The Fifth Commandment

We have thus far explained both the spiritual and the civil governments, the exercise of divine and parental authority and obedience. In this commandment, however, we go out of our own homes, among our neighbors, in order to learn how each one should conduct himself toward his fellow man. Hence in this commandment neither God nor magistrates are mentioned, nor does it take from them the power they have to put to death. For God has delegated to civil magistrates in place of parents the right to punish evil-doers. In early times, as we read in Moses, parents had to bring their own children to judgment and pass the sentence of death upon them. Therefore, what is forbidden here is forbidden an individual to do to his fellow man and is not forbidden the civil government.

This commandment is simple enough. We hear it explained every year in the Gospel text of Matthew 5, 21. There Christ interprets it in brief to be a prohibition of murder, either by the hand or by word, or by thought of the heart; by sign or gesture, by help or counsel. It forbids anger, except—as said before—to those who act in the place of God—in the capacity of parental or civil authority. Anger and reproof and punishment are the prerogatives of God and his representatives, to be exercised upon those who transgress this and other commandments.

The occasion and need of this commandment is the wickedness of the world and the wretchedness of this life. God, in the knowledge of these, placed the commandments as a defense of godly people against the wicked. In the case of this commandment, as in every other, there are various temptations to transgress. We must live among many people of evil intent toward us, giving us reason to be their enemies. For instance, a neighbor, envious of our home, our wealth, our God-given advantages, gives vent to his irritation in malicious words. The devil incites many enemies, who wish us neither temporal nor spiritual welfare. In response to their enmity, anger, pain and revenge arise in our own hearts. Evil speech ensues between us and our enemies, followed by blows resulting in calamity and death. To forestall such an issue, God, as a loving father, by this commandment intervenes and settles the quarrel for the safety of all. Briefly, God's purpose here is to have all persons protected, set free and enabled to live peaceable lives in the presence of the injustice and violence of all men. This commandment is likewise a wall, a fortress of defense, about our neighbor to protect him in his liberty and to guard him from bodily harm and suffering.

The teaching of this commandment, then, is to render no man harm for any evil deed, however guilty he may be. Where murder is forbidden, there also is forbidden everything that may lead to murder. Many who cannot be charged with actual murder, by their malicious plotting speedily effect it for the subject of their hatred. Nature implants the spirit of revenge within each of us, and it is a common thing that no one willingly suffers injury from another. God's purpose is to remove this root and fountain of bitterness. He gives us the fifth commandment as an ever-present reminder to hold up to us our duty as a mirror holds up to us our forms; and this duty is to bow to God's will, committing to him the evil we suffer in confidence and with prayer. Doing this, we shall be content to let the enemy rage and storm to the extent of his devices. Thus God teaches us calmness of spirit for anger, and a heart of patience and gentleness toward our enemies, who would arouse our wrath.

Briefly, then, and in clearness unmistakable to the common people, the import of the command not to kill is this: In the first place, harm no one, neither by hand direct nor by other deed. Again, use not the tongue to counsel or incite harm. Again, neither use nor sanction any means the object of which shall be injury to anybody. Lastly, harbor no evil intent in the heart nor malicious evil desire. So shall body and soul be guiltless toward all, especially toward him who wishes or works you evil. But to do evil to him who desires and does you good, is not human, but satanic.

Secondly, not only he who directly does evil breaks this commandment, but also he who unnecessarily omits a service to his neighbor which he might render by anticipating and restraining, and by protecting and rescuing his fellow man from bodily harm or suffering. When you allow to go naked one whom you could have clothed, then you permit him to perish from cold. When you see one suffering from hunger and you feed him not, you let him starve to death. Likewise, if you see the innocent under sentence of death or in similar distress, and, it being in your power to rescue him, you fail to do so, you put him to death. Of no avail will be the excuse that you gave no assistance or counsel to that end. For you have culpably withheld from him that love and kindness by which his life might have been saved.

Therefore, rightly does God call them murderers who withhold their counsel and help in cases of bodily and spiritual need or danger. He will allow terrible calamity to befall them in the day of judgment. So Christ declares when he says: "I was hungry, and ye did not give me to eat; I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink; I was a stranger, and ye took me not in; naked, and ye clothed me not; sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not," Mt 25, 42-43. That is, You would have left me and my followers to die from hunger, thirst and cold, to be torn by wild beasts, to decay in prison and to perish from want. What is this but an accusation that they are murderers and bloodhounds? Although you be not actually guilty of such crime, yet in effect the guilt is yours if you have allowed your neighbor to perish in his misfortune without effort to save him. The case is like this: If I saw one struggling in deep water or fallen into the fire, and I could extend him a hand, pull him out and save his life, and yet I did it not, how could I appear before the whole world in any other light than as a murderer and wicked wretch? Therefore, the chief design of God is that we permit no injury to befall any person, but that we show to every one all kindness and love. And this kindness is directed, as I said, especially toward our enemies. To show kindness to friends is a common virtue, even among the heathen, as Christ says in Matthew 5, 46.

Here again we have God's Word by which he would awaken and urge us to true, noble and exalted deeds, as meekness, patience, and, in brief, love and kindness to our enemies. He would have us keep in mind the thought of the first commandment—that he is our God; in other words, he will help and protect us, subduing in us the spirit of revenge.

If this were practiced and preached all would be diligent in good works. Such teaching, however, would not endorse the doctrine of the monks. It would curtail the liberties of their religious orders too much. It would do violence to Carthusian sanctity and mean even the prohibition of their good works and the abandonment of the monasteries. For, following this doctrine, the ordinary Christian life would be just as acceptable, yea, much more so. Then would be apparent to everyone how the monks oppress and mislead the world by a false, hypocritical show of holiness; for they neglect this as well as other commandments, regarding them all as unnecessary, as if they were not commandments but mere counsels. They have, moreover, boldly boasted and proclaimed their hypocritical calling and works as the perfect life, thereby contriving for themselves a life of ease and indolence with no experience of the cross and of patience. They entered the monasteries purposely to escape molestation and obligation to their fellow men. But we know that these—the works commanded by God's Word—are the truly holy and righteous works, in which God and angels rejoice. In contrast with them all human sanctity is filth and pollution, and merits only wrathful condemnation.