Body of Divinity, Book 9 · Chapter 7
CHAP. VII. The sixth Commandment.
THou shalt not kill, or, Thou shalt do no murder.
THis Commandment respects the person of our neighbour, requiring us to procure his welfare and safety both in soul and body, and to avoid all kinde aM. Do….of cruelty bMurder is the unjust taking away of the life of a man. It is unjust when it is without due ground and warrant from God. Ford of the Covenant between God and man. Violentia omnis & injuria, ac omnino quaevis noxa, qua proximi corpus laedatur, interdicitur. Calv. Instit. l. 2. c. 8. Homicidium est injusta hominis occisio. Illa autem occi…io, atque etiam laesio est injusta, quae vel non fit auctoritate justa, id est, publica vel publicae aequipollente, vel non ex justa causa, vel non ordine justo, vel ex intentione non justa. Ames. Medul. Theol. l. 2. c. 18. Non actus omnis sed illicitus hic significatur, qui solet esse significatus vocis Hebraeae Ratsach, Grotius., and unmercifulnesse.
We are forbidden to do any violence, injury or wrong to the body and life of our neighbour, and commanded to defend, maintain and cherish the same. Knewstubs Lect. 6. on Exod. 20. See more there.
It enjoyns all such common duties as appertain to our selves and our neighbours,M. Whateley of the Com. in regard of their and our person. The substance is, Thou shalt by all good means procure, and by no ill means hinder thine own or thy neighbours personal safety.
There is no lawful taking away of life but in these three cases:
1. Of enemies to ones Countrey in a just warre by souldiers appointed toSee Elton on this Comman. p. 208, 209. that end.
2. By the Magistrate.
3. By a private man in his own true and just defence.
This Commandment is set next to the former for two reasons:
1. Because the Lord having in that established degrees amongst men and humaneElton. societies, nothing is more necessary for the continuance and safeguard of humane societies, then that the life of man be preserved.
2. Because murder commonly comes from the breach of the fifth Commandment.Gen. 4. 5. Gen. 27. 41. & 37. 4, 5, 8, 20. Quia in quinto Praecepto Deus praemiiloco inferioribus promittit longaevā vitam, tanquam praeclarum suum donum, & inter omnia, quae nobis divino munere veniunt, vita sit charissima: ideo nunc sapien…issimo ordine divino subjicitur sextum praeceptum, de conservanda vita, tum proximi, tum nostra. Cains murder came from a desire of superiority, because he thought himself not so greatly favoured of God as Abel, so Esau, so Iosephs brethren.
And it is set before the other four because the greatest hurt and wrong that can be done to a man is touching his life, Iob 2. 4. death taking away a mans being simply which other wrongs do not.
This Commandment and the rest following are all negatives, and the Lord beginning here with the greatest trespasse that one man can possibly commit against another, even murder, proceedeth by degrees downward, from a great offence to a lesser, till he come to the least desire that is in mans heart to covet any thing that belongs to our neighbour, and forbiddeth them all.
He forbids here the killing of a man not of a beast or plant, as the Manichees understood it (Vide August. de civit. Dei, l. 1. c. 20. & 21.) and that appears from the Hebrew word, for Ratsach agrees to man alone, whereas Charag is used generally. Our neighbour is the object of the second Table whose life is provided for, all the interpretations of this Law are referred to man only, yea it seems to be a repetition of the Law given, Gen. 9. 6.
This word sometimes comprehends all the causes and occasions of murder, and all ill will conceiv'd against the life and health of my neighbour. Therefore in this he treats of all those things which are called man-slaughter in the Scripture. Christ in Matth. 5, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25. shews, that this precept is violated not by outward works only, but also by the inward motions of the heart, by words and gestures, anger, malice, envy and desire of revenge are the inward things that hurt and hinder the life of man.Matrimonium totius civilis societatis fundamentum est. Buxtorf. de Decal. Vide Grot. in explicat. Decal.
