An exposition of the morall lavv, or Ten Commandements of almightie God set dovvne by vvay of exercitations, wherein is contained an explanation of diverse questions and positions for the right understanding thereof, together with an explication of these scriptures which depend upon, or belong unto every one of the commandements, all which are cleared out of the originall languages, the customes of the Iewes, and the distinctions of the schoolemen / by Iohn Weemse ...

EXERCITAT I. Of Murther in generall.

Exod. 20.13. Thou shalt not kill.

IT is a great barbarity to put out the life of man who is the workemanship of God: when a skilfull weaver of tapestry is weaving a curious piece of worke, hee permitteth his apprentises to weave the common sort of worke, as the beasts, the fowles, and such: but when he cometh to the weaving of the picture of man, that peece of worke hee taketh in his owne hand: so the Lord when hee created the world, hee said, Let the water bring forth the fishes, and the earth the beasts, hee permitteth this piece of worke to be done as it were by his appren∣tises; but when hee commeth to that excellent piece of worke, to make man, then hee saith, Gen. 1.26. Let us make man, that piece of the tapestrie hee will weave with his owne hand. How wonderfully hast thou wrought me, in the lowest parts of the earth; Psal. 139.15. [rucamti] as curiously as a cunning piece of tapestry is wrought, which the Seventy translate 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, how wonderfully

hast thou carved me out, in the lower parts of the earth, that is, in my mothers belly; Deus est 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, or statuarius, it is the Lord that made the mould, and the mothers belly is the shop wherein he moulded man below here; all that hee made before he made man 〈◊〉〈◊〉 but assaies, or trials, but when he commeth to make man, then hee cometh to his consultation, Let us make man to our image, therefore he hath a great care that his life be not put out.

The second reason why man should not be killed, is because hee is made to his image. When God sweareth Hee sweareth by himselfe, because hee hath no greater to sweare by, Hebr. 6.13. So when hee made man he made him to his owne image: because hee had no greater to make him by. Phydias the painter painted the image of Minerva and his owne image so cunningly together, that he said, whosoever should marre the image of Mi∣nerva, should marre the image of Phydias; and whosoe∣ver should marre the image of Phydias, should marre the image of Minerva; so the Lord placed his image so cunningly in man, that whosoever defaceth his image, defaceth the man; and whosoever killeth the man de∣faceth his image. Whatsoever is sealed with a seale, that is excellent in its owne kinde, as Esay 28.25. Hor∣deum signatum, that is excellent barly, when God set his seale upon man, it showeth that hee was an excellent creature; there is no Prince that will suffer his image to be abused.

There fell out a sedition at Antioch, because Theodosi∣us the Emperour exacted a new kinde of tribute from the people; the people in a commotion breake downe the image of the Empresse Priscilla, who was lately dead, and drew it through the streets; when the Empe∣rour heard of this, hee was in a great rage, and sent his souldiers against the city to sacke it; as the souldiers

were comming forward to sacke the city, one Macedo∣nius a monke indued with heavenly wisedome, came out to meete him, and said after this manner: Tell the Emperour these words, that he is not onely an Empe∣rour, but also a man: therefore let him not looke onely to his Empire, but also to himselfe; for he being a man commandeth also those that are men; and let him not use men so barbarously, who are made to the image of God; he is angry and that justly, that the brazen image of his wife was thus contumeliously abused, and shall not the Emperour of heaven be angry, to see his glori∣ous image so contumeliously used; there is a great dif∣ference betwixt this image of God, and this brazen image; for this one brazen image wee are able to to set up an hundred againe, but hee is not able to make one haire of the heads of those, if hee kill them. This being told the Emperour, hee suppressed his anger, and withdrew his forces. The Lord highly esteemeth of this image in man; hee made this the last of all his workes, and he had nothing now to make, but to make himselfe man; and upon this piece of his worke hee set on his image as his Armes, and therefore no man should be so bold as to deface it.

[Quest.] Seing the life is in the blood, then the image of God may be said to be in the blood, because it is in the life.

[Answ.] The image of God is in the blood, per concomitanti∣am, it accompanieth it. First, the vitall spirits are car∣ried by the blood. Secondly, the senses depend upon the vitall spirits; and the reasonable soule upon the senses, and the image of God is in the soule; take away the blood, the spirits faile; take away the spirits, the senses faile; take away the senses, the reasonable faculty fail∣eth; and take away the reasonable faculty, the image of God faileth in the man.

The image of God is in the soule tanquamin proprio subjecto, as in the proper subject: it is in the body, tan∣quam in organo, as in the organ, therefore the Apostle willeth us to make our members weapons of righteousnesse, Rom. 6.19. And it is in the blood, tanquan in copula, as in the bond, for the blood is that which coupleth the soule and the body together.

How pretious a thing is the life of man in the sight of God, Exod. 21.22. If they follow no mischiefe, that is, if the child be not figured yet, as the Greeke hath it, or not a living soule as yet, yet the striker was mulcted or amerced, and this was payed to the husband; not on∣ly for the wrong done to the woman, but also for the wrong done to that which should have beene a child, although hee was not as yet faetus signatus: and when the child is borne, see what care the Lord hath for the safety and indemnity of his life; first hee setteth up a Magistrate to defend him, and then hee commandeth that the houses have battlements about them, that hee fall not over, and ditches to be covered, that hee fall not in; and not onely commandeth hee the man that killeth to be killed, but the beast also that killeth a man, to be killed, and his flesh not to be eaten, Exod. 21.28.

The conclusion of this is: man is made to the image of God, and whosoever killeth a man shall dye for it, Gen. 9.5. Surely your blood will I require at the hand of eve∣ry beast, at the hand of a man, and at the hand of every mans brother; after that the Lord had said, I will not curse the ground any more for mans sake, although the imaginations of his heart be evill alwayes, and after that God was re∣conciled to Noah, and smelled his sacrifice; yet hee saith, I will require the blood of man, to teach us, that murther falleth not under this remission, I will require it at the hands of a beast; although it cannot sinne, yet it shall be stoned to death, and the flesh of it shall not be eaten,

Exod. 21.28. I will require it at the hand of a common man and of a great man, and I will require it at the hands of a brother, so that no degree shall escape unpu∣nished for this sinne, homo naturâ, vir dignitate, & fra∣ter cognatione: a man by nature, a mighty man by his dignity, and a brother by neerenesse of blood.

Notes

• Great barbarity to put out the life of man.
• Simile.
• God made the water and the earth to bring out other creatures, but he made man with his owne hand.
• 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Opus p••rygi••∣ni••um texer••.
• 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 In••••••••pere.
• God made man to his owne image because hee had no greater to make him by.
• Simile. Phydias painted the i∣mage of Minerva with his owne.
• Theodoret. lib. 5.
• How Macedonius the monke asswaged the wrath of Theodosius the Emperour.
• God is angry when hee seeth man his image de∣faced.
• How the image of God is in the life of man, and the life in the blood.
• Gods image is in the soule, body, and blood.
• The care that God hath of the life of man before he be borne.
• Conclusion.
• No man is free from punishment for mur∣ther. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