Part II. And as we are encourag'd to the Obfervation of this Precept by the Promife of a long Life, fo is there a Threatning of fhorter and worfe Days imply'd in it to the Breakers of it for the Promife annex'd to this Law would be of little force, if the Breakers of it fare as well and live as long as they that keep it. But that 'tis otherwife, both the Precepts and Examples of Holy Scripture may eafily fatisfy us. For as God prolongs the Days of dutiful and obedient Children, fo does he fhorten the Days of the ftubborn and disobedient; commanding thofe that curfe Father and Mother to be put to death, Deut. 27. 16. Indeed, disobedient. Children wanting the Influence of the Divine Bleffing, frequently fall into thofe Evils that fhorten their Days, and bring them to untimely ends: as may be feen in Abimelech and Abfalom, who were both cut off for their Difobedience, and fell a Sacrifice to their own Folly and Rashness. But as Length of Days in the Land of Canaan betoken'd a more immortal Life to be enjoy'd in Heaven, fo to be depriv'd of it reprefents everlafting Death, and leads to an endless Abode in the Regions of Woe and Mifery. And as the former affords abundant Encouragement to do what is requir'd, fo is the latter a fufficient Determent from what is forbidden in this Commandment.

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DISCOURSE XIV.

EXOD XX. 13.

Thou shalt not Kill.

AVING briefly explain'd the Relative Duties that belong to Men as Members of Society, and fhew'd the Demeanour due to the feveral Stations and Capacities in which they ftand to one another, the Subject of the Fifth Commandment: I proceed to the following Precepts of the Second Table, which refpect Men in their private Capacity, and tend to fecure them in all the Rights and Properties appertaining thereunto. And because the first and dearest thing we poffefs, is Life; therefore this Sixth Commandment helps to preferve that, and to fecure our Perfons from all Violence and Bloodfhed, in these words, Thou shalt not kill. Which

Which Commandment being Negative, I must first confider what is forbidden, and then what is requir'd in it. And here the great thing prohibited in this Precept, is the attempting upon or taking away Life, together with all kind of Violence offer'd to the Perfon of any.

But for the better understanding hereof, 'twill be neceffary to enquire, whether all killing or taking away of Life be here condemn'd as unlawful: and if not, what fort of killing that is, which is here forbidden?

For the first, to omit the killing of brute Beafts, about which there can be no queftion, the great Maker and Sovereign of the World having granted to Mankind the free Ufe and full Dominion over them: The only difficulty is, how far it may be lawful to deftroy thofe of our own Kind, or to take away the Life of any human Creature.

For the refolving whereof, it is certain that God Almighty, the fole Lord and Difpofer of all things, has granted to fome Perfons a Power of Life and Death for the good of the Whole, as will be evident in the following Cafes.

1. Magiftrates in the Execution of Juftice, may and ought to put capital Offenders to death, without the Breach of this Law; for God himself hath requir'd, that whosoever Sheddeth Man's Blood, by Man Shall his Blood be Shed, Gen. 9. 6. This is no more than is neceffary for the common Safety; for without this, Cruelty would every where abound, and the Cries of Murder and Bloodshedding would be daily heard in our ftreets. To prevent which, "tis farther added, Thine Eye fhall not pity, nor thy Hand spare, but Life Shall go for Life; Deut. 19. 21. To this end hath God intrufted Magiftrates with the Sword of Juftice, which they are requir'd not to bear in vain, but to draw it forth to the terror of Evil-doers, and the defenfe of thofe that do well: Hence they are ftyl'd God's Minifters, and Avengers to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil, Rom. 13. 4. 'Tis the Magiftrate's Duty and Province to preserve the publick Peace, by punishing fuch as break it; and where the Offence is capital, they may, in a due Courfe of Juftice, difp fe of Mens Lives, who by the Laws of God and Man have justly forfeited them.

2. Soldiers authoriz'd by Sovereign Powers in a lawful War, may kill and flay, without breaking this CommandFor War, in the differences between Princes, is an Appeal to Heaven for Juftice, and referring Cafes to God

ment.

Almighty,

Almighty, which cannot be otherwife decided; in which cafes rhe Battel is the Lord's, and they that fight in them receive their Commiffion from him. It cannot be doubted but Sovereign Princes may lawfully make war against wrongful Invaders and rebellious Subjects; and when amicable means will not prevail, may maintain the Safety and Welfare of their Kingdoms by arm'd Violence. What the Law is to private Perfons, that the Sword is to publick Governours; the only Weapon to defend their Rights, and decide thofe Controverfies that cannot be try'd at any other Bar. In all fuch cafes, matters are refer'd to the Lord of Hofts, the Sovereign Protector of Princes, and they that are engag'd in them may lawfully kill without Murder. And therefore we read, that when the Soldiers came to John the Baptift for Inftruction in their Duty, he did not bid them lay down their Arms, or fight no more for their Prince, but only will'd them to do no Violence in any private Quarrels, to accufe no Man falfly, and to be content with their Wages; Luke 3. 14.

