Tacitus calls it precium festinandi You can scarce immagine any person so happy or miserable so repos'd or so vaine or any occasion either of true losse or of shamefastnesse or frowardnesse but that there is some example of it Yet no man to me seemes to have made harder shift to dy then Charondas who first having made a new law that it should be death to enter the Counsell Chamber armed not onely offended that Law but punished it presently by falling upon his sword But the generall houre of such death is abundantly expressed in those swarmes of the Roman Gladiatory Champions which as Lipsius collects in some one month cost Europe 30000 men and to which exercise and profusion of life till expresse Lawes forbade it not onely men of great birth and place in the State but also women coveted to be admitted By Eleazars Oration recorded in Josephus we may see how small perswasions moved men to this Hee onely told them that the Philosophers among the Indians did so And that we and our children â—…ere borne to dy but neither borne to serve And we may well collect that in Caesars time in France for one who dyed naturally there dyed many by this devout violence For hee sayes there were some whom he calls Devotos and Clientes the latter Lawes call them Soldurios which enjoying many benefits and commodities from men of higher ranke alwaies when the Lord dyed celebrated his Funerall with their owne And Caesar adds that in the memorie of man no one was found that ever refused it Which devotion I have read some where continues yet in all the wives in the Kingdome of Bengala in the Indies And there not onely such persons as doe it in testimony of an entire dependency and of a gratitude but the Samanaei which did not inherite Religion and Priesthood and wisedome as Levites did amongst the Jewes and the Gymnosophists amongst them but were admitted by election upon notice taken of their sanctity are sayd to have studied wayes how to dye and especially then when they were in best state of health And yet these Priests whose care was to dye thus did ever summe up and abridge all their precepts into this one Let a pious death determine a good life Such an estimation had they of this manner of dying How pathetically Latinus Pacatus expresses the sweetnesse of dying when we will Others sayth he after the conquest making a braver bargaine with Destiny prevented uncertaine death by certaine and the slaves scaped whipping by strangling For who ever fear'd after there was no hopeâ—… Or who would therefore for beare to kill himselfe that another might Is anothers hand easier then thine own Or a private death fouler then a publique Or is it more painâ—… to fall upon thy sword and to oppresse the wound with thy body and so receive death at once then to divide the torment bend the knee stretch out the necke perchance to more then one blow And then wondring why Maximus who had before murdered Gratiaâ—… and was now suppressed by Theodosius had not enjoyed the common benefit of killing himselfe he turnes upon Gratian and sayes Thou Reverend Gratian hast chased thinâ—… Executioner and would'st not allow him leasure for so honest a death least he should staine the sacred Imperiall robe with so iâ—…pious bloud or that a Tyrants hand should performe thy revenge or thou bee beholden to him for his owne death And with like passion speakes another Panegyrique to Constantine who after a victorie tooke their swords from the conquered Ne quis incumberet dolori By which language one may see how naturall it was to those times to affect such dispatch And in our age when the Spaniards extended that Law which was made onely against the Canibals that they who would not accept Christian Religion should incurre bondage the Indians in infinite numbers escaped this by killing themselves and never ceased till the Spaniards by some counterfeitings made them thinke that they also would kill themselves and follow them with the same severity into the next life And thus much seeming to me sufficient to defeate that argument which is drawen from Selfe-preservation and to prove that it is not so of particular law of Nature but that it is often transgressed naturally wee will here end this second Distinction Distinction III. SECT I. AFter this when men by civâ—…litic and mutuall use one of another became more thrifty of themselves and sparing of their lives this solemnity of killing themselves at funeralls wore out and vanish'd yet leysurely and by unsensible dimunitions For first in shew of it the men wounded themselves and the women scratch'd and defaced their cheekes and sacrific'd so by that aspersion of bloâ—…d After that by their friends graves they made graves for themselves and entred into them alive as Nunnes doe when they renounce the world And after in show of this show they onely tooke some of the earth and were it upon their heads and so for the publique benefit were content to forfeit their custome of dying And after Christianitie which besides the many advantages above all other Phylosophies that it hath made us clearely to understand the state of the next life which Moses and his followers though they understood it disguis'd ever under earthly rewards and punishments either because humane nature after the first fall till the restituti on and dignification thereof by Christ was generally incapable of such mysteries or because it was reserved to our blessed Saviour to interpret and comment upon his owne Law and that great successive Trinity of humane wisedome Socrates Plato and Aristotle saw but glimmeringly and variously as also for matters of this life the most Stoick and severe Sect that ever Cast bridle upon mankind I say after Christianity had quench'd those respects of fame ease shame and such how quickly naturally man snatch'd and embraced a new way of profusing his life by Martyrdome SECT II. For whil'st the famous acts or famous suffrings of the Jewes for defence even of Ceremonies many thousands of them being slaine onely because they would not defend themselves upon the Saboth And whil'st the custome of that Nation ever embrued in sacrifices of blood and all most of all other Nations devout and carnest even in the immolation of men And whil'st the example of our blessed Saviour who chose that way for our Redemption to sacrifice his life and profuse his blood was now fresh in them and govern'd all their affections it was not hard for their Doctors even by naturall reasons and by examples to invite or to cherish their propensnesse to Martyrdome Clement therefore when hâ—… handles this point scarce presents to them any other argument then naturall men were capable of and such food and such fuell as would serve the tast and fervour of such an one as
she equally love more and lesse worthines nor upon equall worthines bestow more and lesse love To this charity the same blessed and happy Father proportions this growth Inchoated increased growne great and perfected and this last is saith he when in respect of it we contemne this life And yet he acknowledgeth a higher charity then this For P. Lombard allowing charity this growth beginning proficient perfect more and most perfect he cites S. Augustine who calls that perfect charity to be readie to dy for another But when he comes to that then which none can be greater he says then the Apostle came to cupto dissolvi For as one may love God with all his heart and yet he may grow in that and love God more with all his heart for the first was commanded in the Law and yet counsail of perfection was given to him who said that he had fullfilled the first commandement So as S. Augustine found a degree above that charity which made a man paratum ponere which is cupere so there is a degree above that which is to doe it This is that vertue by which Martyrdome which is not such of it self becomes an act of highest perfection And this is that vertue which assureth any suffering which proceeds from it to be infallibly accompanied with the grace of God Vpon assurednes therefore and testimony of a rectified conscience that we have a charitable purpose let us consider how farre we may adventure upon authority of Scripture in this matter which we have in hand SECT 11. First therefore by the frame and working of Saint Pauls argument to the Corinthians Though I give my body that I be burned and have not love it 〈◊〉 nothing These two things appeare evidently First That in a generall notion and common reputation it was esteemed a high degree of perfection to dye so and therefore not against the Law of Nature And secondly by this exception without Charity it appeares that with Charity it might well and profitably be done For the first if any thinke that the Apostle here takes example of an impossible thing as when it is sayd If an Angel from heaven teach other doctrine he will I thinke correct himselfe if he consider the former verses and the Apostles progresse in his argument wherein to dignifie Charity the most that hee can hee undervalues all other gifts which were there ambitiously affected For Eloquence he sayes it is nothing to have all Languages no not of Angels which is not put literally for they have none but to expresse a high degree of Eloquence as Calvine sayes here Or as Lyra sayes by language of Angels is meant the desire of communicating our conceptions to one another And then he adds That knowledge of Mysteries and Prophecies is also nothing which was also much affected And for Miraculous Faith it is also nothing For the first of these guifts doth not make a man better for Balams Asse could speake and was still an Asse And the second Judas had and the Pharisees And the third is so small a matter that as much as a graine of Musterseed is enough to remove mountaines All these therefore were faisable things and were sometimes done So also after he had passed through the gifts of knowledge and gifts of utterance hee presents the gifts of working in the same manner and therefore as he sayes If I feed the poore with all my goods which he presents as a harder thing then either of the other for in the other God gives me but here I give other yet possible to be done So he presents the last If I give my body as the hardest of all and yâ—…t as all the rest sometimes to be done That which I observed secondly to arise from this argument was That with Charity such a death might be accâ—…ptable And though I know the Donatists are said to have made this use of these words yet because the intent and end conditions every action and infuses the poyson or the nourishment which they which follow suck from thence and we know that the Donatists rigorously and tyrannously racked and detorted thus much from this place That they might present themselves to others promiscuously to bee killed and if that were denied to them they might kill themselves and them who refused it Yet I say I doubt not but thus much may naturally be collected from hence that by this word If I give my body is insinuated somewhat more then a prompt and willing yeelding of it when I am enforced to it by the persecuting Magistrate And that these words will justifie the fact of the Martyr Nicephorus being then in perfect Charity Whose case was That having had some enmitie with Sapritius who was brought to the place where he was to receive the bloudy crowne of Martyredome he fell downe to Sapritius and begged from him then a pardon of all former bitternesses But Sapritius elated with the glory of Martyredome refused him but was presently punished for his faith coold and he recanted and lived And Nicephorus standing by stepped into his roome and cryed I am also a Christian and so provoked the Magistrate to execute him least from the faintnesse of Sapritius the cause might have received a wound or a scorne And this I take to bee Giving of his body Of which as there may be such necessitie for confirming of weaker Christians that a man may be bound to doe it as in this case is very probable So there may bee cases in men very exemplary and in the cunning and subtile carriage of the Pesecutor as one can no other way give his body for testimony of Gods truth to which he may then be bound but by doing it himselfe SECT III. As therefore Naturally and Customarily men thought it good to dye so and that such a death with charity was acceptable so is it generally said by Christ That the good Shepherd doth give his life for his sheepe Which is a justifying and approbation of our inclination thereunto For to say The good doe it is to say They which doe it are good And as we are all sheep of one fold so in many cases we are all shepherds of one another and owe one another this dutie of giving our temporall lives for anothers spirituall advantage yea for his temporall For that I may abstaine from purging my selfe when anothers crime is imputed to me is grounded upon such another Text as this where it is said The greatest love is to bestow his life for his friend In which and all of this kind we must remember that we are commanded to doe it so as Christ did it and how Christ gave his body we shall have another place to consider SECT IV. Hereupon because Saint Peters zeale so forward and carried him so high that hee would dye for the Shepherd
