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
degrees of spirituall life which are two and subordinate Page 22 § 4. Who may have spirituall life which is denyed to none and by whose fault doth any misse of it or lose it How the Gospell was published to Adam and to all his posterity who for unbeliefe of the same are justly punishable Page 24 § 5. Of the excellency of spirituall life in three respects Page 26 § 6. How to obtaine spirituall life by meanes which wee are to use to get it and grow in it Page 28 § 7. How the Gospell works life not physically or ethically but supernaturally by the power of God working according to his owne will upon mans heart that is the subject of conversion Page 30 § 8. Why God uses meanes to convert us reasons three Page 31 § 9. How the power of the Holy Spirit is manifested and seene upon us in the meanes by foure degrees of operation And of three evidences of the Spirits application of Christ to us Page 32 § 10. How the Spirit works holinesse in us in two degrees with their uses and of three grounds of actuall obedience Page 35 § 11. Of the foure signes of spirituall life Page 37 § 12. How spirituall life may be preserved by use of six meanes Page 39 § 13. How mans care of his spirituall life should be great preferring it above his naturall life Page 42 Chap. 6. Of lifes destruction and of murder in generall § 1. How mans life maybe lost both passively and actively Page 43 § 2. How naturall life may be lost by meanes both internall and externall casuall and voluntary justly and unjustly Page 44 § 3. Of the meanes of the destruction of spirituall life by the justice of God and by the meanes of men and of mans subjection to death Page 45 § 4. Of murder in self-killing how the same is horrible and of foure things observable in it Page 47 § 5. How murder is vile in three respects Page 49 § 6. Of the originall of murder how it selfe is an act of impotency which we are to abhorre and how none can murder another without murdering themselves Page 51 Chap. 7. Of murder as it is of ones selfe § 1. Of the specificall nature of self-murder Page 53 § 2. Of the evill and greatnesse of the sin of self-murder Page 54 § 3. Of lawfull self-killing of our old-man of the kind of that killing and how it is done Page 54 § 4. Of diverse observations from the generall consideration of self-murder for informing of our judgement and directing of our practise Page 56 Chap. 8. Of spirituall self-murder in speciall § 1. That all perishing-soules are self-murdered and how soule-murder is self-murder Page 57 § 2. Spirituall self-murder defined what it is Page 58 § 3. Of soule-murder in two degrees by deprivation of life Page 58 § 4. Of mans deficiency to be saved in Adam and in our selves by a fourefold omission of doing our duties in use of meanes Page 59 § 5. Of mans neglect and contempt of the power of the meanes that he uses Page 60 § 6. Of mans defect in obedience both Evangelicall and Legall Page 61 § 7. Of the reasons of our defect of obedience which are foure Page 62 § 8. How and why grace dies by mans neglect Page 63 § 9. How the harme of omission of dutie is deprivation of life spirituall and of negative righteousnesse and how the punishment of damage is greater than that of smart Page 64 § 10. Of the endeavour after spirituall life wherein it consists and of the lets thereof Page 66 § 11. Of the second degree of spirituall self-murder which is in subjection to death by sinnes of commission Page 67 § 12. Of the meanes of mans destruction by breaking the Law of negative commands and of foure properties of soul-murdring sins Page 67 68. § 13. Of two causes of mens adventuring upon sinfull courses against the law Page 69 § 14. Of spirituall self-murder by sinning against the Gospell and how the obedience of the Gospell differs from the obedience of the Law in foure points Page 70 § 15. Of infidelity against the Gospell and of the causes and cure thereof Page 72 § 16. Of impenitency Page 72 § 17. Of the sin against the holy Ghost and things observable about it Page 73 § 18. Of finall Apostacy and of the difference of sinnes Page 75 § 19. Of the malignity of the sinnes against the Gospell above those that are committed against the Law for three reasons Page 76 § 20. The uses and improvement of the doctrine of spirituall self-murder Page 77 Chap. 9. Of bodily self-murder in speciall § 1. How bodily self-murder is defined and differenced from spirituall self-murder Page 80 § 2. Of mans body in a threefold consideration with its works and of the soules three sorts of morall works in the body and how the body suffers by and for the soule Page 81 § 3. Of the degrees of bodily self-murder and the pronenesse of man to it upon two causes which are removed by answers to both Page 83 Chap. 10. Of the kindes of bodily self-murder direct and indirect § 1. Direct and indirect self-murder are defined Page 84 § 2. Of the difference betweene direct and indirect self-murder in three things Page 85 § 3. How indirect self-murder is greater in two respects than direct Page 87 § 4. How direct self-murder is absolutely the greater in three respects Page 88 § 5. Of the degrees of sin and how to escape the greatest and its end Page 89 Chap. 11. Of indirect self-murder of the body § 1. The reasons why indirect self-murder is first treated of Page 90 § 2. How indirect self-murder is wrought two wayes by omission and commission Page 91 § 3. How indirect self-murder by omission is physically effected foure waies ibid. § 4. How indirect self-murder by omission is morally wrought two waies and that neglect of meanes of preservation is tempting of God and how Page 94 § 5. A question resolved about standers mute or those that refuse to answer legally and to submit to lawfull triall when they are arraigned at the barre for some capitall crime the reasons pro and contra with the conclusion that such mutes are indirect self-murderers Page 96 § 6. The resolution of the question concerning malefactors arraigned for capitall crimes wherof they know themselves guilty whether they ought in conscience to answer affirmatively or negatively to the question made to them at the Barre whether they be Guilty or Not Guilty the reasons on both sides with the conclusion for the negative that they may avoid indirect self-murmurder Page 100 § 7. Of indirect self-murder of commission by distemperature and needlesse mutilation of body or members whereupon death ensues Page 109 § 8. Of indirect self-murder of commission by unwarrantable practising of Physick or Chirurgery upon ones selfe thereby killed Page 111 § 9. Of indirect self-murder of commission by a mans unthriftinesse and prodigality
damned in hell can be for that sensible misery that they shall suffer both in respect of the differing degrees and also of the natures of the things but punishment of damage and privation of life and happinesse proceeds from want and omission of good whereof wee are to beware §. 10. Of indeavour after spirituall life and of the lets thereof 2. The second use is to stirre us up to indeavour after life spirituall both to get and keepe it by the conscionable use of the meanes thereof For as God gives not this life without our using of appointed meanes so these meanes are within the reach of our power and none do perish but such as are wanting to themselves therein For no man perishes or is saved by an absolute decree of God without respect to his owne courses in the accomplishment thereof as Act. 13.48 it is said that as many as were ordained to life beleeved By a mans constant carefulnesse in the use of the meanes and walking in the waies of salvation it is apparent that he is appointed to life as the Apostle tells us 1 Thes 1.4 Knowing your election for our Gospell came unto you in power c. this life is worth the labouring for if we doe our parts for a thing of that price we may have assurance and comfort of it against the servile feare of the contrary death Letts The lets and hinderances of this endeavour and the causes of this omission whereby men deprive themselves of this spirituall life are specially three 1. Perverted judgment First a perverted judgement and stupid understanding undervaluing the worth of that life as not so excellent and necessary as it is it being not subject to our present naturall senses nor regarded by the world 2. Mis-placed affections Secondly the preferment of the world in the profits and pleasures thereof before it in place or degree after which ungodly men doe more eagerly hunt and therein have more content because they have the same in present possession and it agrees best with their estate and disposition insomuch that it may be said of such men that it is better to be their bodies than their soules as the Emperour said of Herod Macrobius that it was better being his hog than his Son because he killed his Son but spared and fatted his hogs 3. Presumption Thirdly groundlesse presumption that either he hath that life already or that he hath time enough to get it long afterwards or that it may be easily had without meanes or at least without so much adoe makes a man to omit endeavouring after it in due time in use of the meanes and so he misses that life §. 11. Of spirituall self-murder by subjection to death through commission of evill The second degree of self-soul-murder The second degree of self-soul-murder is subjection to spirituall destruction in damnation and everlasting misery whereof man himselfe is the efficient meritorious cause by his owne activity in committing and wilfully doing those sinnes for which death and destruction is threatned a Ezek. 18.4 and is assuredly inflicted upon the impenitent perseverers therein For as by a mans omission of his duty he deprives himselfe of life so by his commission of sinnes hee subjects himselfe to the contrary death the former being as terminus à quo the terme from which men move the latter as terminus ad quem the terme to which they move both which are inseparably united in the same person in whom thereby this spirituall self-murder is consummate to the highest perfection or degree of it whereby it properly may be called self-soule-murder §. 12. Of the meanes of destruction by breaking the Law By sins of commission The deadly meanes whereby men kill their owne soules and subject the same to eternall positive destruction are the sins that they wilfully commit and continue in in such kinds and degrees and manner as cannot consist in them with grace and salvation and are of two sorts 1. Against the Law of negative commands First such as be against the prime law of Nature by transgressing the negative Commandements of God whereby the transgressours doe subject themselves to that punishment which is called poena sensus or punishment of smart or damnation in hell For by sinne entred death Rom 5.12 Rev. 21.8 Prov. 19 16. The properties of soul-murdring sinnes The properties of the course and sinnes of Commission whereby a man becomes guilty of self-murder of his soule are foure 1. They are grosse Although the nature of all sinnes be mortall deserves death and disposes a man for it yet those that be of the grossest kinds and in the highest degrees of exorbitancy such as Hosea speakes of cap. 4.2 are specially said to be mortall for their extreame contrariety that they have to God and his justice their inconsistency with grace and for their apting and disposing of those to destruction that live in them so that by committing such sinnes men doe cast their owne soules into the gulfe of perdition 2. Wilfull Secondly when they that commit those sinnes or any of them doe willingly doe the same and live in them against the light and checks of their owne consciences as our Saviour charges the Pharisees Iohn 9.41 then are they self-condemned and do wittingly destroy their owne soules without excuse of ignorance or of want of power to have avoyded the same seeing as there is in some naturall notions of the Law in the minde such as the Gentiles have Rom. 2.14 So likewise all men have some remainder of power to forbeare sinnes in their grossest kinds and degrees if they were not wanting to themselves and therefore as all men specially the wicked within the Church shall be judged by the Law so they shall have nothing to plead to excuse why they should not be damned for their grosse transgressing of it 3. Obstinate Thirdly when men commit those sinnes with eagernesse and delight from and upon advised judgment and wilfull resolution with contentment in the acting of them and defending or excusing them when they are done as did Saul 1 Sam. 13.12 and do fall to opposing censuring and condemning the contrary course of vertue and godlinesse in the persons that doe practise the same whom therefore they hate and persecute a 1 Thes 2.15 such persons are in a course of destroying their owne soules by setting themselves with a high hand against God provoking him to his face to fall upon them for revenge 4. Presevered in Fourthly by this course of sinning a man murders his own soule when he goeth on and incorrigibly perseveres therein passing from evill to worse hardning his owne heart against all reproofes and amendment storming against and abusing all the meanes of his recovery to his deeper plunging in wickednesse and destruction for although hee would willingly misse hell and bee rid of the guilt of his sinne that troubles his conscience
shall have performed some desperate hazardous enterprise agreed upon for him in that consideration onely to undertake and attempt the same with the danger of the losse of his life as to walke under the water to crosse the Ocean in a Wherry in a few dayes to goe backward or blindfold a long journey in a dangerous way or some such unreasonable needlesse dangerous mad and idle vaine-glorious prancks with adventure and losse of life whereby such are indirectly self-murderers and those that lay such wagers with them are accessary to their death thereby hireing and provoking them to a mortall course of self-destruction For such a course is no warrantable way and calling of Gods appointment thereby to adventure or get goods and therefore no blessing can be therein nor thereby expected it is a needlesse tempting of God to commit themselves to such a mortall course which they may well avoyd and can looke for no protection in it nor comfort of the action wherein they perish being guilty of their owne death therein Such desperate enterprises upon wagering whereby a man may lose his life proceede either from covetousnesse to be rich or from necessity to live but by unlawfull meanes never destinated of God to that end neither of them can comfortably be expected nor endeavoured it seemes that such men either value their lives to be little worth or apprehend their present condition to be most miserable that they preferre the uncertaine attaining of a little lucre and worldly goods before them and had rather die than live as they are and therefore goe to seeke up death where they can find him to make an end of their dayes by this desperate and last shift that they doe use when otherwise they cannot live That man is neere driven that cannot subsist but by courses of selfe-ruine and he is very destitute of good parts and of vertuous actions that despaires of better fame and repute in the world than he can procure by such needlesse vaine undertakings and accomplishments which are but the pastime of fooles and the ludibrie and scorne of the wise and uncomfortable vanity and sinne of the performers §. 11. Of indirect self-murder committed by covenant and society with persons destinate to destruction 6 Branch of indirect self-murder by commission The sixt branch of indirect self-murder by commission is by wilfull contracting and keeping society with those that are under a curse and apparent danger of destruction whereby all such are most probably like to share with them that have neere communion with them which falls out specially in three cases Case 1. Of leagues First when a man unwarrantably enters a league or bond of neere amity and society with persons Princes or States worthy of and as it were marked out to destruction as Iehoram did contract and keepe with Ahaziah a 2 King 9.27 whereby hee involved and inwrapped himselfe into the same ruine with him Which barres not conclusions for commerce of trade and also for intercourse of correspondency with them at such a distance and degree whereby hurt from them may be avoyded and use made of them for warrantable advantage as the Scripture requires that wee should have peace with all men if it be possible b Heb. 12.14 Case 2. Concerning warre The second case of indirect self-murdring society is when a man takes up armes or puts himselfe into military service or joynes with others in warre offensive or defensive either to hinder or oppresse equity and truth or in opposition of Gods Church to prejudice or oppresse the Gospell and true religion by this latter fighting against and provoking God and by the former irritating mankind justly to destroy such as goe about to overthrow Gods Kingdome and humane justice on earth without which the world cannot subsist in which course of Combination or society whosoever perishes is guilty of indirect self-murder by death of his owne unwarrantable procurement Although warre bee lawfull yet it is a violent course of justice the decision whereof is hereby cast upon the omnipotent Lord God for him to determine the same as he pleases by victory or vanquishment And therefore none should dare voluntarily to engage himselfe in that course upon his life where hee knowes that just and powerfull Iudge to bee party for the truth against him lest he perish by this indirect self-murder whereas to bee safe therefrom wee should ever bee party on Gods side Crosse event of warre That the event falls out contrary so that the Abetters in a good cause do often fall and the propugners of an evill do prosper it comes to passe by Gods speciall wise providence for three causes Reasons 1. First to chastise some sinnes or to exercise some vertues in the vanquished 2. Secondly to make men more loath to fall to warre and blood-shed upon presumption of their strength and cause but rather with some losse to make peaceable composition 3. Thirdly that God may shew and exercise his absolute soveraignty over the world disposing humane things as he pleases in the demolishing and translating of Empyres and dominion by the ruines of one making way for the building of another that it may be apparent that by him Kings Raigne and that as many Principalities and Empires are raised and stand upon the foundation of invasion latrocinies rapines and blood so shall they answer for the same and bee shaken to peeces by a divine hand of Iustice as wee may see expressed by the dashing of the Image to peeces by that small stone out of the divine hand of God Daniel 2.33 Case 3. Presuming into infectious places and company The third case of indirect self-murdering society is when men do wilfully presume without necessity or warrantable calling into deadly infectious places and companies wherein or by which meanes if they miscarry or perish they are guilty of their owne death in a higher degree of indirect self-murder as also are those that doe without a warrantable calling put themselves into such places or imployments as doe procure or hasten their deaths §. 12. Of indirect self-murder by doing that which naturally procures that which kills the doer 7. Branch Seventhly if a man doe willingly and wittingly any such unlawfull act as proves the cause or occasion of that which by Gods providence in just judgement kills him or takes away his life he indirectly murders himselfe as a drunken man that falls into a ditch or a pit and is drowned breakes his neck off his horse dies by surfeits or the like he is in this degree guilty of his owne death for the cause of the cause is the cause of the effect Causa causae est causa causati such a mans precedent unlawfull course or disposition is so farre from excusing the consequent effect that in a sort it doubles his sin a man that kills another when he is drunk is not excused but hanged when he is sober §. 13.
