Rekim] light perſons, the Seventy tranſlate it, foreign, viros inanes, hence come the Saracens p. 94from the Chaldee word Sarack, foreign vacui cerebro, Rabince. foreign vacuum eſſe.vacuum eſſe, men who lived by robbery and had nothing of their owne, as ye would ſay, empty men; they ſhould not bee called Saracens, from Sarah, for they came of Hagar, they ſhould be rather called Hagarens.

A ſecond reaſon wherefore this word Raca is not interpreted, becauſe there is no fit word in our language whereby to expreſſe it; there are ſome Hebrew and Greeke wordes which cannot bee fully expreſſed in our language.foreign Example, Iob. 39.30. Her young ones [legnalegnu dam] ſuck blood; but it is better expreſſed by the ſound, then tranſlated, they glut-glut bloud: So there are ſome words in the new Teſtament that cannot bee expreſſed well by tranſlation,foreign naſo ſuſpendo, ſubſannio, a foreign naris, naſus. as foreign. Gal. 6.7. ſignifieth more then to mocke, it ſignifieth likewiſe to fleere with the noſe, and with the mouth; and it is an ironie in geſture,foreign Impetus cum ſtridore, factū per onomatopaean ad imitationem ſoni literae ρ, ut βόμβος ex ſono τοῦ β. rather then in words. So 2 Pet. 3.10. The heavens ſhall goe away foreign with a great noyſe, it is more then a noyſe, it is ſuch a noyſe as the ſea maketh in a great ſtorme.

The third thing to bee marked here is that which Chryſoſtome obſerveth; he who is angry with his brother without a cauſe is guilty of judgement; therefore hee who is angry with his brother for a cauſe, is not guilty of judgement, and if hee have a juſt cauſe he may call his brother foole; Chriſt called his Diſciples fooles, Luc. 24.25.To be angry for a juſt cauſe is no ſinne. and ſo Paul called the Galatians fooliſh. Galat. 3.1.

The Papiſts argument to prove veniall ſinnes.The church of Rome goeth about to prove out of this place, that ſome ſinnes are veniall, and ſome not; thoſe ſinnes are veniall which deſerve not hell fire, but ſome ſinnes deſerve not hell fire, as when a man is angry with his brother unadviſedly.

This fallacie is like to that which is propounded to boyes in the ſchooles.

p. 95That which thou boughteſt in the market that didſt thou eat.

But thou boughteſt raw fleſh in the market.

Therefore thou didſt eat raw fleſh.

The boy is taught to anſwer to this fallacie, that here they paſſe from the ſubſtance in the propoſition, to the accident in the aſſumption, from the fleſh to the rawneſſe of the fleſh, and then there are quatuor termini, foure termes; and ſo here they paſſe from the meaneſt degrees of the paines of hell, to the higheſt degree; all ſorts of ſinnes are not puniſhed in the higheſt degree of puniſhment, as hee that calleth his brother foole, but yet all ſorts of ſinnes are puniſhed in hell with greater or leſſer puniſhment.

The concluſion of this is; Prov. 4.23. Keepe thy heart Concluſion. 1 with all diligence, for out of it proceed evill thoughts and murthers. Mat. 15.19.

Secondly, as ſinnes increaſe, ſo doe the puniſhments. Concluſion. 2

EXERCITAT. III. De infanticidio, of the killing of an infant in the mothers wombe. Commandement VI.

Exod. 21.22. If men ſtrive and hurt a woman with child, ſo that her fruit depart from her, and yet no miſchiefe follow, he ſhall be ſurely puniſhed, &c.

AS the world in the creation was firſt a confuſed maſſe, and then the Lord by degrees diſtinguiſhed the ſeverall dayes workes; ſo doth the Lord in the creation p. 96of the little world man,The degrees of the forming of the child in the mothers belly. the firſt ſeaven dayes is nothing but ſeed; Secondly, hee is curdled: Iob. 10.10. Haſt thou not powred me out like milke, and curdled me like cheeſe? then he becommeth fleſh, and is no more called ſeed, but faetus, a birth; Thirdly, the principall parts of the body are faſhioned, as the heart, the braine, and the liver; and the reſt of the members are not yet diſcerned: Fourthly, when the armes, thighes, and the reſt of the members are diſtinctly faſhioned, then it is no more called faetus, foreign puer a foreign movere.but infans, Nagner, puer, from nagnar, movere, becauſe hee beginneth to ſtirre in his mothers belly, the 35 day, and then the child is ſeptimeſtris, borne in the ſeaventh monethmonth, and none liveth before that time: but if the foetus be perfect the fourty fift day, then hee beginneth to ſtirre the nintieth day, and his birth falleth in the ninth monethmonth; but if the foetus bee perfect in the fiftieth day, then hee beginneth to ſtirre in the hundreth day, and he is borne in the tenth monethmonth; ſo that doubling the perfection of the Embrio, foreign maſſa rudis & intricata adhuc, neque in veram formam evoluta a foreign convolvit, involvit.which David called Golem. Pſal. 131.16. After all the parts are formed, then the child beginneth to ſtir in the mothers belly, & tripling againe the motion of the child in the mothers belly, wee ſhall know the time when the child is borne. David ſpeaketh of theſe degrees how the child is faſhioned in the mothers belly. Pſal. 139.16. Thine eyes did ſee my ſubſtance yet being unperfect, and in thy booke all my members were written, which in continuance were faſhioned, while as yet there was none of them.

This place is not rightly tranſlated in the vulgar Latine.Thoſe words Exod. 21.22. are not rightly tranſlated in the vulgar tranſlation; If men ſtrive and hurt a woman with child, ſo that her fruit depart from her, and ſhee live, he ſhall be ſurely puniſhed, their meaning is, that the man ſhall bee puniſhed by a fine or mulct for ſtriking of the woman if ſhe abort; but if ſhe live, although the child die, yet the ſtriker ſhall not die for it, whereas the p. 97law meaneth, if there follow [aſon] damnum, foreign damnum, exitiumeither to the mother or to the child, then the ſtriker ſhall die; this place then muſt be underſtood of a child formed, who hath life in him; but if it be but Embrio, or that which is called maſſa rudis, before all the members be faſhioned; then if ſhe bring forth ſuch a birth, hee ſhall not die for it; the Seventy tranſlate it,foreign omnibus lineamentis ad exemplar formatum. if her fruit depart from her foreign, non ſignatum; and the Rabbines call it aſiman, which word they borrowed from the Greekes, as money not ſtamped or ſealed,foreign non ſignatum. ſo is the Embrio before the ſoule be created in the body; and that word Aſon which is interpreted death,foreign virunculus qui con…picitur in nigredine oculi. they ſeeme to have read it iſhon, as you would ſay virunculus, which the Germans call Mannikin, or like the little man ſeene in the aple of the eye; as if they would ſay, if the body be fully faſhioned, and have all the members, and be a little man, then hee who ſtriketh the mother, and maketh her to abort, ſhall die for it; but if the birth be not perfectly faſhioned, and it be not a mannikin, when the ſtriker ſtriketh the mother and ſhee abort of ſuch a birth, hee ſhall not dye for it.

When a man ſtriketh a woman in the ſeaventh monethmonth, hee is rather to be judged a murtherer, than in the eight monethmonth, if ſhe part with her child; for the child which is borne in the eight monethmonth is commonly dead;Why rather to be judged a murtherer if hee ſtrike a woman in the ſeventh monethmonth, nor in the eighth monethmonth after her conception. and therefore the Greekes ſaid foreign, Zeta nota ſeptenarij numeri apud Graecos, foreign, vive; Theta ſtandeth for the eight number, and being the firſt letter of the word foreign, it was the note of thoſe who were condemned to dye: hee who is borne in the eighth monethmonth is called [Napal] abortivus, or deciduus fructus, the child borne before the time, oppoſite to chordus, who is borne after the time, ſuch as thoſe were called ſubgrundini, foreign abortus abortivū a foreign cadere.becauſe they were buried under the eves of the houſes, and not reckoned as living children to be p. 98buried amongſt others.Alluſion. And Salomon alludeth to this Eccleſ. 6.3. Hee that hath no buriall, an untimely birth is better then hee; the reaſon why the infant liveth who was borne in the ſeventh monethmonth,Why the children borne in the ſeventh monethmonth live, and not in the eight. and not in the eighth, is this, becauſe the infant in the ſeventh monethmonth gathereth all his ſtrength together, turneth himſelfe, changeth his place, and ſeeketh for a more commodious place; if if hee be borne when the ſpirits are wakned, and ſtirred up, he may live; and the child in the ſeventh monethmonth in his mothers belly, is like unto a man, when hee is ſleeping in his bed, after his firſt ſleepe he turneth himſelfe that hee may lay himſelfe more commodiouſly; but if it fall out that hee can ſleepe no more, then hee ariſeth and walketh;Simile. but he doth things more confuſedly and indigeſtedly; but after that hee hath turned himſelfe, if hee fall aſleepe againe, then hee ſleepeth more ſoundly, and is more hardly wakned; ſo when the child is borne in the eighth monethmonth, his ſpirits are diffuſed, and hath no ſtrength to helpe himſelfe forth, but dieth in the birth; and therefore if a man ſtrike a woman in the ſeventh monethmonth, and ſhee abort; there is more probability that hee hath killed a living child, then if ſhe had aborted in the eight monethmonth: for Octimeſtris liveth not in the birth, and it may be preſuppoſed that the infant was dead at the time, the mother bearing it in the eight monethmonth; ſo it was not the ſtroke of the ſtriker that made the child to die, but becauſe it was in the eighth monethmonth, therefore ſhee brought forth this dead child.Great cruelty to kill the infant in the mothers wombe.

It is a great crueltie to kill the child in the mothers belly, to kill this innocent in his firſt manſion, which ſhould have beene the place of his refuge;foreign Secundine, a tranquillitate foetus a foreign tranquillum eſſe. the tunicle in which hee is wrapped in his mothers belly, is called Shilo, becauſe (as the Hebrewes ſay) the young infant ſhould live peaceably in it, in his mothers wombe, as in p. 99a place of refuge. When Benah, and Rehab killed Iſhboſeth, David ſaid, ye are wicked men who have killed a righteous perſon in his owne houſe, upon his owne bed: ſhall I not require this at your hands? 2 Sam. 4.11. So the Lord will require at the hands of ſuch killers, the blood of infants.

The concluſion of this is,Concluſion. the Lord who forbiddeth in his law to kill the kid when it is ſucking the damme, had a further intention here; for, doth God regard kids, 1. Cor. 8.9? but his chiefe intention is, that young infants may be ſaved, both when they are in their mothers wombe, and when they are ſucking their breaſts.

