how Page 262 The Law of nature is to be observed Page 269 Lawes of men condemne self-murder Page 277 Lawes given to men are bounded Page 294 Lawfull self-killing Page 54 Vpon lawfull calling how to adventure life Page 125 Leagues Of Leagues Page 119 Letter The Letter of the Scripture is not to be followed contrary to the true meaning Page 199 Lets of endeavour after spirituall life Page 66 Life is a thing of great importance Page 1 Of the kinds of the life of man Page 4 How mans life may be lost 43. and how taken away Page 45 Life unsure 82. It is the object of self-murder Page 159 Life eternall is here begun Page 245 Life temporary is a blessing Page 275 Light of the Spirit twofold Page 200 Live Mans care to live well Page 206 To live by faith Page 313 Love Of love and to love our neighbours as our selves expounded Page 129 Love is destroyed by self-murder Page 272 Lusts Curbing of our lusts is a good revenge upon our selves for our sins Page 234 M Mad men killing themselves Page 250 Madnesse of self-murderers Page 186 Magistrate A Soveraigne Magistrate for no crime may slay himselfe nor be slaine by his subjects Page 264 Man only is subject to self-murder Page 6 Man how subject to death Page 45 Man in greatest danger Page 56 Mans care to live well Page 206 Man onely is capable of shame Page 222 Mans-self wronged by self-murder Page 271. 273 Mankinde To mankinde self-murder injurious Page 270 Manner The manner of executing self-murder Page 187 Man-slayer What a man-slayer is to do to save his friends pursued to death for his fact Page 133 Mariners Concerning mariners Page 113 Meanes to be used for spirituall life Page 28 Of meanes of conversion why appointed of God Page 31 Meanes of preservation of spirituall life Page 39 Meanes weakening and quickning zeale Page 41 Meanes of losse of life Page 44 The meanes of the destruction of spirituall life Page 45 The meanes of self-murder Page 183. 185 Meanes for knowledge of the Scripture Page 199 Meanes of sin cut off Page 234 Meanes to prevent self-murder Page 311 Meanes against Satans motions to self-murder Page 250 Melancholick persons killing themselves Page 250 Melancholick people in danger of self-murder and why Page 254 Memory How by meanes of his memory man suffers Page 165 Men self-blinded Page 209 Merchant Of merchant men Page 139 Minde how the mindes distemperarature procures indirect self-murder Page 110 The minds calamities Page 217 Ministery of the word and its use Page 29 Mischance Of killing ones selfe by mischance Page 173 Mis-spend How men mis-spend their lives Page 19 Moderation of war for Religion Page 144 Mortifying humiliation a good revenge upon ones selfe Page 234 Motions of self-murder to be abhorred 18. They are most hardly shaken off Page 182 Motions of the devill causing self-murder 246. How knowne to bee from him Page 248 Of motions of self-murder entertained 257. Horrible motions to be withstood Page 314 Motives to self-murder c. 15. throughout Page 191 Murder In murder things observable 48. murders vilenesse 49. what it destroyes ibid. Whence murder comes 51. What kind of act it is how man is restrained from it 52. How murder is not to be desired to be done upon us Page 274 Murderers of others murder themselves by the same act Page 53 Mutes Of standers mute at Triall refusing to answer legally Page 96 Mutilation of body procuring self-murder Page 110 N Natures opposition to true obedience Page 63 Nature is against self-murder Page 269 283 Naturall How naturall life is known 6. wherein mans naturall life consists 8. The sweetnesse of it the losse of it painfull and horrible 9 How it is deare and pretious the degrees of it 10. How it is well spent and ill spent 19. How it is taken away Page 44 Necessity Vrgent necessity may make men adventurous of their lives Page 128 Necessaries The want of necessaries for the body Page 213 Neglect of outward meanes of life Page 60 Neglect of the power of the meanes of spirituall life Page 60. Neglect of meanes is tempting of God Page 95 Of neglect of duties Page 260 Negative righteousnesse Page 65 Nocent or criminall persons how and when to discover themselves Page 137 O Obedience Of actuall obedience the grounds 36. the kinds Evangelicall and Legall Page 61 Want of obedience and reasons of it Page 62 How the obedience of the Gospell differs from the obedience of the Law Page 71 Of obedience and disobedience to unjust suspension and deprivation Page 148 Of unlawfull obedience Page 162 Obey Disobedients to God forward to obey the devill Page 206 Our care to obey the truth Page 210 Observe What self-murderers observe Page 187 Observant To bee observant of occurrences Page 181 Observations from indirect self-murder Page 155 Obstinate Self-murderers are obstinate Page 187 Old-man Our old-man of sin we should kill and how done Page 54 Omission A fourefold omission of dutie 60. Of sins of omission Page 62 Omission deprives man of life eternall Page 64 By omission how indirect self-murder is committed Page 91 Of the not omission of necessary duties upon perill of life Page 146 Opportunity self-murderers observe Page 187 Oracles occasioning self-murder Page 202 Over-charging ones selfe in doing good Page 21 Outward blessings are a ground of cheerefulnesse Page 14 P Parricide and whence it proceeds Page 256 Passions To contrary passions all earthly things are subject Page 3. Immoderate passions kill Page 123 Of passions disappointed Page 219 Patient suffering for Gods truth Page 38 Pelagia That Pelagia and such others that killed themselves were not self-murderers Page 205 Perishing That all perishing soules are self-murdered Page 57 Perseverance upholds spiritual life Page 41 Person Where the person of a man is after his death Page 50 Our persons destroyed by self-murder Page 272 Perversenesse of man Page 170 Perverted judgement hinders spirituall life 66. and occasions self-murder Page 192 Philolaus his opinion against self-murder Page 277 Phrensie the cause sometime of self-killing Page 250 Spirituall phrensie whence it arises Page 251 Phrenticks in their fits killing themselves Page 174 Physick and how it is to be used Page 14 92. 111 Platoes opinion against self-murder Page 279 Pleasure and profit hinder obedience Page 63 Practise Of unwarrantable practise of Physick and Chirurgery Page 111 Practise gives denomination Page 175 Praise Of vaine praise of self-murderers 194. and of praise more largely Page 242 Prayer a preservative of life 12. the neglect of it how hurtfull Page 94 Prayer is a help to know the Scripture 200. Of a self-murderers antecedent prayer before the fact Page 206 Of prayer to prevent self murder Page 315. 323 324 Preaching Of Common-place and metamorphozed preaching Page 196 Predestination blameless of mans destruction Page 156 Preferment How preferment hinders spirituall life Page 66 Premeditation of self-murder Page 185 Presumption Of presumption Page 67. 310 Prevent To prevent self-murder
Page 311 Prevention of sinne occasioning self-murder Page 237 Prevention of error Page 199 Pride cause of self-murder Page 215. 226 Prodigality cause of self-murder Page 111 Professors How in professors gross sins are most offensive Page 178 Promises Gods promises cherish spirituall life Page 41 Properties of self-murdring sins Page 68 Prosperity of the wicked ground of self-deceit Page 156 Proud ambitious persons in danger of self-murder Page 255 Providence Gods providence how wronged by self-murder Page 268 Punishment of damage is worse than of smart Page 65 Purchase Of desperate purchase Page 112 Pusillanimity the cause of self murder in affliction Page 227 Q Questions Sixe questions resolved Page 133 135 136 137 138. R Reason Man by meanes of his reason suffers 164. Man wanting the use of reason no self-murderer Page 172 Reason abused to self-murder Page 189 Reason condemnes self-murder Page 273 Regardlesness Of regardlesness Page 260 Regenerated The regenerated preserved from self-murder Page 291 Religion For religion to adventure life 143. The defence of religion 144 Self-murder is contrary to religion 262. Religion requires the observation of the Law of nature Page 269 Repent To repent Page 157 Repentance True repentance self-murderers have not 296. 306. The use of it against self-murder Page 312 Reskue Of desperate reskue Page 112 Restraint Of forcible restraint of self-murderers Page 325 Resolution a help to obedience Page 128 What resolution is hardly altered Page 188 Resolutions of self-killing injected by Satan Page 246 Revealing Of revealing a mans own capitall faults Page 137 Revenge good and bad Page 232 Rules for understanding the Scripture Page 199 S Salvation In state of salvation none can be properly a self-murderer Page 292 Sampson proved no self-murderer Page 303 Sanctification How sanctification is wrought in us by the holy Spirit 32. 35. the degrees of it ibid. Satan To give any way to Satan is dangerous 188. Of his powerfull motions in the mind Page 247 Saved No man is saved for fulfilling the will of Gods decree Page 205 Saving For saving of soules to adventure life Page 141 Scripture mis-understood perverts judgement 195. the causes of mis-understanding of it Page 196. Abused Scripture harmefull Page 198 How rightly to understand it Page 199 It is apparent by the Scripture that men murder themselves Page 176 Sea-fight Of a sea-fight Page 138 Secrecie The reason of affectation of secrecy about self-murder Page 211 Secret When a man is to reveale his secret capitall crimes to the Magistrate Page 137 Seeming-good is cause of disobedience Page 70 Selfe Mans selfe is subject to self-murder 159. How self should behave himselfe to self Page 171 Self-blinded How man is self-blinded Page 155 Self-conceit a ground of self-deceit Page 156 Not to be self-conceited Page 210 Self-content in indirect self-murder Page 155 Self-deceived and causes of self-deceit Page 156 Self-deniall is cure of pride Page 227 Self-killing To self-killing who are most subject Page 236 Self-killing is no lawfull meanes to prevent sin Page 240 Self-killers What self-killers be not self-murderers Page 172. 290 Self-murder described what it is 2 How known by life 2. it is horrible comprehends in it murder 47. the degrees of it why slighted Page 83 Of bodily self-murder the kinds 84 defined and differenced Page 85 How self-murder is horrible and great 162. It falls our in the Church and is most blameable in Christians Page 176. 180. The meanes and way of self-murder 183. Motives of it 189 how it is heresie 233. it is proved unlawfull Page 262 How self-murder extends to the soule to hurt it 288. it is a transcendent sin and how 295. 302. It is equivalent to the sin against the holy Ghost Page 301 Self-murders antidotes 311. and how best prevented Page 323 Self-murderers many 124 how known by Scripture history and experience 178. 181. their follie 186. their secrecy 187. they are deceived 229 their goods confiscate 278. how they sin most grievously 286. they are Atheists 278. they regard not their soules 288. they are all damned 291. they want faith and true repentance 296. they are debarred from Christian buriall and why 287. their antecedent prayer and repentance is vaine and they cannot be at peace with God Page 306 Service Our service must be done before we receive our reward Page 245 Shame Of shame causing self-murder the kinds of shame Page 221 Shortnesse of life a motive to spend it well Page 19 Similies By similies self-murder condemned Page 279 Sins of commission against negative coÌ„mandements subjects to death 67 Of sins against the Gospell 70. 77. sin costs deare 77. men sin against themselves 158. how to prevent sin men murder themselves 237. sinne blinds 208. men sinning think they sin not 203. the worst sins are committed against Gods goodnesse 268 Some sins beyond Law and mercy Page 294 Sinning is a course of self-murder Page 77 Sinking or burning a ship in fight Page 138 Society with persons destinate to destruction Page 118 Solitarinesse of self-murderers Page 259 Soule The soules double act in man 7 its works in the body Page 81 The soules relation to its owne body Page 270 Soule-murder how it is self-murder 57 the degrees of it Page 58 Soule-murdering sins Page 68 Souldiers About souldiers Page 112. 127 Speeches Manner of speeches of self-murderers Page 260 Spend How to spend our lives well Page 18 Spirit Of the Spirits operation quickning us 29. how it manifests its power in the meanes 32. the evidences of its work 34. the degrees of its working 35. its worke in us about obedience 36. how it is a meanes in us to know the Scripture Page 200 Spirituall life what it is 21. the acts of it ibid. degrees of it 22. who may have it and how it is lost 24 the nature and excellency of it 26. the continuance and effects of it ibid. how to obtain it 8. 66. the signes of it 37 how preserved 39. and to be preferred 39. ibid. how it is destroyed Page 45 Spirituall-self-murder defined and differenced 58. how done by omission 59. by commission â—7 by sinning against the Gospell 70. by sinning against the Law 68. spirituall self-murder most damnable Page 78 Strictness in religious observances Page 234 Superiours For â—uperiors men should choose to die 29 Of their displeasure to be appeased and how Page 133 T Teachers False Teachers cause of mis-understanding the Scriptures Page 196 Temper of people Satan observes to tempt them Page 248 Our own tempers we should know Page 255 Temptations People under spirituall temptations are in danger of self-murder Page 254 Temptations of self-murder to be withstood Page 313 Thoughts Mans thoughts heavenly a signe of spirituall life Page 38 Our thoughts to bee rightly ordered Page 315 Torments inflicted occasion of self-murder Page 212 Transgression How transgression of Gods Law kills Page 122 Trouble of conscience and grounds thereof Page 218 Truth to be confessed 145. it is blamelesse 177. we should know and obey it
after that wofull experience had given too great evidence of mens impudency in committing this inhumane and unnaturall sinne most severe lawes were made against the same In like case hath more woefull experience given more abundant evidence of the more then most in humane and unnaturall sinne of Self murder And I suppose that scarce an age since the beginning of the world hath afforded more examples of this desperate inhumanity than this our present age and that in all sorts of people Clergie Laity Learned unlearned Noble meane Rich poore Free bond Male Female young and old It is therefore high time that the danger of this desperate devilish and damnable practice be plainly and fully set out which to my best remembrance hath not before this beene performed by a full and just Treatise Chrysost Hom. 84. in Ioh. 19. Augustin epist 61. alisque in locis Hier. comment in Ion. cap. 1. Cic. de Fin. bon mal l. 5. Somn. Scipion. Proxima deinde tenent moesti loca qui sibi lethum Insontes peperere manu c. Virg. Aen. 6. It hath in sundry Sermons preached and published and in other printed Treatises beene spoken against and the hainousnesse and danger thereof somewhat to the quick yea and life too beene declared and that both by the Ancient Fathers and also by late Divines Yea Heathen men by the light of nature have damned it to the pit of bell where they have placed Self murderers making them againe and againe to wish themselves alive on earth though there poverty griefe shame and all other evills should befall them Surely most seasonably is this Treatise here published by an Author well fitted and enabled thereto For he is an expert Casuist by learning and experience so fully accomplished as he hath for many yeares beene accounted an Oracle where be lives and by all sorts resort is made to him to be resolved in intricate doubts In handling this Treatise like a skilfull Artist and wise builder Luke 6.48 be hath digged deep to lay his foundation sure he hath begun with life and artificially distinguished the severall sorts thereof and shewed the excellency of every sort that the hainousnesse of taking away so precious a thing might thereby be the more aggravated Many pertinent cases are here and there yea every where in this Treatise judiciously discussed and resolved So good is the wine here to be had Vino vendibili non opus est hederâ as there needs no bush to draw thee to it Let mee but perswade thee to taste it I shall need to set no greater commendation upon it I make no question but that wheresoever it findeth entertainment it will prove a most soveraigne preservative against this horrible temptation to Self-murder The Lord give such a blessing to it as it may be a meanes of keeping men from laying violent hands upon any especially upon themselves and of directing and inciting them so to preserve their temporall and spirituall life as they may bee reserved unto eternall life 18. Apr. 1637. VVILLIAM GOUGE IN DOCTISSIMVM ET ELABORATVM HVNC TRACTATVM Technas Diaboli homines ad horrendum scelus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 provocantis mirâ arte pietate denudantem MOrtalibus vitae semèl scintillulam Natura cunctis indidit Tuendam ab omnibus virili prosua ad Imaginem quae condita est DEI cruore et sacro CHRISTI parta huic Larvatus invidet Serpens Hanc suffocare cordis pendulus cujus Curae anxiae cor vellicant Contendit alter nescius probi qui se Nequitiâ totum faedat Illam aestimat parvi scelestâ dexterâ Extinguit illam tertius Sic à DEO creata vitae scintilla et CHRISTI redempta sanguine Quae charior lapillis est purior Morte interit repentinâ Quis non beatum praedicabit Symeum CHRISTI facit solertem quem Gregis tuendi cura quipandit viam Quâ possit haec scintillula Vitae foveri pendulum cordis cui Iter dolores obstruunt Vocis per anfractus doloris dirigit Ad sempiterna gaudia Acumine insigni qui pandit subdolas Technas diaboli quibus Vitae struit dolum qui cunctos instruit Vitam caducam degere Vt illius peracto cursugaudijs Vitae fruantur aeternae Gregem ô beatum qui Tuo doctissimo Labore ductus abstrusa Coelstium scitorum ediscit dogmata CHRISTUS diu Tesospitet Gregem ut Tibi commissum possis quod facis Fovere scriptis vitâ T.Y. Haec amoris ergò apposuit qui gravissimum hujus Tractatus Authorem verè suscipit sincerè colit A deare Friend to the Author FRom Albion whence now we all be one with healthfull salves thou doest assay to cure Self-murders griefe that many long agone doth kill and fill dark Hell with soules impure Which sage Hippocrates and Galen sure could not prevent nor heale with all their skill But thou by thy receipts that will indure most skilfully canst soundly cure this ill Goe to therefore deare Sym God give successe Like to thy skill thy will this to redresse S.H. A TABLE OF THE Chapters and severall Sections with their Contents CHAPTER 1. The generall description of Self-murder § 1. Concerning life and death that they are things of greatest importance Page 1. § 2. Self-murder described what it is and of the three parts of the description Page 2 § 3. How self-murder is knowne by life which it destroyes why evill ever cleaves to good and that all worldly things are subject to contrary passions Page 2 3. Chap. 2. Of the kindes of the life of man naturall and spirituall and what the care of men should be of both Page 4 Chap. 3. Of naturall life in generall § 1. Of diverse sorts of life of vegetation sense and reason Page 4 5 § 2. That man onely is subject to self-murder and of the greatnesse of that sin Page 6 § 3. How naturall life is knowne in and by the man in whom it is both by sense and understanding Page 6 § 4. Of the soules double act in man for his person and his workes Page 7 Chap. 4. Of mans naturall life more specially § 1. Wherein the naturall life of man consists which is fraile Page 8 § 2. Of the sweetnesse of naturall life Page 9 § 3. How the losse of naturall life is horrible and painfull and why Page 9 § 4. How life is deare and precious with three reasons thereof Page 10 § 5. Of naturall lifes preservation the meanes thereof and of cheerefulnesse Page 12 § 6. How to use Physick with foure cautions about the same Page 14 § 7. Of three deadly things to be resisted Page 16 § 8. How to spend our lives well with three motives so to do and how men mispend their lives foure wayes Page 18 Chap. 5. Of mans spirituall life § 1. What spirituall life is Page 21 § 2. Of the acts of spirituall life which are two Page 21 § 3. Of the
degrees of spirituall life which are two and subordinate Page 22 § 4. Who may have spirituall life which is denyed to none and by whose fault doth any misse of it or lose it How the Gospell was published to Adam and to all his posterity who for unbeliefe of the same are justly punishable Page 24 § 5. Of the excellency of spirituall life in three respects Page 26 § 6. How to obtaine spirituall life by meanes which wee are to use to get it and grow in it Page 28 § 7. How the Gospell works life not physically or ethically but supernaturally by the power of God working according to his owne will upon mans heart that is the subject of conversion Page 30 § 8. Why God uses meanes to convert us reasons three Page 31 § 9. How the power of the Holy Spirit is manifested and seene upon us in the meanes by foure degrees of operation And of three evidences of the Spirits application of Christ to us Page 32 § 10. How the Spirit works holinesse in us in two degrees with their uses and of three grounds of actuall obedience Page 35 § 11. Of the foure signes of spirituall life Page 37 § 12. How spirituall life may be preserved by use of six meanes Page 39 § 13. How mans care of his spirituall life should be great preferring it above his naturall life Page 42 Chap. 6. Of lifes destruction and of murder in generall § 1. How mans life maybe lost both passively and actively Page 43 § 2. How naturall life may be lost by meanes both internall and externall casuall and voluntary justly and unjustly Page 44 § 3. Of the meanes of the destruction of spirituall life by the justice of God and by the meanes of men and of mans subjection to death Page 45 § 4. Of murder in self-killing how the same is horrible and of foure things observable in it Page 47 § 5. How murder is vile in three respects Page 49 § 6. Of the originall of murder how it selfe is an act of impotency which we are to abhorre and how none can murder another without murdering themselves Page 51 Chap. 7. Of murder as it is of ones selfe § 1. Of the specificall nature of self-murder Page 53 § 2. Of the evill and greatnesse of the sin of self-murder Page 54 § 3. Of lawfull self-killing of our old-man of the kind of that killing and how it is done Page 54 § 4. Of diverse observations from the generall consideration of self-murder for informing of our judgement and directing of our practise Page 56 Chap. 8. Of spirituall self-murder in speciall § 1. That all perishing-soules are self-murdered and how soule-murder is self-murder Page 57 § 2. Spirituall self-murder defined what it is Page 58 § 3. Of soule-murder in two degrees by deprivation of life Page 58 § 4. Of mans deficiency to be saved in Adam and in our selves by a fourefold omission of doing our duties in use of meanes Page 59 § 5. Of mans neglect and contempt of the power of the meanes that he uses Page 60 § 6. Of mans defect in obedience both Evangelicall and Legall Page 61 § 7. Of the reasons of our defect of obedience which are foure Page 62 § 8. How and why grace dies by mans neglect Page 63 § 9. How the harme of omission of dutie is deprivation of life spirituall and of negative righteousnesse and how the punishment of damage is greater than that of smart Page 64 § 10. Of the endeavour after spirituall life wherein it consists and of the lets thereof Page 66 § 11. Of the second degree of spirituall self-murder which is in subjection to death by sinnes of commission Page 67 § 12. Of the meanes of mans destruction by breaking the Law of negative commands and of foure properties of soul-murdring sins Page 67 68. § 13. Of two causes of mens adventuring upon sinfull courses against the law Page 69 § 14. Of spirituall self-murder by sinning against the Gospell and how the obedience of the Gospell differs from the obedience of the Law in foure points Page 70 § 15. Of infidelity against the Gospell and of the causes and cure thereof Page 72 § 16. Of impenitency Page 72 § 17. Of the sin against the holy Ghost and things observable about it Page 73 § 18. Of finall Apostacy and of the difference of sinnes Page 75 § 19. Of the malignity of the sinnes against the Gospell above those that are committed against the Law for three reasons Page 76 § 20. The uses and improvement of the doctrine of spirituall self-murder Page 77 Chap. 9. Of bodily self-murder in speciall § 1. How bodily self-murder is defined and differenced from spirituall self-murder Page 80 § 2. Of mans body in a threefold consideration with its works and of the soules three sorts of morall works in the body and how the body suffers by and for the soule Page 81 § 3. Of the degrees of bodily self-murder and the pronenesse of man to it upon two causes which are removed by answers to both Page 83 Chap. 10. Of the kindes of bodily self-murder direct and indirect § 1. Direct and indirect self-murder are defined Page 84 § 2. Of the difference betweene direct and indirect self-murder in three things Page 85 § 3. How indirect self-murder is greater in two respects than direct Page 87 § 4. How direct self-murder is absolutely the greater in three respects Page 88 § 5. Of the degrees of sin and how to escape the greatest and its end Page 89 Chap. 11. Of indirect self-murder of the body § 1. The reasons why indirect self-murder is first treated of Page 90 § 2. How indirect self-murder is wrought two wayes by omission and commission Page 91 § 3. How indirect self-murder by omission is physically effected foure waies ibid. § 4. How indirect self-murder by omission is morally wrought two waies and that neglect of meanes of preservation is tempting of God and how Page 94 § 5. A question resolved about standers mute or those that refuse to answer legally and to submit to lawfull triall when they are arraigned at the barre for some capitall crime the reasons pro and contra with the conclusion that such mutes are indirect self-murderers Page 96 § 6. The resolution of the question concerning malefactors arraigned for capitall crimes wherof they know themselves guilty whether they ought in conscience to answer affirmatively or negatively to the question made to them at the Barre whether they be Guilty or Not Guilty the reasons on both sides with the conclusion for the negative that they may avoid indirect self-murmurder Page 100 § 7. Of indirect self-murder of commission by distemperature and needlesse mutilation of body or members whereupon death ensues Page 109 § 8. Of indirect self-murder of commission by unwarrantable practising of Physick or Chirurgery upon ones selfe thereby killed Page 111 § 9. Of indirect self-murder of commission by a mans unthriftinesse and prodigality
consideration of nor are subject to self-murder because the law against murder is not given to them who are not properly capable of the same by meanes of their want of reason neither are they subject to this fact and sin of self-murder which by instinct of nature they abhorre and doe alwaies naturally indeavour their owne preservation 3. Rationall life The third kinde of naturall life is that which is called rationall or of reasonable creatures which is proper to men whereby they live besides the life of vegetation and sense common with other earthly living creatures according to reason or in a rationall manner both for the essentiall forme of their natures whereby they are called rationall creatures and also for their thoughts and actions which for their originall principle whence they flow and for the rule whereby they are ordered are reasonable morall and more divine in all their motions than are other earthly creatures if the same be not perverted by some other exorbitant principles or accidents In and under this rationall life of man both the other lives are comprehended as things inferior and subordinate are contained in their superiour and summary head Note Mans perfection The perfections of all other earthly creatures are in man together with or comprehended in that which is proper to himselfe whereby he transcends them all §. 2. Man only is subject to self-murder Notwithstanding that man indowed with understanding hath the greatest helps against self-murder and hath the greatest reason of all worldly creatures to preserve his life it being so excellent above theirs yet he onely of them all is subject to this fault and mischiefe of self-murder The greatnesse of the sin of self-murder And as all the aforesaid three kinds of lives are comprehended for faculty and vertue in mans reasonable life flowing from his reasonable soule as we see in the ceasing of them all in man at once upon the departure of his soule from the body Note so the killing destroying of mans life is absolutely farre greater than the destroying of the lives of all other earthly creatures because both the lives of them all for kinds and also mans own proper life that farre excells them all in the destruction of mans life are destroyed and also all other creatures were made for man for the comfort of whose life all their lives do serve §. 3. How naturall life is knowne by man in whom it is Touching the knowledge of the naturall life of man a reasonable living creature apprehends the same both by sense and understanding This life is knowne 1. by sense by sense a reasonable creature not onely descernes that it lives but also feeles this life by the effects of it to be a quickning power of inlivening the body inwardly and disposing and inabling it to action outwardly 2. By understanding By understanding a man knowes that this life is an act of the spirit or soule in the body of man or a quickning vertue of it in a continued fluxe by the personall union of the soule and body together §. 4. The soules double act of life in man The soules act of life in man This act of the soule in its union with the body is twofold 1. Making the subiect to live First that which respects the bodie it self or rather mans person in that worke or lively energie which we may in some respect call opus ad intra or a reflexe worke of man upon himselfe upon the personall union of the soule and bodie whereby he becomes a living soule Gen. 2.7 for extension in all his parts and for intensiox in fulnesse of lively power for his subsisting and growth to his appointed period and for use of all his organs and faculties for their proper function being thereby also able to discerne take notice and judge of himselfe his state and actions For not the soule only nor the body onely is to be properly said to live after their union together but the person consisting both of soule and body doth live this life which is not the life of either of the natures or parts of man by themselves considered Man lives or dies personally considered but the life of the person of man consisting of both natures personally united And therefore when one kills a man we say not properly that he hath onely killed an earthly body but we say properly that he hath killed such a person as consists of a soule and a body and therefore it is said in Scripture that there were so many soules slaine a Joshua 10.28 not that the immortall spirit is in it selfe subject to such a death or can be slaine but in regard of its Acting and working in its personall union with the bodie whereby both of them live personally together that life which is the life of the person which is destroyed and ceases upon death which is further apparent by this Reason because the murder of a man is so hainous a crime in regard of the destruction of the Image of God in man which is not onely in the body or onely in the soule but is in the whole person of man so long as the same lives 2 Making the subject to worke The second lively act of the soule in this union with the body personally considered is that whereby it makes the body organically fitly disposed and active to those duties which we call opera ad extra works about objects not it selfe which works are the common outward workes of the person consisting of those two natures and not of either of them apart Observe Upon life depends the subsisting and working of the person Whereupon wee may observe that upon this life depends both the subsisting of the person of man in its being and also all its actions naturall civill and morall so that he that kills a man destroyes his person and abolishes all his personall actions and activity whereby he might be serviceable and usefull to God to himselfe to the Church or Commonwealth And yet we see no thing more passionately and rashly enterprised than killing of men than the which nothing should be more deliberately and upon weightier causes done it being no lesser matter than to dissolve heaven and earth by destruction of a person consisting of an heavenly spirit and of an earthly body to destroy the noblest naturall life and to deprive God and the world of the most glorious and profitable workes Such a thing is this naturall life of man generally considered CHAP. 4. Of mans naturall life more specially §. 1. Wherein the naturall life of man consists Mans naturall life is fraile Phil. 1.22 expounded MAns naturall life consists as in part wee have heard in the Act of the soule united personally with the body by meanes of the animall naturall and vitall spirits which the Apostle calls living in the flesh Philip. 1.22 which is to live neither to the flesh to
wee are cast into the frame and mould of the Gospell untill Christ be formed in us a Gal. 4.19 so that in this worke the spirit is the principall efficient cause as our Saviour tells us Iohn 6.63 it is the spirit that quickneth §. 7. How the Gospell workes life 1. Hovv the Gospell workes not So then the Gospell works not this life in us in a Physicall or naturall manner as having vertue naturally inherent in the words to produce such an effect in those that heare it 1. Not physically For then men should be converted and regenerated in a naturall and not in a divine manner and also then the Gospell would worke alike upon all men that heare it that were alike disposed and did not ponere obicem or lay a barre of their owne to hinder it except God should restraine the naturall power of it in working but so the conversion of man must be within the power of his owne act and God could not be justified in his withholding grace The word is a supernturall instrument of salvation But the conversion of a sinner is wrought by a greater vertue than can naturally and subjectively be in the words and sentences of the Gospell for the word of God is not instrumentum physicum a naturall instrument but a morall or rather metaphysicall instrument of effecting such a supernaturall worke according to the will of the first agent 2. Not Ethically Neither in an Ethicall manner doth the Gospell worke this spirituall life in us onely by morall perswasion as morall Philosophers and Rhetoricians doe affect and draw their hearers by reasons and exhortations stirring up a latent power inherent in us and inclining our wills by rationall motives and objects to be made alive then must it depend upon us that wee are saved and be from a power of our owne exuscitated by the word 2. How God works by the Gospell according to his own will But God works by his word as a more puissant and independent agent that inintends and remits his power in working according to his owne will by the meanes and uses meanes not as necessary for him but that he can doe as much without them in regard that the effect is his owne and man the passive subject of it Mans will is the subject of conversion It is the will of a naturall man that is most dead to God-ward and most averse from him and therefore it is the will that is chiefly to be wrought upon and made alive in conversion whereupon all depends but wee know that nothing can make it selfe alive when it is dead but he that is the fountaine of life the Son of God Rom 1.4 Note Of the heart The illumination of the understanding which is common to the wicked and the godly is presupposed as requisite to fit a man for conversion and therefore in the worke of regeneration the scripture takes notice specially of the heart insomuch that the old Testament uses no other word to expresse the understanding because in Divinity no knowledge without intertainement in the heart and without conformity of the will and practise to the truth is saving action being the end of Theological knowledge in this life words of knowledge in Scripture commonly comprehend affections in them §. 8. Why God uses meanes Although that God could if he pleased convey grace into a sinfull man by immediate influxe or inspiration from which wee cannot utterly exclude all seeing the worke of grace depends absolutely neither upon the nature of the meanes nor upon the abilities and will of the converted and elected whereof many are not by that method of meanes capable but upon God who workes according to the good pleasure of his will yet he uses meanes not to help himselfe as if otherwise he could not doe the worke but in respect of us that are naturall men indowed with senses as well as reason hee appoints meanes Reasons of using of means 1. that by our using thereof we may be active about the worke of our owne salvation and may attaine the same by a way and course within the compasse of our owne power and indeavours as the reward and blessing of God upon our labours to our commendation before God and men 2. Againe meanes are appointed by God for our obtaining of salvation that by using of them our saith in Gods promises and power may be tried in expecting thereby so glorious effects farre above their nature and also our obedience may be proved by doing what God commands us to doe within the reach of our power to get life albeit it doe transcend reason how by this way it can be had as appeares by Naaman the Syrian 2 King 5.13 14. 3. And finally God appoints the use of meanes for our comfort that by our constant conscionable using of the same we may be assured of grace and life as certainly as we are of the use of the meanes appointed to get and by which God hath promised to give it by the working of his holy Spirit §. 9. How the Spirits power is manifested and seene Vse To finde the Spirits power by the meanes in us Now further from the consideration of the excellency of this spirituall life to be wrought in us by meanes our use should be to end eavour to find and feele both the Spirits quickning vertue of regeneration by the meanes powerfully working upon and in us and also to discerne this spirituall life to be in our selves seeing our comfort lyes herein and that the one can never bee without the other Manifest in 4. degrees of operation The vertue of the Spirit in us by the meanes manifests it selfe in foure degrees of operation not to speake of illumination First both in making us see and feele with griefe of heart our owne wretchednesse and sinfull deadnesse 1. Against sinne and also by turning us from our sins and ungodly courses with detestation of them and with resolution and constant indeavours against them it being the worke of the spirit to lust against the slesh because they are contrary the one to the other a Gal 5.17 c. both in nature and effects In which respect the Prophet Hosea tells us that if we will live we must turne Hosea 6.1 for our sinfull courses are the waies of death therefore we should labour to be and find our selves mortified to sinne with some kinde not onely of voluntary indisposition but also of strong antipathie and detestation of committing the same as formerly wee were prone and affected with delight to doe and that at the presence of sinne in its habit or act we may with indignation be displeased and sad having no joy nor contentment in that condition For the motions of sin entertained do worke in our members to bring forth fruit unto death b Rom. 7.5 Which by a contrary life of grace are mortified and subdued but I confesse that