to hasten their ende And that when a Patient is abandoned by the Physicians his neerest kinsman strangles him with a pillow Of this I say that Author had thus much ground that ordinarily at Executions men out of a Charitie as they thinke doe so and women which are desperate of sicke persons recovery use to take the pillow from under them and so give them leave to dye sooner Have they any more the Dominion over these bodies then the person himselfe Or if a man were able to doe these Offices to himselfe might he not doe it Or might he not with a safe conscience put so much waights in his pockets as should countervaile their stretchings I speake but comparatively might not he doe it as well as they For to my understanding such an act either in Executioner or by-stander is no way justifiable for it is both an injury to the party whom a sudden pardon might redeeme and to the Justice who hath appointed a painfull death to deterre others The breaking of legs in Crucified men which was done to hasten death was not allowed but upon Petition And the Law might be much defrauded if such violence might be used where the breaking of the halter delivered the Prisoner from death as in some places it doth and good opinions concurre that it is to doe ever without doubt whatsoever is for ease or escaping painfull passage out of this life in such cases a man may more allowably doe by his owne act then a stranger may For Law of Nature enclines and excuses him but they are by many Lawes forbidden to hasten his death for they are no otherwayes interessed in it then as parts of the whole body of the State and so it concernes them that Justice be executed Yet we see this and the other of withdrawing the pillowes is ordinarily done and esteemed a pious office The Athenian Executions were ever by the hand of the offendor in judgements of poyson And in that law of Purgation assigned by God to ease a man on whom the spirit of Jealousie was come the Woman was to take the water of curses and bitternesse which should make her infamous and her belly swell and her thighs to rot And those formes of Purgation which were called Vulgares lasted long even in the Church For there is nothing extant against them till Stephen the fift Anno 885. And not onely Charles the great in whom the Church acknowledged Piety enough induced one forme severer then the rest which was to walke upon 9 burning Harrows But Britius a Bishop being but callumniated by the people extrajudicially to have got his Laundresse with child after his innocence had prevailed so farre with God that the childe of 30 daies age being adjured in the name of Christ had acquitted him did not admit but chose and extort a forme of Purgation to carry burning coales upon his head With us both the species of Ordalium lasted evidently till King Johns time And though into that of boyling water men were forced to goe yet that was but for the meaner sort but to carry the three pound weight of red hot Iron which was for the Purgation of the persons of better qualitie was an act as all the former were in which a man must of necessitie doe some thing actually himselfe and bee the Executioner of his owne Judgement which as long as these formes of Purgation and the other by Battell were lawfull was lawfull also to be done And in S. Dorothaus who euery where professes a love to that obedience which himselfe calles indiscreet you shall reade many prayses given to men who did not onely forsake themselves but actually further their destruction though not effectually which makes no difference if it be in dangers which usually men escape not He prayseth one Fryar who being by his Abbat commanded to returne that night the waters being risen committed himselfe to a raging torrent in such an obedience And another who being bid by his Abbat to goe into the Towne where he doubted hee should fall into some tentation by some spectacle went but with this protestation That he hoped not in the protection of God but in him who sent him But the most naturall to our present purpose is this That a holy old man seeing his servant mistake poyson for honey and put it into his broth eate it neverthelesse without chiding and when the servant perceived it and exclaimed Sir I have kill'd you answere it is all one for if God would have had mee eate honey he would have directed thy hand to honey Of the holynesse of Joseph of Arimathaea we have testimony enough who being sent by the Apostles to preach the Gospel amongst other persecutions was constrained to drinke poyson in which there must of necessitie bee such an act as we dispute of now How much did Baint Andrew contribute to his owne Crucifying How much Saint Laurence to his broyling when he called to the Tyrant This side is enough turne the other and then eate Magni quod faciunt praecipiunt sayes Quintillian And these acts of men otherwise esteemed holy may ever be good warrants and examples to us when the cause is not prejudged by any greater authoritie as Scripture or Councells nor that very act accused by any Author But to stay no longer upon Examples amongst Casuists I observe the greater number to deny that it is lawfull for a man condemned to doe the last and immediate act conducing to death as the drinking of poyson But the acts some what more removed they agree he may doe And even this act of drinking poyson Fra a Victoria defends to be lawfull So that amongst them it is not clear but that a man may do it Yea in very many cases it is not onely lawfull to doe as much without any condemnation but it is necessary and by their rules sinnefull to omit it For Curates must goe to infected houses to minister the Sacraments And if a Priest enter a wood where three waite to kill him and one of them repenting that purpose meet him and by way of Confession sub Sigillo discover the fault the Priest is bound to goe forward to a certaine death into a wood rather then by returning to let the others know that he knew it by confession So peremptory is their Doctrine how ever their practise be against revealing Confessions And though perchance this seeme a wanton case framed upon impossible concurrences as Soto esteemes of it yet the reason may have use That though selfe-preservation be Divine Naturall Law and the seale of Confession but Divine Positive Law yet because circumstances are not alike in this a publique good shall be preferred before his private life So that we may doe some Acts our selves which conduceth probably yea certainly as farre as humane knowledge can
for so he saies I will lay downe my life for thy sake And this as all Expositors say was meerely and purely out of naturall affection without examination of his owne strength to performe it but presently and roundly Nature carryed him to that promise And upon a more deliberate and orderly resolution Saint Paul witnesseth of himselfe such a willingnesse to dye for his brethren I will be gladly besâ—…ed for your sâ—…es SECT V. A Christian nature rests not in knowing thus much That we may doe it That Charitie makes it good That the good doe it and that wee must alwaies promise that is encline to doe it and doe something towards it but will have the perfect fulnesse of doing it in the resolution and doctrine and example of our blessed Saviour who saies de facto I lay down my life for my sheepe And saith Mâ—…lus hee useth the present word because hee was ready to doe it and as Paul and 〈◊〉 men yet alive are said to have laid downe their lives for Christ. But I rather thinke because exposing to danger is not properly call'd a dying that Christ said this now because his Passion was begun for all his conversations here were degrees of exinanition To expresse the abundâ—… and overflowing charitie of our Saviour all words are defective for if we could expresse all which he did that came not neere to that which he would doe if need were It is observed by one I confesse too credulous an Authour but yet one that administers good and wholesome incitements to Devotion That Christ going to Emaus spake of his Passion so sleightly as though he had in three dayes forgot all that he had suffered for us And that Christ in an apparition to Saint Charles sayes that he would be content to dy againe if need were Yea to Saint Brigit he said That for any one soule he would suffer as much in every limme as he had suffered for all the world in his whole body And this is noted for an extreame high degree of Charity out of Ansâ—…lme that his B. Mother said Rather then he should not have been Crucified shee would have done it with her owne hands And certainly his charity was not inferiour to hers He did as much as any could be willing to doe And therefore as himself said No man can take away my soule And I have power to lay it down So without doubt no man did take it away nor was there any other then his own will the cause of his dying at that time many Martyrs having hanged upon Crosses many days alive And the theeves were yet alive And therefore Pilate wondred to heare that Christ was dead His Soule saith Sâ—… Aug. did not leave his body constrained but because he would and when he would and how he would Of which S. Thomas produces this symptome That he had yet his bodies nature in her full strength because at the last moment he was able to cry with a loud voice And Marlorate gathers it upon this that whereas our heads decline after our death by the slacknesse of the sinews and muscles Christ did first of himself bow downe his head and then give up the ghost So though it be truly said After they have scourged him they will put him to death yet it is said so because malitiously and purposely to kill him they inflicted those paines upon him which would in time have killed him but yet nothing which they had done occasioned his death so soone And therefore S. Thomas a man neither of unholy thoughts nor of bold or irreligious or scandalous phrase or elocution yet I adventure not so farre in his behalfe as Sylvester doth that it is impossible that hee should have spoken any thing against faith or good manners forbeares not to say That Christ was â—…so much the cause of his death as he is of his wetting which might and would not shut the windowe when the raine beats in This actuall emission of his soule which is death and which was his own act and before his naturall time which his best beloved Apostle could imitate who also died when he would and went into his grave and there gave up the Ghost and buried himselfe which is reported but of very n few others and by no very credible Authors we find thus celebrated o That that is a brave death which is accepted unconstrained and that it is an Heroique Act of Fortitude if a man when an urgent occasion is presented expose himselfe to a certaine and assured death as he did And it is there said that Christ did so as Saul did who thought it foule and dishonourable to dye by the hand of an Enemy And that Apollonia and others who prevented the fury of Executioners and cast themselves into the fire did therein immitate this act of our Saviour of giving up his soule before hee was constrained to do it So that if the act of our blessed Saviour in whom there was no more required for death but that he should wil that his soule should goe out were the same as Sauls and these Martyrs actuall furtherance which could not dye without that then wee are taught that all those places of Giving up our bodies to death and of Laying downe the soule signifie more then a yeelding to death when it comes SECT VI. And to my understanding there is a further degree of alacrity and propensenesse to such a death expressed in that phrase of John Hee that hateth his life in this world shall keepe it unto life eternall And in that of Luke Except he hate his owne life he cannot be my Disciple Such a lothnesse to live is that which is spoken of in the Hebrews Some were rack'd and would not bee delivered that they might receive a better Resurrection This place Calvine interprets of a readinesse to dye and expresses it elegantly To carrie our life in our hands offering it to God for a Sacrifice And this the Jesuits in their rule extend thus farre Let every one thinke that this was said directly to him Hate thy life And they who in the other place accept this phrase No man hateth his owne flesh to yeeld an argument against Selfe-homicide in any case must also allow that the same hate being commanded here authorises that act in some case And Saint Augustine apprehending the strength of this place denies that by the authoritie of it the Donatists can justifie their Selfe-homicide when they list to dye but yet in these cases which are exempt from his rules this place may encourage a man nâ—…t to neglect the honour of God onely upon this reason that no body else will take his life SECT VII And therefore the holy ghost proceeds more directly in the first Epistle of Saint
