Catechism for Children, Sermons on the ten commandments · Sermon 5
The fifte sermon.
¶Thou shalt not kyll.
Gene. iiii.IN the former sermon it hath ben declared vntounto you, howe you shoulde vnderstande the fourth precept, in ye which you hauehave learned, how you muste behaue youre selues towardes youre fathers & mothers & all cōmen ministers in the publyke weale. Now foloweth the fift commaundemente. Thou shalte not kyll. Whiche teacheth vsus howe we oughte to ordre oure selues towardes eche of oure neighbours, that we hurte theym not, nether in theyr goodes, nor in theyr lyfe. For among al worldlye goodes, and bodely gyftes, there is none more precious thē healthe and lyfe. Therfore God before al other damages and hurtes doeth chiefely forbydde this, that we kil not our neyghbour. And this commaundement dothe not onelye restrayne our handes from kyllyng with violence and force, but it for byddethe also all angre, enuye, wrathe, hatred and malyce, that we be not manquellers neyther in harte, wourde nor deade.Roma, vii. For the lawe is spirituall (as saynt Paule sayeth) and requyreth of vsus obedience, not onli in outward worke but also in thaffection of hart and inwarde motions and most secret senses of the same. And it is an hye wysedome, to looke in the botome of this commaundemente, & ryghtly to vnderstande the same. Therfore our lorde Iesus Christ dyd expounde thys commaundement, his own selfe, lest we should erre and falsely vnderstande it, as the Iewes dyd. For the Iewes thought, that as long as they had refrayned theyr handes from killyng and slayng, so long they had kept this commaundement. And althoughe theyr hert had ben full of hatred, enuye, & malice towardes their neighbour, & with cōtumelious wordes or dedes hadde gyuen occasion of manslaughter, yet thys they counted for no syn, and their scribes & pharises did so teache thē.Math. v. Therfore Christ in the fifte of Mathew sayth. Uerely I saye vntounto you, excepte your ryghteousnes excede the righteousnes of the scribes and pharises, ye can not entre into the kyngedome of heuen. Ye hauehave heard that it was sayde vntounto them of the olde tyme, Thou shalt not kyll. Whosoeuer kylleth shalbe worthy to be iudged. But I saye vntounto you, yt who soeuer is angry with hys brother, shalbe worthy to be iudged. Here you see good children, that Christ doeth as ernestly forbydde hathered, angre and enuye, as he doeth bloudy māslaughter. For he that is angry with his neyghbour, killeth hys neyghbour in harte and wyll and breketh this commaundemente of God, thou shalte not kyll. And marke well good children, that he sayeth not, thy hande shall not kyl, or thy sworde, spere, or gunne shall not slaye. But he sayeth, thou shalt not kyll, that is to saye, thou whiche arte made of bodie and soule, shalte neyther kil with any of thy bodely members, neyther yet with thy inward mind or wyll, neyther wyth woorde nor deede. But here paraduenture some wyll saye. What thinke you syr of traytors, commen theues, robbers and murtherers oughte not suche to be kylled? I answere that they ought to be kylled, but yet God saieth, thou shalt not kil, thou shalt kepe peace with all mē. Who then shall kyll suche malefactors? Leaue punishemēt to me (sayeth God) and I will reuenge. God himself wyl do execution vponupon suche open trāsgressors of hys lawes. And therfore here in this world, God hath ordeyned vnderunder him kinges, princes and other magistrates, and hathe gyuen theim their swordes to this vse, that thei should be his deputies in kylling such offenders. And whē such commen gouernours do their office in punishyng open malefactors, thē they do a true honour and seruice to god, & ar his ministers, as saint Paul sayth to ye Romaynes.Rom. xiii. The magistrate is Gods officer. And when the publike minister doethe kil an opē transgressor, we oughte to thinke yt God kylleth hym, for asmuche as the officer doethe the same by the commaundement and ordynance of God. Wherfore good children, althoughe menne do neuer so greate wronge vntounto you, and hurte you ether in your bodies or goodes, yet take it paciently, refrayne your handes from bloudshedyng, strike no man violently, but committe the matier to God. For he hath saied, leaue vengeance to me and I wil reuenge. But ye in no wise shall kil, nether in will, worde, nor dede. For there be diuerse wayes to commit murther. The first is when with any kynde of weapon, or violence we slay our