Mark 10. 19. Luke 18. 20. & Rom. 13. 9. the sixth and seventh precepts are brought in, in an inverted order, Thou shalt not commit adultery, thou shalt not kill.
In the Hebrew books they are constantly rehearsed in this order that they are placed in the Decalogue, as Matthew hath disposed them, Chap. 19. 18. The transposition of them is free out of the Tables of the Law, where the things themselves onelyonly are considered, and many precepts heaped together in one verse.
1. We are forbid to kill without any specifical determination either of persons, manner, number or instrument: for the Law giver doth not say, Let not the man kill; or, Let not the woman kill; or, Kill not thy Father, kill not a Citizen. Thou shalt not kill publickly, thou shalt not kill with a Sword or Club; or, thouGerh. loc. com. Tom. 3. & Fabricius. shalt not kill many, but in general, thou shalt not kill, that killing in general may be understood to be forbidden.
2. The Commandment being negative accuseth the corruption of our nature, by which we are prone to kill. The affirmative meaning of this precept is propounded in that Epitome of the whole second Table, To love my neighbour as my selfe.
Object. God commands Abraham to kill his son Isaac, Gen. 22. 2.
Answ. God is an absolute Soveraign over all the creatures, his Law is grounded in his Soveraignty, to give a Law is an act of Soveraignty, his Soveraignty is not bound by the Laws he gives, as he works miracles sometimes, and goes beyond the rule in natural things, the fire burns not, the Sunne stands still, nay goes backward, so in moral things.
2. The will of God is the rule of goodnesse, 1 Iohn 3. 4. In actionibus divinis nihil est justum nisi quia volitum, therefore that may be a duty to one which is aVoluntas divina est naturae primalex. Gerson. sinne to another, and a duty at one time, but a sinne at another, as in circumcision.
3. Divers acts in Scripture declare that what is by a general rule a duty, may be sometimes a sin, and so on the contrary, Gods immediate discovery was loco specialis mandati, as in that of Ehuds stabbing Eglon, Moses killing the Aegyptian, Samsons killing himself, Eliahs calling for fire from heaven, Luke 9. 53. yet Gods will is not changed though he change his commands.
4. This crosseth not the sixth Commandment which forbids me to take away the life of my neighbour unjustly.
5. God had most holy ends in this Commandment,
1. To shew that his Soveraignty over the creature is not bound by the Laws he gives, Gods Laws set bounds to us, not to him.
2. He did it to try the faith and obedience of Abraham, Heb. 11. 17. Gen. 22.
3. That he might give to the world example of an experiment of the power of grace, it will obey not only in ordinary but in extraordinary cases, as God dealt not with Iob in his afflictions according to a ruled case, Iob 5. 1. to give the world an experiment of his patience.
Murder is a grievous sin, and will lie upon a mans conscience, as may be seen in the example of Cain, Abimelech, Saul, Absolom, and specially of Iudas.
Clamitat in Coelum vox sanguinis, & Sodomorum
Vox oppressorum: merces retenta laborum.
Genesis 4. 10. & 18. 21. Exodus 2. 23. Iames 5. 4.
There lived in the East a kinde of men called Assassins, dwelling upon certain woody mountains under the subjection of a Lord, that had no other name but the Old or Great of the Mountain. This Lord (by the skilful making of a fools-paradise of carnal delights and pleasures wherewith he held his Subjects bewitched) had gotten such a hand of them, being very many in number, that they made him a solemn promise to kill all the Princes that were adversaries to their religion: many of the Christian Princes in their voyage for the winning of Ierusalem and the holy Land, were much annoyed by them. Therefore the Italians and French have ever since (for their sakes) called all those that wilfully attempt or execute any murder, Assassins. Camerar. Historio. Medit. l. 2. c. 10.
Reasons. First, It is a most manifest sinne evidently discovered to the conscience of every man not alone by the clear prohibitions of it in Scripture, but also by the very light of nature, as appears by the Laws made against it in all Commonwealths, and because it manifestly contradicts the most undeniable principle of practice, which is engraven in every mans heart, Do as you would be done to. Now it is certain every mans soul tels him that he would not have his bloud causlesly shed by another.
