but Death it self had almost taken Possession and yet neither made them past serving of the Publick What shall be pretended then for the loss of any one Sense as the Stoicks do Shall this be taken for a certain Sign of being past doing good And consequently a reasonable Plea for Self-murther and shall that be acted accordingly Had it been so always how much Instruction and Delight wou'd Mankind have been depriv'd of had Homeâ—… Nay had Milton done so the World had lost that admirable Poem Oh had he made but as good use of his Eyes 'T is true few Persons are qualified for such great Performances but these Instances may shew that such Calamities as above-mention'd do not make all Men past serving of their Country or good for nothing and that if such Pretences were allow'd for Self-murther in one Person they must be so in another and if so that this may prove very hurtful to any State nay possibly to the whole World But after all it may be further Objected If a Man has leave from the Publick to Murther himself he does it no Injury this leave has frequently been granted by the Roman Senate and at †See Valer. Max. lib. 2. cap. 1. Marseilles a Vessel of Poison was kept ready at the Publick Charge for those to whom they gave Permission to Murther themselves This Custom may be of use to us so far in this Argument as to prove that these People thought that no Man who liv'd in a Civil State had right over his own Life but the Publick had a claim to it which is very true in its proper Limitation but then this was not such a claim as is grounded upon absolute Propriety such as gives a Power to dispose of any thing when and how it pleases because the right which the Publick has over particular Life is only for security of Publick Life grounded upon Self-defence and never to be made use of but in extreme Necessity as for the cutting off a corrupted part or for the opposing open Violence Wherefore this Right being grounded only upon this Foundation for any Political Body to pretend to give leave to any Innocent Person to kill himself is as absurd as for any Man to give his right Hand leave to cut off his lest when it ails nothing or to wound himself in any other sound part In a Word this wou'd be both Folly and Vsurpation for had the Publick this absolute Right all Complaints of Tyranny and Oppression wou'd be very unreasonable But after all what do such Instances as these signifie to Vs or to any Nation which does not grant the same Permission If the Matter were to be determin'd by Humane Laws we of this Nation not to mention others are forbid it under the strictest Penalties But here our Author tells us again * Page 94 9â—… If our Law be severe in punishing of it and that this Argument has the more strength because more Nations concur in such Laws It may well from hence be retorted that every where Men are inclinable to it which establisheth much our Opinion says he considering that none of those Laws which prescribe Civil restraints from doing it can make it Sin and that Act is not much discredited if it be therefore Evil because it is so forbidden and binds the Conscience no further but under the general Precept of obedience to the Law or the Forfeiture Here are three things advanc'd 1. That the General Concurrence of Nations in any Law proves a General Inclination in Mankind to the committing of the thing forbidden and therefore that that thing is Natural This I think is very strange All Nations concurr in severe Laws against Murthering of Princes Husbands Fathers against betraying Forts Ships c. Now does this prove a General Inclination of People to these Crimes No certainly but it proves a general abhorrence and detestation of em and the ill Consequences of 'em to Mankind and therefore is an undeniable Argument of such things being unnatural 2. We are told that none of those Laws which prescribe Civil Restraints from doing it i. e. Self-Murther can make it Sin and the Act is not much discredited if it be therefore Evil because it is so forbidden The Law of any Land does not make Self-murther to â—…e a Sin or Evil but found it so 't is really so by the Law of Nature as I hope has been shewn 't is declar'd to be so by positive Laws to put Men in mind of it to save 'em the trouble of reasoning it out and to deter 'em from committing it by the threats of immediate Punishment and that which was thus founded in Nature and afterwards commanded by Man's Law brings a new obligation upon the Conscience for if †Vid Sanderson de conscient praelect 5. Sect. 10. humane Laws concerning things indifferent in their own Nature which forbid an Action which a Man might be otherwise free to do or command one which he might be otherwise free to omit do oblige us as every one allows then how much more must they do so when they forbid a thing which is not indifferent but naturally unlawful and which a Man was oblig'd to sorbear before and so on the contrary If this be so that must also be a mistake which is assirm'd 