the book of Deuteronomy, " and who is proved to have had no hatred against him yesterday, and the day before, but to have gone with him to the wood, to hew wood, and in cutting down the tree, the axe slipt out of his hand, and the iron slipping from the handle struck his friend and killed him, shall live." [1] Such accidental deaths, because inflicted without intent or design, involve no guilt whatever, and in this we are fortified by the opinion of St. Augustine: " God forbid," says he, " that what we do for a good or lawful end should be imputed to us, if, contrary to our intention, evil accrue to any one." [2] There are, however, two cases in which guilt attaches to accidental death: the one, when it is the consequence of an unlawful act; when, for instance, a person strikes a woman in a state of pregnancy, and abortion follows. The consequence, it is true, may not have been intended, but this does not exculpate the offender, because the act was in itself unlawful. The other case is, when death is caused by negligence, incaution, or want of due circumspection.
If a man kill another in self-defence, having used every precaution consistent with his own safety to avoid the infliction of death, he evidently does not violate this commandment.
These are the instances in which human blood may be shed without the guilt of murder; and with these exceptions the precept binds universally with regard to the person who kills, the person killed, and the means used to kill. As to the person who kills, the commandment recognises no exception whatever, be he rich or powerful, master or parent: all, without exception of person or distinction of rank, are forbidden to kill. With regard to the person killed, the obligation of the law is equally extensive, embracing every human creature; there is no individual, however humble or lowly his condition, whose life is not shielded by this law. It also forbids suicide. No man possesses such absolute jurisdiction over himself as to be at liberty to put a period to his own existence; and hence we find that the commandment does not say, " thou shall not kill an other," but simply, "Thou shalt not kill." Finally, if we consider the numerous means by which murder may be committed, the law admits of no exception: not only does it forbid to take away the life of another by laying violent hands on him, by means of a sword, a dagger, a stone, a stick, a halter, or by ad ministering poison; but also strictly prohibits the accomplishment of the death of another by counsel, assistance, or any other means of co-operation.
The Jews, with singular dulness of apprehension, thought that to abstain from shedding human blood was enough to satisfy the obligation imposed by this commandment. But the Christian, who, instructed by the interpretation of Jesus Christ, has learned that the precept is spiritual, and that it commands
