most violent and indivertible that are led by it because it moves with nature and not against it and hath will in men more propense that way which by griefe is rather forced than seconded §. 4. How absolutly direct self-murder is the greatest Direct self-murder is the greater sinne and why Notwithstanding Direct self-murder is the farre more grievous sin in three respects 1. End intended First in respect of the direct intention of the will and of its immediate object of murder of a mans selfe whereby it partakes more properly and fully of the nature of self-murder than indirect self-murder doth For what is under a common Genus or generall directly partakes more of the nature of that Genus than that which is under it but by reduction or indirectly So then although direct and indirect self-murder be both self-murder Etiamsiaequè non tamen aequaliter yet they are not equall self-murder but the former is the greater 2. The consequences of their acts Secondly for the consequences of the acts of them both direct self-murder brings more certaine and sudden inevitable destruction than indirect which in this latter may better be prevented by having time of repentance than it can be in the former and death in this is an accidentall effect besides the intention of the agent and nature of the meanes which in the former is perse and of the nature of the action so purposely ordered to that end 3. Company of other sinnes Thirdly direct self-murder hath more and greater sinnes complicated in it than indirect hath both by extension in kindes and number against God others and our selves and also for intension in degrees by reason of circumstances of the party doing the same against the light and reluctancie of nature with direct intention to kill himselfe §. 5. Of the degrees of sinne and how to escape the greatest and its end Vses The uses of this doctrine of the distinction of self-murder into direct and indirect and of the differences betweene them are specially two 1. Degrees of sin First to teach us that there are differences and degrees in the same kindes of sinnes some being more grievous than other some So that although we be not guilty of sinne in the same degree yet we may be in the same kinde as appeares by the Iewes convicted in their consciences of uncleannesse although they were not taken in the act as the Woman was Iohn 8.9 How to escape great sins And therefore to escape falling into the highest degrees of sinne wee should be carefull to avoide and to be free of the same generall kindes of sinne both as they are unformed and confused in originall corruption as in their seminall Chaos and also as they are formed in their distinct habits so improperly called because after the manner of habits they either are in the place of true habits or unite themselves in and with them that they may both brooke one common name and so we should labour to be cleare of sinne both habitually and actually Observe Wee should not bee conceited and blesse our selves so much because we are not fallen into the fowlest degrees of sinne as we should be humble and penitently confesse our guiltinesse in the kindes thereof the difference herein being betweene us and others but in magis and minus in greater and lesser where the least degree makes way and disposes us for the greatest and makes us liable to the same kinde of punishment although not to the same measure of it The same end severall vvaies attained The second use serves to instruct us that men doe come to the same dismall ends as Saul and others did by severall courses being guilty of their owne deaths in diverse manners as men may come into the same prison at and by severall doores Comparison For although a man can draw a right or straight line betwixt the same points but one way yet he may draw crooked lines many waies and they all be terminated in the same points Therefore as a man would beware of any evill end so should he shunne all the courses that may lead or bring him to it For it is no benefit to a man in misery to consider how and by what sinfull course hee came thither so long as he is in that woefull state Wee see many men come and end their daies together upon the same Gallowes but by severall courses and differing crimes some for pettie treason some for wilfull murder some for burglary some for pettie larceny and yet to him that is hanged for the lesser offence it is small ease and comfort because he suffers not for a greater so long as it is for any that he dies CHAP. II. Of Indirect self-murder of the body §. 1. Why Indirect self-murder is first treated of Indirect self-murder is handled first ALthough that by logicall method I should treat first of Direct self-murder because that which is directly under a Genus or generall head should bee handled before that which is but indirectly under it for the neerenesse thereof unto the same and for the light that it may afford for the better understanding of the other yet for all that I will heere begin with indirect self-murder for three causes Reasons 1. Imitation of nature First because I will herein imitate nature which proceeds frō things lesse perfect tothings more perfect because perfectiō is her ultimate end Indirect self-murder is lesse perfect self-murder than direct self-murder because the Genus of self-murder agrees more properly and primarily to direct self-murder than to indirect 2. Precedency in execution Secondly indirect self-murder is ordinarily both the way and the cause of direct self-murder and therefore may be fitly treated of first the rather because direct self-murder never goeth before indirect but this goeth often before and without that 3. End intended Thirdly because my intention is to insist specially upon direct self-murder and by meanes of it onely doe I speake of indirect self-murder therefore I purpose first to dispatch it as an accessary to the other which I principally intend as my last end in this treatise therewithall to conclude the same §. 