3. That humane Laws which forbid Self-murther bind the Conscience no further but under the General Precept of Obedience to the Law or else to the Forfeiture When a Civil Punishment is affixt to that which is a Natural Evil a Man is not left at liberty to choose to suffer the one for acting the other particularly in the Case of Self-murther because a Man was oblig'd in Conscience before the humane Law was made and because the Punishment in this Case especially of all others is by no means adequate to the Crime besides if a Man may choose the Punishment then the Law of Man instead of enforcing the Law of Nature wou'd only be the convenience of evading it Wherefore as this distinction is unjust so is it most pernicious to all Civil Governments Yet after all supposing that it should be lawful to chuse the Civil Punishment for the committing that which is Naturally Evil How shall this reach the Offender as to Self-murther This can affect him no otherwise than as to his Dead Body or his Posterity and therefore how false is this Pretence at the Bottom And how base is this detestable Action whereby a Wretch breaks the Laws of God and his Country and exposes his best and dearest Friends his next Relations nay his Children often to suffer the Punishment due to his Crime If in excuse for this it shou'd be said That such People may be suppos'd to satisfie themselves with hopes of the Punishments being escapt by their Heirs either through Friendship Compassion Bribery c. If I say this shou'd be alledg'd then certainly it is very well worthy of Consideration whether the putting of those
to punish Nay if we consider him as a Member of Civil Society Humane Laws cannot always reach that which is naturally Evil for not to insist upon the many Designs and Contrivances of Lust Envy or Revenge before they are put in Execution How many evade Punishment after they have been Executed and that very insolently by Interest or Authority A Powerful Offender or Corrupt Magistrate may make the threats of Positive Laws how just or how severe soever to signifie nothing Wherefore either there must be no End at all of Humane Life or there must be no such Rules or Laws of Nature as are necessary for the obtaining of this End or these must be without any Sanction or that Sanction must be to no purpose or else there must be another State wherein those who transgress such Laws now without any Punishment shall receive what is their due hereafter 2. The different Events which befal those Persons which pursue or forsake the End for which Humane Life was given shew also that if we believe that there is a God there must be a Future State They who are least careful to pursue the true End of Life or rather who most industriously forsake it are often most Happy as to all Appearances and grow Great and Wealthy and live in Peace and Honour On the other side they who pursue this End most saithfully are exposed to great Sufferings their Virtues are often to their Disadvantage their Humility Patience and Generosity encourage Insolent and Violent Men to injure and oppress them and their Constancy and Integrity brings them some times to Barbarous and Bloody Deaths So that Man's indispensible Duty and his Happiness as to this World are often inconsistent and therefore we must conclude either that God is Unjust or Unwise in proposing such an End of Man's Being as may make it Miserable nay as may prove the Destruction of it or else that there must be another State wherein those who pursue or forsake this End most shall be Rewarded or Punish'd more equally 3. Man is capable of doing so much Good by the pursuing of this End that he cannot receive an adequate Reward in this Life and is capable of doing so much Evil by acting against it that he cannot be made to suffer an adequate Punishment and therefore there must be another State for both these Purposes As to the first A Man may make so great a Progress in Knowledge and Virtue and be so very Good himself that by his Example and Instruction especially if he have Interest and Power in the World he may retrieve many from Ignorance and Vice he may be the occasion of such good Laws or of making such Provision for the Unhappy as may extend to Future Ages What a Blessing is a Wise and Good Prince that faithfully emploies his Time and his Power for the benefit of his Subjects Now what Reward can this World afford that can be any ways proportionable to such a Persons Virtue especially if we consider that the more Rational and Virtuous any Soul is the more it must be above whatever belongs to Sensation that is whatever Wealth Honour or Pleasure this World can offer it 'T is true the Pleasures of a good Conscience look something like a proper Reward in such cases but alas what are these without the prospect of a better State and how much must they be check'd and damp'd continually by the consideration of the shortness and incertainty of this only Being As to the second A Man may commit so much Wickedness he may