Of indirect self-murder by doing of capitall crimes against humane Lawes and authority 8. Branch Capital crimes Eightly men doe commit indirect self-murder by their breaking out into capitall courses and crimes in transgressing and violating capitall good humane Lawes the penalty whereof is death whereby they bring themselves under the sword of Iustice thereby to lose their lives as do Traitors and rebellious persons against the King State or Kingdome spoylers of other mens lives or goods as murderers Pirates Robbers and the like which is a thing both just and expedient in reason that for preserving upholding of the whole body publick or the more noble parts thereof inferiour and rotten members should suffer amputation who by their owne vile practises have subjected themselves to the penall censure of death by their misdeserving courses being indirectly self-murderers their blood being upon themselves and not upon the Magistrate by whose hands they justly fall as is apparent Levit. 20.9 where the blood of him that was put to death for cursing his Father is said to be upon himselfe and 2 Sam. 1.16 touching him that David killed for saying that hee had slaine Saul he said that his blood was upon his head as also 1 King 2.32 37. touching Ioab for his murder and Sbimei for his railing it is said that their blood was upon their owne heads for that they were the wilfull meritorious cause although not the immediate instruments of their owne deaths And so thus all men that die by the merits of their owne actions morally or civilly considered are murderers of their owne naturall lives and bodies as man may truly be said to be the overthrower of the salvation of his owne soule by the merits of his owne sins §. 14. Of indirect self-murder by wilfull transgression of Gods Lawes 9. Branch Transgression against Gods Law Ninthly men indirectly murder their owne bodies by wilfully and impenitently walking in a course of transgression of Gods Law in such kinds and degrees as are accompanied with fearefull threatnings of death and destruction to bee inflicted not onely upon the soules but also upon the bodies of such transgressours by fearefull judgments even in this life as we see it was done to Pharaoh which is performed two waies 1. Kills after a naturall manner First in a physicall or naturall manner by the very nature and act of some sinnes themselves immediatly wasting filling the body with diseases and at last killing it as by drunkennesse and gluttony distempring and surfeiting the body according as Solomon saies that to those that tarrie long at the Wine and that do goe to seeke mixt Wine is woe sorrow contentious babling wounds without cause and rednesse of the eyes Prov. 23.29.30 Also by whoredome and bodily uncleannesse the strength is wasted as the Apostle shewes how such doe sin against their owne bodies 1 Cor. 6.18 and Solomon tells us that the house of a strange woman inclines to death Prov. 2.18 and by her a mans flesh and body is consumed Prov. 5.11 and the adultresse hunteth after the pretious life Of Passions And also by the immoderatenesse of the passions of the minde in giving way and liberty to them to break out and have dominion over us wherby the vitall spirits are suffocated or wasted as by excesse of choler fretfulnes or griefe or the like extinguishing the life of man as a fire is put out by oppressing it with water or by wastefully burning up suddenly the fewell of the maintenance of it therefore it is needfull that we suffer no commotion to be raised in our passions and affections but upon just cause and ground and that then therein we do keepe due moderation by the command of reason Note and by the possessing and taking of them up with divine and heavenly objects and imployment about things concerning a better life it is a very dangerous and costly contentment that a man hath by giving immoderate scope to his unruly affections and passions with the consumption of his owne life thereby in this course of indirect self-murder 2. A morall meritorious manner of self-killing Secondly men by their self-willed sinfull courses are indirect self-murderers of their bodies efficiently in a moral manner and by way of merit according to the justice of God threatning and punishing disobedient prophanenesse and wickednesse from heaven not onely inwrapping transgressors into publick generall judgements with others but also by inflicting particular personall destruction upon them as God did upon Corah Dathan and Abiram a Numb 16.38 and upon some for their unworthy and prophane receiving of the Sacrament of the Lords Supper did die b 1 Cor. 11.30 by their owne meritorious procurement and wee are taught in the Proverbs c Prov. 1.8 31 32. that sinners do lay waite for their owne blood and eate the fruit of their owne way and that the turning away of the simple shall slay him In the Prophet Ezekiel Robbers adulterers and usurers d Ezek. 18.13 are threatned with death and there it is said that their blood shall be upon their owne heads which intimates that they are guilty of their own deaths And againe secure persons not repenting after admonition are threatned with death and that their blood shall be upon their owne heads e Ezek. 33.4 5. Yea all the damned in hell whose bodies with their soules shall be subject to the second death by meanes of their owne sins are and shall be guilty of their own deaths both of soule and body and so are self-murderers also of their bodies at least indirectly In Adam and by his first sin all men naturally are self-murderers Moreover Adam and all mankinde in him lapsed are indirectly self-murderers by merit of that first transgression for and through which death entred into the world according to the testimony of the Apostle who saith that by one man sin entred into the world and death by sin so death passed upon all men for that all have sinned Rom. 5.12 So that no man can blame any for his death in regard of originall merit and desert but himselfe Now that this death of our selves may not be imputed to our selves that we should stand guilty before God of this indirect self-murder we must labour to get our pardon from God in Christ for the comfort of our consciences and for our security from the avenger of blood upon our reconciliation with our God and bee carefull that we live not wilfully and impenitently in any knowne sinne without which care all stand guilty before God of this sinne of self-murder and shall suffer for it Observe The world is full of self-murderers From hence we may observe that there are many more self-murderers than the world takes notice of or that do thinke themselves to be such yea the world is full of them whose sinnes are more haynous than they conceive and specially against themselves most pernicious and therefore it is no
the truth and Church is bound to doe the duties of his calling notwithstanding any such former restraint or danger of disobedience to it because the power of the Church is but ministeriall under and according to God rather declarative than Soveraigne therefore what she doth tyes not men here on earth to obey it to the destruction but to the edification of the Church or at least to prevent a greater mischiefe And also because the true Church may doe no such acts of deprivation or suspension whereby to intend or effect the destruction of the Church and therefore in that case transgressing of such restraints is no disobedience to the Church but rather an obeying the intent of the same as in times of persecution we have plentifull examples specially of the Church of the Iewes against the Christians A Caveat Yet herein is to be observed that such performance of duties in that case after restraint bee done in mecke patient manner without tumults or forcible opposition of authority submitting with passive obedience where they cannot lawfully performe active This extends not to warrant any schisme or heresie that esteem themselves only to be the true Church as did the Donatists and others to oppose out of feare of their owne ruine the proceedings and restraints of the more Orthodoxe and generall body of a sound Church whose authority doth preponderate and oversway her apostating members so long as by the doctrine publikely taught in her men may be saved and built up §. 30. Against commission of evill upon any humane command or threats Fourth member about commission of evill upon humane command The fourth member of the case wherein a man ought to expose his life to death in causes concerning religion is when a man is desired commanded or threatned to doe any sinne forbidden by Gods word that then hee doe it not although he therefore doe die as Iosephs practise manifests in resisting his whorish mistris a Gen. 39.12 and the three children that would not upon the Kings command worship the golden Image to save their lives Daniel 3.18 Because it is better for us to die than deliberately and wilfully to sinne against God as the woman with her seaven sonnes did choose 2 Mach. 7. according to S. Augustines judgement who sayes that if it be propounded to a man Vt aut mali aliquid faciat aut mali aliquid patiatur eligat non facere mala quam non pati mala b Epist 204. that either he should doe some evill or suffer some calamity then let him choose rather not to doe evill than not to suffer evill Observe How we are to abhorre sin For we are ever to doe that which may most neerely unite us to God our chiefe good and to shunne what may divide us from him which nothing can doe but our sinnes specially those that consist in the transgression of the negative Commandements and are most opposite to God and incompatible with him and therefore those lawes doe binde ad semper to the alwayes observing of them and cannot be dispensed withall seeing God is unchangeable The evill of sinne should be more terrible to us than death it selfe not onely for that it is the cause of death and imbitters it but also because it deprives us of a greater good of our spirituall life that farre exceeds the naturall The beatificall object that sinne deprives us of is the infinite blessed God from whom to be separated is worse than death it self and in that respect rather than we should sinne we should choose to suffer death which is a glorious kinde of Martyrdome and a meanes of advancement to happinesse for the power and practise of the truth laying downe our lives which is a more undoubted signe of grace and salvation than is the suffering of many for holding the truth in opinion and profession Wee should choose rather not to bee than not to bee happy for the originall and end of our being is better than our being it selfe in regard that our happinesse is not of and in our selves but in and from another who is both our beginning and end §. 31. Of the kindes of sinnes of commission to be avoyded Evils of sin to be avoided These sinfull evills that wee ought thus carefully to avoid and forbeare to death are of two sorts 1. Against the law of nature First those that be directly and absolutely forbidden by the Law of nature as fundamentally unlawfull at all times and in all cases for the contrariety that they have against the nature of God and against the inbred principles of reason and conscience of which no question can be made but that wee are alwaies utterly to shun them notwithstanding any humane command or inforcement that may be to the contrary because no human power can dissolve the obligation of those ingrafted Commandements of God and nature Innata Lex Rom. 2.15 that we may be discharged in conscience from keeping of them which would overthrow both divinity and humanity neither can any free us from the punishment of the transgression of them both because equity and Law requires that the soule that sins shall die and also for that there is no power matchable with Gods and natures to protect or free us by force from their vengeance 2. Against the positive Law of God Secondly the sins that wee are to shun and not wittingly and willingly to do upon any threats or worldly danger or for any profit are those that are forbidden by the positive Law and revealed will of God the violating whereof doth wrong the soveraignty and honor of God who is the absolute and onely independant King of all the world and his will the supreame unerring rule of our obedience throughout our lives our transgression whereof is a breach of that loyalty and due subjection which wee owe to that our highest Lord. To whese positive Law conformity is more properly obedience to God than conformity to the Law of nature is by it selfe considered Because the ground of our conformity to the Law of nature is naturall inclination and Reason equally binding Heathens aswell as Christians But the ground of our conformity to the positive Law of God is principally the soveraigne Authority and Will of God himselfe which kinde of obedience is that which is properly of the Church and her members to God and proceeds from faith love feare c. Evangelicall or Thelogicall graces From which obedience to God no wight can absolve or excuse us that we may lawfully and safely subject our selves to feare to please or to obey any other in opposition or contraty to him and his will Reasons 1. Because there is none above God whose will may be preferred or equalled to his to whom all is subordinate in nature state and imployment 2. Neither is any man Lord over the Conscience either to bind or discharge it contrary to the Law or will of God that we
and he needs be the more carefull that hee may not hurt or blemish himselfe by his manner of dying otherwise than becomes a good Christian although hee bee innocent in that speciall thing for which he is adjudged to die What men are to consider in suffering innocently yet he is to consider that hee may bee guilty of some other particulars justly deserving death and in that respect is patiently to acknowledge and submit to the stroke of divine Iustice finding out and punishing his sins or else that God wisely so orders things that hee shall so die only for triall of his passive obedience and for the glorifying of God both in the cause and manner of his death which he is to suffer well and for well doing How a condemned person is to submit to die Yet notwithstanding a person condemned to die and in the hands of the executioners is not to strive oppose or withstand them in doing execution upon him but he may and ought upon their command so to dispose and order himselfe as he may be fit and way by him may be made for them to doe their office in executing of him as for him quietly to submit to be led to the place of execution and there to be ordered by them as they please for him patiently to receive his death by their hands to open his mouth to receive poyson of their giving to him as our Saviour did the vinegar that was given him upon the Crosse Iohn 19.29 30. to lay bare his neck to the blow submit his neck to the haltar to embrace the fire entertaine applied combustible matter for dispatch of himselfe provided alwaies that the same be not first kindled or applied mortally by his own meanes the truth thereof is apparent by that which our blessed Saviour fortold Peter that hee should stretch forth his hands and another should gird him signifying by what death he should glorifie God a Ioh. 21.18 19. Reasons 1. The reason hereof is evident because a person condemned to death is no more his owne but the sonne of death in the hand of authority to be disposed of as the same pleases 2. with safety of divine right and the minister of Iustice that gives the last and fatall blow is he that properly kills the man and not the man himselfe by his active and passive submission to receive the same 3. that he may obediently in charity and peace leave this world and patiently resigne his soule to God in hope of entring upon a more happy life in exchange for this §. 2. How self-murder is against God himselfe 2. Self-murder it is against God himselfe The second particular whereby it is apparent that by religion a man may not kill himselfe is because it is a most hainous crime against God himselfe immediatly in foure severall respects In what respects 1. It defaces Gods Image First self-murder destroyes and defaces the Image of God a Gen 9.6 in the most expresse forme thereof that is in any humane creature and in the neerest proximity and possession thereof in him that kills himselfe It is treason indignly to abuse or demolish the Kings Image much more is it treason against the King of heaven and earth to deface or unworthily to intreat his sacred Image specially for them to do it to whom the entertainment preservation and honourable usage of the same is committed 2. It wrongs Gods soveraigne authority Secondly self-murder is peccant and injurious against Gods soveraigne authority who is absolute Lord of our persons and of our lives and therefore wee have no power but from him and according to his Word to dispose of ourselves seeing that wee are not our owne Superiours supreme nor subordinate which is impossible for then one must be two or else one must bee both superiour and inferiour to it selfe at the same instant and in the same case and respect than which what is more absurd to think and impossible to be Comparison If a private man should violently take a malefactor that is worthy of death from the Kings barre of Judgment and upon his owne will and authority put him to death it would justly be deemed an audacious unlawfull act and worthy of exemplary punishment both for usurping the authority that belongs not to him by thrusting of the King out of his place and jurisdiction and also for depriving of the King of opportunity of shewing mercy or executing justice according to his regall power So likewise may wee judge of a self-murderer that takes himselfe from the barre of God to dispose of himselfe as he list to the wrong of Gods soveraigne authority 3. Self-murder wrongs Gods goodnesse Thirdly self-murder or wilfull self-killing which are both one is against Gods goodnesse whereby he gives us our lives with meanes of their preservation which is a most excellent blessing in it selfe and for the good that thereby we may doe and therefore one sayes well that Life is a certaine gift Vita est quoddā donū divinitus homini attributum ejus potestati subjectum qui oc cidit vivere sacit given to man from above and is subject to his power who kills and makes alive who is only God as the Scripture tells us a Deut. 32.39 1 Sam. 2.6 and therefore for a man prodigally to waste or destroy this life of his he not only doth an unlawfull act but also slights and contemnes Gods speciall goodnesse to him The most grievous sins are committed against Gods goodnesse which is more damnable than to sin against his other properties because in this consists all our happinesse and thereby God gaines most glory and for despising whereof the Apostle gives a most bitter reproofe Despisest thou the riches of his goodnesse c. Rom. 2.4 4. Self-murder wrongs Gods providence Fourthly self-murder is a course against the providence and established government of God in the world about mankind which it doth disturbe by determining the time how long and the manner after what fashion we should die or live according to our owne wills without any dependence upon or respect to the will of God A self-murderer is an Atherst which necessarily imports that a self-murderer is either an Atheist holding that there is no God at all or that God takes no care of the world nor of men to order them or dispose of them but keepes himselfe onely within the circuite of the Heavens than which what can be more contrary to the reason of a good man Or rebell against God Or else by his practise he proclaimes himselfe a rebell against God to whom he will not be subject nor bee disposed according to his Word but like a devill sets himselfe in opposition against God to his owne everlasting destruction §. 3. How self-murder is against nature 3. Self-murder is against nature The third particular that makes it apparent that self-murder is