2. Of Indirect self-murder by omission How indirect self-murder is performed Having shewed what indirect self-murder is and how it is differenced from direct self-murder I will now declare how men doe fall into the same which is done two waies First by omission Secondly by commission 1. By omission By omission a man may indirectly murder himselfe being the deficient cause of the preservation of his life two waies either in a physicall naturall manner or in a morall meritorious course §. 3. Of indirect self-murder by omission physically wrought Wayes how 1. Physically diverse waies First physically and after a naturall manner a man may indirectly murder himselfe divers waies as 1. Neglect of food First a man may indirectly murder himselfe by
subjected to manifold sufferings here in this life and is hindered from that ease and advancement that freed out of the body it might have Answer to 1. But touching the first it should make us the more tender over it chary to use it and to consider that by self-murderously destroying our bodies wee do contaminate and defile our soules whereby wee make them far more vile than any carion can be seeing sinne is the onely excrement and morall defilement for which God detests and abhorres men as loathsome Ansvver to 2. For answer to the second it is to be observed that by self-murder of the body a man is so farre from bettering of himselfe that thereby he deprives himselfe of happinesse and subjects himselfe to that wofull misety which otherwise living he might escape and therefore our bodies and naturall lives are to be respected and cherished not onely for their worth but also for their use for which God hath given them to us So that we are not to force a divorce of those things that God hath coupled so neere together nor to thrust away or reject that which God requires us not then and that way to lay downe CHAP. 10. Of the kindes of bodily self-murder §. 1. Direct and indirect self-murder defined 1. Direct self-murder THe kindes of bodily self-murder are two Direct and Indirect Self-murder is not such a generall as in the Schooles is called Genus univocum so predicated of them both as equally communicating it self to both those species or specialls under it but is genus analogum ab uno or commune genus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for that the same doth properly and primarily belong to direct self-murder Direct bodily self-murder is the killing of a mans bodie or naturall life by himself or his owne meanes advisedly wittingly and willingly intending and effecting his owne death 2. Indirect self-murder Indirect self-murder of the body is when a man advisedly wittingly and willingly intends and doth that which he knowes may be of it self the meanes of the destruction of his naturall life Although he doth not purposely intend to kill himself thereby Or it is the killing of a mans owne body by unlawfull either morall or naturall meanes of his owne using without intending of his death thereby §. 2. Of the differences between direct and indirect self-murder 1. They differ in their ends The proper differences between direct and indirect self-murderers consists specially in three things First in the ends directly and immediately intended by the self-murderers of both kindes in their severall acts the end that is immediately intended in direct self-murder is death it self of their bodies that kill themselves although not for it self but in respect of some benefit conceited to be had thereby which is their ultimate end whereunto death is in the murderers intention subordinate as for a man to kill himself that he may be out of trouble The end that in indirect self-murder is immediately aimed at is the attainment of some good really or apparent in or by the meanes that an indirect self-murderer doth use without any respect or expectation of death thereupon ensuing as in surfeiting by drunkennesse or gluttony 2. In their meanes Secondly they differ in the meanes that are used by them for accomplishing those ends in direct self-murder the meanes abused to that effect and end are not proper of themselves nor by Gods appointment but are perverted by him that kills himself thereby as knives or the like for God never appointed meanes for any man lawfully to use for effecting that which he would never have men to doe a direct self-murderer uses not the meanes for any pleasure he hath in them but for the consequent effects that he intends by them In indirect self-murder the meanes and course used are such as doe properly kill in the end if that they bee persisted in as drunkennesse and the like although they have in them a shew of present good which gives the users of them a kinde of delight and contentment in them whereof they shall be disappointed when in the end they shall in stead thereof finde death