over-ruling providence hindering the execution and turning his will 2. Be observant of the tempted Secondly men should bee observant of such persons 1. To spie out the causes both to fish and spie out the outmost hidden lurking undiscovered causes thereof that the same may be removed that hinders the cure 2. To watch him that he do it not and also to watch him against all oppertunities and meanes whereby hee may accomplish his act of self-murder 3. Humane forcible restraint Thirdly they are to use outward forcible restraint to such an one as to a mad man shutting him up and keeping meanes of self-destruction from him as much as may be The putting by of the violent attempts and passions of self-murder which comes by fits ague-like not only restraines the act for the time beeing but may also counter-check and abate the rage of it that by degrees it may be prevailed against and asswaged Comparison as agues many times are cured accidentally by very impertinent modicines putting by the fits Observe None are self-murdered but by their owne fault From that which hath beene said touching the Antidotes for self-murder we may observe that it is a mans owne fault if he perish by self-murder in neglect of using the meanes against it Comparison For as there are medicines for all diseases so are there meanes of preservation against all sinnes too how great soever they be to prevent them and these meanes are within the reach of a mans power to use Note The benefits of recovery frō the temptatiōs of self-murder If a man once deeply plunged into these temptations of self-murder do christianly overcome the same and be soundly recovered he hath thereby a good pledge never to be so tried againe and hath a pawne and evidence of victory against other sinnes if he doe his best against them Vse of it And also for this deliverance such a one is bound to be ever exceeding thankefull to God Vpon the cure dangers Upon preservation and freedome out of these temptations of self-murder a man is to take heed of two great dangers 1. Security c. First security self-confidence and presumption whereby those corruptions and sinnes may closely grow upon him that may bring him into as dangerous a condition for his salvation as we see how Hezechia after his recovery out of his mortall sicknesse fell into other sins as he manifested by his oftentation to the messengers of Babylon in boastingly-shewing them his treasure and strength all which cost him deare a 2 King 20.13 2. Vnprofitable life to goodnesse The second danger to be avoided after such a recovery is unprofitable living when such a man spends not the life that God hath given him in speciall manner to Gods glory to the good of others and to his owne salvation which is the maine end why God gives us our lives and for the attainement thereof if we spend them not it were better for us not to live Observe The various states and great dangers that God carieth man through are very remarkable and Gods worke therein is gracious and wonderfull for which we should ever praise his glorious and blessed name with constant dependance upon and dutifull obsequiousnesse to him in all our life and wayes which God grant we may do Amen FINIS AN ALPHABETICALL Table of the materiall Contents of this Treatise directing to the Page where the same is contained or begun A ABsurdity Page 204 Abuse of power Page 162 Abuse of lawfull things procures indirect self-murder Page 109 Abused Scripture most harmefull Page 198 Act How one act of self-murder gives denomination to the doers Page 175 Actions are good not onely from intention Page 241 Adam In Adam all are self-murderers Page 124 Advancement Hope of advancement abused to evill Page 245 Adventuring Of mans adventuring upon sinfull courses the causes Page 69 Of adventuring for saving of soules and for Religion Page 141. 143. Adversity Persons in adversity how to be observed and helped Page 231 Advise To advise the tempted Page 323 Advisedly a self-murderer kils himselfe Page 160 Afflictions spirituall Page 164 Afflictions not simply evill Page 228 Of afflictions occasioning self-murder Page 211. c. In afflictions how men should order themselves Page 231 Afflicted persons doubly burdened ibid. Affections Head-strong affections and ambition are causes of mis-understanding the Scripture Page 197 Ambition cause of self-murder Page 216 241 Amorous discourses how hurtfull Page 195 Anger the cause of self-murder Page 232 Anger against a mans selfe for his sins Page 234 Antidotes for self-murder Page 311 Antiquity of self-murder Page 177 Apostacy Of finall apostacy Page 75 Apparent How it is apparent that men murder themselves Page 176. 178. 181 Apparent good affects the understanding Page 208 Appearing of fellons voluntarily at Assizes Page 135 Application of the meanes of self-killing Page 185 Application of the Word against temptations Page 315 Arguments against self-murder Page 262 274 How arguments are deemed weak or strong Page 191 Ashamed to do good Page 222 Authority man hath not to kill himselfe Page 281 B Badnesse Conceited badnesse of estate cause of self-murder Page 164 Baile for Fellons how by them to be freed Page 135 Being Goodnesse of being Page 259 Behaviour Godly behaviour signe of spirituall life Page 39 Gastly behaviour a signe of subsequent self-murder Page 260 Beleeve To beleeve errors men are strong Page 206 Benefit the benefit of well spending our lives Page 19 Benefit of death encourages against dangers Page 126 The benefits of recovery from temptations of self-murder Page 325 Beware of self murder Page 182 Blame Men blame God to excuse themselves Page 207 Blessing A blessing may become a judgement Page 166 Blindes What blindes men Page 209 Body of mans body and its works 81 with its threefold consideration ib. How the body suffers by and for the soule Page 82 The bodies imployment in murdring it self Page 162 Braves Of Braves Page 112 Publishing Of publishing the Gospell amongst Heathens Page 142 Burning Of burning of a Ship in fight by her own Master or company Page 138 C Calamities The diverse sorts of calamities Page 211 Calling Killing ones self in discharge of calling is not self-murder Page 174 Capacity Shallow capacity is cause of mis-understanding the Scripture Page 197 Capitall-crimes against human laws procuring death Page 121 Capitall-crimes how a man is to reveale against himselfe Page 137 How capitall-crimes make way for self-murder Page 256 Care Mans care of his naturall and spirituall life Page 4 Mans care ought to be most for his spirituall life Page 42 Our care to be preserved from soule-destruction Page 79 Mans care to live well Page 206 Our care to know and obey the truth Page 210 Carefull of what men should be most carefull Page 289 Carnall reason dislikes of strict obedience Page 62 Cases of leagnes and society of warre of infectious places or
company Page 102 119 Sixe cases of desperate hazard Page 112 Three exempt cases Page 125. 127. 143. Two cases Page 141 Foure cases of adventuring life for Religion and salvation Page 143 144 145 146. 149 Of five exempt cases Page 172 Caveat A caveat against vaine praise of self-murderers Page 194 Cause there is no true cause of sinfull evill Page 191 The true causes of self-murder upon the occasion of afflictions Page 225 Censuring of censuring beware Page 231 Certainty Of the certainty that many men murder themselves Page 176 Cheerefulnesse a preservative of naturall life Page 13 Christians murdering themselves are most blameable Page 179 Self-murdering Christians are indeed worse than Heathens Page 180 Church In the Church self-murder fals out Page 177 To the Church self-murder is hurtfull Page 273 The Churches judgement of self-murderers Page 297 Commission of evill how to be avoided Page 149 Of Common-place Preaching Page 196 Common-wealth The Common-wealth is wronged by self-murder Page 271 Condemned persons may not kill themselves Page 265 How a condemned person is to submit to take his inflicted death Page 266 Concealement Of concealement of troubles beware Page 231 Conference Christian conference and company how usefull Page 29 Confession Of confession to prevent self-murder with the Caveats benefits and hinderances of it Page 316 unto page 323 Of confession of truth with danger of life for the same Page 145 Confiscation Of confiscation of the goods of self-murderers Page 278 Conscience A troubled conscience an occasion of self-killing Page 217 For case of conscience troubled about crimes what is to be done Page 137 Ease of conscience is not from our selves Page 219 About ease of conscience by ill meanes Page 235 For peace of conscience what is to be done Page 236 Distressed conscience cause of spirituall phrensie Page 251 Consider What men should consider Page 289 Consideration of our courses Page 157 Contemners of the meanes of life Page 61 Contentment good against self-murder Page 312 Conversion Of mans conversion Page 30 Covenant Of covenant with persons destinate to destruction Page 119 Course Our morall course in this life fore-shewes our future estate Page 79 Ill courses are harmfull Page 158 Covetousness cause of self-murder Page 215 Councill of Bracara against self-murder Page 277 Creatures The most noble creatures faile most Page 189 The degrees of the creatures being Page 274 The creatures by nature condemne self-murder Page 283 Custome Some customes cause of error in judgement Page 192 Custome in India and Lemnos Page 193 Of custome contrary to reason and Religion Page 194 Customes ought to bee examined whether they be wicked ibid. D Damneds misery in hell Page 166 Danger Prevention of dangers neglected cause of self-murder Page 92 Danger of self-murder how not knowne Page 188 Dangers upon delivery from temptations of self-murder Page 325 Dangerous undertakings how to be shunned Page 17 Dangerous persons and places are occasions of indirect self-murder Page 93 It is dangerous to give way to Satan Page 188 Darings Deadly attempts upon darings self-murderous Page 116 Deadly things to be resisted Page 16 Death is a thing of great importance Page 1 Of death in murder Page 48 Benefit of death encourages Page 126 Vncertaine death for certaine publick good Page 128 Certaine death for Superiours and friends Page 129 Certaine death for certaine and greater publick good Page 131 Death is not the ultimate end of self-murder Page 163 Touching our deaths we are onely to be passive Page 206 Death worse than affliction Page 229 Death is not subjected by God to mans free will Page 276 Deceived Many men are deceived in their estates Page 155 Men are more deceived in the meanes than in the end Page 143 Discerne How to discerne things that differ Page 172 Destinie How conceit of destiny perverts judgement Page 201 Decrees Mans ignorance of Gods decree Page 204 No man is saved for fulfilling the will of Gods decree Page 205 The will of Gods decree none can overthrow ibid. Defence In defence of Religion what is to be done Page 144 Deficiency of man in Adam and in himselfe to be saved Page 59. unto 66. Degrees Of the degrees of sin Page 89 Denomination is given from habit and practise Page 175 Deodands How self-murderers goods be deodands Page 278. 299 Desire of death lawfull and unlawfull Page 257 Desperation cause of wicked revenge of sin upon ones selfe Page 235 Desperation a degree of entrance into self-murder Page 256 Destroy To destroy is the effect and end of self-murder Page 160 Destruction For destruction way is made by ignorance Page 210 Die To die in what estate is bad Page 281 Difference of sins Page 76 Difference betweene direct and indirect self-murder Page 85 Direct bodily self-murder defined Page 84 How direct bodily self-murder is greater than indirect Page 88 Direct bodily self-murder what it is in the nature of it Page 159 Of direct self-murderers Page 175 Direct self-murder is a morall and mortall act Page 159 Disappointment of mens passions and affections Page 219 Discontentment cause of self-murder ibid. Disease Of the same disease all are sick Page 180 Inbred diseases occasioning self-murder Page 212 Disposition Mans disposition is cause of easinesse to do evill Page 184 Distrust Wee ought to distrust our selves Page 57 Divell The divels malice against the truth and Church by self-murder Page 177 The divell hinders good and furthers evill Page 184 Who bee forward to obey the divell Page 206 Of the divels motions cause of self-murder Page 246 Whence the divell hath his power ibid What persons the divell haunts most and how he tempts Page 247 Duels The unlawfulnesse of duels Page 114 Dutie of divine commands is not to be omitted Page 146 Of the kinds of duties Page 147 Of neglect of duties Page 260 Mans dutie marred by self-murder Page 272 E Election Of election of meanes to self-murder Page 185 End The same end severall wayes attained Page 89 Our last end crossed by self-murder Page 279 Error in judgement Page 192 Error of understanding the Scripture how to be prevented Page 199 Mens errour about decree and destiny Page 204 Men are strong to beleeve errours Page 206 Estate Of calamities upon mens estates Page 214 The present estate of the godly is then best for them Page 245 Evill How and why evill cleaves to good Page 3 How by doing evill men mis-spend their lives Page 19 Evill of commission how to be avoided Page 150 Evils of sin determinate by lawes of God and nature Page 151 Evill cannot be an end Page 163 From evils to be freed Heathens murdered themselves Page 179 It is easie to doe evill Page 184. 186 Of evill of sinne there is no proper cause Page 191 Evill of sin brings shame Page 223 Future evill is but contingent Page 240 Evill not to bee done to accomplish good Page 241 Examples By examples self-murderers not deterred Page 282 Vse of examples not to be rules ibid. Examples
occasion of self-murder they should not be wise-mens rules Page 252 The examples of self-murder all bad Page 282 By examples of self-murderers they are all damned that murder themselves Page 293 From examples the objection of self-murderers answered Page 303 Exchange A bad exchange Page 280 Execution of self-murder Page 187 Executioners of destruction God wants not Page 56 Exercise of spirituall life preserves it Page 40 Experience discovers self-murderers Page 181 By experience the evill of self-murder is not knowne in this world Page 188 F Faith Want of faith is cause of disobedience Page 70 Faith is a help for courage Page 128 Faith overthrowne by self-murder Page 272 Faith is against self-murder Page 274 Fasting and prayer helps to prevent self-murder Page 315 Feare A man should feare himself Page 171 Of feare occasioning self-murder Page 224 How feare makes bold ibid. Feare of sin to come how it occasions self-murder Page 237 Feare how hurtfull Page 314 Fellons When fellons are voluntarily to appeare at Assizes Page 135 Fits of self-murder Page 261 Folly of self-murderers Page 186 Food a preservative of naturall life Page 12 Food neglected cause of self-murder Page 91 Fooles Of naturall fooles killing themselves Page 250 Fortune-tellers cause of self-murder Page 202 Freedome from evill is the conceited good in self-murder Page 164 Friends when and how one may die for them Page 129 How calamities upon friends may be cause of self-murder Page 216 How to friends and posterity self-murder is hurtfull Page 273 What care friends of the tempted to self-murder should have of him Page 323 G Gallants desperatly adventuring Page 112 Generall nature of direct self-murder Page 159 Glory the end of ambition Page 242 God converts man by the Gospell Page 30 Why God converts by meanes Page 31 To depend upon God Page 180 Gods secret will is the measure of his own actions and his revealed will is the rule of ours Page 205 How men blame God Page 207 Self-murder is against God himself and how Page 267 Gods glory wronged by self-murder Page 272 Godly life is a signe of spirituall life Page 38 Good A good-conscience is a ground of choerefulnesse Page 13 Good life neglected how it is cause of indirect self-murder Page 94 For publick good one may die Page 131 The imaginary good of self-murder Page 164 Good is the object of the will Page 167 The kinds of good Page 168 How to do good is hard Page 184 Of good shame Page 222 Benefit of good imployment Page 314 Goods of self-murderers confiscate and why Page 278 Goodnesse The Goodnesse of being Page 259 Both goodnesse and truth are the objects of the understanding Page 208 Gospell The Gospell how published to all mankinde Page 24 How the gospell works spirituall life Page 30 Of the malignity of the sins against the Gospell Page 76 About publishing the Gospell how to adventure Page 142 Grace Of grace habituall and actual Page 35 How grace dies by mans negligence 63 How to cherish it ibid. Of emptinesse of grace Page 218 Conceit that the time of grace is past ibid. The use of being in the state of grace Page 311 What want of grace wrought in the heathen Page 178 Grounds of deceived judgement Page 192. 195. 207. Guilty About answering at Assizes Guilty or not Guilty Page 100 To save the guiltlesse what the guilty is to do Page 136 H Habit gives denomination Page 175 Hainousnesse of self-murder Page 286. 294 Harmefulnesse of self-murder Page 272 Hazard Of desperate hazard and cases thereof Page 112 Heathen histories manifesting self-murderers Page 178 Why Heathens murder themselves ibid. Some heathens thought self-murder in some cases to be lawfull Page 178 Heaven To heaven self-murder is not the way Page 244 For heaven wee are to wait Gods time Page 245 Heresie How self-murder is Heresie Page 233 Hieroms opinion against self-murder Page 277 Historie How by histories self-murderers are discovered Page 178 Holy-Ghost Of the sin against the Holy-Ghost Page 73. 301 Holy life is good against self-murder Page 312 Holinesse is a good meanes to understand the Scriptures Page 200 Honor How affectation of honor caused Heathens to kill themselves Page 179 Calamities upon honour occasioning self-murder Page 215 Hope a preservative of spirituall life Page 41 Humility a meanes better to understand the Scripture Page 199 Humility is a good preservative against self-murder Page 312 Hurt The hurt of self-murder Page 181 288 J Jdlenesse Of idlenesse and how men mis-spend their lives therein Page 20 Idlenesse the divels advantage Page 247 Ignorants killing themselves are not self-murderers Page 173 Ignorance Mans ignorance of Gods decree Page 204 Ignorance makes way for destruction Page 210 Ilnesse of self-murder unknowne incourages to it Page 208 Image of God defaced by self-murder Page 267 Imagination by meanes of imagination man suffers Page 164 Impatiency the cause of self-murder Page 164. 225 Impenitency a sin against the Gospell Page 72 Impertinent Doing things impertinent is mis-spending of life Page 19 Imployment The benefit of good imployment Page 314 Jmpostures of Magitians Page 202 Indifferent Of things indifferent how they become sinfull Page 152 Indirect bodily self-murder defined 84. How the same in some respects is a greater sin than direct self-murder 87. Of indirect self-murder of the body 91. Why the same is treated of in the first place Page 90 Of indirect self-murder by omission 91 Physically wrought ibid. How morally wrought 94. Of indirect self-murder by commission 109. By entring covenant and societie 118. By doing that which naturally kills the doer 121. By doing capitall crimes against humane lawes 121. By transgressing of Gods Lawes Page 122 The properties of indirect self-murderers Page 154 Indowments of man do condemne murder Page 283 Infectious Of presuming into infectious places or company Page 120 About infectious persons in some cases adventuring Page 141 Infidelity its causes and cure Page 72 Innocents suffering by some mistake Page 136 Insufficiency Afflictions insufficiency to cause a man to kill himselfe Page 228 Intention Of mans intention to kill himselfe Page 160 Intention onely makes not actions good Page 241 Invasion is to be resisted Page 17 Josephus his judgement and opposition against self-murder Page 284 Judgement perverted Page 192 How the judgement of the learned obtaines the force of a Law Page 194 How judgement abused is cause of spirituall phrensie Page 251 Justice Concerning Justice 34. and how self-murder is against it Page 263 K Killing Wilfull killing of ones selfe comprehends murder in it Page 47 Knowledge incourages Page 126 Of knowledge of the Scriptures the rules Page 199 Knowledge of a mans selfe needfull to cure his pride Page 227 L Law The transgression of Gods Lawes how dangerous Page 112 Sin against the Law of nature and of God to be avoided Page 150 151. Some Lawes cause error in judgement Page 192 What humane Lawes ought to be obeyed or not obeyed Page 194 Self-murder is against Gods Law and
Page 210 Times badnesse a motive to spend our lives well Page 19 Conceit that time of grace is past how harmefull Page 218 V Venturing life and in what cases Page 125 Vertues Of vertues good against self-murder Page 312 Vnbeleefe Of unbeleefe and whence it proceeds 94. it is a propertie of a self-murderer Page 155 It is a ground of self-deceit Page 156 How it causes self-murder Page 225 Vnderstandings object is both goodnesse and truth Page 208 Vngodly shame Page 2â—2 Vnreasonableness of self-murder Page 228 Vnthriftiness as it tends to self-murder Page 111 W Wagering Vpon wagering desperate attempts Page 116 Want of meanes of prevention of evill occasions self-murder Page 164 Wants occasioning self-murder Page 213 Warre Of warre and of the doubtful event of it Page 119 120 Of warre for Religion Page 144 Watch Man should watch himself Page 171 Wicked A self-murderer is wicked Page 155 Wicked are subject to self-murder Page 255 Will is the proper subject of conversion 31. our wills cost us deare 77 The wills object is good its faultiness 168. variableness 169 Of Gods secret will and the use of it 203. how our wills move from our senses 208 will of reason crossed 220 the subject of mans will Page 276 Wittingly That a self-murderer wittingly and willingly kils himself Page 161 Word The Word of God is a meanes of spirituall life Page 29 The use of the Word for obedience Page 37 Y Yeelding Of yeelding to suffer Page 135 When a ship in fight is to be yeelded up to the enemies Page 140 Z Zeale How zeale preserves spirituall life Page 40 How Zeale is weakened and quickened Page 41 The faults of the Presse thus amend PAg. 21. l. 1. r. mans life p. 26. l. 31. Citie The p. 39 l. 23. r. so a man p. 40. margine r. weakeners of zeale p. 41. l. 2 r. ill examples and l. 3. r. from the prevailing ibid. l. 13. Antiperistasis p. 44. In the margine against § 2. set First of the body ibid. l. 19 r. the taking away p. 45. l. 5. r. Courses ibid l. 7. r. are guilty p. 51. In the margine against l. 17. set downe Secondly from the Divell p. 64. after l. 14. and before the uses insert § 9. p. 65. l. 34. After theword things adde proper to their estates p. 72 l. 27. crooked wayesb. p. 88 l. 11. r. is directly under a common Genus or generall partakes p. 94. l. 5. omission p. 123 l. 32. r. and some p. 126. l. 33. r. cut off p. 130. l. 19. r. Tollet p 138. l ult r. overcharged p. 142 l. 13. r. opportunity to teach p. 147. l. 33. the will of superrour ib. l. 34. r. concurre if it plainly ibid. l. 35. dele to p. 152. l 25. r. subjectô p. 153. l 29. for properly r. peremptorily p. 162. l. 12. for conclude r. include p. 172. l. 6. for fower r. five p. 184. l. 13. r. forwardnesse p. 197. l. 14. for ore r. over p. 204. l. 1. for greater r. great p. 207. l. 29. for God r. Good p. 235. l. 2. r. debilitating p. 261. l. 23. for Essay r. Assay p. 272. l. 10. For the p. 283. l. 7. for fury r. Iury. PErlegi hac Opus cui Titulus Life 's preservative against Self-killing in quo non reperio quite quam sanae doctrinae aut bonis moribus contrarium quo minus publicâ cum utilitate imprimi queat Octob. 29. 1636. Gulielm Haywood RR. P. Archiepisc Cantuar. Cap. Domest
LIFES PRESERVATIVE AGAINST SELF-KILLING OR AN VSEFVL TREATISE Concerning Life and Self-murder SHEWING The Kindes and Meanes of them both The Excellency and preservation of the former The Evill and prevention of the latter CONTAINING The Resolution of manifold Cases and Questions concerning that Subject with plentifull variety of necessary and usefull Observations and practicall Directions needfull for all Christians Is it lawfull to save life or to kill Mark 3.4 Non est nostrûm mortem arriperc sed oblatam patienter ferre Hieron in Jonam By JOHN SYM Minister of Leigh in Essex LONDON Printed by M. Flesher for R. Dawlman and L. Fawne at the Brazen Serpent in Pauls-Churchyard 1637. TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE AND MOST NOBLE LORD ROBERT EARLE OF WARWICK Lord RICH Baron of LEEZE c. My very good LORD and most noble PATRON Increase of Grace Honor and Happinesse Right Honourable THat Eminencie that is in a most excellent Maecenas to supply the defects and meannesse of an obscure Author and that Relation and obligation that a poore Clerk may have to a most noble worthie and respective Patron hath made me presume to make choise of your noble Lordship for a Guardian of this my poore tractate which is of a compounded Denomination consisting of contrary ingredients of life and death of saving and killing by such reflecting acts of the doers upon themselves as make the Agents and patients thereof to be the same individualls The discourse is of a mixt and various nature and the theame of self-killing is the subject both of Divinity and of humanity of Religion and of Law the full handling whereof may be serviceable to the Kings Majestie for preservation of the lives of his people against the blowes and mortall wounds of a self-killing hand and may be usefull for the publick good of the Church and of the Common wealth both for the safety of the soules and bodies of their members and also in point of Honour that the government of so gracious a King and the glory of so famous a Nation may not be ignominiously stayned by self-murdring practises In which respects it was most requisite that I should dedicate the treatise of that nature to such a noble Guardian as hath a most speciall care to uphold and advance both Religion and Iustice the honour of the King and kingdome and the welfare both of Church and Commonwealth in all the members of the same as your Honourable Lordship alwaies hath in the places of your imployment and residence which in cognizance of us in the Ministery is specially apparent by your noble and pious care of providing able painefull and godly Ministers to the Churches under your speciall Patronage bestowing your Church-livings both freely and to the fittest and best deserving that you can finde for those places and countenancing and furthering the Clergie what you can in all godly and legall courses whereby multitudes of soules being saved and the Church of England under our Soveraigne the King advanced and supported in the Honour of her Ministery all have cause to praise God and to pray to God for your Lordship and for your noble Family the honourable instruments of so much divine and publick good whereof many blessed soules in heaven saved by that meanes are witnesses before God to your eternall praise honour and comfort with your renowned progenitors of that practise And I confesse it is the dutie specially of us of the Ministery to write your most Illustrious name and highest Commendations with the poynt of a Dyamond in letters of Gold upon the most durable pillars of perpetuity and ever to celebrate your due praise both for honour of your noble deservings and also for vertuous and pious example and incouragement to all posterity and noble Peeres in that poynt specially of upholding and advancing true Religion and piety both in and by that carefull and conscionable course of bestowing your Church-livings and regarding of your Ministers and also by your constant profession of the truth and according to the same professedly worshipping the true God thereby publickly obliging your selfe to such holines of heart and conversation in walking with God according to the rules of true Religion as may give your Lordship sound and grounded hope of eternall life and may verifie in you the realitie of that most Christian and heroick motto Garde ta foy In a word Divine Providence and Heavens favour hath made your Lordship Rich not onely by nature and name but also in honor and manifold blessings upon you and in much good done by your meanes whereby you stand bound to be accordingly thankfull to God and to be ever mindfull that your Eminency objects your Lordship to the worlds prying observation and to mens rigid censure which requires your more carefull circumspection in your whole conversation that you may be as farre distant from all ignoble vices and sinfull courses which staines and abases Honour and greatnesse and as Illustrious in all vertues and commendable actions as your noble condition is elevated above the common ranck of men which conciliates and procures Honour and comfort of a higher nature and of more lasting continuance than that which can be had from or by Titles and humane dignities or from sycophantizing humoring and flattering that so you may attaine to eternall glory and happines after this short life ended Most noble Lord I commed this treatise to you not onely that you may put credit and respect upon it for publick favour and entertainment and to give encouragement to the Author but also with all observancie to subject it to your judicious censure and my selfe to the service of your Honour and noble Family for the furtherance of the good and salvation of you and yours by the dayly prayers and faithfull labours of him that ever remaines From your Lo ps Leigh in Essex Your Lordships devoted faithfull and obsequious servant in Christ Iohn Sym. THE PREFACE TO THE READERS OF THIS TREATISE AND To my Auditors in my Ministery specially my ever much respected loving Friends and respective Parishioners the Inhabitants of Leigh in Essex Grace and Peace be multiplyed THis Treatise I can neither commend to you from the pleasantnesse of the nature of the subject of it which is about Self-murder that is a wickednesse not to be named among Christians in regard of likeing or practice thereof nor yet can I magnifie it to you for any thing that is simply mine in it although there is much more mine in it than might have beene if there had been full and compleat Tractates made by other men of that subject whence I might have borrowed more and have had more help than now I could to have made this a more perfect and better polished peece I doubt not but it shall be found in the advised and candide perusall thereof to carry in all the passages thereof the impresse and stamp of truth for which it may be worthy of your acceptation both for information of judgment
be used by the tempted privatly and publickly with others against the temptations to self-murder with the grounds of hope of comfortable successe to prevaile against them Page 322 § 4. Of the course that others without or against the wil of the tempted are to use to save him against the temptations and danger of self-murder Page 324 And lastly the conclusion shewing the great benefit of recovery from the temptations and danger of self-murder by the use of the former course Page 326 LIFES PRESERVATIVE AGAINST SELF-KILLING CHAP. 1. The generall description of Self-murder §. 1. Concerning life and death Life and death things of great importance and much to be regarded are not rightly cared for LIfe and Death are two things of the greatest importance in this world both in respect of what they are and whereto they tend that is their Essence and the great consequences that depend upon them and yet there is nothing wherof many men are more regardlesse than of their lives how wretchedly they spend and end them and of their Deaths how desperately they incurre and contract them casting themselves into the danger of it by the hands of others or of themselves although the sinnes in which they die can never afterwards be recovered or eternall destruction be avoided And therefore considering the dangerous and damnable practise of divers persons desperately destroying their owne lives and murdering themselves with so great prejudice to the Honour of God and his truth imbraced amongst us and with so much hurt to themselves and others I have adventured to treat more largely of the point of self-murder than yet I have seene the same done by others Touching which I will first describe in generall what it is §. 2. Self-murder described What it is Self-murder is the voluntary destroying of a mans owne life by himselfe or his owne meanes and procurement 1. In which description we are for the better understanding of it to consider First the object of self-murder and that is the life of man 2. Secondly the act it selfe which is the voluntary taking away of life or unjustly destroying of it which makes it to be murder 3. Thirdly the efficient cause or meanes of the destruction of mans life and that in this case is a mans owne selfe by his owne procurement which specifies the act and makes it to be properly self-murder §. 3. Self-murder is knowne by life Life In explicating these in order I will begin at life as first in nature and more auspicable which is the object of self-murder For self-murder being death and death being onely a privation it cannot be knowne what it is but by the knowledge of life which is its contrarie for no privation can be defined in regard of its want of entitie in it selfe but by its opposite habit as no man that knows not in some measure what light is can know what darknesse is Evill cleaves to good And self-murder being in it selfe evill it cannot be but in and about that thing which of it selfe is good 1. For evill cleaves and adheres to good for two reasons first that it may subsist which extra subjectum bonum without the subject of good cannot be for evill is like to the disease called the woolfe which maintains it self by eating feeding upon the body wherein it is For as non datur summum malum nec datur merum malum per se existens There is nothing absolutely evill neither is there a meere evill subsisting by it selfe but in that which is good 2. Secondly evill adheres to that which is good that it may convert and turne the good subject wherein it is into the quality of it selfe so making it nought and destroying it as loaven that sowreth the whole lump wherein it is the nature of all evill is ever active and destructive of that good that entertaines it or that it is exercised about it being as the worm that destroyes the tree wherein it breeds and harbours Observe All things are subject in this world to contraric passions From whence we may observe that as all created substances are mutable so are they capable of and subject unto contrary passions and qualities in this world and by how much the more excellent any good thing in this world is so much the worse is the contrary evill that attends upon and corrupts it and therefore the better that any created thing is on earth the more danger it is in and needs the greater care and indeavour to be had about it to preserve it against its opposite evill so life being of the nature and number of the best things it is in danger of the worst evils and therefore is with the greater care and circumspection to be watched over for its preservation CHAP. 2. Of the kindes of the life of man THat we may know what life is because there be divers kinds of it which it is that in self murder is destroyed by death we are to consider there are two kinds of the life of man Kinds of life naturall and spirituall the first is naturall the second is spirituall according as he consists of two natures and is an inhabitant of two worlds being made of heaven and earth to inhabit both there is no creature in the world that consists of such various different composition as man nor is indowed with such multiplicity of vitall operations or such variety of properties and qualities fitted for diversity of actions of so many kindes and thereupon is subject to so many and opposite motions and temptations Observ Mans care must be of two lives From the divers kindes of mans life we may observe that mans care must not bee as the brute beasts to live according to the instinct of nature but that he may live by a supernaturall principle and divine direction a spirituall life even here in this naturall life as he expects to arrive and attaine to a more excellent and heavenly end of advancement than other earthly creatures do or shall and there is a taske of more and greater porformances required to be done by him than from any other creature on earth CHAP. 3. Of naturall life in generall §. 1. of divers sorts of life Kindes of naturall life FOr our better understanding of naturall life wee are generally to consider that according to the distinction of earthly living creatures there be three kindes of naturall lives 1. Of vegetation First that which is called the life of vegetation which is the life of trees plants corne and the like whereby they grow and encrease both in their severall kindes and in their individuals 2. Life of sense Secondly the life of sense whereby irrationall and sensitive creatures do besides their life of vegetation common with plants live inlived with sense and motion Now these two kindes of lives considered specifically in the aforesaid severall kindes of creatures fall not under the
speech to the Lord saying Oh that Ishmael might live before thee a Gen. 17.18 Vse To preserve life The chiefe use of the former doctrine is to provoke and move us to use all lawfull meanes to preserve and prolong our lives for hee that wills the end should also will the meanes whereby he may attaine to that end §. 5. Of the meanes of lifes preservation The meanes 1. Prayer Those meanes are first prayer to God for to sustaine and preserve our lives especially in apparent dangers as David did Psal 102.24 saying Oh my God take me not away in the midst of my dayes For as our lives depend upon him that is the fountaine of life b Ioh. 1.4 so our eyes must be to him for a continuall influxe of continuing the same in regard of outward dangers and inward mortality dayly putting our lives in jeopardy which of our selves we are not able to resist 2. Foode cheerefulnesse c. The second meanes of the preservation of mans life is the moderate and cheerefull use of necessary foode and raiment with other convenient comforts and delights needfull to cherish and preserve our lives according to Solomons direction that there is nothing better for a man than that he should eate and drinke and that he should make his soule enjoy good in his labour Eccles 2.24 according to Iacobs desire Gen. 28.20 intreating God that he might have bread to eate and cloathes to put on not to hoard and lay up but for his use For a man to have plenty and yet to be in want is a miserable condition for so he defrauds and wrongs himselfe he is injurious to the creatures in not imploying them to the use for which God made and gave them and is ingratefull to God in not rightly using his blessings so as he may thereby doe God the greatest honor and service Of cheerefulnesse Cheerefulnesse is an excellent meanes of life for as Solomon saies by sorrow of heart the spirit is broken and all the dayes of the afflicted are evill but a merry heart maketh a cheerefull countenance and he that is of a merry heart hath a continuall feast a Prov. 15.13 15. and therefore Eccles 8.15 he commendeth mirth because a man hath no better thing under the sun than to eate and to drinke and to be merry for that shall abide with him of his labour the daies of his life which God giveth him under the sunne and for this purpose God gives us some things that are onely for delight and of other things he often bestowes such plenty upon us as shewes it to be his pleasure that we should use them not onely for necessity but also for cheering of us that we may both taste thereby how good he is to us and also that we may the more joyfully serve him with gladnesse of heart in health and in plenty of all things Grounds of cheerefulnesse 1 A good conscience grace and hope The grounds of this Cheerefulnesse are two First inward peace of conscience in the apprehension of Gods favour and love to us in Christ Iesus in the comfortable evidence of the pardon of our sins in the undeceivable enjoying of the saving graces of Gods spirit in the truth of our conformity and obedience to God and in assured hope of everlasting life and happinesse all which will make us to rejoyce yea even in tribulation Rom. 5.3 with joy unspeakeable and glorious 2. Outward blessings The second ground of our cheerefulnesse is the outward favours and benefits that God in mercy bestowes upon us whereof wee are to take the present use and sweetnesse not depriving our selves thereof nor deading our spirits with feares of uncertaine or remote future evils according to the direction of our Saviour Mat. 6.34 Take no thought for the morrow forbidding anxious tormenting care for feare of ensuing crosses and according to the practise of Hezekiah to whom the Lord had denounced fearefull judgements upon his posterity who said Good is the word of the Lord for there shall be peace and truth in my dayes Isai 39.8 3. Physick Thirdly to preserve our lives it is requisite that we use the seasonable fit and moderate help of Physick to prevent or remove diseases which are not onely the enemies of life but are also an inchoate or begun death as Hezekiah did take a lump of figgs and laid it on his boile for his recovery 2 King 20.7 according to Gods direction by Esay the Prophet in this respect did Saint Paul direct Timothie to drinke no longer water but to use a little wine for his stomacks sake and his often infirmities 1 Tim. 5.23 that so a man may not be a deficient cause of the preservation of his owne life when God gives meanes to save or prolong it §. 6. How to use Physick Cautions about Physick 1. That wee trust not to it In taking of Physick wee are alwaies to observe these subsequent cautions First that wee dote not upon nor trust or ascribe too much to physicall meanes but that we carefully looke and pray to God for a blessing by the warrantable use of them For it is God that both directs the Physitians judgement and conscionable practise about a patient and also puts vertue into and gives healthfull operation to the medicines 2. Use it moderately Secondly that we use Physick moderately not out of wantonnesse but for necessity nor as our daily diet bringing our selves under a necessity of ever using it and so by repairing of the house of our body wee may waste and overthrow it neither are we then to use Physick when there is no needfull cause nor yet in such desperate cases where there is no hope of life but apparent signes of approching death lest under an intent of prolonging life wee doe shorten it or of curing wee doe kill where there is not strength of nature to help physick to work its due effect 3. Use it not rashly Thirdly our care about Physick must be that wee doe not unadvisedly and rashly use it either by practising upon our selves or others beyond our skill or calling or else by taking Physick from others that be either presumptuous-ignorant Empericks or prophane and desperate dispensers and undertakers neither conscionable in their owne lives nor tender of the lives of others but are more desirous of their patients monies than of their healths and therefore our endeavour should be to take physick both seasonably for time and also by the counsell and direction of such as be both skilfull persons in that facultie and also conscionable for religion and piety that God may blesse their labours the better who will be tender and carefull of mens lives working by safe courses and in manner fit for their patients good and herein what ever the effect be men may have comfort when they shall have insisted in a warrantable way 4. Not to be perplexed about the event
