N00343:27
A sermon occasioned by the execution of a man found guilty of murder: preached…
A sermon occasioned by the execution of a man found guilty of murder: preached at Boston in New-England, March 11th 1685/6. : (Together with the confession, last expressions, and solemn warning of that murderer, to all persons; especially to young men, to beware of those sins which brought him to his miserable end.) / By Increase Mather, teacher of a church of Christ.A sermon occasioned by the execution of a man found guilty of murder: preached at Boston in New-England, March 11th 1685/6. : (Together with the confession, last expressions, and solemn warning of that murderer, to all persons; expecially to young men, to beware of those sins which brought him to his miserable end.) / By Increase Mather, teacher of a church of Christ.
Boston: printed by Richard Pierce for Joseph Brunning book-seller, 1686
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.
Except 3. In case of a mans own just defence. So a private person may take away the Life of another: The light of Nature teacheth men self preservation. If a Murderer assault him he may kill rather than be killed. We cannot say that Abner was guilty of Murder when he slew Asuhal in his own defence.(b) If a man be contrary to Justice, invaded or set upon by another in an hostile manner, and there be no other way for him to preserve his own Life, but by killing the Assailant: The Law of Nature, and of all Nations acquit him from the guilt of Murder. But he that has shed Blood causeless, or that has Avenge• himself is a Murderer. 1 Sam. 25.31.
- (b)Alsted Theol. Cas. Cap. 15. p. 350.
Propos. II. Murder is an exceeding great Sin. It is an expression in the Scriptures, he is as if he slew a man, Isa. 66.3. Implying, ⟨p. 10⟩that to slay a man is a thing most horrid and hateful; it is indeed •h• greatest Sin against the Second Table of the Moral Law, and is therefore set in the first place, amongst negative Precepts therein. God forbids the greatest Sin in […] ••rst place: It is a Crying Sin. The Lo•d said to Cain, The voice of thy Brothers […] crieth to me from the ground, Gen. 4.10. In the original, the word is in the Plural N•m•er, the voice of thy Brothers Bloods. Every drop of Abel's Blood had as it were a voice, a tongue in it, crying for Vengeance against his Brother, that had Murdered him. But that this is a grievous Sin is manifest: 1. In that it is a most unnatural thing. Creatures of the same kind are not wont to destroy one another. Naturalists observe concerning Wolves, that though they be crue creatures, they will never kill one another; therefore if men do so, they are worse thn Wolves and Tigers; so that Murder is an unnatural and a monstrous wickedness. 2. The Vengeance which is wont to follow this Sin, proveth that it is an horrid and heinous Transgression. There is a peculiar Vengeance that does pursue this Sin at the heels of it. The Gentiles had the notion of this fixed in their minds: Hence those Barbarians could say, No doubt this Man is a Murderer,