Secondly, The effects of murder are exceeding bad, the chief of them may be referred to two heads, injuriousnesse to many, mischievousnesse to the committer.
First, It is extream injurious to God and also to men, to God in three respects:
1. It transgresseth his Law and violateth his authority by doing that which he hath absolutely forbidden to be done.
2. In that it defaceth his Image, for man was made after Gods image, and doth yet retain some lineaments thereof (as I may call them) though very much blotted and bl…rred by his fall, yet such as should make every man to shew more respect unto them) then in a rage or otherwise to cancel and demolish it quite, that which is yet in some degree a representation of the glory of God.
3. It usurps upon Gods royal and divine Prerogative, for as he alone can make a man, so hath he assumed to himself the priviledge or power of unmaking men, no man should adventure to do it without his special warrant and appointment.
Secondly, It is injurious also to men as well as to God, both to private persons, and also to publick.
Of private persons:
First, The person murdered is wronged with a great wrong, and that which goes beyond all satisfaction, in that he is at once robbed of friends, and goods, and honours, and all the benefits of this life, which in the taking away of life are taken away from him, and he from them; and also for that his soul is either deprived of that increase of glory which he might have had in heaven by the continuance of his life, if being godly he had lived, or else deprived of that possibility which during life remained to him if he were not yet godly.
Next the friends and well willers, brethren, kindred, wife, children of the murdered are greatly wronged, in that both their hearts are filled full of grief and heavinesse, for the untimely and violent death of one that was near unto them, and also deprived of all that good they had by him, or of all that they might have hoped to have enjoyed by his means if he had lived.
Furthermore publick persons are injured, both the Magistrate, in that the Laws and orders by him justly made are like mounds by an unruly beast troden down and broken; and the whole Common-weal, in that both the peace and quietnesse thereof is disturbed, and seeds of discord and enmity sown among the members thereof, for most times the murder of one breeds a quarrel amongst many that survive, and also a member thereof is cut away to the hindring it of that service which his sufficiencies either for the present did, or for the future might have afforded it.
And lastly, A stain and blot is cast upon the face thereof, and that such a stain as cannot be washed away but by the bloud of him that did cast it on.
It is also mischievous to the committer, exposing him either to a violent deathNumb. 35. 31, 33 by the hand of the Magistrate, or to fearfull punishments *Non desunt teste R. S. qui putant terram quocunque locorum venerit Cain, sub …o tremuisse, quo conspecto homines dixere, fugite, is est crud…lis ille homicida qui sratrem suum occidit. P. Fag. in Gen. 4. 16. Neque enim frustra in sanctis Canonicisque libris nusquam nobis divinitus praeceptum permissumve reperiri potest: ut vel ipsius ad…piscendae immortalitis, vel ullius carendi cavendive mali causa, nobismetipsis necem inseramus. August. de civitate Dei, lib. 1. cap. 20. Vide plura ibid. c. 19, 21, 22, 23.by Gods hand, For the bloud-thirsty man shall not live out half his dayes, and to everlasting damnation at last, for murderers must be without unlesse repentance come betwixt. Murder hath often been strangely discovered, by Dogs, Cranes, Crows. See the Theatre of Gods Judgement, Chap. 11. Psal. 9. 12. Habakkuk 2. 11. and Camera. Histor. Meditat. l. 2. c. 6.
Luther reciteth a story of a certain Almaigne, who in travelling fell among thieves, which being about to cut his throat, the poor man espied a flight of Crows, and said, O Crows, I take you for witnesses and revengers of my death. About two or three dayes after, these murdering thieves drinking in an …nne, a company of Crows came and lighted upon the top of the house, whereupon the thieves began to laugh, and say one to another, Look yonder are they which must revenge his death, whom we dispatched the other day. The Tapster over-hearing them told it to the Magistrate; who presently caused them to be apprehended, and upon their disagreeing in speeches and contrary answers, urged them so farre, that they confessed the truth, and received their deserved punishment. See Goularts memorable Histories, p. 415, 416. to 429.