bringing himselfe to destruction Page 111 § 10. How indirect self-murder of commission is wrought by desperate hazard in six cases Page 112 The first case is concerning Braves and desperate undertakers Page 112 The second case is concerning purchase and reskue Page 112 The third case is concerning some souldiers Page 113 The fourth case is concerning Mariners Page 113 The fifth case is concerning Duells Page 114 The sixth case is concerning desperate attempts upon daring and wagering Page 116 § 11. Of indirect self-murder committed by covenant and society with persons destinate to destruction in three cases Page 118 1. Of Leagues Page 119 2. Of Warre ibid. 3. Of presuming into infectious places or company Page 120 § 12. Of indirect self-murder of commission by doing that which naturally procures that which kills the doer of it Page 121 § 13. Of indirect self-murder of commission by wilfully doing capitall crimes against humane Lawes and Authority Page 120 § 14. Of indirect self-murder of commission by wilfull transgression of Gods Laws after two severall waies Page 120 § 15. Of three exempt cases wherein men may expose their lives to death without danger of indirect self-murder Page 125 The first case is concerning venturing life upon lawfull calling ibid. § 16. A question or case of conscience resolved about Souldiers in danger of their lives fleeing without order Page 127 § 17. Of the second exempt case about adventuring of life without danger of indirect self-murder which is in urgent unavoidable necessity in three points Page 128 The first whereof is about both uncertaine death for certaine and necessary good ibid. And also certaine death for Superiours and for some friends Page 129 § 18. Of the second point which is concerning certaine death for certaine more publick good Page 131 § 19. Of six questions resolved that belong to this second point Page 133 The first where of is about a man-slayer what he is to do for whose sake his friends are pursued to death ibid. § 20. Of the second question which is about a man under deadly displeasure of Superiours what he is to do for to pacifie their mortall wrath reflecting for his sake upon his friends Page 133 § 21. The third question which is touching the voluntary appearing of Fellons or the like at liberty upon baile to submit to Iustice for freeing of their bailes with danger of their owne lives Page 135 § 22. The fourth question which is about what an unquestioned or unsuspected guilty party is to do for saving of a guiltlesse person that is brought to the doome and danger of death upon triall by error or misprision for the capitall fact of the former Page 136 § 23. The fifth question which is about a mans voluntary revealing to the Magistrate his owne secret capitall crimes touching his life in case of importable distresse of conscience for the same crimes by him done Page 137 § 24. The sixth question or case which is about burning or sinking a ship in a sea-sight and how farre such a fight is to be mainteyned against the Enemies without danger of self-murder Page 138 § 25. Of the third point of the second exempt case which is about venturing of life without danger of indirect self-murder for saving of soules Page 141 In two cases 1. About infectious persons ibid. 2. About publishing of the Gospell upon danger of death to the doer Page 142 § 26. Of the third generall exempt case wherein men may expose their lives to death without danger of indirect self-murder which is about religion and our owne salvation in foure points or cases Page 143 § 27. Of the first point or case which is about defence of Religion in peace and warre Page 144 § 28. Of the second point of the third case about adventuring and laying down our lives for religion without danger of self-murder which is about the publick confession or profession of the truth with danger of life Page 145 § 29. Of the third point belonging to the third exempt case which is about not-omitting doing necessary duties commanded by God in perill of life upon humane command or threats to the contrary and of the severall sorts of those duties and how farre they bind us And of the obedience and disobedience of Ministers to suspension deprivation and the like censures Page 146 § 30. Of the fourth point of the third exempt case which is about not-commission of any evill of sinne upon any command or inforcement of man threatning death to the disobedient Page 149 § 31. Of the kinds of sins of commission to be avoided to death in things determinatly evill of themselves both by the law of nature and also by the positive Law of God Page 150 § 32. Of indifferent things and how the use of them may be sinfull and in that respect then to be forborne Page 152 § 33. Of the diverse properties of an indirect self-murderer Page 154 § 34. Observations from indirect self-murder in three uses Page 155 Chap. 12. Of direct bodily self-murder § 1. What direct self-murder is both in the generall nature of it in foure things and also in the specificall nature of it remote and neere Page 159 § 2. Of the imaginary good conceited to be in self-murder Page 163 § 3. Concerning the wills object and its faultinesse Page 167 § 4. Of diverse observations from direct self-murder Page 169 § 5. Of certaine exempt cases of some that kill themselves and are not direct self-murderers Page 172 Chap. 13. Of direct self-murderers § 1. That practise and habit gives denomination and why Page 175 § 2. How it is apparent by Scripture that many men have murdered themselves with diverse observations from the same about self-murder and horrible crimes falling out in the Church Page 176 § 3. How self-murderers are apparent by Histories both prophane and Ecclesiasticall amongst heathens and Christians and the reasons of the same Page 178 § 4. That self-murderers are knowne by continued experience and of two uses of the same and how the motions of self-murder cleave to men and prevaile over them Page 181 Chap. 14. Of the meanes and method of self-murderers murdering themselves directly § 1. Of the meanes of self-murder how none is lawfull of two uses shewing how hard it is to do good and easie to do evill Page 183 § 2. The self-murderers application of the meanes of self-killing in premeditation and determination of the end and choise of the meanes to effect it with observation of three things therein and of two observations for instruction and use Page 185 § 3. Of the self-murderers method in executing murder upon themselves with observation of three things therein upon two reasons and how hardly resolved self-murder is withstood Page 187 Chap. 15. The self-murderers motives whereupon they directly kill themselves § 1. That men by abused reason do sin worst and that there is no true reason why any should kill themselves Page 189 § 2. Of motives to
be used by the tempted privatly and publickly with others against the temptations to self-murder with the grounds of hope of comfortable successe to prevaile against them Page 322 § 4. Of the course that others without or against the wil of the tempted are to use to save him against the temptations and danger of self-murder Page 324 And lastly the conclusion shewing the great benefit of recovery from the temptations and danger of self-murder by the use of the former course Page 326 LIFES PRESERVATIVE AGAINST SELF-KILLING CHAP. 1. The generall description of Self-murder §. 1. Concerning life and death Life and death things of great importance and much to be regarded are not rightly cared for LIfe and Death are two things of the greatest importance in this world both in respect of what they are and whereto they tend that is their Essence and the great consequences that depend upon them and yet there is nothing wherof many men are more regardlesse than of their lives how wretchedly they spend and end them and of their Deaths how desperately they incurre and contract them casting themselves into the danger of it by the hands of others or of themselves although the sinnes in which they die can never afterwards be recovered or eternall destruction be avoided And therefore considering the dangerous and damnable practise of divers persons desperately destroying their owne lives and murdering themselves with so great prejudice to the Honour of God and his truth imbraced amongst us and with so much hurt to themselves and others I have adventured to treat more largely of the point of self-murder than yet I have seene the same done by others Touching which I will first describe in generall what it is §. 2. Self-murder described What it is Self-murder is the voluntary destroying of a mans owne life by himselfe or his owne meanes and procurement 1. In which description we are for the better understanding of it to consider First the object of self-murder and that is the life of man 2. Secondly the act it selfe which is the voluntary taking away of life or unjustly destroying of it which makes it to be murder 3. Thirdly the efficient cause or meanes of the destruction of mans life and that in this case is a mans owne selfe by his owne procurement which specifies the act and makes it to be properly self-murder §. 3. Self-murder is knowne by life Life In explicating these in order I will begin at life as first in nature and more auspicable which is the object of self-murder For self-murder being death and death being onely a privation it cannot be knowne what it is but by the knowledge of life which is its contrarie for no privation can be defined in regard of its want of entitie in it selfe but by its opposite habit as no man that knows not in some measure what light is can know what darknesse is Evill cleaves to good And self-murder being in it selfe evill it cannot be but in and about that thing which of it selfe is good 1. For evill cleaves and adheres to good for two reasons first that it may subsist which extra subjectum bonum without the subject of good cannot be for evill is like to the disease called the woolfe which maintains it self by eating feeding upon the body wherein it is For as non datur summum malum nec datur merum malum per se existens There is nothing absolutely evill neither is there a meere evill subsisting by it selfe but in that which is good 2. Secondly evill adheres to that which is good that it may convert and turne the good subject wherein it is into the quality of it selfe so making it nought and destroying it as loaven that sowreth the whole lump wherein it is the nature of all evill is ever active and destructive of that good that entertaines it or that it is exercised about it being as the worm that destroyes the tree wherein it breeds and harbours Observe All things are subject in this world to contraric passions From whence we may observe that as all created substances are mutable so are they capable of and subject unto contrary passions and qualities in this world and by how much the more excellent any good thing in this world is so much the worse is the contrary evill that attends upon and corrupts it and therefore the better that any created thing is on earth the more danger it is in and needs the greater care and indeavour to be had about it to preserve it against its opposite evill so life being of the nature and number of the best things it is in danger of the worst evils and therefore is with the greater care and circumspection to be watched over for its preservation CHAP. 2. Of the kindes of the life of man THat we may know what life is because there be divers kinds of it which it is that in self murder is destroyed by death we are to consider there are two kinds of the life of man Kinds of life naturall and spirituall the first is naturall the second is spirituall according as he consists of two natures and is an inhabitant of two worlds being made of heaven and earth to inhabit both there is no creature in the world that consists of such various different composition as man nor is indowed with such multiplicity of vitall operations or such variety of properties and qualities fitted for diversity of actions of so many kindes and thereupon is subject to so many and opposite motions and temptations Observ Mans care must be of two lives From the divers kindes of mans life we may observe that mans care must not bee as the brute beasts to live according to the instinct of nature but that he may live by a supernaturall principle and divine direction a spirituall life even here in this naturall life as he expects to arrive and attaine to a more excellent and heavenly end of advancement than other earthly creatures do or shall and there is a taske of more and greater porformances required to be done by him than from any other creature on earth CHAP. 3. Of naturall life in generall §. 1. of divers sorts of life Kindes of naturall life FOr our better understanding of naturall life wee are generally to consider that according to the distinction of earthly living creatures there be three kindes of naturall lives 1. Of vegetation First that which is called the life of vegetation which is the life of trees plants corne and the like whereby they grow and encrease both in their severall kindes and in their individuals 2. Life of sense Secondly the life of sense whereby irrationall and sensitive creatures do besides their life of vegetation common with plants live inlived with sense and motion Now these two kindes of lives considered specifically in the aforesaid severall kindes of creatures fall not under the
wee are cast into the frame and mould of the Gospell untill Christ be formed in us a Gal. 4.19 so that in this worke the spirit is the principall efficient cause as our Saviour tells us Iohn 6.63 it is the spirit that quickneth §. 7. How the Gospell workes life 1. Hovv the Gospell workes not So then the Gospell works not this life in us in a Physicall or naturall manner as having vertue naturally inherent in the words to produce such an effect in those that heare it 1. Not physically For then men should be converted and regenerated in a naturall and not in a divine manner and also then the Gospell would worke alike upon all men that heare it that were alike disposed and did not ponere obicem or lay a barre of their owne to hinder it except God should restraine the naturall power of it in working but so the conversion of man must be within the power of his owne act and God could not be justified in his withholding grace The word is a supernturall instrument of salvation But the conversion of a sinner is wrought by a greater vertue than can naturally and subjectively be in the words and sentences of the Gospell for the word of God is not instrumentum physicum a naturall instrument but a morall or rather metaphysicall instrument of effecting such a supernaturall worke according to the will of the first agent 2. Not Ethically Neither in an Ethicall manner doth the Gospell worke this spirituall life in us onely by morall perswasion as morall Philosophers and Rhetoricians doe affect and draw their hearers by reasons and exhortations stirring up a latent power inherent in us and inclining our wills by rationall motives and objects to be made alive then must it depend upon us that wee are saved and be from a power of our owne exuscitated by the word 2. How God works by the Gospell according to his own will But God works by his word as a more puissant and independent agent that inintends and remits his power in working according to his owne will by the meanes and uses meanes not as necessary for him but that he can doe as much without them in regard that the effect is his owne and man the passive subject of it Mans will is the subject of conversion It is the will of a naturall man that is most dead to God-ward and most averse from him and therefore it is the will that is chiefly to be wrought upon and made alive in conversion whereupon all depends but wee know that nothing can make it selfe alive when it is dead but he that is the fountaine of life the Son of God Rom 1.4 Note Of the heart The illumination of the understanding which is common to the wicked and the godly is presupposed as requisite to fit a man for conversion and therefore in the worke of regeneration the scripture takes notice specially of the heart insomuch that the old Testament uses no other word to expresse the understanding because in Divinity no knowledge without intertainement in the heart and without conformity of the will and practise to the truth is saving action being the end of Theological knowledge in this life words of knowledge in Scripture commonly comprehend affections in them §. 8. Why God uses meanes Although that God could if he pleased convey grace into a sinfull man by immediate influxe or inspiration from which wee cannot utterly exclude all seeing the worke of grace depends absolutely neither upon the nature of the meanes nor upon the abilities and will of the converted and elected whereof many are not by that method of meanes capable but upon God who workes according to the good pleasure of his will yet he uses meanes not to help himselfe as if otherwise he could not doe the worke but in respect of us that are naturall men indowed with senses as well as reason hee appoints meanes Reasons of using of means 1. that by our using thereof we may be active about the worke of our owne salvation and may attaine the same by a way and course within the compasse of our owne power and indeavours as the reward and blessing of God upon our labours to our commendation before God and men 2. Againe meanes are appointed by God for our obtaining of salvation that by using of them our saith in Gods promises and power may be tried in expecting thereby so glorious effects farre above their nature and also our obedience may be proved by doing what God commands us to doe within the reach of our power to get life albeit it doe transcend reason how by this way it can be had as appeares by Naaman the Syrian 2 King 5.13 14. 3. And finally God appoints the use of meanes for our comfort that by our constant conscionable using of the same we may be assured of grace and life as certainly as we are of the use of the meanes appointed to get and by which God hath promised to give it by the working of his holy Spirit §. 9. How the Spirits power is manifested and seene Vse To finde the Spirits power by the meanes in us Now further from the consideration of the excellency of this spirituall life to be wrought in us by meanes our use should be to end eavour to find and feele both the Spirits quickning vertue of regeneration by the meanes powerfully working upon and in us and also to discerne this spirituall life to be in our selves seeing our comfort lyes herein and that the one can never bee without the other Manifest in 4. degrees of operation The vertue of the Spirit in us by the meanes manifests it selfe in foure degrees of operation not to speake of illumination First both in making us see and feele with griefe of heart our owne wretchednesse and sinfull deadnesse 1. Against sinne and also by turning us from our sins and ungodly courses with detestation of them and with resolution and constant indeavours against them it being the worke of the spirit to lust against the slesh because they are contrary the one to the other a Gal 5.17 c. both in nature and effects In which respect the Prophet Hosea tells us that if we will live we must turne Hosea 6.1 for our sinfull courses are the waies of death therefore we should labour to be and find our selves mortified to sinne with some kinde not onely of voluntary indisposition but also of strong antipathie and detestation of committing the same as formerly wee were prone and affected with delight to doe and that at the presence of sinne in its habit or act we may with indignation be displeased and sad having no joy nor contentment in that condition For the motions of sin entertained do worke in our members to bring forth fruit unto death b Rom. 7.5 Which by a contrary life of grace are mortified and subdued but I confesse that
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
generall mans wicked heart and the devill are the parents for the inward principle of motion to that vile sinne and also the passive subject entertaining the same is mans owne wicked disposition inclining him by inbred hatred to that horrible mischiefe For out of the heart proceeds murder a Mat. 15.19 saies our Saviour Christ which is a just recompence from God that man for his rebellion and disobedience against God should be given over in revenge of Gods quarrell to destroy with his owne hands his owne kinde and selfe So that he that will not agree with God and love him cannot agree with nor love himselfe nor his neighbour Satan is the principall and active parent of murder who was a murderer from the beginning and now is still in spite against God and man a provoker and stirrer up of man to murder affording him occasions and opportunities to doe the deed to the staining of the honor of God and defacing of mankinde and therefore murderers are most especially the children of the devill b Iob. 8.44 and obedient to him both in disposition and practise they that wilfully doe the greater sin do babitually and dispositively not stick at the lesser seeing that the lesser are ever in some sort comprehended in the greater It was an act of impotency This effect in mans taking away the life of man shewes that mans ability lyes specially in spoyling and destroying of Gods handiworks and argues rather impotency than power in him where there is no stronger power of preservation opposing of him For the proper effect of power is entity or being and non-entity or not being is the effect of weakenesse We see that although a man can kill yet he cannot restore againe to life because it is God onely that hath power over the spirit and that kills and makes alive againe Vse To bevvare of murder And therefore all men should be carefull how they take away the life of any man For although by repentance they may make their owne peace with God for their murder yet they can never restore the losse or damage none can call back the spirit but the Father of spirits to aenimate a dead body neither hath any man absolute power over the creatures to do with them as he list but as he is limited by Gods commission and will Observ To terrifie a man from killing himselfe he ought to consider how he is limited and restrained by his Soveraigne Lord God from rashly attempting or medling to hurt the lives of any men Man is restrained from murder whom he may not use or dispose of according to his owne self-will'd lust but according to the good will of God who is the supreme and absolute Lord and master of all mankinde in speciall manner Also he is to consider the odionsnesse and punishment of simple murder It is odious in any man and how loath he himselfe would be to doe it upon any other man that so he may much more abhorre to doe it upon himselfe sinnes are more discernable by us in others than in our selves as a visible object close upon the sense of seeing cannot bee seene so well as at a greater fit distance what wee doe see to be unlawfull and odious in others others doe see to be no lesse but rather more odious in us if we excell them in place or personall parts where there is no accident or circumstance that may extenuate the same A man cannot possibly kill himselfe but that thereby he is in the lesser degree of this sinne a murderer in state common with Barrabas and others that murderously kill other men than themselves and thereby is lyable to the like detestation and punishment but withall in a farre greater degree for killing himselfe Note It is remarkeable that no man can kill or murder another but withall he must kill himselfe both soule and body No man can murder another vvithout murdring of himselfe For by his sinne of murder he stabs his owne souls and subjects it to the vengeance of God And also thereby hee makes his person obnoxious to the stroke of justice by the hand either of God or man to suffer death for that horrible sinne according to the threatnings and judgements of God and the apprehension of the murderers owne conscience and the hatred wherewith all men doe prosecute such detestable persons as enemies of mankind and of humane society a Gen. 9.5 Deut 19.12 13. Gen. 4.14 CHAP. 7. Of murder as it is of ones selfe §. 1. Of the specificall difference of self-murder BEsides the consideration of murder in a mans killing of himselfe the third point in the generall description of self-murder is the efficient cause or meanes of it and that is a mans owne selfe by his owne precurement who is also the immediate object of that vile fact whereof now I am to speake Self-murders specificall difference Here is now the specificall difference of this sort of murder wherby it transcends and is distinguished from all other murders and consists in restraint of the act of killing in regard of its individual object to a mans own life self which is the greatest and cruellest act of hostility in the world when a man who by nature is most bound to preserve himself reflects upon himselfe to destroy himselfe the horriblenes whereof is so monstrous that we read no Law made against it as if it were a thing not to bee supposed possible And this sinne of all others is most against the Law of nature for that self-preservation armes a man to turne upon others unlawfully invading him to kill him And also it is against that self-love which is the rule of our love to others and therefore what wee may not lawfully in this case doe to others we can lesse lawfully doe it to our selves against this generall law of love in breaking whereof specially towards our selves we violate the whole law the generall summe whereof is love §. 2. Of the evill and greatnesse of self-murder Whence it proceeds This is the malice of Satan and our own wretchednesse to set us at division and enmity against our selves and in a monstrous manner to make a man both the active and passive subject of his owne action and utter destruction of himselfe the greatest mischiefe that can betide him in this world and so a mans selfe becomes his owne executioner by his owne hands or meanes principall or accessary by command or otherwise Comparison If parricide be a grievous sinne as wilfully to kill our owne parents children wives husbands c. who are distinct persous from our selves much more is self-murder abhominable For by unitie things are preserved and individualls are principally one and therefore if individualls be divided against themselves the world cannot stand when things shall cease to be true and amically disposed to themselves §. 3. Of lawfull self-killing Lawfull selfe-killing Of our
