LXVI. THE first commandment, which regards the relations of man with
God, lays down that the acknowledgment of the Supreme Being is the basis
of all the revelation, and gives us to understand that such a conviction
then began historically to manifest itself on earth, taking root first
in the people of Israel, whom therefore the Deity addresses, saying, "I
am the Eternal, _thy_ God," signifying, "by _thee_ alone acknowledged
hitherto." It also establishes the immutable eternity of the absolute
Being, conveyed in the etymology of the ineffable Name; next, his
indivisible unity, indicated in the word _El_, which denotes the sum of
all the powers, and the aggregation of all the attributes, in one and
the same essence. The same text proceeds then to arouse the feelings of
gratitude, which must bind especially this people to the powerful hand
that had delivered it from ignominious servitude: and this involves the
obligation in the same people of devoting itself entirely to God, and
subordinating all its tendencies to religious feeling. The last two
words of this text allude to one of the great principles on which
revealed religion rests, the Eternal having thereby proclaimed, not only
the individual equality of all the Israelites before the law, but also
the personal liberty of all men, which principle, being regulated
according to the true idea of right, becomes the fundamental basis of
civil society.
LXVII. The worship of the only God, coupled with the absolute rejection
of every form of idolatrous and superstitious creed, forms the subject
of the second commandment, which completes the portion of the Decalogue
regarding the relations of man towards the Creator. It severely
prohibits every kind of idolatry, both that which substitutes for the
true God false and imaginary beings, or even beings real but contingent
and created, and that which would associate in His worship a veneration
for others, under the title of mediators or protectors; it then
interdicts the making of any image whatsoever, when intended to
represent the infinite and incorporeal Being, and bids us neither to pay
to any such simulacra a religious respect or veneration, which is due to
the true God alone, nor to practise such conventional acts, as, however
insignificant in themselves, are yet held by idolaters as modes of
worship. Lastly, this commandment conveys the obligation to dissent
from, and reject, every superstition and every error, requiring us to
preserve pure and intemerate the adoration due to the Supreme Being,
who, in this sense, is represented in this text as jealously watching
over human actions, and a not indifferent spectator of good or evil;
therefore a sure punisher of the guilty, and an eternal remunerator of
him who faithfully adheres to His law.
LXVIII. As a transition from the duties towards God to those towards our
fellow-men, the two succeeding precepts are opportunely placed, one of
which concerns the act of invoking the Divinity between men, and the
other the mode of elevating men towards the Divinity. In the
multifarious contentions arising in social life, it sometimes occurs to
have recourse to God, to convalidate an assertion, or to test a truth.
Now, in the act of attestation called oath, the third commandment
prohibits with the greatest rigour anything that might offend the
sanctity of the ineffable name of God, which is invoked by the deponent
in attestation of the truth of his words. Consequently the text
declares, that if such a solemn invocation were made to confirm a thing,
which is not wholly conformable to the intimate conviction and most
scrupulous conscience of the swearer, the consequences would be a
profanation of the name of God, and a scandalous immorality, to the
detriment of society at large; for this could not subsist without an
upright administration of justice; and the latter would be upset and
trampled upon by perjury. In order to shew more prominently the gravity
of this matter, and to protect society, an avenging God protests that He
would never leave unpunished whomsoever should render himself guilty of
the monstrous crime of perjury.
LXIX. From the moment when the work of creation was completed, the
Divine wisdom ordained that an intimate relation should subsist between
man and his Creator, and called that day holy and blessed on which so
merciful an institution was inaugurated and began to come into
operation. This relation, which, as we have already stated, forms the
basis of revealed religion, tended to emancipate man from the sphere of
materiality, and to render him conscious of his higher destination, and
capable of accomplishing it. It was, therefore, natural that the people
called upon to give the religious principle a durable consistency on
earth, should keep a perpetual commemoration of that day which
represented the bond subsisting between the Divinity and humanity; it
was proper that the day should not only and simply be remembered, but
that it should, also, have some feature exercising a predominating
influence over material life, by making this subordinate to the
spiritual requirements. The fourth word of the Decalogue prescribes,
then, that the Israelite should for ever remember the holy day of
sabbath, as a representative of religion, and should, during that day,
abstain, and cause all his dependants to abstain, from all manual labour
and earthly occupation, that might distract him from the contemplation
of heavenly subjects, which should exclusively occupy his mind on that
day.
LXX. Among all man's duties towards his fellow-men, those of children
towards their parents are assuredly the highest in degree, because
without them the bonds which hold society together would be destroyed.
These duties form the subject of the fifth commandment. To define their
character in a single trait, a profound wisdom has selected the word
_honour_, thereby pointing to a respect which arises, not from fear and
terror, but from gratitude, love and submission. Additional importance
is given to this precept by the consideration, that the revealed
religion could not have been preserved and made known to the latest
posterity but by the instrumentality of an uninterrupted tradition from
generation to generation; and the faith to be placed in such a tradition
depended, to a great extent, on the respect in which parents would be
held. The reward promised to him who observes this commandment, is in
perfect and natural harmony with the observance itself; man's life will
be prolonged and blessed by honouring the authors of it.
LXXI. The three conditions most prominent in human society, viz., life,
matrimony, and property, are referred to in the subsequent words, which
form the sixth, seventh and eighth precepts of the Decalogue. To
concentrate in one word all that is to be observed regarding these
essential elements of a social state, the sacred text confines itself to
proclaiming, in an absolute mode, their _inviolability_, therefore
adopting the negative or prohibitive form. It is desired to prevent and
forbid every arbitrary act, and every unjust attempt, directed to
deprive the legitimate possessor of, or to restrict and in any other way
to disturb him in, the full, free, and exclusive enjoyment of his own.
To respect the life, the conjugal bed, and the property of others, is to
consolidate the bonds of society, to pay homage to the eternal
principles of justice, upon the practice of which God willed that the
preservation and prosperity of mankind should depend.
LXXII. In order that our conduct towards our neighbours be strictly in
accordance with justice, it is necessary, generally, that it should be
based upon an honest and straightforward character of veracity, and that
our outward demonstrations, in deeds and in words, should not be at
variance with our inward convictions, respecting the merits or demerits
of our fellow-men. Falsehood, detraction, calumny, and other similar
vices, injurious to the peace and reputation of others, as well as
simulated friendship, and hypocrisy, may all be comprehended within the
denomination of perfidy; and as an extreme and most distinct
manifestation of perfidiousness is to be found in false testimony, hence
the ninth commandment is addressed to this vice, and forbids the
witnessing against our fellow-men anything that is not entirely and
strictly conformable to the truth. It is easy and natural for us to step
from this special prohibition to the spirit which dictated it, and to
conclude that the precept is generally directed to remove from society
all perfidy and wrong, as contrary to truth and justice.
LXXIII. A certain involuntary or instinctive desire of that which is
pleasing, is in human nature itself; but this vague and voluble feeling
may, by deliberate reflection, convert itself into an act of free-will,
and, eventually increasing in strength, become a vehement affection, an
uncontrollable passion. Now, so long as that feeling does not pass into
an act of appropriating the thing desired, human law cannot deal with
it; but Divine law, which has for its object the internal perfection of
man, steps in to regulate the movements of the heart, when they are
accompanied by a deliberate will of possessing. Therefore, the tenth and
last commandment of the Decalogue, which refers to man's duties towards
himself, aims at the human will, and prescribes limits, within which the
desires, tending to procure possession, should be confined, forbidding
specially to covet that which belongs to others. It is not thereby
intended to absolutely prevent the formation of a natural wish, but it
is directed to confine it within just limits, that it may not expand and
be transformed into a usurpation.