neyghbour, as theues do be the hyghe wayes. Also yf we gyue any commaundement or counsell, that oure neyghboure shoulde be slayne by other, or yf we spreade abrode any euel brute or slaunder of any man, by occasyon of ye which he is put to death. Furthermore we kill, when ether with worde or dede, we maye, and do not, delyuer hym whome other men entende to kyll. And when we see our neyghbour in perryll of lyfe, and do not helpe him, but suffer hym to dye for hunger, to be drowned, or burned. Besides this we be manquellers when we beare angre, hatred and malyce, agaynste oure neyghbours, and when with greate angre and furye we do rayle on him, curse him, and wishe vengeaunce to lyghte vpō him. For whersoeuer angre, hatred, enuye, and malycyousnes reygneth, there is manslaughter, whiche althoughe it be not performed in dede with the hande & sword, yet it is done in hart, mind and wyll. For as fyre kyndled with a litle sparke, doeth oftentymes greate hurte and damage, & can not easely be quēched, so whā the sparkes of angre, hatred and enuye do set on fyre mans hearte they do oftentimes prouoke more hurte than euer a man thoughte, and some time they styrre to committe suche offences, as in all his lyfe he neuer thought vponupon, and for the whiche afterwarde he soroweth all the dayes of his lyfe. So that the wel & spring of manslaughter, is malice and enuye. And therfore sayncte Iohn in his Epistle sayeth. He that hateth his brother is a manqueller. And Christ saieth. He that is angrye wyth his brother is worthy to be iudged. For to be angrye is with the herte to kyll. Wherfore that commaundemēt that sayeth, thou shalt not kyll, doeth also forbyd to be angry. Furthermore Christ sayeth, he that sayeth to his brother Racha, that is to saye, he that with voice or gesture sheweth anye token of an angry herte, is worthye the sessyons, but he that sayeth, thou foole is worthy the fyre of hel. In these sentences our master Christ teacheth vsus, that in wordes is manslaughter committed, when we vtter the poyson of our herte with any suche wordes wherby the venome of our herte is perceyued. But when we burst out into suche raylynge, slaunderouse and contumelious wordes agaynst any man, that he maye lese therby his estimation or good name, then we be more heynous murtherers. And here also Christ teacheth vsus, how greuouslye we shall be punished both in this life and in the life to come, yf we dyspise this commaundemēt of god. For he doeth not only say, he that kylleth, but he also that is angrye with his brother, is worthy iudgement, that is to saye, is gyltye before God of so great a cryme, that he hath deserued to be arrested, violentlye to be drawen in to the place of iudgement, and there opēly to be accused and arrayned of the same. But he yt with voyce or gesture dothe vtter the malice of his hert, is worthy the sessions, that is to saye, he hath committed so greuous an offence in the sight of God, yt it is not nowe necessarie to empanel a quest to inquire whether he hath deserued punishment or no, forasmuche as his offence is manyfest, but the greatnes of the synne hath onelyonly neede of a sessiō or a numbre of iudges, to determine how greuously such an offēder ought to be punished. But he whiche inflamed with angre calleth his neighbour by such approbrius wordes, that his estimacion and good nameis hurte and decayed, he is worthye hell fyre, that is to saye, he hath synned so heynously, that he hathe deserued tormentes both in this world and in an other worlde, except he repent in tyme, and obteyne hym pardone by the passion of Chrste. But most of all, kyllyng with the hande and effusion of bloud shall be punished wyth moste greuous paynes, bothe in this lyfe and in the lyfe to come. As oure Lorde God declared to Noe saynge.Genes. ix I wyll requyre youre bloode of the handes of all beastes, and of the handes of man. For who so euer shedeth mans bloode, his bloode shall be shed agayne. And in case the manqueller escape mans handes, and punishment of the commen offycer, or yf they that hauehave Goddes sworde in theyr handes, be neglygent in doynge theyr office, or wyl be blynded with affections and corrupted wyth monye, yet God wyll not let manslaughter to escape vnpunished. For he hath sayde, that he hymselfe wyll inquire of bloodshedynge and syt in iudgement vponupon manquellers. As it is playnly declared vntounto vsus by the horryble example of Cain, who kylled his brother Abell.