old man There is a lawfull and commanded killing of our selves For understanding whereof it is to be observed that every one of us hath in him a self-old-man of sinfulnesse lively and powerfull in manifold lusts and wicked actions of which the Apostle tells us Rom. 7.5 That when we were in the flesh the motions of sinnes which were by the Law did worke in our members to bring forth fruit unto death when the Commandement came sinne revived the living whereof doth kill us In this case even for our owne preservation it is necessary and lawfull for us to kill our self-old-man with the lusts thereof as the Apostle commands us to mortifie our memhers that the body of sinne might be destroyed we should put off the old man Ephes 4.22 Col. 3.9 so that we should become dead to trespasses and sinnes wherein formerly we were dead The kinds of it This killing of our selves is metaphoricall and morall by which death we are made alive For if we doe not thus die wee cannot live as the sowne corne must first die before it can live and grow Comparison Hovv done 1. In Christ This our self-old-man is slaine by three severall acts or blowes First the same after a sort was crucified in Christ Rom. 6.6 That the body of sinne might be destroyed although not the individuall persons but the common nature of mankind aslumed by Christ did suffer death in him 2. By change of our estate in Justification Secondly our self-old-man is killed by change of our state upon our grafting into Christ by faith so that we are in that respect said to be dead to the Law by the body of Christ Rom. 7.4.6 and that we are dead to the Law that we might live unto God Gal. 2.19 this is done at one entire act or blow in the act of our justification so by this death freeing us from him that hath the power of death even the devill 3. By the Spirit Thirdly our self-old-man and the lusts thereof are killed as touching the dominion and corruption of them by the Spirit of God in the act of sanctification touching which the Apostle tells us Rom. 8.13 That if we through the Spirit doe mortifie the deeds of the body which is the worke of our whole life we shall live How we are actors in it This killing of our self-old-man should be done by our selves being the executioners of it by assistance of divine power from God in three severall acts 1. First by our act of savingly beleeving in Christ whereby our state is changed from death to life 2. Secondly by our constant indeavours to be conformed to Gods Image and will by daily renovation 3. Thirdly by our continuall warfare against our corruptions and temptations touching which the Apostle saies that the flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh Gal. 5.17 they are so contrary the one to the other that there is no living for either of them but by the death of its opposite neither is there any peace untill one of them be dead Observe The use of our Christian armour Wee should therefore ever use our Christian armour and imploy our utmost indeavours to destroy our self-old-man against which if we doe turne the edge of our spirituall sword to slaughter it with the lusts thereof we shall be diverted not onely from unjustly killing of others but much more from killing our selves in any other respect but when we as Saul doe spare the life of this Agag or self-old-man it causes us by a just hand of God to fall upon our selves to take away that life of our owne which we should both spare and cherish §. 4. Diverse observations from the generall consideration of self-murder Observ 1. Man is in greatest danger From the consideration of self-murder we may observe First that man stands in more danger of destruction than any other creature for no creature is subject to attempts against the life of it by it selfe but onely man who is invironed also with mortall dangers from without but specially of his owne procurement by opening the way for others to invade and hurt him by breaches and armes of his owne making 2. God vvants not executioners of his justice Secondly wee here see that God wants not meanes of execution of his judgements upon man seeing he can leave a man to fall upon himselfe and be his owne executioner Vse Feare God The use hereof is to make us afraid to offend God or to provoke him to be our enemie or to live unreconciled with him destitute of the assurance of his peace and favour Distrust our selves Neither are we over-confidently to trust our selves with our selves of whom wee have so little assurance for security and safety from self-mischiefe and therefore we are carefully to cleave to God for preservation praying him not to give us up to our selves who are mercilesly cruell to our selves when wee fall into our owne hands for the neerer that any are linked and knit together in condition or affection the more desperately opposite they are when they fall into division because of the want of a fit medium or mediatour of reconciliation betweene a mans selfe and himselfe what meane is there either to keepe himselfe from himselfe or to reconcile himselfe to himselfe when himselfe is fallen out into murdercus resolutions against himselfe CHAP. 8. Of spirituall self-murder in speciall §. 1. All perishing soules are self-murdered Soule-murder OF self-murder thus generally defined there are two kinds or specialls to wit spirituall and bodily Although some may be said to be murderers of other mens soules by their scandalous practises or by their corrupt doctrine or by depriving them of the meanes of their salvation and the like yet no soule can perish without the intervening and concurring of the assistance and meanes of him that owes that soule whereby it comes to paffe that all soules that miscarry are in some sort Is also self-murder self-murdered For although it is against nature to desire to bee absolutely miserable and that he should in his last existing in his last principles bee undone or wretched albeit he may affect the dissolution of his personall subsisting upon intention and hope by his change to bee bettered in his future estate subsisting in his remaining principles yet he may wittingly and willingly doe that which may be the destruction of his soule although he doth not intend that effect and so commit not direct but indirect self-soule-murder §. 2. Spirituall self-murder defined What spirituall self-murder is Now that wee may know what it is Spirituall self-murder is the killing of a mans soule or spirituall life by himselfe or his owne meanes That which distinguishes this from bodily self-murder is the subject killed which is the soule or spiritual life not that the soule essextially considered or its naturall life of being and
so long as hee is not grieved for his sinnes of omission nor makes conscience to doe his duty in keeping the affirmative Commandements of God Of the danger of this course of impenitency the Apostle Paul gives his censure in these words But after thy hardnesse and impenitent heart thou treasurest up unto thy selfe wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgements of God Rom. 2.5 Cure To prevent this impenitency we must beware of custome in sinne and of slighting our spirituall estates §. 17. Of the sinne against the Holy Ghost 3. The sinne against the Holy Ghost The third branch of the sinnes against the Gospell whereby a man kills his owne soule is the sinne against the Holy Ghost which consists in hating and opposing the knowne saving truth of the Gospell a Mat. 12.31 and is called a sinne unto death 1 Ioh. 5.16 from which there is no recovery not onely because it is ever accompanied with finall impenitency but specially for that the nature of that sinne is so directly against the meanes of salvation that thereby a man cuts himselfe utterly off from it and deprives himselfe of the suffrages and prayers of the Church b 1 Ioh. 5.16 every sinne disposes a man lesse or more to this sinne which is the transcendency of all sinnes and therefore that all men may feare and not presume upon any sinfull course God hath set bounds to his mercy how farre in what cases and to whom he will shew the same and in what cases and to whom not It behooves all men as they would escape damnation to beware of this sinne which at last often causes men to lay violent hands upon themselves and to end their lives in desperation The sinnes neere approaching to it are those that men doe wilfully with a high hand commit and stand in with hatred and persecuting of the contrary vertuous courses in others Cure To avoid this sinne against the Holy Ghost wee must be carefull that wee sinne not presumptuously nor hate goodnesse and good people Things observable in it It is by way of enlargement further to be observed that this sinne against the Holy Ghost is both incident onely to persons inlightned with certaine knowledge of Christ and the Gospell a Heb. 6.4 by the Spirits illumination and are indowed with some competent measure of Evangelicall graces by the power and worke of the Holy Ghost and also that the nature of it consists in an obstinate malicious opposition of Iesus Christ and his merits and of the Gospell and of Evangelicall grace and goodnesse against divine light and convincing illumination of the Holy Ghost in those that doe it who in their very act of their opposition of Evangelicall truth and the professors and obeyers thereof doe the same with malicious refisting the very motion working and perswasion of the Spirit within them to the contrary at that very instant Observ Many more doe now in the time of the Gospell commit this sinne against the Holy Ghost How many now do commit it than could doe it in the time of the Law and many now doe come so neere unto it that they fall into the desperate estate of impenitencie and of a reprobate sense in regard of the clearenesse and abundance of the light of the Gospell contrary to which and to their owne conscience they runne with greedinesse to all excesse of wickednesse and prophanenesse with hatred and opposition of goodnesse and of the power of the Gospell and of those in that respect that are godly Note None that are affraid they have committed the sinne against the Holy Ghost or are troubled about it or grieved for it can in that case commit it neither have committed it because this sinne is done with the whole consent of will and sway of affections in a totall Apostacy with impenitency and unreconcileable hatred and persecution of the truth of the Gospell and of the professors thereof §. 18. Of Apostacy Finall Apostacy Fourthly the soule murdering sinnes committed against the Gospell are apostacy from the profession or power of it occasioned by an evill heart of unbeliefe by the profits honors pleasures or examples and temptations of the world in those that are hypocrites and unsound as were Demas a 2 Tim. 4 10. and Simon Magus b Act. 8.21 and by renouncing of God and the Gospell by compact explicit or implicit with Satan as Witches and Magitians doe resigning their soules to him and to eternall destruction Where it is to be observed that Apostates in Gods just judgement not onely runne into all excesse of impiety and prophanenesse but doe also become most bitter haters and persecuters of the profession and professors which formerly they seemed to embrace being not content to perish themselves but also are grieved that any should bee saved and stand fast in the truth Apostates are hardly ever recovered and their damnation is greater because they fall from a higher pitch than other men and against more meanes of knowledge and reluctancy whereby they are self-condemned and often at last end their dayes in despaire graduall apostacy or relecting in the power and wayes of godlinesse is incident to the godly and recoverable as wee see Revel 2.5 and therefore is not comprenended in this ranck of soul-killing-apostacy which is not fallen into at once but by degrees To persevere in the truth we must labour to be sound in the faith and to love and delight in the truth above all things The difference of sinnes Although it is certaine that all sinnes are damnable for nature in regard of their contrariety to God and his Law and are also of a condemning property in respect of their merit of due punishment of damnation For the soule that sins shall dye Ezek. 18.4 yet all sinnes are not alike as the Stoicks affirme but some are more mischievous and more repugnant than others to God himselfe and to our salvation and to the good of others and are more incompatible with justice and charity than others are as Idolatry perjury c. §. 19. Of the malignity of the sinnes against the Gospell above those committed against the Law Sinues against the Gospell worse than against the Law The sinnes that are done immediately against the Gospell are more dangerous and worse than those that are committed immediatly against the Law whereof I will give three reasons Reasons 1. First for their nature they are of a higher straine than the sinnes of the Law as the Gospell is more eminent than the Law which is intimated Heb. 10.28 29. 2. Secondly these sinnes against the Gospell are done with more opposition against more abundant meanes and grace by those that now live in the Church than the sins of the Law as Paul manifests to us 2 Cor. 3.8 3. Thirdly the sinnes against the Gospell are committed with farre more inevitable destruction than the sinnes against the
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
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
Coate let him have thy Cloake also and whosoever shall compell thee to goe a mile goe with him twaine a Mat. 5.38 39 40.41 For no man is so farre bound to contend for justice in his owne particular but that he may upon good reasons forbeare or dispense with his owne right whereby he incurres onely an evill of damage and not of sin 3. Of yeelding to suffer Thirdly this yeelding is not a making of the innocent sufferer to be guilty nor of the nocent wrong doer to be just or more obstinately to persist in his unjust courses no more than the not applying of medicines to the disease called No li me tangere doth foment it when the medling with it would inrage it and make it worse This course of yeelding to suffer wrongs makes way and place for passive obedience and for God the great and righteous Iudge of the world to do justice even upon the highest and to worke his owne glorious works with redresse of all such evills as neither by right nor might can bee by man reformed in which course of suffering wrong wee have the Martyrs for examples to follow §. 21. Touching the voluntary appearance of Felons at liberty upon baile to free their baile Third question Touching the voluntary appearing of Fellons to receive justice A third question reducible to this point is whether a man that for some capitall crime is under bond of his owne promise or upon some penall summe of money or upon bond of a friend for him of body for body for his personall appearing at the Assizes ought thereupon to appeare when he certainely foresees that there he shall be cast and die as put the case it be for battery or wounding of a man mortally who dies thereupon after such bond given Answer When they ought I answer if the bond for his appearance bee his owne promise hee ought in conscience to appeare because Gods Word and Law bindes us to keepe our promises if the same be not to doe sin although the same may bee damageable to us a Psal 15. but if so bee that his bond for appearance be a penall summe of money onely by sureties then all that a man hath he will give for his life so that in this case I see not that he is bound in conscience to appeare where he foresees his owne death when the Magistrate hath accepted a penall summe for fiduciary caution in stead of his personall imprisonment or other assurance for his appearance and so may shift himselfe for his safety to some place as a City of refuge to keep himselfe from the hands of the avenger of blood When againe they ought But if hee bee at liberty upon his friends bond of body for body for appearance then ought hee in conscience to appeare although hee certainely foresee that there hee shall die that he may free his friend by his meanès and for his sake so ingaged both in respect of the Law of friendship and in regard of the cause that is not his friends but his owne that by his meanes and for him an innocent man do not perish which were his grievous sinne §. 22. What a guilty person ought to do to free the innocent Fourth question Concerning an innocent mans suffering by misprision or error in stead of the nocent and what the guilty ought in that case to doe A fourth question that belongeth to this point may be this if a burglary or a murder be committed and an innocent man be attached arraigned found guilty and upon presumptions be condemned for it to die the true fellon not being knowne as it fell out where a certaine young man a Suiter to a Maid was taken cast and condemned to death and suffered for the murder and death of that maide with whom he was late in company after the rest of the family were in bed and she the next morning found murdered which fact was done by a Villaine that was hid about the house and not by the young man-suiter as the Fellon afterward confessed Whether is not the true actor of such a fact bound in conscience to discover himselfe and confesse that hee may save the life of an innocent that for his sinne he may not die Answer The nocent ought to discover himselfe I answer that hee is bound in conscience so to doe for otherwise he is guilty both by his fact and silence of the death of such an innocent man so suffering whom he might and ought to rescue now it is certaine that no man is to doe or omit that which by the doing or omission thereof either multiplies or aggravates his sin to his owne worse and eternall condemnation And how againe he is bound not to suffer other men to sinne either by rashnesse or malice in the witnesses or jurie when it is in his power to prevent it by true information as in this case he may yet I thinke he is to do it with as great circumspection for safety of his owne life as he can being sure that he leave not the truth undiscovered nor suffer the innocent to perish through his feare or neglect §. 23. About a mans voluntary revealing to the Magistrate his own secret capitall crimes Fift question A fift question hitherto belonging to bee resolved is if a man have committed a capitall crime as murder Polygamy or the like which was done so long agoe or so farre off or so secretly that none knowes or will accuse him thereof About secret capitall crimes and is so troubled in conscience about it that upon his private confession to Divines thereof and their counsell and consolations ministred to him he hath no rest nor comfort but in revenge upon himselfe is strongly tempted to destroy himselfe by his owne hands and cannot prevaile against his resolutions of doing it whether then is he to accuse himselfe of the crime and to put himselfe into the hands of Iustice to suffer for it Answer When and how the delinquent is to reveale his crimes that are capitall In this case I think such an one ought so to do both for the easing of his conscience that no otherwise can have rest that thereupon others may be affraid to venture upon sinne with presumption of secrecy when they shall see the force of conscience compelling men to blaze their owne crimes and shame And also for preventing of self-murder by submission to the sword of Iustice and to the mercy of the Magistrate who perhaps will hardly in such a case condemne a man upon his owne inditement and witnesse where there is no other that doth the same and when the act seemes to be unreasonable that any man should seeke his death where none accuseth and if he were in this case condemned it is most like that the supreme Magistrate would save such a one by pardon or replevin for the usefulnesse of his life in time to come for the sword