EXERCITAT. IV. DE 'ΑΥΤΟΦΟΝΙΑ. Of ſelfe-murther. Commandement VI.

1. Sam. 31.4. Saul tooke a ſword and fell upon it, and died.

ALl power which man hath is of God, and the Lord hath reſerved the power of death and life to himſelfe, 1. Sam. 2.6. Deut. 32.19.God hath reſerved the power of life and death to himſelfe. Dominium Vtile. Supremum Hee hath not granted to man the power of his owne life, hee hath made him uſufructuarium, and hee hath granted him dominium utile, but not ſupremum dominium, not abſolute and high dominion, as the Lord hath given the earth to the ſonnes of men, Pſal. 115.16. hee hath granted utile dominium to them, but not the ſupreme dominion,God hath given the profitable dominion of the earth, but not the ſupreme. hee hath reſerved that for himſelfe: A man is lord over his naturall and morall actions. 1. Cor. 7.4. The wife hath no power over her owne body, but the husband; before ſhe was married ſhe had the powe… over her owne body to diſpone of it to her husband; but when ſhe is married ſhe hath not p. 100that power; God hath put under mans feet, ſheep, oxen, beaſts of the field, the foule of the aire, and the fiſh of the ſea, and whatſoever paſſeth through the pathes of the ſeas, Pſal. 8.7, 8. thoſe he may kill, becauſe the Lord hath given him power over them to kill them for the maintenance of his life; but he is not Dominus vitae, nes membrorum, he is not lord of his owne life or of the leaſt member of his body; therefore hee may not kill himſelfe.

This ſelfe murther is contrary to the Law of nature, contrary to the divine law,Selfe murther is contra-to nature. and contrary to humane lawes. Firſt it is contrary to the law of nature, for every thing ſeeketh the preſervation of it ſelfe; skin for skin, and all that a man hath will hee give for his life, and nature abhorreth death as the laſt enemie. 1. Cor. 15.

When a man may deſire the ſeparation of the ſoule from the body.The ſoule and the body make up one perſon, and therefore they deſire not to be ſeparated, neither ſhould they deſire, except it be for ſinne, as Paul ſaid, cupio diſſolvi, I deſire to be diſſolved, Phil. 1.23. When the ſoule is out of the body, it deſireth to be in the body. Revelat. 6.10.The body is called the ſoule, becauſe of the nere conjunction of them as Levit. 19.28. and 21.1. Hag. 2.14.Lev 19:28Lev 21:1Hag 2:14 How long O Lord holy and true, doſt thou not judge and revenge our blood? The ſoules call it their blood, becauſe they long for their bodies againe, and for this it is, that the body when it is ſeparated from the ſoule is called [nepheſh] the ſoule, why is the body called the ſoule? becauſe it ſhall be joyned to the ſoule againe as it was before, and the ſoule ſhall dwell in the ſame body, this is therefore contrary to nature, for a man to make a ſeparation betwixt his owne ſoule and his bodie.

Contrary to the law of God.Againe, it is contrary to the divine law, the Lord commandeth us to love our neighbour as our ſelfe, but a man that killeth himſelfe cannot love himſelfe.

Contrary to the law of man.Thirdly, it is contrary to humane lawes, and therefore they doe as much as they can to refraine it, becauſe p. 101it taketh away a member from the commonwealth, they have made ordinances; that ſuch be made open ſpectacles, and that they be not buried in Chriſtian burial, to reſtraine this ſinne.

It is not lawfull for a man to kill himſelfe for deteſtation of ſinnes paſt,A man is not to kill himſelfe in deteſtation of ſinne paſt. for this life is onelyonly the time of repentance, therefore the fathers defined it thus, Eſt momentum unde pendet aeternitas, it is the moment upon which our eternity hangeth: and as thoſe who are committed to priſon,Simile. muſt not breake the priſon at their owne hand, untill hee who committeth them to priſon command them to come out: Non enim poena vitatur furtiva diſceſſione, ſed creſcit, when a man breaketh the priſon he eſcheweth not the puniſhment by flying, but encreaſeth it rather. Lucretia killed herſelfe that ſhee ſhould not be defiled by Tarquinius, but it had beene no ſinne in her, if ſhe had not given her conſent; for if a woman that is forced againſt her will ſhould loſe her virginity, then chaſtitie ſhould not be reckoned amongſt the gifts of the minde, but onelyonly amongſt the gifts of the body, as ſtrength, beauty, and health; therefore ſhe was guilty of ſelfe murther. It is not lawfull for a man to kill himſelfe to eſchew ſinne to come, for wee muſt not doe evill that good may come of it; it is not lawfull for a man to cut the thread of his owne life, that hee may enjoy life eternall, for God onelyonly determineth the time of his abode here,None may kill himſelfe to enjoy eternall life. and when hee ſhall remove; and therefore the children of God have waited alwaies till the Lord ſhould make the diſſolution, Luc. 2.29. Now foreign letteſt thou thy ſervant depart in peace; in the Syriacke it is, now thou openeſt the priſon doore; the priſoner muſt not go out untill the priſon be opened unto him. Phil. 1.23. I deſire to be diſſolved.

The Stoicks ſaid, if a wiſe man were taken captive p. 102hee might ſoone relieve himſelfe;The Stoickes held that a man might kill himſelfe. and if he thought not himſelfe happy in bonds, hee might quickly looſe himſelfe: and Seneca ſaid, Quamcunque venam noſtri corporis, eſſe venam ad libertatem: hee meant that a man might open a veine, and let himſelfe blood to death: but it was better ſaid of Plato, Ne dividas lignum in via, that is, take not the ſoule from the body in the way here.

Queſt. Anſw. What are we to judge of Sampſon who killed himſelfe.

As Sampſon was a type of Chriſt in his conception, ſo was he in many of his actions, and in his death; Gabriel the angell told Mary of her conception: ſo did the angell tell Sampſons mother, Iud. 13.3. and as the angels name who came to Mary was Gabriel, ſo the name of the angell who came to Sampſons mother was Admirable; foreign Sol, adde נ ad foreign et ſic fit diminutivum foreign Solilus.Sampſon was a type of Chriſt in his name, he was called Shamſhon, Solilus or little Sunne, ſo Chriſt is the Sunne of righteouſneſſe, Malac. 4.2. Hee was a type of Chriſt in his marriage: as he married with the Philiſtins, ſo Chriſt married with the Gentiles; and Sampſon killed moe at his death then in life, ſo did Chriſt. Sampſon was directed by the Lords Spirit,Sampſon in his death was directed by the ſpirit of God. in his marriage; Iud. 14.4. His father and his mother knew not that it was of the Lord that hee ſought an occaſion againſt the Philiſtins: as hee was a ſnare to the Philiſtins in his marriage, and directed by the Lord in it; ſo was he in his death, he was directed by the ſpirit of the Lord in it:foreign Impulit, agita… foreign Tintinnabulū, ſic dictum quod percuſſione perſonet, in the originall it is, [Pagnam] huc illuc impelli à Spiritu, Iud. 13.25. as the bells which hung in the skirts of Aarons garments are called [Pagnamon] becauſe they were ſhaken to & fro.

Queſt. Anſ. Sampſon deſired to die with ihis enemies, but not that uncircumciſed death.But hee deſired to die with his enemies.

Hee deſired not to die with his enemies that uncircumciſed death, Pſal. 25.9. Deſtroy not my ſoule with the wicked: and his laſt words may be taken rather as a conceſſion then a prayer: as a good captaine had rather die, then that his enemies ſhould prevaile; and the fathers p. 103reckoned him amongſt the martyrs, for hee moſt willingly bare witneſſe to the truth. Secondly, his teſtimony was confirmed by his death, and it was for a divine and ſupernaturall truth. And laſtly, for the glory of God; all which concurred in the death of Sampſon, Reaſons proving that Sampſon died in the favour of God.and the Lord accepted of his prayer, and heard him when hee dyed, and gave him greater ſtrength then before.

How could Sampſon be a type of Chriſt, ſeing hee committed many great ſinnes?

Many were types of Chriſt, but not in their ſinnes. Queſt. Tichonius in his rule ſet downe by Auguſtine, ſaith, Ab his enim, vel removenda quoad ſignificationem iſtam, Anſw. peccata; Men albeit they commit great ſinnes, may be types of Chriſt.vel ea in corporis chriſti (quod eſt Eccleſia) partes ac membra, quae peccatis interdum contaminantur, transferenda, hee meaneth, that as types of Chriſt they committed not thoſe ſinnes, but as members of the Church they ſinned; and the ſinnes ſhould not be transferred upon them as they were types of Chriſt, but as they were members of the Church. A mans picture doth not alwayes repreſent the man,Simile. for ſometimes the fault is in the wood; and ſometimes in the ſtone, or paper, and ſometimes in the collours, and ſometimes in the unskilfulneſſe of the painter; yet it is the picture of that man which it repreſenteth: ſo although there be defects and wants in the types of Chriſt, yet they may be types of him. Now if Sampſon had beene a ſelfe murtherer, the Apoſtle would never have reckoned him up amongſt the faithfull.

A man is bound by lawfull meanes to ſeeke the preſervation of his life; the Hebrewes call this Vivificare, ƲIVIFICARE quid apud Hebraeos.& notat actum continuum, non inchoatum, that is, it ſignifieth the preſervation of life, but not the beginning of life, as Num. 22.33. I ſhould have killed thee, ſed aſinum vivificaſſem, that is, I ſhould have kept the aſſe alive. So p. 104Num. 37.15. Num vivificaſtis omnem foeminam? that is, have ye preſerved the women alive, So Luc. 17.34.

A man is guilty of ſelfe murther, when he ſpendeth the meanes prodigally which ſhould entertaine his life;A man is a ſelfe murtherer when he ſpends his meanes that entertaines his life. wee have a naturall life, and a ſpirituall life, the meanes which entertaine our naturall life are called our life; When thou beſiegeſt a towne, thou ſhalt not cut downe the fruitfull trees, Arbor enim agri homo eſt, for the tree of the field is man, Deut. 20.19. that is, it is the meanes which intertaines the life of man. So Proverb. 27.27.Life put for the maintenance of the life. It ſhall be life to thy maides, that is, maintenance. So in the Goſpell it is ſaid, that the poore widow caſt into the treaſury foreign, her whole life, that is, her whole ſubſtance. Mark. 12.44. So the woman having an iſſue of blood twelve yeares, ſpent her living upon the Phyſitians. Luc. 8.43. foreign, her whole life: So Eccleſ. 6.8. The poore walking before the living; marke the oppoſition, Poore and living, for living and dead; the poore are judged as they were dead civilly, becauſe they want the comfortable meanes to entertaine their life; when men do prodigally waſte the meanes which ſhould entertaine their life,foreign ab α & foreign ſalvo, eſt vitium quando exceditur modus. this the Greekes call foreign, as if yee would ſay, non ſalvatio ſui; ſuch a one was that forlorne ſonne, Luk. 15.13. Who waſted his ſubſtance with riotous living, foreign.