For not onelye in this lyfe God dyd so sore punyshe hym, that hys conscience was vexed with suche vnquietnes and horryble feare, that all hys bodye shooke and trembled mooste pitifully, and he coulde abid or rest in no place but lyke a banyshed man or runne agate wandered euerne where, but also now after this lyfe he is cursed of God, and damned for euer. This fearfull payne (good chyldren) ought to warne vsus to be diligent in kepyng this commaundement, that we kyll not, neyther in wil, worde nor dede, but contrarywyse to endeuour oure selfes to practise Christes lessons, who hath taught vsus gentylnes, mildnes, long sufferance and pacience. For he saith. Blessed ar they, that suffer persecutiō for rightousnes, for theyrs is ye kyngdō of heauen. Wherfore good children, marke ernestly what God here commaū deth. Ye shal not (saieth he) be angrye, but louelove your enemies, ye shal not slaūdre or backbite other, but speake wel euen of those that hate you, accordyng to ye cōmaūdemēt of Christ. Yf a mā strike yt on the cheke, resist not, but whosoeuer shall gyue the a blow on the ryght cheke, turne to hym the other also. And if any man wil sue yt at ye law, & take away thy coat, let him hauehave thy clooke also. And whosoeuer will compell the to go one myle, go with him twayne. Do good to them that hate you, pray for them that hurte and persecute you, that ye maye be the children of your father whiche is in heauen. All these are the wordes of Christ. And yf perchaunce we hauehave donne any manne wronge, or prouoked oure neyghboure to angre, then with great diligence we ought to laboure, that in al hast and spede we maye be reconciled. For Christ saieth. Yf thou offrest thy gyft at the aulter, & there remembrest that thy brother hath any thīg against the, leaue there thyne offering before the aulter, go thy waye, & first be reconciled to thy brother, & then come & offre thy gyft. Oblations and sacrifices wer in tholde testament a very commendable and an highe kynde of worshipping god. (For asmuche as he hymselfe dyd appointe and commaunde them). And yet Christ here teacheth, that God is better honoured with kepyng his commaūdementes, than with our offeringes. And to be reconsiled to our neighbour is a sacrifice more acceptable vntounto him, then to offer oblacions.
Furthermore the keping of these commaūdementes, helpeth muche to mayntayne the tranquillite, peace and quietnes of the commē wealth. For Christe sayeth. Agree wyth thyne aduersarie quickely, whiles thou arte in the waye with him, yt is to saye, we must refrayne our selfe from discorde, variance, hatred & contencion and asmuche as lyeth in vsus, seke peace, concord and quietnes▪ lest we be caste into prisō, from whence we shall not be deliuered except we pay ye vtmost farthynge. And in these ciuile and worldlye courtes, althoughe oure cause be good and rightfull, yet is it possible that iudgemente be gyuē against vsus. And in case that at the length we hauehave sentence on our side, yet the sute therof shal be so chargeable vntounto vsus, yt we shal, for the moste parte, spende more mony in waginge of the law, than we shall gayne by the sentence. Wherfore ther is nothyng better or more profitable, then to seke for concorde and peace, as muche as is possible. And as it is our parte to lyue in peace with all men, so it is our dutie also, to make them at one which be at variaunce. For Christ saieth. Blessed be the peace makers, for they shal be called the children of God. Wherfore good children, printe wel in your remē braunce, that God hath commaū ded, Thou shalt not kyll, and that we can not offer a more acceptable sacrifice to God, then to kepe his cōmaundemētes. Make your selfes strong therfore patiently to suffre all thynges, reuenge not your selues but leaue al punyshement to God, and he wyll reuenge your quarrelles. Be not inflamed wyth angre, hatred or enuye against your neighbor, do no wrōg to hym, beare with his weakenesse and forbeare hym, hurte hym not, but rather defēde him from hurt, sow, and norishe vnitie, peace and frendshyp betwene all men, make agrementes & louelove daies betwene them that be fallen at discorde, auoyde all occasyons of angre or displeasure, as braggynge, boastyng, reuilynge, tawntynge, scornynge, dicynge, bankettyng, riote and suche lyke offences. And contrariwise louelove your neighbour, do good to all men as farre as youre abilitie wil serue you, speake well of eueryevery bodye, and laboure with all youre power to saue the lyfe of youre neyghbour. For this is the dutie of all godlye menne, to preserue and defende their neyghbour, frendely to admonyshe him of his faultes, to instruct him and to comforte him. For we be bound to healpe oure neyghboure in hys necessitie, to lende hym money, to gyue to him when he asketh, to refreshe his hunger with meate and drynke, to clothe his nakednes, to receaue into oure house the harbourles, to comforte hym when he is sicke. For all these offices and effectes of trew humanitie, louelove and charitie God commaunded, when he said, Thou shalt not kil. And this is the trew meanyng of the fifth precepte. Wherfore good children marke it well, and when you be asked, howe vnderstande you the fifthe commaundemente? you shall aunswere, we oughte to louelove and dreade oure Lorde God aboue all thinges, so that for hys sake we hurt not our neighboure, nether in his name, goodes, cattel, life or body, but that we aide comforte and succoure hym in all hys necessities troubles and afflyctions.