should dare upon any motive of humane will profit or penalty wilfully to transgresse the same 3. God is our ultimate or last end that we are to aime at that we may both enjoy and please him in whom consists our happinesse 4. All promises of blessings are made to the doers of Gods will and all threatnings of judgements to the transgressors of the same a Rom. 2. v. 6 7 8 9 10. which reward no humane power can hinder or frustate And therefore wee cannot dispense with our selves upon any humane pretence or motive to do any thing contrary to Gods word and positive Law although for not transgressing the same we should incurre death §. 32. Of indifferent things how they become sinfull Indifferents accidentally evill But in subject ò indifferente in things that are of themselves but indifferent whose use is neither directly nor absolutely commanded nor forbidden by Gods word as are kinds of meate drinke apparrell and the like and for which we ought not to command to death the using or not using of them becomes sinfull onely accidentally either by reason of externall circumstances about the action or omission of them or of some erroneous qualities in the agents or omitters and not from the intrinsecall nature of the things or morall disposition of the action or omission absolutely considered without respect of circumstances and Law The individual acts of things indifferent are not indifferent when they are done For touching the use of indifferent things onely mans individuall voluntary actions about them specially proceeding from deliberate judgment are morally either good or evill well done or ill done because they are accompanied and indowed with such actionall circumstances as do so affect and qualifie them that they are no more indifferent Not Physically either Physically to be done or not done for Vnumquodque dum est necessario est Every thing when it is it is necessarily and then cannot be otherwise than it is Nor morally or morally because if the same were otherwise than it is it must necessarily be either better or worse than it is For no action can stand equally morally affected with differing circumstances and at the same time to be done Tho. prima secundae quaest 18. artic 9. Cum enim rationis sit ordinare actus a ratione deliberativa procedens si non sit ad debitū finē ordinatus ex hoc ipso repugnat rationi et habet rationem mali si vero ordinetur ad debitū finē convenit ad eum ordine rationis unde habet rationem beni Ex Filliucio To. 2. p. 3. Patet actiones humanas quatenus à ratiene volūtate diriguntur dici morales hoc est dignas laude velvituperatione ex Arist Ethic. c. 13. actio homini propria est voluntaria libera adeodigna laude aut vituperatione Tho. 1.2 q. 1. art 1. Azor. l. 1. c. 1. or not to bee done cannot be equally morally indifferent For Thomas Aquinas saies That it falls out that an action may be indifferent secundum speciem in the generall kind of it qui tamen est bonus vel malus in individuo consideratus which notwithstanding is either good or evill considered in its individuall subject and act Whereof hee gives the reason quia actus moralis non solum habet bonitatem ex objecto à quo habet speciem sed etiam ex circumstantijs because a morall action hath its goodnesse not onely from its object by which it is specified for kinde but also from circumstances of which every individuall act of necessity hath some whereby it is drawne to be good or bad Ad minus ex parte intentionis finis at least in respect of the end intended And therefore he concludes properly necesse est omnem actum hominis à deliberativa ratione procedentem in individuo consideratum bonum esse vel malum it is of necessity that every act of man proceeding from deliberate reason and considered in its individuall performance and subject is good or evill For seeing the will of man rightly ordered is subject to right reason and divine Law then all actions proceeding from it as it is so guided in all performances are morally good or bad and as all things are destinated to an ultimate end of Gods glory and to other particular subordinate ends of effecting any good so is their use subject to proportionable rules and Lawes for ordering the same thereby that they may attaine their end intended and in that respect when they are done they are morally either well or ill done according to that proportion or disproportion that their use then hath to their due ends and rules and to be a fit and effectuall meanes of accomplishing the same or contrariewise Conclusion So now wee have seene how that for to prevent suffering and death we are not wittingly and willingly to doe evill of sin in any case specially or any thing directly against Gods Law And therefore doe conclude with David à Mauden touching the aforesaid three generall cases wherein a man suffering to death is exempted from indirect self-murder pro bono publico fide religione Catholica alijsque de causis bonis honestis vitam propriam periculo expouere non solum laudabile sed etiam interdum necessarium est For a man to expose his owne life to danger for the publike good for his faith for the true religion and for other good and honest causes it is not onely commendable but also sometimes necessary §. 33. Of the properties of an indirect selfe-murderer An indirect self-murderer hath two bad properties The first property Folly First hee is foolish in advisedly and wilfully using mortall meanes and fatall to himselfe and yet thinks not thereby to die but to live more happily as Eve in eating of the forbidden fruit that was the meanes of death did conceit to attaine thereby to a more excellent life as if a man should looke to gather grapes of thornes and good comfort of deadly courses Frō unbeleefe Which proceeds from the stupid unbeleefe of man who would rather make God a lyer than he will be diverted from his desperate courses or will beleeve more than hee comprehends or conceives by his senses being as the horse or mule which have no understanding whose mouth must be kept in with bit and bridle as the Prophet tells us Psal 32.9 The second property Wicked Secondly an indirect self-murderer is wicked for knowing both his course and the event thereof to bee evill opposite both to the will of God and to his owne future good he doth wilfully continue in and prosecute it still which is damnable impiety The ground of it self-content Which flowes from the self-contentment that men take in their owne sinfull waies and from their misconstruction and abuse of the long patience of God not executing his threatned judgements speedily upon such as themselves are
furniture and power of hell and what their owne wit can invent or abuse for that end Observ It is hard to do good easie to doe evill From hence wee may observe First that whereas when wee are to do good wee are hardly drawne to it and do excuse our backwardnesse by pretence of disability and want of meanes and by alledging of impediments and letts as Moses did a Exod. 4.10 13. the sluggard pretends that a Lion is in the way b Prov. 26.13 But when wee are about to do evill we make no such objections but finde abundance of helps with opportunities and great frowardnesse and readinesse to doe the same Causes 1. Mans disposition The causes hereof are specially two First internall in mans owne will and disposition far more prone to evill than to good where will and inclination are to a thing they will find meanes Causes 2. The devill and evils easinesse Secondly there is an externall cause hereof to witt the devill who doth powerfully instigate and help to do mischiefe according to mens tempers and the outward occasion and the work of doing evill is farre more easie than of doing good because of the entitie that is in goodnesse and the non entity that is in evill goodnesse is an effect of power and evill is more properly an effect of impotency to pull downe is more easie than to build up to erre than to go aright Observe 2. Self-murderers are guilty of abuse of Gods Creatures Secondly we may here observe that he that is a self-murderer is guilty not onely of the vile act of self-murder but also of the abuse of Gods good creatures and of his owne abilities in perverting the same to that unnaturall end contrary to Gods ordination whereby they are in this respect subject to vanity c Rom. 8.20 so that a self-murderer erects a counterwork of creation and use of things against God while he gives being to self-murder against both nature and religion so setting up his owne works of evill against Gods that are good and disposing of Gods good works to his owne vile ends contrary to Gods will and ordination Note whereby it is apparent that such wicked persons are factiously-rebellious against God and disturbers of the peace and tranquillity of all the frame of nature and grace contrary to the Lawes and ordinances of God Sinne is in the world as pestilentiall humors in the body which disorder and indanger all where they are §. 2. Of the application of the meanes of self-killing 2. Application For application of the aforesaid meanes to the wicked act of self-murder there are three things considerable In it 3. things considerable 1. Predestination and determination of the end First the self-murderers premeditation and determination of the end which is his owne death to be effected by himselfe so setting limits to his owne daies as if he were his owne absolute Master and that he were so unhappy that his life were worse than death which death all other creatures do abhorre and that he were so desperate and forlorne for want of present mercy or future hope and that he were so forsaken of all that he can finde none to rid him out of his life and misery but that he must kill himselfe so hastening himselfe by a most wofull exchange into a farre greater misery by so doing than ever it was possible for him to suffer in this world by living although that therein he should live for ever under the most exquisite torments that here he can be capable of 2. Election of meanes The second thing considerable in the application of the meanes to the acting of self-murder is the election and choise of the particular meanes to effect the same all self-murderers do not choose to die by the same meanes For then the way of so dying would be unvariably one and the same in them all Wherein a self-murderer observes three things In election of meanes to kill himselfe a self-murderer observes specially three things 1. Such as best agree with his temper First he is carefull to make choise of such meanes as do best fit and agree with his naturall temper and sexe and are least formidable and terrible to his fancie or sense in the execution such as are familiar to him by daily use or such as in his judgement or sense are least horrible or painfull as Cleopatra that chose to kill her selfe by Aspes making her die sleeping 2. Such as be readiest Secondly a self-murderer makes choise of such meanes to kill himselfe that are readiest at hand and easiest for him to have according to his sexe calling occasions or imployment 3. Most certaine to effect death Thirdly he chooses to use those meanes which in his opinion are most certaine to effect that end most easily speedily and unperceivedly from the knowledge of others that he may not be crost of his designe and aime nor be long in paine Observe 1. It is easie to do evill Here we may observe that there is variety and choise of meanes to doe any one evill or sinne which shewes with what facility and ease we may sinne and perish and with what difficulty and hardnesse wee may doe good and bee saved which cannot bee done by such multiplicity of meanes and waies a right line can bee drawne but one way and the truth is simple and not manifold 2. The folly and madnesse of self-murderers Secondly here appeares the folly and madnesse of those that are so circumspect and carefull about choise of the meanes whereby they would die and are so regardlesse of the morall maner how they die and of their consequent condition that will follow upon such a death Observe every grosse and notorious sin is ever committed with a spice of madnesse accompanying the same because it is done against the dictat of sound reason and of true religion and therefore such men are so frequently in the Proverbs called fooles in respect not onely of the thing they doe but also in regard both of the reasons of their proceedings and also of the fruit and end of their courses touching whom it may be said that they have sowne the wind and they shall reap the whirle winde as sayes the Prophet a Hosea 8.7 §. 3. Of the method of self-murderers The method and maner of execution of self-murder The method and manner that a self-murderer observes in execution of self-murder consists in three branches 1. He observes opportunities First he watches and hunts after all opportunities and affects retired solitarinesse that he may without hinderance kill himselfe 2. Secrecy Secondly hee affects secrecie and expedition to accomplish that vile act upon performing whereof all his indeavours and power being bent and being deserted and left of God and his good Angels and the devill instigating and helping him and all meanes fitly concurring for that execution the
and the people of Israel were gathered together for to doe whatsoever thy hand and thy Counsell determined before to be done a Acts 4.27 28. Will any man therefore say that neither Iudas nor any of those were blameable for betraying and putting our blessed Saviour so cruelly and spitefully to death If Gods decrees were sufficient to warrant men to doe evill then either there could bee no sinne in the world whatsoever men doe or else God must be the author of sinne and the onely sinner which is a thing most blasphemous to thinke 2. Ignorance The second reason that manifests the error of those who thinke themselves warranted to doe whatsoever God hath decreed is both their ignorance of what God hath decreed which for the most part he keepes so seeret that it is not certainly known but by the event and effect what it is and in this case the Scripture sayes that the secret things belong unto the Lord our God Deut. 29.29 but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever that we may do all the words of this Law Gods secret will is the rule of his owne actions And also it is their ignorance of the use of Gods decree which is properly his owne will whereby and according to which he in wise and in soveraigne manner orders all things according to his owne good pleasure But it is not that which he would have alwayes to bee our will and according to which we should order our wills and practise for which he hath given us his revealed word and law which is to be in all practicall things the measure of our wills and wayes Gods revealed will is the rule of our actions And therefore so long as Gods word forbids self-murder we are not to dare upon pretence of destiny or Gods decree to entertaine thoughts to attempt it Gods secret decrees containe no formall commandements to us what we should doe nor put any reall influxe to incline us to sin nor subject us to compulsory necessity of sinning contrary to our owne wills or to the meanes and Commandements that we have against the same Observe So then it is certaine that our fulfilling of the secret will and decree of God by our wretched courses and the accidentall good that may come to others thereby cannot excuse us from damnation for running a course contrary to the revealed wil of Gods Commandements and to the meanes whereby we are to order our practise in obedience to God No man is saved for fulfilling the will of Gods decree which no man can overthrow It is not in the power of the most wretched and malicious men in the world to crosse but must fulfill the secret decree of God neither is any man commended or saved for fulfilling that decree which no man can disappoint But all men are commended or condemned for those courses and meanes which they use according as the same is commanded or forbidden in the Word whereby the severall decrees of God for mans salvation or destruction are voluntarily accomplished by men themselves Note Mans care should be to live well Mans only care in all estates should be to live well in conformity to Gods revealed will and word not being solicitous so much for our deaths which after a good life can never be ill We serve not such a master as will not be carefull of our good in which regard worthy is that speech of dying S. Ambrose recorded by Paulinus in his life Non ita inter vos vixi ut pudcat me vivere nec timco mori quoniam Dominum benum habenus I have not so lived in the world that I am ashamed to live neither am I affraid to die because wee have a good Lord. Where wee have no commandement we should be passive about our deaths Although that God is active and workes in all things about us and that we are to cooperate with him in all things where hee gives us a commandement to worke yet in those workes of God where wee have no commandement of his to worke with him as in and about our deaths there we are only to be passive Observe Three things we are to observe from this point of deceit of the judgement 1. Men are strong to beleeve errors First we may here see that people that are weakest in faith and most diffident to beleeve Gods word and saving truth upon the credit and authority of God himselfe are often strongest and most consident in beliefe of errors upon any seeming ground as Solomon saith The simple beleeveth every word a Prov. 14.15 The reason hereof is plaine because such persons are overswayed by prejudices and strength of passion so farre that they rather suspect and reject Gods sacred and infallible truth than their owne fancies and Satans suggestions Note When men leave the truth they become both superstitious and vainely credulous They therefore that beleeve God and in God are freed from many errours and much needlesse feare 2. Disobedients to God are forward to obey the devill Secondly we may from hence observe that many persons that are most disobedient to Gods lawes by keeping whereof they might live are most forward to obey Satan and their owne lusts to their owne destruction For a man cannot serve both these contrary masters at once b Mat. 6.24 Such people like well to have God to be their friend but they care not for having him to be their master but would live as they list but when they forsake him they are unhappy in their choise when they can serve none other but to their owne ruine 3. Men to excuse themselves blame God Thirdly from hence we may see that many men are willing to doe evill but are loth to beare the burden of the blame thereof and therefore they turne it upon God and would make him a party with them against himself in breaking of his owne lawes Men that would not have their courses framed by the right rule of Gods truth labour to frame all reason and divinity by their owne crooked fancies and courses whereby they doe as farre as they can deturb and cast downe God from his throne and advance themselves unto the same by their perverting the order established by him and by making themselves gods to live by their owne wills as the supreme rule of all their actions Which shewes to us how needfull it is for us to labour for self-deniall and that wee may resignē our selves wholly to God to bee ordered and disposed wholly by him in all things as he pleases which is the onely meanes of our preservation from sin and damnation §. 6. Of conceited good by self-murder perverting the judgement The fourth ground of error in judgement is conceit of benefit The fourth and last ground of a mistaken understanding which causes or occasions self-murder is both the conceit of good that
at least from the sense of it As did Lucretia who having beene ravished by Tarquinius stabd her selfe to avoide the shame of it of whom Augustine sayes Faediinse coâ—missi sceleris aegra atque impatiens se peremit turpitudmis aliaenae in se commissae Romana mulier laudis avida ne putaretur libenter passa that being sick and impatient of the villany committed against her she killed her selfe The Romane Lady ambitious of praise was ashamed of another mans filthinesse committed against her and therefore that she might not be thought to have willingly suffered that abuse she destroyed her selfe And Ovid sayes of her that Succubuit famae victa puella metu The Damosell fell overcome with feare of shame Also Curtius makes mention in his ninth booke of one Dioxippus of Athens that when he was falsly accused to have stollen a cup from Alexanders table hee was so ashamed to be so disgraced by the imputation of theft that he presently went out and hanged himselfe for to prevent or get out of insupportable confusion and ignominy So intollerable a thing is shame to some specially of the noblest natures that they thinke the same worse than death and that they had rather not to bee than to live in shame it confounds the judgement and drives into desperate shifts and praectises to be rid of it Effects of shame shame will both make a man doe evill and sin when the contrary goodnesse and vertuous courses procure contempt and disgrace with men and also it is a punishment of sin in the end a Rom. 6.21 upon which it doth ever attend as true honour doth upon well doing b Rom. 2.7 according as Iob sayes That the baters of God shall be clothed with shame Iob 8. ult and the Psalmist imprecates shame upon his enemies as one of the greatest judgements Psal 35.4.26 Of earthly creatures only man is capable of glory and of all blessings glory is counted the chiefe wherein also man doth analogically partake with God Man only capable of shame So contrarily no earthly creature but man is capable of shame or greatly affected withall whereunto he is subject in regard of his understanding and reason and of all punishments this shame is the greatest which immediately affects the soule in a high degree for being abased either by our owne practises or in the esteeme or usage of others Kindes of shame 1. Good shame There are two kindes of shame first that which is good and godly and is both that which goes before sinne and restraines men from daring to doe evill and also that which followes after sinne whereby they are driven or moved to repentance for their sinnes past wherof they are ashamed c Rom. 6.21 So that to be shamelesse and impudent opens the way for such to rush into any wickednesse and hardens their hearts from repentance Note 2. Vngodly shame Secondly there is an ungodly and wicked shame 1. ashamed to do good and that is first when a man is ashamed to doe good or to reforme his life which falls out when goodnesse is in common disgrace with the world which he labours to please and to curry favour withall or when wickednesse is habituated in him by a long continued practise and he is a stranger to vertue and goodnesse he is then ashamed to attempt to doe that which to him is strange and at which he is unskilfull and for which he feares he shall be mocked by his former companions Hee is a weake man whom a puffe of a winde disgracefull words and flouts keepes or beates back from goodnesse and yet there is nothing generally more powerfull with most people to effect the same than this hobgoblin of worldly disgrace 2. Shame of confusion Secondly wicked shame is that which is the shame of confusion proper to the wicked and is their portion in hell whereby they are swallowed up of desperation and which makes them seeke and endeavour their owne utter destruction sometimes in this life by self-murder and ever in hell wishing and desiring that they were quite extinct raging with and against themselves for being the meritorious cause of that their owne damnation so that besides all other torments themselves are against themselves Observe Here we may observe how men are lyable and subject to shame for evill and that shame is one of the greatest punishments that can betide man and is a most forcible motive to good or evill Evill brings shame Therefore our care should be to keepe it within its due bounds by fearing to sinne or to continue in sinne but that we doe alwayes walke in warrantable courses to be shamefully intreated for well-doing is most honourable a 2 Thess 2. Job 31.35 36. and matter of rejoycing That shame should move a man to kill himselfe is a mad and unreasonable practise because it is the way to bring a man into farre greater shame and everlasting and unrecoverable disgrace Self-murder cannot cure shame and so to thinke to free himselfe from shame by running into a course of greater shame is as if a man to cure his head-ache should knock out his braines §. 14. Of feare occasioning self-murder Fourth kinde of the mindes trouble The fourth kinde of the mindes trouble that may occasion self-murder is servile and excessive feare Feare Occasioned 1. wherewith a man may be surprised and possessed either from the present evills that he suffers which he conceives are beyond his strength to beare and out of which hee sees no meanes of delivery to be freed so soone as he would but by killing himselfe 2. or else from apprehension of inevitable miseries that as he foresees in their causes will fall upon himselfe or upon his which he conceives he is not able to avoide nor yet to beare with any comfort and therefore to escape what feare hath made more certaine and terrible by fancy than it is in it selfe self-murder is often resolved upon as the back-doore of evasion Note Panicke feare makes men flee before their owne shadowes and at the noise of their enemies as did the Araemites or Syrians a Kings 7.6 7. If men would absolutely submit in all things to Gods will and trust in his promises and power they might be secure in all estates But when they are guided by their owne wisdome and wills then are they most in danger of miscarying and when as they thinke to saile by their owne compasse most securely then doe they runne into the greatest dangers Observ How feare makes bold It is observable here how feare the mother of cowardize makes men daring and bold wittingly and willingly to run into the jawes of farre more horrible dangers and mischiefes than those be from which feare makes them to flee as for a man or a woman to dare to kill themselves that never durst in anger draw blood of any other body and that those who out
