A Treatise of Christian Religion, Chapter 21
CHAP. 21.
Of the ſixth Commandement.
Thus far of ſpeciall duties to ſpeciall perſons, ſeuerall follow, concerning the
Perſon of our neighbor, Com. 6. which forbids Murther,
Inward.
outward, againſt our neighbour,
Aliue in
Geſture.
Act, in
Word.
Deed, againſt his
Body.
Soule.
Dead, againſt
Himſelfe.
Them that belong to him.
Things belonging to him, Chap. 22.
EXOD. 20. verſ. 13. Thou ſhalt not kill.
Q. SO much of the fifth Commandement, and therin of ſpeciall duties, to ſpeciall perſons: the generall duties follow: what are they?
A. They are either ſuch as concerne the perſon it ſelfe of our neighbour, in the ſixth; or ſuch as concerne the things that belong to his perſon, in the ſeuenth, eighth, and ninth.
Q. Rehearſe the ſixth Commandement.
A. Thou ſhalt not murther.
Q. What is the ſumme of this Commandement?
A. Not to hurt our owne perſon, or the perſon of Gen. 9. 5.our neighbour; but to procure ſafety, and to do thoſe a1. Tim. 5. 23.things that lie in vsus, for the preſeruation of his and our life and health.
Q. What are the ſorts of duties, which concerne the perſon of our neighbour?
A. They are to bee collected from the diuers breaches of this Commandement.
Q. What are the ſorts of breaches of this Commandement?
A. Either inward, or outward.
Q. What are the inward?
A. Firſt, anger, either without cauſe, or paſſing Mat. 5. 21. 1. Ioh. 5. 15. Iam. 3. 14. Amos 6. 5. 6. Rom. 1. 31. Pſal. 5. 6.meaſure, when the cauſe is iuſt. Secondly, hatred. Thirdly, enuie. Fourthly, want of compaſſion. Fifthly, frowardneſſe, and vneaſineſſe to be entreated. Sixthly, deſire of reuenge: of all which, that may be ſaid which is ſpoken aProu. 14. 30.of enuie, that they make a man a murtherer of himſelfe, and of his neighbours.
Q. What be the contrary duties to theſe?
A. Firſt, ſlowneſſe to anger. Secondly, humanity Epheſ. 4. 26. &c.and kindneſſe, becauſe we are all the creatures of one God, and the naturall children of Adam. Thirdly, a care of peace, and of auoiding offences. Fourthly, an eaſineſſe to be reconciled. Fifthly, compaſſion. Sixthly, a patient ſuffering of iniuries, leſt they breake out into greater miſchiefes.
Q. What are the outward breaches of this Commandement?
A. They are to our neighbour either aliue or dead.
Q. VVhat are they to our neighbour aliue?
A. They are either in geſture, or otherwiſe.
Q. What are they in geſture?
A. All ſuch geſtures as declare the anger or hatred Gen. 4. 5. 6. Mat. 27. 39. Gen. 21. 9. Galath. 4. 29. Pſal. 10.of the heart, as a lowring or frowning countenance, a ſcornefull nodding of the head, deriſion, ſnuffing, &c. which (as ſparkes) come from the fire of wrath and hatred, &c.
Q. What are they that are otherwiſe?
A. Either in word or deed.
Q. What are the breaches in word againſt this Commandement?
A When ſpeeches are aMat. 5. 22.contemptuouſly vttered, as to call our brother Racha: or wrathfully, as to call him foole; in which reſpect, words proceeding frō wrath, are in the Scripture compared to bPſal. 120 4.Iuniper coales, which burne moſt fiercely; or to a razor, or the dProu. 21. 18.pricking cPſal. 52. 2.of a ſword that cutteth moſt ſharpely. eLeuit. 19. 14.Mockings, for ſome wants of the body, fGen. 21. 9. 2. Sam. 6. 20.eſpecially for piety; in ſtead that they ought to be an gIob. 29. 15.eye to the blind, and a foot to the lame. hEpheſ. 4. 31.Crying, which is an vnſeemely lifting vp of the voice: grudges, and complaints one of Iam. 5. 9.another.