be guilty of so many Murthers he may spread such pernicious Principles as by destroying the Belief of a God and enervating the force of Humane Laws may let loose the most furious Passions and wildest Appetites and this may end not only in the Misery of the Present Age but infect the Future and what Mischief is not a Vicious Tyraut capable of doing The worst Punishment that can be inflicted in these Cases must end in Death but how inconsiderable is that though caused by the most exquisite Torments if compared with such Crimes and many others which may easily be supposed Wherefore since Man is capable of doing more Good or Evil than he can receive an adequate Reward or Punishment for in this Life we must either accuse that God who made him so of want of Wisdom Goodness or Justice or else allow that there shall be another State c. If we consider also the vast Capacity of Humane Nature the excellency of those Faculties whereby Man is qualify'd for pursuing his proper End How much they set him above all other Creatures how they suggest to him naturally Future Happiness and Misery and fill him with Hopes and Fears accordingly this also will afford us other Arguments to the same purpose 1. As to that great degree of Capacity which Man has in regard to other Creatures and the Excellency of those Faculties by which he is distinguish'd from them * Vid. pag. 13 14. sup To what purpose were these if there were no other Life but this Instinct and Sensation would do the business of Self-preservation as well in Man as in Beast without the great Endowments of Reason and Freewill by the misuse of which Man has a possibility of making his Life both more miserable and short than they can theirs so that these Powers which he values himself upon so much wou'd not be only Supersluous but greatly to his Disadvantage wherefore as the very placing of these Faculties in Man by a Wise and Sovereign Being shew that he was made for a greater End than only to continue such a time here so if we observe the Operations of them we shall find that they aspire to something greater than this World can afford that we have a Capacity too great to rest satisfy'd with the choicest Enjoyments here that our Reason teaches us to despise them and raises us to Desire more Noble Objects and more solid and lasting Happiness * See that late Learned and Ingenious Discourse Concerning The Certainty and Necessity of Religion In General Pag. 142 c. Had God intended this Life as the only Scene of Man's Happiness he would have sitted and proportion'd his Capacity accordingly he would have made him to acquiess in such Enjoyments as he found here and not have dispos'd him naturally to think of another State and to long after it and therefore since he has done so we may be assur'd that there will be another State answerable at least to such Conceptions * See that late Learned and Ingenious Discourse Concerning The Certainty and Necessity of Religion In General Pag. 142 c. 2. This is also Evident from the Natural sense of Evil and of Guilt upon committing it and the fears which attend it otherwise Man would be the most wretched of all Creatures to no purpose There is no Creature that feels Remorse upon sense of Guilt or that dreads Punishment accordingly
AN ESSAY Concerning Self-Murther Wherein is endeavour'd to prove That it is UNLAWFUL According to NATURAL PRINCIPLES WITH Some Considerations upon what is pretended from the said Principles by the Author of a Treatise intituled Biathanatos and Others By J. Adams Rector of St. Alban Woodstreet and Chaplain in Ordinary to His Majesty LONDON Printed for Tho. Bennet at the Half-Moon in St. Paul's Church-Yard 1700. To the Reverend Dr. GODOLPHIN Provost of ETON COLLEGE SIR THere are few Addresses of this kind where the Writer considers the Reputation of the Person he applies to half so much as his Own for tho' the Gratitude from whence they Flow may be sincere yet they are likewise very glad that the World should know their Friend or Patron If something of this should be laid to my Charge I could hardly acquit my self since 't is not I confess without some Pride that I acknowlâ—…ge thus Publickly the great Obligations which I have to you However I must say that this was not the only Ground of my applying to you For having undertaken the Defence of Humane Life it would not have been sufficient to have shewn that God reserves to himself the Absolute Propriety of it and that he imparts it to Man for a great and noble End unless I had given some Instance how Valuable how Glorious it might become by a constant pursuit of that End Where then could I have met with so full an Instance to this purpose as in the Example of Your Life Where such strength of Reason is guided so regularly by Revelation and every Vertue improvd and adorn'd by Primitive Piety Thus Your Name supports my Argument at the same Time that 't is necessary for my Protection who have attack'd an Error of so much Reputation and which is set