may in causa versanti interpret the Law that Interpretation makes not Law SECT II. As therfore in the former Distinctions wee spoke of some approaches to the act of self-killing so will wee in this pause a very little upon two such steps The first shal be of the prophet in the book of Kings who bad a stranger strike him and because he would not pronounc'd a heavy judgement upon him which was presently excecuted And then he importuned another to doe it who did it throughly for he wounded him with the stroake This was to common understanding an unnaturall thing that so holy a man should make such meanes to have his body violated and so it seems the first apprehended it however it pleased God to enlighten the second This I produce not as though the prophet inclind to it of his owne disposition for it is expressely in the text that God commanded him to doe it But because this is the only place in all the scriptures where those which offer or desirously admit violence to their owne bodies are said to have done it by the expresse motion of God I collect from it that it is not without some boldness if others affirme without authority of the text that the death of Samson and others had the same foundation when it appeares by this that God when he would have it understood so is pleased to deliver it plainly and expressely SECT III. The next before we come to those who entirely killed themselves is Ioâ—…as who by often wishing his own death and moving the maâ—…ers to cast him out into the sea made many steps towards the very act I know that it is everie where said that those words Take meâ—… and cast me into the Sea proceeded from a prophetique spirit And St. Hierome saith that in this prophetique spirit he foresaw that the Ninivites would repent and so his preaching would be discredited But if this be so must he not also in the same Prophetique Spirit see that their repentance must be occasioned by his going thither and preaching there And if this perswading to his destruction being now innocent in their understanding for they prayed Lay not innocent bloud upon us were from Divine motion shall wee dare to impute also to like motions and spirit his angry importuning of death Take I beseech thee my life from me for it is better for me to dye then to live And after he wished from his heart to dye and said I doe well to be angry unto the death St. Hierome calles him Sanctum Ionam and when Lyra observes that he had not done so to any of the other Prophets he concludes that this testimony needed most in Ionas who by his many reluctations against Gods will might else fall into some suspition of eternall perishing Which since we must be fâ—…r from fearing in so eminent and exemplary a type of Christ and yet have no ground to admit any such particular impulsion of Gods Spirit as Hierome and Lyra pronounce him holy for all these reluctations so may we esteeme him advised and ordinate and rectified for all these approches which in wishing and consenting he made to his owne death SECT IV. Of those which in the Scriptures are registred to have killed themselves Samson is the first A man so exemplar that not onely the times before him had him in Prophecy for of him it is said Dan shall judge his people and the times after him more consummately in Christ of whom he was a Figure but even in his own time other nations may seeme to have had some Type or Copy of him in Hercules His fact of selfe-killing is celebrated by the Church to everlasting memory as the act of a Martyr and as very many others in their Homilies and expositions So that renowned Paulinus sayes God send me the death of Sampson and Sampsons blindnesse that I may live to God and looke to God And this generall applause and concurrence in the praise of the fact hath made many think or at least write that he purposed not to kill himselfe being loath either to depart from their opinion who extoll him or to admit any thing which may countenance that manner of dying Of which perswasion two very learned men labour to seeme to be But besides that such an exposing of himselfe to unevitable danger is the same fault as Selfe-homicide when there is any fault in it the very Text is against them for Samson dyed with these words in his mouth Let mee lose my life with the philistims And though sometimes these Authors adde That hee intended not his owne death principally but accidentally as Calvine also sayes that Saint Paul did not desire death for deaths sake but to be with Christ this can remove no man from our side for wee say the same that this may be done onely when the honour of God may bee promoved by that way and no other Therefore to justifie this fact in Samson Saint Augustine equally zealous of Samsons honour and his own conscience builds still upon his old foundation That this was by the speciall inspiration from God Which because it appeares not in the History nor lyes in proofe may with the same easinesse be refused as it is presented To give strength to this opinion of Augustine our Countreyman Sayr presents one reason preceding the fact and Pedraca the Spaniard another subsequent The first is that hee prepared himselfe to it by Prayer But in this prayer you may observe much humanity and weakenesse and selfe-respect O Lord saith he I beseech thee Strenghthen me at this time onely that I may be aveâ—…d of the Philistims for my two eyes The second reason is that because hee effected that which he desired it is to be presumed that God restored him his strength to that end which he asked it But besides that in the text it appeares that his haire before that time was begunne to be growne out againe and so his strength somewhat renewed doth this prove any impulsion and incitement and prevention of the holy Ghost to that particular act or rather only an habituall accompanying and awaking him to such actions by which God might be honoured and glorified whensoever any occasion should be presented When therefore he felt his strength in part refreshed and had by Prayer intreated the perfecting thereof seeing they tooke continuall occasion from his dejection to â—…orne and reproach his God burning with an equall fervour to revenge their double fault and to remove the wretched occasion thereof he had as a very subtile Author sayes the same reason to kill himselfe which hee had to kill them and the same authoritie and the same priviledge and safeguard from sinne And he dyed as the same man sayes with the same zeale as Christ unconstrained for In this manner
might be seduced to Idolatry or take away occasion of making them reproach God in him a man may kill himselfe For saith hee Both these cases Ordiâ—…ntur in Deum And this Francis a Victoria allowes as the more probable opinion And Sotus and Valentia follow Thomas his opinion herein And Burgensis condemnes it upon this presumption That hee could not doe this for love of the common good because this could not redeeme his people being already captive So that his accusing him helpes us thus much that if by his death hee could have redeemed them hee might lawfully have done it Conclusion ANd this is as farre as I allowed my discourse to progesse in this way forbidding it earnestly all darke and dangerous Secessions and divertings into points of our Free-will and of Gods Destiny though allowing many ordinary contingencies to be under our Election it may yet seem reasonable that our maine periods of Birth of Death and of chief alterations in this life be more immediately wrought upon by Gods determination It is usefully said and appliable to good purpose though by a wicked man and with intention to crosse Moses That man was made of shaddow and the Devil of fire For as shaddow is not darknes but grosser light so is mans understanding in those mysteries not blind but clouded And as fire doth not always give light for that is accidentall and it must have aiâ—…e to work upon but it burneth naturally so that desire of knowledge which the Devill kindles in us as he doth as willingly bring bellows to inflame a heart curious of knowledge as he doth more ashes to stupifie and bury deeper a slumbering understanding doth not alwaies give us light but it always burnes us and imprints upon our judgment stigmaticall marks and at last seares up our conscience If then reasons which differ from me and my reasons be otherwise equall yet theirs have this disadvantage that they fight with themselves and suffer a Civill Warre of contradiction For many of their reasons incline us to a love of this life and a hoâ—…or of death and yet they say often that wee are too much addicted to that naturally But it is well noted by Alâ—…s and I thinke from Saint Aâ—…stine That though there bee foure things which wee must love yet there is no precept given upon any more then two God and our neighbour So that the other which concerne our selves may be pretermitted in some occasions But because of the benefits of death enough hath beene occasionally intersertted before having presented Cyprians encouragement to it who out of a contemplation that the whole frame of the world decayed and languished cries to us Nutant parietes The walls and the roofe shake and would'st not thou goe out Thou art tyred in a pilgrimage and wouldst thou not goe home I will end with applying Ausonius thanks to the Emperour to death which deserveth it better Thou providest that thy benefits and the good which thou bringest shall not be transitory and that the ills from which thou deliverest us shall never returne Since therefore because death hath a little bitternes but medicinall and a little allay but to make it of more use they would utterly recline avert our nature from it as Paracelsus says of that foule contagious disease which then had invaded mankind in a few places and since overflown in all that for punishment of generall licentiousnes God first inflicted that disease and when the disease would not reduce us he sent a second worse affliction which was ignorant and torturing Physitians So I may say of this case that in punishment of Adams sinne God cast upon us an infectious death and since hath sent us a worse plague of men which accompanie it with so much horrour and affrightment that it can scarce be made wholsome and agreeable to us That which Hippocrates admitted in cases of much profit and small danger they teach with too much liberty That worse meat may be given to a patient so it be pleasanter and worse drink so it be more acceptable But though I thought it therefore needfull to oppose this â—…efensative as well to re-encourage men to a just contempt of this life and to restore them to their nature which is a desire of supreame happines in the next life by the losse of this as also to rectify and wash again their fame who religiously assuring themselves that in some cases when wee were destitute of other meanes we might be to our selves the stewards of Gods benefits and the Ministers of his mercifull Iustice had yet being as Ennodius says Innocent within themselves incurred damnum opinionis yet as I said before I abstained purposely from extending this discourse to particular rules or instances both because I dare not professe my self a Maister in so curious a science and because the limits are obscure and steepy and slippery and narrow and every errour deadly except where a competent dilligence being fore-used a mistaking in our conscience may provide an excuse As to cure diseases by touch or by charme both which one excellent Chirurgian and one excellent philosopher are of opinion may be done because what vertue soever the heavens infuse into anycreature man who is Al is capable of and being borne when that vertue is may receive a like impression or may give it to a word or character made at that instant if he can understand the time though these I say be forbidden by divers Lawes out of a Just prejudice that vulgar owners of such a vertue would mis-imploy it yet none mislikes that the Kings of England France should cure one sicknesse by such meanes nor that the Kings of Spaine should dispossess Daemoniaque persons so because Kings are justly presumed to use all their power to the glory of God So is it fit that this priviledge of which we speak should be contracted and restrained For that is certainly true of this which Cassianus saith of a ly That it hath the nature of Ellebore wholsome in desperate diseases but otherwise poyson though I dare not averre with him That we are in desperate diseases whensoever we are in ingenti â—…ucro aut damno et in humilitate ad evitandam gloriam Howsoeveri iâ—… Cassianus mistake that and we this yet as he and Origen and Chrysostome and Hierome are excused for following Platoes opinion that a ly might have the nature of medicine and be admitted in many cases because in their time the church had not declared herself in that point nor pronounced that a ly was naturally ill by the same reason am I excusable in this Paradox Against the reasons whereof and against charity if prejudice or contempt of my weaknes or mis-devotion have so precluded any that they have not beene pleased to tast and digest them I must leave them to their drowsines still