The life taken for the ſpirituall life.Our life is alſo taken for our ſpirituall life, and when wee have not the care to entertaine the grace of God in our ſelves, then wee are ſaid to be murtherers of our ſoules, and when wee neglect the meanes of our ſalvation, ſuch as thoſe, Num. 16.38. are called peccatores in animam ſuam, ſinners againſt their owne ſoule; the life of the ſoule is a more excellent life, then the life of the body; the life of nature is ſeated but in the blood, Vita eſt in ſanguine, the life is in the blood, Gen. 9. but our ſpirituall life is in the blood of Chriſt: our naturall life is p. 105intertained with corruptible things, Thou ſhalt not deſtroy the trees thereof by forcing an axe againſt them, for thou mayſt eate of them; and thou ſhalt not cut them downe, for the tree of the field is mans life. Deut. 20.19. But our ſpirituall life is intertained by the tree of life, Ieſus Chriſt, therefore this life is called the life of God. Epheſ. 4.18.

The Hebrewes ſay, that the Ammonites and Moabites who drew the Iſraelites to idolatrie, and killed their ſoules, were puniſhed unto the tenth generation, that they ſhould never enter into the Congregation: but the Edomites who killed them with the ſword, and the Egyptians who drowned them, were but puniſhed to the third generation.

The concluſion of this is,Concluſion. if it be a great ſinne to put out the life of another man, it is a greater ſin for a man to put out his owne life, for he muſt love his neighbour as himſelfe.

EXERCITAT. V. Of cruell murther. Commandement. VI.

Luc. 33.1. There were preſent at that ſeaſon ſome that told him of the Galileans, whoſe blood Pilate had mingled with their ſacrifices.

LEt us enquire here, firſt, why Pilate mingled the blood of the Galileans with their ſacrifices? Secondly, why they propound this queſtion to Chriſt?

The occaſion why Pilate mingled their blood withThe cauſe why Pilate killed the Galileans. p. 106their ſacrifices was this; when the Romans had ſubdued the Iewes, they laid grievous taxations upon them, and they ſent their Publicans abroad dayly to exact of them,foreign Exactores. foreign collector tributorum a foreign colligere. foreign Peccatores and therefore they called them Nogeſhim, exactores, in the Syriack, Gabbi, collector tributorum, from the Syriack word Gabha, which ſignifieth to gather tribute or tole; they hated them ſo, that they called them ſinners, and they would not marry with them; therefore they ſaid, nè contingat tibi uxor quae ſit aliqua è publicanis, and they would not eate with them, nor converſe with them; becauſe the Publicans handled the Iewes ſo hardly, they hated both them and the Romans exceedingly;How Iudas of Galilie drew people after him, and taught them that that they ſhould obey no King but God. and one Iudas of Galile, Act. 5.37. In the dayes of the taxation, roſe up and drew away much people after him; he taught thoſe that followed him, that they ſhould acknowledge no other King but God, and that they ſhould have no other Lord but God himſelfe; and he reaſoned this wayes, thou ſhalt worſhip the Lord thy God, and him onelyonly ſhalt thou ſerve; therefore all civill honour is forbidden to bee given to Kings; not unlike to that concluſion of the Pope, the ſpirituall man judgeth all things, and he is judged of none; therefore the Pope and the clergy are exemted from all civill authority.

Auguſtus appointed a dayly ſacrifice for himſelfe.Philo in his booke de legatione ad Caium, teſtifieth, that Auguſtus upon his owne charges appointed a dayly ſacrifice for himſelfe in the temple; and Theophylactus writing upon Act. 5. ſheweth that this Iudas Galilaeus forbad that any ſhould ſacrifice for the Emperour; Pilate when hee ſaw theſe Galileans (who were the followers of Iudas Galilaeus) ſacrificing, hee came upon them and killed them, and mingled their blood with their ſacrifices; becauſe they forbad to ſacrifice for Caeſar. Some came and told Chriſt what Pilate had done to theſe men, and they thought that theſe men were greater ſinners then others, for thoſe who are cut off by p. 107the ſword, men thinke that they are greater ſinners then others, and that they die not well; but a man may die a violent death, and yet die in the favour of God; a ſudden death is not alwayes a bad death, Iobs ſonnes died ſuddenly, but to the wicked it is a bad death. Iob. 34 20. and Ioſias was killed in the battell,A violent death not alwayes a bad death. and yet the Lord ſaith, I will gather thee to thy fathers, and thou ſhalt be gathered to thy grave in peace. 2 King. 22.20.

Now for Pilates cruelty,The exaggeration of Pilates cruelty. it may be exaggerated by many circumſtances: Firſt, who did it, when he did it, where he did it; for actions are accounted either good or evill, not onelyonly from the object and end, but alſo from the circumſtances; for even as in the naturall body, it is not enough to bee a perfect man, and want no member, but alſo that he have colour, proportion, and ſtraightneſſe, which doe grace the body: So an action is not good, unleſſe all the circumſtances concurre; but it is accounted as an evill action, if any circumſtance be wanting; therefore Thomas ſaith well,Thom. 2.2. quaeſt. 3. ad 1. Bonum non niſi ex integra cauſa conſtare, malum vero ex quocunque defectu conſurgere. When many circumſtances concurre in an evill action, they aggravate the ſinne very much, as the Iſraelites, Ezek. 23.37. committed ſpirituall adulterie with their Idols, they ſacrificed their children to Moloch; they defiled the Sanctuary with blood, and they defiled it with bloud upon the Sabbath day. There were many circumſtances to exaggerate Pilates fact; Firſt, that a Magiſtrate ſhould kill ſo cruelly, this was foreign trucidare. Mat. 10.28.Great cruelty in Pilate to kill thoſe, he being a Magiſtrate. and not foreign interficere. Secondly, the place exaggerates the fact, being done in the temple. When Athaliah was to bee killed, Iehojada the Prieſt commanded to carry her forth without the ranges. 2 King. 11.15. that is, without the precinct of the temple, he would not have her bloud ſhed neare the temple to defile it, this murther came neareſt p. 108to Zacharies murther,Great cruelty to kill them in the temple. who was killed betwixt the porch and the Altar, which was nearer to the holieſt of all then the Altar; he killed them in the temple publikely in the ſight of all men, Thomas ſaith well, Occultatio peccati, quae eſt ſimplex circumſtantia peccati, diminuit & nou auget peccatum; tum quia ſignum verecundiae, & qui manifeſtè peccat, When the hiding of a ſin diminiſheth ſin.cum agit, tum docet; that is, the hiding of the ſinne which is one circumſtance that concurreth in the ſinne, it doth not aggravate the ſinne, becauſe it is a ſigne of ſhamefaſtneſſe, and hee that committeth a ſinne publikely, he both doth it, and teacheth others to doe the like. Eſay. 3.9. they proclaime their ſinnes as Sodome, that is, they ſhew them out and hide them not. Sed quando occultatio peccati eſt cauſa peccati, non diminuit ſed auget & conſtituit novam ſpeciem peccati, as it is in ſecret theft, fraud, or deceit,

Thirdly, to kill them that were not under his juriſdiction; for the Galileans were under the juriſdiction of Herod, ſo to kill them at the altar which was the place of refuge, when they were now begging pardon for their ſinnes, this aggravateth the ſinne more.

Ob. If it be ſaid that Pilate was an heathen, and had no reſpect to the altar.

Anſw. The heath… carried g…eat reverence to the Altar.See what reverence the heathen carried to the Altar, for when any perſon fled to the Altar for refuge, they would never kill him there, if hee refuſed to come out from the Altar,Turnebi adverſaria. they would ſmoake him out, and if that would not ſerve the turne, they would cloſe him up in the temple that hee might famiſh there, and that the heathen had alwayes a reſpect to the Altar of refuge, we may ſee it by the hiſtory of Amyris.

Amyris being ſent by the Sybarites to the oracle of Delphos, Sail…s in foreign.to conſult how long their Common-wealth ſhould ſtand; it was anſwered, that it ſhould continue ever untill they reverenced man more then the gods; p. 109hee ſeeing one day a ſlave beaten by his maſter, and flying to the altar of refuge, yet his maſter ſpared him not there; then the ſlave fled to the tombe of his maſters father, and then his maſter ſpared him; which when Amyris perceived, preſently he went and ſold all that he had, and went and dwelt at Peloponeſus; for now I ſee, ſaid hee, that men are more reverenced then the gods. By this we may ſee what regard the heathen had of old to the altars, and what a barbarous cruelty was this in Pilate to kill theſe poore Galileans, when they were ſacrificing.

The concluſion of this is,Concluſion. that the Lord abhorreth all murther, but eſpecially cruell murther, committed openly in the ſight of God and his people.

EXERCITAT. VI. How the Lord enquireth for blood and puniſheth it. Commandement. VI.

Pſal. 9.12. When hee maketh inquiſition for bloud, he remembreth them.

THe Lord enquireth for bloud,God firſt enquireth for blood, and then puniſheth it. and then revengeth it. Firſt, hee enquireth for bloud: Gen. 4.9. And the Lord ſaid unto Cain, where is Abel thy brother? So Gen. 42.22 Behold now his blood is required at our hands. foreign quaeſivit ſciſcitatas, percunctatus eſt.Dareſh, eſt ſummo judicio inquirere, to ſearch diligently.