Fourthly wee are to take heed that we be not anxiously perplexed and troubled when upon the using or forbearing of Physick upon warrantable grounds the effect answers not our desire or expectation But suppose the patient dies or labours under any griefe unrecovered without hope of cure it is folly to vexe our selves because we have not used this body or that body this medicine or that medicine thinking or saying if we had done this or that our selves or some other patient belonging to us had beene recovered just as Mary said to Christ Lord if thou hadst beene here my Brother had not died a Ioh. 11.32 When a thing contrarie to our desire is done wherein we are not faultie when wee worke according to our present knowledge and meanes we should rest content with the will of God how adverse or crosse soever it seemes to us considering that as God appoints the end and thing that doe come to passe so doth he likewise direct and order the meanes to accomplish the same For God oftentimes over-rules our purpose mens skill and the nature and effects of Physick to the bringing to passe of his owne purposes contrary to our expectation which must bee attributed to God the soveraigne Lord and is not to bee imputed to unblameable men and meanes that are but the instruments under God and subject to his controle and disposition and therefore touching the events thereupon following wee must bee content to be crossed of our wils sometime that God at all times may have his §. 7. Of deadly things to be resisted 4. Opposition of deadly things Fourthly and lastly to preserve his life every man is bound to decline and oppose all things that tend to the unlawfull taking of it away for that which other creatures do by Antipathie and instinct of nature for shunning that which is contrary or pernicious to them man is by the meanes of his reason and will to do the like for his preservation who by his intellectuall parts can better foresee and discerne what is hurtfull and dangerous to him or his life 1 Invasion The things that especially he is to decline and beware of are First Forcible invasion whereby his life is assaulted or indangered and his death attempted by others For besides the perill that a mans life is in by that inbred poyson of diseases and mortality in himselfe it is lyable to death by meanes from without himselfe whereof a man is to be carefull both to foresee the same and to prevent it or to extricate and free himselfe out of it as we see how Paul understanding of a conspiracy of above 40. men lying in waite to take away his life used his best indeavours to decline and prevent the same by discovery thereof to the chiefe Captaine Act. 23.17 and so our Saviour himselfe gave commandement to his Disciples that when their enemies did persecute them in one citie they should flee to another Mat 10.23 according to his own practise who to avoid and escape the bloody hands of Herod was carried into Egypt 1 Mat. 2. which course is abundantly warranted by manifold arguments and examples in Scripture and upon just reason is so good that necessity of saving a mans life against unjust and violent invasion warrants him both in the Courts of Heaven and Earth in his owne lawfull defence to kill rather than to suffer himselfe to be unjustly killed because that love which is the fulfilling of the Law b Rom. 13.10 begins at a mans selfe it being the rule that we should love our neighbours as our selves How can it bee expected that he will preserve other mens lives that is carelesse of his owne Qui sibi nequam cui bonus 2. Dangerous undertakings Secondly for preservation of mans life he must not onely not submit himselfe passively to private deadly cruelties of others but also he must not actively expose himselfe to hazard the losse of his life upon self-will'd dangerous undertakings without a lawfull calling and sufficiency of strength to undertake or go safely through the enterprise as our Saviour intimates Luk. 14.31 in the parable of the King going to warre that would not undertake above his power 3. Motions of self-murder Thirdly the thing that a man is to decline for preservation of his life is that he do abhorre and reject all unnaturall motions or resolutions of self-murder That the heart of man may neither be suffered to breed nor to entertaine the thoughts of his owne destruction like a viper conceiving and somenting such an issue as in the birth thereof destroyes the parent that gave it being The thoughts of evill that a man doth at first but dally withall and fearelesly beholds in his mind presuming of his power over them at length possesse him and master him and therefore above all things wee are to keep our heart for out of it proceeds all evill Prov. 4.23 Mat. 15.19 if the seed and spawne of sin in the motions of it in the heart be extinguished and destroyed then there is no feare of the breaking of it out in act for as Saint Iames saith Lust first conceives before it brings forth sin a Jam. 1.15 §. 8. Of spending our lives well To spend our lives well Another generall use of the former doctrine of the pretiousnesse of mans life is that wee be the more carefull to husband and spend it well to the glory of God our owne good and comfort and for the good of others among whom we live considering that our life is too good to be spent away in idlenesse to bee wasted prodigally or to bee mis-imployed in the service of sinne and Sathan and is irrevocable when it is past that it cannot be had backe againe that it might be better spent and former errors be undone and therefore we doe ever need with the Psalmist to intreat that God would so teach us to number our dayes that wee may apply our hearts unto wisdome b Psal 90.12 being ever mindfull of the Apostles admonition redeeme the time because the dayes are evill Eph. 5.16 Motives The motives that may move us to spend our time and life well are specially these three following First 1. Badnesse of the times the wickednesse of the world which should make us more watchfull to catch at all opportunities to do good that our life that will waste away with the rust of doing nothing may bee comfortably spent in well doing Happy shall that servant be whom his Lord when he comes shall find doing so Mat. 24.46 2. Shortnesse of our lives Secondly the shortnesse and uncertainty of our lives which passes as a shadow or a vapour that appeares no more puts us in mind not to deferre but while it is called to day requires us with sobriety and watchfulnesse to be couragious and incessant in well doing Post est occasio calva the morrow is not ours and if we be cut off
before it comes our worke being undone how then will it grieve us that we were so slothfull 3. The benefit of well-spending them Thirdly the weightinesse of that which depends upon well-spending of our lives here as the comfort of our soules and everlasting salvation hereafter calls upon us to consider that no estate or stock need be so frugally spent as the short life and few dayes of man than which nothing is more wastefully worthlesly vainely nor worse mis-spent specially three wayes to which we may adde a fourth How men mis-pend their lives 1. By doing evill First in doing of naughtinesse and evill which wee ought not to doe it being forbidden by God whereby many men take great paines in vile courses of prophanenesse filthinesse drunkennesse fighting against the truth and the like mis-spending their meanes and lives to oppose God and to get and goe to hell by rightly imploying whereof they might with farre lesse trouble and adoe happily do much good and attaine to heaven and everlasting glory 2. By doing things impertinent Secondly by doing that which is little or nothing to the purpose for a mans true happinesse and comfort as impertinent studies pursuite of curiosity and vanity hunting immoderately and prosecuting eagerly after the profits and pleasures of this world that before God will availe a man nothing for his salvation and eternall or spirituall comfort when the things whereupon the same depends have beene neglected for as the Apostle sayes bodily exercise profiteth little but godlinesse is profitable to all things a 1 Tim. 4.8 3. By idlenesse Thirdly men do often mis-spend their lives by wasting it in sluggish idlenesse when they minde and indeavour nothing so much as how they may sleepe at ease or passe away their time in sloath or sottishnesse so driving their dayes and lives to an end in doing nothing although none have more to do than they while others complaine of want of time in their imployments about their commendable affaires these object that they have more time than they know what to doe with Such are iners inutile pondus an unprofitable burthen and the excrements of the Church and Commonwealth dead while they live and as hoggs more profitable by their deaths than by their lives like ciphers they keepe a place but are of no value or worth they go out of the world before they regard why they came into the world when they are present they are unprofitable and when they are gone they are not missed for any good they ever did Causes of idlenesse The causes of which idle course of life are affectation of their owne bodily and worldly ease contenting the flesh with doing of nothing and care onely to avoid trouble which attends upon active and industrious godly imployment but wee finde the sentence of condemnation passed no lesse against those that omitted to doe their duties b Mat. 25.43 than against them who committed that evill which was forbidden Wilfull defects and omissions of doing good bring damnation He that wanted his wedding garment was thrust out of doores and cast into utter darkenesse Mat. 22.13 Why was Meroz cursed because they came not out to the helpe of the Lord against the mighty Iudg. 5.23 An idle and slothfull spending of a manlife is every where in Scripture condemned and by nature the Bees expell the Droanes 4. By over-charging ones selfe in doing good There is another way of mis-spending a mans life proceeding from good affection in a pious manner by his over-tasking or overcharging himselfe in religious performances or good duties above his strength as in fasting and prayer in studies and labours in the Word Neque immoderata imperamus jejunia Hieron ad Demetriadem and the like whereby a mans life is soone spent like a sudden blaze consumed in a present flame which by more frugall ordering of it according to his ability might last much longer to the greater benefit both of Church and Commonwealth and thus I have done with the discourse of mans naturall life CHAP. 5. Of mans spirituall life §. 1. What spirituall life is Spirituall life what WEe are now to consider of mans spirituall life which is not properly the life of his spirit whereby the spirits of all men doe live but it is the life of a man whereby he personally considered lives a spirituall and supernaturall life Which consists in the gratious union of man with God in Christ who is our life a Ioh 14.6 whom God sent into the world that we might live through him 1 Ioh. 4.9 by whom we are delivered from death by his spirit because of the spiritualnesse of this our life it is said to be hid with God in Christ Col. 3.3 §. 2. The acts of spirituall life Acts of it 1. Of this spirituall life there are two acts First that whereby we that were dead in trespasses and sinnes are quickned Ephes 2.1 being translated into a state of spirituall and eternall life and indowed with a new lively principle of grace inabling us to spirituall motion 2. The second act of this life is that whereby we walke and worke according to the direction of Gods word and the good motions of the good spirit so being made conformable to God and walking with God as new creatures in the estate of regeneration §. 3. The degrees of spirituall life Degrees of it Of this life there are two degrees 1. First that which is by faith in the state of grace in this world as our Saviour tells us that hee that beleeveth on him hath eternall life Ioh. 6.47 by this life we are to live according to God in the spirit 1 Pet. 4.6 and also if wee live in the spirit wee are also to walke in the spirit a Gal 5.25 Faith and good workes as the cause and effects are alwaies together Iam. 2.20 The second degree of our spirituall life is that which is by vision or sight in glorie whereof Saint Iohn tells us that we shall be like to Christ for we shall see him as he is 1 Ioh. 3.2 and touching those things wherein it consists Saint Paul saies that eye hath not seene nor eare heard neither have entred into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him b 1 Cor. 2.9 And he himselfe having beene rapt up into the third heaven confesseth that there he heard unspeakable words c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which was not lawfull for him to utter d 2 Cor. 12.4 in regard of impossibility there being want of words to expresse such supernaturall matter and his conceiving being lesse than could comprehend what was represented to him This spirituall life in the estate of grace in this world is apprehended first in the understanding Heb. 11.1 but in the state of glory in heaven it is visibly injoyed by way of a spirituall sensiblenesse Note In the former
state life is put into us but in this latter state wee shall be put into life filled with it within us and fully compassed about with it without us as vessels cast into the sea are filled with water within and without so being comprehended by it as well as it is comprehended by us according to our modell and capacity This life is one Although these degrees of spirituall life bee severall yet the life it selfe is but one whereupon these subsist This life is begunne here in the state of grace by faith in Christ and is consummate and fully accomplished by vision or sensible fruition in the state of glory in heaven according to our hope Gods promises to us although at death faith doth cease yet the spirituall life thereby wrought in us is not extinguished for or by the introduction of the life of glory but the manner onely is altered and degree of spirituall living intended to perfection The degrees subordinate A mans severall and graduall kinds of lives do stand in subordination one to another thus to the life of glory in heaven with the Lord none can attaine but those that first live by faith in Christ in the state of grace in manner conformable to Gods word and will neither can any attaine to the life of grace but those that first live the naturall life which is the materiall or passive foundation of the other twaine for this naturall life gives beeing to a man the other two doe adde perfection and happinesse to him so that if the first be a blessing much more are the other lives blessings and highly to be esteemed These three degrees or kinds of life are like to the three roomes of the Temple where all entrance into the most Holy place was made by the Holy place and into this by the outward Court so none could come into the third but by the second and none could come into the second but by the first whereby it appeares that naturall life brings man under a possibility and capacitie of the life of grace and glory and the life of grace brings us that certainely have it into faire assurance of attaining the life of glory for that they are specifically the same but gradually different as the twilight and perfect light at noone §. 4. Who may have spirituall life and by whose fault doe any misse of it Denyed to none Although all men that doe live the naturall life attaine not to the spirituall yet spirituall life is denyed expresly to no man if they will carefully use the meanes and truly indeavour to have it for whosoever miscarries and misseth of this spiritual life he himselfe is guilty and cause thereof Lost by our owne fault for God hath given sufficient meanes of salvation and made a generall offer thereof to all men as Ioshua did call Heaven and earth to record that day that he had set before the people life and death and so did put them to their choise Ioshua 24.14 if with Mary wee choose the better part wee are happy it were better for us that wee had never lived at all than that wee should not live this spirituall life without which we are dead while we live a 1 Tim. 5.6 None can be excused by pretense of want of particular insinuation of the Gospell that is the power of God to salvation to every individuall man or because it is not naturally ingrafted in every mans heart as is the morall Law in the generall principles and matter unformed thereof though not as it is perfectly formed in every particular precept For the Gospell is not contrary to the Law but the Law both morall and ceremoniall is our Schoolemaster to drive and direct us to Christ for salvation b Gal. 3.21.24 and that for the same we should neither rest upon our selves nor upon the Law The Gospell to al published 1. To Adam Againe when God himselfe at the beginning first after the fall preached and delivered the gospell to Adam and Eve c Gen. 3.15 he did publish and give the same to every particular man and woman then in them that ever should be borne into the world to whom their parents were bound successively to preach and deliver the Gospell by a continued tradition Note If any of their children should have died before they were capable of salvation by that mean then as it is most probable they were to be saved as dying infants of beleeving parents now are 2. To his posterity Furthermore ever since the first promulgation of the gospell to Adam it hath pleased God to repeat and more and more fully to explicate the same by his servants with invitation of all men to entertaine the same from age to age in such places and companies where all men might take notice thereof if they were not wanting to themselves in adjoyning themselves to and keeping union with the Church where they might be within the hearing of the Gospell which is sufficient to leave men inexcusable in their ignorance of it Although God by his providence and prerogative Royall directs dispenses and applyes the Gospell in the ministrie of it to some people and not to others according to the good pleasure of his will after the first promulgation as wee see how the publication of Lawes and proclamations of Princes which are as little written in their subjects hearts as the gospell is in mankind Comparison being published in manner and in places as Princes please whereby and whence their subjects are to take notice of them ignorance of the same excuses not but that the disobedient and transgressors of them may justly be punished notwithstanding that they never knew them seeing every man is at his owne perill to looke after and take notice of those Lawes or ordinances whereby he is to live whether they proceed from inbred naturall notions or outwardly from the will of his Superiours §. 5. Of the excellency of spirituall life Spirituall lifes excellencie Mans spirituall life far excells his naturall life in three respects especially 1. For nature First in regard of the things where in it consists the naturall life consists but in the union of soule and body which are but naturall things and holds by a tie of naturall spirits in the blood upheld by earthly naturall meanes such as man is made and compounded of Spirituall life which is now supernaturall consists in a spirituall union with God by his eternall Sonne and Spirit and is upheld by supernaturall meanes and divine influence whereby we live the life of God and also by God and to God a Rom. 14.8 and so as the life of naturall or reasosonable men 2 Cor. 5.15.1 Pet. 4.2 farre excells the lives of brutes so doth this spirituall life of Gods regenerated people farre surpasse the lives of meere naturall and unregenerated men and therefore it is that men are farre more beholding to the
meanes and instruments of their spirituall life than to the meanes of their naturall for naturall life without spirituall makes a man but subject to misery whereas the spirituall life upon the naturall makes a man everlastingly happy which should quicken in us a desire and endeavour to be borne againe according to our Saviours speech Ioh. 3.3 2 For continuance Secondly the spirituall life farre transcends the naturall in respect of its continuance the naturall life depending upon mutable and mortall ties and bonds and subject to many externall harmfull accidents is fraile and at last is swallowed up of mortality it being appointed for all men once to die Heb. 9.27 and few and evill are our dayes in this world wherein wee have no abiding city the spirituall life is eternall without subjection to death because it is in it selfe supernaturall and advanced above the reach and power of all things that can destroy life and is preserved and upheld by such a fountaine of indeficient and omnipotent life and undecaying lively vigour and meanes of divine living that never suffers the man that hath and keeps communion with the same to be subject to death but makes him passe from death to life Iohn 5.24 the faith whereof doth free a man from the feare of losing that happy estate while he continues to love it whereas others in a loseable and mutable estate of life are by feare of being deprived thereof and being without hope of a better hindered in injoying the full comfort of the present good that here is afforded 3. For effects Thirdly spirituall life surpasses the naturall in its effects the naturall life enables a man to the doing onely of naturall actions specially concerning mans naturall good agreeable unto and flowing from naturall principles in man being in the meane time dead to any divine or supernaturall good neither actively doing that of goodnesse which is truely morall or divine nor passively receiving and enjoying that thereof which is beatificall or which makes man blessed and so he may for all that life the powers and actions thereof be miserable and perish for flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdome of God 1 Cor. 15.50 The spirituall life by so neere conjunction of a man with the fountaine of life Essentiall the well-spring of infinite goodnesse not onely by that touch and union doth it make him so live but also it causeth him to be most happy both by making him able Actively to live the life of God a Gal. 2.19 and to live to the will of God 1 Pet. 4.2 and also by endowing him with passive capacity and with reall possession of all such beatificall perfections as are necessary for his advancement to and in a glorious estate farre above all other earthly creatures in this world and in the world to come whereby he becomes so happy that nothing can make him miserable but even in tribulation he hath cause of rejoycing Rom. 5.3 and when he dyes yet still he lives in more excellent manner as Paul said touching his afflictions as dying and behold we live 2 Cor. 6.9 In regard of the aforesaid excellency of this spirituall life above the naturall it was that our Saviour did command his Disciples not to feare them that kill the body but are not able to kill the soule but rather to feare him which is able to destroy both soule and body in hell Mat. 10.28 §. 6. How to obtaine spirituall life Vse 1. To get spirituall life From the former doctrine touching the excellency of this spirituall life of man diverse very necessary uses are observable First it may provoke and stirre us up to get this life above all things in this world whereof we are borne destitute yea dead in sin to which life by our manifold actuall transgressions wee doe indispose and unfit our selves but yet the Lord of his mercy hath appointed us a way whereby we may get this spirituall life so that by our conscionable use of the meanes appointed by God By meanes wee may attaine thereunto in regard of his promise and faithfulnesse that those that seeke shall finde Amos 5.6 And why to be used These meanes are wee to use in regard both of Gods commandement who thereby tries our obedience and faith and also in respect of the dispensation of God who gives his graces onely by and in his owne way which otherwise cannot be had Also the worth and necessity of this spirituall life is such as deserves our best endeavours to get it our esteeme whereof is seene by our labours for it in Gods appointed way without which God will not give it because hee will have us active about our owne salvation that the same may cost us the price of our labours to come by it that thereby we may the more comfortably know that we have it when we know how we came by it that wee may be the more carefull to keepe what wee have so laboriously purchased and may assuredly looke for the reward of our labours which God that cannot lie hath promised to those that seeke life by his appointed meanes To use no meanes to get this spirituall life is to contemne both it and God and to indeavour to get it by using other meanes than God hath appointed for that end is to tempt God or to prescribe him his waies of dispensing his grace and to preferre our owne wits and wills above Gods whereby such men lose both their labour and expectation Which they be 1. The word of God The meanes in particular to get this spirituall life are First the word of God specially the Gospell which is as the materiall and seminall cause of it 1 Pet. 1.23 2. Application Secondly the meanes vegetating and applying the Gospell to quicken us which is fourefold 1. By the ministry First the ministrie of the word by reading and preaching of it to the enlightning of the understanding and to the moving of the affections and hearts of the hearers to embrace it for Faith comes by hearing Rom 10.17 2. Christian conference Secondly the Company and conferences of those Christians that in this kind of life are by their motion and example lively and vigorous able by their warmth and livelinesse to heat and quicken those whom they touch as Elisha by his application of himselfe to the dead child made it warme and alive 2 King 4.34 and as leaven leavens the lump and every thing affects to procreate its like 3. Prayer The third meanes of the Gospells application to quicken us is servent and effectuall prayer to God from whom is all the vertue and efficacy of it that he would make it effectuall to us for although Paul do plant and Apollo water it is God that gives the increase 1 Cor. 3.6 4. Sacraments the spirits operation in them Fourthly the Sacraments and in them the powerfull operation of the spirit of Christ is that which quickens us when
others and for glory to God before it be glorified with God The grounds of it The grounds and originall motives of this grace and holinesse that consists in actuall obedience to God are three 1. First habituall grace in man not considered as in an unformed masse but as formed in its severall species or kindes of definable vertues is the ground and living spring whence issues this actuall holinesse according to the kinds and degrees of the seminall or radicall vertue whence it proceeds without which all outward holiness is but vanishing hypocrisie 2. The second motive is the externall impulsion of Gods word in the ministery and use thereof Gods vvord directing and exhorting us in way of morall perswasion to doe our duty so stirring up the grace of God in us to shew it selfe in putting forth the vertue thereof in action 3. The third motive is that influence and motion of the Spirit of God which at times The Spirit both stirres up the graces of God in us to make them lively to put forth their strength to make resistance against sinne and to undertake and prosecute the doing of good and also it suppeditates and conveyes increase of grace and spirituall abilities into a regenerated man whereby he growes and goeth on both in habituall and actuall holinesse for being dead to sinne it is requisite that we doe live to righteousnesse 1 Pet. 2.24 in regard that the Prophet tells us That be that doth that which is lawfull and right shall live thereby a Ezek 33.19 §. 11. Of the signes of spirituall life Signes of spirituall life are Now it followes that wee doe make inquiry and search to find out the signes of this spirituall life whereby we may know whether we have it or want it whereof I will give you some notes 1. First it is discernable by a mans thoughts and affections for Heavenly thoughts and affections if he have spirituall life both his minde and thoughts will be taken up most with God and heavenly things and also his affections will be most set upon them both with ardency of desires to have them and also with abundant joy in the hope and fruition of them according to the command of the Apostle who bids us to Set our affections on things above not on things on the earth because our life is bid with Christ in God Colos 3.2 3. 2. The second note of this spirituall life is the powerfull active effects of it His life godly whereby the man that hath it doth live for his divine and morall manner of living according to the direction of Gods holy Word and the motion of the spirit of God in manner and degree farre surpassing the power of nature and contrary to the disposition of flesh and blood being hereunto moved and strengthened not onely by outward morall perswasions but specially after a divine or renewed manner by a spirituall principle of supernaturall vitall motion within himselfe whereby after a sort in some measure he becomes a rule and Law to himselfe of good life as those that have the law not onely written in their hearts but have also a power with activity of endeavour to do the same with respect to a spitituall and supernaturall end and in this respect also it is said that the Law is not made for a righteous man a 1 Tim. 1.9 3. The third signe of spirituall life in man is his comfortable suffering for the things belonging to that life Patient suffering when he subsists under afflictions for goodnesse with unrelenting courage adhering to the truth and persisting in his integrity against all opposition 1. Which manifests it selfe first in the measure of these afflictions when he beares the same with ability above naturall strength as did Moses seeing him that is invisible b Heb. 11.27 by whose vertue he was supported 2. Secondly by the manner of his undergoing of afflictions in voluntary and active submission and not onely passive or by way of coaction and inforcement wholly against his will subjected to them but induring with joyfulnesse a Rom. 5.3 as those that the Scripture speakes of who tooke joyfully the spoyling of their goods Heb. 10.34 which cannot bee done but by such as are indowed with this spirituall life whereby they live even when they die 4. Heavenly behaviour in the vvorld The fourth note of this spirituall living is the regulatity of such a mans godly behaviour and conversation in the worlds eye in all his actions subject to the direction of God and moving from and according to supernaturall principles of habituall grace not walking after the judgement and examples of the world or of flesh and blood For he that is indowed with this spirituall life is a compleat now creature having judgment will affections qualities senses and deportment farre differing from the vulgar crew and common course in a life as if not of the world but as he were a pilgrim in the world so his carriage in a manner is strange to the world And as the life of every creature is so it affects the element fit for it as fishes affect the water the Salamander to be in the fire and other creatures some to be on the earth and others to flie in the aire so that a man that hath spirituall life delights to live with God and good men as did the Prophet David Psal 84. and doth desire to feed constantly upon such divine ordinances and graces as do cherith that life delighting to be exercised therein as in his proper element as David confessed of himselfe to God O how I love thy Law it is my meditation all the day b Psal 119 97. §. 12. How spirituall life may be preserved Meanes of preservation of spirituall life I will now briesly shew you how a man that hath this spirituall life may preserve and strengthen it which is done especially by sixe things 1. Use of the meanes vvhereby it is gotter First by the constant and conscionable use of the same meanes still whereby he got it for the procreant cause of any thing is also the conservant cause of the same because of their homogenean nature and sympathie between the patient and the agent except in those things that are brought forth by accident or by the power of an efficient overswaying the instrument and other causes contrary to their naturall disposition So that such a Christian must never be weary nor give over the continued exercise of the same course of godly meanes whereby at the first he found this life of grace wrought in him 2. Exercise in spirituall vvorkes The second meanes to preserve this spirituall life in those that have it is to exercise it in all the offices and works thereof both in beleeving in Christ with application of the promises and also in doing and suffering what God requires or imposes for as faith drawes this
life from the fountaine of life whereby we live as men say actu primo so by the imployment and exercise of this life in obedience to God we live actu secundo preserving and nourishing this life For we see that by rest and idlenesse things are not onely often frustrate of the end of their being but doe also languish and die which by action according to their naturall faculties and proper use are preserved For all things that are in the way to their end as spirituall life is here are maintained and perfected by their motion to that end where at last they are to rest there not being an ultra or more-over for them to aspire after 3. Zeale Thirdly this spirituall life is somented and cherished by stirring up and blowing the coale of godly zeale for goodnesse and against evill whereby a man may quicken the things that are ready to die this zeale is as the lively spirits that quicken this life to make it active whereby it growes and is vigorous The vveakenes of zeale The things that weaken this zeale are three First wearisomenesse and satiety contracted by the length of time in assiduity about good things and divine exercises 2. Secondly by diseouragements from all examples and from opposition of goodnesse 3. Thirdly for the prevailing of vice in our selves or generally in others caried with a high hand and from the languishing of grace in our selves and from the generall discountenancing of it by others Meanes to quicken zeale 1. The meanes to quicken this zeale are First the serious consideration both of the excellency and also of the usefulnesse of goodnesse whereby wee may bee inslamed with the love and desire of it 2. Secondly the odiousnesse and dangerousnesse of iniquity and sinfull prevailing courses in others may by antipathie and antiparistasis kindle our zeale the more against it as David confesses of himselfe that rivers of waters did runne downe his eyes because men kept not Gods Law Psal 119.136 4. Gods promises Fourthly this spirituall life is maintained by observing and collecting the promises of the word of God and marking how God fulfills the same to his people and so by meditating and relying upon them wee shall find incouragement and a lively influence come from the same to uphold this spirituall life in us in all estates when all other things do faile As the Prophet saith unlesse thy Law had beene my delight I should then have perished in mine affliction a Psal 119.42 5. Preseverance Fiftly spirituall life is upheld in us by having our eyes fixt upon God in constant perseverance in all well doing as did Iehosaphat b 2 Chro 20.12 from whom there proceeds to us a gracious influence of divine life as light from the sunne to the moone when she is within the aspect of it 6. Hope of happincsse The sixt meanes of preservation of this spirituall life is hope set upon our future happinesse as did our Saviour Christ who for the hope that was set before him indured the crosse Heb. 12.2 by this anchor of hope a man rides safe in all stormes as held up by the chinne that hee can never bee drowned when this anchor is cast upward within the vaile whither Christ our forerunner is gone c Heb 6.19 drawing us after him §. 13. Of mans care of spirituall life Vse 2. Mans great charge The second use of the excellency of mans spirituall life is to instructus that man hath the greatest adventure and charge to save or lose of any creature in the world for as he hath both a soule and a body so hath he both a naturall and a spirituall life to save or lose and upon the miscarying of the spirituall depends the misery of the naturall Therefore it is that man is subject to most dangers of all earthly creatures and needs to be most vigilant and carefull of himselfe for by how much the more excellent he may be if he be saved so much the more miserable shall he be if he perish And therefore as of a ship lade with rich goods more care is to be had than of a ship lade with coales or chalke Comparison so more care is to be had of a man than of any other worldly creature in regard of the greatnesse of the aforesaid adventurer which may be fitly represented by the answer of a certaine Philosopher to a wretched fellow when they were both at sea in danger to be drowned together whereof the Philosopher was much more fearefull than the other who upbraided him for the same and demanded the reason thereof to whom the Philosopher replyed that the losse was farre the greater for him to miscarry than for many such fellowes as the other was who were nought worth Vse 3. The third use observable from hence is that if it come into competition whether wee should yeeld to lose our naturall life or our spirituall when both cannot be enjoyed to ether then wee are to preferre the preservation of our spirituall life before our naturall and for saving of this to do nothing to hurt or prejudice that remembring that our Saviour saith be that loveth his life shall lose it Terent S. naturall before naturall life and he that hateth his life in this world shall keepe it unto life eternall Iohn 12.25 for obtaining whereof many of Gods people little respected their naturall life as they who Heb. 11.35 did not accept deliverance from death that they might obtaine a better resurrection Paul said that his life was not deare to him but that he was ready to die for the name of Iesus Christ Act. 21.13 which was the ease of all the Martyrs such was their esteeme of and affection to spirituall life We that live saith Paul are delivered to death for Iesus sake that his life may bee manifest in us Which coademnes those that Esau-like set light by this spirituall life preterring the world their lusts their pleasures or naturall life before it because they neither know the worth nor comfort of it nor have part or hope of it which whosoever hath will choose rather a thousand times to die this temporall death than to lose his spirituall life CHAP. 6. Of lifes destruction and of murder in generall §. 1. How mans life may be lost HAving spoken of mans life which is the object of Self murder now it followes in the next place that we consider the act it selfe of taking away this life specially in unjust manner Life may be lost Of both the aforesaid kinds of life naturall and spirituall a man may bee deprived and that after two severall wayes 1. Passively First passively as he therein is immediately but a sufferer although mediatly or by originall merit he may be said to be efficient in procurement of his owne destruction but as he is meerely passive he cannot be deemed to be guilty thereof 2. Actively
Secondly actively as he is an agent in and about his owne death working to effect the same either meritoriously or efficiently and so he is a self-murderer and guilty of his owne death §. 2. Of the meanes of losing life naturall Meanes of losse of life are 1. Internall Mans life is loseable by two sorts of meanes First internall arising from and within a mans selfe that kills him as the worme that breeds of and in the tree and destroyes it so in mans bodie doe distempers and diseases breed of and from it selfe whereby hee is in deaths hands and by degrees dies daily also in the soule of man sinne doth breed that kills his spirituall life and so he hath in himselfe the principles and meanes of the destruction both of his soule and body of his life both naturall and spirituall 2. Externall The second meanes is externall inflicted from without a man tending to that taking away of his life and the same is either casuall or voluntary 1. Casuall Casuall or accidentall is when besides the intension of the agent and proper nature and end of the action it falls out and comes to passe that thereby the life of man is hurt or taken away as when in felling of wood the axe flees off the helve and unawares to him that uses it kills a man a Deut. 19.5 herein the life of man is taken away not without concurrence of the providence of God who is pleased by suffering such an accident to lay a crosse upon the agent to whom it is a kinde of calamity or punishment to be a meanes against his will of the death of any man Also to this casuall destruction of mans life belongs the perishing of the soules of those that unjustly take offence at other mens estates and lives b 1 Cor. 1.23 for that which they lawfully and necessarily doe or suffer in their callings and Christian condition whereby such persons flee off from the truth and fall into or persist in evill and damnable course to their eternall perdition without any fault of theirs by whose occasion they of their own wretchednesse stumble and miscarry and so goe guilty of their owne spirituall death by abusing of that which is good to their hurt and damnation so falling and ruinating themselves by other mens rising and standing 2. Voluntary Or else the externall meanes of taking away a mans life doe of themselves in their proper nature and direct use and in the intension of the agent tend to the effecting thereof which about our life that is naturall is done either justly upon lawfull causes in just manner Justly by those those that are sufficiently authorized to doe the same or else it is done unjustly when the same is without just cause Unjustly not by the hands of persons lawfully authorized to doe it or is not performed in a just and warrantable manner §. 3. Of the meanes of the destruction of spirituall life 2. Of the soule Also touching our spirituall life the same is externally or by meanes without a mans selfe destroyed eyther by the justice of God 1. By God when he most righteously in his act of vindicative and distributive justice punishes man with eternall destruction for his sinnes Mat. 10.28 in which case man in respect of his owne merits and deservings is guilty of his owne perishing and not God 2. By men two waies Or else our spirituall life may miscarry by meanes of men 1. who First by their corrupt doctrine and evill examples doe draw others with them to perdition as did the Scribes and Pharisees that did compasse sea and land to make one Proselyte whom when they had wonne they made him twosold more the child of hell than themselves Mat. 23.15 or by depriving them of the meanes of their salvation they are subjected to destruction 2. Secondly when men by compulsory meanes of unjust lawes and severe threatnings and punishments are driven and forced from the waies of righteousnesse into sinnefull courses as by Ieroboam Manasses c. soules are destroied with a twofold guilt both of them that force others and also of them that yeeld themselves to evill upon such constraint Life is taken avvay 1 By others 2. By a mans selfe Againe the externall meanes of depriving a man of his life is inflicted either by others sometime lawfully sometimes unlawfull or else by a mans owne hands and procurement which is ever in all cases unlawfull for him to doe mediately or immediately directly or indirectly But it is to be noted that no man loseth his spirituall life but by his owne meanes and merits procuring the same for the spirituall life of man is subject to no mans power who can kill onely the body and doe no more Mat. 10.28 And God that is esseatially and absolutely just subjects not man to suffer that which actively he hath not first some way procured by his owne doings and deservings Observ How subject man is to death From hence it is observable that the lives of no creatures are longer and with more adoe hatchedup and maintained than the lives of men and yet the lives of no creatures are subject to so many dangers inward and outward of destruction and sooner overthrowne than mans we being like brittle glasses that containe precious balsame and as choise flowers hardly cherished up and soone blasted which shewes both our weakenesse and want of self-sufficiency to uphold our selves and also how we are possessed and compassed about with things adverse and dangerous to our lives both of soule and body of all creatures man onely being a stranger and pilgrim on earth hath therefore the least kinde entertainment in this world and the most uncertaine possession of it and is alwaies neerest to be thrust out of it walking here but as a shadow Vse 1 Therefore wee should be more carefull to cleave the more closely to our God who is the preserver of men that by him we may be upheld and protected against all dangers 2. And againe we should be the more watchfull against carnall security that wee doe not presume upon our uncertaine lives nor suffer our selves to be intangled with this world and the things of it but that we be ever heavenly minded and ready for our departure hence labouring to get and keepe that spirituall and eternall life §. 4. Of murder in self-killing Killing of a mans selfe is murder 1. In a mans taking away of his owne life two things are to be considered First that it is murder in regard of the nature of the act of it 2. Secondly that it is murder of ones selfe in respect of the object thereof and so self-murder is a compounded sinne of more degrees than one and that in such a kind as is the most hainous and most to be abhorred in humane society in regard that this destroyes the substantiall being of that which ought to bee of