our consciences in well-doing and be our selves taken up about heavenly things and holy imployments then is it not in the hand of any creature to make us miserable or weary of our lives the comfort whereof depends not upon any earthly wight our repudiating desertion and wrong by those here on earth that should least faile us should make us cleave the more close to God and to live here as possessing none of these things 1 Cor. 7.29 30 31. that for our want of them or suffering by them we may care the lesse considering what little assurance we have of them at any time which at all times are accompanied with dislikes §. 16. Of afflictions unwarrantablenesse to kill ones selfe Insufficiency of this motive of crosses for a man to kill himselfe 1. Afflictions are not simply evill The insufficiency of this ground of affliction to warrant any man to murder himselfe is apparent by foure things First by the consideration of the nature of the things that men by self-murder would rid themselves from which are afflictions and therefore in that respect not properly evill much lesse so bad as self-murder which is the course men take to free themselves from the former It is certainely madnesse for any body wittingly and willingly to cast themselves into a greater evill that they may free themselves from a lesser For a man to get out of trouble by making a stollen escape Non enim poena vitatur furtiva discessiene sed crescit he encreases his deserved punishment wee must not breake prison but wait Gods leisure 2. Death is worse than afflictioÌ„s Secondly if a man consider what hee parts from namely his life to bee freed from troubles he may see the folly of such a course of self-murder upon this motive For the goods of nature and of the world Donum vilae majus est ijs ommbus Filli. are farre inferiour to a mans selfe and to the worth of his life because in them consists not a mans chiefe happinesse and therefore for the same should not a man kill himself The Philosopher sayes that Poverty is not horrible or to bee feared neither death neither any thing at all besides sinne a Arist asserit nec paupertatem esse horribilem aut pertinvescendam nec mortem nec omn no quicquam praeter culpam Therefore why should a man kill himselfe for that whereof he should not be afraid and why should hee make so bad an exchange in giving away his life for ease from that which cannot by its presence make miserable and for to precipitate himselfe into endlesse misery 3. A self-murderer is deceived Thirdly if a self-murderer did consider how he is deceived in his expectation of being eased or delivered from troubles by killing himselfe VltimuÌ„ malorum hujus vitae maxime terriâ—ile est mors et iccireo inferre sibi morteÌ„ ad alias hujus vitae misertas evadendas est majus malum assumere ad minoris mass vitaâ—ienem Tho. 2.2 q. 64. Art 5. when thereby he casts himselfe into infinite greater miseries hee might see what little force this motive hath in it to worke and justifie this effect Seeing life is more proper and effectuall than such a death to procure happinesse Although that self-murder be a quick way of dispatch and of putting out all feeling of bodily paine it is not therefore better when the exchange is for the worse ease and expedition in doing self-murder is no argument of commendation seeing evill of sin is most easily performed as the Apostle shewes Rom. 7.21 Heb. 12.1 Because it is not an act of power but of impotency Peter Martyr wonders at the Stoicks that place happy life in vertue and doe hold that adversity is not evill that they should to free themselves from troubles kill themselves and sayes What kind of happinesse is that which death doth perfit if life be happie then should wee labour to abide therein what happinesse is that which may be overcome by those things that are not evill a Quaenam est foelicitas quae morte est perficienda Si vita est beata in ea est manendum quae est faelicitas quaevinci potest ab ijs quae non sunt mala For persecution our Saviour bids us flee from it or patiently to endure it and no where allowes that we should kill ourselves to prevent or escape it our blessed Saviour although he were to lay downe his life yet would not kill himselfe for accomplishment of that worke that necessarily was to be done Ludovicus Vives cites out of Plutarch and he out of Menander That it is not the part of a good and valiant man to say I will not suffer this but to say I will not doe this b Non est boni et fortis viri dicere hee non patiar sed hoc nonfaciaÌ„ 4. He resists Gods will Fourthly he that kills himselfe for to free himselfe thereby out of troubles and afflictions resists the will of God by shaking off that burden which God hath laid upon him to beare during his good pleasure to which all are subject And thereunto the Son of God submitted himselfe when he said to Peter The cup that my Father hath given me shall I not drinke it c Iohn 18.11 And therefore we are bound in this case to fulfill the will of God by passive obedience when we cannot doe the contrary without offending God neither did the Saints of God use self-murder to free themselves out of troubles whereof we have neither precept nor commendable example §. 17. Of certaine uses about afflicted persons Observe The uses or observations observable from this motive generally considered are two Afflicted persons are doubly burdened First we are here to observe that persons in trouble and adversity are under a double burden both of their afflictions which they suffer and also of strong temptations wherby thereupon Satan assaults them both which the persons in distresse doe commonly aggravate so making their estates more tedious and unsupportable than otherwise they would be Note in which condition men should beware of hard uncharitable conclusions against themselves Beware of censuring either in censuring themselves to be reprobates forsaken of God or the like or in determining rashly of or against themselves what they will doe with themselves or to themselves in that case otherwise than they have warrant from God Beware of concealement Againe in that estate they should take heed of over-close concealement of their troubles from those that may advise and help them to beare their burdens concealed griefe is most dangerous to sink a man but vent gives ease and procures help Finally of persons in adversity others are to be observant how they doe and to be helpfull to them by their countenance counsell and aide of assistance from themselves and by their intercession from others that so that may be easily borne that
which is bad and it is either a wilfull debiliating of ones selfe to good or killing of ones selfe for his sin by excessve griefe against which wee have already spoken in some sort or else this revenge is in laying violent hands upon ones selfe purposely to mutilate or kill himselfe out of indignation for his sinne Causes The causes hereof are specially two 1. Desperation First desperation in regard of the horriblenesse and grievousnesse of the sinnes whereof a man is guilty and by which hee is confounded in his conscience and for that withall hee conceives and perswades himselfe that God will never be mercifull to him to pardon him 2. Ease of conscience Secondly affectation indeavour to ease ones troubled and restlesse conscience for some unnaturall cruelties and crying crimes by satisfaction of Iustice according to his demerits makes himself to destroy himself but of this case we have spoken before The saul inesse of this revenge This revenge upon ones selfe in this manner upon this cause is many wayes faulty 1. First because of the opinion of expiation of sinne thereby which nothing can doe away or can quiet the conscience but onely the blood of our blessed Saviour Christ 2. Secondly because sinne cannot be done away by sin and such as is worse than the former no more than fire can be quenched by addition of more fire to it the punishment of sinne belongs to God and his Vicegerents whose lawes are violated 3. Thirdly no man is a competent judge over himselfe in this case either to cleare or to condemne himselfe Non est quis idâ—neus judex inse in propria causa Nemo halet in se authoritate est non sit seipso superior Filli. Because it is impossible that he should bee both Superiour and inferiour to himselfe or that he should not be partially inclined in his affection to himself either in love or hatred 4. Fourthly not by killing our selves which deprives us of the necessary time of repentance but by repentance and faith in Christ our past sinnes are to be done away how grievous soever they be Sibi adimit necessariuÌ„ poenisteÌ„tiae sepus Tho. 2.2 q. 64. Art 5. by living according to the will of God and not by dying by our owne hands our sinnes are reformed and God glorified God sayes that he wills not the death of a sinner Ezek. 18. why then should we will it 5. For peace of con cience what is to be done in this case Fiftly for peace of conscience in that case God hath appointed other meanes as 1. First humiliation and repentance before God 2. Secondly confession to godly Ministers for advice and comfort 3. Thirdly if the former will not do then are we to put our selves to open shame for private faults by publick penance in the Church or to put our selves into the hands of the Magistrates to suffer for our crimes by the civill sword Second kind of revenge Against others The second kinde of revenge is intended against others by ones killing of himselfe when he is implacably offended by others from whom he can neither have satisfaction nor reformation of his grievances and when his death by his owne hands may redound to the hurt or disgrace as he thinks of those that have wronged him Who in this respect are most subject to self-murder Which practise of self-murder upon this motive is most incident to persons of the weakest sexe and worst disposition and condition such as be women and servants and men sympathizing with them in qualities as a Wife that because shee cannot have her will of or with her Husband kils her selfe to the intent to disgrace him with the reproach of being the occasion of that fact to grieve and vexe him and to deprive him of all benefit and comfort that he might have by her life and to hurt him by all the evill that can betide him by her death The unreasonablenesse of the practise Which is a mad course for one to pull out both their owne eyes to the end that another may lose one of his Such persons doe die in implacable malice and are certainely damned by their owne act and manner of concluding their life A good revenge There is a good and lawfull revenge to bee exercised upon those that wroug us which is in killing that evill in them whereby they offend God and us by instructing and reforming them by holy admonitions and example and also in killing their enmity with preservation of their persons by our love and good dealing towards them making them our friends both in affection and behaviour whereby our enemies are destroyed and our selves benefited Touching killing a mans selfe in revenge for his sins S. Augustine sayes that We affirme that no man ought for his sinnes past to kill himselfe Hoc asserimus neminem propter sua peccata praeterita propter que magis â—ac vita opus est ut possit poeniteudo sanari cum fructuosam agere possumus poeniteâ—â—â—â— apud Deum Jude sacium meritò detestamur cum se liqueo suspendit seeleratae illiâ—s traditionis auxisse potiùs quam expiâsse commissùm quoniam Dei miscricerdiam desperando exiâ—â—abiliter penitus nullum sibi salubris poenitentiae locum reliquit suae mertis reus sinivil â—ane vitam quia licet propter suum scelus alio seclere suo eccisus est for which hee hath rather need of his life that by repentance they may be healed And condemnes the same when we may by living performe profitable repentance before God And further sayes that we doe justly abhorre the fact of Iudas seeing when hee hanged himselfe he did rather increase than expiate the fact of his flagitious treason because damnably despairing of the mercy of God he left no place of saving repentance to himselfe he ended this life being guilty of his own death for although he was flaine for his owne vile fact yet it was by another vile fact of his owne And so it is apparent that for sinne past or for revenge no man can murder himselfe warrantably §. 19. Concerning prevention of sin to come The fourth generall motive to self-murder Prevention of sinne The fourth generall motive of men to self-murder is prevention of sin to come which a man conceives will inevitably be effected to Gods dishonour and his owne disgrace if he doe still live and may by his death be prevented and therefore doth he hasten and inflict the same with his owne hands Those sins for which hee would kill himselfe to prevent them are of two sorts 1. The sins of others First they are the sinnes of others for which a man would kill himselfe either that he may not see them to his griefe or that he may not be the object or subject of other mens committing of them As those women that to avoide ravishment and of being deflowred
unlawfull by the rules of religion is because it is against nature it selfe and against that naturall affection and propensnesse whereby it endeavours to preserve and cherish it selfe and to withstand and repell all that is destructive of it and inimicall to it Religion requites the observation of the law of nature that religion requires the observation of the law of nature is manifest because religion and natures law are not repugnant but differ in extent and degrees of perfection the law of nature being more universall and lesse divinely perfit The Scripture it selfe commends the keeping and condemnes the transgressing of the law of nature In which respect the Apostle blames the Gentiles that knowing God by nature they did not glorifie him as God a Rom. 1.21 And againe he commends them for doing by nature the things contained in the Law b Rom. 2.14 15. and which naturally was written in their hearts Hee blames the Incestuous Corinthian for doing a sin so hainous as is not so much as named amongst the Gentiles c 1 Cor. 5.1 And further he condemnes mens wearing of long haire contrary to the law of nature when he sayes Doth not even nature it selfe teach you that if a man have long haire it is a shame unto him d 1 Cor. 11.14 Thomas Aquinas sayes e Quod aliquis scipsum occidat est contra inelinationem naturalem contra charitatem that for any man to kill himselfe is against naturall inclination and charity The devill knew that man naturally will give all he hath for his life Iob 2.4 the soule and body of a man doe naturally affect to be united together because of the unity of the person that consists of them both personally joyned together by whose dissolution it is destroyed The soule and body are neither of them perfit without the other and therefore affect to be united together And the soule and body are so made one for another that they are not nor can be perfit the one without the other neither with naturall nor beatificall perfection for beside a partiall perfection there is that full perfection that is of the whole and in the whole The soule doth not willingly leave the body but with respect of advancement of the person whereof it is the soule by entring upon possession of that partiall perfection whereof it is capable and the whole for measure and degree is due to the person constituted of soule and body and for which union and adeption of perfit glory of the person there shall be a resurrection of the body at the last day 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and therefore is the body in the meane time called Nephesh a Psal 16.10 by the Hebrewes And God is said by our Saviour himselfe speaking of the dead to be the God of the living b Mat. 22.32 whose bodies although they were dead yet themselves are said to be alive in regard of their living soules who cannot be personally considered but in their union together that by death cannot be dissolved in Gods consideration of us and in respect of the naturall inclination of each mans proper soule and body the one to the other for their full perfection and in regard of the resurrection when they shall be united everlastingly to live together betweene which time and the day of our death there is no sensible distance of time to us nor length of time with God §. 4. How self-murder is injurious to mankinde 4. Self-murder wrongs mankinde The fourth particular that makes it evident that self-murder is condemned by religion is because it is injurious to mankinde and to the common-wealth whereof the self-murderer is a member who by that fact of killing himselfe hurts humane society by such hainous disorders and pernicious examples for others to follow to their destruction and by the unrecoverable damage and losse of its members and of the good that the same might have by their lives For as Thomas sayes Every man is a part of a Commonalty and he that kills himselfe doth an injury to that Commonalty a Quilibet homo est pars comunitaetis qui scipsum intersicit injuriam sacit Communitati Examples The commendable examples and practise of the godly hath ever beene opposite to self-murder as well as their opinion and have had a care to preserve their lives not only for their own good but also for the good of others who had an interest in them as is manifest by the Apostle Paul Phil. 1.24 25. and 2.17 Who seeing his life to be needfull for the Philippians was willing to abide and continue with them For the furtherance and joy of their faith and did joy and rejoyce to be offered upon the sacrifice and service of the same It is hurtfull to the common-wealth If self-murder were not unlawfull even in respect of the wrong thereby done to the common-wealth why should David have commanded to take away the life of the yong man the Amalekite that did help Saul to kill himselfe whom David asked How he was not affraid to stretch forth his hand to destroy the Lords annointed and so caused to put him to death not simply for unjustly killing an innocent man but specially in consideration of killing of the King the head of the land which by his death was wronged and was a dangerous president to passe unpunished § 5. How self-murder wrongs mans selfe doing it 5. It wrongs a mans selfe and how The fifth particular demonstrating how unlawfull self-murder is by religion is the sin and wrong which the self-murderer doth thereby to himselfe in three speciall respects 1. It overthrowes faith and love in a man First in regard of the principall saving graces of God in man which are faith and love self-murder is against faith and trust in God and overthrowes the same by desperation that neither in adversity can a person that is resolved to kill himselfe have any true comfort nor any hope of life eternall by a course that he knowes is the way to damnation Touching love we have heard before how it cannot consist with self-murder they being contrary For as one sayes Quisque debet plus amare seipsum quam proximum Filliue Every one ought to love himselfe more than his neighbour For the neerenesse of our selves to our selves and for the perfection that should be in the rule or measure whereby we are to love others 2 It marres our duty Secondly in regard of our duty which is not to dispose of or doe that which is not in our power nor within our authority such as to kill ones selfe is For when a man kills himselfe he either kills an innocent and so in that respect grievously sinnes or else hee kills a malefactor and then he sinnes that doth it without lawfull authority to warrant his action which no man hath to kill himselfe but expresse command to the contrary 3.