The Lord requireth this blood,God requireth the blood of man from reaſonable, unreaſonable, and ſenſeleſſe creatures. at the ſtones and timber of the houſe. Habak. 2.11. and at the hands of a beaſt, Gen. 5.9. and at the hands of a man, that is, of a common p. 110man, and at the hands of a great man, and at the hands of a mans brother: and hee enquireth after the blood, from the ſhedder of the blood, to the author or firſt cauſe; there was the hand of the Ammonite that killed Vriah; God ſearcheth out blood from the ſhedder to the firſt inventer.there was the hand of Ioab that ſet him in the forefront of the battell, and there was the hand of David that invented this: yet Nathan paſſed by them all, and ſaid to David, Thou haſt killed Vriah the Hittite with the ſword. 2 Sam. 12.9. So there were the falſe witneſſes who teſtified againſt Naboth and ſtoned him, and the falſe Iudges who condemned him, and then Iezabel the Queene, and laſt the King, who ſealed all with his ſignet: and yet it is ſaid, that Ahab killed him. 1 King. 21.19. Haſt thou killed and taken poſſeſſion? The Lord ſayes, Num. 32.23. Your ſinnes ſhall find you out; The guilt of ſinne leaveth ſuch a ſcent behind it, that the puniſhment followeth it and findeth it out, even as the dog by the ſcent findeth out the Hare, and as the hew and cry followeth the murtherer;How a mans ſinne findeth him out. foreign cubavit, excubavit, proprie beſtiarum eſt. ſo doth the revenging hand of God follow the ſin of murther home to the doore of him that committed it. Gen. 4.7. Sin [Robhetz] lyeth at the doore, that is, the guilt of ſin, as a maſtive dog lyeth at the doore. Deut. 31.17. Many evills and troubles ſhall find them; man findeth out ſinne firſt, and ſinne findeth him out againe. And ſee how the ſenſeleſſe creatures diſcover the blood and enquire after it; Iob ſaith, Let not the earth cover my blood. Cap. 16.18. When ſenſe is given to heaven and earth, then the Lord ſignifieth by this,Why is ſenſe attributed to ſenſeleſſe creatures. that this ſinne is ſuch, that it inverteth the nature of the ſenſeleſſe creatures ſettled by God: and therefore they ſeeke to bee revenged of this ſinne, and cry out for a vengeance, which is ſpoken of ſuch ſinnes in the Scriptures which muſt preſently bee puniſhed without any delay.

As the Lord ſearcheth and enquireth for the blood, p. 111ſo hee revengeth it,God revengeth blood when he hath ſearched it out. when Zachariah was killed betwixt the porch and the altar, what ſaid hee? The Lord looke upon it, and require it. 2 Chron. 24. and the Lord anſwered to his requeſt, Luc. 11.51.How hee revenged the blood of Zachariah. I ſay unto you it ſhall be required. A yere was ſcarcely paſt when the Princes who condiſcended to this bloudy murther, were all killed by the Aſſyrians, and the King himſelfe was wounded, and there hee died; ſee how the Lord revenged this blood.

And we ſee this more evidently in David. 2 Sam. 12.9.10. Becauſe thou haſt ſlaine Vriah the Hittite, How the Lord revenged the blood of Vriah upon David and his poſteritywith the ſword of the Ammonite, the ſword ſhall never depart from thy houſe; which was performed, firſt, in the ſlaughter of his ſonne Ammon; ſecondly, of Abſolon: thirdly, in Adonijah; then in the five ſonnes of Iehoſaphat. 2 Chron. 21. And of all the ſonnes of Ioram except Achazia who was alſo killed by the King of Iezreel. 2. Chron. 22. And Athalia killed all the Kings ſeed except Ioas, who was alſo killed afterwards by his ſervants. 2 Chron. 24. and his ſonne Amaziah was killed, 2 Chron. 25.27. and Ioſias was killed in the battell, 2 Chron. 35.23. and laſtly, the ſonnes of Zedekias killed by Nebuchadnezzar, 2. King. 25.7. ſee how the ſword never departed from his houſe.

Secondly,God makes the conſcience of man to revenge the blood that he hath ſhed. the Lord maketh the conſcience to bee vindex ſanguinis, the revenger of the blood; for when a man hath once committed this ſinne, how fearefully doth his conſcience torment him? When Ioab wrote to David that Vriah was killed at Rabba, David thought but lightly of the matter at the firſt, what wrote hee back to Ioab? Let not this matter trouble thee, for the ſword devoureth the one as well as the other. 2 Sam. 11.25. But ſee how this matter troubled him after his conſcience was wakened, then hee ſaid that this blood was alwayes before him. Pſal. 51.3. it is verbum forenſe, alwayes p. 112ſtanding up in his face, and pleading againſt him; and he prayed,foreign a ſanguinibus. that the Lord would deliver him; [Middamim] from bloods in the plurall number, to ſignifie the greatnes of this ſinne; or becauſe hee was not onelyonly guilty of the blood of Vrijah, Blood a great ſting to the conſcience.but alſo of thoſe who were killed with him. Abigail when ſhee diſſwaded David from killing of Nabal, 2. Sam. 25.31. ſhee ſaid, That this would be no griefe to David, foreign non crit titubationi aut offenfioni cordi.nor offence of heart to my Lord, in the originall it is, [Lepukah alemicſhol] it ſhall be no ſtaggering or ſtumbling; the conſcience is offended at the remembrance of the ſhedding of innocent blood, as when a man daſheth his foot againſt a ſtone. David when hee remembred this, would not drinke of the water which was gotten out of the well of Bethleem by the hazard of the bloud of men; ſee what difference is betweene the conſcience wakened and not wakened, and how little David eſteemed of ſhedding of blood in the firſt caſe, and how much in the ſecond.

The ſoules departed deſire their blood to be revenged.Thirdly, the ſoules of thoſe who have beene murthered, cry from the heavens for a vengeance upon thoſe who have murthered them. Rev. 6.10. How long Lord holy and true, doſt thou not judge and revenge our blood upon thoſe that dwell upon the earth? this crying of the ſoules is not from ſinfull paſſion,Abſolute deſires without ſinne ſhall be granted. as the Apoſtles deſired that fire might come from heaven and burne the Samaritans, Luc. 9.54. but this deſire of the glorified ſoules is without ſinne; and all deſires without ſin, which are abſolute deſires, muſt be fulfilled; I ſay abſolute deſires, becauſe Chriſt deſired without ſinne that the cup might paſſe from him, but it was not an abſolute, but a conditionall deſire: but abſolute deſires muſt be fullfilled; this is one of the grounds of the reſurrection, becauſe the ſoules now without ſinne,A ground of our reſurrection. doe long to be joyned to their bodies againe, therefore it muſt be granted to them.

p. 113The concluſion of this is, let us pray with David to keepe us from blood, and let us ſtudy to waſh our hands in innocencie, that wee may compaſſe the Lords altar, Pſal. 26.6. and that the Lord would not gather our life with bloody men, verſ. 9.

EXERCITAT. VII. De inculpata tutela, How a man may lawfully defend himſelfe. Commandement. VI.

Exod. 21.2. If a theife be found breaking up, and be ſmitten that he die, there ſhall be no blood ſhed for him, if the Sunne be riſen upon him there ſhall be blood ſhed for him.

WE have ſpoken of unlawfull killing, which is murther; now it remaineth to ſpeake of lawfull killing, and the firſt branch of this is, inculpata tutela, and the ſecond is caſuall ſlaughter.

God commandeth that a man ſhould not kill his neighbour; and ſecondly, that he ſhould preſerve himſelfe; Firſt, that hee ſhould not hurt his neighbour.

Man is conſidered ſixe manner of wayes. Firſt,Man is conſidered ſixe wayes. as hee is a Chriſtian; ſecondly, as he is a Magiſtrate; thirdly, as he is a Souldier; fourthly, as he is a Citizen; fiftly, as hee is a Moraliſt; and laſtly, as hee is the worke of nature.

In his firſt eſtate he is conſidered as a Chriſtian,As a Chriſtian how he is to behave himſelfe. and then hee muſt lay aſide all hatred: it is naturall for a man to love his friend, and it is naturall to him in his corrupt eſtate to hate his enemy: but it is a worke of p. 114grace when a man pardoneth injuries done unto him. The Lord commended Salomon much for this, That hee ſought not the life of his enemies, 1. King. 3.11.

… a Magiſtrate.Secondly, man is conſidered as a Magiſtrate, and then, Hee beareth not the ſword in vaine, Rom. 13.6. but hee muſt remember that it is gladius Dei, & Gideon…: the ſword of the Lord and of Gideon, Iudg. 7.20. and hee is the Lords ſword-bearer: his part is to inſtitute good laws, and put them in execution for puniſhing of tranſgreſſours.

As a Souldier.Thirdly, a man is conſidered as hee is a Souldier, and then hee is reputed to be without honour, if he fight not for the wellfare of his own country, and ſeeke not to repaire the wrongs done unto it.

As a Citizen.Fourthly hee is conſidered as a Cittizen, and here he is bound to ſeeke redreſſe of his wrongs by the law, and not to revenge himſelfe.

As a Moraliſt.Fiftly, hee is conſidered as a Moraliſt, then it is more honourable for him to overcome his paſſions, than for him to overcome a ſtrong city, Prov. 16.32. and in this conſideration hee ſhould be more carefull not to doe a wrong, then not to receive a wrong.

As the worke of nature.Sixtly, hee is conſidered as the worke of nature, and then hee ſhould be fartheſt from revenge;

Let us conſider how nature bringeth forth a man, and that will teach him to doe no wrong to his neighbour: the Apoſtle, 1. Cor. 11. taketh an argument from nature, Doth not nature teach you that it is unſeemely for a woman to be ſhaven? So nature teacheth a man in his firſt creation and birth to be a peaceable creature, becauſe ſhe bringeth him forth without weapons.

Obj. But by this reaſon yee may ſay that a man may not defend himſelfe againſt injuries, becauſe nature bringeth him forth without weapons.

Anſw. Nature ſtill ſeeketh the preſervation of it ſelfe, and p. 115that which nature affordeth not to a man for his preſervation, art muſt helpe it. Example,Nature ſeeketh helpe from nature to defend it ſelfe. nature bringeth forth a man naked, now becauſe of the injury of the weather, and the uncomelineſſe of the body ſince the fall, nature ſeeketh art to helpe her, to make cloathes for a man to cover his nakedneſſe, and to defend himſelfe from the injury of the weather; ſo doth it for weapons defenſive, but never for offenſive in the firſt place: the hand of man is given to him for the ſafety of himſelfe, but not to wrong his enemie, 1. Sam. 25.26.foreign Servavit manum tuam tibi. Servavit manum tuam tibi, Hee hath reſerved thy hand to thy ſelfe: not that thou ſhouldeſt kill Nabal with it, but that thou ſhouldeſt defend thy ſelfe from Saul, who is purſuing thee to take thy life.