Self-murder is a great sinne, and a manifest breaking of this Commandment.Occide…e sem…tipsum ex intentione directa est inter gravissima homicidii peccata. Quia sic faciens, 1. Graviter peccat adversus authoritatem Dei, qui solus est Dominus vitae. 2. Adversus bonitatem Dei, cujus tantum beneficium contemnit. 3. Adversus providentiam Dei, cujus ordinem turbare conatur. 4. Adversus charitatem, qua non minus tenetur se quam proximum in vita conservare. 5. Adversus justitiam, quae non patitur quenquam rempublicam & alias societates humanas, quarum pars est quisque membro aliquo ex arbitrio privato spoliare. 6. Adversus communem naturae inclinationem, atque adeo legem naturae. Ames. l. 5. de consc. c. 31. Vide Aquin. 2a, 2ae. Qu. 64. Art. 5. Lactant. Divin. Instit. lib. 3. de falsa Sapientia, p. 193. For as in all the other Commandments the Lord doth forbid men to wrong themselves as well as their Brethren, so likewise in this, no man may sinne against his own honour and dignity, no more then against the honour and dignity of another. No man may defile his own body, nor waste his own goods, nor blemish his own name more then his neighbours, therefore neither may he kill himself.
The killing of ones self is the highest degree of violating this Commandment, because it crosseth the nearest of all bonds, and observes not the rule of charity there where most charity is due, for love should alwayes begin at home.
2. This fact crosseth the strongest inclination of nature and clearest principles of reason, for nature makes a man desirous of his own being, and studious of his own preservation. This is then contrary to the two strongest laws and rules of life, the Law of God and nature.
3. The causes of doing it are very naught.
First, It comes from extremity of pride and impatiency. He will not be at Gods command, nor at his direction, nor be at all unlesse he may be as he will himself, and so it ariseth from an untoward mixture of high-mindednesse and base-mindednesse. Base-mindednesse because he hath not strength enough of resolution to bear some evil which he feels or foresees: high-mindednesse, because he will not stoop unto the ruler of all things, to bear the burden which he layes upon him.
2. Another cause of this sin is horrible despair, infidelity.
A third cause of it is an enraged conscience, as in Saul, Iudas, Achitophel.
4. The vehement temptation of Satan taking advantage either of a melancholick constitution of body, or of the affrightments of conscience.
Thirdly, The effects of it are bad, for by this means a man wrongs God, himself and the world.
He wrongs God first by breaking his Commandment.
2. By defacing his Image.
3. By leaving his standing wherein he was placed by him without and against his will.
Secondly, He wrongs himself, for he extreamly hazards himself to damnation, if not certainly casts himself into hell, for he runs upon a most palpable and fearfull crime, and leaves himself no leisure at all to repent of it. It is a hard thing to hope that he should be pardoned who willingly thrusts himself out of the way of repentance, and doth commit such a fault that we never read of any in Scripture *Saul is the first man whom the Scripture sets forth to us for an example of this worse then beastly rage and unnaturalnesse. He by his example drew his Armour-bearer to it, these two with Achitophel and Iudas are all which the Scripture mentions to have murdered themselves; these were all evil men except the Armour-bearer in whom was little good as is likely. Self-murder in some cases was held commendable and honourable by the Romans. See D. Hackw. Apol. of Gods provid. in the govern. of the world, l. 4. c. 3. Sect. 11.that did commit it but damned reprobates.
Lastly, He doth great wrong to others also, his friends and well-willers, to whom he gives occasion of the greatest grief that can possibly befall them about the death of their friend, in that the manner of dying is so uncomfortably wretched.
Besides to all the world it leaves a miserable scandal, seeing all think and speak hardly of him that hath so done, and it leaves a bad example to others. Sauls murdering of himself made his own armour-bearer do it.