all worldly things most deare to us whereas other sinnes spoile the wel-being of our selves or others which so long as life lasteth is recoverable Self-murder is horrible And therefore whatsoever is to be thought of the vile quality and of the damnable deserts of murder in generall is to be conceived to be due and much worse to self-murder in speciall For murder is but the genericall or generall matter and not the speciall and formall nature of Self-murder and therefore if it be horrible to murder another man it is much more odious to kill ones selfe For by naturall reason the more that any Genus or generall matter is restrained and actuated by its superadded formes and specificall differences the more it is intended active and powerfull according to the motion of nature ab imperfectioribus ad perfectiora proceeding toward that perfection wherein it intends to termine and end Now the perfection of a vice if I may so speake consists in the highest exorbitancie of it beyond which none can passe and in murder it is certaine that none can goe beyond self-murder as afterward will fully appeare 4. Things are observable in murder In taking away specially a mans naturall life unjustly and murderously foure things are to be considered 1. That death is undeserved First that the effect done or death of a man in depriving him of his life is without due desert on his part at their hands that put him to death 2. Done without lavvfull authority Secondly that the act it selfe whereby that effect is accomplished is unlawfull on his part that doth it in regard of his want of authority and just calling to do that act and if the sufferer have deserved death and the executioner have a lawfull calling to kill him yet if his manner of doing of it bee contrary to the prescript and rules of his calling and to the minde and disposition requisite for such an agent in that act then the same is murder 3. Done wittingly Thirdly it is considerable in murder that the agent therein both knowes not onely that the nature of his action that he doth tendeth to death but also that morally it is an unlawfull act or thing to be done and also doth voluntarily and wittingly intend the doing of that action without regard of the effect or insuing of death thereupon 4. Death intended Fourthly touching murder it is remarkeable that the agent doe not onely voluntarily and wittingly a lethiferous or mortall act but that he doe also intend and desire to effect the death of a man thereby whom justly he cannot kill otherwise if a man should ignorantly or unwillingly in doing of his lawfull calling be a meanes accidentally to take away the life of a man he is not therefore guilty of murder For for such God provided Cities of refuge for their preservation against the avenger of blood Deut. 19.3 4 5. Iosbua 20.3 by the first of these wee see that an innocent suffers death by the second wee see that the Agent or executioner is such an one as ought not to kill him although he were nocent by the third and fourth it appeare that the act is formaliter murderous in regard of the knowledge and intention of the doer thereof Self-murder is most vile murder in transcendent manner So in Self-murder as it is murder an Innocent never deserving of himselfe that himselfe should kill himselfe is slaine the Actor whereof hath no authority nor calling over himselfe so to doe seeing no man can be both superiour and also inferiour to himselfe and for a man to doe an act upon himselfe which he knowes to be both mortall and unlawfull and yet will doe it with purpose and intent to bereave himselfe of his own life it cannot be denyed to be murder in the highest degree and he a murderer that doth it §. 5. How murder is vile The vilenesse of murder in its effects The vilenesse of murder is not onely seene by its contrariety to Gods Law and the heavie censures and punishments thereof and its incompatibility with humane society but also by the effects thereof upon the sufferer 1. It destroves naturall life For first the act of murder utterly so destroyes the naturall life of man upon the departure of his soule from the body that the same is never againe recovered For naturall life depends not onely upon the presence of the soule informing the body but even upon our state of being in this world insomuch that after the resurrection although soule and body shall be againe united yet as then our bodies shall be spirituall bodies a 1 Cor. 15 44. so shall our lives be So then a murderer takes that life away which he can never give nor restore and destroyes that which he can never build up 2. It destroyes mans persen Secondly the act of murder destroyes the person of man which depends upon mans life For neither is the soule alone nor the body alone the person of man but the whole man consisting of soule and body with their properties hypostatically united So that when the soule is in heaven he cannot say but Synechdochically that the person is in heaven Nor when the body is in the grave can we properly say that the person is in the grave For then either a man must be two persons one in heaven and another in the grave which is absurd or else one created person should be in diverse places at once which is impossible Observe vvhere the person is after death If you say where then is the person after death I answer it is not in actuall being but potentiall in its constitutive principles of soule and body that are to be joyned together at the day of judgment And therefore it is that the soules separate from the bodies thinke not nor worke in that manner as they did organically in the body whereupon the Psalmist saies of Princes that when they die their thoughts perish b Psal 146.4 and therefore neither remember they in that estate things past nor are capable of present under those species and notions as they did here in the body So then he that murders a man destroies a person although his distinct natures doe remaine Thirdly a murderer is injurious to God not onely in breaking his Law but also in destroying his Image which is not properly in the body or in the soule apart but in the whole person of man consisting of both soule and body with their properties personally united man was created in Gods Image now the soule alone or body alone is not the man but both united as is said so it is apparent that wrong is done to heaven and earth by a murderer §. 6. Of the originall of murder Murder whenee 1. From our selves We are to consider whence it comes that man doth monstrously First fall upon his owne kinde to destroy it and then upon himselfe Of murder in
old man There is a lawfull and commanded killing of our selves For understanding whereof it is to be observed that every one of us hath in him a self-old-man of sinfulnesse lively and powerfull in manifold lusts and wicked actions of which the Apostle tells us Rom. 7.5 That when we were in the flesh the motions of sinnes which were by the Law did worke in our members to bring forth fruit unto death when the Commandement came sinne revived the living whereof doth kill us In this case even for our owne preservation it is necessary and lawfull for us to kill our self-old-man with the lusts thereof as the Apostle commands us to mortifie our memhers that the body of sinne might be destroyed we should put off the old man Ephes 4.22 Col. 3.9 so that we should become dead to trespasses and sinnes wherein formerly we were dead The kinds of it This killing of our selves is metaphoricall and morall by which death we are made alive For if we doe not thus die wee cannot live as the sowne corne must first die before it can live and grow Comparison Hovv done 1. In Christ This our self-old-man is slaine by three severall acts or blowes First the same after a sort was crucified in Christ Rom. 6.6 That the body of sinne might be destroyed although not the individuall persons but the common nature of mankind aslumed by Christ did suffer death in him 2. By change of our estate in Justification Secondly our self-old-man is killed by change of our state upon our grafting into Christ by faith so that we are in that respect said to be dead to the Law by the body of Christ Rom. 7.4.6 and that we are dead to the Law that we might live unto God Gal. 2.19 this is done at one entire act or blow in the act of our justification so by this death freeing us from him that hath the power of death even the devill 3. By the Spirit Thirdly our self-old-man and the lusts thereof are killed as touching the dominion and corruption of them by the Spirit of God in the act of sanctification touching which the Apostle tells us Rom. 8.13 That if we through the Spirit doe mortifie the deeds of the body which is the worke of our whole life we shall live How we are actors in it This killing of our self-old-man should be done by our selves being the executioners of it by assistance of divine power from God in three severall acts 1. First by our act of savingly beleeving in Christ whereby our state is changed from death to life 2. Secondly by our constant indeavours to be conformed to Gods Image and will by daily renovation 3. Thirdly by our continuall warfare against our corruptions and temptations touching which the Apostle saies that the flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh Gal. 5.17 they are so contrary the one to the other that there is no living for either of them but by the death of its opposite neither is there any peace untill one of them be dead Observe The use of our Christian armour Wee should therefore ever use our Christian armour and imploy our utmost indeavours to destroy our self-old-man against which if we doe turne the edge of our spirituall sword to slaughter it with the lusts thereof we shall be diverted not onely from unjustly killing of others but much more from killing our selves in any other respect but when we as Saul doe spare the life of this Agag or self-old-man it causes us by a just hand of God to fall upon our selves to take away that life of our owne which we should both spare and cherish §. 4. Diverse observations from the generall consideration of self-murder Observ 1. Man is in greatest danger From the consideration of self-murder we may observe First that man stands in more danger of destruction than any other creature for no creature is subject to attempts against the life of it by it selfe but onely man who is invironed also with mortall dangers from without but specially of his owne procurement by opening the way for others to invade and hurt him by breaches and armes of his owne making 2. God vvants not executioners of his justice Secondly wee here see that God wants not meanes of execution of his judgements upon man seeing he can leave a man to fall upon himselfe and be his owne executioner Vse Feare God The use hereof is to make us afraid to offend God or to provoke him to be our enemie or to live unreconciled with him destitute of the assurance of his peace and favour Distrust our selves Neither are we over-confidently to trust our selves with our selves of whom wee have so little assurance for security and safety from self-mischiefe and therefore we are carefully to cleave to God for preservation praying him not to give us up to our selves who are mercilesly cruell to our selves when wee fall into our owne hands for the neerer that any are linked and knit together in condition or affection the more desperately opposite they are when they fall into division because of the want of a fit medium or mediatour of reconciliation betweene a mans selfe and himselfe what meane is there either to keepe himselfe from himselfe or to reconcile himselfe to himselfe when himselfe is fallen out into murdercus resolutions against himselfe CHAP. 8. Of spirituall self-murder in speciall §. 1. All perishing soules are self-murdered Soule-murder OF self-murder thus generally defined there are two kinds or specialls to wit spirituall and bodily Although some may be said to be murderers of other mens soules by their scandalous practises or by their corrupt doctrine or by depriving them of the meanes of their salvation and the like yet no soule can perish without the intervening and concurring of the assistance and meanes of him that owes that soule whereby it comes to paffe that all soules that miscarry are in some sort Is also self-murder self-murdered For although it is against nature to desire to bee absolutely miserable and that he should in his last existing in his last principles bee undone or wretched albeit he may affect the dissolution of his personall subsisting upon intention and hope by his change to bee bettered in his future estate subsisting in his remaining principles yet he may wittingly and willingly doe that which may be the destruction of his soule although he doth not intend that effect and so commit not direct but indirect self-soule-murder §. 2. Spirituall self-murder defined What spirituall self-murder is Now that wee may know what it is Spirituall self-murder is the killing of a mans soule or spirituall life by himselfe or his owne meanes That which distinguishes this from bodily self-murder is the subject killed which is the soule or spiritual life not that the soule essextially considered or its naturall life of being and
acting in it selfe can bee destroyed by man whereby it ever lives to be capable of eternall misery or glory For such a death it cannot die without being reduced into nothing and quite extinguished in regard of the spirituall simplicity thereof void of composition and the nature of it is an act but this death is onely of that superadded supernaturall beatificall life of grace and glory whereof a man may misse and come short and be guilty of the losse thereof although he were never personally possessed of it as those that are said 1 Tim. 1.19 to have put away faith and a good conscience §. 3. Of soul-murder by deprivation of life Tvvo degrees of it 1. Of soul-murder there are two degrees the first is deprivation of spirituall life which is poena damni or punishment of losse 2. the second is subjection to misery in positive manner which is called the second death and is poena sensus or punishment of sensible feeling because man was indowed at first as it were habitually with a spirituall life in gracious indowments and communion with God and now by mans owne fault that habit of spirituall life being destroyed it may be truly said that hee himselfe hath killed it in regard that he was radically and implicitely in Adam when he first destroyed and lost the same §. 4. Of mans deficiency to be saved Meanes of mans deprivation of 〈…〉 all life his deficiency The principall meanes of mans deprivation of this spirituall life is his neglect of meanes when himselfe is the immediate cause and procurer thereof by his owne deficiency and that two waies 1. In Adaw First as he is originally confidered in Adam who was the roote of mankind and whose first sinne and effects thereof are equally reckoned to bee all mens in common who then were in him and so thus radically in Adam all men have deprived themselves of spirituall life by their owne act of neglect of eating of the tree of life and of others permitted for their use and by their eating of the forbidden tree of knowledge of good and evill 2. By himselfe personally considered Secondly as he is personally considered by himselfe a man may deprive himselfe of spirituall life and so in that respect be a self-murderer of his soule which is done by his voluntary omission of duties upon which life is promised every man is dead in trespasses and sins a Ephes 2. and thereby subject to death but the Lord hath abundantly provided us of meanes to advance us to life which if we do wilfully neglect or contemne to use there being no other safety of necessiry wee must perish and bee guilty of our owne destruction as were the Iewes by rejecting of the Gospell Act. 28.25 Foure-fold omission Of this degree of self-soule-murder or deprivdtion of life a man may bee guilty by a foure-fold omission of things that ought to be done by him for his salvation 1. Neglect of the outward meanes First when a man willfully neglects the conscionable and diligent use of the outward ordinances of Gods word worship and Sacraments the blessed meanes of life appointed by God without which no man of discretion in the visible Church can be saved the Apostle Rom. 10.13 limits salvation to calling upon the name of the Lord which cannot be without hearing of the word of God This neglect of spirituall meanes is either by not going where they may be had and sincerely used or if hee may have them his neglect may be in not frequenting and carefully using them in conscionable manner nor submitting himselfe to bee wrought upon that he may be moulded in the forme and frame of the word a Rom. 6.17 But doth come to the meanes either with a prejudicate opinion against the truth or with a resolution to continue still in his unregenerated estate and in his sinfull courses as those that with their mouth shewed much love but their hearts went after their covetousnesse Ezek. 33.31 and as those that Ieremie speakes of Ier. 18.12 who said Wee will walke after our owne devices and wee will every one doe the imagination of his evill heart such persons are as guilty of their owne damnation as a man is of self-murder of his body that out of stubbornnesse or sullennesse will not eate but in the midst of plenty starve himselfe to death §. 5. Of mans neglect of the power of the meanes 2. The contempt of the power of the meanes The second omission procuting deprivation of spirituall life and so consequently effecting self-soule-murder in that degree is a mans contempt and regardlesnesse of the spirituall efficacy and power of the meanes for inward change of his spirituall and morall state and condition and for power of enabling him to all holy practise of life and conversation whereby he may be borne againe and be made a new creature a Iob. 3.3 which is a thing most necessary and availeable for salvation Gal. 6.15 Such men are either utterly carelesse and regardlesse of grace and spirituall life from their undervaluing of the worth of it or from their esteeming of the same to be needlesse Or else they harden their hearts as did Pharaoh and set themselves against the power of the Word that it may neither enter into their hearts nor make any divine change in their states or lives as if they had made a league with hell and death What be those Contemners Such are ever learning but never attaine to saving knowledge they are ever sowing but never reape they are ever in the hand of the workeman but are never framed anew they are fairely featured by some outward profession but are without life and sound grace the reason hereof is because such an one rests upon and pleases himselfe in his owne sufficiency using the meanes without consideration of the end why God gave the meanes and why we are couse them and without looking and seeking to God for a blessing upon the meanes that they may be effectuall to his salvation §. 6. Of mans defect in obedience 3. Want of obediencs The third omission whereby a man excludes himselfe from this spiritnall life and so consequently subjects himselfe to spirituall death is wilfull want of obedience to Gods word and that in a double respect 1 Evangelicall First in regard of the Gospell when he doth not savingly beleeve in Christ as the Gospell requires but remaines in privative unbeliefe whereby a man is destitute or deprived of Christ our life and Saviour For we are frequently said to live by faith b Habak 2.4 Heb. 10.38 Rom. 1.17 and therefore without it we are dead and so such as do not savingly beleeve and repent which are the acts of Evangelicall obedience doe deprive themselves of salvation through their owne default which is evident because they are willingly impenitent unbeleevers resisting the motions of the word and Spirit not sorrowing for nor striving against
their unbeliefe and hard impenitency of heart but are secure and doe please themselves therein 2. Legall Secondly want of obedience to Gods word that deprives us of life is in respect of the law in omitting of performing and doing the affirmative Commandements thereof upon observation whereof all the promises of life eternall are intayled so that without the same wee cannot be saved and therefore we should keep the Commandements as our life the want of obedience to the affirmative Commandements excludes from life as the breaking of the negative Commandements subjects the transgressors to destruction §. 7. Of the reasons of defect of obedience Causes of vvant of obedience There are foure speciall causes of mens neglect of the affirmative Commandements both of the Law and Gospell 1. Omissions First because the sinnes of that kind are but omissions which are not so contrary to God nor doe so much trouble the conscience as siunes of commission neither do the affirmative Commandements binde ad semper to the ever doing of them all at all times and therefore intermission being next to omission men doe easily fall from the former into the latter 2. Carnal reason Secondly because carnall men would subject Gods Lawes and ordinances to their owne naturall reason which neither allowes nor likes the spiritualnesse nor strictnesse of Gods Commandements such men doe give dispensations to themselves for carnall moderation or omission of duties as Naaman the Syrian did 2 King 5.18 pleasing themselves therein so long as their owne wit can coyne them excuses evasions and pretenses that they may preferre their owne will and waies before Gods wisdome and Lawes 3. Contrariety of nature Thirdly because mens owne naturall dispositions and course of life are contrary to the vertues commanded therefore in favour of their old man of sinne that raignes in them they forbeare to do what may crosse or hurt the same Compatison as the naturall mother that would not have her owne child divided 1 King 3.26 the law of sinne within them prevailing against the Law of God and his Spirit neglect of duties and vertues ever attends upon their opposite contrary master-raigning sins 4. Prosit and pleasure Fourthly because that the observation of the affirmative Commandements doth more crosse a mans profit and pleasure and brings him under more opposition and hatred of the world than the keeping of the negative Commandements doth he therefore is the more apt and inclined to omit the duties of the affirmative as more troublesome to observe because they doe include the observation of the negative and are more subject to the censure of men being more sensibly discernable than the negative and doth make a greater distance and difference from the world than bare omission of evill because doing of morall good puts a man into a remoter extreame from worldlings and unconverted persons than only not doing evill §. 8. Of grace dying by mans neglect 4. Neglect of cherishing grace The fourth omission whereby a man deprives himselfe of eternall life is neglect to cherish and foment the graces of Gods Spirit begun to bee wrought in him by the meanes but le ts them die before Christ bee fully formed in him The reason because he doth not constantly and conscionably use the meanes to perfect them both in their nature and degrees neither doth improve and exercise the talent and gifts that hee hath but suffers them to perish in languishing idlenesse nor doth he indeavour to approve himselfe to God in all sincerity and holinesse according to the utmost of his power nor yet encourages himselfe to aspire after perfection by the consideration and hope of everlasting glory we should be carefull and industrious that we lose not the things that wee have wrought 2 Ioh. 8. For those onely that hold out unto the end shall bee saved a Mat. 24.13 by neglect and sloth that life of grace languishes and dies which wee might seeme to have and might be in some degrees and motions of the Spirit begun Vses The uses of this point of doctrine touching this degree of self-soule-murder by omission of the meanes of life are diverse §. 9. The harme of omission of duty 1. Omission deprives men of life First to informe our judgement wee may see that by this neglect and omission a man may cut off himselfe from spirituall life and be in this degree a self-murderer of his owne soule Want of grace deprives a man of happinesse as the Virgins want of oyle b Mat. 22.12 and the mans want of his wedding garment excluded them from the presence of the Bridegroome c and 25.12 It is not enough that a man be not an ill man by sins of commission against the negative Commandements of God except he be also a good man by his conformity to GODS affirmative Commands For it is requisite that as a man would not onely not be damned in hell but would also bee glorified in heaven that hee bee not onely carefull to avoid the sins that may subject him to the former but also that he doe embrace the vertues and doe the duties whereby hee may be fitted for and advanced to the latter and as a man is made capable of vertue and glory so should hee not onely labour to be cleare of vice but also to be indowed with vertue and holinesse Negative righteousnesse Negative righteousnesse in abstinence from sinne whereof bruits and inanimates are free is an improper and lame righteousnesse which is next to a non ens so long as it is not accompanied with vertue Omission of good duties is a more generall meanes of destruction in exclusion from life eternall than commission of evill for many doe die before they are able to doe actually any evill and many others have beene civill harmelesse men as the Philosophers and yet perished For except our righteousnesse doe exceede the righteousnesse of the Scribes and Pharisees wee shall in no case enter into the Kingdome of Heaven a Mat. 5.20 And againe commission of evill is ever accompanied with omission of the contrary good but omission of good is not alwaies so accompanied with commission of evill as we see in Infants the greatest losse and mischiefe that can betide us in our deprivation of life and happinesse which consists in the fruition of God that is infinitely good and is lost by want and omission of good for without holinesse none shall see God Punishment of damage greater than of feeling The losse of eternall life is poena damni the punishment of damage which is farre greater than the punishment of feeling and smart although it bee not so to mans seeming therefore Cain complained that he was cast out from Gods presence b Gen. 4.4 because the objects doe so farre differ as finite and infinite and the glorified in Heaven shall be more affected with that happinesse that they shall possesse than the
damned in hell can be for that sensible misery that they shall suffer both in respect of the differing degrees and also of the natures of the things but punishment of damage and privation of life and happinesse proceeds from want and omission of good whereof wee are to beware §. 10. Of indeavour after spirituall life and of the lets thereof 2. The second use is to stirre us up to indeavour after life spirituall both to get and keepe it by the conscionable use of the meanes thereof For as God gives not this life without our using of appointed meanes so these meanes are within the reach of our power and none do perish but such as are wanting to themselves therein For no man perishes or is saved by an absolute decree of God without respect to his owne courses in the accomplishment thereof as Act. 13.48 it is said that as many as were ordained to life beleeved By a mans constant carefulnesse in the use of the meanes and walking in the waies of salvation it is apparent that he is appointed to life as the Apostle tells us 1 Thes 1.4 Knowing your election for our Gospell came unto you in power c. this life is worth the labouring for if we doe our parts for a thing of that price we may have assurance and comfort of it against the servile feare of the contrary death Letts The lets and hinderances of this endeavour and the causes of this omission whereby men deprive themselves of this spirituall life are specially three 1. Perverted judgment First a perverted judgement and stupid understanding undervaluing the worth of that life as not so excellent and necessary as it is it being not subject to our present naturall senses nor regarded by the world 2. Mis-placed affections Secondly the preferment of the world in the profits and pleasures thereof before it in place or degree after which ungodly men doe more eagerly hunt and therein have more content because they have the same in present possession and it agrees best with their estate and disposition insomuch that it may be said of such men that it is better to be their bodies than their soules as the Emperour said of Herod Macrobius that it was better being his hog than his Son because he killed his Son but spared and fatted his hogs 3. Presumption Thirdly groundlesse presumption that either he hath that life already or that he hath time enough to get it long afterwards or that it may be easily had without meanes or at least without so much adoe makes a man to omit endeavouring after it in due time in use of the meanes and so he misses that life §. 11. Of spirituall self-murder by subjection to death through commission of evill The second degree of self-soul-murder The second degree of self-soul-murder is subjection to spirituall destruction in damnation and everlasting misery whereof man himselfe is the efficient meritorious cause by his owne activity in committing and wilfully doing those sinnes for which death and destruction is threatned a Ezek. 18.4 and is assuredly inflicted upon the impenitent perseverers therein For as by a mans omission of his duty he deprives himselfe of life so by his commission of sinnes hee subjects himselfe to the contrary death the former being as terminus à quo the terme from which men move the latter as terminus ad quem the terme to which they move both which are inseparably united in the same person in whom thereby this spirituall self-murder is consummate to the highest perfection or degree of it whereby it properly may be called self-soule-murder §. 12. Of the meanes of destruction by breaking the Law By sins of commission The deadly meanes whereby men kill their owne soules and subject the same to eternall positive destruction are the sins that they wilfully commit and continue in in such kinds and degrees and manner as cannot consist in them with grace and salvation and are of two sorts 1. Against the Law of negative commands First such as be against the prime law of Nature by transgressing the negative Commandements of God whereby the transgressours doe subject themselves to that punishment which is called poena sensus or punishment of smart or damnation in hell For by sinne entred death Rom 5.12 Rev. 21.8 Prov. 19 16. The properties of soul-murdring sinnes The properties of the course and sinnes of Commission whereby a man becomes guilty of self-murder of his soule are foure 1. They are grosse Although the nature of all sinnes be mortall deserves death and disposes a man for it yet those that be of the grossest kinds and in the highest degrees of exorbitancy such as Hosea speakes of cap. 4.2 are specially said to be mortall for their extreame contrariety that they have to God and his justice their inconsistency with grace and for their apting and disposing of those to destruction that live in them so that by committing such sinnes men doe cast their owne soules into the gulfe of perdition 2. Wilfull Secondly when they that commit those sinnes or any of them doe willingly doe the same and live in them against the light and checks of their owne consciences as our Saviour charges the Pharisees Iohn 9.41 then are they self-condemned and do wittingly destroy their owne soules without excuse of ignorance or of want of power to have avoyded the same seeing as there is in some naturall notions of the Law in the minde such as the Gentiles have Rom. 2.14 So likewise all men have some remainder of power to forbeare sinnes in their grossest kinds and degrees if they were not wanting to themselves and therefore as all men specially the wicked within the Church shall be judged by the Law so they shall have nothing to plead to excuse why they should not be damned for their grosse transgressing of it 3. Obstinate Thirdly when men commit those sinnes with eagernesse and delight from and upon advised judgment and wilfull resolution with contentment in the acting of them and defending or excusing them when they are done as did Saul 1 Sam. 13.12 and do fall to opposing censuring and condemning the contrary course of vertue and godlinesse in the persons that doe practise the same whom therefore they hate and persecute a 1 Thes 2.15 such persons are in a course of destroying their owne soules by setting themselves with a high hand against God provoking him to his face to fall upon them for revenge 4. Presevered in Fourthly by this course of sinning a man murders his own soule when he goeth on and incorrigibly perseveres therein passing from evill to worse hardning his owne heart against all reproofes and amendment storming against and abusing all the meanes of his recovery to his deeper plunging in wickednesse and destruction for although hee would willingly misse hell and bee rid of the guilt of his sinne that troubles his conscience
Law for if a man doe sinne against the Law he hath the Gospell as a City of refuge to flee to to save him from the killing and damnation of the Law but if a man doe sinne as aforesaid against the Gospell there remaines no further meanes or hope of safety but a fearefull expectation of eternall destruction by his own wilfull procurement murdering his owne soule Observe From the consideration of the aforesaid sins of Commission against the Law and the Gospell with their deadly effects we may observe 1. Sin costs deare First that there is nothing that costs so deare as sin it selfe is a thing of nought but wonderfully deare to buy and possesse and therefore before we meddle with it we should consider the price of it whether we be willing to die eternally for it otherwise abstaine from it 2. To have our wills brings destruction Secondly we may see that we cannot have our own wills in sinfull courses but with the destruction of our soules our folly is seene in undoing our selves by our owne workes and wayes so that a mans course of sinning and following of his lusts is indeed but a course of Gods heavy spirituall judgements upon him wherein he is rather to be pittied as miserable than to be envyed as formidable God will have his will in mans destruction when man will not let God have his will in his Commandements §. 20. The improvement of the knowledge of spirituall self-murder Vses The Vses of the knowledge of the aforesaid spirituall self-murder are specially Foure 1. Sin is a course of self-murder First It serves to informe our judgement what to think and esteeme of the sinfull and carelesse courses of many that live wilfully and impenitently transgressing both Law and Gospell namely that the same is a vile course of self-murder of their own soules for by those courses onely men doe perish and in those courses none escape destruction as one sayes Picol Vitium est non ens recessus ab ente vivus interitus ipsius esse virtus est vita ipsius esse Vice is a non-ens and a departure from entity and a living destruction of beeing it selfe whereas vertue is the life of being For although such men intend not directly to destroy their owne soules but to indulgere genio and live in self-content and pleasure yet the courses that they directly intend prosecute being such as of themselves destroy the soule which thing they know and are warned of they are no lesse self-murderers of their soules than they that intending to prevent or ease themselves of some present evill doe cut their own throats by a lesser evill as they thinke preventing a greater and therefore such are infamous self-murderers and cannot at the day of judgement be excused therefrom by charging the blame of their destruction upon any others And Numb 13.36 especially such persons as live under the light and profession of the Gospell in such sinfull courses and transgressions are most guilty and shall be most deepely damned in hell having least to plead in excuse for themselves and therefore our Saviour sayes that it shall be easier at the day of judgement for Tyre and Sidon than for such Mat. 11.22 Vse 2. Spirituall self-murder is most hainous and damnable The soule killed The second use of the point is to shew us that this spirituall self-murder is farre greater and worser than men ordinarily thinke it to be which is apparent in three respects First In regard of the thing killed which in spirituall self-murder is the soule of man that is much more excellent than the body both for the nature of it that cannot be valued with earthly things and also for the use thereof rationall and spirituall whereby man excells all other earthly creatures and by the murdering thereof he dejects himselfe in state beneath them all in misery and contemptiblenesse 2. The body with the soul killed Secondly for that they that kill their owne soules doe consequently thereby also kill their owne bodies because the body partakes in estate with the soule a Rev. 20.15 and so are both cast into hell Mat. 10.28 the nobler part drawes the other into identity of condition 3. The quality of this kinde of self-murder Thirdly it is the worst of murders in regard of the quality of the death it selfe this murder of the soule is spirituall and eternall not onely depriving a mans self of spirituall good but also subjecting him to all misery of sense and smart that the idevill himself the capitall enemy of mankinde cannot doe nor desire worse to man than in this case he doth to himself Murder of the body although it be vile and odious yet of it self it is but a privation from temporary good leaving the body without sense or feeling of evill and at the last day the body shall be raised againe to life in the union of it with its owne soule and therefore of all self-murderers the self-soul-murderer should be most miserable Vs 3. Endeavour to be saved and preserved from soul-destruction The third use is that as all men by naturall instinct do desire to be saved and to escape hell and damnation we should be carefull to use the meanes and to walke in the way whereby wee may attaine to life and avoide destruction for both are diversly entailed unto and depend upon severall contrary courses and appertaine to men of contrary lives and qualifications without the which they cannot have the same Although that many men doe divide the end from the meanes supposing that notwithstanding their unregenerate estate and wicked lives they shall escape destruction and that although they neither love nor practise goodnesse they shall bee saved and doe well enough and so flattering and self-beguiling themselves in their owne courses they run securely and precipitate themselves into perdition and therefore I conclude with Solomon Let thine eyes looke right on and let thine eye lids looke straight before thee ponder the path of thy feete and let all thy wayes be established turne not to the right hand nor to the lest remove thy foote from evill b Prov. 4.25 Vse 4. Our courses in this life foreshew our estates what they shall be in the world to come The fourth use is to direct us how we may rightly judge of our selves and of our spirituall estates and future ends by the courses that we take If the same bee deadly wayes of sin that we doe embrace and persist in then must we die and as those courses are of our owne voluntary choise so cannot we blame any but cry out of our selves and our owne wayes as did the Prophet Woe unto us that we have sinned Lament 5.16 that so in time we may labour to prevent our destruction by speedy repentance Againe if our wayes and state be good and such as life is promised unto wee may have assurance and
comfort that upon our perseverance we shall have happinesse and life eternall So that we need not pleade uncertainty and ignorance of whether we are going to heaven or hell or whether in the state or course we live in we shall be saved or damned seeing that the Scripture makes it manifest what shall be the reward and event of every man according to the state and course he lives and dyes in that we need neither put off the knowledge nor the blame or cause of whether we shall be saved or damned upon our praedestination when wee doe determine the same in the accomplishment thereof by our owne courses CHAP. 9. Of bodily self-murder in speciall §. 1. How bodily self-murder is defined and differenced NOw we are to prosecute the second branch of self-murder which is called bodily self-murder and is thus defined Bodily self-murder is the killing of a mans owne body in destroying of his naturall life by himself his owne voluntary meanes or procurement This kind of self-murder is differenced from spirituall self-murder by two things First by the object that is killed in this the soule and spirituall life is destroyed in that the body or mans naturall life is undone Secondly they differ in the meanes and manner of killing of them the soule or spirituall life is slaine by spirituall and morall meanes the body by naturall or bodily self-willed waies §. 2. Of Mans body and its works Touching the body of man in this case we are to consider three things 1. Considerations First that it is an essentiall part and not onely an integrall part constituting the person of man without which he cannot be a man personally considered and therefore by killing of his body he destroyes his person that it ceases from being or subsisting in this world 2. Secondly the body of man is the organ or instrument whereby the soule works organically and therefore hee that kills his owne body destroyes all those works that the soule was to worke in it and which it cannot doe without it The soules morall workes in the body 1. The morall organicall works of mans soule in the body are of three sorts First such as immediatly intend and concerne the advancement of the glory of God in this life where the living and not the dead do praise him 2. Secondly such works as are serviceable for the morall and spirituall good of the person himselfe which is to bee attained and procured by life before we can come to enjoy it by death 3. Thirdly such works as promore the good of the Church and Common-wealth of both which every Christian is a member and can onely by his life and not after death benefit the same so that by killing himselfe a man wrongs God himselfe the Church and Common-wealth in bereaving them of that service and good which they all might have by his life 3. Consideration The third thing here considerable in mans body is that it with the soule makes the person and so in that respect is the subject or seate of Gods Image and therefore a man in killing of his owne body not only dishonours but also in a sort doth what in him lieth to kill God himselfe as he is similitudinarily in him and incurres the horrible crime of Laesae majestatis divinae or treason against the sacred Majesty of God Observ The body suffers by and for the soule So then the body which is the soules instrument or servant and is no way culpable or nocent but by partnership with and inserviceablenesse to the soule is ill rewarded and indignely suffers by its owne master abusing it to sinne and subjecting it to misery and punishment who is not content to weare it out but after his owne lust breakes and spoyles it whereof hee cannot turne one haire to be white or black hee spares his soule in its sinnes which he should mortifie and in a sinfull course kills his body which he should spare Naturall life is both a blessing of it selfe and also is a meanes of blessing God and others in this world and whereby wee may attaine to everlasting blessednesse hereafter Life is unsure of all which a man deprives himselfe by thus killing of himselfe which cannot be done but against the light and reluctancie of nature in all men whereby the actors declare themselves to bee unnaturall and barbarou monsters Naturall life that is a tenant at will in man is most uncertaine and soone thrust out at doores when it is not secure from him that owes it Man is unworthy of this life that is no more thankfull for it neither more values it nor makes better use of it but after his wastefull expence of it in sinfull courses desperately destroyes it God in his Word never appointed nor commended any meanes for a man to kill himselfe by because where God appoints not the end he appoints not the meanes to attaine it yet man wants not meanes to doe it by perverting his power and skill to that end and abusing other things contrary to the use for which God made them when he purposes to doe such an act so abusing both himselfe and all other things to his owne ruine The body is passive The body is but a passive subject in respect of the soule to whose power and will it is obnoxious and therefore it is the more subject to suffer and it is the more inexcusable sinne to misuse it seeing it neither deserves to be ill intreated at his hand that owes it nor yet hath it power to resist or defend it selfe against the invasions of him to whom it is committed to preserve it In this bodily self-murder not onely doth the soule turne enemy to the body but it moreover makes an unnaturall mutinie against and amongst the members raising by faction a partie for it selfe so causing the hand to stab the body and the parts to be instruments to undoe the whole and thus by intestine opposition a man subverts and pulls downe upon his owne head the tabernacle of his owne body as Samson did the house wherein he was whereby he crushes and undoeth himselfe ordinarily in body and soule §. 3. Of the degrees of self-murder and pronenesse of men to it The degrees of self-murder This self-murder of the body is either inchoate and begun only in purposes and courses tending to the effecting thereof in time if it be not seasonably prevented or else it is consummate in the full accomplishment thereof No man falls into the highest extremities of evill but by degrees the least whereof makes way for and drawes on the greatest Causes of pronenesse to self bodily murder The causes why men often are prone to the self-murdering of their bodies are two 1. First the meannesse of it in comparison of the soule for nature and durance it being but earthly and fraile whereby it must naturally die 2. Secondly in regard that by it the soule is
