Luther also rightly demands24 that “we must firmly establish civil law and the sword” – in order to punish murderers and other evil-doers. He observes: “This penal law existed from the beginning of the World. For when Cain slew his brother, he in turn was in…great terror of being killed [Genesis 2:17; 3:3; 4:8-14]…. He would not have had this fear, if he had not seen and heard from Adam that murderers should be slain. Moreover, God re-established and confirmed it after the Flood in unmistakable terms when He said: ‘whosoever sheds man∗s blood, his blood shall be shed by man∗ [Genesis 9:6]….
TEXT SIZE 