Iudg. 16. 30. Samson by publick calling as a Judge, and singular divine calling,Nec Samson aliter excusatur, quod seipsum cum hostibus ruina domus oppressit, nisi quia Spiritus latenter hoc jusserat, qui per illum miracula facicbat. Aug. de civit. Dei, l. 1. c. 21. Quaeritur, an Samson foreign, & ejus factum excusari queat. August. l. 1. de civit. Dei. c. 21. Hoc sic interpretatur, ut dicat eum semetipsum, una cum Philistaeis ruina domus oppressisse Spiritu latenter hoc jubente, qui per eum miracula faciebat. Nec fas esse nobis aliter credere. Nam ad id faciendum divinitus …i redditam fuisse fortitudinem. Hanc responsionem plerique etiam alii sequuntur. Nec obstat quod dicit, ut ul…iscar me de hostibus meis, quasi privatam injuriam ulciscendi cupidus. Nam injuria Samsonis injuria publica crat, ut qui judex esset populi. Irrisio quoque ejus irrisio Dei Israel erat, in cujus contumeliam, Philistaei pro capto Samsone Diis suis solennius in templo gra…ias agebant. Estius. Vide Grot. Samson (ex singulari instinctu) directè intendebat Philistaeos occidere, non semetipsum, quamvis praeviderit suam mortem inde secuturam, Jud. 16. 30. Similis ferè est ratio …orum qui pulvere tormentario accendunt …avom qua feruntur, …e perveniat in hostis possessionem. Ames. de consc. l. 5. c. 31. as a Type of Christ and deliverer of the Church, did pull the house down on himself and the Philistims, that by his death he might deliver unto death the publick enemies of the Church, Heb. 11. 32. Besides, It cannot be said that Samson killed himself, indeed he died with them, but the end he propounded, was not that he might die, but he sought revenge upon the enemies of God, which was the work of his calling, and that which was like to bring and procure it. As a zealous and diligent Preacher, who by his pains and study in his Ministery impaireth and spendeth his health and strength, cannot be said to be the procurer of his own untimely death, for he hath spent his strength in his calling to which end God gave it him. See Elton on this Command. and M. Baxters Saints everl. Rest, par. 1. Sect. 6.
The Heathen Philosophers have adorned this fact, as Cato is extolled for it, seeJudge Hales drowned himself. See Foxes third volume, pag. 146. Whereupon Bishop Gardner called the Gospel, the Doctrine of Desperation. therein the vanity of mans reason and wit that can fall in love and liking, yea admiration with such a monstrous wickednesse. Amongst the Donatists there were the Circumcelliones *Chemnit. loc. commun.who gloried in casting themselves down from rocks, into the fire, or by yielding themselves to death other wayes, because it is written that the flesh is to be mortified, and he that hates his life shall finde it.
With us the self-murderers are accustomed to be cast out in high-wayes, or else in places where none else are usually buried, and to have a stake knocked into them for the great horrour of the fact, and to warn others.
Helps against this sinne:
1. Maintain the peaceable and pure estate of your consciences, this will make life sweet to him that hath it:
2. Endeavour to confirm your faith in Gods gracious promises both for pardon of sinne and deliverance out of all afflictions, for this faith will hold up the chearfulnesse of the Spirit, and so make it able to sustain it self in all hard times.
3. Labour for an humble and patient heart, be willing to bear any crosse.
4. Take heed of carnal sorrow and discontent.
5. If this temptation begin to seize upon you, speedily reveal it, and carefully resist it by opposing the sixth Commandment, and by hearty requests to God to keep you from murder. Luther saith, he was so tempted to self-murder that he repeated this Commandment three hours together.
It is a Question worth resolving, Whether a Duell or single Combate be lawfull?