in Adams first Homicide in Paradise Sect. 4. 7 Of Tolets first and second Species by Precept and by Advise or Option 8 We may wish Malum poenae to our selves as the Eremite prayed to be possessed 9 That we may wish death for wearines of this life 10 It is sin to wish the evill were not evill that then we might wish it 11 Of wishing the Princes Death 12 In many opinions by contrary Religion a true King becomes a Tyrant 13 Why an oath of fidelity to the Pope binds no man 14 Who is a Tyrant by the declaration of the learned men of France 15 How Death may be wished by Calvins opinion 16 How we may wish death to another for our own advantage 17 Phil. Nerius consented that one who wished his own death might have his wish Sect. 5. 1 Of Tolets third Species of Homicide by permission which is Mors Negativa 2 Of standing mute at the Barre 3 Three Rules from Scotus Navar and Maldonate to guide us in these desertions of our selves 4 That I may suffer a Theif to kill me rather then kill him 5 Of Se defendendo in our Law 6 That I am not bound to escape from prison if I can Nor to eate rather then starve 7 For ends better then this life we may neglect this 8 That I may give my life for another 9 Chrysostomes opinion of Sarahs lie and her consent to Adultery And S. Augustines opinion of this and of that wife who prostituted her selfe to pay her husbands debts 10 That to give my life for another is not to preferre another before my selfe as Bonaventure and August say But to prefer vertue before life which is lawfull 11 For spirituall good it is without question 12 That I may give another that without which I cannot live 13 That I may lawfully wear out my self with fasting 14 That this in S. Hier. opinion is selfe-homicide 15 Of the Fryer whom Cassianus calls a Self-homicide for refusing bread from a â—…heife upon an indiscreet Vow 16 Of Christs fast 17 Of Philosophers inordinate fasts 18 Of the Devils threatning S. Francis for fasting 19 Examples of long fasts 20 Reasons effects and obligations to rigorous fastings Corollary of this Section of Desertion Sect. 6. 1 Of another Species of homicide which is not in Tolets division by Mutilation 2 Of Delivering ones selfe into bondage 3. By divers Cannons homicide and mutilation is the same fault 4 Of Calvins argument against Divorce upon this ground of Mutilation 5 The example of S. Mark cutting off his thumbe to escape Priesthood 6 In what cases it is clear that a man may maiâ—… himself Sect. 7. 1 Of Tolets fourth Species of Homicide by actual helping 2 Ardoynus reckons a flea amongst poysons because it would destroy 3 David condemned the Amalekite who said he had helped Saul to kill himselfe 4 Mariana the Iesuite is of opinion that a King which may be removed by poyson may not be put to take it by his owne hands though ignorantly for he doth then kiâ—… himself 5 That a malefactor unaccused may accuse himself 6 Of Sansovins relation of our custome at executions and withdrawing the pillow in desperate cases 7 Of breaking the leggs of men at executions and of breaking the halter 8 Of the forme of purgations used by Moses Law in cases of Iealousy 9 Of formes of Purgation called Uulgares 10 Charlemaine brought in a new forme of purgation 11 And Britius a Bishop being acquitted before extorted another purgation upon himselfe 12 Both kindes of Ordalium by water and fire in use here till King Johns time 13 In all these purgations and in that by Battaile the party himself assisted 14 Exumples of actuall helpers to their owne destruction in S. Dorothaeus doctrine 15 Of Ioseph of Arimathaea his drinking of poyson 16 Of S. Andrew and S. Lawrence 17 Casuists not cleere whether a condemned man may doe the last act to his death 18 But in cases without condemnation it is sub praecepto to Priests Curats to goe to infected houses Sect. 8. 1 Of Tolets last species of Homi-cide which is the act it selfe 2 How farre an erring conscience may justify this act 3 Of Pythagoras philosophicall conscience to dy rather then hurt a Beane or suffer his schollers to speak 4 Of the apparition to Hero a most devout Eremite by which he killed himself out of Cassianus 5 That the Devill sometime sollicites to good 6 That by Uasques his opinion it is not Idolatry to worship God in the devil 7 Rules given to distinguish evil spirits from God are all fallible 8 Good Angels sometimes move to that which is evill being ordinarily and morally accepted 9 As in mis-adoration by Vasques invincible ignorance excuses so it may in our cases 10 Of S. Augustines first reason against Donatus that we may save a mans life against his will 11 Of his second reasons which is want of examples of the faithfull And of S. Augustines assured escape if Donatists had produced Examples 12 Divorce in Rome on either part And in Jury on the womans part long without example 13 Saint Augustines Schollers in this point of examples 〈◊〉 stâ—…bborne as Aristotles for the inalterablenesse of the Heavens though the reason of both be ceased 14 Of the Martyr Apollonia who killed her selfe 15 Of answers in her excuse 16 Of the Martyr Pelagia who killed her selfe 17 Though her History bee very uncertaine yet the Church seems glad of any occasion to celebrate such a fact 18 Saint Augustines testimony of her 19 Saint Ambroses Meditation upon her 20 Eusebius his Oration incitatory imagined in the person of the Mother 21 Saint Augustines first of any doubting of their fact sought such shifts to defend it as it needed not 22 S. Augustines example hath drawne Pedraca a Spanish Casuist and many others to that shift of speciall Divine inspiration in such cases 23 And so sayes Peter Martyr of the Midwives and of Rahabs lye 24 To preserve the Seale of Confession a man may in some case be bound to doe the intire act of killing himselfe The Third Part which is of the Law of God Distinct. 1 Sect. 1. 1 An introduction ' to the handling of these places of Scripture 2 Why I forbeare to name them who cite these places of Scripture 3 If any oppose an answer why I intreat him to avoide bitternes 4 Why Clergy men which by Canons may fish and hunt yet may not hunt with dogs 5 Of Bezas answer to Ochius Polygamy Distinction 2. Sect. 1. 1 No place against this Self-homicide is produced out of the Iudiciall or Ceremoniall Law Sect. 2 1 Of the place Gen. 9. 5. I will require your blood 2 We are not bound to accept the interpretation of the Rabbins 3 Of Lyra and of Emmanuel Sâ both abounding in Hebraisms yet making no such note upon this place Sect. 3 1 Of the place Deâ—… 33. 39. I kill and I give life 2 Iurisdiction of Parents
as neither the watchfulnesse of Parliaments nor the descents and indulgences of Princes which have consented to lawes derogatory to themselves have beene able to prejudice the Princes non obstantes because prerogative is incomprehensible and over-flowes and transcends all law And as those Canons which boldly and as some School-men say blasphemously say Non licebit Papae diminish not his fulnesse of power nor impeach his motus propriores as they call them nor his non obstante jure divino because they are understood ever to whisper some just reservation sine justa causa or rebus sic stantibus so what law soever is cast upon the conscience or liberty of man of which the reason is mutable is naturally condition'd with this that it binds so long as the reason lives Besides Selfe-preservation which wee confesse to be the foundation of generall naturall Law is no other thing then a naturall affection and appetition of good whether true or seeming For certainly the desire of Martyrdome though the body perish is a Selfe-preservation because thereby out of our election our best part is advanc'd For heaven which we gaine so is certainly good Life but probably and possibly For here it holds well which Athenagoras sayes Earthly things and Heavenly differ so as Veri-simile Verum And this is the best description of felicitie that I have found That it is reditus uniuscujusque rei ad suum principium Now since this law of Selfe-preservation is accomplish'd in attaining that which conduces to our ends and is good to us for libertv which is a faculty of doing that which I would is as much of the law of nature as preservation is yet if for reasons seeming good to me as to preserve my life when I am justly taken prisoner I will become a slave I may doe it without violating the law of nature If I propose to my selfe in this SELF-HOMICIDE a greater good though I mistake it I perceive not wherein I transgresse the generall law of nature which is an affection of good true or seeming and if that which I affect by death bee truely a greater good wherein is the other stricter law of nature which is rectified reason violated SECT III. Another reason which prevailes much with me and delivers it from being against the Law of nature is this that in all ages in all places upon all occasions men of all conditions have affected it and inclin'd to doe it And as Gardan sayes it Mettall is planta sepulta and that a Mole is Animal sepultum So man as though he were Angelus sepultus labours to be discharged of his earthly Sepulchre his body And though this may be said of all other sinnes that men are propense to them and yet for all that frequency they are against nature that is rectifyed reason yet if this sinne were against particular Law of nature as they must hold which aggravate it by that circumstance and that so it wrought to the destruction of our species any otherwise then intemperate lust or surfer or incurring penall Lawes and such like doe it could not be so generall since being contrary to our sensitive nature it hath not the advantage of pleasure and delight to allure us withall which other sinnes have And when I frame to my selfe a Martyrologe of all which have perished by their own meanes for Religion Countrey Fame Love Ease Feare Shame I blush to see how naked of followers all vertues are in respect of this fortitude and that all Histories afford not so many examples either of cunning and subtile devises or of forcible and violent actions for the safeguard of life as for destroying Petronius Arbiter who served Nero a man of pleasure in the office of Master of his pleasures upon the first frowne went home and cut his Veines So present and immediate a step was it to him from full pleasure to such a death How subtilly and curiously Attilius Regulus destroyed himselfe Wo being of such integritie that he would never have lyed to save his life lyed to lose it falsely pleading that the Carthaginians had given him poyson and that within few dayes he should dye though he stayed at Rome Yet Codrus forcing of his death exceeded this because in that base disguise he was likely to perish without fame Herennius the Sicilian could endure to beat out his own braines against a post and as though he had owed thanks to that braine which had given him this devise of killing himselfe would not leave beating till he could see and salute it Comas who had been a Captaine of theeves when he came to the to ture of examination scorning all forraigne and accessorie helps to dye made his owne breath the instrument of his death by stopping and recluding it Annibal because if hee should be overtaken with extreame necessitie he would be beholden to none for life nor death dyed with poyson which he alwaies carryed in a ring As Demosthenes did with poyson carryed in a penne Aristarchus when he saw that 72 yeares nor the corrupt and malignant disease of being a severe Critique could weare him out sterved himselfe then Homer which had written a thousand things which no man else understood is said to have hanged himselfe because he understood not the Fishermens riddle Othryades who onely survived of 300 Champions appointed to end a quarrell between the Lacedemonians and Athenians when now the lives of all the 300 were in him as though it had been a new victory to kill them over again kill'd himselfe Democles whom a Greeke Tyrant would have forced to show that he could suffer any other heat scalded himselfe to death Pâ—…rtia Cato's daughter and Catulus Luctatius sought new conclusions and as Quintilian calls them Nova Sacramenta pereundi and dyed by swallowing burning coales Poore Terence because he lost his 108 translated Comedies drown'd himselfe And the Poet Labienus because his Satyricall Bookes were burned by Edict burnt himselfe too And Zeno before whom scarce any is preferr'd because he stumbled and hurt his finger against the ground interpreted that as a Summons from the earth and hang'd himselfe being then almost â—…oo yeares old For which act Diogenes Laertius proclaimes him to have been Mira falicitate vir qui incolumis integer sine Morbo excessit To cure himselfe of a quartane Portius Latro killed himselfe And Festus Domicians Minion onely to hide the deformity of a Ringworme in his face Hippionas the Poet rimed Bubalus the Painter to death with his Iambiques Macer bore well enough his being called into question for great faults but hanged himselfe when hee heard that Cicero would plead against him though the Roman condemnations at that time inflicted not so deep punishments And so Cessius Licinius to escape Cicero's judgement by choaking himselfe with a napkin had as