It destroyes our persons Thirdly self-murder is much against our selves both by the destruction of our persons in this world and by running of our selves into everlasting damnation in the world to come by such a damnable and wicked practise whereby we are sinners against our owne soules §. 6. How self-murder is most harmefull Self-murder is most harmfull Now it followes to bee shewed how self-murder is most harmefull and damageable which may bee seene in foure particulars 1. To Gods glory First it is hurtfull to the glory and honour of God who is thereby dishonoured not only by the transgression of his Law but also by the wrong that thereby is done to the Soveraigne authority and to the image of God 2. To the Church and common-wealth Secondly it is hurtfull to the Church and Common-wealth by bereaving the same unjustly of their members and by drawing downe Gods judgements upon them for such damnable facts committed within the same 3. To friends and posterity Thirdly it is harmefull to a mans friends and posterity both in overshadowing their credit and honour by the darke and disgracefull cloud of such a fact and over-lading them with troubles griefe and shame for the same And also by depriving them of that earthly estate and meanes whereby otherwise they might have been helpfull to them for their livelihood or advancement 4. To a mans selfe Fourthly self-murder is harmefull to a mans selfe both by depriving him of life and also by subjecting him to misery with losse of happinesse and good name Ierome sayes in the name of God I receive not such soules as have come out of their bodies against my will a Non recipio tales animas quae me nolente exierunt è corpore Hierom. ad Marcellam de obitu Blesellae and the Philosophers that did kill themselves he calls them Martyrs of foolish philosophy b Martyres stultae philosophiae Virgil places self-murderers in the third circle or region of hell qui sibi lethum Insontes peperêre manu Self-murderers are fooles and mad men For a man wittingly and willingly to doe that which of it selfe is wholly morally evill and whereof nothing but evill and mischiefe redounds to others and to the doers thereof especially is extreame folly and madnesse And therefore self murder being a thing of that kinde those that kill themselves doe thereby proclaime themselves to be damnable fooles or mad men or worse and so in regard of the damage thereof self-murder is to be abhorred of all §. 7. How reason condemnes self-murder Self-murder is against reason It remaines that it be demonstrated by reason that self-murder is wicked and unlawfull and that no man may kill himselfe upon any pretence whereof the reasons are many some whereof I will here subjoyne 1. It is evill First that which is every way evil is not to be done but to kill ones selfe is every way evill 1 Cor. 15.26 peccantly and penally naturally and morally The Apostle calls death an enemy it is threatned by God as a punishment for sin it is privative of life and therefore opposite to God who is life and a pure act of eternall living Life is promised as a blessing and in that respect to be desired and imbraced It makes us by our vitall being conformable to the first being and capable of happinesse The degrees of the creatures being And the higher that any thing is raised upon the foundation of being the liker it is to God as vegetables doe more resemble God than inanimates that have but simple being and sensitives more than vegetables and rationall creatures as men approach neerer to God than sensitives and intellectuall creatures or spirituall intelligences as Angels are neerer to God than rationall creatures on earth and those that are of the longest lives resemble the ancient of dayes most So that to live long in an estate of neerest proximity to God every man should affect whereunto self-murder is contrary 2. Self-murder is against faith Secondly whatsoever wee doe morally considered should be an act of faith and obedience but self-murder cannot be an act of faith and obedience both because Gods word is against it and also for that it proceeds from desperation and mans domineering self will which is contrary to faith and holy obedience 3. It is not to bee desired to be done by others nor to others Thirdly what a man may neither naturally nor morally desire nor endeavour that another should doe to him nor he to another that may not he doe to himselfe because wee ought to doe as wee would be done to which is the summe of the Law and the Prophets a Mat. 7.12 our judgement and practise should agree But no man rightly disposed in his wits may nor can advisedly desire or endeavour that another should kill him or that he should kill another undeservedly and upon private motion the latter is literally forbidden by the sixth Commandement and against the former nature and religion bids and armes a man to defend himselfe for preservation of his life Nature rightly disposed erres not in and about its proper object seeing it is a proper judge of things properly belonging to it and is from God and not contrary to his Word And therefore a man may not kill himselfe contrary to the dictate of nature 4. It makes him unlike to God How self-murder makes a man unlike to God Fourthly no man may do that which makes him most unlike to God for the Creator and creature must hold proportion together and our happinesse stands in our likenesse to him and communion with him 1 Iohn 3.2 But for a man to kill himselfe makes him most unlike to God both by his sinne and also by the effect of his fact For for a man by his own hands to make himselfe not to be is contrary to him who hath his being and living of himselfe and doth everlastingly live he being naturally the fountaine of life and his living and essence are reciprocall or convertible and is absolutely immortall and so the more that any preserves their lives and the longer they live the liker they are to God and the more that they are impotently passive and the sooner they cease to bee the unliker they are to God The being and living of creatures is the ground of all other blessings wherewith they are or can be indowed therefore no man should kill himselfe when death deprives him of so much good 5. Life is a blessing Fifthly wee should most carefully keepe the greatest naturall blessing that God bestowes upon us which is our life and be thankfull to God for it because it is the first blessing and the ground of all the rest that God bestowes upon us and therefore we ought most to abhorre self-murder because it is most contrary to life 6. Self murder most harmfull to a mans selfe should cause us to avoide it Sixthly
nature of self-murder Objections There remaines now certaine objections to be answered which may be made in favour of proper self-murderers for their salvation which are especially three The first of them may be pretended to be taken from the nature of self-murder alledging that the same is not so hainous a sinne but that the doers thereof may bee saved 1. From the nature of self-murder First because if we consider sinnes as they are committed against the Gospell onely the sinne against the holy Ghost is called a sinne unto death a 1 Joh. 5.16 which never shall be pardoned b Mat. 12.31 Self-murder is not that sinne and therefore may seeme to bee pardonable and the doers thereof saved 2. Againe if wee do consider the sinnes committed directly agaist the Law there is none of them desperately unpardonable because they all and every of them may upon repentance be cured by the Gospell which is of equall extent to the Law to be able to repleave and save all that the Law condemnes And of the sinnes committed against the Law some as spitefull blasphemy against the Majesty of God and the like may in the true nature of them seeme to be more hainous than self-murder both in regard of their more direct and malignant opposition against God and also for their greater distance in nature from pardon Answ 1. The sin against the holy Ghost To this objection that caries with it a countenance of probability I answer first touching the argument taken from the sin against the holy Ghost it is to be considered that that sin is unpardonable and they damned that do it onely in respect of that desperate opposition whereby the committers of it do spitefully oppose and reject Christ and his Gospell the very only meanes whereby they can be saved so that there remaines no further or other way or help for salvation and also because that sinne is ever infallibly accompanied with finall impenitency which alwaies makes a man uncapable of grace and salvation which none can have but true penitents How self-murder is equivalēt to the sinne against the holy Ghost Self-murder hath that in it which is in the sin against the holy Ghost in respect whereof it damnes and is unpardonable which is both finall impenitency in regard that a self-murderer by that sinne in the perfection of the anomie of it doth so indispose himselfe and shuts up and ends his life by and in such a horrible transgression that hee cannot possibly repent nor consequently bee saved And also equivalent and answerable to that spitefull rejection of Christ his grace and Gospell in the sin against the holy Ghost by the living there is in self-murder the cutting off of one selfe by his owne hands in this death from grace and salvation to be gotten only in and by life So that in these respects self-murder is as certainly damnable and the doers thereof reprobated as is the sin against the holy Ghost and the committers thereof For although of the sin against the holy Ghost it be precisely said that it shall never be forgiven and that the committers thereof are certainely damned yet it is neither said nor is true that none but sinners against the holy Ghost have their sinnes not forgiven to them and are damned seeing the contrary is abundantly certaine and the wicked quality and impenitent disposition of some persons so depraved and vitiated by their sins makes the same to be in them unpardonable which brings them to the same finall state with sinners against the holy Ghost it matters little for a mans comfort that is to be put to death whether he be hanged for felonie or for burglarie seeing for either of them his death is the same 2. Self-murder a transcendent great sin Secondly I answer touching the comparison made betweene self-murder and other sinnes committed against the Law that self-murder is a greater sin than any that can be directly and properly committed against and within any precept of the Law for which the committers of the same may have grounded hope of forgivenesse because self-murder is a transcendent sinne as hath beene shewed in the third reason transcedents are ever larger and greater than subordinates and it is a sinne condemnable by more and stronger reasons and arguments than any other sinne committed against and within the compasse of the Law as the same is more grievously injurious to more objects and transgresses more Lawes naturall divine and humane and therefore it must needs be the greater sinne Also the estimate of the greatnesse and unpardonablenesse of sinnes as they are in offenders is not wholly to be made by consideration of their abstract nature but specially the same is to bee made by the quality and disposition of the committers of them whose personall and actionall circumstances in doing of thē much aggravats or extenuats the same For pardon or not pardon of sins depends more upon the penitencie or impenitency of the offenders than upon the nature of their sins absolutly and abstractly considered the fact of self murder is such a sinne as no man penitently disposed can commit and it cuts him that doth it off finally from all repentance and consequently from salvation Self-murder most dangerous for a mans soule Of all sinnes against the Law self-murder is most dangerous and pernicious for a mans soule to bring it to damnation both because it excludes all care and meanes of a mans salvation which if a self-murderer did regard he would not venture in the last period of his life upon a course so contrary to it and also it puts the self-murderer into such an estate and disposition of sinfulnesse and aversenesse from God and his will in pursuing of his owne wicked lust that he is not nor can be capable of grace nor is in the way of salvation whereunto self-murder is most contrary by his last act of horrible sin in the closure of his life And therefore it is apparent that for any thing in this objection alledged there is nothing from the nature of the sin of self-murder properly so called that can give any comfort of salvation to self-murderers or can warrant us to hold probably and in the judgement of charity that they are not all generally considered utterly damned §. 10. Touching Examples of self-killers 2. Object Is from examples The second objection that may be made in favour of the salvation of self-murderers is taken from examples of Sampson Pelagia and many others that in the Primitive Church killed themselves and are acknowledged to be saved Therefore it may seeme probable that some self-murderers may be saved Answers 1. That Sampson is no self-murderer To this objection I answer first touching Sampson that he was no self-murderer directly nor in that point of so dying indirectly the reasons whereof are evident Reasons 1. First because his intention will and endeavours were not directly or primarily but only
accidentally to kill himselfe but in all the aforesaid respects he was wholly bent to destroy his enemies the Philistims which he could not doe but with and by the death of himselfe which is apparent by the story Iudg. 16.28 2. Secondly he was a Iudge of the people of Israel to free and avenge them of their enemies the Philistims and therefore by vertue of his office was warranted to destroy them as he should be able in which execution although he perished through his owne voluntary act according to his owne certaine foreknowledge he could not be a self-murderer from which sinne his office and calling of God to that work freed him 3. Thirdly for that act and last worke of Sampson whereby himselfe died God called him to it that then and there he might so do it both by his providence giving him such an opportunitie against his enemies so assembled as he could never have the like againe and also by the extraordinary supernaturall assistance of the Spirit of God that came upon him Spiritus latenter hoc jusserat Decreti secunda pars causa 23. c. 9. si non licet and strengthned him to do the deed which it never doth for any wicked act which is rather the work of the devill Whereby it is manifest that Sampsons act was not self-murder 4. That Sampsons act was warrantable and no fact of self-murder is evident by his intending and going about it in subordination to God and his will manifested by his Spirits assistance and obtained by lawfull and pious prayer which no self-murderer doth who preferre their owne wills above Gods in satisfying whereof they cannot comfortably pray for Gods assistance to doe the deed which in their owne consciences they know is unlawfull and wicked and therefore were horrible to entreat him to be an actor of the same with them 5. Fiftly this last act of Sampson is spoken of in the history of it Iudg. 16.30 with commendation when it is said that the dead which he slew at his death were more than they which he slew in his life and Heb. 11.32 himselfe is honoured among the faithfull as being one of them whereas the facts of self-murder and the persons of self-murderers are never spoken of but with aspersion of blame and disgrace and therefore Sampson is no self-murderer 6. Sixtly things may be done lawfully in a type of figure upon divine instinct or ordination which otherwise were unlawfull to be done as a Certaine man of the sonnes of the Prophets said unto his neighbour in the word of the Lord smite me I pray thee and the man refused to smite him then said he unto him because thou hast not obeyed the voice of the Lord behold assoone as thou art departed from me a Lyon shall slay thee and assoone as he was departed from him a Lyon found him and slew him Then he found another man and said smite me I pray thee and the man smote him so that in smiting he wounded him 1 King 20.35 36 37. Which act otherwise had beene unlawfull that here done upon divine command and for a type or figure was good Sampsons manner of so dying was a type or figure of Christ who by his death slew more than in his life and therefore in this respect it was lawfull and he no self-murderer 2. About Pelagia and others not self-murderers Secondly I answer touching Pelagia and others in the Primitive Church who killed themselves to avoid either doing of sin themselves or suffering sin to be done upon them that they were charitably thought of and favourably censured because of their precedent pious godly life and of their good intention although the act were wicked and are excused 1. By allegation of their ignorance of the morall nature and of the danger of the fact to their soules 2. And by the suddaine invasion and surprisall of them by violence of their unadvised passions which can be no president for ordinary practise either to warrant the fact to be lawfull or to comfort the persons doing it with expectation of the like event and safety But of this see more cap. 12 § 5. and cap. 15. § 23. and cap. 17. § 7. argument 17. supra § 4. Whereby it appeares evidently that those and such persons were not proper self-murderers and so not of that number and ranck of self-killers that are certainely and finally excluded from salvation And so this objection is of no force against the former conclusion of the damnation of all proper and transcendent self-murderers because the instances given are insufficient and impertinent to make proofe or to give any comfort and hope of salvation to any proper self-murderer in regard that the same are of another kinde for although by falling by their owne hands or meanes they were self-killers yet they were not proper and direct self-murderers seeing these two are not alwaies convertible and of equall extent as hath beene shewed §. 11. About antecedent Prayer and repentance for pardon of sinnes to come 3. Object From mens preparation to God-ward before they murder themselves The third objection that may be alledged in favour of the salvation of self-murderers is that a self-murderer purposing and resolved to murder himselfe may before the fact make his peace with God by humiliation and repentance for all his sinnes past and in particular for his hainous sin of self murder to come praying instantly to God to forgive him both the guiltinesse and punishment of that vile fact that he is bent suddainely to do and beseeching him through Christ and his merits to receive him into mercy and to save his soule for the same casting himselfe upon and beleeving in Christ And so thereupon dispatches and murders himselfe by his owne meanes or hands hoping and expecting to be saved whereby and in which case such an one seemes to die in a good minde in peace with God and in charity with all the world and in an estare sure enough of heaven for his soule and of perfection of salvation for both at the resurrection and great day of Judgement Answer A self-murderer cannot make peace with God To this objection I answer that no man can make or be at peace with God when and so long as he wilfully intends and persists in such a sinfull course or practise as offends enrages and makes God his implacable enemie in that case such is the state of an indivertibly-resolved self-murderer and therefore it is impossible that so long as he is in that minde to murder himselfe he can make or be at peace with God whom by his vile sin he inrages against him so that he cannot die that way but in vengeance from God both thereby punishing his former sinnes and also thus dispatching him away to hell Antecedent prayer and repentance for self-murder is uneffectuall Neither can any man truly repent before hand for that grosse sinne which he is purposed and fully