By a Duell in this Question every single combate, or monomachy, or fight betwixtAmes. l. 5. de consc. c. 32. See Elton on this Commandment, p. 210. to 213. Whereas there are two acts, as introductions into the field, a challenge and an acceptation; both of them have their guilt, but the former so much the more, as it hath in it more provocation to evil. D. Halls cas. of consc. resolved Case 2. There were but two practices of this in Scripture, 1. That famous challenge of Goliah, which that proud Philistim had not made, if he had not presumed of his giantly strength and stature, so utterly unmatchable by all Israel, that the whole host was ready to give back upon his appearance, 1 Sam. 17. 24. The other was in that mortal quarrel betwixt Ioab and Abner, on the behalf of their two Masters, David and Ishbosheth, 2 Sam. 2. 14. wherein Abner invites his rival in honour, to a tragical play (as he terms it) a monomachy of twelve single combatants on either part, which was so acted, that no man went victor away from that bloudy Theatre; only it is observable, that in both these conflicts still the challengers had the worst. D. Hall ubi supra. two is not to be understood (for so the necessary defence of ones own life against the invader of it should be called into question) but onelyonly that single combate which is directly and voluntarily undertaken upon compact, with the danger of killing or laming. That kinde of Duell is simply to be condemned, both in the accepter and challenger, although the fault of the challenger be the greater.
There are
1. Publick combates undertaken in publick quarrels, as to finish a battel by Duels, and so save bloud, there is no example found of this in all the holy wars of good men, therefore not safe.
2. It may seem to be a weaknesse in men to refuse the battell, for why should not every man be couragious as well as one? But if the Armies cannot agree to fight other wayes, they shall not offend in using such due…s, and he of the combatants which hath right on his side sinneth not that killeth the other, for he goeth armed with publick authority to do what he doth.
Secondly, Private, undertaken in private quarrels, which is two-fold:
1. Legal, such as the Laws of Countreys allow, as ours doth in some cases, when a man according to the Law doth challenge his adversary in case of tryal of right or of appeal.
This legal trial by combate seems unlawfull:
1. Because in them the Magistrate resigneth over his right to the Subject, who is thereby made malicious and revengeful.
2. The Scripture doth not at all lead us to any such triall, yea it forbids private men to meddle with the sword in their own causes, therefore the Magistrate may not bid them kill one another if they can.
3. In cases of division a Lot would do better then the sword, and would more easily and safely determine the businesse.
2. Irregular and lawlesse, when one man of his own head for a particular wrong challengeth another, such challenges are sinfull, against the Law of God, being meer acts of vain-glory and revenge, the Laws of the *See Cook on Lit. p. 294. B. Sir Wal. Rawleighs hist. Sir Fr. Bacon.Countrey which punish the doers of such deeds.
3. The Law of Nature, because they attempt to punish a little wrong with the greatest of all punishments, Ubi morim…r homicidae, as St Bernard expresseth it, Occisor laeth…liter peccat, occisus aeternaliter perit. He that lives lives a murderer, he that is murdered dies a murderer, because he would have been one.
Two entirely loving brothers in Italy walking one Evening, and beholding the sky full of Stars, one of them jesting said, Utinam mihi tantum esset bovum, quantum in Coelo stellarum, I would I had as many oxen as there are stars in the firmament: the other merrily answered; Utinam verò mihi pratum esset Coeli amplitudine, I would I had a pasture as large as the Element; and then turning to his brother, saith he, Ubi tuis bobus sis inventurus pascua? Where will you finde pasture for your oxen? In tuo prato, said the other, in thy medow. His brother replied, Quid si nollem? What if I will not? Etiam te invito pascerem, said theLansii orat. contra Italiam ex Camerar. & aliis. other, I would have pasture there whether thou wouldst or no. And so differing, they grew to that passion at last, that they drew out their weapons and became each others murderer.
Object. A man is utterly disgraced if he decline the combate when he is challenged.
Answ. To a Christian this should be enough, Prov. 19. 11. & 16. 32. sin against God is more to be feared then shame amongst men, and true Christianity is to be preferred before idle manhood.