The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1899-03-08
4 Sermon.

~ sermon:
Thou shalt not Kill" EN. 20 rs.
These words were spoken by God
Himself. They are universal in their
application, and cannot be altered
nor limited in their meaning by any
human authority. Man is forbidden,
in every case, to take life, unless per-
mitted by an exception which God
has made to the command.
Let US view our text in the light
thrown upon it by other passages Of
Scripture, so that we may get at its
full import.
These words, taken in their ordi-
nary meaning, might a. first seem
to be out of place, as addressed to a
Christian congregation. No one here,
| hope, has ever shot down his nelgh-
Dor. Let US, however, remember
that there are crimes which lie be-
ycnd the province of human law.
God saws: Thou shalt not kill; thou
shalt not steal: thou shalt not COM
NIT adultery; thou shalt not bear
false witness You may never have
taken the life Of your neighbor, and
vet be murderer You may be a
thief, and still never touch my pos
sessions. You may be an adulterer,
though you may never have com.
mitted the act. Such is the spirit Of
the divine law. Human law takes
cognizance only of the overt acts of
a man. Divine law is concerned with
the motives, purposes, dispositions,
which lie back of, and lead to, our
actions. We may be criminals in
spirit and at the same time openly
violate no command of the decalogue.
Christ says that ''out of the heart
proceed evil thoughts, murders, adul-
teries, foundations, thefts, false wit
ness, blasphemies: these are the
things which defile man" Again,
He says: 'Ye have heard that it was
said by them Of old time, thou shalt
not kill; and whosoever shall Kill
shall be in danger of the judgment:
but say unto you, that whosoever
is angry with his brother without
cause shall be in danger of the judg-
ment." st. John says: He that hat
eth his brother is murderer" Muir
der does not consist in mere blood
shedding. Anger, oppression, un-
kindness, are murder. The spirit
which begets them is the same in its
nature as that which sheds blood.
The crime of murder lies in the mo-
tive and design of the heart. Let US,
therefore, beware, lest we be spirit
ual criminals, though we escape the
"vulgarities Of crime"
desire to confine my remarks to-
day, however, to the letter of the
law, as laid down in the text, Thou
shalt not kill" This command de.
serves to be especially considered by
us today, owing to the frequency of
it's violation. 1t has been already
observed that this law is character
lied by an absolute universally, and
that we can make no exception to 1t,
unless by divine authority. 1t ap-
plies not only to the taking of mans
life, but also to the Staying of ami
mails
We are allowed by God to take the
life of ANIMALS in two cases:
a. When they are necessary for
food.
(2.) When they are hostile and dan
gerous to US.
These are the only exceptions
which God has made to the law in
reference to taking the life of ami
laals. When We slay them from any
other motives, we violate the sixth
commandment.
1t would be we'll for US to remem-
Der this truth as we so around with
our seal-skin jackets and our hats
highly ornamented with the sweet
songsters of the air. These things
are prompted by, and minister to,
our pride, and are necessary for mel
ther comfort nor convenience.
The life of man may be lawfully
taken away in certain cases:
a. When necessary for our own
defence. We have sufficient war
rant for this in Exodus xii: IF a
thief be found breaking up, and be
slnitten that he die, there shall no
blood be shed for him" In this in
stance the thief was killed in the de-
fence of a man and his family. We
are warranted, by parity of reason,
in extending this permission to all
cases which are substantially the
same. Only when my own safety or
that of my family demands it, am
justified in shedding my brothers
blood. Nor are we justifiable even
here, if there are any oGher percepti-
BILE means of warding off the threat
ened danger Only in defence Of my
own life can I take your life. Let me
say, however, that I would rather be
killed than to kill; rather death a
hundredfold than to have my broth
er's blood crying to me from the
ground.
(2.) The life of man may be lawful
~ taken when, on account Of crime,
it has been forfeited to the law of
the land. The life of man may be
forfeited for other crimes than that
of murder; but Gods law is very en-
phatic in reference to the punish
ment for the crime of murder.
God said to Noah: Whose she'd
deth mans blood, by man shall his
blood be she'd In certain cases we
are not simply justitiable in taking
life, according to the human law, but
we are required to DO so by divine
law. God says: "He that killeth any
man shall surely be put to death"
Again, 1.-The murderer shall surely
be put to DEATH
This was Gods law among the
Jews, and it is binding upon us in
those cases whose nature is un-
changeable and universal. Divine
law not only permits, but requires
that the murderer be punished with
death. When this punishment is
necessary it must be inflicted by him
who is appointed by law for this
purpose, and by him only in his Off
cial capacity and when acting ac-
cording to the decisions of law.
Though a man may be guilty, and
legally condemned, yet were private
individuals to lay violent hands upon
him they would be guilty of murder.
Every lynching party is composed
entirely of murderers, and it is the
sacred duty of those in authority to
see that they are punished to the
full extent of the law. Nor will
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