were not curious above Nature As that Death was not naturally evill That Martyrdome was the beginning of another life That the Heathen endured greater paines for lesse reward That a Barbarous people immolated every yeare a principall Philosoper to Xamolxis an Idol and they upon whom the lot fell not mourn'd for that And with most earnestnesse that Martyrdome is in our owne power which be arguments better proportioned to Nature then to Divinity and therefore Clement presumed them men inclined or inclinable by nature to this affection Tertullians Reasons are somewhat more sublime yet rather fine and delightfull then sollid and weighty As That God knowing man would sin after Baptisme provided him Secunda solatia lavacrum Sanguinis That the death of Saints which is said to be precious in Gods sight cannot bee understood of the naturall death common to all And that from the beginning in Abel righteousnesse was afflicted And these reasons were not such as would have entred any in whom a naturall inclination had not set open the gates before Cyprian also takes the same way and insists upon application of Prophecies of these two sorts That they should bee despised in this world and that they should be rewarded in the next To these were added externall Honours Annuall celebrating their Memories and entitling their deaths Natalitia And that early instituting of the office of Notaries to regulate their passions even iâ—… Clemens time And the proposing their Salita capita to bee worshipped which word though Eunapius speake it prophanely was not undeserved by the generall misuse of such devotion And after the Monopoly of appropriating Martyrdome and establishing the benefit thereof upon them onely which held the integritie of faith and were in the unity of the Church of which persuasion Augustine and Hierom and most of the Ancients are cited to be and then by continuall increasing the dignity and merit of it as that ex opere operato it purged actuall sinne as Baptisme did originall And that without Charitie and in Schisme though it merited not salvation yet it diminished the intensnesse of Damnation And by these they incited mans nature to it which also might be a little corruptly warmed towards it by seeing them ever punisht who afflicted them for so Tertullian saies that no City escaped punishment which had shed Christian bloud After this they descended to admit more into their fellowship and communicate and extend these pâ—…iviledges for by such indulgence are Herods Infants Martyrs So is John Baptist though he dyed not for a matter of Christian faith So is he which suffers for any vertue and he which dyes in his mothers womb if she be a Martyr And so is he which being for Christian profession wounded deadly recovers and hee which being not deadly wounded dyes after of sicknesse contracted by his owne negligence if that negligence amounted not to mortall sinne So not onely the sickly and infirme succeeding Ages but even the purest-times did cherrish in men this desire of death even by contrary reasons both which notwithstanding by change of circumstances had apparance of good For as fire is made more intense sometimes by sprinkling water sometimes by adding fuell So when their teachers found any coolenesse or remissenesse in them and an inclination to flight or composition with the State then Cyprian noted such with the ignominy of Libellatici because they had taken an acquittance of the State and sayes of them Culpa minor sacrificatorum sed non innocens consâ—…entis And then Terrullian equally infames flying away and such marchandizing when hee sayes Persecution must not be redeemed for running away is a buying of your peace for nothing and a buying of your peace for money is a running away And then we shall finde that even against the nature of the word Martyre it became the common opinion that death was requisite and necessarie to make one a Martyr So in Eusebius the Christians though afflicted modestly refuse the name of Martyrs and professe that they have not deserved it except they may be kill'd Contrary wise in other times when the disease of head-long dying at once seemed both to weare out their numbers and to lay some scandall upon the cause which wrought such a desire in men which understood not why they did it but uninstructed uncatechized yea unbaptized but that the charity of the Supervivers imputed to them Baptisma fluminis as they hope or at least Sanguinis for that they saw did onely as they saw others doe Then I say as a Learned Writer of our time sayes That the Church abstaines from easie Canonizing Ne vilesceret Sanctit as which is not here Holinesse but Saintship least the dignity of Martyrdome should be aviled by such promiscuous admittance to it they were often contented to allow them the comfort of Martydome without dying which was but a returning to the natuturall sense of the word So Ignatius stiles himselfe in his Epistles Martyr Yea more then the rest he brought down the value thereof and the deare purchase for he sayes That as he which honors a Prophet in the name of a Prophet shall have a Prophets reward So hee shall have a Martyrs reward which honors vinctum Christi And so our most blessed Saviour proceeding in his mercifull purpose of encreasing his Kingdome upon earth yet permitting the Heathen Princes to continue theirs as yet the Christian Religion was dilated and oppressed and the professors thereof so dejected and worne with confiscations and imprisonments thought that as in the Passeover from Egypt every doore was sprinkled with blood So Heaven had no doore from this world but by fires crosses and bloody persecutions and presuming Heaven to be at the next step they would often stubbornly or stupidly winke and so make that one step God forbid any should be so malignant so to mis-interpret mee as though I thought not the blood of Martyrs to be the seed of the Church or diminished the dignity thereof yet it becomes any ingenuity to confesse that those times were affected with a disease of this naturall desire of such a death and that to such may fruitfully be applyed those words of the good B Paulinus Athleta non vincit statim quia eruitur nec ideo transnatant quia sespoliant Alas we may fall drown at the last stroke for to say le to heaven it is not enough to cast away the burdenous superfluities which we have long carried about us but we must also take in a good frayte It is not lightnesse but an even-reposed stedfastnesse which carries us thither But Cyprian was forced to finde out an answer to this lamentation which he then found to be common to men on their death beds Wee mâ—…urne because with all our strength we had vowed our selves to Martyrdome
to himselfe denies necessarie things or exposes himselfe inordinatly to such dangers as men use not to escape kills himselfe He that is as sure that this Medicine will recover him as that this Poyson will destroy him is as guilty if he forbeare the Physicke as if he swallow the Poyson For what is this lesse then to attend the ruine of a house or inundation of a streame or incursion of mad beasts They which compare Omissions and Committings require no more to make them equall but that we omit something which we could and should doe SECT III. First therefore in all Lawes in such faults as are greatest either in their owne nature or in an irremediablenesse when they are done all approaches yea the very first step to them hath the same guiltinesse and is under the same punishment as the fault it selfe As in Treason and Heresie the first consent is the absolute fault And we have an example of a Woman bâ—…rnt for petie Tâ—…eason for compassing the death of her husband though it were not effected Homicide is one of those crying sins and hath ever beene reckoned in Atrocibus For though the Athenians removed all Dracoes Lawes by disuse for their extreame severity yet they retained those against Homicide And this Homicide saies Tolet may bee done five wayes by 1. Commandement by 2. Advise by 3. Permission by 4. Hâ—…lpe or by the fact it selfe And in the fiâ—…st and worst Homicide committed in Paradise in which were employed all the persons in the world which were able to 〈◊〉 to evill when though there was but one man all the Millions which have been and shall be were massacred at once and himselfe too as many of these kindes of Homiciâ—…es were found as was possible in so few persons For as one notes The Serpent counsailed the Woman helped and Adam perpetrated and wee â—…ay safely and reverently say God permitted If then every one of these be a kind of Homicide no approach towards it can be lawfull if any bee lawfull that is not Homicide Let us therefore consider how farre and in how many of these waies Selfe-homicide may bee allowable SECT IIII. First therefore though it be the common received opinion Mandatorem Manâ—…atarium eidem poenae subjici Yet by the way of Precâ—…pt we cannot properly work upon our selvâ—…s because in this act the same partie must be agent and patient and instrument Nor very properly by the second way of advise yet so neere we may come to the nature of it that after discourse we may adviseâ—…ly chuse one part anâ—… refuse the other for Cujus est velle ejus est nolle and so we may wâ—…sh to our selves that which is naturally evill I meane Malum poenae as the Eremite by earnest prayer obtained of God that he might be possessed of the Devill for certaine moneths because he found in himselfe an inclination to pride and securitie Thus certainely in some cases we may without sinne wish Death and that not onely for enjoying the sight of God for so sayes a holy man Pro visione Dei millies corpus nostrum morti dare optamus but even to be so delivered from the encumbrances of this life for so it hath rationem boni as Peter Martyr argues and then Nove meliorem est Corruptio pâ—…imae habitudinis This therefore we may wish and yet it is so farre from being lawfull to wish any thing which were evill that It is sinne to wish that any thing which is naturally evill were not so that so wee might then wish it when it were discharged of that naturall illnesse Death it selfe therefore is not evill nor is it evill to wish it is it evill to further that with more actuall helpe which we may lawfully wish to be done These two extreme Religions which seem to avile secular Magistrâ—…cie and subject Monarchs either to an Oâ—…dinarie or else to a Consistorie accept willingly this saying Curse not the King no not in thy heart That is wish not ill to him Nor have I observed that the Authors of either distemper have in their Books allowed that the Subject might wish the death of the Prince but in the same cases where he might contribute his actuall helpe For both Papists and Puritanes teaching that a lawfull King may become a tyrant which to my understanding cannot consist with the forme and right of an inheritable Monarchie Yet one who pretends to go the middle way and that is truely in this case Via Regia sayes That as well wee as the Romanists esteeme a King of another Religion a Tyrant And That it is impossible to make such a King but he must be a Tyrant in the opinion of one side And for his own opinion delivers That no man can be bound by oath of fidelity to the Pope upon this reason because he is not indeed Vicarius Dei as he presumed him and swore him to be And conformably to this that book whose title and scope is of the foundation of matter of State in France and as it pretends in all Christendome when after it hath enraged Subjects against Tyrants it comes to declare what a Tyrant is exemplifies in the King of Spaine and upon such reasons as any Malignitie equall to that Author may cast upon what Prince it will And lastly who ever shall well compare l Beccariaes booke with Bezaes if that other be Bezaes though they differ Diametrally in many things yet by their collision and beating together arise abundantly sparkes of this pestilent Doctrine That as Tranquillity was so now Religion is the reason why wee admit Kings and why they are none when they neglect Religion upon these Doctrines I say it is inferred That it is lawfull to wish the death of a Tyrant or of a favourer of Heretiques though he dye in mortall sinne To wish therefore and to doe are naturally the same fault and yet though it be a sinne to offer my selfe even to Martyrdome only for wearinesse of life Or to wish death simply for Impaciencie Anger Shame Povertie or Misfortune yea to wish heaven meerely for mine owne happinesse yet certainely S. Paul had some allowable reasons to desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ. And Calvine by telling us upon what reason and to what end he wished this instructs us how we may wish the same He sayes Paul desired not death for deaths sake for that were against the sense of Nature but he wished it to be with Christ. Now besides that by his leave we desire many things which are against the sense of Nature to grant that we may wish death to be in heaven though Peter Martyr before alledged be of the same perswasion is a larger scope and somewhat more dangerous and slippery a graunt then wee urge towards