Q. What is the contrary dutie?
A. Courteous and amiable ſpeeches, which (according Ruth. 2. 13. Epheſ. 4. 32.to the Hebrew phraſe) is called a ſpeaking to the heart one of another.
Q. What are the breaches in deed?
A. Againſt the body, or the ſoule: againſt the body, either directly, or indirectly.
Q. What are they which are directly againſt the body?
A. When a man, aduiſedly, and wittingly, through hatred, and without a calling, ſmiteth, woundeth, maimeth the body of his brother, or neighbour.
Q. What are the indirect hurts of the body?
A. They are either Priuate, or Publicke.
Q. What are the indirect hurts in priuate?
A. 1. When it is againſt our will, and we thinke nothing of it; as he which felleth a tree, and his axe head Deut. 19. 4. 5.falleth, and hurteth, and killeth a man: in which caſe (vnderunder the Law) a man was to hauehave the benefit of Sanctuarie. 2. When one giueth not place to the furie of another, as Iacob did to Eſau, by his mothers Gen. 27. 43. 44. Rom. 12. 21.counſell. 3. When one defendeth himſelfe with iniurie, or purpoſe of reuenge, or to hurt his aduerſarie, Prou. 25. 15. Eccleſ. 10. 16. 17and not onelyonly to ſaue himſelfe. 4. When a man ſurfetteth, or eateth out of time, or ſpendeth himſelfe by vnchaſt behauiour. 5. When a man neglecteth phyſicke, to preſerue or recouer health, ſo that it bee after 2. Chron. 16. 12.he hauehave firſt ſought vntounto God. 6. When he vſeth not the honeſt recreation, wherewith his health may bee Iudg. 14. 12.maintained: for wee muſt not thinke that there are no more waies to kill a mans ſelfe but with a knife, &c. 7. To this indirect murther belongeth, when women with child, either by miſdiet, or ſtraine by reaching, violent exerciſe, and riding by Coach, or otherwiſe, and much more by dancing, either hurt the fruit Exod. 21. 33.of their wombe, or altogether miſcarrie. 8. When ſtaires are ſo made, that they are like to hurt either children, ſeruants, or others: or when welles and ditches, (or any ſuch like dangerous places) are not couered, or fenced: whereunto belongeth that the Lord commanded Deut. 22.the Iſraelites to hauehave battlements vponupon their houſes.
Q. What are the publike?
A. Firſt, when the high waies are not mended. Secondly, Num. 35. 31. 32. Prou. 17. 15. Deut. 25. 3. 2. Cor. 11. 24. Deut. 16. 20.when thoſe (to whom it appertaineth) do not puniſh the breach of this Commandement. Thirdly, when the correction is exceſſiue. Fourthly, when it is not in louelove of iuſtice.
Q. Seeing the Law commandeth to louelove God and man onelyonly: whence is it that vnmercifulneſſe is forbidden here to beaſts?
A. All hard vſage of the creatures of God is forbidden, Prou. 12. 10. Deut. 22. 6. & cap. 25.not ſo much in regard of them, as that thereby the Lord would traine vsus forward to ſhew mercy to our neighhour: for it being vnlawfull to vſe the dumb creatures cruelly, it is much leſſe lawfull to vſe men ſo.
Q. So much of the breaches of this Cōmandement againſt the body alone: what are they that are against the ſoule?
A. When Miniſters are either Idoll Shepheards, Prou. 28. 19. Ezech. 3. 18. Jer. 48. 10. Eſay 62. 6. 1. Pet. 5. 2. Act. 20. 28.and cannot; or idle, and will not feede the flocke committed to their charge: or for the moſt part neglect their owne, and buſie themſelues elſewhere, without any neceſſarie and lawfull calling. Secondly, when Magiſtrates, that procure not as much as in them lieth, that the people vnderunder their gouernment, doe frequent the hearing of the Word read and preached, and receiuing of the Sacraments, in the appointed times.