any

3. Private Perfons in their own neceffary Defense may likewife kill without any Breach of this Commandment : for God hath given to every Man a Right to defend his Life against all unjust and inevitable Violence; and confequently where any is fuddenly or fecretly affaulted without vifible means of escaping, he may fafely take away another's Life to fecure his own. Indeed, where the danger is not fo fudden or imminent, but recourfe may be had to the Magiftrate for Protection, there the matter must be refpited, and left to him who is God's Minifter for this purpofe; but where there is no time for this, every Man is a Magiftrate to himself, to vindicate his own Cause, and to preferve his own Life, tho with the lofs of another's. Hence God Almighty allows the killing of a Thief or Housebreaker, who fers upon us unawares, and leaves no other way to prevent or redress the Injury; Exod. 22. 2, 3. This is agreeable not only to the Law of God, but to the Law of Nature and Reafon, and is accordingly allow'd by the Laws of all Countries. So that all forts of killing come not within the Meaning and Prohibition of this Law; for both the Magiftrate in the Execution of Juftice, the Soldier in a lawful War, and every private Perfon in his own neceffary Defense, may take away another's Life, and be guiltless.

Befide which, there is another fort of killing, that is purely Accidental, and without any Intention, which is not concern'd in the Defign or Meaning of this Precept; this is in the Law call'd Man-flaughter: an Inftance whereof we have in Holy Scripture, of one who fetching a stroke with his Axe in bewing of Wood, had the ill-luck to have the Head of it fall off from the Helve, and to flay his Neighbour unawares; Deut. 19. 5. This being perfectly cafual, and befide the Intention, we find excus'd by God himself, who appointed Cities of Refuge for fuch innocent Man-flayers to fly unto, to be fafe from the Avenger of Blood, as we read in that Chapter.

But what then is the Killing here forbidden in this Commandment?

In answer to which, I fay, firft in general, that all voluntary Murder or fhedding of Blood, without fufficient Warrant and Authority from God, is the thing forbidden in this Law; yea, all fecret Defigns and Intentions of taking away Life in this way, are punishable by God's Law, tho they may escape the Cenfure of earthly Tribunals: for they that are guilty of them, take God's work out of his hand, and will needs execute that Vengeance which alone belongs to him. More particularly, the Killing here condemn'd is of two forts; the killing of a Man's felf, and the killing of any other.

(1.) I fay, the killing of a Man's felf ftands here condemn'd as the groffeft of all Murder: This is an unnatural Crime, and were it not for fome Examples we have of it in Scripture, and more in the Experience of the World, one would wonder how any fhould be induc'd to commit it; for this is contrary to the Law of Self-prefervation, which is planted in the Natures of all Creatures, and directly oppofes all the Principles of Reason and Religion. I know fome Philofophers have commended and advis'd to it as a piece of Gallantry, to rid themselves of thofe Troubles, which others live to complain of: whereas it betrays much more of Cowardice than Courage, to fhrink from thofe Evils which they fhould encounter, and lightly to fink under that burden, which it behoves them manfully to bear. Befides, 'tis a high Ufurpation upon God's Prerogative, who has not put our Lives in our own power, but referv'd to himself the difpofal of them: fo that we cannot without great Injuftice done to him, difpofe of them as we please. Yea, Self-murder is an Affront not only to the Power, but the Providence

Providence of God; for it implies a great Diffatisfaction in his prefent Dealings, and an utter Distrust of his Goodness for the future.

Moreover, this Sin is a manifeft Injury to our Friends and Country; who claim a juft fhare in us; for we are not born. for ourselves only, but for the Benefit and Comfort of others and therefore no Man can make himself away, without apparent wrong to thofe, who have a Right to his Service and Affiftance.

But above all, Self-murder brings an irreparable damage to a Man's felf, for it leaves no room for Repentance; but being taken away in the very A&t of finning, excludes him from all hopes of Mercy and Pardon, and fo proves at once the Destruction of Body and Soul.

(2.) All wilful Murder, or taking away the Life of another Perfon, is directly forbidden in this Commandment ; and according to the different Degrees and Quality of the Perfons to whom fuch Violence is offer'd, does the Guilt of this Sin increafe. And therefore,

1. All King-killing, or treasonable Confpiracies against the Lives of Princes, is the highest Degree of Murder; for fince the Commonwealth lives and breathes in them, and their Welfare is the common Safety, to defign against them, is to affault the Whole, and undermine the Peace and Welfare of Mankind: for which reafon the Perfons of Princes have been ever efteem'd facred and inviolable, and to affault them, is like cutting off the Head, which is evermore fatal to the whole Body. To fight against lawful Powers, is without any Commiffion from God, who hath made Kings fupreme in their Dominions, and confequently not to be overrul'd or refifted by thofe that are fubjected to them. Hence we read of our Bleffed Saviour, that tho he were able to fcatter all the Powers upon Earth, yet he never offer'd the leaft Refiftance to the Secular Powers: and when St. Peter drew his Sword in one of the jufteft Causes, as might be thought, even the Defence of his Saviour, he receiv'd a check for his mistaken Zeal, and was bid to put up his Sword with this Rebuke, He that thus ufeth the Sword, Shall perifh by the Sword. And as the killing of Kings, fo likewife of any other private Perfon, is the Murder prohibited by this Law. And therefore,

2. All Duels or private Decifions of Mens Quarrels by the Sword, are forbidden by this Commandment; for this is a wresting the Sword of Justice out of thofe hands in