because herein onely the interest and good of the party seeme to be considered And yet a Emanuel Sâ extends it farther That wee may wish sicknesse to one for his correction and death for the good of the State yea to our Enemie which is like to doe us much harme for avoiding this our particular damage and we may rejoyce at his death even for that respect of our owne dâ—…livery All which will hold as well if we be urged with like reasons to wish it to our selves To conclude therefore this point That it may become lawfull to wish our owne death I will onely relate an History which though it be but matter of fact if it be so much yet it is of such a person as his acts governe and perswade with very many as farre as Rules In the life of Philip Nerius who in our age instituted the last Religion approved and established in the Church of Rome we read that he being entreated as he was ordinarily in like desperate cases to come to one Paulus Maximus a youth of 14. who was then ready to expire his soule by sickenesse before he could perfit his Sacrifice and the office which hee had begunne before the message came to him the young man dyed When hee had been dead about halfe an houre Nerius came and after he had used some lowd exclamations the youth revived againe looked up and talked in secret with Nerius a quarter of an houre The discourse â—…nded Nerius gave him his choise whether he would live or dye and when the boy wished death he gave him leave to dy againe Now though it were a greater miracle then any in that book if any man should beleeve all that are in it for in it are attributed to Nerius stranger things then the book of Conformities imagined in Saint Francis for I beleeve that Authuor purposed onely like Xenophon or Plato or Sir Thomas Moore to ideate and forme then to write a credible History though Sedulius have defended it with so much earnestnesse of late yet thus much is established out of this whether Fable or History that their opinion who authorised this book is that it was lawfull in Maximus to wish his own death since a man of so much sanctity as Nerius did approve and second and accomplish that opinion of his SECT V. The next species of Homicide in Tolets division is Permission which when it is toward our selves is by the Schoole-men usually called Desertion or Dereliction and Mors negativa Of which I perceive not any kinde to be more obnoxious or indefensible then that which is so common with our Delinquents to stand mute at the Barre And though Civill Lawes which are often enfoâ—…ced to chuse of two evills the least that is to say the least hurtfull to civility and society and must admit sometimes particular mischiefe rather then aâ—… generall inconvenience may excuse this yet since out of the law of Conscience which can in no case come to be so entangled and perplexed that it can be forced to châ—…se any thing naturally evill no man hath as yet to my knowledge impugned this custome of ours it seemes to me that aswell our Church as our State justifies this Desertion of our selves and this for so low and worldly a respect as the saving of our temporall estate or escaping the ignominy of another death But that we may the better discerne the limits how farre these Omissions and Desertions and Exposings of our selves are allowed us first I must interpret one rule That charity begins with it selfe to bee understood onely in spirituall things For I may not doe a sinne to save in the language of Schoole-men the goods or honour or liâ—…e of the Pope but for temporall things I must prefer others before my selfe if a publique profit recompence my private Domage I must also lay down another rule That as for my selfe So for my neighbour whom I am bound to love as my selfe I may expose goods to safegard honour and honour for life and life for 〈◊〉 profit And to these I must joyn a third rule That no man is at any time enforced to exercise his priviledge For the written Law every man is bound to knâ—…w but prâ—…viledges and exemptions from that Law he may be excâ—…sably ignorant of and in such ignorance transgresse them Hereupon iâ—… is saâ—…ely infer'd that though every man have naturally this priviledge to resist force with force and be authorised by that to lay violent hands even upon the Popes life as Gerson exemplifies or upon the Emperours as Acacius when either of them exceeds the limits of their Magistracy for then the party becomes the Depuâ—…y and Lieutenant to Nature which is a common and equall Soveraigne to them all Yet I may wayve this benefit if I will and even by a theefe I may suffer my selfe to be killed rather then kill him in that mortall sinne Which our Countryman Sayr holds as the common opinion from Sâ—…tus Navar Cajetan and many others And none that I have seen excepts to it in any other person then a Souldier or such as hath the lives and dignities of others so enwrapped in theirs as they cannot give away themselves but by betrayinâ—… others And this Desertion seems to bee of Naturall reason because it is to be found in all lawes for even in the Alcorum we read Vindicans non est reus Patiens tamen optime facit And our law which if a man kill another in his own necessary defence punishes him with losse of goods and delivers him from death not by acquitall but by way of pardon seemes to me to pronounce plainly that it is not lawfull to defend my life by killing another which is farther then any of the others went And when I câ—…mpare our two lawes That if I defend my seâ—…fe I am punished and the other before mentioned That if I kill my selfe I am punished in the same manner and measure they seeme to me to be somewhat perplexed and captious And as I may depart from my naturall priviledge of defending my selfe so I may obtain from any extrinsique or accessory helpe which is casually or by providence if God reveale not his will therein presented unto me for a man condemned to death is not bound in conscience to redeeme his life with money though by the law of the place he might doe it And though Saint Thomas say That he which is condemned to dy kills himselfe if he apprehend not an opportunity to escape by flight when it is presented and likewise if he refuse meate when he is condemned to be famished yet the whole streame is against him Sotus Navar Cajetan and Sayr And Navar adds that in these dayes and yet now it is not so likely to be Symbolum Idolotricae pravitatis a man is bound rather to famish then to eat meat
from me and my instruction that he will doe it without bitternesse He shall see the way the better and shew it the better and saile through it the better if he raise no stormes Such men as they are Fishers of men so may they also hunt us into their nets for our good But there is perchance some mystique interpretation belonging to that Canon which allowes Clergy men to hunt for they may doe it by Nets and Snares but not by Dogges foâ—… clamour and bitings are forbidden them And I have been sorry to see that even Beza himselfe writing against an Adversary and a cause equally and extreamely obnoxious onely by allowing too much fuell to his zeale enraged against the man and neglecting or but prescribing in the cause hath with lesse thoroughnesse and satisfaction then either became his learning and watchfulnesse or answered his use and custome given an answer to Ochiuâ—… booke of Polygamy Distinction II. SECT I. IN all the Iudiciall in all the Ceremoniall Law delivered by Moses who was the most particular in his Lawes of any other there is no abomination no mention of this Selfe-Homicide He teacheth what we shall and shall not eate and weare and speake and yet nothing against this SECT II. But the first place that I find offered against it is in Genesis I will require your bloud wherein your lives are at the hand of every beast will I requireit and at the hand of man even at the hand of a mans brother will I require the life of man who so sheddeth mans bloud by man shall his bloud be shed And this place a very learned man of the Reformed Church sayes the Jewes understand of Selfe-homicide But shâ—…ll wee put our selves under the Iewes yoake That if we finde in the Rabbins things contrary to Nature wee must dare to accuse nothing but our owne weakenesse because their word is Gods Word and if they contradict one another yet both are from God Lyra who seldome departs from the Iewes in matters not controverted between them and us toucheth upon no such exposition yet hee expounds it more then one way and with liberty enough and farre straying And Emanuel Sâ who in his notes is more curious and superstitious in restoring all the Hebraismes and oftentimes their interpretations then perchance that Church would desire at his hands offers at no other sense then the words present Nor â—…an Selfe homicide fall within the commination and 〈◊〉 of that Law for how can the Magistrate shed his bloud who hath killed himselfe SECT III. The next is in Deâ—…eronomie I kill and I give life Our of which is concluded that all authority of life and death is from God and none in our selves But shall we therefore dare to condemne utterly all those states and governments where Fathers Husbands and Masters had jurisdiction over Children wives and servants lives If we dare yet how shall we defend any Magistracy if this be so strictly accepted and if it admit exceptions why may not our case be within those Howsoever that this place is incongruously brought appears by the next words There is not any that can deliver from my hand or this being a Verse of that divine poem which God himselfe made and delivered Moses as a stronger and more slippery insinuation and impression into the Isrâ—…lites hearts then the language of any Law would make expresses onely that the mercies and judgements of God are safe and removed from any humane hinderance or interruption So in another gratulatory Song made by Samuels mother the same words are repeated The Lord killeth and maketh alive and this because God had given her a son when she was past hope That place also in Tobit is fitly paraleld with this He leadeth to hell and bringeth up noâ—… is there any that can avoid his hand And can these two places be detorted to their purpose That none but God may have jurisdiction over our temporall life Or that place of the book of Wisdome which is also ever joyned as of the same signification with these for thou hast the power of life and death which is spoken of his miraculous curing by the Brazen Serpent So that all these foure places have one respect and ayme and none of them look towards our question SECT IIII. In the order of the Divine books the next place is produced out of Job Militia est vita hominis super terram for though our translation give it thus Is there not an appointed time to man upon earth yet the Latine Text is thus cited to this purpose by some not addicted to the Vulgat Edition because it seems in Latine better to afford an argument against Self homicide For therupon they infer that we may not depart at our own pleasure from the battell But because onely the Metaphor and not the extending of it nor inference upon it is taken out of the Scripture it brings no strong obligation with it nor deserves much earnestnesse in the answer yet to follow him a little in his Allusion A Souldier may by Law be ignorant of the Law and is not much accusable if he transgresse it And by another Law 〈◊〉 oâ—… Souldier whose presence is necessary for the safeguard of the Army may be absent cauâ—… Reipub. and being absent his absence shall be interpreted to be so And even to those which killed themselvs in the Army we noted before in the second part That the lawes were not severe if they had any colour of just cause So that this figurative argument profits then nothing especially being taken from this place where the scope of Job was to prove that our felicity and end upon which our actions are bent is not in this liâ—…e but as wars work to peace so we labour here to death to that happines which we shall have after And therfore whosoever were author of that letter which hath Christs name to Abgarus doth not make Christ say that when he hath done that for which he was sent hither he will come to him and take his offer of halte his Kingdome but that when he hath done he will returne to him which sent him That is he will die so that if either side have advantage by this place of Job we have it SECT V. And by the other place of Job much more which is Therefore my soule chuseth rather to bee strangled and to die then to be in my bones Hereuupon they infer That if it might have been lawfull to die so Job would have done it But besides that the wretched poverty and feeblenesse of this manner of Negative arguments Iob did it not therefore he might not do it we may perceive by the whole frame of the History that God had chosen him for another use and an example of extream patience So that for any thing that appears in