When men uſe their ſtrength to wrong one another, ſee how the holy Ghoſt ſpeaketh of them, Dan 11.40. When hee deſcribeth the combat betwixt the king of the South, and the king of the North, hee bringeth them fighting like two beaſts,ARIET ARE quid. foreign petijt, impetijt cornibus, proprie de arietibus dictum. and they are ſaid [arietare] to puſh with their hornes like two rams: when men goe this way to kill one another, abuſing their naturall ſtrength, they are like unto beaſts which puſh at others, and therefore in this caſe, Let him not beaſt who putteth on the harneſſe, as hee who putteth it off, 1. King. 20.11.

Secondly, a man is to defend himſelfe: and in neceſſity the Lord maketh him a Magiſtrate: and as in neceſſity all things are common for the ſafety of the life of man,A man in neceſſity is a magiſtrate to defend himſelfe. that a man may goe to his neighbours vineyard, or his field, and eate ſo much as will ſatisfie his hunger; ſo in neceſſity the Lord maketh a man a Magiſtrate to defend himſelfe, when hee can have no other meanes to ſave himſelfe. And here wee muſt put a difference betwixt him, qui infert injuriam, & qui propulſat injuriam, he muſt defend himſelfe, but not wrong his enemie, that muſt be his chiefe intention: and a ſecond p. 116intention, if hee can have no other meanes to ſave himſelfe, then he becometh a Magiſtrate in that caſe: and hee muſt take heede here firſt, that hee ſeeke not revenge;A man muſt not ſeeke revenge. for, Vengeance is mine, ſaith the Lord, Rom. 12.9. therefore David ſaith, The Lord avenge me of thee, but mine hand ſhall not be upon thee, 1 Sam. 24.12. So Prov. 20.22. Say not I will do to him as he hath done to mee, Ier. 50.15. Take vengeance on her, as ſhe hath done, ſo do thou to her, here the Prophet leaveth the revenge to God.

Obj. And if it be alledged that Sampſon ſaid, As they have done unto mee ſo have I done unto them, Iud. 15.11. therefore men may revenge themſelves upon others, who have wronged then.

Anſw. Wee muſt put a difference betwixt a Magiſtrate who beareth not the ſword in vaine, Rom. 13.4. and thoſe who revenge their wrongs heroico inſtinctu, as Phinheas, Sampſon, and Ehud; from thoſe who follow their owne particular revenge, for They know not of what ſpirit they are, Luc. 9.55.

What a man muſt doe before kill or be killed.Before a man be brought to this neceſſity either to kill or be killed: firſt hee is to flee, and ſecondly to defend himſelfe by all meanes poſſible, but not to purſue, if he be rid of his enemie.

Navarrus E. 15. 4. Soto ar…. 8. 9. 5. d d. in l. ut vim. &c.Firſt, hee is to flie, Matt. 10.23. But when they perſecute you in this city, flee yee into another, therefore that tenent of Navarrus is moſt falſe, cadem recte admitti putat ut alapa vitetur, & ad honorem recuperandum; & Soto, defenſio cum interſectione eſt licita, quia fuga eſt ignominioſa.

foreign … …imite cum in ſorib…s id eſt, ſi…ite cum extra ſ…pta, ne ingreſſus irritat in me.As hee is bound to flee to defend himſelfe, ſo hee is bound to hold off the injury: when Iehoram King of Iſrael ſent a man to take Eliſha, Eliſha ſaid; Shut the doore, and hold him faſt, at the doore, 2. King. 6.23. it is not well tranſlated, Handle him roughly, he was onelyonly to ſave himſelfe here.

p. 117Now when he hath uſed all other meanes, and cannot ſave his life otherwiſe;foreign Si in effoſſione, vel cum effoſſionis inſtrumento then neceſſity in that caſe maketh him a magiſtrate. If a theefe be found breaking up, and be ſmitten that hee die, Exod. 22.2. if hee be found breaking up, [im bammahhthereth, Lex 12. tabularum vetat furem diurnum occidi niſi telo ſe defendat] but it is better tranſlated, cum perfoſsionis inſtrumento, if hee come with an inſtrument in his hand to breake up the houſe, now in ſuch a caſe the Lord ſaith, if hee be killed, then hee who killed him was free of his blood; becauſe it was in the night time, and there was none to helpe him; and it could not be knowne whether hee came to rob or to kill; when David came to ſeeke ſupport of Nabal, hee gave him a churliſh anſwer, and ſaid, That many men now a dayes breake from their maſters, 1. Sam. 25.10. but Abigail ſaith of David, A man fighteth the Lords battell when hee defendeth himſelfe.that hee fighteth the battels of the Lord, verſ. 28. what battels of the Lord had hee fought? he was not entered into the kingdome, he onelyonly defended himſelfe in fleeing from Saul, and this Abigail called a juſt defence, and ſaith that hee did fight the battell of the Lord.

When Chriſt ſent his Diſciples abroad in their firſt expedition, hee forbad them to take a ſtaffe with them, Matt. 10.10. that is, ſuch a ſtaffe as might hinder them in their way, but take onelyonly a light rod with them, no ſtaffe of defence: but when hee ſent them forth afterwards, he ſaith, Hee that hath not a ſword, let him ſell his garment and buy one, Luc. 22.36. and the Apoſtles ſeeme to have carried ſwords in their defence, and although theſe words contained not a precept,The Apoſtles carried weapons to defend themſelves. foreign, Sira vel gladius. yet they are taken from the common cuſtome, as the oppoſition of the former times implyeth; and this ſword (or if ye will tranſlate it, a ſacrificing knife, as ſome doe) they were to uſe onelyonly in defence of themſelves, and not to wrong others, and therefore Peter when hee ſmote off Malchus eare, Chriſt ſaid to him, Put up thy ſword in his place, p. 118for all they that take the ſword ſhall periſh with the ſword, Matt. 26.52.

Ob. Eſay. 2.4. They ſhall beat their ſwords into plough-ſhares, and their ſpeares into pruning bookes; therefore it may ſeeme that under the Goſpell, men may not uſe a defenſive weapon.

Anſw. This propheſie is onelyonly to be underſtood thus, that under the Goſpell, people ſhould live more peaceably after their converſion then when they were Heathens and Pagans. Secondly, ſome underſtand the propheſie to be interpreted with this condition, the ſtate of the Church ſhall be ſuch, when all nations ſhall receive the Goſpell, and live as Chriſtians ſhould do that then there ſhall be no warres; and this they thinke ſhall be fullfilled after the converſion of the Iewes.

Ob. Matt. 5.39. Reſiſt not evill, but whoſoever ſhall ſmite thee on the right cheeke, turne to him the other alſo: and if any man will ſue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloake alſo: Therefore it may ſeeme that it is not lawfull for a Chriſtian to defend himſelfe.

Anſw. How theſe words, Mat. 5.39. are to be underſtood.Matt 5:39There is no place in the Scripture which hath beene more miſtaken then this: Iulian the Apoſtate abuſed this Scripture, when hee would boxe the Chriſtians upon the one cheeke, hee would bid them hold up the other alſo; but Chriſt in this place is not ſpeaking of every ſort of injury, but of light injuries, ſuch as are a boxe, or a blow, or looſing of a coat, or cloake; hee taketh not away all judicatories here; his meaning is onelyonly that wee ſhould be patient in lighter offences and wrongs, and to remit ſomething of our right in ſuch things as wee may recover,We may remit ſomething of our right, for keeping of peace. and not to ſtand punctually in every thing, this is that which the Goſpell teacheth. So to goe two miles with a man if hee compell thee, but not an hundred: ſo not to ſtand for a coate or a cloake; but if a man ſhould take all that thou haſt from thee, then thou art p. 119to reſiſt him, and ſeeke remedie by order of law. So the words following, give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee, turne thou not away, verſ. 42.Wee ſhould be patient in ſuffering of injuries. if theſe words ſhould be extended to the fartheſt, there were nothing more hard, and it would be contrary to that, 2. Cor. 8.13. For I meane not that other men be eaſed, and ye burdened. When hee biddeth them hold up the other cheeke, it is not meant literally here, but his meaning is, that they ſhould be patiene in ſuffering of injuries, Lam. 3.30.Chriſt ſuffered patiently, yet held not up the other cheeke when hee was ſmitten. Hee giveth his cheekes to him that ſmiteth him; that is, he ſuffereth patiently. Chriſt himſelf when he was ſmitten, did not hold up the other cheeke, but ſaid, Why ſmiteſt thou mee? Ioh. 18.23. therefore the words are not to be taken literally, but are to be underſtood that we ſhould carry a Chriſtian heart, ready to forgive, and not to proſecute all injuries, and to remit ſomething of our owne right at ſometimes for the Goſpels ſake. They ſay in the Schooles,Morall vertues may ſuffer extention. that Virtus moralis non conſistit in puncto mathematico, but habet ſuam latitudinem; it may be farther extended: ſo when thoſe Chriſtian vertues are required, they are not ſo required that they ſuffer no ſort of extention; ye may ſpare your cloake, or your coate, but if they would ſpoile you of all, yee are not to yeeld to that: Paul forbiddeth the Corinthians to goe before Heathen judges to plead; but yet Paul being enforced, appealed to Caeſar. The Goſpell taketh not away lawfull meanes of defence.So that the Goſpell taketh not away lawfull meanes from a man to defend himſelfe, but onelyonly ſheweth when, and how hee ſhould uſe thoſe meanes, and how he ſhould forbeare to ſeeke to be repaired of light injuries.

Rom. 12.19. Avenge not your ſelves: Ob. foreign.

When hee forbiddeth them foreign, to avenge themſelves, hee forbiddeth them not to defend themſelves, Anſw. God forbiddeth to revenge, but not to defendand the words going before ſhew this, Requite not evill p. 120for evill; this is the deſcription of unlawfull revenge, and not of lawfull defence, and hee giveth the reaſon, Vengeance is mine, and I will repay, ſaith the Lord; and Chriſt ſaith, Shall not God avenge his owne elect? Luk. 18.7.

Concluſion.The concluſion of this is. Neceſſity armeth a man to defend himſelfe, but not to kill his neighbour, this is called Gravis neceſſitas, Neceſſitas Extrema. Gravis.but if it be extrema neceſſitas, then hee is armed, not onelyonly with defenſive, but alſo offenſive weapons: but many men extend this neceſſity too farre, when it is neither extrema neceſſitas, nor gravis neceſſitas.

EXERCITAT. VIII. Of caſuall ſlaughter, and who were admitted to the city of refuge. Commandement. VI.

2 Sam. 14.4. And when the woman of Tekoah ſpake to the King, ſhe fell on her face &c.

THe ſixt Commandement commandeth to cut off the guilty murtherer, ſo it appointed cities of refuge for caſuall ſlaughter, or for thoſe who in ſudden paſſion had killed a man, ſuch were ſheltered in the city of refuge; but the voluntary or wilfull murtherer was not ſheltered in the city of refuge.