off with all the pompous Boasts of Reason Courage Honour and Liberty by which Men chuse to be misled rather then guided by Revelation till after the loss of Health Estate and a Good Conscience they are driven to seek for Ease in Self-murther Among other Pretences which have been brought to justify this Act one of the most Popular is the Example of the Romans I have endeavour'd to give some Account when it first grew in Vogue among them and what Viâ—…es and Opinions made way for it how from a People Naturally Religious Brave and Disinterested above Corruption as much as Cowardice They fell firstinto Atheism and from thence into Luxury Bribery and Treachery Publick Poverty and Private Extortion which ended at last in the Slavery and Ruin of that Great Nation I could not consider this without a melancholic Reflection upon my own Country formerly not unlike the other in its Vertues as its Enemies will confess for their own Credit But alas now too like it in its Vices as its best Friends must be forc'd to own What can save it from the same Calamity but the restoring that lost Zeal for Religion and Vertue and Sincere Love of the Publick Good And what one Family can contribute more to this than Your Own Where at this time are to be found such excellent Qualifications for Support and Ornament both of the Church and State May that Good Providence which upon all Occasions has been so favourable to this Nation make you his happy Instruments to this Purpose SIR Your most Humble and most Faithful Servant JOHN ADAMS THE CONTENTS CHAP. I. MAN Considered in the Individual and the State of Nature Of Humane Life What and from whence it is where the Absolute Propriety of it is to be Plac'd Page 3. CHAP. II. Concerning the true End or Design of Humane Life and what it is to Follow Nature pag. 11. CHAP. III Men consider'd as a Member of Civil Society Self-murther prov'd to be Destructive to Civil Society from which and what was said before concluded to be an Act of the greatest Injustice and therefore Unlawful pag. 23. CHAP. IV. Of the Rise and Obligation of Self-preservation Some Objections against it Remov'd How far Humane Life may be justly Valu'd or Despis'd pag. 33. CHAP. V. Who they are Chiefly that maintain this Act to be Lawful The Stoicks The Author of Biathanatos Method propos'd for the answering Objections Some General Ones Consider'd which are brought against Self-Preservation as confess'd to be a Law of Nature pag. 48. CHAP. VI. Such Objections consider'd as are offer'd against the Law of Self-Preservation with particular Relation to what has been said concerning God's Propriety of Humane Life and which either directly deny this Propriety or else allowing it pretend that a Man may notwithstanding this Kill himself Lawfully by God's Dispenfation Dismission Call or Summons pag. 50. CHAP. VII Other Objections Answer'd by which they would Introduce a different End of Humane Life as the measure of Self-Preservation and then supposing that this End does cease whensoever a Man's Reason tells him that it does so would from hence infer that His Obligation to preserve Life does cease also pag. 73. CHAP. VIII Examination of such Objections as are brought to Invalidate what was said above as to Man's being a Member of Civil Society and the Vnlawfulness of Self-murther in this Regard also Application to the Coroner's Inquest in this Case pag. 94 CHAP. IX Transition to the remaining Part of this Treatise with a short View osâ—…it The Authority of Examples consider'd Several Instances of Laws and Customs of many Countries in the behalf of Self-murther Examined particularly such as relate to the Romans That nothing can be borught from hence to prove Self-murther to be Natural pag. 131. CHAP. X. The Rise and Progress of the Stoicks A short Account of their Philosophy when and for what Reasons it spread among the Romans That the Doctrine of Self-murther is Inconsistent with their other Principles as prov'd by Instances from their greatest Authors Seneca Epictetus and Antoninus with a brief Character of each pag. 157. CHAP. XI Gato's Case considered in Particular His Character His Enmity against Caesar The several Circumstances of his Death what were probably the true Causes of it and of the great Encomiums which were given him afterwards pag. 186. CHAP. XII Concerning Courage what the Nature Object and Vse of it is as Humane The Mistakes concerning it and the Occasions of them That Self-murther is not the Natural Effect of true Courage pag. 208. CHAP. XIII Of Honour that this is twofold either Inward a Principle of Virtue or Outward from the Applause which follows upon the other That neither of these can ever require Self-murther The Mistakes concerning Honour which occasion it Objections answer'd and some Particular Cases consider'd pag. 225. CHAP XIV Liberty the last Plea for Self-murther examin'd The several Significations of the Word Of that Liberty in General which Man has as to his Actions That this can afford no pretence for Self-murther That whatever Calamities what Grief or Pain soever afflicts the Soul or may be suppos'd to enslave it Man has no Authority to