in defence of another And as these Lawes may be mediately and secondarily deduced from the conformity of other Lawes and from a generall Authority which God hath afforded all Soveraignes to provide as necessities arise So may our case bee derived as well from that necessary obligation which lyes alwayes upon us of preferring Gods glorie above all humane respects So that we cannot be put to shew or pleade any exemption but when such a case arises wee say that that case never was within the reach of that Law Which is also true of all the other which we called exemptions before For whatsoever might have beene done before the Law as this might if it be neither against Nature nor Justice from both which we make account that wee have acquitted it upon that this Commandement never fell not extended to it SECT IX I have found also a place urged out of the Booke of Wisdome which is Seeke not death in the errour of your life Which being ever coupled with another place in Deuteronomie by collation of the two places it appeares That that which is forbidden there is Idolatry and by Death is meant the Second Death or the way to it And so this Distinction which was intended for the places cited from the Books of the old Testament shall here have an end and to the next we allow those of the New Distinct. III. SECT I. OF which the first that I have observed is in Matthew when the Devil tempts Christ thus If thou be the Son of God cast thy self downe With all Expositors I confesse this was a temptation to vain glory and therefore most appliabl to our case where we make account that we work somwhat to the service of God and advancement of his glory when we allow this to be done and it is a very slippery passage and a devout man were out of the nature of devotion 〈◊〉 to erre that way then a worldly but that the haâ—…d of God is extended to the protection of such But directly this place will not shake nor attempt our proposition for though Christ would not satisfie the Devill nor discover himselfe yet he did as much wheâ—… it conduced to his owne ends as the Devill tempted him to in this place or the other both in changing the species and nature of water into Wine and in exposing himselfe to certaine danger when he walked upon the waters Christ refused no difficultie nor abstained from Miracles when he knew he profited the beholders nor doe I say that in any other case then when we are probably and excusably assured that it isto a good end this may be lawfull to us SECT II. The next place is in the Acts of the Apostles The keeper of the prison drew out his Sword and would have killed himselfe supposing the Prisoners had beene gone But Paulcryed Doe thy selfe no harme for we are all here To which I say That by the same Spirit by which Paul being in the inner Prison in the darke knew what the Keeper thought and what hee was about to doe without hee knew also Gods purpose to be glorified in the conversion of him and his Family and therefore did not onely reclaime him from that purpose which was inordinate and for his owne sake to escape punishment in which yet wee may observe how presently Mans nature inclines him to this remedy but also forbears to to make his benefit of this Miracle and to escape away and so though he rescue the Keeper he betrayes himselfe And therefore Calvin upon this place makes to himselfe this objection That Paul seeing all his hope of escape to consist in the death of the Keeper neglected that way of liberty which God offered him when he restnained the Keeper from killing himselfe And he answers it onely thus That hee had a conscience and insight into Gods purpose and decree hereiâ—… For otherwise if he had not had that which very few attaine to have it seemes he ought to have permitted the keeper to proceed to facilitate thereby his way of escaping SECT III. Which also inferres some answer to another place of Saint Paul where hee delivers and discharges himselfe and his fellow Apostles of having taught this Doctrine That a man might doe evill that good might come thereof And consequently it is well and by just Collection pronounced that he forbids that Doctrine And we also humbly subscribe to that Rule and accept it so as Saint Paul intends it that is in things which Nature and not Circumstance makes eviâ—…l And in these also when any such circumstance doth make them evill as another circumstance to the contrary doth not praeponderate and over-rule this This therefore we must have liberty to enlighten with a larger discourse Of the evils which seeme to us to bee of punishment of which kind Death is God ever makes others his executioners for the greatest of all though it be spirituall which is Induration is not so wrought by God himselfe immediately as his spirituall comforts are but Occasionally and by Desertion Sometimes in these God imployes his Angels sometime the Magistrate sometimes our selves Yet all which God doth in this life by any of these is but Physicke for â—…n excaecation and induration is sent to further Salvation in some and inflicted medicinally And these ministers and instruments of his are our Physitians and wee may not refuse any bitternesse no not that which is naturally poyson being wholesomely corrected by them For as in Cramps which are contortions of the Sinewes or in Tetars which are rigors and stiffenesses in the Muscles wee may procure to ourselfe a fever to thaw them or we may procure them in a burning feaver to condense and attemper our bloud againe so in all rebellions and disobediences of our flesh wee may minister to our selves such corrections and remedies as the Magistrate might if the fact were evident But because though for prevention of evill wee may doe all the offices of a Magistrate upon our selves in such secret cases but whether we have that authority to doe it after or no especially in Capitall matters is disputable and at this time wee need not affirme it precisely I will examine the largenesse of that power no farther now But descend to that kinde of evill which must of necessity be understood in this place of Paul which is that we account naturally evill And even in that the Bishops of Rome have exercised their power to dispence with Bigamy which is in their doctrine directly against Gods Commandement and therefore naturally evill So did Nicholas the fift dispense with a Bishop in Germany to consult with Wâ—…tches for recovery of his health and it were easie to amasse many cases of like boldnesse In like manner the Imperiall Law tollerates Vsurie Prescription Mala fidei and Deceit ad Medium and expressely allowes Witchcraft to good
of dying as much as in any thing els he was a Type of Christ. SECT V. The next example is Saul And whether he did perfect and consummat the act of killing himself or the Amalekite contribute his help it makes no difference to our purpose But that the latter was true may wel enough consist with the relation of the history in the first place and it appeares to be the more likely and probable out of the second And by Iosephus it is absolutely so delivered And the scholastique history saith also that Saul was too weake to force the sword through his body Two things use to be disputed of Saul Whether hee were saved or no And whether if hee perished it was for impenitence testified or presumed by this act of his The Iewes are generally indulgent to him And the Christians generally severe upon this reason that it is said of him Saul dyed for his transgressions against the Lord and his word and asking counsaile of a witch But this doth not necessarily conclude an impenitence or a second death For the Iews say That beleeving the sentence of Samuel in the apparitions and accepting that decree as from God he repented his formet life and then presented and delivered up himselfe and his sonnes conformably to the revealed will of God there in the field to be sacrificed to him understanding Samuells words you shall be with me to be spoken not generally of the state of the dead but of the state of the just because both Samuel himself was so and so was Jonathan whose condition in this promise of being with Samuel was the same as his Fathers And therefore saith Lyra all Iews and some Christians agree that least by his reproach dishonour might redound upon God a good and Zealous man may kill himself as Samson did and the Virgins And he addeth If other reasons were not sufficient to excuse Saul this also might justly be applied to him that he did it by divine instinct Out of which I observe these two things that he presumes there are other reasons sufficient in some cases whether they were in Sauls case or no. And then the reason upon which Lyraâ—… presumes he dyed well because the contrary is not declared in Scriptures nor determined by the Church And Saul hath a good testimony of sanctity in this act from Mallonius That as Christ died when he would so did Saul thinking it dishonourable to dye by the hand of his and Gods enemies That argument which Burgensis bringeth to the contrary suffereth more force and violence in being brought in then it giveth strength to his opinion It is That if the fact were justifiable in Saul it had beene so too in the Amalekite if his profession to David were true That he had killed Saul and consequently David unjust in that execution But besides that that Amalekite had no conscience nor inward knowledge of Sauls just reasons nor other warrant but his commandement which might and was to him likely to proceed from Sauls infirmities it might well appeare to David by his comming to tell him the newes that he had humane respects in doing it and a purpose onely to deserve well of David And when both Judge and prisoner are innocent oft times the Executioner may be a Murtherer And such humane respects of wearinesse and despaire and shame and feare and fidelity to his Master and amazement and such stand in the way betweene Sauls Armour-bearer and all excuses to our understandings For though the phrase of Scripture impute nothing to him for that fact of killing himselfe yet I have found none that offer any particular excuse in his defence SECT VI. Neither doe I finde any thing to excuse Achitophels death though as I said of the other the History doe not accuse that particular fact The Text calles his counsaile good and it seems he was not transported with passion because he set his house in order And he was buried in his Fathers grave when Absalou slaine by anothers hand was cast into a pit But if it were upon a meere dispute of his owne disgrace or feare of ill successe or upon any selfe respect without proposing Gods glorie and he repented not he perished SECT VII Of Judas the most sinnefull instrument of the most mercifull Worke the common though not generall opinion is that he killed himselfe but whether by hanging or no is more controverted For from the words in the Acts That he threw himselfe downe headlong and burst asunder and his bowels gushed out Euthymius thinks That he was rescued whilst he hanged and carryed away and that after that hee killed himselfe by throwing himselfe headlong And Brentius leaves that indifferent to us to thinke what we will thereof But it seemes by Oecumenius that he did not only overlive this hanging but that he grew to so enormous a bignesse and burden to himselfe that he was not able to withdraw himselfe out of a Coaches way but had his guts crushed out so which he receives from Papias the Disciple to Saint Iohn whose times cannot be thought ignorant or incurious of Iudas History And it is there said further that by others it was said that being swolne to that vastnesse and corrupted with vermine hee laid himselfe down upon his field and there his guts broke out And this Theophilact followes And it falls out very often that some one Father of strong reputation and authority in his time doth snatch and swallow some probable interpretation of Scripture and then digesting it into his Homilies and applying it in dehortations and encouragements as the occasions and diseases of his Auditory or his age require and imagining thereupon delightfull and figurative insinuations and setting it to the Musique of his stile as every man which is accustomed to these Meditations shall often finde in himselfe such a spirituall wantonnesse and devout straying into such delicacies that sense which was but probable growes necessary and those who succeed had rather enjoy his wit then vexe their owne as often times we are loath to change or leave off a counterfeit stone by reason of the well setting thereof By this meanes I thinke it became so generally to be beleeved that the fruit which Eve eat was an Apple And that Lots wife was turned to a pillar of Salt And that Absalon was hanged by the haire of the head And that Iephthe killed his Daughter And many other such which grew currant not from an evidence in the Text but because such an acceptation was most usefull and applyable Of this number Iudas case might be But if it were not that act of killing himselfe is not added to his faults in any place of Scriptures no not in those two Psalmes of particular accusations and bitter imprecations against him as they are ordinarily taken to be Prophetically purposed and directed