Agere Ignoranter. Ex ignorantia.Wee muſt put a difference betwixt theſe two, agere ex ignorantia, & agere ignoranter, to doe a thing of ignorance, and to doe a thing ignorantly: to doe a thing ignorantly is to doe a thing that wee are ignorant when wee are in doing of it; but yet ignorance is not the p. 121proper cauſe why we doe it, but ſome other bad accident which draweth on the ignorance, as Lot when hee lay with his daughters, here he did it ignorantly, but yet his ignorance was not the cauſe of his ſinne, but his drunkenneſſe which drew on his ignorance: but hee is ſaid to doe a thing through ignorance, when his ignorance is the chiefe and the principall cauſe of his action, as when a man was felling wood, his axe head fleeth off and killeth a man; here hee killeth a man of ignorance, this ignorance is the chiefe and principall cauſe of the action; it was not accerſita ignorantia, Ignorantia Accerſita. Simplex.ſed ſimplex ignorantia, he drew not on this ignorance, but it was ſimple ignorance, hee that killed a man of ignorance was admitted to the citie of refuge, but not hee who killed a man ignorantly.

There are three ſorts of actions of men;foreign. the firſt are done deliberately, the ſecond in ſudden paſſion, the third by chance; the firſt are violent injuries and wrongs,foreign. and theſe were not protected in the cities of refuge; the ſecond were the actions which were done in ſudden paſſion, and theſe were admitted to the cities of refuge; as the woman of Tekoahs two ſonnes went to the field, and the one of them killed the other upon a ſudden, and the woman ſaid unto the King, Remember the Lord. 2 Sam. 14. that is, the law of the Lord, that hath appointed cities of refuge to protect ſuch, that the revenger of blood kill them not. The third were caſuall actions, when a man was killed by chance; as they who kill unawares, and unwittingly. Ioſh. 20.3. and theſe were admitted to the cities of refuge.

Men doe things either voluntariè willingly, invitè againſt their will; ex partè invite, or non invitè. Firſt, when one committeth murther willingly, then he was not admitted to the citie of refuge. Secondly,Agere Voluntarie. Invite. Ex parte invite. Non invite. when he killed invitè, againſt his will, then hee was admitted p. 122to the citie of refuge, becauſe this was ignorantia invincibilis, inevitable ignorance; as if a man had beene f…lling wood, and his axe head had flowne off and killed a man. Thirdly, ex parte invite agere, as when a man in ſudden paſſion had killed his neighbour, and he was admitted to the citie of refuge. Fourthly, non invite agere, this commeth ex ignorantia concomitante. Example, Mutius Saevola intended to kill the King, he miſſed the King, and killed another in ſteed of him, and when it was told him, hee was ſorry that hee had not killed the King, hee did not this ex ignorantia antecedente, ſed ex ignorantia concomitante, and the fact was not involuntarium, he did it not invitus, but non invite; and ſuch a man was not admitted to the citie of refuge.

A man killeth three wayes.A man killeth three manner of wayes; Firſt, when the heart killeth and not the hand; Secondly, when the hand killeth and not the heart; and thirdly, when the heart and the hand killeth. When the heart killeth and not the hand, that commeth not to be tried before men, when the hand killeth but not the heart, theſe were admitted to the cities of refuge; and thirdly, when both the heart and the hand killed, and thoſe were not admitted to the cities of refuge.

Exod. 21.12. He that ſmiteth a man that he die, ſhall be ſurely put to death; that is, if he ſmite him willingly, hee was not protected in the citie of refuge; the vulgar tranſlation tranſlateth it, qui percuſſerit hominem velens occidere, morte morietur, what meaneth hee by this, volens occidere, willing to kill? doth hee meane this? bee that ſtriketh a man not caſually, but willing to kill him? or meaneth he this? he who ſtriketh a man, willing to hurt him but not to kill him, and in the meane time he kill him; doth the law here conſider the purpoſe and intention of the killer onelyonly? no, but the law conſidereth here effectum, non affectum, the effect, and not his affection; p. 123whether hee had a purpoſe to kill him or not to kill him, if he kill him, he is a murtherer. Some doe kill, and intend not to kill; ſome intend to ſtrike and not to kill, and yet doe kill; and thirdly, ſome intend to kill, and yet kill not; none of theſe were admitted to the citie of refuge.

Theſe who killed of ignorance were admitted to the cities of refuge, with ſundry caveats.The caveats with which a man was admitted to the citie of refuge.

The firſt caveat was this, that they behoved to bee in Caveat. 1 a lawfull calling, as he that was felling wood, if his axe head had flown off, & had killed a man, the Lord ſaid in this caſe that it was he that killed him, and not the man felling wood, who caſually killed him; actions take not their denomination from him who caſually doth ſuch a thing, but from him who of purpoſe doth it. When the children of the Prophets were gathering herbes for their dinner, 1. King. 4. one of them gathered colloquintida, or ſome poyſonable herbe, and put it in the pot; now if hee had poyſoned ſome of his fellowes through ignorance, he had beene protected in the citie of refuge,Ignorance excuſeth a man, who is in a lawfull calling. becauſe he was in a lawfull action; but if he ſhould have ignorantly killed a man in an unlawfull action, then this ignorance ſhould not have excuſed him. Example, if a man had ſtrucken a woman with child not knowing that ſhee was with child, and the child had died, hee would not have beene protected in the citie of refuge, becauſe he was in an unlawfull action: So if he had bin in an unprofitable action, as if hee had beene mowing graſſe upon the houſe top. Pſal. 129.29. and a ſtone had fallen downe and killed a man, this ignorance would not have excuſed him, becauſe he was in an unprofitable action, for men uſe not to mowe graſſe upon the houſe top: So if hee had killed a man ignorantly in his ſport or paſtime, res licita & ſeria caſum excuſat, res vero illicita & jocoſa caſum atrociorem reddit. When a man p. 124is about a lawfull action or earneſt buſineſſe, hee is excuſed if he kill caſually, but if he be in ſport or about trifles, then he is not excuſed.

Caveat. 2 The ſecond caveat is, that hee ought to bee circumſpect in his lawfull calling; and this is called debita advertentia, if the axe head had uſually flowne off before, and he had killed a man, then hee was not protected in the citie of refuge, becauſe hee had not uſed all meanes poſſible to make the head of the axe faſt; the like wee ſee in the puſhing oxe. Exod. 21. If the oxe uſed to puſh, and his maſter kept him not within the houſe, and then if hee kill a man, his maſter was to die for it, and the citie of refuge ſaved him not.

Caveat. 3 Thirdly, if hee had an inſtrument in his hand which was not a fit inſtrument to kill a man, as if he had a little pebble ſtone in his hand, or a ſmale rod; if a man had died of ſuch a ſtroake, then the man killer was to be received within the citie of refuge, but if hee ſmote him with an inſtrument of iron, as with a ſword, or dagger,Lapis manus quid apud Hebrac…. then he was to die: So if he ſmote him with a ſtone of the hand. 2. King. 9.24. Implevit mauum arc….2 Kgs 9:24Num. 35.17. that is, with a ſtone that filleth the hand, as Rabbi Salomon interpreteth it; not with a little ſtone; ſo if he ſmite him with a weapon of wood, and there is a greater reſtriction of wood then of iron.

Caveat. 4 Fourthly, if he had throwne a ſtone at a man wherewith hee might have beene killed, and not ſeeing the man, nor having no hatred at him before, neither ſought his harme, if he had killed him, then he was protected within the citie of refuge: in the former caveat, although he was his enemie whom hee killed, yet if hee had no fit inſtrument to kill him with, hee was excuſed and protected within the citie of refuge; in this caveat although he have a fit inſtrument to kill him, yet if hee ſaw not the man, or hated him before, and then killed him, then he was admitted to the citie of refuge.

p. 125The Lord Deut. 19.9. promiſed to them,Three cities on each ſide of Iordan. when hee ſhould enlarge their bonds, he would give them moe cities of refuge; this promiſe was made to them when they were on the weſt ſide of Iordan, before they came over the river; they had three cities aſſigned to them already, on the eaſt ſide of Iordan, and he was to appoint other three moe for them in the weſt ſide of Iordan; in all, there were but ſixe.

It may be asked, Queſt. why there were as many cities of refuge appointed upon the eaſt ſide, as upon the weſt ſide of Iordan; ſeeing there were but two tribes and an halfe upon the eaſt ſide, and all the reſt upon the weſt ſide, the one was much more ſpacious then the other?

Although that which was on the weſt of Iordan was more large in bredth then the eaſt ſide, Anſw. Why there were as many cities on the eaſt ſide, as on the weſt ſide of Iordan.yet in length they were equall; therefore he appointed as many cities upon the eaſt ſide as upon the weſt: and there may bee another reaſon aſſigned, why he appointed as many cities on the eaſt ſide as on the weſt, becauſe thoſe who dwelt in the eaſt ſide of Iordan were fartheſt from the Temple, and the meanes of Gods worſhip; and therefore were more cruell, and readier to ſhed blood (as borderers are) and to obviate this; the Lord appointed three cities of refuge, on the eaſt ſide of Iordan.

In what citie was the caſe of caſuall ſlaughter tryed, Queſt. whether in the cities of the Levites, or in the next citie where the ſlaughter was committed?

The man when hee killed, Anſw. hee fled to the citie of refuge, that is, to one of the three cities of the Levites; but when he was to bee tryed, whether he killed caſually or not, then he was brought backe to the next citie where the fact was committed, and if he was found innocent, then hee was reſtored backe to the citie of refuge, where he was to abide untill the death of the high Prieſt. Num. 35.25.

p. 126Queſt. What place of refuge had they when they were in the wildernes.

Anſw. They had none but the altar, Exod. 21.14. and wee ſee by Ioabs practiſe that the hornes of the altar was a place of refuge;The altar a place of refuge. and David ſeemeth to allude to this, Pſal. 27.5. In the ſecret of his tabernacle ſhall he hide me.

Queſt. The hornes of the altar being the place of refuge, why then refuſed Nehemiah to goe into the temple to ſave his life? Nehem. 6.11.

Anſw. Becauſe he was a ſtranger and not a Prieſt, he might not come neare to that part of the temple.

Ob. But a ſtranger in danger of his life might have fled to the hornes of the altar.