Q. Are inferiours alſo guilty of this ſinne?
A. Yea verily: all thoſe people that hauehave no knowledge, Prou. 8. 35. Hoſ. 4, 6.eſpecially hauing had the ordinarie meanes appointed of God for obtaining the ſame, either of their owne, or of others, which they might hauehave been the partakers of.
Q. How doe both Superiours and Inferiours kill the ſoule?
A. By euill example of life: contrary whereunto Matth. 5. 16. 1. Theſſ. 5. 14, Heb. 10. 24. 1. Cor. 10. 32. Leuit. 19. 17.is, to prouoke one another to louelove, to giuegive no offence, neither to Iewes nor Gentiles, nor to the Church of God. Alſo in not rebuking our neighbour when hee is in fault, but ſuffering him to ſinne.
Q So much of the breaches of this Commandement appertaining to the perſon of our neighbour, whiles hee is aliue. What are they after his death?
A. They either concerne his body, or thoſe that pertaine to him.
Q. What are the breaches concerning the body of the dead?
A. When friends and neighbours neglect to ſee Gen. 23. 19. & 25. 9. 1. Sam. 25. 1. Pſal. 79. 3. Reuel. 11. 9. Gen. 49. 29. 1. King. 13. 31.it honeſtly buried, & funerals performed with moderate mourning: alſo it belongeth to the perſon himſelfe, to giuegive order for his owne comely and Chriſtian buriall.
Q. VVhat is the breach concerning thoſe which belong vntounto him?
A. Not to prouide for his wife, children and poſterity, Ruth. 2. 20. 2. Sam. 9. 7.that he may liue in them.
Q. So much of the Commandement it ſelfe: what are the breakers therefore to expect?
A. The Apoſtle Iames teacheth that, when he ſaith, Iudgement without mercy ſhall be vponupon thoſe that are mercileſſe.Iam. 2. 13.
Q. Of how many ſorts are thoſe Iudgements?
A. They are either in this life, or that to come.
Q. VVhat are they in this life?
A. Seuere puniſhments (by the Law) are to be inflicted Exod. 21. 23. Iudg. 1. 6. 7. Exod. 21. 28. Pſal. 55. 23.vponupon the body; as limbe for limbe; eye for eye; hand for hand; life for life; although it were a beaſt, if it were knowne to bee a ſtriker. Secondly, ſhort life: Blood thirſtie men liue not halfe their daies. More particularly, Magiſtrates, that ſhould puniſh murtherers, if they ſpare them, their liues are in danger to goe for the offenders: as Achabs did for Benadads; Dauid alſo was 1. King. 20. 42.exceedingly puniſhed for ſparing blood-thirſtie men (ſuch as was his ſonne Abſolon) and not puniſhing 2. Sam. 13. 28. 29. & 14. 33. & 16. 11. 2. Sam. 3. 29.them. Alſo God threatneth, that hee will not only reuenge the blood of the ſlain vponupon the murtherer himſelfe, but alſo vponupon his iſſue and poſterity in vncurable diſeaſes.
Q. VVhat is the puniſhment concerning the life to come?
A. That their prayers are not heard.Eſay 1. 15. 1. Tim. 2. 8.
Q. Vvhat reaſons are there to ſet forth the deteſtation of this ſinne of murther properly taken?
A. Firſt, if a man deface the image of a Prince, he is Gen 9. 6.ſeuerely puniſhed: how much more if hee deface the Image of God? Secondly, (by the Law of Moſes) if a Exod. 21. 28.beaſt (an vnreaſonable creature) had killed a man, it ſhould bee ſlaine, and the fleſh of it (although otherwiſe cleane) was not to be eaten. Thirdly, by the ſame Law, if this ſinne goe vnpuniſhed, God will require it Numb. 35. 33.at the Magiſtrates hands.