according to Reason as to the Government of humane Actions which is the thing meant all along it must be Virtuous so perhaps the following of Virtue only might include the other too However since these two Expressions have been us'd and taken in different Senses heretofore and may still be liable to Exception since it is necessary to fix the End of Life which I shall have occasion to refer to so often in this Discourse in some particular Terms or other I thought it most convenient to make use of these and hope that the doing so will not be look'd upon as any Affectation This then is that which I take to be the great End of Humane Life which I shall * Chap. 7. further confirm when I come to consider the Objections which may be rais'd against it Wherefore to apply this to our present purpose from what has been said may be inferr'd 1. That since there is certainly some End or other for which Man has Life whether it be the same End or no which we have assign'd thus far we may be assur'd that Self-murther is unlawful upon this Account because by this Act Man positively renounces that End and destroys irrecoverably the means of obtaining it 2. If the true End of Humane Life is Man's working according to the utmost of those Faculties by which he excels other Creatures the following of Reason by Virtue then it is impossible that any one who does so any good Man shou'd ever be inclin'd to destroy his Life because the worse his Circumstances are the nobler Compass shall his Free-will have to follow its Reason by several Virtues and the more it does so the more it must be satisfied with it self and therefore cannot at the same time be inclin'd to destroy that very Satisfaction by Self-Murther From hence also some Inferences may be drawn for the confirming of what was said above concerning Man's having no absolute Propriety of his Life As 1. If there be a certain End of Humane Life then there must be also certain Rules or Laws which Man must be bound to observe in the pursuing of that End which Laws being founded in Nature and not depending upon Man's Choice or Consent oblige him whether he will or no. If there are such Laws as these some of which are above-mentioned which Man is thus indispensably oblig'd to observe while he has Reason left then he cannot have such an absolute Propriety of Life as to destroy it when he pleases 2. If there be such Laws as these all Laws suppose Reward and Punishment otherwise they wou'd be to no purpose Now when Man is in the State of Nature he cannot be made to suffer any Punishment for transgressing any Law of Nature he cannot be suppos'd to punish himself and no body else has any Right to punish him wherefore there must be another State wherein he must be liable to account for the use which he has made of Life and if so he cannot possibly have any absolute Propriety of that which he is not only accountable for every moment that he has it but also liable to Punishment for the misuse of it and much more for the destruction of it 3. Supposing that Man had a derivative Propriety of his Life from God yet if there be a certain End for which Life was bestowed that Propriety cannot be absolute because it must be conditional nor can it ever become absolute by the ceasing of the Condition because the Condition can never be perform'd so fully as to be cancell'd The Condition here is the same with the End of Life the following of Reason by Virtue There can be no Circumstances of Life where this is not absolutely necessary A Man can never have done being reasonable or virtuous never fulfil this End so far as to have liberty to destroy himself unless we will say that the more a Man has of Reason the greater Right he would have to renounce it and the better use that he can make of Life the more liberty he would have of not living at all I shall conclude what has been said concerning the Propriety which God has reserv'd to himself of Humane Life and the End for which Man has it from him with observing that both these have been acknowledg'd by the wisest Philosophers For Instance * In Phaed. Sect. 5. Plato makes Socrates to say That the Gods have a peculiar Care of us That Man is one of those Things of which they have reserv'd to themselves a particular Propriety From which he infers That as a Man wou'd be angry with his Slave if he shou'd kill himself without his leave and wou'd punish him if he cou'd for so doing so perhaps says he God wou'd deal with Man if he should kill himself unless he himself imposes a Necessity upon him as he does now upon me meaning as to his drinking the Poison after that he had been condemn'd to die * In Caton Maj. Pythagoras to shew the Unlawfulness of destroying God's Propriety and forsaking the End for which Life was given lays it down for one of his Rules That no Man ought to quit his Station