Anſw. Nehemiah knew well enough that this was but a forged danger, and therefore hee might not flie to the hornes of the altar.

foreign Locus conventionis. foreign Ʋrbes conventus. foreign Atriam vel refugium dictumquaſi auxilij locus.Theſe cities of refuge were called Gnare hammiklat, locus collectionis; Num. 35.6. and Gnare hammugnadah, urbes conventus. Ioſh. 20.9. and Gnazarah, locus auxilij. 2. Chron. 4.9.

Theſe cities of refuge were appointed to ſave the man-killer from the revenger of the blood; & that they might have the ſafer paſſage to theſe cities of refuge, the hie wayes were made plaine, the hills demoliſhed, and the hollow places filled up, and bridges made for them to paſſe the rivers, & there was an equall diſtance betwixt them, and they were ſituated upon the tops of the hills; and they ſet up (as the Hebrewes ſay) ſtatuas mercuriales, foreign Alluſion.images by the way, having this inſcription upon them [Micklat] and the hand pointing to the citie of refuge; and Iohn the Baptiſt alludeth to this forme, when he ſaith, Prepare yee the way of the Lord, make his paths ſtraight. Mat. 3.3. Chriſt is the citie of refuge for all poore and ignorant ſinners, and the Preachers are ſtatuae mercuriales, who point out this way to the citie of p. 127refuge, and ſendeth them to the death of Ieſus Chriſt the high Prieſt. See Eſay. 40.3, 4.

Why were they commanded to ſtay in the citie of refuge, untill the death of the high Prieſt? Queſt. for all murther commeth out of the heart. Mat. 15.19. Why then were theſe who caſually killed, confined within the citie of refuge?

This was injoyned to them rather as a puniſhment of their former ſinnes, and likewiſe to teach them, Anſw. Why the man-ſlayer was kept in the citie of refuge untill the death of the high Prieſt.that Ieſus Chriſt hehoved to purge both their ſinnes of ignorance, and ſinnes of error; and wee may ſee that this was but a ceremoniall law, foreſhadowing ſome other thing to come; for if a man had killed another twenty yeares before the death of the high Prieſt, or a day before his death, yet both were releaſed alike at the day of his death; if yee will reſpect juſtice in it ſelfe, they ſhould not have beene equally puniſhed, and both ſhould not have beene confined a like time in the citie of refuge; but this was to teach them, that Chriſts death relieved all ſorts of ſinners, and as the high Prieſt was a type of Chriſt in his perſon, in his apparell, in his ſacrificing; ſo was he in his death.

Both Iewes and Proſelytes ſtrangers were admitted to the citie of refuge. Num. 35.25.What ſtrangers were admitted to the citie of refuge. Theſe ſixe cities ſhall be a refuge both for the children of Iſrael, and for the ſtranger, and for the ſojourner among them. There were two ſorts of ſtrangers amongſt them; Firſt, he that was newly converted to the Iewiſh religion, and he was [Ger] and the Seventy tranſlate it, foreign, a Proſelyte.foreign. Secondly, the ſtranger who dwelt long among them, and he was [Toſhebh] and the Seventy tranſlate it, foreign, both theſe were admitted to the citie of refuge; but an heathen abiding in Gentiliſme, ſuch a ſtranger was not admitted to the citie of refuge.

There fell an accident in Switzerland, a Slatter was p. 128ſlatting a houſe, the ladder breakes, and hee falling downe killed a man in the ſtreet;A caſe of caſuall ſlaughter. the mans ſonne who was killed, purſued the ſlatter as the murtherer of his father; the Iudge demanded whether there was any hatred betwixt him and his father, or not? he anſwered, none that hee knew of; whereupon the Iudge would have abſolved the ſlatter, but the man being more inſtant for juſtice, the Iudge ordained that he ſhould goe up upon the top of the houſe, and the ſlatter ſhould ſtand under him, and then he ſhould trie, if hee could kill the ſlatter, caſting himſelfe downe upon him; the young man anſwered, that he could not hazard his life to kill the ſlatter, the Iudge replyed, no more would the ſlatter have hazarded his life to kill your father, wherefore it was but a caſuall fact in the ſlatter, and he being in his lawfull calling ſhould not die for it, and if ſuch a fact ſhould have fallen out in Iſrael, the cities of refuge ſhould have protected him.

The woman of Tekoahs parable not rightly applyed.The woman of Tekoahs parable was not rightly applied here; for the widdowes two ſonnes went upon a ſudden to the field, and killed one another; but Abſolom waited for his brothers death: Cities of refuge were appointed for thoſe who of ignorance killed, or in ſudden paſſion, but not for thoſe who killed in cold blood, the Lord commanded to take ſuch a one from the hornes of the altar: And Ionathan, the Chaldee Paraphraſt paraphraſeth it thus, although hee be a Prieſt, and ſerve at mine altar, thou ſhalt take him from thence and kill him; and Targum of Ieruſalem, although he bee the Prieſt which ſtandeth and ſerveth before me, thou ſhalt take him from mine altar and kill him; therefore they conclude, that cities of refuge protected none that were wilfull murtherers.

Concluſion.The concluſion of this is, that the life of man is a pretious thing before God; and in ſuch a caſe of caſuall p. 129ſlaughter, or when in ſudden paſſion one killeth another, ampliandi ſunt favores (as the lawyer ſay) & in poenis benignior interpretatio facienda, they ſhould have the moſt favourable interpretation of the law, they ſhould have foreign, legis, the mitigation of the law, and not foreign, the rigour of the law, and Chriſtian lawes ſhould not be written with blood, as were the lawes of Draco.

EXERCITAT. IX. Whether the revenger of the blood was bound by the Law to kill the man-ſlayer, or was it a permiſſion onelyonly? Commandement VI.

Num. 35.27. And [if] the revenger of blood finde him without the borders of the city of his refuge, and the revenger of blood kill the ſlayer, hee ſhall not be guilty of blood.

IT is commonly holden, that this was onelyonly a permiſſion, that the revenger of the blood might kill the manſlayer: but if wee ſhall weigh the circumſtances well, ſet downe in the text, wee ſhall ſee that it is a commandement, and not a permiſſion: and that it was not onelyonly lawfull to kill him, but that he was bound to kill him, as a Iudge is bound to kill malefactor: if hee was found to be guilty of murther, then hee was given over into the hands of the revenger of blood, and hee killed him. Num. 35.2. Deut. 19.12. So if hee was found innocent, if the revenger of the blood did finde him without his city of refuge, hee p. 130was bound alſo to kill him; this was not a permiſſion to kill him, as the law of divorce was permitted for the hardneſſe of the peoples hearts; but there is more here, a commandement is ſet to him, as a Magiſtrate, that he ſhould kill him; and as the Magiſtrate might take no bribe to let the murtherer goe free; ſo might not the revenger of the blood take any ſatisfaction for him that is fled to the city of refuge,The revenger of the blood might take no ſatisfaction from the killer to let him go free. that hee ſhould come out of it againe, and dwell in the land, untill the death of the high Prieſt, Num. 35.32. and another reaſon is added, leſt the land be polluted for blood defileth the land, verſ. 33. and this the Lord doth both for the greater deteſtation of the ſinne of blood, and that this might be a true type of Ieſus Chriſt; as there was no regreſſe for the killer to his owne land, but by the death of the high prieſt, ſo there is no regreſſe for us into heaven, but by the death of Ieſus Chriſt our high prieſt.

Obj. If innocent blood could not be expiated but by the blood of him who killed, how was it lawfull for the man-ſlayer to returne to his owne houſe, after the death of the high prieſt, ſeing there was no blood ſhed here?

Anſ. The death of the high Prieſt was in the place of ſhedding of blood,How the murther was expiated without the blood of the manſlayer. and the ſinne was pardoned in the type, by him, who prefigured Ieſus Chriſt, who truely taketh away ſinne.

It was not a permiſſion to kill the manſlayer, but a precept.Num. 35.19. The revenger of blood himſelfe ſhall ſlay the murtherer, and not, he may ſlay him, or, it is permitted to him to ſlay him: ſo verſ. 21. The revenger of the blood ſhall ſlay him when hee meeteth him; and ſo hee ſhall take no ſatisfaction for him, Deut. 19.12. If it had beene permitted onelyonly to the revenger of the blood to doe this, then if hee had found him without the city of refuge, hee might have ſpared him, or tranſacted with him for money; but this was no wayes lawfull for him p. 131to doe, therefore hee might not ſpare him, but was bound to kill him whereſoever hee did finde him, without the city of refuge.

But he was an innocent man, Ob. why then ſhould there be a commandement given to kill him?

Although hee was innocent of murther, Anſw. yet the tranſgreſſion of the law,Why the manſlayer might be killed if hee was found out of the city of refuge. which commanded him to ſtay ſtill in the city of refuge, maketh him guilty. Shimei was pardoned of his ſin, but under this condition, that he ſhould not go over the brook Kidron, 1. King. 2.37. but when he tranſgreſſed this commandement, hee was killed: ſo the man that killed caſually, was pardoned conditionally, if he had ſtayed in the city of refuge, but if he had gone out of it, before the death of the high Prieſt, hee was to die.

The concluſion of this is, if this blood which was ſhed caſually polluted the land of Canaan, wherein the Concluſion. 1 Lord did dwell, Num. 35.34. as it was Emmanuels land, Eſay. 8.8. much more doth innocent blood cruelly ſhed defile the land, and maketh the Lord to withdraw his preſence from it.

There was no ſafety to thoſe who were out of Rachabs houſe, nor no ſafety to the manſlayer out of the Concluſion. 2 city of refuge. So there is no ſalvation to thoſe who are without the Church;foreign which is our [gnezerah] locus auxilij, the place of helpe.

p. 132EXERCITAT. X. Why David, a man of blood, was forbidden to build the Temple. Commandement VI

1. Chron. 22.8. Thou ſhalt not build an houſe unto my name, becauſe thou haſt ſhed much blood upon the earth in my ſight.

