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is chargeable with the Guilt of the Sin forbidden in the Text. And this Imputation of Murther falls properly upon Them who fo deprive their Neighbour of his Life either by Open Affault and Violence, or by Stratagem and Secret Contrivance; either by fhedding his Blood Themselves, or by Engaging other Hands to be Imbrued in it; either by Acting as Principals or Acceffaries; either by Command or by Persuasion; either by Threatning or Encouragement; either by Direct Concert and Confultation, or by Suggeftions and Infinuations; either by bearing. Falfe Witness against him, in their own Perfons, or by their Subordination of Others; or, Finally, by any Inftruments, or Means, or Methods whatsoever, which are not allowed by Divine Authority. For All Such do evidently fall under the Prohibition now before us. And hence it will follow in the

Second Place, that every Perfon, who knowingly and wilfully deftroys his own Life, is guilty of Murther. For he hath no Colour of Allowance from Divine Authority, to become the Author or

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Cause of his own Death. ftrictly speaking, the Proprietors of our own Lives, and Therefore may not Dispofe of them, ourselves, at Pleafure. God only, who Gave them, hath a Right to take them away again; and by Confequence, every Man, who offers Violence to his own Life, does manifeftly Invade the Prerogative, and Ufurp the Right and Authority of God.

Thirdly, Duels are Direct Violations of the Commandment. And the Truth of this Propofition is grounded upon the Principle already laid down. For Duels are undoubtedly to be rank'd in the Number of thofe Violent Attempts upon Humane Life, which are not Allowed by Divine Authority; And, Therefore, the Guilt of Murther is Chargeable upon the Perfons engaging in them. The Liberty allowed to a Private Man of destroying his Neighbour's Life, without the Sanction of Publick Authority, is confined, both by the Natural and Revealed Law, purely and folely, to the Cafe of Self-Prefervation. But the Plea of Self-Prefervation is utterly Foreign to the Condition and Circum

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ftances of Him, who Formally Gives or Accepts a Challenge. And he adds to the Sin of making an Unneceffary Attempt upon his Neighbour's Life, by throwing himself unneceffarily into the utmost Danger of lofing his own. Nor is it any Just Plea or Vindication of Men who thus Expofe their Lives, That their Attempt upon each other is founded upon their Mutual Confent and Permiffion, and that neither of them takes any other Liberty with his Adverfary, than what his Adverfary freely gives: And the Reason, why no Juft Vindication of them can be drawn from fuch Notions as thefe, how plaufible foever they may feem, is This, That fince God is the Sole Proprietor of every Man's Life, and no Man is the Abfolute Lord of himself, or, has any Right to difpofe of his own Life, and to determine the Duration of it Himfelf; Therefore no Man can Lawfully Transfer the Disposal of it to Another.

Fourthly, The Commandment extends it felf in the True Spiritual Purpose of it, and according to the Application and Interprc

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Interpretation given of it by our Saviour and his Apoftles, not only to our Adions, but to our Words, and to the Secret Intentions and Affections of our Hearts. For our Bleffed Lord expressly applies it to the Several Degrees, and Various Effects of Causeless Anger, breaking forth in Contumelious and Reproachful Language; and in St. John's Account, Hatred is Murther, and inconfiftent with the Hopes of Heaven. * Whosoever bateth bis Brother is a Murtherer; and ye know, that no Murtherer bath Eternal Life abiding in him.

From this View of the Latitude or Extent of the Commandment, I proceed

II. To represent the Guilt and Danger which Men incur by the Tranfgreffion of

it.

And if the Measure of this Tranfgreffion fhould be taken either from the Indignity, thereby offer'd unto God, or, from the Injury done to Man, or, from the Punishments exprefsly Denounced against it, or, from the Anguish and Horror of

*

1 John iii. 15.

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the Bodeings which 'tis apt to leave upon the Mind, we should find Abundant Reafon to affign it a Place amongst the Loudeft of Crying Sins. The First Instance of Murther in the World was followed close by Perplexity, Oppreffion of Spirit, and the intolerable Gnawings of Despair it felf. My Punishment (faid the Abandon'd Fugitive) is greater than I can bear; or rather, Mine Iniquity is greater than that it can be forgiven. And it follows, every one that findeth me fhall flay me: 'Twas a Difmal, but natural Apprehenfion, which his Guilt fuggefted to his Thoughts, That the whole Creation must furely be alarm'd upon such an Occafion, and ftand Ready to Execute Vengeance on him. And that Weight of Confufion, which Natural Confcience scarce ever fails of laying upon fuch Sinners, must needs be vastly increased by the Severe Expresfions of God's Indignation against them. The Lord Abbors the Blood-thirsty. Atonements and Means of Satisfaction, were in feveral Other Inftances, provided by Divine Institution for the Sins of the People, and that sometimes when they were

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