which they least expected and most abhorred and would resist the same if it were inferred or offered to them by others 3. In the good aimed at Thirdly direct and indirect self-murder doe differ in the good that is aimed at by them and in the time wherein they looke to enjoy it A direct self-murderer doth fancy his good intended by him in his act of self-murder not to be in the meanes that he uses to kill himself but in or by death in his freedome from evill or enjoying of good the time of his reaping of which benefit he conceives to be after that he is dead and gone An indirect self-murderer conceits the good that hee aymes at by his course to bee and rest in the very meanes themselves that he uses therein expecting the present enjoyment thereof before and not after his death the cogitations and inflicting whereof hee abhorres although he doe prosecute with eager delight the courses that doe hasten and bring his death §. 3. How indirect self-murder is greater in some respects than direct Which of them is the greater sinne It is demanded whether direct or indirect self-murder be the greater sinne Answer In some respects Indirect self-murder I answer if we consider the freenesse of the will with lesse inforcement and with more delight prosecuting those deadly courses of indirect self-murder there can be in that respect lesse said to excuse it than for direct self-murder 1. For freenesse of willing An indirect self-murderer is at last in respect of the mortall meanes he uses and persists in untill the effect be accomplished as sure of death which he abhorres as a direct self-murderer is of the same that he desires and indeavours for and longs after 2. Obstinatenesse Againe an indirect self-murderer is more hardly diverted from his unlawfull dangerous course than at first a direct self-murderer Because this man may be sooner convinced of the vilenesse of his purposed fact in excuse whereof he hath so little to say and also the danger of it is more apparent and ghastfull to the mind that advisedly in cold blood considers of it The other is taken up with looking upon the present contentment in the meanes that he uses not considering death and danger thereupon attending and insuing but self-deceives himselfe with excuses and colourable pretenses and so doth wink as it were that he may not see the blow of death that he is giving himselfe with his owne hands Of direct self murder the cause or occasion is ordinarily from discontentment and sorrow but of Indirect self murder the cause commonly is pleasure and delight Delores serre sacilius est quam â—â—voluptatibus absunere Arist 3 Eth. c. 12. of these two motives pleasure is the strongest and their motion
company Page 102 119 Sixe cases of desperate hazard Page 112 Three exempt cases Page 125. 127. 143. Two cases Page 141 Foure cases of adventuring life for Religion and salvation Page 143 144 145 146. 149 Of five exempt cases Page 172 Caveat A caveat against vaine praise of self-murderers Page 194 Cause there is no true cause of sinfull evill Page 191 The true causes of self-murder upon the occasion of afflictions Page 225 Censuring of censuring beware Page 231 Certainty Of the certainty that many men murder themselves Page 176 Cheerefulnesse a preservative of naturall life Page 13 Christians murdering themselves are most blameable Page 179 Self-murdering Christians are indeed worse than Heathens Page 180 Church In the Church self-murder fals out Page 177 To the Church self-murder is hurtfull Page 273 The Churches judgement of self-murderers Page 297 Commission of evill how to be avoided Page 149 Of Common-place Preaching Page 196 Common-wealth The Common-wealth is wronged by self-murder Page 271 Condemned persons may not kill themselves Page 265 How a condemned person is to submit to take his inflicted death Page 266 Concealement Of concealement of troubles beware Page 231 Conference Christian conference and company how usefull Page 29 Confession Of confession to prevent self-murder with the Caveats benefits and hinderances of it Page 316 unto page 323 Of confession of truth with danger of life for the same Page 145 Confiscation Of confiscation of the goods of self-murderers Page 278 Conscience A troubled conscience an occasion of self-killing Page 217 For case of conscience troubled about crimes what is to be done Page 137 Ease of conscience is not from our selves Page 219 About ease of conscience by ill meanes Page 235 For peace of conscience what is to be done Page 236 Distressed conscience cause of spirituall phrensie Page 251 Consider What men should consider Page 289 Consideration of our courses Page 157 Contemners of the meanes of life Page 61 Contentment good against self-murder Page 312 Conversion Of mans conversion Page 30 Covenant Of covenant with persons destinate to destruction Page 119 Course Our morall course in this life fore-shewes our future estate Page 79 Ill courses are harmfull Page 158 Covetousness cause of self-murder Page 215 Councill of Bracara against self-murder Page 277 Creatures The most noble creatures faile most Page 189 The degrees of the creatures being Page 274 The creatures by nature condemne self-murder Page 283 Custome Some customes cause of error in judgement Page 192 Custome in India and Lemnos Page 193 Of custome contrary to reason and Religion Page 194 Customes ought to bee examined whether they be wicked ibid. D Damneds