Page 311 Prevention of sinne occasioning self-murder Page 237 Prevention of error Page 199 Pride cause of self-murder Page 215. 226 Prodigality cause of self-murder Page 111 Professors How in professors gross sins are most offensive Page 178 Promises Gods promises cherish spirituall life Page 41 Properties of self-murdring sins Page 68 Prosperity of the wicked ground of self-deceit Page 156 Proud ambitious persons in danger of self-murder Page 255 Providence Gods providence how wronged by self-murder Page 268 Punishment of damage is worse than of smart Page 65 Purchase Of desperate purchase Page 112 Pusillanimity the cause of self murder in affliction Page 227 Q Questions Sixe questions resolved Page 133 135 136 137 138. R Reason Man by meanes of his reason suffers 164. Man wanting the use of reason no self-murderer Page 172 Reason abused to self-murder Page 189 Reason condemnes self-murder Page 273 Regardlesness Of regardlesness Page 260 Regenerated The regenerated preserved from self-murder Page 291 Religion For religion to adventure life 143. The defence of religion 144 Self-murder is contrary to religion 262. Religion requires the observation of the Law of nature Page 269 Repent To repent Page 157 Repentance True repentance self-murderers have not 296. 306. The use of it against self-murder Page 312 Reskue Of desperate reskue Page 112 Restraint Of forcible restraint of self-murderers Page 325 Resolution a help to obedience Page 128 What resolution is hardly altered Page 188 Resolutions of self-killing injected by Satan Page 246 Revealing Of revealing a mans own capitall faults Page 137 Revenge good and bad Page 232 Rules for understanding the Scripture Page 199 S Salvation In state of salvation none can be properly a self-murderer Page 292 Sampson proved no self-murderer Page 303 Sanctification How sanctification is wrought in us by the holy Spirit 32. 35. the degrees of it ibid. Satan To give any way to Satan is dangerous 188. Of his powerfull motions in the mind Page 247 Saved No man is saved for fulfilling the will of Gods decree Page 205 Saving For saving of soules to adventure life Page 141 Scripture mis-understood perverts judgement 195. the causes of mis-understanding of it Page 196. Abused Scripture harmefull Page 198 How rightly to understand it Page 199 It is apparent by the Scripture that men murder themselves Page 176 Sea-fight Of a sea-fight Page 138 Secrecie The reason of affectation of secrecy about self-murder Page 211 Secret When a man is to reveale his secret capitall crimes to the Magistrate Page 137 Seeming-good is cause of disobedience Page 70 Selfe Mans selfe is subject to self-murder 159. How self should behave himselfe to self Page 171 Self-blinded How man is self-blinded Page 155 Self-conceit a ground of self-deceit Page 156 Not to be self-conceited Page 210 Self-content in indirect self-murder Page 155 Self-deceived and causes of self-deceit Page 156 Self-deniall is cure of pride Page 227 Self-killing To self-killing who are most subject Page 236 Self-killing is no lawfull meanes to prevent sin Page 240 Self-killers What self-killers be not self-murderers Page 172. 290 Self-murder described what it is 2 How known by life 2. it is horrible comprehends in it murder 47. the degrees of it why slighted Page 83 Of bodily self-murder the kinds 84 defined and differenced Page 85 How self-murder is horrible and great 162. It falls our in the Church and is most blameable in Christians Page 176. 180. The meanes and way of self-murder 183. Motives of it 189 how it is heresie 233. it is proved unlawfull Page 262 How self-murder extends to the soule to hurt it 288. it is a transcendent sin and how 295. 302. It is equivalent to the sin against the holy Ghost Page 301 Self-murders antidotes 311. and how best prevented Page 323 Self-murderers many 124 how known by Scripture history and experience 178. 181. their follie 186. their secrecy 187. they are deceived 229 their goods confiscate 278. how they sin most grievously 286. they are Atheists 278. they regard not their soules 288. they are all damned 291. they want faith and true repentance 296. they are debarred from Christian buriall and why 287. their antecedent prayer and repentance is vaine and they cannot be at peace with God Page 306 Service Our service must be done before we receive our reward Page 245 Shame Of shame causing self-murder the kinds of shame Page 221 Shortnesse of life a motive to spend it well Page 19 Similies By similies self-murder condemned Page 279 Sins of commission against negative coÌ„mandements subjects to death 67 Of sins against the Gospell 70. 77. sin costs deare 77. men sin against themselves 158. how to prevent sin men murder themselves 237. sinne blinds 208. men sinning think they sin not 203. the worst sins are committed against Gods goodnesse 268 Some sins beyond Law and mercy Page 294 Sinning is a course of self-murder Page 77 Sinking or burning a ship in fight Page 138 Society with persons destinate to destruction Page 118 Solitarinesse of self-murderers Page 259 Soule The soules double act in man 7 its works in the body Page 81 The soules relation to its owne body Page 270 Soule-murder how it is self-murder 57 the degrees of it Page 58 Soule-murdering sins Page 68 Souldiers About souldiers Page 112. 127 Speeches Manner of speeches of self-murderers Page 260 Spend How to spend our lives well Page 18 Spirit Of the Spirits operation quickning us 29. how it manifests its power in the meanes 32. the evidences of its work 34. the degrees of its working 35. its worke in us about obedience 36. how it is a meanes in us to know the Scripture Page 200 Spirituall life what it is 21. the acts of it ibid. degrees of it 22. who may have it and how it is lost 24 the nature and excellency of it 26. the continuance and effects of it ibid. how to obtain it 8. 66. the signes of it 37 how preserved 39. and to be preferred 39. ibid. how it is destroyed Page 45 Spirituall-self-murder defined and differenced 58. how done by omission 59. by commission â—7 by sinning against the Gospell 70. by sinning against the Law 68. spirituall self-murder most damnable Page 78 Strictness in religious observances Page 234 Superiours For â—uperiors men should choose to die 29 Of their displeasure to be appeased and how Page 133 T Teachers False Teachers cause of mis-understanding the Scriptures Page 196 Temper of people Satan observes to tempt them Page 248 Our own tempers we should know Page 255 Temptations People under spirituall temptations are in danger of self-murder Page 254 Temptations of self-murder to be withstood Page 313 Thoughts Mans thoughts heavenly a signe of spirituall life Page 38 Our thoughts to bee rightly ordered Page 315 Torments inflicted occasion of self-murder Page 212 Transgression How transgression of Gods Law kills Page 122 Trouble of conscience and grounds thereof Page 218 Truth to be confessed 145. it is blamelesse 177. we should know and obey it
evill upon them as they suppose the death that they cannot indure to see or suffer inflicted by other meanes they unnaturally and wickedly out of cruell mercy inflict themselves Note So hard a thing it is to indure to see a cruell act done over it is for ones selfe to do it evils are ever more discernable by and terrible to us when they are in others than in our selves §. 8. Of crosses upon mans outward estate occasioning self-murder 2. Calamities upon mens externall good things The second kind of evils that give men occasion to murder themselves are those that are upon mens outward worldy estates when either having beene rich or well to live they fall to decay and goe backward 1. Upon their estates or when having meanes and carefully toyling and using their indeavours to live and grow in the world they are incountred with crosses and losses or their goods are imbesiled or wasted by wife husband children or servants that still they go behind-hand and run into debt having neither meanes nor hopes to live and keepe their charge in fashion as they would and were wont nor yet to pay every man his owne or when some rich man by the fall of the price of corne or failing of his croppe is disappointed of his gaped-for gaine the former because he cannot be but poore as he would not and the latter because he cannot be rich so as he would Note both of them resolve to kill themselves to help themselves by a mad kinde of remedy the one because he cannot have as much as he would takes a course to lose all that he hath the other because he hath so little takes a way to have nothing at all and both of them cast away their lives for that which should be but their servant The true causes of self-murder upon crosses in estate 1. Covetousnes The true ground and causes of this wicked practise is both excessive covetousnesse and high esteeme and love of the world which some doe make their god and prize it above their lives 2. Pride and also pride of heart whereby some will not stoope to be content with that estate that God would have them to be in and therefore because they cannot bee and live in state as they would they will not live at all but rather destroy themselves and so by going about thus to free themselves from their present or feared estate that they dislike they madly cast themselves into a worse Note so bad is our exchange when wee forsake the will of God to follow our owne §. 9. Of dishonour causing self-murder 2. Calamities upō their honours Secondly the calamities which are upon that which externally belongs to men which occasions men to murder themselves are those disasters that concerne their worldly honours as disappointment of their expected dignities and high respects and favour with eminent personages or the degrading and displacing of them from their preferments and honourable degrees of advancement with Princes or people or the over-clouding of them with the contempt and disdaine of those of whose favour they are ambitious and when with all dejected from their aspiring greatnesse or hopes they shall see their inferiours and enemies exalted and preferred before them as Haman did see Mordecai then are their thoughts and resolutions impatiently set to kill themselves as not able to live in such an eclypse of honour The true cause of self murder upon this motive Ambition Of this vaine ambition is the onely cause as it was in Ahitophel and Zimri but ô how vaine and wretched is that man whose happinesse is not in himselfe but in other unstable creatures that by change of their favour can every houre make him miserable when they list And ô how weake and fraile are they whom a frowne a harsh speech or one remove in Courtly favour can kill or cause them to kill themselves Who would thinke that these men were in their right wits or cared for any honor who by self-murder make themselves everlastingly miserable and infamous in the highest degree of ignominy even to the overshadowing and disgracing of their innocent posterity Mans ambition to be higher than God would have him brings him to shame §. 10. Of disasters upon friends occasioning self-murder 3. Calamities upon their friends Thirdly the evils that are upon that which externally belongs to men whereby divers times some are occasioned to murder themselves are those that concerne their neerest and dearest friends as their wives children kindred masters familiars and the like and that falls out in two cases In two cases 1. By suffering or doing evill First when such friends either do or suffer some woefull or shamefull things while they do live which makes them in their opinion that love them miserable as are the flagitious lives and practises of wife children kindred or the like or their ignominious and cruell sufferings redounding to the extreame griefe or disgrace of those to whom they so neerely belong which they cannot nor will not indure but do kill themselves that they may not live to see it or heare of the same 2. By being bereaved of them Secondly when such friends doe die or are taken away from them whereby they thinke themselves miserable in the losse of their company and of the benefit that they had by them and therefore they are so affected that in the former case they will not abide to live in this world with them nor in the latter case will live in this world without them but will needs kill themselves in the former case to be rid from them and in the latter that they may not be without them Observe So that such mens friends may seeme in these two differing respects to make them miserable the one by their presence and the other by their absence and so the cause of their comfort is made the meanes of their woe by their owne folly who will live not by the life that is in themselves but by that which is in others and do set their hearts more on such friends than on God in so much that if they cannot enjoy their friends as they desire they will not enjoy themselves as Sauls Armour-bearer who killed himselfe that hee might not out-live his Master a 1 Sam. 31.5 §. 11. Of trouble of conscience occasioning self-murder 3. Inward upon the mind The third kind of evill whereupon men take occasion to kill themselves is that which is upon their minds as in the immediate subject thereof which the neerer it is the more intollerably it doth affect all other sufferings being as whippings upon the coats but this as upon the naked skin and more intollerable than death which some men choose and voluntarily inflict with their own hands upon themselves that thereby they may be freed from the trouble of their minds This trouble of the minde is of foure sorts Foure sorts of
troubles of mind 1. Trouble of conscience for sinne First extreame griefe of minde and trouble of conscience in respect of sin which by the guiltinesse thereof and by the terror of the expected punishment thereof distresses and overcharges the wounded conscience when withall a man apprehends himselfe to bee wholly destitute of true grace and deserted and forsaken of God given over to a reprobate sense whereby he cannot rest but is comfortlesse and at last is swallowed up of utter desperation living as if he were continually in hell sensibly seeling as he thinks the flames and tortures of the damned in his conscience For ease out of which estate men many times kill themselves hoping to mend themselves by change although it bee but as skipping out of the frying-pan into the fire Grounds of this trouble of mind The grounds of which perplexities of the mind about sinne are three 1. Greatnesse of sin and its punishment First a mans thorow apprehension of the greatnesse and deformity of his sinne and of the fearefull judgements due to him for the same which affrights the conscience and drives it to runne into any course to hide it selfe from the same 2. Emptinesse of grace c. Secondly the soules emptinesse of repentance and grace and the possession and dominion that noysome lusts disorderly affections and fearefull temptations have of the same whereby it seemes to be a cage of uncleane spirits from which when a man can no other wayes be rid then resolves hee to kill himselfe to free himselfe from that horror of minde that he is not able to indure 3. Conceit of time of grace to be past Thirdly when the soule conceives that its time of grace is past and that it is too late to repent and get grace against which when men find themselves hardned and shut up then falling under desperation they resolve to destroy their owne lives that seeing they have no hope that they shall be better by living they may not thereby make their estates worse by what they may indure both in this life and in the life to come Observ 1. Men deceived by sinne We may here observe how men are deceived by sinne which promiseth at first all contentment and happinesse to the clients and entertainers thereof but in conclusion paies them with destruction and shuts up their dayes and life with a tragicall conclusion Note None are more faithfull drudges to any Master than sinners are to sin and none are so ill rewarded by their Masters for their service as they 2. No case of conscience frō our selves Againe from hence it is remarkable that so long as men in distresse of conscience for their sinne looke not out off or beyond themselves for ease and comfort they cannot but sinke under their owne burden For our blessed Saviour directs us to a better course in this case when he sayes Come unto me all yee that labour and are heavie laden and I will give you rest a Mat. 11.28 §. 12. Of discontentment of minde Ths second sort of trouble of minde is discontentmēt The second sort of the troubles of mind which occasions self-murder is mens excessive discontentment for being crossed or disappointed of their desires or wills in which respect it was that Ieremy did wish his own death b Ier. 10.17 at least was weary of his life 1. Grounds of it This discontentment of minde arises from two causes First from want of that good true or seeming which we desire or expect 2. Kinds of discontentment Secondly from suffering of that evill which we would not This discontentment of minde is twofold 1. From disappointment of mens passiōs and affections First that which ariseth from the crossing or disappointment of the will of mens affections and lusts as those that immoderately affect and love to have and enjoy others of the other sexe and are deeply overset in carnall or conjugall love which is an unruly passion and being disappointed occasions people therefore to kill themselves a wife kills her selfe because her husband crosses her will that either he will not doe as she would have him or that he will not let her have her will to goe and doe as she list or is displeased with her match which proceeds from hatred to her husband whom she envies the enjoying of her and so I might instance in many like particulars but it is most unreasonable that because a body cannot have their love or will that therefore such an one sould revenge the same upon himselfe by an act of the greatest hatred and hostility in the world and that one should rather choose to kill himselfe than to live after a repulse in suite of love or to see another brooke what they impotently affected to enjoy The second kinde of discōtentment crossing the will of reason in three particulars Secondly discontentment of minde is that which proceeds from the crossing or frustrating of the will of sound and naturall reason in three particulars 1. Concerning a mans selfe Iustice First in things concerning a mans self as if he cannot have equity and justice done him hee in discontentment therefore kills himselfe or as a childe because his parents will not give him fit maintenance as they are able nor dispose of him or her as they might and ought murders himselfe 2. Concerning a mans family Secondly in things concerning a mans family or friends as Rebeccah was weary of her life because of her daughters in law a Gen 27.46 and as if parents should for their being crossed of their wills in and about their children kill themselves 3. Concerning Church or Common-wealth Qui non poterat serre dominatum Caesaris Filli. Thirdly in things concerning the generall body of Church or Common-wealth whereof a man is a member as if for the ill government or miscariage of either or of both of them he should kill himselfe as did Cato Viicen sis But all this may bee uneffectuall to move a man or woman to kill themselves if they would deny their owne wills and submit themselves wholy to Gods who suffers and orders all these evills and brings good out of them And if they would consider that not by dying but by living things are reformed and by self-murder disorders are increased and judgements provoked and deserved and not prevented nor amended §. 13. Of shame and confusion Third kinde of troubles of minde Shame The third kinde of troubles of minde that sometimes occasions self-murder is shame and confusion either for what a man hath ignominiously done or suffered or is certainly like to do or suffer whereby he falls under contempt scorne and importable disgrace with those whose respect he overvalues and so apprehending himselfe to bee dejected and used more indignly and unworthily than he thinkes he hath deserved or can indure he resolves to kill himselfe to free him from the same or