subjected to manifold sufferings here in this life and is hindered from that ease and advancement that freed out of the body it might have Answer to 1. But touching the first it should make us the more tender over it chary to use it and to consider that by self-murderously destroying our bodies wee do contaminate and defile our soules whereby wee make them far more vile than any carion can be seeing sinne is the onely excrement and morall defilement for which God detests and abhorres men as loathsome Ansvver to 2. For answer to the second it is to be observed that by self-murder of the body a man is so farre from bettering of himselfe that thereby he deprives himselfe of happinesse and subjects himselfe to that wofull misety which otherwise living he might escape and therefore our bodies and naturall lives are to be respected and cherished not onely for their worth but also for their use for which God hath given them to us So that we are not to force a divorce of those things that God hath coupled so neere together nor to thrust away or reject that which God requires us not then and that way to lay downe CHAP. 10. Of the kindes of bodily self-murder §. 1. Direct and indirect self-murder defined 1. Direct self-murder THe kindes of bodily self-murder are two Direct and Indirect Self-murder is not such a generall as in the Schooles is called Genus univocum so predicated of them both as equally communicating it self to both those species or specialls under it but is genus analogum ab uno or commune genus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for that the same doth properly and primarily belong to direct self-murder Direct bodily self-murder is the killing of a mans bodie or naturall life by himself or his owne meanes advisedly wittingly and willingly intending and effecting his owne death 2. Indirect self-murder Indirect self-murder of the body is when a man advisedly wittingly and willingly intends and doth that which he knowes may be of it self the meanes of the destruction of his naturall life Although he doth not purposely intend to kill himself thereby Or it is the killing of a mans owne body by unlawfull either morall or naturall meanes of his owne using without intending of his death thereby §. 2. Of the differences between direct and indirect self-murder 1. They differ in their ends The proper differences between direct and indirect self-murderers consists specially in three things First in the ends directly and immediately intended by the self-murderers of both kindes in their severall acts the end that is immediately intended in direct self-murder is death it self of their bodies that kill themselves although not for it self but in respect of some benefit conceited to be had thereby which is their ultimate end whereunto death is in the murderers intention subordinate as for a man to kill himself that he may be out of trouble The end that in indirect self-murder is immediately aimed at is the attainment of some good really or apparent in or by the meanes that an indirect self-murderer doth use without any respect or expectation of death thereupon ensuing as in surfeiting by drunkennesse or gluttony 2. In their meanes Secondly they differ in the meanes that are used by them for accomplishing those ends in direct self-murder the meanes abused to that effect and end are not proper of themselves nor by Gods appointment but are perverted by him that kills himself thereby as knives or the like for God never appointed meanes for any man lawfully to use for effecting that which he would never have men to doe a direct self-murderer uses not the meanes for any pleasure he hath in them but for the consequent effects that he intends by them In indirect self-murder the meanes and course used are such as doe properly kill in the end if that they bee persisted in as drunkennesse and the like although they have in them a shew of present good which gives the users of them a kinde of delight and contentment in them whereof they shall be disappointed when in the end they shall in stead thereof finde death which they least expected and most abhorred and would resist the same if it were inferred or offered to them by others 3. In the good aimed at Thirdly direct and indirect self-murder doe differ in the good that is aimed at by them and in the time wherein they looke to enjoy it A direct self-murderer doth fancy his good intended by him in his act of self-murder not to be in the meanes that he uses to kill himself but in or by death in his freedome from evill or enjoying of good the time of his reaping of which benefit he conceives to be after that he is dead and gone An indirect self-murderer conceits the good that hee aymes at by his course to bee and rest in the very meanes themselves that he uses therein expecting the present enjoyment thereof before and not after his death the cogitations and inflicting whereof hee abhorres although he doe prosecute with eager delight the courses that doe hasten and bring his death §. 3. How indirect self-murder is greater in some respects than direct Which of them is the greater sinne It is demanded whether direct or indirect self-murder be the greater sinne Answer In some respects Indirect self-murder I answer if we consider the freenesse of the will with lesse inforcement and with more delight prosecuting those deadly courses of indirect self-murder there can be in that respect lesse said to excuse it than for direct self-murder 1. For freenesse of willing An indirect self-murderer is at last in respect of the mortall meanes he uses and persists in untill the effect be accomplished as sure of death which he abhorres as a direct self-murderer is of the same that he desires and indeavours for and longs after 2. Obstinatenesse Againe an indirect self-murderer is more hardly diverted from his unlawfull dangerous course than at first a direct self-murderer Because this man may be sooner convinced of the vilenesse of his purposed fact in excuse whereof he hath so little to say and also the danger of it is more apparent and ghastfull to the mind that advisedly in cold blood considers of it The other is taken up with looking upon the present contentment in the meanes that he uses not considering death and danger thereupon attending and insuing but self-deceives himselfe with excuses and colourable pretenses and so doth wink as it were that he may not see the blow of death that he is giving himselfe with his owne hands Of direct self murder the cause or occasion is ordinarily from discontentment and sorrow but of Indirect self murder the cause commonly is pleasure and delight Delores serre sacilius est quam â—â—voluptatibus absunere Arist 3 Eth. c. 12. of these two motives pleasure is the strongest and their motion
way of omission if out of sullennesse griefe or nigardize or by undiscreet punishment of his body he shall stubbornly and foolishly refuse to eate or drinke in that measure or kinde that is requisite for his preservation by abstinency and sparing either starving himselfe to death or breeding in himselfe and contracting that which kills him somewhat like hereunto was the practise of Ahab 1 King 21.4 who because Naboth would not let him have his vineyard heavie and displeased layd him downe upon his bed and turned away his face and would eat no bread 1 Tim. 5.23 the contrary whereof Paul commanded Timothy A Caveat Yet to avoid this danger men may not Gormandize or excessively pamper themselves indulgendo Genio but may and ought at set times to fast both for civill and divine ends with respect to the good both of soule and body 2. Contempt of Physick Secondly in this kinde of omission a man may indirectly murder himselfe by wilfull contempt of the lawfull use of Physick or Chirurgery either to cure or prevent apparent mortall diseases or griefes or when he will not be ordered by the wholesome direction of the skilfull in their calling or doth not depend upon God for a blessing upon the meanes who by his over-ruling providence directs the course and blesses the meanes A Caveat Yet men must herein be carefull that they slavishly enthrall not themselves to the meanes nor anxiously perplexe themselves if they cannot have them or that the successe answers not their expectation because the Lord disposes things so as he also may effect his worke and will often by crossing ours Neglect of prevention of dangers Thirdly a man may incurre indirect self-murder by regardlesnesse of preserving himself against mortall dangers from without himself as in not seeking to God for reconciliation by humiliation and repentance in some imminent judgements that threaten from God our destruction that we may bee preserved either from them or in them Or as when wee are in danger of invasion by enemies for a man then regardlesly to shut his eyes from foreseeing the same that it may suddenly surprise him or that he should not prepare himself and do his utmost endeavours in his owne defence to save his life if by resisting it may be done or otherwise to provide for himselfe by flight or other prudent diversion or preventing of the evill that he may not carelesly suffer his life to be lost So then the cowardise of men in extremities by Sea or land that will not doe their utmost endeavours for their owne preservation as likewise the griplenesse of those that to spare their goods indanger the losse of their lives for want of military furniture and meanes to make opposition are much to be blamed for this course of indirect self-murder A caveat But yet touching this point men should be wary that they neither be so carefull to preserve their lives that they should spare to venture them where they ought and may comfortably spend and lay them downe nor yet have their eyes and confidence so upon earthly meanes of humane strength and provision that they should forget or neglect to seeke to God and to depend upon him for safety and victorious successe 4. Not avoiding dangerous persons places Fourthly of indirect self-murder a man may be guilty by not avoiding and fleeing from persons and places destinated to destruction which are under a curse or in a course of mortall judgements when we are not necessarily tyed by duty or calling to commerce and bee with them as is apparent by Lots forsaking of Sodome and by the command of Moses to the Israelites Gen. 19. Numb 17.26 to depart from the tents of Corah Dathan and Abiram and by that divine commandement charging all the godly to come out of Babylon that they might not be partakers of her sins and that they might not receive of her plagues Rev. 18.4 And therefore such as out of unwarrantable presumption or carnall security avoid not persons and places infected with the pestilence or subjected to perdition when their presence is unnecessary not to be justified and pernicious to themselves they must be cast upon the inditement of indirect self-murder if by the aforesaid meanes they doe miscary §. 4. Of indirect self-murder by omission morally wrought 2. Morally By way of deficiency or omission of indirect self-murder a man may be guilty by a morall meritorious default two wayes 1. By neglect of good life First by his wilfull neglect or contempt to live and walke in the wayes of godlinesse and obedience to gods affirmative commandements whereunto the promises of life and protection are annexed a Gal. 3.12 and which we may certainly expect so long as we keepe our selves within compasse of morall obedience to the Law and Gospell and within the limits and precincts of our speciall callings so that if therein or therefore we should lose our lives we shall be free of the imputation of self-murder any way in that respect 2. Neglect of prayer c. Secondly in meritorious morall manner a man may miscary and be indirectly guilty of his own death by wilfull omission and neglect of commending himselfe in constant and ordinary prayer to God for divine preservation and safety of his life against all evills and dangers which may hurt him and over which and over him God hath a soveraigne power and command Unbeliefe And also by his unbeliefe and not trusting in God in all estates for preservation under whose wings he may securely rest a man may be justly deserted and given over to perish and sinke as Peter when he doubted was in danger of drowning b Mat. 14.30 31 Whence it proceeds This neglect of thus depending upon God ariseth either from self-confidence in mans owne power and meanes whereupon he rests as secure or else from Atheisticall conceits of the providence of God as if he were regardlesse of humane affaires and that all things did fall out by chance and fortune because they doe see all things in this world fall out alike to all men which being more exactly considered manifests rather the free and soveraigne powerfull providence of God over-ruling all things A caveat Yet this divine preservation by faith and prayer to God excludes not but includes the conscionable use of lawfull meanes and walking in appointed courses without which we can expect safety no more than Paul and his company could if they did let the mariners forsake the Ship a Acts 27.31 if a man by the aforesaid neglect of prayer and dependance upon God doe not perish it is Gods speciall worke reserving him either for repentance and amendment of his life or for some worse end and heavier judgement Observe Neglect of meanes is tempting of God From this degree of indirect self-murder by omission of meanes wee may observe that when God gives meanes of life if
we use them not to that end we tempt God to follow our owne wills while we will not follow his and if we use the meanes with trusting in them then we make gods of the meanes and therefore in that respect it is just with God to disappoint us of our expectation and to condemne us of indirect self-murder upon our miscarying in not using the meanes For all meanes as they are meanes have relation to the end why and whereunto they are appointed and so in their use to that end consists their perfection without which they were uselesse and needlesse and therefore by the omission of the use of the meanes of life which men would enjoy they either tempt God to doe things otherwise than he hath ordained or else they doe shew themselves regardlesse of God preferring their owne wills above his expecting to have their owne purposes without him whereby many men deceive themselves §. 5. A question resolved about standers mute at tryall About mutes refusing to undergoe the ordinary legall triall for their lives To this branch of indirect self-murder by omission belongs the case about mutes who are persons standing legally indited and arraigned for some capitall crimes that doe wilfully and obstinately decline and refuse either to confesse themselves guilty of the same or to submit themselves to be tryed by God and the Country notwithstanding that they certainly know that for their stubborne mutenesse they shall in fearefull manner bee pressed to death in which respect they are indirect self-murderers although that they are thereunto moved especially by foure seeming reasons Their reasons 1. First because that by that way they would save their estates if they have any from being confiscate to the King that their heires may enjoy the same 2. Secondly that so they may escape the death that is most ignominious in their eyes and infamous in the world to their memories friends and posterities whereunto they foresee they should be subject if so be they should undergoe an ordinary tryall 3. Thirdly that it may not be said that they suffered and dyed for so odious and shamefull crimes and facts as they are accused of and indited for 4. Fourthly that they may not be cast condemned or suffer by the meanes wills and hands of such prosecutors witnesses Iury or Indges as they take to be their capitall enemies they choose to die by that course of their owne election wherein their adversaries can least as they thinke have their will of them They should die and why But whatever be their reasons of standing mute in that case it is most just that therefore they should bee put to death in most terrible and ignominious manner for two reasons 1. First because of the intollerable wrong that thereby they doe to authority and justice tending to the overthrow of the same by refusing to subject their lives to the triall and judgement thereof and by their deaths as it may be truly interpreted depriving their highest Soveraignes on earth both of the commendation of Iust and also of opportunity of shewing mercy and giving pardon to delinquents and so not submitting to the judicature they actually declare themselves to be rebellious outlawes for which they are justly to die 2. Secondly be cause such persons by declining so just a way of trial by God and their Peeres doe in iust construction declare themselves to bee guilty of the facts and crimes whereof they are indited and for which they ought to die but seeke to crosse the law in the proper kindes of punishment due for the same And that they are guilty of their owne deaths by a grosse course of indirect self-murder is evident by foure reasons Mutes are self-murderers Reasons 1. First because such an one wilfully and obstinately reiects that lawfull and ordinary course of triall whereby it is possible that he might escape with his life either by not being found guilty or else by replevin or pardon from the execution and chooses that illegall course of standing mute whereby and for which hee certainly knowes he shall die and as certaine it is that so dying he is an indirect self-murderer in regard that he casts away his life wilfully by that course which was in his owne power most lawfully to have avoyded 2. Secondly by choise of that course of standing mute when he is called to a lawfull tryall he dies not only for that contumacy against authority and law but also thereby he unnaturally witnesses and gives verdict against himselfe to be guilty of the originall fact or crime for which he is indited and ought to die if it can bee proved and found against him which thing hee by his mutenesse doing in that respect hee justly perishes by his owne meanes and is indirectly a self murderer for no innocent would decline so just and lawfull a tryall by God and his Peeres when he knowes that by so refusing hee shall surely die 3. Thirdly it is apparent that such a body is indirectly a self-murderer because of the morall nature of their course of standing mute which is most wicked and unlawfull both by Gods law and mans For by the law of God and nature every man is bound to plead and doe the best he can by all lawfull meanes to prolong or preserve his life but standers mute in case of triall upon their lives doe not so but utterly neglect the use of lawfull meanes to prolong or save their lives and therefore are of this kinde of self-murderers By mans law for a person arraigned to stand mute is most unlawfull because it crosses the execution of Justice and is justly punished by a most terrible kinde of death by pressing Man hath not an allowed choise given him by law either to submit to triall or to be mute as he shall please for if the choise were lawfull why then should hee bee punished for doing that which hee may lawfully choose which could not be done by the magistrate without great injustice 4. Fourthly that such mutes are indirect self-murderers is evident by the voluntary disposition of their wills in the free choise of that mortall course and by the proper nature of their death and by the meritorious cause and reason of it all proceeding from themselves in active manner Whereas touching their deaths and course of inflicting thereof they should passively and obediently submit to God and lawfull authority to live or die as they please where no lawfull choise is given in mortall courses there no man can choose that which is unlawfull without being an indirect self-murderer as it is in this case Answer to their motives The motives whereupon any persons doe stand mute refusing to be tryed in an ordinary lawfull manner are altogether insufficient to justifie their practise For answer to the first it is certaine that we should do nothing that is unlawfull to save our worldly estates for our heires but this course is
about and for things secret to bring him to publick judicature and censure it is not in use among us The seeming contrary practise in this Kingdome is as I take it onely in Courts of Conscience having more spirituall power to bee used specially for the good of mens soules without blood-shedding or danger of their lives who are not required upon oath to depose of criminall matters concerning themselves but where there are first promoters and accusers offering to prove the same in which case for the better informing and resolving of the Court from the conscience of the accused in favour of whom it is originally allowed from the supreme governour and Judge of that Judicature that hee may answer his knowledge upon his oath to the articles of his accusation not with legall intention by that course to make him unnaturally to accuse or condemne himselfe where none others can or are about to doe the same but for answere in his owne defence touching the things that he is accused of thereby either to make his innocency to appeare if he be blamelesse or otherwise by his owne confession of his faults for the good of the Church and his soules health to discover the danger and shew his ingenuity that hee may repent amend and find favour Objection 1. It may be objected that such a malefactor is bound in this case to answere according to his owne conscience and knowledge that he is guilty because if he answer not guilty when he is indeed guilty he lies which is unlawfull for him to doe Answer 1. To this I reply first that the malefactors answer is to be made according to the intention of the Law and of the Iudge that moves the question Cont. Maâ—c oÌ„ lib. 4. Justa digna praescriptio est in omni quaestione ad propositum interrogationis pertinere debere sensum respensionis aliud consulenti aliud re spondere dementis est Sensus respoÌ„sionis non est ad aliud dirigendus qu im ad proposaum interrogationis according as Tertullian saith it is a just and worthy rule that in every question the answer should bee applied to the same sense and purpose to which the interrogation is made To answer of one thing when he is asked another is the part of a mad man Agaeine the sense of the answer is not to be directed to any other thing than that which was propounded in the interrogation Now the Iudge propounding according to Law this question to the prisoner at the barre art thou guilty or not guilty of this felony or the like intends not that he should answer from his onely conscience guilty which is unnaturall and suspitious for him to give witnesse and virdict against himselfe to the taking away of his owne life but that he should answer not guilty in law at the barre whereof hee stands arraigned that so for finding of him guilty of that whereof hee is indited hee may legally bee put upon the triall of God and the Countrey For the question being propounded in a disjunctive proposition art thou guilty or art thou not guilty both gives a free choise which of them to answer and also puts in minde and poynts rather to the latter as more naturall and equall than to insist upon the former It is a free and lawfull election offered in mercy and favour to the prisoner from the King by the Iudge for the indicted person to choose which he will whether voluntarily to confesse the fact or rather to put himselfe upon the triall of God and the Countrey for the same His negative answer of not guilty is but his choise and imbracing of the latter triall which is most agreeable to nature to the Law and the Kings favour and mercy in this case which he can no otherwise have but by first pleading to the indictment not guilty And so his answer and plea of not guilty is no lye although hee have done the fact whereof he pleads he is not guilty and for triall thereof puts himselfe upon God and the Country Objection 2. If it be againe objected that seeing the Law that makes this disjunctive question accepts of the prisoners affirmative answer and thereupon condemnes and executes him as David did with the Amalckite upon his confession that he had slaine Saul 2 Sam. 1.16 it seemes to be lawfull and requisite for all malefactors to answer to the question affirmatively touching the things that in conscience they are guilty of Answer I answer it is lawfull and fit for Magistrates to use many meanes to winde out the truth of facts from delinquents which malefactors are not bound upon such questions or inquisition to reveale against their owne lives in regard that every one severally is to order their practise and course according to the rules proper and pertinent to their owne conditions and callings The Law indeed accepts of the malefactors answer of Guilty and accordingly proceeds to condemne and execute him because by his confession giving testimony and verdict against himselfe he cuts of prevents and excludes himselfe from triall by others whereby he might be either cleared or condemned in regard that it is justly supposed that none other can know a man and his actions so well as himselfe doth and therefore the Law for ease certainty other politick respects doth permit and accept of such an affirmative answer but neither commands nor commends it because the Law takes notice of things and censures them politically and not theologically considered Objection 3. Thirdly it may perhaps be here replied that when a man besides his owne knowledge of his capitall fact hath upon examination before a Iustice confessed the fact under his hand which is produced against him at the Triall how can he plead negatively to the inditement Not guilty without lying either in the former or in the latter seeing of coÌ„tradictioÌ„s of necessity one must be false Answer I answer that for such an one to answer at the Barre Not guilty is not a lie nor properly a contradiction to his former confession or to his owne knowledge neither is that negative plea any concealement of the truth from being then and there knowne by such lawfull meanes as by Law and the Iudge is intended for discovery of the same which is by other evidence than a mans owne confession For clearing of the truth whereof it is to be observed that the question made to him touching his fact is propounded to him and hee charged with the fact in his Inditement in such a nature and forme of Law termes as it may be he properly understands not as whether he be guilty of that treason felony burglary or the like in which respect or Law notion put upon his fact his life is questioned and in danger to bee taken away And therefore when the question requires an answer touching his fact as it is vested in that forme or Law terme and notion he lies not nor contradicts
Case 4. The fourth Case is of those that trade by Sea who often runne into mortall and desperate adventures out of eagernesse to make their voyages either putting to Sea in such weather and seasons as is like to endanger all or putting for the Port upon desperate hazards of miscarying by stormes sands or rocks or running presumptuously into the danger of Pyrates or other mortall ingagement by Sea either through wilfull negligence or through self confidence of skill or power more than they have so tempting God Observe The true occasion of which miscariages of men by Sea is often given by Merchants upon the Land who praise and respect men for fortunate and valiant according to the successe careat successibus opto Quisquisab eventu facta probanda putat and the event of their courses without respect to the due rules of the managing the same which makes many a man come short home by adventuring to please their Merchants contrary to the rules of art and wisdome Note In this case I would advise men rather to looke to do what they may warrantably justifie and may therein have peace in their consciences although the successe answer not their desire than to endeavour contrary to wisdome and art to please their owners and Merchants by such courses of desperate and unwarrantable adventures as if they or their charge miscary therein will over-cloud them with just blame ignominie and will bereave them of that comfort in their consciences which should cheere and uphold them under their crosses a course of accidentall good successe and a course of direct ill successe are not so to be compared together that for the former a man should venture upon the latter with the guilt of self-murder to be imputed to him if therein he doe perish Concerning Duells Case 5. The fifth Case of desperate adventure is of those that undertake Duells or doe give or accept challenges of single combats upon their owne private motion for private revenge or for supposed maintenance of impeached honour who if they perish in the attempt or by meanes of the conslict are guilty of more than indirect self-murder because that course so unwarrantably and needlefly undertaken is commonly where the wronged may have better redresse with lesse adventure of life Duellers what they b. and those Duellers or single combattants doe by such challenges shew themselves to be lawlesse contemners of authority whose allowance they have not as they ought for such a triall by battle to make the same just but by usurpation they make themselves Kings in contempt and prejudice of lawfull authority in erecting a tribunall for Iustice of their owne making in their own case where themselves alone are Parties Iurie Witnesse Iudge and Sheriffe whereas it is the prerogative of Kings to make warre and peace and independently to execute justice under God It also argueth in them both great folly and impotency of minde so lightly to adventure or give away their lives a price so far exceeding the worth of the purchase that they contend for and which they may have decided farre better without any such desperate danger and also it proclaimes their pusillanimity and weaknesse in that they cannot beare crosses and injuries And finally it makes their cause apparently unjust when they passe by or neglect a peaceable triall by equall justice and reason and doe put it to be decided by bodily strength and chance of warre in a course more beseeming beasts than men It seemes that such men doe account themselves and their lives little worth and that they are weary of living who so rashly expose the same by thrasonicall provocations and darings to be taken away and destroyed in such a manner wherein having abandoned the command of reason they become beasts and becomming slaves to their vilest passions of fury madnesse cruelty and the like whereby they are overcome who would in that course overcome others Duellers degenerate into incarnate devills And while they thus contend to gain or maintaine reputation of Honour and Valour by this most dishonourable and base brutish course of impetuous self-revenge by Duells they justly lose that for which they contend and otherwise might have had Concerning desperate attempts upon daring and wagering Case 6. The sixt case of desperate hazzard and adventure whereby men may indirectly be self-murderers 1. About daring is in the point of provocation by others for proofe of their courage and valour challenging them to dare to attempt the effecting of some deadly enterprise beyond all warrantable calling or lawfull meanes safely and lawfully to accomplish the same as for a man needlesly to conflict with a Lyon to run over rocks to provoke or assault Adversaries too potent for him to resist or offend with safety of his life or upon such daring to doe some capitall act or mischiefe whereby he is most like to perish and not thereby without just imputation to himselfe of guiltinesse of his owne death in regard of the unlawfulnesse of that his course wherein hee cannot warrantably looke for any blessing or protection from God neither doe such unjustifiable daring-practises argue any true fortitude and valour but onely bewraie temerarious audaciousnesse which is in excesse contrary to fortitude because true valour is seene in couragiously undertaking and accomplishing dangerous performances upon advised reason by lawfull courses to just and necessary ends but rash audaciousnesse in daring to doe unwarrantable attempts is manifest by the unreasonablenesse and unnecessarinesse thereof undertaken upon unadvised passion and foole-hardy presumption with arrogancy in the manner of accomplishing and folly in the end of it A truly valorous man manifests his fortitude by his unconquerablenesse upon any provocation of darring to doe any thing that is not fit and warrantable for him to undertake upon good grounds and reason that if he bee crossed or perish in atchieving it hee may have honour and peace and no way be guilty of his owne death So that although daring audaciousnesse exceeds true fortitude in unwarrantably adventuring beyond it yet it comes short of valorous fortitude in the grounds and manner of enterprising and of consequent effects and honour of it A valorous man is his owne master in disposing of himselfe and his actions about dangerous enterprises according to his owne minde sound reason and advised resolution Whereas an audacious man is but as a servant to others by whose will and daring provocations he orders himself and his actions as they list at their pleasure and for their service that he must needs doe whatsoever desperate attempts they will dare him to doe even to the perill of the losse of his life without any lawfull reason and calling 2. Wagering To this case also belongs desperate undertakings with danger of life upon wagers as for a man either upon a naked contract for a certaine summe or upon assumpsit of ten for one or the like to be paid to him when he
shall have performed some desperate hazardous enterprise agreed upon for him in that consideration onely to undertake and attempt the same with the danger of the losse of his life as to walke under the water to crosse the Ocean in a Wherry in a few dayes to goe backward or blindfold a long journey in a dangerous way or some such unreasonable needlesse dangerous mad and idle vaine-glorious prancks with adventure and losse of life whereby such are indirectly self-murderers and those that lay such wagers with them are accessary to their death thereby hireing and provoking them to a mortall course of self-destruction For such a course is no warrantable way and calling of Gods appointment thereby to adventure or get goods and therefore no blessing can be therein nor thereby expected it is a needlesse tempting of God to commit themselves to such a mortall course which they may well avoyd and can looke for no protection in it nor comfort of the action wherein they perish being guilty of their owne death therein Such desperate enterprises upon wagering whereby a man may lose his life proceede either from covetousnesse to be rich or from necessity to live but by unlawfull meanes never destinated of God to that end neither of them can comfortably be expected nor endeavoured it seemes that such men either value their lives to be little worth or apprehend their present condition to be most miserable that they preferre the uncertaine attaining of a little lucre and worldly goods before them and had rather die than live as they are and therefore goe to seeke up death where they can find him to make an end of their dayes by this desperate and last shift that they doe use when otherwise they cannot live That man is neere driven that cannot subsist but by courses of selfe-ruine and he is very destitute of good parts and of vertuous actions that despaires of better fame and repute in the world than he can procure by such needlesse vaine undertakings and accomplishments which are but the pastime of fooles and the ludibrie and scorne of the wise and uncomfortable vanity and sinne of the performers §. 11. Of indirect self-murder committed by covenant and society with persons destinate to destruction 6 Branch of indirect self-murder by commission The sixt branch of indirect self-murder by commission is by wilfull contracting and keeping society with those that are under a curse and apparent danger of destruction whereby all such are most probably like to share with them that have neere communion with them which falls out specially in three cases Case 1. Of leagues First when a man unwarrantably enters a league or bond of neere amity and society with persons Princes or States worthy of and as it were marked out to destruction as Iehoram did contract and keepe with Ahaziah a 2 King 9.27 whereby hee involved and inwrapped himselfe into the same ruine with him Which barres not conclusions for commerce of trade and also for intercourse of correspondency with them at such a distance and degree whereby hurt from them may be avoyded and use made of them for warrantable advantage as the Scripture requires that wee should have peace with all men if it be possible b Heb. 12.14 Case 2. Concerning warre The second case of indirect self-murdring society is when a man takes up armes or puts himselfe into military service or joynes with others in warre offensive or defensive either to hinder or oppresse equity and truth or in opposition of Gods Church to prejudice or oppresse the Gospell and true religion by this latter fighting against and provoking God and by the former irritating mankind justly to destroy such as goe about to overthrow Gods Kingdome and humane justice on earth without which the world cannot subsist in which course of Combination or society whosoever perishes is guilty of indirect self-murder by death of his owne unwarrantable procurement Although warre bee lawfull yet it is a violent course of justice the decision whereof is hereby cast upon the omnipotent Lord God for him to determine the same as he pleases by victory or vanquishment And therefore none should dare voluntarily to engage himselfe in that course upon his life where hee knowes that just and powerfull Iudge to bee party for the truth against him lest he perish by this indirect self-murder whereas to bee safe therefrom wee should ever bee party on Gods side Crosse event of warre That the event falls out contrary so that the Abetters in a good cause do often fall and the propugners of an evill do prosper it comes to passe by Gods speciall wise providence for three causes Reasons 1. First to chastise some sinnes or to exercise some vertues in the vanquished 2. Secondly to make men more loath to fall to warre and blood-shed upon presumption of their strength and cause but rather with some losse to make peaceable composition 3. Thirdly that God may shew and exercise his absolute soveraignty over the world disposing humane things as he pleases in the demolishing and translating of Empyres and dominion by the ruines of one making way for the building of another that it may be apparent that by him Kings Raigne and that as many Principalities and Empires are raised and stand upon the foundation of invasion latrocinies rapines and blood so shall they answer for the same and bee shaken to peeces by a divine hand of Iustice as wee may see expressed by the dashing of the Image to peeces by that small stone out of the divine hand of God Daniel 2.33 Case 3. Presuming into infectious places and company The third case of indirect self-murdering society is when men do wilfully presume without necessity or warrantable calling into deadly infectious places and companies wherein or by which meanes if they miscarry or perish they are guilty of their owne death in a higher degree of indirect self-murder as also are those that doe without a warrantable calling put themselves into such places or imployments as doe procure or hasten their deaths §. 12. Of indirect self-murder by doing that which naturally procures that which kills the doer 7. Branch Seventhly if a man doe willingly and wittingly any such unlawfull act as proves the cause or occasion of that which by Gods providence in just judgement kills him or takes away his life he indirectly murders himselfe as a drunken man that falls into a ditch or a pit and is drowned breakes his neck off his horse dies by surfeits or the like he is in this degree guilty of his owne death for the cause of the cause is the cause of the effect Causa causae est causa causati such a mans precedent unlawfull course or disposition is so farre from excusing the consequent effect that in a sort it doubles his sin a man that kills another when he is drunk is not excused but hanged when he is sober §. 13.
