Sixth Commandmeni. Recourfe ro War. For whar Law is to Perforis of the fam·e Nai ion, that War is to Per IOns of a diftC:rem Nation. . , _ j. . , We read that among tbofe many P_enit~nt~ that c~me to q~ji t~e Baf_tifl for I~ llrut\ion, wlien Soldiers alfo tame, he dt~not btd them lay dow~l~ctr Arlils, ortbetr Commiffion : He preacb'd not to them, frght n~ more,_ .Kt!/ ~o itl.an, ~ut gtves tbem Dire£tions how they !hould dem~an the!"fe~ves m tbetr Calhng : . Whtch he would net have done if he thought theu Calhng ttfelf unlawful. He btas them do 110 Vtolmcc, accuft 110 Man falfly; but bt con_unt .wzth your Pay~ or ~~11, Lu~e ~· .14. Neither did our Saviour, when he fo htghly commen~ed the Centunon for hiS Fa11b, rebuke him for his Profellion, but extols htm for takmg the Ground and Argument of his Faith from his Military ·calling, Lukt 7· 8. I am. • Mal! undrr A.othority, ba'ving Soldiers under me; and Ifay unt~ one go, ani b~ gots ; .and to anot~tr tom~., and bt comer; and to my Servant ~o 'thu, a11d ht dotb tl. T~IS ~err .Ca1ltng qf h1s he uigeth Chrift with, and makes lt an Argument to llre~gthen ht.s Fatth, that c0r~ tainly Chrift was able ~o Cure h!S Stclt Strvant ; becaufe tf he who ';V}S but a Captain had fuch Authomy over hiS Soldters, to command them to come .and to go at his Word bow much more abfolute Power had Jefus, as Lord both of Life and Death, over all Bodily Difeafes, to comriland ihem to come and to go .at his Pleafure > This I take to be the Force and Reafon of hiS Words : Upon which, Chrift gives him this large.Teflimonial and Encomiom, Verfe 9· When :fd•s htartl t heje Things bt ma~'tll'ed, , and t'!rned bun ahour, and fa~d. unto tbt People, I bape. not found.fo great F11tth, no, not 111 lfrael. But nor to muluply mbre lnftanc~, that one Place may feem fully convihting and fatisfaElory, :fobn r8. 36. when Chrifi was eXamined concerning his Kingdom, ~e ~~fwererb, My Kingdom is n~t of this.World ; if my Kingaom wtrr of this World thin wliuld my Strvants fight that. I jhould 1101 he dtlivmd unto tbt Jews: Which dearly i~~lies; That although W~rs and Figbtings were not proper Meansto advance the Spmrual Nature of the Kmgdom of Chri(t ~et if the Methods of his Humiliation had permitte.a him toaffume.the 1\oyal Scepte?, liis Servants and Followers m1ght lawfully have foughtto defend htsClatm and Title. But enough of this. . . , . Thirdly, AMan may fhed Blood in the neceffary Defence of liis Per(oii without being guilty ofMurther; when he is fuddenty affaulted by thofe who attempt to take away his Life, and bath no other Means left him to fecure it, in thii Cafe there being rio Poflibility of having Recourfe to a Magillrate for Prote£tion, every Man is a Ma~i!lrate to himfelf. · But here ( becaufe all Cafes of Blood are tender) let mi: caution you, that it is not enough the Danger be impending, but it muft be IQ£tai1t and prefeht, fuch wherein a Man's Life is in at! Probability toll ifhe doth not Ctand upon his Defence. for in DJngers that are only threatned and approaching wi: ought to truft Providence, and to ufe our bell Diligence to work our Efcape from them, But if the Affault be fudden, and no Way ofEfcape viflblo, we may lawfully take away the Life of him who unjuflly feeks to take burs; for this is not a Defign to kill him bur to preferVe our felveS. . . , . ' Yea, we firld, Exori. 22. 2. that God allows the killing of a Thief if he break into a Man's Houfe by Night; but not fo if he attempted it by Day. And pollibty the Reafon of this Law might l;e, beC<iufe when any comcth upon another in the Night. it might be prefu~ed ~hat ~e takesthe Advantage of the Darkne~~' ndt only to Ileal hiS Goods, but to mtfchtefhiS Perfon: And therefore God allows 1t as lawful to kilt fuch an one as a part of neceffary Defence. frorri which I think we may fafely conclude, that it is lawful atfo to kilt thofe wlio atierilj)t upon our Goods when we have reafon to fear they may likewife defign upon our Perfons. ' Foorthly, There is yet one Cafe more, and that is accidental Btood·lhedding which is not cha~gca~le with Murther; when Blood i! !beef.without any Intentio~ or Purpo!e of domg Jt . Such a Cafe we find menuoned tn Scripture· as when in hewing of Wood from a Tree the Ax lhoutd flip, and by chance kit! a Man's Nei~bhour, Deal. •9· 5· And therefore for fuch innocent Manllayers Go& himlelf appointed Cities of Refuge that they might fly unto them, and be lafo from the Aven~er o~ Blood. But. ·he~e we mull ~ook to it that we be employed .about lawful Thmgs; otherwtfe tf we be domg that which is unjullitiabtc, whtch acctdentally proves to be the Death of another, this cannot be excufed from. M:urrh_er; and (am fure God exaEls the fame Puni!hment for it : And there· fore tt IS fatd, Exod. 21. 22. That if Men llrive among tbemfc:tves, and hurt a t A a a Womau
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