A50229:17
A sermon, occasioned
A sermon, occasioned by the execution of a man found guilty of murder, preached at Boston in N.E., March 11th, 1685/6 (together with the confession, last expressions, & solemn warning of the murderer to all persons, especially to young men, to beware of those sins which brought him to his miserable end) / by Increase Mather ...
Boston: printed by R.P., 1687
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
NUMB. XXXV. 16. And if he smite him with an Instrument of Iron (so that he die) he is a Murderer, the Murderer shall surely be put to DEATH.
A Great part of this Chapter is taken up in declaring who should have benefit by the City of Refuge; and who might not expect advantage thereby. There are Two sorts of Man-slayers, (1) One may kill his Neighbour Accidentally, tho he had no design of Hurt to him, nor any Displeasure against him. The City of Refuge was for such. (2.) A Man may in Hatred or in Passion kill another, and then then the City of Refuge could not secure or save him from the hand of Justice; To intimate which is the Scope of the Words which have been now read wherein we have two things, 1. A Criminal 2. The Punishment to be inflicted on such a Criminal.
1. A Criminal, He is a Murderer: There are three Particulars mentioned, which if they concur the Person is guilty of Murder: 1. If he smites another man, h. e. if he does so, not accidentally but designedly. 2. If the Instrument which he smites him with be of Iron, that makes the Murder to be the more evident. In the Verses following it is added, That if he smite him mortally ⟨p. 2⟩with a Stone or with Wood, he shall be accounted a Murderer. The Jewish Writers tell us, (a)That if a man were slain, there was diligent enquiry made concerning the Instrument, whereby he was killed: If it was with a Stone or with Wood, they examined whether the stone or wood were of that Bigness as that the dead man might probably receive his Deaths Wound thereby: But (they say) If it were with an Instrument of Iron, no enquiry was made as to the greatness of it, because the least nail of Iron might easily kill. And it is to be presumed, that a man will not strike another with an Instrument of Iron, except Blood and Murder be in his Heart. 3. If the Wound prove mortal, then the Striker is guilty of Murder. Tho a man should smite another, and that with an Instrument of Iron, if Death does not follow, he is not guilty of that high degree of Murder which the Text speaks of; but if he smite his Neighbour so that he dye, then he is a Murderer.