misery in hell Page 166 Danger Prevention of dangers neglected cause of self-murder Page 92 Danger of self-murder how not knowne Page 188 Dangers upon delivery from temptations of self-murder Page 325 Dangerous undertakings how to be shunned Page 17 Dangerous persons and places are occasions of indirect self-murder Page 93 It is dangerous to give way to Satan Page 188 Darings Deadly attempts upon darings self-murderous Page 116 Deadly things to be resisted Page 16 Death is a thing of great importance Page 1 Of death in murder Page 48 Benefit of death encourages Page 126 Vncertaine death for certaine publick good Page 128 Certaine death for Superiours and friends Page 129 Certaine death for certaine and greater publick good Page 131 Death is not the ultimate end of self-murder Page 163 Touching our deaths we are onely to be passive Page 206 Death worse than affliction Page 229 Death is not subjected by God to mans free will Page 276 Deceived Many men are deceived in their estates Page 155 Men are more deceived in the meanes than in the end Page 143 Discerne How to discerne things that differ Page 172 Destinie How conceit of destiny perverts judgement Page 201 Decrees Mans ignorance of Gods decree Page 204 No man is saved for fulfilling the will of Gods decree Page 205 The will of Gods decree none can overthrow ibid. Defence In defence of Religion what is to be done Page 144 Deficiency of man in Adam and in himselfe to be saved Page 59. unto 66. Degrees Of the degrees of sin Page 89 Denomination is given from habit and practise Page 175 Deodands How self-murderers goods be deodands Page 278. 299 Desire of death lawfull and unlawfull Page 257 Desperation cause of wicked revenge of sin upon ones selfe Page 235 Desperation a degree of entrance into self-murder Page 256 Destroy To destroy is the effect and end of self-murder Page 160 Destruction For destruction way is made by ignorance Page 210 Die To die in what estate is bad Page 281 Difference of sins Page 76 Difference betweene direct and indirect self-murder Page 85 Direct bodily self-murder defined Page 84 How direct bodily self-murder is greater than indirect Page 88 Direct bodily self-murder what it is in the nature of it Page 159 Of direct self-murderers Page 175 Direct self-murder is a morall and mortall act Page 159 Disappointment of mens passions and affections Page 219 Discontentment cause of self-murder ibid. Disease Of the same disease all are sick Page 180 Inbred diseases occasioning self-murder Page 212 Disposition Mans disposition is cause of easinesse to do evill Page 184 Distrust Wee ought to distrust our selves Page 57 Divell The divels malice against the truth and Church by self-murder Page 177 The divell hinders good and furthers evill Page 184 Who bee forward to obey the divell Page 206 Of the divels motions cause of self-murder Page 246 Whence the divell hath his power ibid What persons the divell haunts most and how he tempts Page 247 Duels The unlawfulnesse of duels Page 114 Dutie of divine commands is not to be omitted Page 146 Of the kinds of duties Page 147 Of neglect of duties Page 260 Mans dutie marred by self-murder Page 272 E Election Of election of meanes to self-murder Page 185 End The same end severall wayes attained Page 89 Our last end crossed by self-murder Page 279 Error in judgement Page 192 Error of understanding the Scripture how to be prevented Page 199 Mens errour about decree and destiny Page 204 Men are strong to beleeve errours Page 206 Estate Of calamities upon mens estates Page 214 The present estate of the godly is then best for them Page 245 Evill How and why evill cleaves to good Page 3 How by doing evill men mis-spend their lives Page 19 Evill of commission how to be avoided Page 150 Evils of sin determinate by lawes of God and nature Page 151 Evill cannot be an end Page 163 From evils to be freed Heathens murdered themselves Page 179 It is easie to doe evill Page 184. 186 Of evill of sinne there is no proper cause Page 191 Evill of sin brings shame Page 223 Future evill is but contingent Page 240 Evill not to bee done to accomplish good Page 241 Examples By examples self-murderers not deterred Page 282 Vse of examples not to be rules ibid. Examples
Secondly actively as he is an agent in and about his owne death working to effect the same either meritoriously or efficiently and so he is a self-murderer and guilty of his owne death §. 2. Of the meanes of losing life naturall Meanes of losse of life are 1. Internall Mans life is loseable by two sorts of meanes First internall arising from and within a mans selfe that kills him as the worme that breeds of and in the tree and destroyes it so in mans bodie doe distempers and diseases breed of and from it selfe whereby hee is in deaths hands and by degrees dies daily also in the soule of man sinne doth breed that kills his spirituall life and so he hath in himselfe the principles and meanes of the destruction both of his soule and body of his life both naturall and spirituall 2. Externall The second meanes is externall inflicted from without a man tending to that taking away of his life and the same is either casuall or voluntary 1. Casuall Casuall or accidentall is when besides the intension of the agent and proper nature and end of the action it falls out and comes to passe that thereby the life of man is hurt or taken away as when in felling of wood the axe flees