WHen the Lord granted reſt to David from all his enemies round about him, hee ſaid to Nathan the Prophet, See now, I dwell in a houſe of cedar, but the Arke of God dwelleth within curtaines, 2 Sam. 7.2. but God did not approve of this his purpoſe to build the Temple: the firſt reaſon is, 2. Sam. 7.6. I have not dwelt in any houſe ſince the time that I brought the children of Iſrael out of Egypt, Why God did not approve Davids purpoſe to build the Temple.even unto this day: but I have walked in a Tabernacle. So. 1. Chron. 17.4, 5, 6. neither did God take this in an evill part, neither found hee fault with any of the Princes of Iſrael for this, 2 Sam. 7.7. In all the places where I have walked with the Children of Iſrael, ſpake I a word with any of the tribes of the children of Iſrael, whom I commanded to feed my people Iſrael, ſaying; why build ye not an houſe of cedar to mee? but 2. Chron. 22.8. there is another reaſon given why the Lord will not have David to build the temple, becauſe Thou haſt ſhed blood abundantly, and haſt made great warres, therefore thou ſhalt not build an houſe to mee. And Salomon, when he wrote to Hiram, 1. King. 5.3. Thou knoweſt that David my father could not build an houſe to the Lord, for the warres that were about on every ſide.

p. 133It may ſeeme ſtrange, why the Lord ſhould never have deſired a houſe to be builded unto him, but alwayes delighted in tents ſince hee came out of Egypt; how cometh it afterwards, that the Lord expoſtulateth ſo with them, that they builded not his houſe, and that it lay ſo long unprepared. But the ſecond reaſon ſeemeth more ſtrange, thou ſhalt not build a houſe to mee, becauſe thou haſt beene a man of blood;What blood is meant here when David is called a man of blood. what blood is meant of here? meaneth hee of the blood of Vriah, which David ſhed, or the blood of the Prieſts which was ſhed at Nob, whereof hee was the occaſion? 1 Sam. 22.8. by blood here is meant that blood which hee ſhed in the warres: Thou haſt ſhed much blood in my ſight; that is, at my commandement, which Abigail toucheth,CORAM DEO, quid in ſacro ſermone. 1. Sam. 25.28. diſſwading David from killing of her husband Nabal, For the Lord will certainly make my Lord a ſure houſe, becauſe my Lord fighteth the battels of the Lord, and evill hath not beene found in thee all thy dayes: as if ſhee ſhould ſay, the warres which thou haſt undertaken, God himſelfe is the chiefe captaine in them: How then could the ſhedding of blood ſo ſtaine David, that hee could not build a Temple to the Lord?The ſhedding the blood of the enemies of God is moſt acceptable to God. for as Theodoret obſerveth well, the ſhedding the blood of the enemies of God, was moſt acceptable to him, Eſay, 34.6. when the Levites killed their brethren who committed idolarrie; Moſes ſaith, Conſecrate your ſelves to day to the Lord, every man upon his ſonne, and upon his brother, Exod. 32.29.Alluſion. where there is a cleare alluſion to the conſecration of Prieſts, and the Prieſts that day when they were conſecrate, the blood was put upon their thumbe, and their toe, Exod. 29.20. So that day on which the Levites killed their brethren, the blood did conſecrate their hands; and defiled them not. David, when hee killed the enemies of the Lord, there was nothing to defile his hands here, but then hee waſhed his hands in innocencie, p. 134and then hee offered a moſt acceptable ſacrifice to God: why then ſhould hee have beene forbidden to build an houſe unto the Lord, becauſe he was a man of blood?

The reaſon why God would not have David to build the Temple.The reaſons why the Lord would not have David to build the temple were theſe: the firſt reaſon was this, the Lord from that time, that hee brought his people out of Egypt, was called their great commander, and leader, and then hee b… to call his people an hoaſt, Exod. 7.4.Extendere manum imperatoris Signum. That I ma… … out mine armies, my people the children of Iſrael out of Egypt, by great Iudgements, and with a ſtretched out arme: this ſtretching out of the arme was a ſigne which the commander gave to the ſouldiers. Ioſh. 8.18. therefore in that battell which Moſes fought againſt the Amalekites, Exod. 17.18. hee held up his hands, as a commander or generall of the field; and ſo the Lord ſtretched out his hand, and gave a ſigne to all the frogges and lice, his armies, to fight againſt Pharaoh, and ſo hee promiſed that hee would redeeme them with a ſtretched out arme: now when hee had his people in the wilderneſſe as his armie round about him,God was amongſt his people as the Emperour amongſt his Souldiers. hee commanded to make a tabernacle for him, which he would have pitched amongſt the midſt of his people, as the Emperors tent is amongſt his ſouldiers, Num 2 3.

After that they had entered into Canaan, they had warres all the dayes of Ioſhua, cap. 3.7. the Lord ſaid to them, Ye ſhall know that the living God is amongſt you; even as the Emperour is among his ſouldiers in his tent. And as all the time of the Iudges, the arke dwelt under curtaines; ſo likewiſe in the daies of David it dwelt in a tent, and all this while they ſtood in need of a valiant and couragious Captaine, God himſelfe to be their generall, and this Vriah acknowledged, 2. Sam. 7.6, 7. the arke and Iſrael and Iuda abideth in tents; Shall I then p. 135goe home to mine owne houſe, and lie with my wife: This was the reaſon why God would not have David to build the Temple, for the warres were not yet ended.

But 2. Sam. 7.1. It is ſaid, Ob. that The Lord had given him reſt round about from all his enemies; it might ſeeme then, that now the Lord needed not to lodge any longer in a tent.

Although David had peace with his enemies round about without, having overcome them, Anſw. David had peace with forraine enemies but not in his owne kingdome.yet the kingdome was not ſetled within; therefore it was not time yet for the Lord to have his houſe builded, but to dwell ſtill in a tent as hee did before, but the time was ſhortly to come when all his enemies ſhould be put under, and then the people ſhould enjoy the fruits of peace,The Lord promiſed a peaceable king to the Iſraelites. and then he promiſed to them a peaceable king, who needed not to goe abroad to fight his warres, but ſhould live peaceably at home with them in Ieruſalem; then the Lord ſaid, that hee would quit that warfaring life, and his tent, and have a Temple built unto him, where hee might dwell, and for this end,Why the Temple is called the houſe of God. hee made choice of a peaceable king to build it: hence wee may ſee, why the Temple is called the houſe of God, and his reſting place, Pſalm. 132.…3. The reaſon then w…y the Lord would not have David to build his Temple was this, becauſe the warres were not yet ended, and the Lord would dwell ſtill yet among them in the Tabernacle, as in a tent.

There was another cauſe why the Lord would not have David to build the Temple,Why God would have his Temple built by a peaceable prince. becauſe he was fighting his battels, hee was not a man of peace, he was not a fit type of Chriſt, the Prince of peace, when hee was fighting the battels; this was reſerved for Salomon, who was a peaceable king, therefore there was not a hammer heard in the building of the Temple, to ſignifie, that it ſhould be a Temple of peace: where ſtrifes and contentions p. 136are, the kingdome of God is never well built; In that viſion of Elijah, there was a winde, and the Lord was not there; there was an earth-quake, and the Lord was not there; and after the earth-quake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire, a ſtill ſmall voice, and the Lord was there, 1 King. 19.11.

Concluſion.The concluſion of this is, there is the blood of warre, and the blood of reconciliation; the Lord would have no blood of warre ſhed in his Temple,The Temple how built. he would have it builded in a peaceable time, in a peaceable manner, that no hammer was heard in the building of it; a peace able Prince muſt build it, no weapon might be carried through it, Marc. 11.16. no murtherer was protected in it, but was pulled from the hornes of the altar; no blood was ſhed in it: when Athaliah was to be killed, Iehoiada commanded to carry her without the ranges, 2. King. 11.15. And laſtly, becauſe the Temple ſtood upon a hill, there was foreign, or a wall builded round about it, that no man might fall over, as there were batlements about the houſes, that no man might be in danger when they walked upon their roofes, or bring blood upon their houſes, Deut. 22.8. So the Lord built this wall about the Temple, that no blood might be brought upon his houſe, but the blood of reconciliation was daily ſhed in this houſe, which was a type of that blood, which is the blood of peace, and ſpeaketh better things then the blood of Abel.

p. 137EXERCITAT. XI. Of the order of the ſixt and ſeaventh Commandements.

Marc. 10.19. Thou knoweſt the commandements, doe not commit adultery, doe not kill.

ALL the three Evangeliſts, Matthew, Mark and Luke, have ſet downe this hiſtory of the young man, asking Chriſt what he ſhould doe to obtaine life eternall; Matthew ſetteth downe the Commandements which Chriſt biddeth him keep after this manner, Thou ſhalt not kill, thou ſhalt not commit adultery, but Mark. 10.19. and Luk. cap. 18.20. doe ſet them downe in this order; Thou ſhalt not commit adultery, thou ſhalt not kill, and the Apoſtle keepeth the ſame order. Rom. 13.11.

Although it be not very materiall in what order the commandements be ſet downe, when they are not directly intreated of, but when they are caſt in by way of anſwere and illuſtration; for wee ſee the Evangeliſts, when they handle them but occaſionally, they put the firſt commandement after theft and adultery, yet it is not to be paſſed by: Mark and Luke keepe this order,Why murther is put before adultery. and the Apoſtle likewiſe ſetteth downe adultery before murther; the reaſon ſeemeth to be this, the Seventy in their tranſlation, ſet downe adultery before murther, this edition of the Seventy was tranſlated in the dayes of Ptolomeus Philadelphus, and was received by the grecizing Iewes, who lived in Alexandria; Matthew following the Hebrew text, and writing eſpecially unto p. 138the Iewes, keepeth the order ſet downe in the originall text, in Deut. 5 But Mark who ruled the church of Alexandria, followed the tranſlation which was received there; and this ſeemeth to be the reaſon why Luke and Paul kept the ſame order. Rom. 13.11. becauſe they followed the tranſlation which was uſed amongſt the grecizing Iewes; for although the Greeke tranſlation, which is called complutenſis, ſetteth murther before adultery; yet the ancient Roman edition, in Exod. 20. hath it this wayes; Thou ſhalt not commit adultery, thou ſhalt not murther. So Philo, and Clemens Alexandrinus doe ſet adultery before murther: This Philo lived in the time of the Apoſtles, and then no doubt the Greeke tranſlation was more pure, and deſerved more authority, but this Philo firſt ſetteth downe adultery, and then murther, and then theft; and he giveth a reaſon why adultery is put before murther, becauſe of the filthines of it,S…r…m. lib. 6. and the great and many evils that it bringeth upon the familie. So Clemens Alexandrinus ſetteth downe adultery firſt, and then murther; and Iulian the Apoſtate who was a reader firſt in Nicomedia, and therefore could not bee ignorant of the order of the commandements,Cyril. lib. 6. contra Iul. Apoſtat. ſetteth them downe after the ſame manner, neither doth Cyrill the Biſhop of Alexandria find fault with him for ſetting them downe ſo.

Concluſion.The concluſion of this is: the tranſlation of the Seventy being ſo generally received in the churches of Alexandria, it is moſt probable that the Evangeliſts and Apoſtles would give no offence to the grecizing Iewes, in things which were not contrary to faith.