The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-05-08
THOU SHALT NOT KILL.
Sermon on SIKH Commandment Preached
by Rev. Duncan.
BRUTE NATURE SILL ClINGS TO MAN.
Efforts of the Teachers of Morals
and Religion Are Not Alto
gethcr Successful.

ments, took for his text last night, Thou
Shalt Not Kill" He said;
My Friends: It is hardly possible for
us to have topic for consideration OF
more Importance to all men than the one
OF the present hour 1t is an exceedingly
sad comment on the human family that
God found II necessary TO issue severe
laws In order that men shall not DESTROY
each other. Measuring men by their be.
navior toward each other, ono is compelled
TO conclude that large per cent of tho
brute nature cllngs to the average man
DESPITE all the efforts OF the teachers of
morals and religion. II Is well TO lool,
at the reasons behind this edict of God.
Tor He has Issued no arbitrary commands
The first and great reason is that human
iiie Is sacred in the sight OF God. and
should be so considered by men If tho
eHorts OF the scientists to prove tho spon
tanelty OF animal life, were proven sie-
cessful and conclusions true. there mieht
oe ground for rosetting many human reia
lions but as long as II is accented thar
man came from the plastic hand of cod
special creation, and for Gods glow
too, thinking people must Acknowledged
wa special and complete ownership OF
uldl Ia ali MS eternity--hody soul sntrtt
man was cte1ted In the Image of God
wherever a member OF tho human family
Is found, There Is seen an Image of GOD
terribly defaced 1t may be, so &, verelv
that you may not recognize tho relation
yet this Image is not so defaced TINT the
Maker can not point out the lines ana
shades that still preserve the likenege So
IA -,
common owner 1t Ia easily seen that no
servant has the right TO destroy the prop
erty OF his master whether that property
be ones neighhor or ones self
Going beyond the dignity that comes IN
man from tho fact of his being a creature
OF the tod of the universe. the Apostle
Paul SAYS that the human body Is the
temple OF God; thus giving An exalted rea-
son for the sacredness OF human nature.
He says do YOU not know that YOU ara
the temple OF God and II any man dehle
this temple him viii God destroy" Hence
II is evident that the destruction OF human
life by Ills fellow man Is real sacrlege.
II Is a dissertation OF something sacred
unto God. killing ones fellow is rohbng
God.
O. Each human being has an equal right
with every other Of his fellows To life and
the pursuit Of happiness. and that man
who kills his fellow deprives him of
God given right, 1t is hard for us some
times to see the rights and privileges OF
others, yet It Is our duty to so endeavor
to do.
8, Human society at large has a claim
on every factor of that society and has
right 10 demand that she be allowed
to remain in possession OF her own.
T. Tho taking Of human life by The indi-
vidual is prohibited on the ground That
IL is destructive to the hes, interests of
him who bathes his hands In human hloo'.
1t is a noteworthy fact hat those who
have taken human life, even 10y accident.
feel as Cain expressed himself after kilt
Ing his brother Every one that meets ne
shall STAY me" Coincidence makes cow
ards OF us all f" The murderer, Hike Mnc-
beth. flnds a crimson spot on his soul that
neither time nor place can offace II there
We're no human laws TO punish, and It Gnh
had never Numbered from Sinai "1hnu
shalt not kill men would lnstinctvely
shrink from an act so revolving to mans
higher sense OF fitness,
The Hebrew verb rendered xiii" by our
translators may with propriety he rendered
murder Thou shalt do no murder,
u tho real teaching OF the command. Muir
der is defined by the laws of civilized ma
lions as being the killing OF human
being by sane person with malice afore-
thought In all civilized countries dis
tinotion Is made In the killing Of human
beings Where there is intent on the part
of the killer he is considered guilty of
murder in the tirst degree. and the penalty
is death by hanging or other method pre-
soribet by the state Where there is kill
ing under sudden impulse without due
time for consideration and deliheratlon
this is usually considered less grave Grim
inality. Where a man kills his fellow Ia
sell defense, It Is usually considered justi-
liable In most civil communities, recognize
Ing the principle that self preservation is
the FIRST law of animal nature.
Human nature is so universally opposed
10 murder that without exception society
has assumed the right TO redress her wrong
by taking the life of the SLAYER of his fell
low. The teaching of the Bible lis in ac-
cord Win the sober conviction OF mankind
az large, that the murderer in cold blood
should forfeit his own life as Just pen-
atty God forbids murder and all tntelli-
gent nature condemns it. Hahakkuk says:
The stones shall cry out of the wall and
The beam out of the timber shall answer
II. tHab. ii, III
One OF the most difficult problems lust
now before the civilized world Is murder
growing out OF sudden impulse. as when
an irate father or husband rises up and
on the spot takes the life of the villain
who has destroyed the virtue and happl-
ness of his home. This question reaches
. practical solution in the frequent out
pu4st VI CoulHlunlties, IN the form and
character OF the mob wreaklng vengeance
on the tiend who daspoils female virtue
and domestic happiness.
There has never been la the past Of nnr
North American Republic time in which
lynch law was so common as now. for the
good reason that the provonatiops which
stir the blood OF all self respecting people
20 such overwhelming outburst of fury
have never before been so common. We
are passing through experiences peculiar
to our own Nation and times race OF
people. enslayed for 400 years has beeu
suddenly emaneipated The great hulk
OF which has never reached degree In the
scale OF civilization above tho barbarian.
Unused to liberty, with moral sense tot,
obtuse to discern the nice moral qualities
OF actions, hred by unbounded Indulgence,
maddenod BY spirit to retaliate for i'm
agined wrongs, the negro OF the tinted
States turns loose all his diabuiical -
In the preparation OF nameless CRIME,
which impel an already threadbare people
10 take the execution OF the law into their
own hands in the form OF lynch courts and
mob violence
Just how far this course is to be consld-
cred murder is difficult to state. The sad-
dest feature connected with the mob Il
that the people give as reason for such
violence the shameful fact shat the oft.
GERS OF our criminal courts those placed
by public suffrage In position 20 protect
the interests. the lives and honor OF our
nar,f,ie ga>ua m IA danra~od IN fra-