THOU SHALT NOT KILL.
39. The purport of this
commandment is that since the Lord has bound the whole human race by
a kind of unity, the safety of all ought to be considered as
entrusted to each. In general, therefore, all violence and
injustice, and every kind of harm from which our neighbour’s body
suffers, is prohibited. Accordingly, we are required faithfully to
do what in us lies to defend the life of our neighbour; to promote
whatever tends to his tranquillity, to be vigilant in warding off
harm, and, when danger comes, to assist in removing it. Remembering
that the Divine Lawgiver thus speaks, consider, moreover, that he
requires you to apply the same rule in regulating your mind. It were
ridiculous, that he, who sees the thoughts of the heart, and has
special regard to them, should train the body only to rectitude.
This commandment, therefore, prohibits the murder of the heart, and
requires a sincere desire to preserve our brother’s life. The hand,
indeed, commits the murder, but the mind, under the influence of
wrath and hatred, conceives it. How can you be angry with your
brother, without passionately longing to do him harm? If you must
not be angry with him, neither must you hate him, hatred being
nothing but inveterate anger. However you may disguise the fact, or
endeavour to escape from it by vain pretexts. Where either wrath or
hatred is, there is an inclination to do mischief. If you still
persist in tergiversation, the mouth of the Spirit has declared,
that “whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer,” (1 John 3:15); and the mouth of our Saviour has
declared, that “whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause
shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his
brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever
shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire,” (Mt. 5:22).
40. Scripture notes a twofold
equity on which this commandment is founded. Man is both the image
of God and our flesh. Wherefore, if we would not violate the image
of God, we must hold the person of man sacred—if we would not divest
ourselves of humanity we must cherish our own flesh. The practical
inference to be drawn from the redemption and gift of Christ will be
elsewhere considered.21
The Lord has been
pleased to direct our attention to these two natural considerations
as inducements to watch over our neighbour’s preservation—viz. to
revere the divine image impressed upon him, and embrace our own
flesh. To be clear of the crime of murder, it is not enough to
refrain from shedding man’s blood. If in act you perpetrate, if in
endeavour you plot, if in wish and design you conceive what is
adverse to another’s safety, you have the guilt of murder. On the
other hand, if you do not according to your means and opportunity
study to defend his safety, by that inhumanity you violate the law.
But if the safety of the body is so carefully provided for, we may
hence infer how much care and exertion is due to the safety of the
soul, which is of immeasurably higher value in the sight of God.