off the helve and unawares to him that uses it kills a man a Deut. 19.5 herein the life of man is taken away not without concurrence of the providence of God who is pleased by suffering such an accident to lay a crosse upon the agent to whom it is a kinde of calamity or punishment to be a meanes against his will of the death of any man Also to this casuall destruction of mans life belongs the perishing of the soules of those that unjustly take offence at other mens estates and lives b 1 Cor. 1.23 for that which they lawfully and necessarily doe or suffer in their callings and Christian condition whereby such persons flee off from the truth and fall into or persist in evill and damnable course to their eternall perdition without any fault of theirs by whose occasion they of their own wretchednesse stumble and miscarry and so goe guilty of their owne spirituall death by abusing of that which is good to their hurt and damnation so falling and ruinating themselves by other mens rising and standing 2. Voluntary Or else the externall meanes of taking away a mans life doe of themselves in their proper nature and direct use and in the intension of the agent tend to the effecting thereof which about our life that is naturall is done either justly upon lawfull causes in just manner Justly by those those that are sufficiently authorized to doe the same or else it is done unjustly when the same is without just cause Unjustly not by the hands of persons lawfully authorized to doe it or is not performed in a just and warrantable manner §. 3. Of the meanes of the destruction of spirituall life 2. Of the soule Also touching our spirituall life the same is externally or by meanes without a mans selfe destroyed eyther by the justice of God 1. By God when he most righteously in his act of vindicative and distributive justice punishes man with eternall destruction for his sinnes Mat. 10.28 in which case man in respect of his owne merits and deservings is guilty of his owne perishing and not God 2. By men two waies Or else our spirituall life may miscarry by meanes of men 1. who First by their corrupt doctrine and evill examples doe draw others with them to perdition as did the Scribes and Pharisees that did compasse sea and land to make one Proselyte whom when they had wonne they made him twosold more the child of hell than themselves Mat. 23.15 or by depriving them of the meanes of their salvation they are subjected to destruction 2. Secondly when men by compulsory meanes of unjust lawes and severe threatnings and punishments are driven and forced from the waies of righteousnesse into sinnefull courses as by Ieroboam Manasses c. soules are destroied with a twofold guilt both of them that force others and also of them that yeeld themselves to evill upon such constraint Life is taken avvay 1 By others 2. By a mans selfe Againe the externall meanes of depriving a man of his life is inflicted either by others sometime lawfully sometimes unlawfull or else by a mans owne hands and procurement which is ever in all cases unlawfull for him to doe mediately or immediately directly or indirectly But it is to be noted that no man loseth his spirituall life but by his owne meanes and merits procuring the same for the spirituall life of man is subject to no mans power who can kill onely the body and doe no more Mat. 10.28 And God that is esseatially and absolutely just subjects not man to suffer that which actively he hath not first some way procured by his owne doings and deservings Observ How subject man is to death From hence it is observable that the lives of no creatures are longer and with more adoe hatchedup and maintained than the lives of men and yet the lives of no creatures are subject to so many dangers inward and outward of destruction and sooner overthrowne than mans we being like brittle glasses that containe precious balsame and as choise flowers hardly cherished up and soone blasted which shewes both our weakenesse and want of self-sufficiency to uphold our selves and also how we are possessed and compassed about with things adverse and dangerous to our lives both of soule and body of all creatures man onely being a stranger and pilgrim on earth hath therefore the least kinde entertainment in this world and the most uncertaine possession of it and is alwaies neerest to be thrust out of it walking here but as a shadow Vse 1 Therefore wee should be more carefull to cleave the more closely to our God who is the preserver of men that by him we may be upheld and protected against all dangers 2. And againe we should be the more watchfull against carnall security that wee doe not presume upon our uncertaine lives nor suffer our selves to be intangled with this world and the things of it but that we be ever heavenly minded and ready for our departure hence labouring to get and keepe that spirituall and eternall life §. 4. Of murder in self-killing Killing of a mans selfe is murder 1. In a mans taking away of his owne life two things are to be considered First that it is murder in regard of the nature of the act of it 2. Secondly that it is murder of ones selfe in respect of the object thereof and so self-murder is a compounded sinne of more degrees than one and that in such a kind as is the most hainous and most to be abhorred in humane society in regard that this destroyes the substantiall being of that which ought to bee of