The Sixth Con1mandment. THE Commandments of the Second Table do all of them immediately refpeU that Duty which we owe unto Men; whom we may confider enber as under forne peculiar Differences, or elfe in their common Nacur'e. ~e have already fpoken concerning the Duties that belong unto them under the firft Acceprioo, as they arc differenced into Superiorr and Inferiors; there are orher Duties which appertain uuiverfally unto all, under what Difference foever they may be confidered, whether they be Superiors, or Inferiors, or Equals, among themfelv~s; and thefe are contained. in the Five following Precepts; all which concern our Ne1ghbour, .either in his Perfan, or in his exteriour Gifrs, of ~!ealrh, or good Name.. His Perfon is robe confidered eirher Naturally or My(hcally: Naturally, as he is this individual Man; ·and fo the Sixth Commandment provides for his Security, Tboajhalt not Kill. Myllically, as be is in the Stare ofMarrhge; which of Two makes up One Myfiical Perfon : And fo Care is taken for him in the Se1•enrh, Thot• fhalt nor commil lulultery. If we confider him in his External Gifts, fo his Eftate and Subftance i3 fafeguarded by the Eighth Co.mmandment, Tbou jhalt not Steal; his Reputation and Good Name by the Ninth, Thou jhalt not bear falfe Witne[t again}/ tby Neigh· bour. And as a !lrong Fence fer ahout him, and alfo about the other Laws, that neither of them be violated, God harb nor only prohibited the outward A as of grofs and ftagidous Crimes, hut the inward and lurkingMotions unto Evil , in our Thoughts and Affi:aions; and this, in the Tenth Commandment, Thou /bait not Covet. I !hall begin with the fir(\ of thefe, which rakes care for the Security and Indemnity of our Perfons, Thou fhalt not Kill. And this forbids that Barbarous and lnhumaneSlnofMurrber, that Firfi-born of the Devil, who was a il1urtherer /ro111 the Beginning; the firfi branded Crime that we read of~ wherein natural Corruption, conuaUed by rbe Fall, vented its Rancour and Virulence; the Sin of Cain, that great Inftance of Perdition, who flew his Brother Abe!,. b;caufe his Brother's Works were Rigbteour, and his own Evil. Neirher dorb rhis Precept confine only irfelf to forbid the aElualSin of Murther, but all Degrees, and all Caufes of it; as Hatred, and rafb Anger, Revenge, and Slanders . and falfe Accufarions, and wbatfoever rhay prejudice the Safety of our Neighbour' pr . tempt us to fee him peri!h, when it is in our Power to refcue and reliev~ him. Some old Hereticks ¥extended the Senfe of this Prohibi rion, Thou foalt not Kill,* Mani- ·eveo unto Brute Creatures themfelves, holding it unlawfu l to flay any of them fOr cb.ei.Aug. the Ufe and Service of our Lite. Poffib\y indeed Unmercifulnefs even towards them , de Gvit. and a cruel tormenting of them, not to fatisfie our Occafions and Neceflities but ou; Dei, 1. 1. unreafonable Paffiobs, may be reducible as a Sin againft this Commandmen;, (for all c. 20 • Aas of Cruelry are fo;) bur (imply ro kill them for our NecellitY. cannot: God the Univerfal Lord both of them and us, bath granted us this Prerogative in our Char· · ter, to have the Power of Life and Death over them, Gen. 9· 3· Ev"y A1ovingThing tbar IJvetb foal/ be Meat for you. And doubtlefs we may put them to any kind of De'atb that rh~ Nec~ffity either of our Food or Phyfick will require. This Killing !h~refore, forb1dden mthe Text, refers only unto Mt:o, like our felves; and therefOre Jt ts very properly rendred by others, Thoujhalt do no Murther. . Yet neither is every killing of a Man Murther; fOr there are fevera I Cafes whereID althougb one kill another yet he is no Jllurtherer: As, hrfl, In the Execution of Jufiice. Magifirates, and filch who have lawful Power ~nd Authority, may aod ought to put Capital Of!enders to Death; and if they do not God will charge it upon them as their Sin. It is an Ancient Law upon Record, Gen. 9· 6. Who[oever Jh<duetb Man's Blood, by Man fba/1 hit Blood 6e jbed; as il there t wore-
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