And even of this man whose sinne if any can exceed mercy was such Origen durst hope not out of his erronious compassion and sinnefull charity by which he thinks that even the Devill shall be saved but out of Iudas repentance He sayes The Devill led him to the sinne and then induced him to that sorrowfulnesse which swallowed him But speaking of his repentance he sayes Those words when Iudas saw that he was condemned belong to Judas himselfe for Christ was not then condemned And upon this conscience and consideration began his repentance For it may be saith Origen that Satan which had entred into him staid with him till Christ was betray'd and then left him and thereupon repentance followed And perchance sayes he he went to prevent and goe before his Master who was to dye and so to meet him with his naked soule that he might gaine Mercy by his confession and prayers And Calvine though his purpose be to enervate and maime or at least declare it to be so defective that repentance which is admitted for sufficient in the Romane Church sayes that In Iudas there was perfect contrition of heart Confession of the mouth and satisfaction for the money But Petilian against whom Saint Augustine writes proceeded further in justification of Iudas last act then any For hee said That in suffering death when hee repented and so was a Confessor hee became a Martyr Which opinion being pronounced singularly and undefensibly Saint Augustine answers as choleriquely Laqueum talibus reliquit Yet Saint Augustine himselfe confesseth that an innocent man should more have sinned in such an act then Iudas did because in his execution there were some degrees of justice But of his actuall impenitence I purposed not to speake nor of his repentance but onely to observe to you that this last fact is not imputed to him nor repentance said to be precluded thereby SECT VIII For the Passive action of Eleazar none denies but that that endangering of himselfe was an act of Vertue yet it was a forsaking and exposing himselfe to certaine Destruction For every Elephant had thirty two men upon him and was guarded with one thousand Foot and five hundred Horse And this which he slew was in his opinion the Kings Elephant and therefore the better provided Howsoever hee might hope to escape before the very act of killing the Elephant by creeping under it was a direct killing of himselfe as expressely as Samson pulling down the house And the reasons of this action are rendered in the Text to have been To deliver his people and to get a perpetuall name And this fact doth Saint Ambrose extoll by many glorious circumstances As That hee flung away his Target which might have sheltred him That despising death he forced into the midst of the Army and Inclusus ruinâ—… magis quam oppressus suo est sepultus Triumpho And that by death he begot peace as the heire of his valour And as very many Schoolemen have intended and exercised their wits in the praise of this action So Cajetan gives such a reason thereof as is applyable to very many Selfe-homicides That to expose our selves to certaine death if our first end be not our owne death but common good it is lawfull For saith hee Our actions which bee Morally good or bad must bee judged to bee such by the first reason which moves them not by any accident or concomitance accompanying or succeding them though necessarily And this resolution of Cajetan will include many Cases and instances which are headlongly by intemperate censures condemned SECT IX The fall of Rasis which is the last Example is thus reported Hee was besieged and fired willing to dye manfully and escape reprâ—… unworthy of his House hee fell upon his Sword for haste hee mist his stroke and threw himselfe from the Castle wall yet rose up againe and ranne to a high Rocke tooke out his owne bowells and threw them among the people calling upon the Lord of life and spirit and so died Which Act the Text accuseth not nor doth St. Thomas accuse it of any thing else but that it was Cowardlinesse Which also Aristotle imputes to this manner of dying as wee said before But either he spoke at that time serviceably and advantagiously to the point which hee had then in hand or else hee spoke ut plurimum because for the most part infirmities provoke men to this act For S. Augustine who argues as earnestly as Aristotle that this is not greatnesse of minde confesseth yet that in Cleombrotus it was who onely upon reading Plato his Phoedo killed himselfe for saith Augustine When no calamitie urged him no crime either true or imputed nothing but greatnesse of minde moved him to apprehend death and to breake the sweet bands of this life And though he adde That it was done rather Magnè then Benè yet by this that which wee seeke now is in Confession that sometimes there is in this act Greatnesse and Courage Which upon the same reason which moved Aristotle and all the rest which is to quench in men their naturall love to it he is loth to affoord in too many cases For hee sayes That except Lucrece it is not easie to finde any example worth the prescribing or imitating but Cato Not because hee onely did it but because being reputed learned and honest men might justly thinke that that was well done and might well bee done againe which hee did Yet for all this hee is loth to ler Catoes act passe with so much approbation For hee addes That yet many of his learned friends thought it a weaknesse to let him dye so And this hee doth because when men have before them the precedent of a brave example they contend no further then what he did not why For it is truely said Examples doe not stoppe nor consist in the Degree where they begunne but grow and no man thinkes that unworthy for him which profiteth another Yet Saint Augustine though upon this reason loth to give glory to many examples allows all greatnesse and praise to Regulus of whom we spoke before though to my understanding there are in it many impressions of falsehood and of ostentation from all which Catâ—…es history is delivered And to end this point whether it be alwais pusillanimity Laertius says That in Antisthenes the philosopher videbatur firme mollius that lying extreame sick and Diogenes asking him if he lacked a freind meaning to kill him and offering him also his dagger to doe it himselfe the Philosopher said he desired an end of paine but not of life As therefore this fact of Rasis may have proceeded from greatnesse So is it by Lyra excused from all sin by reasons applyable to many other For he sayes Either to escape torment by which probably a man
Aug. de bono Conjugâ—… g Paulin. Severo esist 1. 7 How Paul calls Death Gods enemy h 1 Cor. 15. 20. i Marlorat in bunc locum k Calvin in hunc locum 8 Death since Christ is not so evill as before 1 Of Martyrs reason Vita donum 1 Of Lavaters reason of Judges 2 Where confession is not in use there is no exterior Judge of secret sinne a Humfred Iesui pa. 2. ad Ratio 3. Cam. 3 Of the Popes jurisdiction over himselfe b Câ—…d l. 3. tit 5. le Generati 4 Of such jurisdiction in other persons by civll lawes c Bald. F le 5. de jâ—…diciis d Filesacus de Episc. autorit Ca. 1. 〈◊〉 17. e Dig. l. 1. tiâ—… 7. le 3. si Cons. 5 Ioh. 22. elected hiâ—…selfe Pope f Uolâ—… 2. Genera 44. 6. Jurisdiction over our selves â—…s denyed us because we are presumed favourable to our selves Not in cases hurtfull to our selves g Heurnius de Philos. Barbar 7. Even in cases hurtfull we have such jurisdiction h Theod. a Nice l. 3. c. 3. 23. 8. Gregories oath in the great Scisme i Schlusselburgius Catul. Hereâ—…ico l. 13. 9. When a man becomes to be sui juris 10. Warre is just betweene Soveraigne Kings because they have no Judge k Accacius de privileg juris l. 1. cap. 7. 11. Princes give not themselves priviledges but declare that in that case they will exercise their inherent priviledge Josephus Reason of Deposi tum a De bell Iud. l. 3. ca. 13. b Regula juris 4. c Arist. Probl. Sect. 29. q. 2. 2. In these cases a depositarie cannot bee accused De culpa if he be sine Dolo. 3. A secret received Data fide is in Natura depositi d Tholos Syntag l 23. ca. 3. Nu. 17. e Soto de Teg. Secr. membr 1. q. 1. 1. Of similitudinary Reasons in Authors not Divine a De Bello Iuda l. 3. ca. 14. 1. Of his reason of Hoslis a lib. 7. c. 28. 1. Of his reason of Servus Bosquier Conc. 7. Of his reason of a Pilot. 1. Of Aquin. two reasons from Justice and Charity a 22. q. 64. ar 5. Of stealing away himselfe from the State 3. Monastique retiring is in genere rei the same offence 4. The better opinion that herein is no sinne against Justice 5. I usurpe not upon his servant but am his servant herein b Sayr Thesau Cas. Consc. l 7. ca. 9. Nu. 19. 6. Though we have not Dominium wee have Vsum of this life and we leave that when we will 7. The State is not Lord of our life yet takes it away c Sayr l. 9. c. 7. Nu. 2. 8. If injurie were herein done to the State then by a license from the State it might be lawfull 9. And the State might recompence her domage upon the goods or hâ—…i e 10. In a man necessâ—…y there may be some injustice in this act d 22. q. 59. ar 4. ad 3â—… 11. No man can doe injurie to himselfe 12. The question whether it be against Charity 〈◊〉 ted to the third part Of Aristotles two reasons Of Misery Pusilanimity a Arist. Eth. l. 3. c. 6. b Cap. 7. Infra fol. 249. 1. Of Reasons to be made on the other part 2. Of the Law of Rome of asking the Sâ—…nate leave to kill himselfe a Declâ—…m 4. 3. Of the case in Quintilian 1. Comparison of Desertion and Destruction 2. Of Omissions equall to Committings a In admonitorio b Dist. 86. pasceâ—… c Tabula Paris censuraruâ—… 1. In great sinnes the first step imprints a guiltinesse yet many steps to Self-homicide are lawfull a Stanf. Plees de Corâ—…n cap. Petie treason b Elian. l. 8. cap. 10. 2. Draâ—…s laws against Homicide were retained c Precepto 5. 3. Tolets five Homicides 4. Foure of thâ—…se were to be found in Adams first Homicide in Paradise c Reuchlin de verbo Mirisico lib. 2. cap. 14. 1. Of Tolets first second way by Precept and Adviâ—…e or option a Bartol le Non solum F. de injuriis Si mandato b Reg. Jur. 3. 2. We may wish Malum poenae to our selves as the Eremite did to be possessed c Sulpit. in vita Martini Dialo 1. 3. Wee may wish death for wearinesse of this life d Martialis ad Tholosanos e Coment in Sam. l. 1. c. vlt. f Heptap Pici. l. 7. Proem 4. It is sin to wish that evill were not so that then wee might wish it g Adrian quodlib 10. ar 2. 5. What wee may lawfully with we may lawfully further 6. Of wishing the Princes death h Saxavia de Imp. Author Epistola 7. In some opinions false ReligioÌ„ makes a Tirant i Lib. 2. ca. 36. 8. Why an oth of fidelity to the Pope binds no man k Declaration Protestation des Doctes de France Anno 1605. 9. Who is a Tyrant in these mens opinions Beccar cont lib. De. jure Magistrat m Carbo Cas. Conc. Summa Summarum Tom. 3. lib. 3. cap. 9. n Sylvest verb. Martyr o Navar. Manual Ca. 15. Nu. 11. p Phil. 1. 23. 10 How death may be wished by Calvine q In 2 Cor. 5. 1 Marlorate Supra 9 Eman. Sâ Aphor. Confes. ver Charitas 11 How we may with death to another for our owne advantage 12 Ph. Nerius consented to the death of one who wished his own death s Vita Phil. Ner. fol. 284. t Liber Conformi Fran. Christi u Sedulius Minor advers Alcor Francis 1 Of Tolets 3. species by permission which is Mors Negativa 2 Of standing mute at the Barre 3 Three rules from Sotus Navar and Mald. to guide us in these Desertions of our selves a Soto de teg saeret membr 1. q. 3. b Nava Manual c Sum. Maldo q. 14. ar 6. d Acacius de privilegiis l. 1. cap. 9. e Gerson f Acacius de privile l. 1. c. 8. 4 I may suffer a thiefe to kill me g Sayr Thesau Cas. Cons. l. 7. cap. 9. nu 17. h Alcor Azoar 52. 5 Of se desendendo in our law 6 I am not bound to escape from prison if I can nor to eate rather then starve i Eman. Sa. Aphor. Conses ver Charitas k Aquin. 22. q. 69. ar 4. ad 2. l Sayr Thesau Cas. Cons. l. 7. cap. 9. 7 For ends better then this life we may neglect this 8 I may give my life for another m Chris. Hom. 32. in Genes n Aug. l. 22. adver faustum cap. 33. 9 Chrisostomes opinion of Sarahs ly and Adultery And St. Aug. of that wife who prostituted her selfe to pay her husbands debt o Ca. 27. primo Deserm Dom. in monte p Bonavent 3. Dist. 29. q. 3. q Aug. de mendacio c. 6. 10 That to give my life for another is not to prefer another as Bonaventure and Aug. say but to prefer vertue before life 11 For spirituall good is without question r Sayr Thesau Cas. Cons. l. 7. c. 9. nu 17. s Eman Sa. Aphor.