without the express Command of his Superiour Officer that is of God as Cicero explains it And he also representing the Transport of young †Vid. Somnum Scipionis Scipio Aemilianus when he saw his Grandfather Africanus and his Father Paulus and other Roman Heroes appear to him in a Dream in a Place of Happiness and Glory and burnt with a youthful Ardour and Impatience to come to 'em He makes his Great Father reply to him It must not be so unless the God to whom belongs this vast and glorious Circumference that you behold unless that God sets you at liberty himself from that Body which he has confin'd you to there can be no Entrance hither wherefore my dear Publius you and all good Men must be contented to retain your minds within your Bodies nor remove out of humane Life without his Command who gave it you left you shou'd seem guilty of deserting the Post which God has assign'd to you as you are Men But follow Justice Scipio follow Piety as this your Grandfather and I did before you Such a Life as that is the direct way to Heaven says that great Man not the killing of ones self though even out of Impatience of arriving thither CHAP. III. Man Consider'd as a Member of Civil Society Self-Murther prov'd by several Argument's to be Destructive to Civil Society from which and what was said before concluded to be an Act of the greatest Injustice and therefore unlawful HItherto we have considered Man as Single and Independent from Humane Laws and show'd that as he is so Self-Murther is an Act of Injustice towards God by destroying that which is his alone and also both towards God and towards a Man 's own self by the positive and wilful refusal of performing that end for which he received Life and in
absurd than that Contempt of Life which is so very much affected by some People which injudicious Poets very much contribute too What than to have a Hero strutting and ranting against Life when either he has made it miserable by his Folly or is incapable of making a proper vse of it by his Ignorance Not to know what to do with Life is not to know what to do with Reason There are a great many Men in the World who despise the Slavery of Reflection and Forecast and depend only upon the gross Enjoyment of the present Moment And then whenever they meet with opposition or disappointment which they must needs do often they quarrel with Life and are for parting with it immediately whereas it is not Life but they who are in Fault Life is always pleasing when Reason is faithfully obey'd when this is forsaken Life indeed is worth nothing But then who is it that makes it so Yet still after all when it is become so worthless Self-murther is not necessary because the Cause of its being worthless may be remedied if the Person concern'd pleases and he can no sooner understand for what Reason Life is despicable but that he may make it quite otherwise by pursuing the true end of it Furthermore to confirm this Contempt of Life they plead the Examples of Regulus and others who have suffer'd Death with all Calmness and Magnanimity But will any Man venture to say seriously that these great Men behav'd themselves as they did out of Contempt of Life or despising or neglecting Self-preservation This would be the greatest Detraction * See â—…more Chap. 15. There seems to be always a poorness and meanness of Spirit in such Insinuations and Reflections as these Life is a Thing of no Value That Death is the way to Ease and the Pain not great nor lasting c. How much greater would it be for a Man to acknowledge that he is not insensible of the Terrors of Death and yet to shew at the same time that he is ready to suffer all rather than trangress against that end for which Life was given him by committing any one Crime Wherefore when we consider the settled and calm Resolution of any great and innocent Man at the point of violent Death let it not be said that he was glad to die out of any Contempt of Life But allow him to have had a natural regard to Life and then his parting with it upon the Account of Vertue will be truly Glorious By what has been said may appear the Unreasonableness of several Passages which are frequently to be met withal in the Writings of the Stoicks and †See Lucretius lib. 3. thus speaking in the Person of Nature Si grata fuit Tibi vita anteacta priorque Cur non ut plenus vitae conviva â—…ecedis Sin ea qua fructus â—…unque es periere profusa Vitaque inoffensu est cur amplius addere quâ—…eris Nec potsus Vitae finem facis atque laboris Nam tibi praeterea quod machiner inveniamque Quod placeat nihil est eadem sunt omnia semper Si tibi non annis corpus jam marcet artus Confecti languent eadem tamen omnia restant Epicureans and which have been received with much applause by some People who are pleas'd to see Life represented as a dull Business not worth a Man's Care where the same Thing comes over and over again Because their own is so ‖ Vid. Epist. 