Page:Sin and Crime.pdf/6

 (Lev. xix. 27, 29); and an order as to the wearing of fringes is put on an equality with directions about the gravest offences (Deut. xxii. 12—30). If we refer to the "Ten Commandments", giving them a pre-eminence that is not claimed for them in the Bible, our ideas about sin will not be greatly clarified. The first four deal with man's duty to god, and do not therefore come within our definition of morality at all, except in so far as duties to God may come into conflict with duties to man, and so may tend—as they most certainly do—to diminish the happiness of the community.

The penalty attached to the breach of any of these four was that of death; breaches of them were crimes, punishable by the civil authority. Of the criminal nature of any acts infringing them not the smallest doubt is shown. Modern civilisation has relegated most breaches of them to the category of sins, not punishable by law. "Profane cursing and swearing" is occasionally punished, when done to the public annoyance, and here and there an old woman is fined for a breach of the fourth Commandment. Even those who believe in God, and who consequently regard offences against him as sins, prefer to leave him to punish the sinner, occasionally adding some social penalty. But the gay crowds who throng the Thames and who play lawn-tennis at garden-parties on the Sunday, would be rather startled if law-makers re-enacted the Bible law on Sabbath-breaking (Ex. xxxv., 2). In truth the Bible is not itself consistent in the matter, for Paul despises the Sabbath (Col. ii., 16).

The so-called "second table of the law" deals with moral conduct, but is rendered useless as an ethical guide by the fact that what Jehovah here forbids he in other places commands. The command to honor father and mother is contradicted by the statement of Jesus that "if any man come to me, and hate not his father and mother … he cannot be my disciple" (Luke xiv., 26). The command not to murder stands in striking contrast with the command to destroy Amalek and to "slay both man and woman, infant and suckling" (1 Sam. xv., 3). "Thou shalt not commit adultery" is said by the same God who bade Jews ravish captured women and turn them adrift afterwards (Deut. xxi., 10—14). "Thou shalt not steal" has but small force when accompanied with