marvell that one man endeavours the ruine and destruction of another when we see how desperately and eagerly they doe the same against themselves For who can expect better respect and usage from any man than he gives to himselfe or is in him to performe Some difference there is in the affection and intention of betternesse to himselfe but his reall performances are to himselfe worst Thus having declared what indirect self-murder is and how it is diversly procured and committed now I will shew certaine exempt cases which although in the materiality of the facts they differ not from indirect self-murder yet in the formality of their acting are much discrepant §. 15. Of certaine exempt Cases Exempt cases Three cases there are wherein men are warrantably to expose their bodies to the apparent danger of death without perill of self-murder or just blame of guiltinesse of their owne deaths 1. By calling First when a man hath a lawfull calling generall or particular which without danger of losse of his life in discharging thereof he cannot execute then is he to adventure his life that he may doe his duty which otherwise cannot be performed committing himselfe to Gods protection and disposall As Peter did in comming downe out of the Ship to walke upon the Sea when Christ commanded him a Mat. 14.29 and as Sampson in execution of his office of Iudge against his enemies pulled downe the house whereby hee with them did perish b Judges 16. Pacchtarius ad Januarium In fine obitus sui sub Martyrii passione David a Mauden in praeceptum 6. discurs decim and is commended among the faithfull Heb. 11.32 whom Bacchiarius an ancient Author calls a Martyr of which David a Mauden gives the reason quia illae quae ad Martyrium requiruntur conditiones in ipso reperiuntur the things requisite for Martyrdome were found in him being a person reconciled to God and dying for Gods glory and in defence of the truth and by a warrantable calling of divine instinct and supernaturall ability And we see that when God did call Moses to come up into the mount there to die he obeyed and went willingly and wittingly unto his owne death Deut. 34. By this rule souldiers and servants taking wages or otherwise bound to fight for their lives or at the command of their superiours are bound as Mauden sayes ex justitia by the law of justice to expose their lives to death in discharge of their duty to obey and protect their superiours Reasons of incouragement The reasons of incouragement to undertake such mortall adventures are specially two First our knowledge and assurance that God whom herein wee are to respect and obey originally or secondarily commanding us will either protect us in our wayes and undertakings or will so dispose of us as shall be best for us with comfort and honour in and after our death Knowledge in which respect both Plato pro Socrate and also Aristotle affirme that honest a mors turpi vitae est praeferenda An honourable death is to be preferred before a shamefull life 2. Benefit of death Secondly the feare of the losse of our lives should bee no remora or hinderance to our dutifull performances because our deaths in this manner may be the medium or meanes to the end that is better than our lives Wee see that if a thing destinated to a certaine end doe at any time crosse or hinder the attaining of that end in that respect it is to be deemed evill and to be rejected as our Saviour commands that if our eye cause us to offend then pull it out and in like case to cut off our hand or foote Mat. 5.30 which is done by mortification and grace making them as uselesse to any scandalous courses as if they were cut off in semblable manner as men throw away their armour to save their lives by slight in a hot pursuit of their enemies and as men at Sea throw their goods into the water to save themselves §. 16. A particular question about souldiers flying resolved Abâ—ut souldiers a case of conscience Question A question may be here moved whether it be in conscience lawfull for any souldier out of feare of death upon his owne apprehensions to flee and runne away to save his life before a signall command or example bee given him by his Commander so to doe Answer Souldiers are to stand I answer for the fact it is true nothing is more frequently done in warre than so to runne away in disorderly manner because feare bereaves men of their use and command of reason and also self-love makes every man more carefull of his owne particular than of the publike things that are neerest doe most affect extremities of dangers convert all a mans thoughts to thinke how then to preserve himselfe But for the morall lawfulnesse of that course it appeares not to me yea rather I conceive that although present death stood ready before them to swallow them up they are not to turne their backs to leave their stations and runne away without due crder signall or example of their Commanders Because such desertion of their Commanders and fellowes in distresse is a betraying of them into their enemies hands Againe the greatest destruction and ruine of an Army comes by disorderly flight wherein every man is objected to the enemies execution Whereas by resolution and couragious resisting to death many victories are gotten with the preservation of the body of an Army Finally if the publike doe miscary our particular cannot bee safe but those that escape may in regard of their after-miseries wish that they had fallen in the army by the sword of their enemies We are bound to attribute so much to the wisdome and valour of our Commanders that they will not cast away the lives of their men but upon apparent possibilities of victory or preservation by opposition although we see it not Helps so to do 1. Faith The helps to enable us to this high courage of performing of duty are two First Faith both for the goodnesse of our estate in Christ to Godward wherby we may be assured of everlasting life and glory when we die and also for the lawfulnesse of our calling and imployment in that service wherein death attaches us that we may as comfortably there end our dayes as if we dyed upon our beds being perswaded of our future happy condition and that our death in that manner is more usefull to men and more acceptable to God than our lives 2. Resolution Secondly undaunted resolution to be obedient in doing our duties considering that obedience is better than sacrifice although in doing thereof wee doe perish For for to enjoy vertue and union with God which confists in obedience to Gods will is better than life without them §. 17. The second exempt case about venturing of life which is upon urgent necessity The second Case Necessity in three
the publike good is to be preferred before our owne private which argueth the greater charity for extension of it abroad and as we are not made every one for himselfe onely but for the good one of another So should wee endeavour the same by life and death as the Apostle commands that we should not looke every man on his owne things but every man also on the things of others Phil. 2.4 In the publike good the good of every particular is comprehended and therefore the members severally considered are to expose themselves to suffer for the good and preservation of the Whole Thomas of Aquine sayes well that Charitas communia propriis anteponit a Tho 2.2 quaest 26. arlic 4. ad 3. Charity preferres the publike before the private In this also David a Mauden is cleare when he sayes in his aforenamed discourse Laudabiliter facit qui pro bono publico se periculo exponit Sicut enim in naturalibus pars una corporis rectè periculo exponitur pro servando toto corpore ita in politicis particulare Reipub. membrum pro servanda tota Republica That man doth commendably that exposes himselfe to danger for the publike good as even in naturall things one part of the body is rightly exposed to save the whole body so also in things politique a particular member of the common wealth is to be exposed for to save the whole And therefore the Prophet David upon this ground accompanied with a speciall instinct and motion of the Spirit for the generall good of his nation undertooke with the perill of his life a dangerous combate against the Gyant Goliah b 1 Sam. 17. Caiaphas did tell a truth when he said that it was better that one man should die for the people than that the whole Nation should perish c John 11.50 Eleazar is commended Qui se in mortem dedit ut populum suum liberaret Who gave himselfe that he might deliver his people sayes Mauden Examples of this practice are frequent among the Heathen and by them celebrated with greate praise As Codrus the Athenian King if I be not mistaken who thrust himselfe into death among his enemies that hee might procure victory to his people according to the Oracle Also of Curtius the Romane it is said that Se pro Republica praecipitavit in hiatum terrae for preservation of the common-wealth hee did throw himselfe into a gulfe of the earth But of this kinde many might be alleadged Vpon this ground it is that the keeping of a Passe the defending of a Town or Fort or the making of a Stand to check the pursuing enemy may be committed to a few against an unresistable multitude of enemies which charge and service those few are not to decline nor disert and quitt although they doe foresee that in that service they must all die upon the place when it is apparent that by the losse of the lives of those few after that brave manner the lives of many others are preserved with a more generall publike good of that body and State whereof they are members So Sampson-like doing more good by their thus dying than they ever did or could by otherwise living §. 19. Of certaine questions resolved Questions 1. About a man-flayer for whose sake his friends are pursued to death To this point belongs the decision of divers questions As first if a man have killed another and escaped for revenge whereof the kindred and friends of the slaine in their pursuit of the manslayer for justice doe fall upon his kindred and friends that favour or entertaine him whereby may follow the effusion of much innocent blood where there is not sufficient power and authority to order and protect men against such outrages then is such a manslayer bound in conscience to put himselfe betweene his friends and such harme and to offer himselfe a sacrifice to appease wrath and to prevent a more generall bloodshed mortality and deadly feud Whereby for his sake many of his dearest friends might perish It is better that one should die for preserving of many than that many should die for preserving one of no more worth and use than any one of the other which is apparent by Ioabs demand in his pursuit of Sheba at Abel of Bethmaachah requiring him to bee delivered up to him upon promise that he would depart from the City which was done accordingly a 2 Sam. 20.21 §. 20. About a man under deadly displeasure of Superiours Question 2. Secondly if a man be fallen so farre under the displeasure of his Prince or State although unjustly and undeservedly that they pursue him with that eagernesse to death that for his sake and life a storme of destruction is like to light upon and consume his dearest and nearest friends then ought he for their safety to put himselfe into the hands of implacable authority to bee thereby heaved as Ionas a Jonah 2.15 into the high grown sea of Superiours displeasure that the same may cease from the raging thereof Which practise and care seemes to have beene used by our Saviour Christ when he said if you seeke me let these go their way b Iohn 18.8 to make a party if hee were able to resist were to make an innocent man guilty of rebellion and the meanes of more generall ruine An objection If it be replied that self-love is against this course and that the preservation of justice is to be preferred above many mens lives and that such yeelding doth condemne the sufferer as guilty and encourages the persecutors in their injustice Answer 1. About love I answer that the love of the whole or more generall body or principaller parts thereof is to be preferred before the love of any particular or inferiour member of the body as is cleared by what is spoken already 2. About Justice To the second I reply that of justice in generall it is true that it is to be preferred before the bodies and lives of many men 1. In generall because neither trade humane society nor the world can consist without it and therefore it is that for maintenance therof Kingdome is justly armed against Kingdome to reduce and keepe those to justice that otherwise transgressing the same would confound all in tyrannie or anarchy 2. In particular But the case is not so in particular execution of justice about every individuall person when by seeking or preserving of Iustice in particulars wee open a way for greater injustice using a medicine worse than the disease But our Saviour Christ fully cleares this point in the fift of Mathew when he saies Yee have heard that it hath beene said an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth but I say unto you that yee resist not evill but whosoever shall smite thee on the right Cheeke turne to him the other also And if any man sue thee at the Law and take away thy
their due bounds thrusting themselves into such dangers but that they doe use as great caution and as good preservatives as they can with carnest prayer to God to give him successe and safety that if they doe die by meanes of such dangerous enterprises their conscience may not justly accuse them that they were wilfully negligent of their own lives and so thereby accessary to their owne deaths Case 2. Of adventuring among heathens to preach the Gospell Secondly in such times and places where the publike preaching of the truth necessary to salvation is wholly wanting or powerfully suppressed and grosse ignorance or damnable error and heresies prevailes as among the heathens and grosse Idolaters then and there is any Christian man that hath a warrantable calling and opportunity to teach others the truth and to warne them of errors although they cannot doe the same without danger of persecution and death this course we finde warranted not onely by the practise of the Apostles who ceased not to preach Christ both publikely and from house to house although they were otherwise charged and therefore threatned and persecuted to death a Acts 20.20 But even others more private Christians did so as Aquila and Priscilla and those that were scattered from Ierusalem b Acts 5.28 29. Acts 18.16 Acts 8.4 whose labours God greatly blessed to the advancement of the Church Of such examples Ecclesiasticall histories are full in times of the primitive persecutions as Theodoret reports hist lib. 1. cap. 23. of two yong men called Aedesius and Frumentius who while they were lay men did teach among the Indians a Quoniam in vero Dei cultu educatierant mercatores qui eò commeabant cohortati sunt ut in unum congregati divina ministeria obirent And of Christian Merchants Socrates affirmes that they did instruct some of the Indians in the principles of religion b Christiani illi quosdam ex Indis fidei principiis instituentes also Theodoret makes mention hist l. 1. c. 24. of a certaine captive Christian woman who did convert the nation of the Iberians to the Faith c Mulier quaedam capta in bello Iberes ad veritatem traduxit with whose report consents Sozomen lib. 2. cap. 6. speaking of the conversion of the Iberians he sayes that the fame was that that Nation did leave their ancient religion upon the perswasion of a captive woman d Fama est hanc Iberiam suasu mulicris Christianae captivae patriam avitam religionem deseruise And Socrates speaking of the King and Queene of Iberia converted by the woman hee sayes that both the King and Queene did preach Christ He to the men and Shee to the women c Vtrique Christū praedicant Rex viris Regina mulieribus Deut. 6.7 Colos 3.16 Extraordinary things and accidents are not bounded and regulated by ordinary rules and so much doth God himselfe require us to doe in many places that the soules of our brethren may not perish for lack of his saving truth which all are bound to maintaine §. 26. Of adventuring for salvation and religion The third generall case About religion The third generall case wherein men may expose their lives to death without any danger of indirect self-murder is in the cause of religion for maintenance of the truth for advancing of Gods glory and for the conversion and confirmation of others both in profession and practise although the same should cost us our lives as we see was done by Daniel and his three companions a Daniel 6.10 and 3.17 Whereunto wee are bound by that love that we owe both to God and our Neighbour According to which David à Mauden sayes well David à Maupraecept 6. discurs 10. that Ex charitate tenetur quis fidem profiteri cum periculo vitae quando honor Dei id exigit aut externa confessio necessaria est ad aliquorum conversionem ad fidem vel in eadem vacillantium confirmationem seu quando credit minus firmos in fide eam facilè vel bonorum temporalium amore vel vitae conservandae causae negaturos that is A man is bound by charity to professe his faith with danger of his life when the glory of God requires the same or when our outward confession is necessary for the conversion of some to the faith or to confirme those that waver in it or when a man beleeves that the weake in faith will easily out of love of temporall goods or to preserve their lives deny the faith This adventuring of our lives for religion consists of foure points or members §. 27. Of the first case or point which is about defence of religion Members of it 1. First in the defence of the truth and religion both by speaking and writing for it when the same is reproached impugned Defence of the truth and slandered with endeavouring to overthrow it although that such a course of patrociny were capitall to the undertakers for which we have a luculent warrant and example in the practise of Hester in the like case b Hest 4.14 16. and in the practise of Iustin Martyr against the Heathen upon no lesse danger yet herein it were to be wished that men would rather content themselves to prove and commend what they hold to bee the truth and fit for godly edifying than for to multiply unprofitable controversies and to alienate affections by bitter disgracefull imputations and railing confutations of the errors of others And also we are to defend the truth and religion by objecting our selves with perill of our lives to resist by force armes the unjust invasion of hostility endeavouring to roote out the professors of the same only for the truths sake when the enemies doe endeavour quite to extirpate the truth of God Note Although that force and armes in hostile invasion is not to bee used to propagate and spread the truth and to reforme errours and abuses in religion which is to be done by teaching and perswasions to draw and not to force the conscience about divine things Moderation of warre for religion Yet in just defence a man may oppose himselfe with force and armes against forraigne or usurping unjust invaders that violently would thrust him out of his possession of the truth because the course taken against him is most tyrannically unjust in usurping to domineere over mens consciences which are subject onely to God and if for spreading of religion and rooting out of errors it were lawfull to make hostile invasion then might the whole world be in a flaming fire of warre every nation and people one against another according as they differ in opinions and customes about religion seeing that every one thinkes his owne religion best and condemnes and dislikes all others And againe of all the goods a man hath true religion is the chiefe and doth most neerely concerne him to keepe it above his life and it is the choisest
the truth and Church is bound to doe the duties of his calling notwithstanding any such former restraint or danger of disobedience to it because the power of the Church is but ministeriall under and according to God rather declarative than Soveraigne therefore what she doth tyes not men here on earth to obey it to the destruction but to the edification of the Church or at least to prevent a greater mischiefe And also because the true Church may doe no such acts of deprivation or suspension whereby to intend or effect the destruction of the Church and therefore in that case transgressing of such restraints is no disobedience to the Church but rather an obeying the intent of the same as in times of persecution we have plentifull examples specially of the Church of the Iewes against the Christians A Caveat Yet herein is to be observed that such performance of duties in that case after restraint bee done in mecke patient manner without tumults or forcible opposition of authority submitting with passive obedience where they cannot lawfully performe active This extends not to warrant any schisme or heresie that esteem themselves only to be the true Church as did the Donatists and others to oppose out of feare of their owne ruine the proceedings and restraints of the more Orthodoxe and generall body of a sound Church whose authority doth preponderate and oversway her apostating members so long as by the doctrine publikely taught in her men may be saved and built up §. 30. Against commission of evill upon any humane command or threats Fourth member about commission of evill upon humane command The fourth member of the case wherein a man ought to expose his life to death in causes concerning religion is when a man is desired commanded or threatned to doe any sinne forbidden by Gods word that then hee doe it not although he therefore doe die as Iosephs practise manifests in resisting his whorish mistris a Gen. 39.12 and the three children that would not upon the Kings command worship the golden Image to save their lives Daniel 3.18 Because it is better for us to die than deliberately and wilfully to sinne against God as the woman with her seaven sonnes did choose 2 Mach. 7. according to S. Augustines judgement who sayes that if it be propounded to a man Vt aut mali aliquid faciat aut mali aliquid patiatur eligat non facere mala quam non pati mala b Epist 204. that either he should doe some evill or suffer some calamity then let him choose rather not to doe evill than not to suffer evill Observe How we are to abhorre sin For we are ever to doe that which may most neerely unite us to God our chiefe good and to shunne what may divide us from him which nothing can doe but our sinnes specially those that consist in the transgression of the negative Commandements and are most opposite to God and incompatible with him and therefore those lawes doe binde ad semper to the alwayes observing of them and cannot be dispensed withall seeing God is unchangeable The evill of sinne should be more terrible to us than death it selfe not onely for that it is the cause of death and imbitters it but also because it deprives us of a greater good of our spirituall life that farre exceeds the naturall The beatificall object that sinne deprives us of is the infinite blessed God from whom to be separated is worse than death it self and in that respect rather than we should sinne we should choose to suffer death which is a glorious kinde of Martyrdome and a meanes of advancement to happinesse for the power and practise of the truth laying downe our lives which is a more undoubted signe of grace and salvation than is the suffering of many for holding the truth in opinion and profession Wee should choose rather not to bee than not to bee happy for the originall and end of our being is better than our being it selfe in regard that our happinesse is not of and in our selves but in and from another who is both our beginning and end §. 31. Of the kindes of sinnes of commission to be avoyded Evils of sin to be avoided These sinfull evills that wee ought thus carefully to avoid and forbeare to death are of two sorts 1. Against the law of nature First those that be directly and absolutely forbidden by the Law of nature as fundamentally unlawfull at all times and in all cases for the contrariety that they have against the nature of God and against the inbred principles of reason and conscience of which no question can be made but that wee are alwaies utterly to shun them notwithstanding any humane command or inforcement that may be to the contrary because no human power can dissolve the obligation of those ingrafted Commandements of God and nature Innata Lex Rom. 2.15 that we may be discharged in conscience from keeping of them which would overthrow both divinity and humanity neither can any free us from the punishment of the transgression of them both because equity and Law requires that the soule that sins shall die and also for that there is no power matchable with Gods and natures to protect or free us by force from their vengeance 2. Against the positive Law of God Secondly the sins that wee are to shun and not wittingly and willingly to do upon any threats or worldly danger or for any profit are those that are forbidden by the positive Law and revealed will of God the violating whereof doth wrong the soveraignty and honor of God who is the absolute and onely independant King of all the world and his will the supreame unerring rule of our obedience throughout our lives our transgression whereof is a breach of that loyalty and due subjection which wee owe to that our highest Lord. To whese positive Law conformity is more properly obedience to God than conformity to the Law of nature is by it selfe considered Because the ground of our conformity to the Law of nature is naturall inclination and Reason equally binding Heathens aswell as Christians But the ground of our conformity to the positive Law of God is principally the soveraigne Authority and Will of God himselfe which kinde of obedience is that which is properly of the Church and her members to God and proceeds from faith love feare c. Evangelicall or Thelogicall graces From which obedience to God no wight can absolve or excuse us that we may lawfully and safely subject our selves to feare to please or to obey any other in opposition or contraty to him and his will Reasons 1. Because there is none above God whose will may be preferred or equalled to his to whom all is subordinate in nature state and imployment 2. Neither is any man Lord over the Conscience either to bind or discharge it contrary to the Law or will of God that we
should dare upon any motive of humane will profit or penalty wilfully to transgresse the same 3. God is our ultimate or last end that we are to aime at that we may both enjoy and please him in whom consists our happinesse 4. All promises of blessings are made to the doers of Gods will and all threatnings of judgements to the transgressors of the same a Rom. 2. v. 6 7 8 9 10. which reward no humane power can hinder or frustate And therefore wee cannot dispense with our selves upon any humane pretence or motive to do any thing contrary to Gods word and positive Law although for not transgressing the same we should incurre death §. 32. Of indifferent things how they become sinfull Indifferents accidentally evill But in subject ò indifferente in things that are of themselves but indifferent whose use is neither directly nor absolutely commanded nor forbidden by Gods word as are kinds of meate drinke apparrell and the like and for which we ought not to command to death the using or not using of them becomes sinfull onely accidentally either by reason of externall circumstances about the action or omission of them or of some erroneous qualities in the agents or omitters and not from the intrinsecall nature of the things or morall disposition of the action or omission absolutely considered without respect of circumstances and Law The individual acts of things indifferent are not indifferent when they are done For touching the use of indifferent things onely mans individuall voluntary actions about them specially proceeding from deliberate judgment are morally either good or evill well done or ill done because they are accompanied and indowed with such actionall circumstances as do so affect and qualifie them that they are no more indifferent Not Physically either Physically to be done or not done for Vnumquodque dum est necessario est Every thing when it is it is necessarily and then cannot be otherwise than it is Nor morally or morally because if the same were otherwise than it is it must necessarily be either better or worse than it is For no action can stand equally morally affected with differing circumstances and at the same time to be done Tho. prima secundae quaest 18. artic 9. Cum enim rationis sit ordinare actus a ratione deliberativa procedens si non sit ad debitū finē ordinatus ex hoc ipso repugnat rationi et habet rationem mali si vero ordinetur ad debitū finē convenit ad eum ordine rationis unde habet rationem beni Ex Filliucio To. 2. p. 3. Patet actiones humanas quatenus à ratiene volūtate diriguntur dici morales hoc est dignas laude velvituperatione ex Arist Ethic. c. 13. actio homini propria est voluntaria libera adeodigna laude aut vituperatione Tho. 1.2 q. 1. art 1. Azor. l. 1. c. 1. or not to bee done cannot be equally morally indifferent For Thomas Aquinas saies That it falls out that an action may be indifferent secundum speciem in the generall kind of it qui tamen est bonus vel malus in individuo consideratus which notwithstanding is either good or evill considered in its individuall subject and act Whereof hee gives the reason quia actus moralis non solum habet bonitatem ex objecto à quo habet speciem sed etiam ex circumstantijs because a morall action hath its goodnesse not onely from its object by which it is specified for kinde but also from circumstances of which every individuall act of necessity hath some whereby it is drawne to be good or bad Ad minus ex parte intentionis finis at least in respect of the end intended And therefore he concludes properly necesse est omnem actum hominis à deliberativa ratione procedentem in individuo consideratum bonum esse vel malum it is of necessity that every act of man proceeding from deliberate reason and considered in its individuall performance and subject is good or evill For seeing the will of man rightly ordered is subject to right reason and divine Law then all actions proceeding from it as it is so guided in all performances are morally good or bad and as all things are destinated to an ultimate end of Gods glory and to other particular subordinate ends of effecting any good so is their use subject to proportionable rules and Lawes for ordering the same thereby that they may attaine their end intended and in that respect when they are done they are morally either well or ill done according to that proportion or disproportion that their use then hath to their due ends and rules and to be a fit and effectuall meanes of accomplishing the same or contrariewise Conclusion So now wee have seene how that for to prevent suffering and death we are not wittingly and willingly to doe evill of sin in any case specially or any thing directly against Gods Law And therefore doe conclude with David à Mauden touching the aforesaid three generall cases wherein a man suffering to death is exempted from indirect self-murder pro bono publico fide religione Catholica alijsque de causis bonis honestis vitam propriam periculo expouere non solum laudabile sed etiam interdum necessarium est For a man to expose his owne life to danger for the publike good for his faith for the true religion and for other good and honest causes it is not onely commendable but also sometimes necessary §. 33. Of the properties of an indirect selfe-murderer An indirect self-murderer hath two bad properties The first property Folly First hee is foolish in advisedly and wilfully using mortall meanes and fatall to himselfe and yet thinks not thereby to die but to live more happily as Eve in eating of the forbidden fruit that was the meanes of death did conceit to attaine thereby to a more excellent life as if a man should looke to gather grapes of thornes and good comfort of deadly courses Frō unbeleefe Which proceeds from the stupid unbeleefe of man who would rather make God a lyer than he will be diverted from his desperate courses or will beleeve more than hee comprehends or conceives by his senses being as the horse or mule which have no understanding whose mouth must be kept in with bit and bridle as the Prophet tells us Psal 32.9 The second property Wicked Secondly an indirect self-murderer is wicked for knowing both his course and the event thereof to bee evill opposite both to the will of God and to his owne future good he doth wilfully continue in and prosecute it still which is damnable impiety The ground of it self-content Which flowes from the self-contentment that men take in their owne sinfull waies and from their misconstruction and abuse of the long patience of God not executing his threatned judgements speedily upon such as themselves are
a Eccles 8.11 which takes away from them all remorse for their evill courses and all care of reformation to be better §. 34. Observations from indirect self-murder Vses The uses of the former doctrine about indirect self-murder are specially three 1. Men self-deceived First it serves for our instruction that we may see that many men are deceived in their self-pleasing courses whereby they promise to themselves much comfort and good but indeed reape death and destruction by their own meanes and procurements according to the Proverb There is a way which seemeth right unto a man but the end thereof are the waies of death b Prov. 14 12. as is apparent by the course of our first parents Adam and Eve destroying themselves and us in them by following their own wits and wills without obedience to their Maker Causes of self-deceit The true causes of this deceit and errour of man in this point are foure 1. Vnbeliefe First unbeliefe of Gods threatnings while men trust to lying vanities upon groundlesse presumptions and erroneous carnall principles and misinformations and misconstructions willing to bee perswaded and to beleeve that which stands best with their liking and sinfull condition so corrupting their understanding to give a false verdict against the truth of God to their owne destruction 2. Self-conceit Secondly men are self-beguiled by self-conceit of the goodnesse of their unsound estates and by being taken up with contentment in the present seeming good of their self-pleasing sinfull courses for that they did never throughly see and apprehend the miserable badnesse of their owne wretched estates nor did truly see and taste the excellency and sweetnesse of a better 3. Prosperity of the wicked Thirdly men are here self-deceived by resting upon the present visible dealing of God with many as bad or worse than themselves whom they see still to prosper in their ill courses Because judgement is not speedily executed therefore their hearts are set to doe evill being perswaded that it shall bee as well with them as others of their owne ranke that they see flourish and doe well enough as they thinke 4. Shifting the blame Fourthly men deceive themselves by shifting off the blame of their ill course from themselves to other concurring or accessary causes of their evill wayes as Adam did to Eve as if they were freed by the temptations or partnership of others with them in evill But the condemnation of accessaries doth condemne and not cleare the principals Predestination is blamelesse But they that to cleare or encourage themselves in their naughty courses shift off the blame thereof to Gods Predestination are impudently impious by both making God the author of sin and also by traducing his justice for unjustly punishing them that by their owne verdict are blamelesse But God Predestinates no man to an end without respect of meanes whose use is within the compasse of a mans power and wherein he himselfe is a voluntary agent so that predestination offers no force to any mans will and therefore a man living in a sinfull course of his owne choosing and liking cannot blame God or his Predestination seeing that God both gives him sufficient meanes and invitation to come out of that sinfull state Observe Men self-binded So men that runne into evill courses are by their own meanes darkened in their judgements and doe wilfully put out their owne eyes of their understandings that they may fearelesly goe on to their own ruine in their owne wayes of destruction Who is so blinde as he that will not see Deceived Many mens estates are found by themselves in the end to be farre worse and more desperate than they expected and this also many come not to see untill it is too late and past all hope of amendment or recovery which by carefulnesse and good heed taking in time might have been prevented Vse 2. Consideration of our courses The second use is for admonition that wee doe well consider our courses what they be and whither they tend that we may not dare to venture upon that which may make us accessary to our owne destruction It is dishonourable and uncomfortable for a man to suffer by his owne deservings or procurement And therefore we are to observe how the Apostle Peter advises us That none of us doe suffer as an evill doer 1 Pet 4 15. Repent and reforme If we be entred upon an unwarrantable course then are we to breake off and to make hast to returne by true repentance and to walk in the way that leades to life And therefore I conclude with the Prophet Cast away from you all your transgressions whereby ye have transgressed and make you a new heart and a new spirit for why will ye die ô house of Israel For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dyeth saith the Lord God wherefore turne your selves and live yee Ezek. 18.31 32. That we may doe so we must beware of self-conceitednesse and obstinacy in our owne self-will'd wayes and be carefull to listen to good counsell and advertisement and to consider the latter end and not the present contentment and faining flattery of evill courses Vse 3. Men sin against themselves The third use is an intimation to shew unto those that doe desperately or carelesly venture upon courses tending to their owne self-destruction that they are not only guilty of sinnes against God and their Neighbours immediately but even also against themselves in self-murder a crime of the vilest nature for which they shall be arraigned before God and suffer their owne wrongs being revenged upon themselves and their own unjust and unnaturall suffering at their owne hands being punished upon themselves by the hand of God Observe 1. Ill courses are most harmfull to the doers of them Where it is observable that man being both the wrong-doer and wrong-sufferer in the same act by himselfe doth justly suffer by the hand of God for wronging his creature and for breaking his Law in mans self-respect and usage of himselfe The consideration of which terrible end of such courses redounding to the destruction of the doers should affright men from them Observe 2. Where it is also remarkable that a man cannot wrong God or others but by ruinating himselfe therewithall and so all ill courses doe prove a punishment to the doers of them and therefore if there were any true love in such persons to themselves they would abandon all such courses as tend to the ruine and perdition of the entertainers or proceeders in the same CHAP. 12. Of direct bodily self-murder §. 1. What it is Now it followes that we treate of direct self-murder and first shew what it is Direct bodily self-murder is an advised witting and willing intention and effectuall endeavour of a man by his owne hands or meanes to take away or destroy his owne life whereby he doth indeed kill himselfe In which