77. Cogita quam diâ—… jam idem facias 〈◊〉 cibus libido per hune circulum curritur Seneca has a remarkable Passage to this purpose where speaking of one Marcellinus's voluâ—… Death He tells us He was perswaded to it by a Friend of his a Stoick a very extraordinary Person especially as to his Courage who talk'd to him to this purpose Be not concern'd dear Marcellinus as if you were consulting about a Matter of any great importance Life is no such mighty Business Your Slaves live as well as you and so do Beasts too Consider how long you have been doing the same Thing over and over Eating Sleeping c. This is the narrow Circle which we are always Running This indeed is a very dull Circle for a Philosopher to be always Running for this is an Account of the Life of a Beast and not of a Man But the End of humane Life is of a Nobler Kind to regulate and improve a Man 's own Actions to do good to Mankind to be grateful and dutiful to the gracious Author of his Being and for this to be exalted to a State of unerring Reason and consummate Vertue 'T is true Sensation has but a narrow Compass its Objects are very few and very gross and therefore not only come quickly Round but become duller and duller the oftener they do so But nothing can bound the noble Range of Reason and when this is faithfully obey'd no Satiety ever attends the sweet Applause of a good Conscience but as the Progress of Reason is Endless so the Pleasure of Vertue is Immortal I shall conclude this Chapter with the Authority of a * Montaign's Essays Book 2. Chap. 3. Person who is very much esteem'd by the Gentlemen who are chiefly concern'd in this matter The Opinion which makes so little of Life is ridiculous for 't is our Being 't is all we have Things of a nobler and more elevated Being may indeed accuse this of ours but it is against Nature to contemn and make little account of our selves 't is a Disease particular to Man and not discern'd in any other Creature to hate and despise it self CHAP. V. Who they are chiefly that maintain this Act to be Lawful The Stoicks the Authors of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 method propos'd Some gâ—…neral Objections consider'd which are brought against Self-preservation as confest to be a Law of Nature HAving thus laid down those natural Principles from which Self-murther may be prov'd unlawful from the Right which God hath reserv'd to himself over humane Life from the End or Design for which Man received it and this too whether he be consider'd as in the State of Nature or as a Member of Civil Society Having also â—…hew'd the Rise and Extent of the Principle of Self-preservation and in what respects humane Life may be justly valued or despised I come now to Enquire who those are which embrace the contrary Opinion and have held and maintain'd Self-murther to be Lawful Among the Ancients the Stoicks were the most considerable yet they recommended it to the World more by the Austere Practice of some popular Vertues than by any solid Arguments or indeed any remarkable Attempts to prove it Lawful Yet what they have offer'd * See Chap 10. shall be considered at large and compar'd with their other Principles This has been pretended to more particularly by †Dr. Donnâ—… afterwards Dean of Paul's a Gentleman of our own Country with much shew of Learning and
have practised There is a kind of deformity in Storms and Tempests and Winter comes in unpleasantly after the Warmth and Fruitfulness of the other Seasons yet these are as necessary to the World as they were to Purge the Air to destroy hurtful Weeds and Insects and to dispose the Earth to Answer the returning Spring Something of the same kind is full as necessary to humane Nature to set the Soul in Motion after the soultry Calms of Ease and Luxury * Antonin lib. 4. §. 1. ib. lib. 10. §. 29. A great Mind improves upon opposition it Sparkles and Rejoyces under those Calamities which wou'd oppress others and slames out to the World in brighter Glory Wherefore to suppose that such Events as we have been speaking of are Dispensations or Dismissions from Life is to â—…ay either that there are no such Virtues as Conâ—…ancy Patience and Fidelity and that â—…od dispenses with us as to the practising any such Duties at all or else that he does so when we have the greatest occasion for them when they are nearest to their highest Perfection and may be practis'd most Gloriously 5. But after all the very Being alive though under the worst Events that can possibly be imagin'd is a direct Contradiction to any such Call Summons or Dispensation as above-mention'd Because as our Lives were first from God †See Chap. the 1st pag. 6. so the continuation of them depends wholly upon him No Man cou'd preserve himself one Moment without the Concurrence of his Providence if he thought â—…itting to withdraw that Concurrence there wou'd need no other manifestation of his Will because Life wou'd cease immediately Wherefore while there is Life there is no room to suppose that God gives leave to any Man to kill himself because I