Answer. No; for when God forbids envy, hatred and anger, he commands us to love our neighbour as ourselves; to show patience, peace, meekness, mercy, and all kindness towards him, and prevent his hurt as much as in us lies; and that we do good even unto our enemies.
Exposition
The end or design of this commandment is the preservation of the life and health of the body, and so of the safety both of ourselves and of others. All those things, therefore, which have respect to the safety and preservation of our own life and the lives of others, are here enjoined; whilst, on the other hand, every thing is prohibited which tends to the destruction of life, which may be said to include every unlawful injury, and every desire of inflicting a wrong which any one may cherish, with every expression of this desire. It is called murder in this prohibition, or commandment, not because God prohibits this alone, but that in removing the effect he may at the same time remove all the causes which contribute to it, and that embracing under the term murder, all the sins which are connected with it, he may, by showing its aggravated character, the more effectually restrain us from these sins, according to the rule, that when any particular virtue is commanded or vice forbidden, the general virtues and vices, or whatever is connected with it, is at the same time commanded or forbidden.
We must here show, 1. That this commandment enjoins and forbids not only what is external, but also what is internal. 2. That it prohibits any injury done to ourselves or others. 3. That it requires us to defend ourselves and others.
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That this commandment prohibits and requires what is internal, is proven, 1. By this rule, that when an effect is commanded or forbidden, the cause is also understood as being commanded or forbidden. 2. From the design of this commandment. God does not will that we should injure any one. Therefore he also forbids the means by which we might inflict a wrong upon any one. 3. From the interpretation of Christ: “Whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment.” (Matt. 5:22.) Hence with external murder there is prohibited at the same time every wrong inflicted upon our neighbor, together with all the causes, occasions and signs of these injuries, such as anger, envy, hatred and desire of revenge.
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This commandment prohibits every injury, or neglect not only to the lives of others, but also to our own life, inasmuch as the same causes are found in us, on account of which God will have us to regard the lives of others. These causes are, 1. The image of God, which we may not destroy either in ourselves or in others. 2. The likeness of nature, and our common origin from our first parents. For as our neighbor must not be injured and hurt by us because he is bone of our bone and flesh of our flesh, so we are to inflict no wrong upon ourselves, for the reason that no man ever yet hated his own flesh. 3. The greatness of the price, by which Christ has redeemed us and others. 4. The union, or conjunction, which there is between those who are members of Christ. Inasmuch now as these causes are in like manner found in us, it follows that this commandment forbids every injury or neglect which any one may inflict upon himself.
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This commandment requires us to protect and defend our neighbour; for seeing that the law commands us not only to shun and avoid sin of every description, but also to practice that which is opposite thereto, it is evident that God does not only here forbid us to injure the life and safety of any one, but commands us at the same time, as far as it is in our power, to cherish and defend our neighbor.
The sum and substance of this commandment is, that we neither hurt by any external act our own life, or the life of another, nor practice any injury upon our own, or the bodily safety of another, neither by force, nor treachery, nor negligence; and that we do not desire, either in thought or will, any injury to ourselves or others, nor signify the same by any signs, or words; but that we, on the other hand, as much as in us lies, preserve and protect our own, as well as the lives of others, and so prove ourselves a blessing to all. Hence when this commandment declares, Thou shalt not kill, it signifies, 1. Thou shalt cherish no desire to kill either thyself or others; for what God does not will us to do, that he does not permit us to wish or desire. 2. Thou shalt not express or signify any desire to mur der either thyself or others; for when God forbids any particular desire, he also forbids every expression of this desire, whether it be in the words, gesture or countenance of the person. 3. Thou shalt not put this desire into execution; for what God forbids any one to desire, or to signify by external signs, that he much more forbids to be executed. The opposite now of all this is, Thou shall aid and assist thyself and others, 1. In desire or heart. 2. In the signification of this desire. 3. In the execution of this desire. From this all the virtues of this commandment, as well as all the vices which are opposite thereto, take their origin. The vices which are forbidden in this precept of the Decalogue, tend to the destruction of life; whilst the virtues which it enjoins tend to the preservation of life, or the safety of men.