description wee are to observe two things First the generall and then the specificall nature of direct self-murder Generall nature of it Touching the genericall or generall nature of direct self-murder which is as the matter of it 1. A morall act we are to consider first that it is a morall act proceeding from mans will and therefore is good or bad and so wee are to bee the more carefull how we doe purpose or performe it 2. The object of it Life Secondly we are to observe touching that action the object thereof about which it is exercised and that is the naturall life of man who hath no such other precious worldly thing and therefore we should be very wary how we venture to deale therewith 3. The subject of it Mans selfe Thirdly the subject of this action is a mans selfe by whom and upon whom the same is done and so is both the active and passive subject of the same act and so it doth neerely concerne a man that he may well consider both what he doth and suffers in that case seeing he may bee guilty of a double blame if he doth both doe and suffer that which he ought not by his owne hands 4. The end of it To destroy Fourthly the end of this action is remarkable that it is not to cherish and preserve but to destroy and take away a mans owne life It is the end that makes or marres even a good action and increases the maliciousnesse of an evill And therefore it concernes us much in all our actions to consider well their ends whether the same be good or evill The specificall nature of it The specificall nature of direct self-murder is that which is the true forme of it whereby it is properly and directly self-murder This specificall nature of it is remota proxima remote and next Remote The remote nature of direct self-murder consists in two things 1. Restraint of the act it selfe First in the restraint or limitation of the act of killing for agent and patient for choise and application of the meanes to a mans owne selfe who thereby reflects and returnes upon himselfe in an act of the greatest hostility and cruelty that can be in the world to destroy himselfe and his owne life by his owne meanes so becomming his owne Burrio and executioner 2. The Agent understanding what he doth Secondly the remote nature of direct self-murder consists in the disposition of the agent both in his understanding and will in respect of his understanding the actour of it doth the same advisedly and wittingly Advisedly Advisedly he doth it when after premeditation in his minde of killing of himselfe and after approbation of the fact in his judgement he resolves upon his unwarrantable motives to doe it and devises and plots the meanes and manner how to doe it after deliberation and conflict with himselfe betweene oppofite reasons and when withall the understanding works and prevailes upon the will to draw the same to concurre in the resolution to doe it and to command and imploy the body in consent with both the understanding and the will to execute their pleasure to its owne destruction as is manifest in the practise of Ahitophel a 2 Sam. 17.23 and Iudas b Mat. 27.5 Then it is an advised act done by a man in such advised manner and so cannot be excused by ignorance or inconsiderate haste but is done with the fullest careere of morall motion and with the greatest ingagement of the whole man in an action of the highest nature of self-mischiefe Note The vilest actions are often done upon greatest advisement and deliberation which makes them the worse and more odious Mans wisdome is madnesse when he is left to himselfe and a depraved judgement perverts the will and leads a man into many vile practises seeing the will followes the last determination of the practicall understanding If the light of understanding that is in man be darknesse how great then is that darknesse Wittingly Wittingly a man doth take away his owne life when at the very time of doing the act hee knowes both that he is doing such an act materially considered and also that the same act for the nature and forme of it tends directly to his own destruction and is wicked and unlawfull to be done and yet for all that doth not desist whereby man that is a rationall creature able to judge of his owne actions is self-condemned in his own conscience while he is about and in doing the act it selfe Willingly The disposition of the agent or actour in direct self-murder in respect of his will is that he doth it willingly as to bang or stab or poyson himselfe or the like For violence or inforcement cannot be done to the will in its act of willing which necessarily must be free either absolutely or conditionally Willingnesse This willingnesse in a man to kill himselfe is twofold 1. Antecedent Ahitophel accessit sobrius ad perdendm scipsâ—â— ut Caesar ad perdendam Rempub First that which is antecedent before the fact whereby he wills not only that he were dead but also wills that such a murderous act should be done by himselfe upon himselfe to take away his owne life which by a contrary act and change of his will might be prevented as it is said of Ahitophel that he came sober to destroy himselfe as Caesar came sober to ruinate the common wealth Concomitant Secondly he hath a willingnesse concomitant at the act doing so that when it is in his power to suspend his act and not to doe it yet he wills and doth it indeed which is so much the more grievous by how much the more it hath of wilfulnesse as will is both the originall fountaine of sin and is so essentiall to it that absolutely against or without mans will he hath no actuall sin neither can have any The proximate or neerest nature of direct self-murder The next or neerest specificall nature of direct self-murder consists of two subordinate branches 1. Mans intention First in the immediate intention of a men which is to kill himselfe and doth conclude the joynt act therein both of his judgement and will because such an intention is grounded upon and proceeds from advisement and deliberation and doth also respect the fact that he minds to doe sub ratione finis under consideration of an end and so in his judgement good and therefore it includes his will desiring and endeavouring that it may be done and so to him such a fact falls not out by acdident or unexpected or not intended but it is the thing he aymes at 2. The bodies imployment The second branch of the neerest specificall nature of direct self murder is the actuall imployment of the body and the strength thereof upon direction of the understanding and command of the will fully to accomplish his intention and
their owne accord leape into the fire with divine and unutterable cheerefulnesse and Ambrose Ambros lib. 3. de virginibus and others doe note divers professors to have done the like as Pelagia Apollonia and many others Observe Which shewes to us that as all mankinde are sprung from the same roote and are infected with the same disease so are we all lyable to commit the same sins if the Lord doe not renew and keepe us All are sick of the same disease So that wee need not so much to think it strange a member of the visible Church kills himselfe as to admire the gratious goodnesse of God in keeping of us that very many doe not the same in regard both of our owne wicked naturall disposition and outward temptations whereby what betydes men may betyde all men in the same case Observe To depend upon God Here we are to observe that those examples of self-murder recorded within the Church are not registred for imitation but for caution that all Christians may be stirred up the more carefully to cleave to God and thank him for their preservation even from this horrible act of self-murder whereinto many professing Christianity have fallen §. 4. Self-murderers knowne by experience The third way of discovery of self-murderers Experience Thirdly that many do murder themselves it is cleare by wofull experience in all places and ages notwithstanding that they may be terrified frō the same both by the fearefull examples of manifold wreckes of that kinde and also by the doctrine of the truth condemning that vile practise besides manifold other restraints and ignominious censures of that odious course against all which such breakings out doe shew the continued rage and power of Satan against Mankinde and manifest mans madnesse and perversenesse still in all places furiously running upon this most horrible and dismall sinne Hurt of self-murder Whereby men doe most ignominiously shut up the period of their lives with the losse of their good names and with the destruction of their soules for ever depriving their posterity of their estates and uncomfortably overshadowing them with the shamefull disgrace and ill example of their execrable fact of self-murder Vses The uses of this point are specially two 1. To be observant of occurrences First it serves to teach us to be observant of the daily occurrences that fall out from time to time that thereby wee may grow by sense in experimentall knowledge both of facts done and also of the nature and causes of the same whereby we may be wise not only for to direct our owne course aright but also may be able prudently to advise others and to give a right estimate of things that fall out and make a holy use of them So that the longer we live and the world stands we should bee the wiser and better in regard of the helps that we have to know Gods will both by his Word and workes that we may not be carelesly secure of the most haynous crimes Note but without grace and Gods protection neither doctrine nor example is sufficient to withstand mens impetuous wilfull running upon destruction The lamentable spectacles of manifold executions for murders and robberies we may thinke might affright all men from committing the like crimes which we see it doth not Comparison So as the multitude of Shipwracks terrifies not men from going to Sea neither doe examples of frequent miscariages by self-murder prevaile with gracelesse men to hinder them from the like facts Self-murderers not deterred from the fact who doe thereby rather harden themselves to attempt and perpetrate the same Vse 2. Beware of self-muder The second use of this point is to admonish us to abhorre and beware of this odious sin of self-murder which runnes through all times and sorts of people although we may seeme to be out of danger of it in regard of the present distance and opposition betweene us and it yet are we not to be over-secure For the sins which at first we seeme to loath afterwards by degrees through negligence or venturing upon the causes and occasions thereof men doe embrace and commit as we see by the example of Hazael 2 Kings 8.13 Motions of self-murder most hardly shaken off And of all sinnes even the motions and setled purposes of self-murder are most hardly shaken off because all unnaturall and hideous sins breaking impetuously through the strongest hedges and pales of opposition and outragiously overflowing the bankes of all resistance both of nature and grace have nothing left of sufficient force to withstand them but that they rage in that high and transcendent degree without shame or restraint as they list Note the most grosse and unnaturall sinnes are ever done by desperately wicked men with the least remorse of conscience and with the greatest shamelessenesse and obstinacy of will and indivertiblenesse of indeavours The use of examples Touching the use of the examples of self-murderers Augustine sayes well Non quaerimus utrum factum sed utrum faciendum Sana ratio exemplis anteponenda est We enquire not whether self-murder hath beene done but whether it ought to have been done Sound reason is to be preferred before examples CHAP. 14. Of the usuall means and furtherances of self-murdering §. 1. Of the meanes of self-murdering 1. Meanes ABout the fact of Self-murder we are to consider the meanes thereunto used and the application and method thereof by self-murderers None lawfull for that use Meanes there are none proper of lawfull ordination for to doe evill because that the same ought not at all to be done but man either abuses good or devises ill meanes of his owne invention to doe naughtinesse and mischiefe withall Meanes abused The meanes abused by self-murderers to kill themselves are of two sorts 1. Good First such as be destinated and appropriated by God for the good and preservation of mans life as water fire swords are and the like which a self-murderer perverts to drowne burne stab himselfe to death c. 2. Evill The second kinde of meanes of self-murder be those that be evill and sinfull in themselves fitter to destroy than to save such as eating and drinking of poyson throwing ones selfe over rocks as did the Circumcellians or out of windowes or from off high places and turrets with intent to kill themselves as the devill would have had our Saviour Christ to have done a Mat. 4.6 going unwarrantably into the mouth of destruction with purpose to be slaine commanding others to doe it as Abimelech did Iudg. 9.54 hanging ones selfe as Iudas and Ahitophel did fretting or starving ones selfe purposely to death as Pomponius Atticus did or in mortall sicknesse or wounds rejecting the helps of cure by Physick or other meanes and disordering ones selfe purposely that they may thereby die and the like so that for this vile act men are inabled by all the
Note The higher that this ground of error of judgement is the more obstinate are the resolutions that are built upon the same Because such conclusions are to the deceived matters of conscience founded as they think upon divine authority farre above the countermand of any humane reason or argument and testimony of truth diffenting from their tenets and opinions Observe Abused Scripture harmefull From hence we may observe that although God hath graciously given us his holy Scriptures to be the powerfull meanes of life a Rom. 1.16 yet many men do abuse and make the same the meanes of their owne destruction as Peter speakes of the unlearned and unstable who did wrest the Episties of Paul as they did also the other Scriptures unto their owne destruction b 2 Pet. 3.16 and so the Commandement that was ordained to life is found to bee unto death to them Rom. 7.10 as the Gospell that is the savour of life to life to those that are saved is the savour of death to death to those that perish c 2 Cor. 2.16 Nothing doth so much hurt when it is abused as that which may do most good when it is rightly used There is no heresie or practise or opinion so vile in the Christian world that pretends not and abuses not Scripture or something in it or from it in defence or excuse of the same and upon that ground chiefly prevailes upon mens consciences and holds them captivated in their errors and ill courses and so men do turne the sweetest Manna into the bitterest gall of Aspes to their owne perdition Compatison As a man by managing a sword by its handle may defend himselfe thereby so by taking and using it by the point or edges mischiefes himselfe by the same Therefore wee need take heed how wee use the sword of the Word Prevention of this error by not following the letter against the true meaning of the Scripture For prevention of error of judgement from this ground of abused Scripture wee are to be carefull that we be not moved with the letter of the Scripture without its proper sense agreeable to the truth contrary to which the abused letter of the Scripture is no warrant for us to beleeve or do any thing as wee see by our Saviour Christs replie to Satan who a Mat 4.6 in tempting of him alledged Scriptures after his manner to perswade him to doe evill Observe Our faith and practise should be founded upon sound knowledge otherwise all our building will fall that is reared up upon a rotten foundation and wee shall commit two faults at once one in error of our judgment another in our unwarrantable practise according to the same Rules or meanes of knowledge of the Scripture Therefore that we may not wrest the Scripture from its true sense to our meaning that wee shall please to give it or that wee should take it in a carnall or grosse sense contrary to its owne interpretation we are to observe foure rules or helps that wee may rightly understand the Scripture 1. Humility First it is needfull that we be indowed with humility of spirit that denying our owne selves and carnall reason wee may submit to take such sence and meaning of the Scripture as it of it selfe affords with the assistance of the helps of the Church and not to impose upon it any sense of our owne making or to wrythe or wrest it to favour our conceits or purposes but that laying aside all ambition of over-ruling the Scripture to force it to patronize and countenance any new fangled humorous opinions or old errors of ours for our vaine ostentation or sinfull profit we are humbly to conforme all our opinions and courses to the Scriptures and not to bring the Scriptures into subjection to our opinions and practise God will guide the meeke in judgement and the meeke will he teach his wayes saies David Psal 25.9 2. Holinesse The second meanes whereby we may be able rightly to understand the Scriptures is holinesse of heart and conversation as our Saviour tells us that if any man will do his will he shall know of his doctrine whether it be of God Iohn 7.17 For as the Philosopher saies Every evill body is an ignorant Omnis malus est ignorans Arist Ethic. l. 3. and persons prepossessed with error and vice labour to interpret all Scripture in favour of the same Whereas godly people indowed with a new divine nature as Peter tels us a 2 Pet. 1.4 are thereby inclined so to expound the Scripture as best agrees with the truth and grace of God in them who are divinely illightned whereby they are able to try things that differ b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Phil. 1.10 When others are blinde and cannot see a farre off 2 Pet. 1.9 3. Prayer The third meanes to help us rightly to understand the Scriptures is Prayer to God that he would both reveale and manifest to us his truth and also would give us grace rightly to conceive it in our minds and hearts as the Prophet David praies Teach me good judgment and knowledge Psal 119.66 that so we may be taught of God c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Thes 4.9 For the matter of the Scripture is in many points so supernaturall and high and wee so dull and grosse in conceiving such truths that as flesh and blood cannot reveale them to us neither can the naturall man receive the things of the Spirit of God d 1 Cor. 2 14. without divine help procured by prayer 4. The Spirit of God The fourth meanes of rightly understanding the Scripture is the Spirit of God in and by our use of hearing and reading and conferring illightning our mindes and perswading our consciences of the truth according to the promise of our Saviour touching the holy Spirit whom he said he would send and that when this Spirit of truth is come he would guide us into all truth which he manifests to us by a twofold light Twofold light of the Spirit 1. In the Word First that which accompanies the Word and truth it selfe whereby it makes it selfe conspicuous to all that have eyes to see it Comparison even as the Sun manifests it selfe by its owne light and splendour to the world 2. In our mindes The second kind of light whereby the Spirit manifests the truth of the Scripture to us is that light that hee endowes our minds withall whereby we are enabled and made capable to see and apprehend the former light of truth in the Word Compatison as a blind man that can see nothing before that he hath both an inward faculty of sight restored to him and also an externall light to make the object visible So then none can truly nor fully understand the truth of the Scriptures but by the same Spirit that gave them For as the Apostle saith The things of God knoweth no
evill upon them as they suppose the death that they cannot indure to see or suffer inflicted by other meanes they unnaturally and wickedly out of cruell mercy inflict themselves Note So hard a thing it is to indure to see a cruell act done over it is for ones selfe to do it evils are ever more discernable by and terrible to us when they are in others than in our selves §. 8. Of crosses upon mans outward estate occasioning self-murder 2. Calamities upon mens externall good things The second kind of evils that give men occasion to murder themselves are those that are upon mens outward worldy estates when either having beene rich or well to live they fall to decay and goe backward 1. Upon their estates or when having meanes and carefully toyling and using their indeavours to live and grow in the world they are incountred with crosses and losses or their goods are imbesiled or wasted by wife husband children or servants that still they go behind-hand and run into debt having neither meanes nor hopes to live and keepe their charge in fashion as they would and were wont nor yet to pay every man his owne or when some rich man by the fall of the price of corne or failing of his croppe is disappointed of his gaped-for gaine the former because he cannot be but poore as he would not and the latter because he cannot be rich so as he would Note both of them resolve to kill themselves to help themselves by a mad kinde of remedy the one because he cannot have as much as he would takes a course to lose all that he hath the other because he hath so little takes a way to have nothing at all and both of them cast away their lives for that which should be but their servant The true causes of self-murder upon crosses in estate 1. Covetousnes The true ground and causes of this wicked practise is both excessive covetousnesse and high esteeme and love of the world which some doe make their god and prize it above their lives 2. Pride and also pride of heart whereby some will not stoope to be content with that estate that God would have them to be in and therefore because they cannot bee and live in state as they would they will not live at all but rather destroy themselves and so by going about thus to free themselves from their present or feared estate that they dislike they madly cast themselves into a worse Note so bad is our exchange when wee forsake the will of God to follow our owne §. 9. Of dishonour causing self-murder 2. Calamities upō their honours Secondly the calamities which are upon that which externally belongs to men which occasions men to murder themselves are those disasters that concerne their worldly honours as disappointment of their expected dignities and high respects and favour with eminent personages or the degrading and displacing of them from their preferments and honourable degrees of advancement with Princes or people or the over-clouding of them with the contempt and disdaine of those of whose favour they are ambitious and when with all dejected from their aspiring greatnesse or hopes they shall see their inferiours and enemies exalted and preferred before them as Haman did see Mordecai then are their thoughts and resolutions impatiently set to kill themselves as not able to live in such an eclypse of honour The true cause of self murder upon this motive Ambition Of this vaine ambition is the onely cause as it was in Ahitophel and Zimri but ô how vaine and wretched is that man whose happinesse is not in himselfe but in other unstable creatures that by change of their favour can every houre make him miserable when they list And ô how weake and fraile are they whom a frowne a harsh speech or one remove in Courtly favour can kill or cause them to kill themselves Who would thinke that these men were in their right wits or cared for any honor who by self-murder make themselves everlastingly miserable and infamous in the highest degree of ignominy even to the overshadowing and disgracing of their innocent posterity Mans ambition to be higher than God would have him brings him to shame §. 10. Of disasters upon friends occasioning self-murder 3. Calamities upon their friends Thirdly the evils that are upon that which externally belongs to men whereby divers times some are occasioned to murder themselves are those that concerne their neerest and dearest friends as their wives children kindred masters familiars and the like and that falls out in two cases In two cases 1. By suffering or doing evill First when such friends either do or suffer some woefull or shamefull things while they do live which makes them in their opinion that love them miserable as are the flagitious lives and practises of wife children kindred or the like or their ignominious and cruell sufferings redounding to the extreame griefe or disgrace of those to whom they so neerely belong which they cannot nor will not indure but do kill themselves that they may not live to see it or heare of the same 2. By being bereaved of them Secondly when such friends doe die or are taken away from them whereby they thinke themselves miserable in the losse of their company and of the benefit that they had by them and therefore they are so affected that in the former case they will not abide to live in this world with them nor in the latter case will live in this world without them but will needs kill themselves in the former case to be rid from them and in the latter that they may not be without them Observe So that such mens friends may seeme in these two differing respects to make them miserable the one by their presence and the other by their absence and so the cause of their comfort is made the meanes of their woe by their owne folly who will live not by the life that is in themselves but by that which is in others and do set their hearts more on such friends than on God in so much that if they cannot enjoy their friends as they desire they will not enjoy themselves as Sauls Armour-bearer who killed himselfe that hee might not out-live his Master a 1 Sam. 31.5 §. 11. Of trouble of conscience occasioning self-murder 3. Inward upon the mind The third kind of evill whereupon men take occasion to kill themselves is that which is upon their minds as in the immediate subject thereof which the neerer it is the more intollerably it doth affect all other sufferings being as whippings upon the coats but this as upon the naked skin and more intollerable than death which some men choose and voluntarily inflict with their own hands upon themselves that thereby they may be freed from the trouble of their minds This trouble of the minde is of foure sorts Foure sorts of
they knew was the way to lose it b Reos suae mortis melior post mortem vita non suscipit August as we see by the practise of the Apo Paul who although he had a desire to depart and to bee with Christ which he deemed to be best c Phil. 1.23 yet would he not kil himself upon pretence the sooner to have his desire Who if that had beene a way to it would not have omitted it Also old Simeon having seene Christ and being desirous to be translated into a better life did not kill himselfe to effect it but said Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace d Luke 2.29 If self-killing were a lawfull meanes the sooner to have life eternall why should not all Gods dearest servants have used it who were to omit no lawfull course to advance themselves to that estate Wee are to wait Gods apponted time for heaven Secondly we are to waite our appointed time of God and not to stint or cut it short as we list as we see was the practise of Iob who said All the daies of my appointed time will I waite till my change come a Iob. 14.14 wee are not our owne Masters and therefore may not leave our stations when we list 3. We are to do all our service before we have the reward Thirdly wee should not affect and flie upon the reward before that wee have done all the service for the same appointed us of God in the spending of our lives to that period determined by him our day must bee at an end before we can receive our pennie Mat. 20.8 the which day we must not precipitate by making the light of our lives to set at noone or before its due time by a self-murdring hand He that beleeves makes not haste the promises are attained by patient waiting which is a part of our obedience best pleasing to God delay brings increase of glory 4. Eternall life is here begun Fourthly wee have a certaine and comfortable enjoying of eternall life begun here in this world by grace in faith holy life and communion with God as the Apostle tels us that the Kingdome of God is in righteousnesse peace and joy of the holy Ghost b Rom. 14.17 without which in this life wee shall never inherit the Kingdome of God in the life to come and if we have this in this life then may wee well waite for the accomplishment of it in the life to come when we have such possession assurance and comfort of it here Observ Hope of advancement abused to evill Here we may observe that Satan will abuse the hope of advancement to make man venture upon the doing of my sin as he did Eve by this baite more mischiefe hath beene done and more soules hooked into hell than by any one other meanes in the world Note And hereby it is that ambitious men and persons of parts and of aspiring spirits do most frequently perish The present estate of the godly is best for that present We are to consider that the present estate wherein we are by Gods appointment and will is the estate of our best advancement for the present beyond which for us by our self-willed courses to transgresse is but the way for us to come downe and catch a fall §. 21. Of the motions of the Devill to self-murder The sixt generall motive to self-murder Impulsus diaboli The instigation of the devill The sixt generall motive whereupon self-murderers do kill themselves is the strong impulse powerfull motions and command of the Devill who is himselfe a murderer and also moves man to practise it both upon others and upon himselfe thereby to dishonour God in the destruction of his Image and in the contempt and breach of his Law and that by the same he may destroy mankind overthrow the works of God and fill the world with confusion hee attempted it against Christ himselfe a Mat. 4. he caused the Swine to drowne themselves b Mat. 8. he endeavoured to have made the possessed child to have killed it self Mar. 9.22 Whence the devill hath his power That the devill hath such power sometime over man proceeds from the leave and permission of God without which hee can do nothing and also it is from his spirituall nature whereby hee is naturally superiour to man and can strangely affect him that hee so farre prevailes over him sometimes that hee can make him kill himselfe How thereby self-murder is effected This infernall command or powerfull inclination of self-murder is given or wrought by Satan two wayes 1. In visible apparition First in some visible apparition of the devill speaking to and perswading a man to kill himselfe 2. Outwardly Which hee doth either outwardly in some bodily shape as he spake to Eve and to our Saviour Christ 1. Inwardly or else inwardly to the fancie whereby a man thinks that he heares or sees the devill or some other that can be none else but hee bidding or perswading him to stab himselfe or to fling himselfe into the water or out of a window or the like to kill himselfe thereby Persons haunted 1. Wicked The persons thus haunted by Satan are either notorious wretches mancipated to the devils service and guilty of horrible crying crimes 2. Melancholick or else they are persons extreamly melancholick fearefull or discontented whose tempers and imaginations give the devill advantage this way to worke upon them 2. Satans powerful motions in the minde Secondly the devill doth powerfully move a man to kill himselfe in manner equivalent to a commandement by internall suggestions and raising of such inward powerfull motions of self-killing in the minde as can hardly be put out or withstood in regard of the deepe and firme impression of them in man and of the intimate entertainement and commanding possession that they have in him by meanes of his corruption conspiring with Satan to mans owne destruction Satans grounds of working to prevaile The grounds that Satan works upon after this manner to prevaile with man to kill himselfe are three 1. The advantage of all other motives First he takes advantage of all other motives to self-murder both furthering and powerfully intending all occasions to that effect perverting the judgement and kindling pride or impatiencie as is apparent by his dealing with Iob whose afflictions he both procured and poysoned with the leaven of his intermingled malitiousnesse He injects resolutions of self-killing And also hee workes and injects into the minds of men upon those crosse occasions such self-killing resolutions as puts them upon that vile act in a mans sufferings and distractions the devill is most busie to worke his owne ends thereby who subtilly intermingles himselfe in all stormes of troubles against man 2. Prophanenesse and idlenesse The second ground whereby Satan prevailes with man to kill himselfe is mans wretched
discerne and feele the wofulnesse of their estates being under the desperate sense and importable horrour of their sinnes and judgements due for the same then are they in danger to conclude their wretched dayes by self-murder Observ To know our tempers and watch our selves Therefore people should well consider their owne tempers and states with the severall dangers that attend upon the same and are to be wise to fortifie themselves where they are weakest and so wisely to demeane and behave themselves that they neither entertaine nor give way to any thing in themselves that may bring them to destruction but by faith and good workes to walke with God whereby they may be sure to live for ever §. 2. Of the entrance into self-murder 2. Entrances into self-murder The second thing considerable in the acting of self-murder is the first entrances degrees or approaches into it which are specially foure 1. Crying capitall crimes Parricide proceeds First grievous capitall crying sinnes of blood as murder knowne or secret parricide which is killing of parents children wives or husbands 1. From love of them that are killed which flowes either from exuberancy of carnall affection to them whom they kill whereby they take occasion to kill them by prevention to free them from miseries or to have them with them out of this world being by their owne hands about to rid themselves out of this life 2. From hatred of them Or else it proceeds from unnaturall or monstrous hatred to them for wrong sustained by them for keeping some good from them 3. From love of some other things or for the supposed evill they may bring upon them as whores that kill their infants to avoide shame and punishment children that kill their aged parents to come to their estates mothers in law that kill their children in law to derive estates to their owne widdowes that kill their children to ease themselves of charge and to preferre themselves by mariage These persons as they kill their owne soules by such vile sins so are they justly given over of God in recompense of their owne wayes to destroy their own bodies by their owne self-murdering hands 2. Desperation The second degree of entrance or approach into self-murder is desperation of pardon of sins or of freedome from calamities which rather than some will endure they will kill themselves seeing no other way of easing themselves and their minds whereof some resemblance may bee seene in Iobs Wifes counsell to her Husband Job 2.9 expounded advising him in his extremitie to curse God and die that is that he would take a course to be rid out of his miseries either by blasphemy provoking God to kill him or by dispatching himselfe with his owne hands after that he had blessed God in making peace with him for the safety of his soule 3 Entertainment of self-murderous motions Thirdly a further degree of entrance into self-murder is the advised entertainment of temptations and motions for a man to kill himselfe voluntarily suffering the same to seise upon him with some liking thereof searching and pleading reasons and examples to beguile himselfe whereby he may thinke it lawfull or lesse-evill in that case to kill himselfe and begins to plot the manner how he may best accomplish it with a fluttering wavering resolution to doe it 4. Impatient desire of death The fourth degree of entrance into self-murder is the impatient wishing and desiring of death and a lothing and wearisomnesse of life which so farre prevailes upon some that their whole study and endeavours are how to get out of their lives and to dispatch themselves by their owne hands rather than to live here A question concerning desire of death It is here a pertinent question whether it be at all lawfull to desire that we were dead Answer For resolution whereof it is to bee considered that there are two sorts of desires of death the one is holy the other is sinfull 1 A holy desire of death How it is holy A holy desire of death is that which desires not to be unclothed but to be clothed upon 2 Cor. 5.2 4. the things that make this desire to be holy are two 1 By subordination to Gods will First when it is conditionall and moderate with respect and subordination to the good will of God being content to live if God will have it so and while wee are in this life such holy desires of our dissolution from hence doe not hinder but further all such performances as tend to the glorifying of God and to the edification of our selves and others 2 In the motives thereof Secondly the holinesse of the desire of death consists in the motives thereof the which are two 1 The first is to bee with Christ that we may enjoy God in him to our full happinesse Philip. 1.23 The second is that we may be wholly freed from sinning against God and may be beatifically perfit in having the fulnesse of that whereof we now have the first fruits as the Apostle professes touching himselfe that he did forget those things that are behinde and did reach forth to those that are before and did presse toward the marke for the price of the high calling of God in Christ Iesus a Phil. 3.13 14. yet for to be translated no man is purposely to doe any thing to hasten his death nor to omit any thing due for preservation of his life or to bee more negligent in doing the things which are pertinent for him to doe in this life Vnlawfull desires of death A sinfull desire of death consists in three things First in absolutely desiring it according to our owne wills how and when to die with using meanes as wee list to effect it neglecting the preservation of life and well imployment of the same in doing all those duties for which God doth give it to us 2 Secondly when our desire of dying is from lothing of life and envying the benefit of it to ones selfe for Gods glory and the good of others which wee postpone and subject to our owne self-wills 3. Thirdly when our eager desire of the same is more for freedome from some temporary evills b 1 Kings 19.4 Job 3.3 Jer. 20.14 Rev 6.16 than for to enjoy spirituall and eternall good which ought not to be because God is as much if not more glorified and our selves and others truly benefited by our passive obedience as by our active Note for by the former God hath his will more than by the latter Our chiefe care should be for the happy estate of our soules and of both soule and body for evermore Non pro vitandis naturae vel fortunae malis sed pro vitando malo animi ossequendo potiore bono And therefore as one saith Wee may not desire death to shunne and escape the evills of nature or fortune but to avoide the
and he needs be the more carefull that hee may not hurt or blemish himselfe by his manner of dying otherwise than becomes a good Christian although hee bee innocent in that speciall thing for which he is adjudged to die What men are to consider in suffering innocently yet he is to consider that hee may bee guilty of some other particulars justly deserving death and in that respect is patiently to acknowledge and submit to the stroke of divine Iustice finding out and punishing his sins or else that God wisely so orders things that hee shall so die only for triall of his passive obedience and for the glorifying of God both in the cause and manner of his death which he is to suffer well and for well doing How a condemned person is to submit to die Yet notwithstanding a person condemned to die and in the hands of the executioners is not to strive oppose or withstand them in doing execution upon him but he may and ought upon their command so to dispose and order himselfe as he may be fit and way by him may be made for them to doe their office in executing of him as for him quietly to submit to be led to the place of execution and there to be ordered by them as they please for him patiently to receive his death by their hands to open his mouth to receive poyson of their giving to him as our Saviour did the vinegar that was given him upon the Crosse Iohn 19.29 30. to lay bare his neck to the blow submit his neck to the haltar to embrace the fire entertaine applied combustible matter for dispatch of himselfe provided alwaies that the same be not first kindled or applied mortally by his own meanes the truth thereof is apparent by that which our blessed Saviour fortold Peter that hee should stretch forth his hands and another should gird him signifying by what death he should glorifie God a Ioh. 21.18 19. Reasons 1. The reason hereof is evident because a person condemned to death is no more his owne but the sonne of death in the hand of authority to be disposed of as the same pleases 2. with safety of divine right and the minister of Iustice that gives the last and fatall blow is he that properly kills the man and not the man himselfe by his active and passive submission to receive the same 3. that he may obediently in charity and peace leave this world and patiently resigne his soule to God in hope of entring upon a more happy life in exchange for this §. 2. How self-murder is against God himselfe 2. Self-murder it is against God himselfe The second particular whereby it is apparent that by religion a man may not kill himselfe is because it is a most hainous crime against God himselfe immediatly in foure severall respects In what respects 1. It defaces Gods Image First self-murder destroyes and defaces the Image of God a Gen 9.6 in the most expresse forme thereof that is in any humane creature and in the neerest proximity and possession thereof in him that kills himselfe It is treason indignly to abuse or demolish the Kings Image much more is it treason against the King of heaven and earth to deface or unworthily to intreat his sacred Image specially for them to do it to whom the entertainment preservation and honourable usage of the same is committed 2. It wrongs Gods soveraigne authority Secondly self-murder is peccant and injurious against Gods soveraigne authority who is absolute Lord of our persons and of our lives and therefore wee have no power but from him and according to his Word to dispose of ourselves seeing that wee are not our owne Superiours supreme nor subordinate which is impossible for then one must be two or else one must bee both superiour and inferiour to it selfe at the same instant and in the same case and respect than which what is more absurd to think and impossible to be Comparison If a private man should violently take a malefactor that is worthy of death from the Kings barre of Judgment and upon his owne will and authority put him to death it would justly be deemed an audacious unlawfull act and worthy of exemplary punishment both for usurping the authority that belongs not to him by thrusting of the King out of his place and jurisdiction and also for depriving of the King of opportunity of shewing mercy or executing justice according to his regall power So likewise may wee judge of a self-murderer that takes himselfe from the barre of God to dispose of himselfe as he list to the wrong of Gods soveraigne authority 3. Self-murder wrongs Gods goodnesse Thirdly self-murder or wilfull self-killing which are both one is against Gods goodnesse whereby he gives us our lives with meanes of their preservation which is a most excellent blessing in it selfe and for the good that thereby we may doe and therefore one sayes well that Life is a certaine gift Vita est quoddā donū divinitus homini attributum ejus potestati subjectum qui oc cidit vivere sacit given to man from above and is subject to his power who kills and makes alive who is only God as the Scripture tells us a Deut. 32.39 1 Sam. 2.6 and therefore for a man prodigally to waste or destroy this life of his he not only doth an unlawfull act but also slights and contemnes Gods speciall goodnesse to him The most grievous sins are committed against Gods goodnesse which is more damnable than to sin against his other properties because in this consists all our happinesse and thereby God gaines most glory and for despising whereof the Apostle gives a most bitter reproofe Despisest thou the riches of his goodnesse c. Rom. 2.4 4. Self-murder wrongs Gods providence Fourthly self-murder is a course against the providence and established government of God in the world about mankind which it doth disturbe by determining the time how long and the manner after what fashion we should die or live according to our owne wills without any dependence upon or respect to the will of God A self-murderer is an Atherst which necessarily imports that a self-murderer is either an Atheist holding that there is no God at all or that God takes no care of the world nor of men to order them or dispose of them but keepes himselfe onely within the circuite of the Heavens than which what can be more contrary to the reason of a good man Or rebell against God Or else by his practise he proclaimes himselfe a rebell against God to whom he will not be subject nor bee disposed according to his Word but like a devill sets himselfe in opposition against God to his owne everlasting destruction §. 3. How self-murder is against nature 3. Self-murder is against nature The third particular that makes it apparent that self-murder is
