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LETTER XIV.

Paris, Oct. 23, 1656,

Rev. FATHERS,

HA

AD I nothing more to do than to anfwer the three Impostures which still remain upon the fubject of homicide, I should not trouble you with a long difcourse, fince Ifhall refute them in very few words as you will quickly fee. But, as I think it a matter of greater importance to give the world a just abhorrence of your fentiments on this fubject, than to justify the fidelity of my own quotations, I fhall be obliged to employ the greatest part of this letter in refuting your maxims, and thereby representing to you how much you are alienated from the fentiments of the Church, and even from those of nature itfelf. The liberties you grant on fo

many

many occafions to take away a man's life, evidently fhew, that in this particular point, you have fo far forgotten the law of GOD, and put out the light of nature, that you want to be reminded of, and brought back to the moft fimple principles of Religion and common fenfe. For what fentiment can be more natural, or plain, than this, "That

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no private perfon hath a power over the "life of another? We know this fo well even from ourselves, fays St. CHRYSOSc TOM, that when GOD made the law against killing, he did not add, for homi"cide is an evil, because (as the fame Fa"ther expreffes himself) the law fuppofes "that men had already learned that truth " from nature."

We fhall find that men have been fubjected to this command at all times from the very beginning. The Gofpel has confirmed that of the law, and the Decalogue has only renewed that which men had received from GOD before the law, in the perfon of NOAH, from whom all mankind was to fpring. For at that restoration of the world, GOD faid to the Patriarch: "At the band of a man, even "at the hands of a man's brother will I rei quire the life of a man. Whofo fheddeth

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man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed, "for in the image of God created he man."

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This general prohibition deprives men of all fort of power over the life of man; which God hath referved to himself alone in fuch a manner, that according to the Chriftian verity, in oppofition to the falfe maxims of Paganism, a man has not fo much as the power even over his own life. But because it hath pleafed the Divine Providence to provide for the fecurity of mankind in society, and to punish the wicked that should disturb them, GOD hath himself prefcribed certain laws, to deprive guilty perfons of their lives. So that those very murders, which, without his order, would be attempts liable to punifhment, become, by his order, commendable chaftisements, without which order, there would be the highest injuftice. This is excellently reprefented by St. AUGUSTIN, in his first book of the City of GoD, ch. 21. "Gop himself, faith he, hath made certain exceptions to this general prohibition to kill; whether it be by the laws which he has laid down for adjudging the guilty "to death, or by the particular commands "which he hath fometimes given by order"ing the death of fome certain perfons. But

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in either of thefe cafes, it is not man that "kills, but GoD, of whom man is only the "inftrument, as a fword is in the hand of "him that uses it. But these two cafes ex"cepted, whoever kills another is guilty of " homicide."

It is therefore very certain, Fathers, that GOD alone is invested with the right to take away life, and that nevertheless, having appointed laws to put criminals to death, he hath made Kings and Republics the guardians of this power. And this is what St. PAUL teacheth us, when speaking of the right that fovereign powers have to put men to death, he derives it from heaven, faying, "That they bear not the fword in

vain, they are the minifters of GOD, to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil *." But as this power is given them by GoD, fo he obliges them to exercise it in his own. way, that is with juftice, according to St. PAUL in the fame place: "For rulers are not a terror to good works but to the evil. "Wilt thou then not be afraid of the pow"er? Do that which is good, and thou shalt have praife of the farne. For they are "the minifters of GOD to thee for good."

* Rom. ch. xiii.

And

And this reftriction is fo far from diminishing their power, that, on the contrary, it greatly exalts it, being made like to the power of GOD, who is impotent to do evil, and omnipotent to do good; in oppofition to the power of devils, who are impotent to do good, and potent only to do ill. The difference between GoD and Sovereigns is only this, that GOD being Juftice and Wisdom itself, can execute upon the fpot, whom, when, and in what manner he pleases. For, befides that he is the fovereign mafter of mens lives, it is very fure that he cannot take them away without cause or cognizance, becaufe GOD is as incapable of injuftice as of error. But Princes cannot act in this manner, for although they are the minifters of God, yet are they in reality no gods, but men. They may be surprised by ill impreffions, exafperated by false suggestions, or transported by paffions. And this has obliged them to fubmit to certain human provifions, and govern their dominions by judges, to whom this power is communicated, to the end, that this authority which God had invested them with, might be employed to no other purpose but that for which it was given.

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