It destroyes our persons Thirdly self-murder is much against our selves both by the destruction of our persons in this world and by running of our selves into everlasting damnation in the world to come by such a damnable and wicked practise whereby we are sinners against our owne soules §. 6. How self-murder is most harmefull Self-murder is most harmfull Now it followes to bee shewed how self-murder is most harmefull and damageable which may bee seene in foure particulars 1. To Gods glory First it is hurtfull to the glory and honour of God who is thereby dishonoured not only by the transgression of his Law but also by the wrong that thereby is done to the Soveraigne authority and to the image of God 2. To the Church and common-wealth Secondly it is hurtfull to the Church and Common-wealth by bereaving the same unjustly of their members and by drawing downe Gods judgements upon them for such damnable facts committed within the same 3. To friends and posterity Thirdly it is harmefull to a mans friends and posterity both in overshadowing their credit and honour by the darke and disgracefull cloud of such a fact and over-lading them with troubles griefe and shame for the same And also by depriving them of that earthly estate and meanes whereby otherwise they might have been helpfull to them for their livelihood or advancement 4. To a mans selfe Fourthly self-murder is harmefull to a mans selfe both by depriving him of life and also by subjecting him to misery with losse of happinesse and good name Ierome sayes in the name of God I receive not such soules as have come out of their bodies against my will a Non recipio tales animas quae me nolente exierunt è corpore Hierom. ad Marcellam de obitu Blesellae and the Philosophers that did kill themselves he calls them Martyrs of foolish philosophy b Martyres stultae philosophiae Virgil places self-murderers in the third circle or region of hell qui sibi lethum Insontes peperêre manu Self-murderers are fooles and mad men For a man wittingly and willingly to doe that which of it selfe is wholly morally evill and whereof nothing but evill and mischiefe redounds to others and to the doers thereof especially is extreame folly and madnesse And therefore self murder being a thing of that kinde those that kill themselves doe thereby proclaime themselves to be damnable fooles or mad men or worse and so in regard of the damage thereof self-murder is to be abhorred of all §. 7. How reason condemnes self-murder Self-murder is against reason It remaines that it be demonstrated by reason that self-murder is wicked and unlawfull and that no man may kill himselfe upon any pretence whereof the reasons are many some whereof I will here subjoyne 1. It is evill First that which is every way evil is not to be done but to kill ones selfe is every way evill 1 Cor. 15.26 peccantly and penally naturally and morally The Apostle calls death an enemy it is threatned by God as a punishment for sin it is privative of life and therefore opposite to God who is life and a pure act of eternall living Life is promised as a blessing and in that respect to be desired and imbraced It makes us by our vitall being conformable to the first being and capable of happinesse The degrees of the creatures being And the higher that any thing is raised upon the foundation of being the liker it is to God as vegetables doe more resemble God than inanimates that have but simple being and sensitives more than vegetables and rationall creatures as men approach neerer to God than sensitives and intellectuall creatures or spirituall intelligences as Angels are neerer to God than rationall creatures on earth and those that are of the longest lives resemble the ancient of dayes most So that to live long in an estate of neerest proximity to God every man should affect whereunto self-murder is contrary 2. Self-murder is against faith Secondly whatsoever wee doe morally considered should be an act of faith and obedience but self-murder cannot be an act of faith and obedience both because Gods word is against it and also for that it proceeds from desperation and mans domineering self will which is contrary to faith and holy obedience 3. It is not to bee desired to be done by others nor to others Thirdly what a man may neither naturally nor morally desire nor endeavour that another should doe to him nor he to another that may not he doe to himselfe because wee ought to doe as wee would be done to which is the summe of the Law and the Prophets a Mat. 7.12 our judgement and practise should agree But no man rightly disposed in his wits may nor can advisedly desire or endeavour that another should kill him or that he should kill another undeservedly and upon private motion the latter is literally forbidden by the sixth Commandement and against the former nature and religion bids and armes a man to defend himselfe for preservation of his life Nature rightly disposed erres not in and about its proper object seeing it is a proper judge of things properly belonging to it and is from God and not contrary to his Word And therefore a man may not kill himselfe contrary to the dictate of nature 4. It makes him unlike to God How self-murder makes a man unlike to God Fourthly no man may do that which makes him most unlike to God for the Creator and creature must hold proportion together and our happinesse stands in our likenesse to him and communion with him 1 Iohn 3.2 But for a man to kill himselfe makes him most unlike to God both by his sinne and also by the effect of his fact For for a man by his own hands to make himselfe not to be is contrary to him who hath his being and living of himselfe and doth everlastingly live he being naturally the fountaine of life and his living and essence are reciprocall or convertible and is absolutely immortall and so the more that any preserves their lives and the longer they live the liker they are to God and the more that they are impotently passive and the sooner they cease to bee the unliker they are to God The being and living of creatures is the ground of all other blessings wherewith they are or can be indowed therefore no man should kill himselfe when death deprives him of so much good 5. Life is a blessing Fifthly wee should most carefully keepe the greatest naturall blessing that God bestowes upon us which is our life and be thankfull to God for it because it is the first blessing and the ground of all the rest that God bestowes upon us and therefore we ought most to abhorre self-murder because it is most contrary to life 6. Self murder most harmfull to a mans selfe should cause us to avoide it Sixthly
which hee may well do he is to be willing and therefore to kill himselfe hee should not be willing because hee cannot well do it which is against the Law both of God and of nature 17. The examples of self-murder are wicked Seventeenthly the quality and esteeme of the persons that kill themselves may demonstrate the odiousnesse of that fact in any for generally they are wicked persons and their names execrable in the Church such as were Saul Ahitophel Zimrs Iudas and the like And therefore as a man would not bee ranked with them nor be subject to their infamie in this world nor would partake with them in their estate of misery and damnation in the world to come so he should be most carefull that he have no communion with them in their ill courses and wretched practises in this world specially that he may not shut up his life with them in the same damnable manner of self murder For any godly persons that have killed themselves whose names are under a charitable censure of commendation it was done by them either out of blamelesse ignorance of the morall forme of the fact or else by speciall motion of the holy Spirit warranting them to do what they did b Ex ignorantia intalpata vel motu spectait Spiritus sancti and are charitably excused or commended not for their fact of killing themselves but for their precedent good lives and for their heavenly mindednesse and holy dispositions which apparently they had for which they did and when they did out of their weakenesse that unlawfull fact extraordinary and exempt cases which stand upon some speciall and transcendent circumstances are not to be made rules and precedents nor to bee imitated for and in ordinary practise none can dispense or make exceptions but he that hath power over the Law which is the rule of our lives who is God alone 18. The verdit of nature in the creatures condemnes self-murder Eighteenthly self-murder is abominated and condemned by the generall verdite of the furie of all the creatures inanimate and irrationall whose universall practise for self-preservation utterly condemnes all self-murderers upon natures evidence against them We see how the Hare flees before the Hound and useth many naturall slights and stratagems to escape the danger So doth the Partridge to avoyd the talons of the Falcon yea a worme trod upon turnes againe The like is observable also in senselesse creatures we see every element fleeing from its contrary to the place of the conservation of it selfe Yea even also in man himselfe it is apparent how nature abhorres and shuns self-murder where we see how by naturall instinct in suddaine perils when a man hath leasure to thinke of avoyding of them as when a blow is suddenly and unexspectedly reached at a man the hand naturally and of it selfe will instantly object it self to save life which demonstrates that for a man to turne his hands against himself to kill himself is unnaturall and monstrous 19. Man 's own indowments condemnes self-murder Lastly those indowments abilities and meanes that man hath naturally to preserve himselfe and his life utterly condemnes his self-killing as impious and monstrous For first he is indowed with self-love every man naturally is a friend to himselfe sayes the Philosopher a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whereby every man may have a desire to preserve himselfe Secondly man is indowed with feare of whatsoever may hurt or destroy him Feare is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a certaine preservative whereby men labour to preserve themselves Thirdly man is qualified and furnished with understanding and memory which gives knowledge and experience whence flowes the morall habit of prudence by which man is enabled both to foresee and to prevent dangers and to be Iudge and Master of his owne actions for his owne good and preservation so that a man cannot kill himselfe without being self-condemned in the doing of the act contrary to naturall instinct to reason and to all the indowments and meanes that he hath to the contrary and must perish without all plea of excuse I will conclude the arguments against self-murder with the grave and most serious judgement and determination of Iosephus disswading his Countrey-men from the same De bello Iudaico lib. 3. cap. 14. when they were most desperately and instantly urging the doing thereof to whom he said as followeth Wherefore ô my friends quoth he are wee become murderers of our selves Wherefore doe we make war betweene things so united as are the soule and the body If the Romans our adversaries thinke good to spare their enemies should not we think it good likewise to spare our owne selves it is meere folly to do that to our owne selves for which we sight against our enemies He is not onely to be judged a coward who refuseth to die when need requireth but aelso he that will die when no need urgeth Shall we make that certaine to our selves that wee feare at our enemies bands You will say it is the part of him that is valiant to kill himselfe nay truly it is the part of a very coward For I thinke him to bee a timorous sea-man who perceiving a tempest coming before it fall sinketh the ship wherein he is Moreover it is against the Law of nature and the nature of all creatures to kill themselves and thereby wee should commit a hainous crime against God there is no living creature that of his owne seeking would willingly die for every one feeleth in himselfe the strong and forcible law of nature whereby they desire to live and for this cause wee judge them for our enemies that seeke to take it from us and doe punish them that doe take it indeed And doe you thinke it is not a greater contempt of God for a man to despise his gift For we of him received our first beeing and from him let us expect our ending The body is mortall framed of corruptible matter but our soules are immortall and there is a little part of God placed in our bodies If any one abuseth that which another man putteth him in trust with presently we thinke him a perfidious and wicked man and shall we thinke that if we cast away out of our bodies that which God hath put us in trust withall and placed in the same that he shall not know of it whom we have so abused we hold those slaves worthy to be punished that run away from bad masters and shall not we then be held for impious who flee from so good a master as God is doe you not know that they who according to the Law of nature depart out of this life and render that to God which they received of him when he who gave it requires it shall leave behind them a perpetuall name to their posterity and family And that unto those soules who are obedient to their Creator when he calls them he gives a holy and sacred mansion in
their eternall future happinesse in the world to come to abandon all thoughts of self-murder that consideration of present things may not wholy possesse and take them up from minding and intending the spirituall good of their soules and the future felicity of a better life but that they may order all their wayes and actions so as the same may not prejudice but advantage the good of their soules and advance them to and in the estate of glory Self-murderers regard not their souks But it seemes by the practice of self-murder that self-murderers either thinke that they have no soules but are as irrationall brutes of whom death ends all or else that they undervalue their soules as things nought worth and are regardlesse of their future estate in the world to come as if neither of them were worth their care and respect that for the same they should frame their course and order their practice and otherwise than they list themselves and in that respect are wilfull mad Atheists What they should consider If self-murderers doe conceive that they have soules that are superstites remaining after their death and beleeve that there is a life of happinesse or misery to come after this then should they be mindfull of the same and consider what shall become of their poore soules and what their state shall be if they doe kill and rid themselves out of this life and world and whether salvation or damnation is the portion of self-murderers §. 2. That all that kill themselves are not properly Self-murderers nor in their estate of damnation All self-killers are not properly self-murderers About determining this great question concerning the sinall estate of self-murderers whether they bee all damned in hell or any of them saved in heaven we are first to consider that all that fall by their owne hands or meanes are not self-murderers as hath beene formerly shewed in divers exempt cases in the chapter of direct bodely self-murder Chap. 12. §. 5. to which I referre the reader For although all self-murderers are self-killers yet all self-killers are not self-murderers they are not termes convertible or reciprocall because although they may agree and be the same in themateriall part or substance of the action They differ formally yet they doe differ in their forme and nature of Anomy or sinfulnesse which doeth varie and alter the kinde that it is not the same properly with the other and so it is not simply subject to the same effects and Consequences thereof Whereupon not only by the verdict of divine reason but even also by the Courts of humane Iudicature about feloes de so such are acquitted as are expressed Chap. 12. § 5. In the exempt cases As if a Child kill it selfe that hath not attained to age of discretion or to use of reason or if a man or woman kill himselfe that is an Ideote or naturall foole or is mad constantly or in a fit of Lunacie or of a Fever or Calenture or in a fit of Phrensie how ever involuntarily contracted or by mischance no Court of equity or Iustice in advised well informed proceeding will condemne such an one for a self murderer and accordingly so dispose of his body and goods as of self-murderers For for them to exempt such from the number and censures of self-murderers their reason is good because it is most inbumane and unreasonable so ignominiously to condemne and censure persons for self-murderers whose case deserves pitty and commiseration for their lamentable suffering both in their death and also in that evill of calamity which is the cause of it against or at least without the free consent of their wills and therefore to punish a fact neither of their proper effecting nor advised approving by addition of more misery were most unjust Hereupon it necessarily followes that the persons justly acquitted and exempted from the number and censure of self-murderers by the verdict and Judgement of men as such to whom usually the Church grants communion of Christian buriall with other priviledges of holy Church after their death cannot in charity be denyed by it the happinesse of salvation §. 3. That proper and direct self-murderers are all reprobates and without the state of grace All self-murderers are damned The proper subject of this question about salvation are not the persons aforesaid salling by their owne hands in the foresaid cases who are not properly self-murderers But those only that out of deliberate Iudgement doe advisedly wittingly and willingly kill themselves contrary to the meanes and power that they have to the contrary if they list to use the same as they might of these I say and doe peremptorily conclude that they all and every of them that so murder themselves are certainly and infallibly damned soule and body for evermore without redemption which I will pregnantly prove by five strong and undenyable arguments and reasons Reasons 1. None in the state of salvation can be properly a self-murderer First because none doe nor can so murder themselves but unregenerated and reprobate persons who dying in that estate cannot possibly be saved For both the transcendent greatnesse of that sinne of self murder in it selfe and perfect forme considered and in all the circumstances thereof for manner of doing of it And also the full measure of the wills exorbitancy in a plenary consent and the indivertible indeavours of the minde and all the powers and faculties of these self murderers presumptuously to doe this vile execrable act against all resistance and helps to the contrarie is such as cannot be incident to any godly body that shall be saved Of the regenerated preserved Because in those that are truly adopted of God both the power of sinne formally considered in that degree of Anomie and excesse of enormity is by saving grace and the Spirits working in them broken and bridled that they cannot breake out into the same so extremely as others doe And also their wills are brought under such conformity to the rule and command of God and of his spirit and all their powers faculties and dispositions are in some measure so-inclined to goodnesse and divine obedience that they can never transgresse into any odious grosse sin without far more reluctancy opposition and hinderance in themselves against it from light of Iudgement divine restraint and from antipathy of renewed inclination than can be in any that is wicked or unconverted who running in an unregenerate estate with such a full Careere sometimes upon the rock of self-murder doe therein outstrip others so farre that they overshoote themselves beyond all bounds of salvation and are all certainly damned even in the judgement of men here on earth who have no better esteeme of them but as of damned Reprobates who by their owne meanes and procurement perish for ever not onely by and for the odious act of murdering themselves but together with that for their former wicked impenitent life and are not saved
nature of self-murder Objections There remaines now certaine objections to be answered which may be made in favour of proper self-murderers for their salvation which are especially three The first of them may be pretended to be taken from the nature of self-murder alledging that the same is not so hainous a sinne but that the doers thereof may bee saved 1. From the nature of self-murder First because if we consider sinnes as they are committed against the Gospell onely the sinne against the holy Ghost is called a sinne unto death a 1 Joh. 5.16 which never shall be pardoned b Mat. 12.31 Self-murder is not that sinne and therefore may seeme to bee pardonable and the doers thereof saved 2. Againe if wee do consider the sinnes committed directly agaist the Law there is none of them desperately unpardonable because they all and every of them may upon repentance be cured by the Gospell which is of equall extent to the Law to be able to repleave and save all that the Law condemnes And of the sinnes committed against the Law some as spitefull blasphemy against the Majesty of God and the like may in the true nature of them seeme to be more hainous than self-murder both in regard of their more direct and malignant opposition against God and also for their greater distance in nature from pardon Answ 1. The sin against the holy Ghost To this objection that caries with it a countenance of probability I answer first touching the argument taken from the sin against the holy Ghost it is to be considered that that sin is unpardonable and they damned that do it onely in respect of that desperate opposition whereby the committers of it do spitefully oppose and reject Christ and his Gospell the very only meanes whereby they can be saved so that there remaines no further or other way or help for salvation and also because that sinne is ever infallibly accompanied with finall impenitency which alwaies makes a man uncapable of grace and salvation which none can have but true penitents How self-murder is equivalēt to the sinne against the holy Ghost Self-murder hath that in it which is in the sin against the holy Ghost in respect whereof it damnes and is unpardonable which is both finall impenitency in regard that a self-murderer by that sinne in the perfection of the anomie of it doth so indispose himselfe and shuts up and ends his life by and in such a horrible transgression that hee cannot possibly repent nor consequently bee saved And also equivalent and answerable to that spitefull rejection of Christ his grace and Gospell in the sin against the holy Ghost by the living there is in self-murder the cutting off of one selfe by his owne hands in this death from grace and salvation to be gotten only in and by life So that in these respects self-murder is as certainly damnable and the doers thereof reprobated as is the sin against the holy Ghost and the committers thereof For although of the sin against the holy Ghost it be precisely said that it shall never be forgiven and that the committers thereof are certainely damned yet it is neither said nor is true that none but sinners against the holy Ghost have their sinnes not forgiven to them and are damned seeing the contrary is abundantly certaine and the wicked quality and impenitent disposition of some persons so depraved and vitiated by their sins makes the same to be in them unpardonable which brings them to the same finall state with sinners against the holy Ghost it matters little for a mans comfort that is to be put to death whether he be hanged for felonie or for burglarie seeing for either of them his death is the same 2. Self-murder a transcendent great sin Secondly I answer touching the comparison made betweene self-murder and other sinnes committed against the Law that self-murder is a greater sin than any that can be directly and properly committed against and within any precept of the Law for which the committers of the same may have grounded hope of forgivenesse because self-murder is a transcendent sinne as hath beene shewed in the third reason transcedents are ever larger and greater than subordinates and it is a sinne condemnable by more and stronger reasons and arguments than any other sinne committed against and within the compasse of the Law as the same is more grievously injurious to more objects and transgresses more Lawes naturall divine and humane and therefore it must needs be the greater sinne Also the estimate of the greatnesse and unpardonablenesse of sinnes as they are in offenders is not wholly to be made by consideration of their abstract nature but specially the same is to bee made by the quality and disposition of the committers of them whose personall and actionall circumstances in doing of thē much aggravats or extenuats the same For pardon or not pardon of sins depends more upon the penitencie or impenitency of the offenders than upon the nature of their sins absolutly and abstractly considered the fact of self murder is such a sinne as no man penitently disposed can commit and it cuts him that doth it off finally from all repentance and consequently from salvation Self-murder most dangerous for a mans soule Of all sinnes against the Law self-murder is most dangerous and pernicious for a mans soule to bring it to damnation both because it excludes all care and meanes of a mans salvation which if a self-murderer did regard he would not venture in the last period of his life upon a course so contrary to it and also it puts the self-murderer into such an estate and disposition of sinfulnesse and aversenesse from God and his will in pursuing of his owne wicked lust that he is not nor can be capable of grace nor is in the way of salvation whereunto self-murder is most contrary by his last act of horrible sin in the closure of his life And therefore it is apparent that for any thing in this objection alledged there is nothing from the nature of the sin of self-murder properly so called that can give any comfort of salvation to self-murderers or can warrant us to hold probably and in the judgement of charity that they are not all generally considered utterly damned §. 10. Touching Examples of self-killers 2. Object Is from examples The second objection that may be made in favour of the salvation of self-murderers is taken from examples of Sampson Pelagia and many others that in the Primitive Church killed themselves and are acknowledged to be saved Therefore it may seeme probable that some self-murderers may be saved Answers 1. That Sampson is no self-murderer To this objection I answer first touching Sampson that he was no self-murderer directly nor in that point of so dying indirectly the reasons whereof are evident Reasons 1. First because his intention will and endeavours were not directly or primarily but only
furniture and power of hell and what their owne wit can invent or abuse for that end Observ It is hard to do good easie to doe evill From hence wee may observe First that whereas when wee are to do good wee are hardly drawne to it and do excuse our backwardnesse by pretence of disability and want of meanes and by alledging of impediments and letts as Moses did a Exod. 4.10 13. the sluggard pretends that a Lion is in the way b Prov. 26.13 But when wee are about to do evill we make no such objections but finde abundance of helps with opportunities and great frowardnesse and readinesse to doe the same Causes 1. Mans disposition The causes hereof are specially two First internall in mans owne will and disposition far more prone to evill than to good where will and inclination are to a thing they will find meanes Causes 2. The devill and evils easinesse Secondly there is an externall cause hereof to witt the devill who doth powerfully instigate and help to do mischiefe according to mens tempers and the outward occasion and the work of doing evill is farre more easie than of doing good because of the entitie that is in goodnesse and the non entity that is in evill goodnesse is an effect of power and evill is more properly an effect of impotency to pull downe is more easie than to build up to erre than to go aright Observe 2. Self-murderers are guilty of abuse of Gods Creatures Secondly we may here observe that he that is a self-murderer is guilty not onely of the vile act of self-murder but also of the abuse of Gods good creatures and of his owne abilities in perverting the same to that unnaturall end contrary to Gods ordination whereby they are in this respect subject to vanity c Rom. 8.20 so that a self-murderer erects a counterwork of creation and use of things against God while he gives being to self-murder against both nature and religion so setting up his owne works of evill against Gods that are good and disposing of Gods good works to his owne vile ends contrary to Gods will and ordination Note whereby it is apparent that such wicked persons are factiously-rebellious against God and disturbers of the peace and tranquillity of all the frame of nature and grace contrary to the Lawes and ordinances of God Sinne is in the world as pestilentiall humors in the body which disorder and indanger all where they are §. 2. Of the application of the meanes of self-killing 2. Application For application of the aforesaid meanes to the wicked act of self-murder there are three things considerable In it 3. things considerable 1. Predestination and determination of the end First the self-murderers premeditation and determination of the end which is his owne death to be effected by himselfe so setting limits to his owne daies as if he were his owne absolute Master and that he were so unhappy that his life were worse than death which death all other creatures do abhorre and that he were so desperate and forlorne for want of present mercy or future hope and that he were so forsaken of all that he can finde none to rid him out of his life and misery but that he must kill himselfe so hastening himselfe by a most wofull exchange into a farre greater misery by so doing than ever it was possible for him to suffer in this world by living although that therein he should live for ever under the most exquisite torments that here he can be capable of 2. Election of meanes The second thing considerable in the application of the meanes to the acting of self-murder is the election and choise of the particular meanes to effect the same all self-murderers do not choose to die by the same meanes For then the way of so dying would be unvariably one and the same in them all Wherein a self-murderer observes three things In election of meanes to kill himselfe a self-murderer observes specially three things 1. Such as best agree with his temper First he is carefull to make choise of such meanes as do best fit and agree with his naturall temper and sexe and are least formidable and terrible to his fancie or sense in the execution such as are familiar to him by daily use or such as in his judgement or sense are least horrible or painfull as Cleopatra that chose to kill her selfe by Aspes making her die sleeping 2. Such as be readiest Secondly a self-murderer makes choise of such meanes to kill himselfe that are readiest at hand and easiest for him to have according to his sexe calling occasions or imployment 3. Most certaine to effect death Thirdly he chooses to use those meanes which in his opinion are most certaine to effect that end most easily speedily and unperceivedly from the knowledge of others that he may not be crost of his designe and aime nor be long in paine Observe 1. It is easie to do evill Here we may observe that there is variety and choise of meanes to doe any one evill or sinne which shewes with what facility and ease we may sinne and perish and with what difficulty and hardnesse wee may doe good and bee saved which cannot bee done by such multiplicity of meanes and waies a right line can bee drawne but one way and the truth is simple and not manifold 2. The folly and madnesse of self-murderers Secondly here appeares the folly and madnesse of those that are so circumspect and carefull about choise of the meanes whereby they would die and are so regardlesse of the morall maner how they die and of their consequent condition that will follow upon such a death Observe every grosse and notorious sin is ever committed with a spice of madnesse accompanying the same because it is done against the dictat of sound reason and of true religion and therefore such men are so frequently in the Proverbs called fooles in respect not onely of the thing they doe but also in regard both of the reasons of their proceedings and also of the fruit and end of their courses touching whom it may be said that they have sowne the wind and they shall reap the whirle winde as sayes the Prophet a Hosea 8.7 §. 3. Of the method of self-murderers The method and maner of execution of self-murder The method and manner that a self-murderer observes in execution of self-murder consists in three branches 1. He observes opportunities First he watches and hunts after all opportunities and affects retired solitarinesse that he may without hinderance kill himselfe 2. Secrecy Secondly hee affects secrecie and expedition to accomplish that vile act upon performing whereof all his indeavours and power being bent and being deserted and left of God and his good Angels and the devill instigating and helping him and all meanes fitly concurring for that execution the
self-murderers successe and atchievement herein is quick and great beyond expectation except the Lord be minded here to punish such an one with paine as well as in the life to come 3. Obstinacy Thirdly a self-murderer is constant or rather obstinate in his resolution and indeavours to kill himselfe contrary to all good counsell let ts and impediments objected to hinder him from the same in so much that if such self-murderers at any time be crossed of their opportunities and disappointed in their attempts of killing themselves or that they be hindered or do but hurt and not forthwith kill themselves they are sorry for their disappointment and do continue more desperately their resolutions and indeavours untill it be done by them the medicine doth here irritate the disease which is a deplored and desperate case so that they must perish if the Lord God do not mercifully step in to pull them by repentance out of that fire of destruction or by some other over-ruling meanes prevent it that by living they may be saved Observe It is dangerous to give way to Satan in this point wherein he is hardly resisted Here wee may learne how dangerous and pernicious a thing it is to give way to Satan or to our owne exorbitant thoughts in this or in any such ill or unnaturall motions to sinne For by entertainment thereof we are taught from hell to be pregnant ingenious industrious diligent and obstinately desperate to commit the same in the meane time being restlesse untill it be done the execution or performance whereof is most hardly prevented where the doing of it is peremptorily resolved and all our indeavours set to accomplish it the reasons hereof are two Reason 1. Against knowledge and resistance First in regard that it is concluded and resolved upon and attempted with the overthrow or contempt of so great knowledge and resistance naturall and divine against which when such purposes prevaile there is nothing left to withstand the performing of the same but that such outragious corruption having broken over the banks that impaled it may rage and range without resistance as it list Reason 2. The danger of self-murder not knowne by experience Secondly the performance of self-murder resolved upon is hardly prevented because the true danger and evill thereof in the full extent and latitude thereof is not knowne by experience to the living for of those that die so by their owne hands none doe returne to tell tales how it fares with them afterwards except we credit the report of Virgill who affirmes from Aeneas his observation in his fained descent into hell who there did see self-murderers in a very low region and miserable estate that would now full gladly indure poverty and all hard travell and miseries in this world so as they might be in it againe out of their present miseries Virgil. Quà m vellent aethere in alto Nunc pauperiem duros perferre labores Self-murder is such an act as a man can doe but once in all because it concludes and finishes his life so as hee can have no more time either to get experimentall knowledge of it what it is or yet to be able by repentance to reforme it seeing it is not in mans power to quicken and give himselfe life againe that hee may use it better than he hath done And therefore in this respect self-murder is the most dangerous and worst sinne that a man can commit for after other sinnes how hainous soever a man may have time and meanes of repentance and salvation but after this he can have none CHAP. 15. The self-murderers motives to kill themselues §. 1. Men by abused reason sin worst The noblest creatures faile most ALthough that the crime of self-murder be naturally most horrible yet men only of all creatures do venture upon it and doe it the noblest creatures are subject to commit the foulest errors as men and Angels and of men the inlightned only can sinne that mortall sin against the holy Ghost for they that are able to doe most good by perverting of their abilities are able to doe most mischiefe David in that respect was more affraid of Ahitophel a 2 Sam. 15.31 than of all the rest that were against him Reason abused But that man may doe this horrible fact of self murder more boldly and securely without being over-ruled by the check of his conscience he abuses his reason to encourage him to doe that the uglinesse and unnaturalnesse whereof might otherwise deterre and astonish him from it For all such grosse facts condemned by the light of nature and apparent reason man doth vaile and maske under specious pretexts before hee dares venture to enterprise the doing of them in cold blood and likewise he obscures the contrary vertuous courses by aspersions of titles and names of disgrace labouring if it were possible to make vertue vice and vice vertue condemning the generation of the righteous and justifying the wicked turning hell into heaven and heaven into hell because the majesty and glory of the truth is such that none dares to looke it on the open face and revile and smite it but as they first attire and maske it under the habit and name of vice as the wicked Iewes did first blind-fold our blessed Saviour and then stroke him on the face a Luke 22.64 So farre doth man abuse his reason whereby hee excells beasts that thereby he doth make himselfe worse than the worst of beasts of whom none will kill themselves in any case No reason for self-murder For a man to murder himselfe there is no reason indeed for although he doth it not but as hee thinkes upon good reason yet this reason of his is neither from the nature of that action as if it were in it selfe a lawfull duty to be done nor yet is it reason elicite or drawn out from inbred principles and motives in nature or from other light acquire by the truth of God because there can be no good reason against the Word and Law of God who is the Lord of nature For reason is never repugnant or contradictory to it selfe neither is any thing opposite to reason in any thing but in unreasonablenesse as nothing is opposite to truth but error And for nature in man it cannot naturally yeeld any reason from it selfe why it should destroy it selfe because it is monstrous that one should be two and that division should be in unity and that instead of good it should attract to it selfe evill But all the pretense of reason that a self-murderer can have to kill himselfe is onely from externall motives which are without a mans selfe whereupon and from whence self-murderers doe impertinently conclude and endeavour to kill themselves No true cause of evill But there is no true cause or reason why any man should doe evill no not for the greatest good should we doe the least sinne because there is no evill