say his Being at all is nothing but the Effect of Gods Will and therefore while he is 't is absurd to suppose that God Will 's that he should not be These Reasons I hope may be sufficient to show that no Man can have any assurance from any Natural Event that God does resign his Propriety of humane Life or Call or Summon any Man out of the World by Self-murther and the importance of the â—…ing in Question the impossibility of recovering the Mistake the great Injustice towards God and Man and the sad Consequences that may nay must follow ought to awaken Men upon this occasion while they have any Reason left and make 'em weigh every Motive exactly and impartially Especially since it may so justly be fear'd in these Cases that every Man 's Reigning Passion his Fear his Pride his Impatience c. may be his God and the rash impulses of these be taken for Divine Suggestions Calls or Dispensations as it has often happen'd even to such as have been great Men in the decay of their Strength and Reason * Diog. Laert. in Zen. Zeno the Father of the Stoicks living to a very great Age happen'd one day to stumble and hurt his Finger whereupon he cry'd out to this purpose I acknowledge your Summons O ye Gods and I obey and immediately went home and hang'd himself If those Events which Melanchoâ—…y Men take for God's Calls or Dispensations were examin'd they wou'd seldom be found to be more reasonable than this CHAP. VII Other Objections Answer'd by which they wou'd introduce another end of Humane Life as the measure of Self-preservation instead of that above mention'd and then supposing that this End does cease whenever a Man's Reason tells him that it does so wou'd from hence inferr that his Obligation to preserve Life does cease also FRom Exceptions Limitations and Dispensations of this Law they come at last to tell us directly that there are some Cases in which it wholly ceases and then a Man becomes Master and Disposer of himself * Biath p. 47. No Law is so Primary and Simple but that it fore-imagines a Reason upon which it was founded and scarce any Reason so constant but that Circumstances may alter it in which Case a private Man is Emperour of himself sui juris And he whose Conscience is well temper'd and dispassion'd assures him that the Reason of Self-Preservation ceases in him may also presume that the Law ceases too and may do that then which otherwise were against the Law Self-preservation which we confess to be the foundation of general natural Law is no other thing than a natural Affection and Appetition of Good whether true or seeming Now since this Law of Self-preservation is accomplish'd in attaining that which conduces to our Ends and is i. e. seems good to us If I propose to my self in this Self-homicide a greater Good though Imistake it I perceive not wherein I transgress the general Law of Nature which is an Affection of Good True or Seeming and if that which I affect by Death be truly a greater Good wherein is the other stricter Law of Nature which is rectified Reason violated I will first give a short Answer to every one of these Propositions in the terms here made of use and in the same order that they lie afterwards I will represent the strength of the Argument according to the best of my Judgment in other terms such as seem to me more clear and plain such as I have met withal in other Authors or Discourse and then endeavour no answer it more fully 1. The Reason upon which the Law of Self-preservation is founded * Chap 4. p. 30. has been shown to be twofold 1. The preserving of God's Propriety of every Man's Life and that 2. with regard to the End for which Life was given This Reason is so Constant that no Circumstances whatever unless a plain and undeniable Manifestation of God's Will can ever alter it 2. Conscience which is the last Judgment of upright Reason as it considers humane Actions in the State of Nature must be guided by what is allow'd to be the Law of Nature which Self-preservation is allow'd to be where there is no Law Reason may Act alone but where there is 't is bound to obey it and its doing so proves Conscience to be well temper'd and dispassion'd but it may justly be doubted whether 't is really so or no when it looks out for a Reason for the ceasing of a confest Law Moreover 't is impossible that an upright Conscience which acknowleges that the Reason of this Law is the preserving of God's Propriety of humane Life to the end above mention'd can ever assure any Man that such an end is really ceased as has been shown at large in the last Chapter Wherefore this Learned Gentleman being sensible of this Proposes another end of this Law such as is very convenient indeed for his purpose and may cease whenever any Man thinks sitting and this is Good True or Seeming 3. If Self-preservation be an Appetition of Good True or Seeming this must be at least of such a sort of good as is or seems proper
own Reason in what appears to him Good or Evil in embracing the first and avoiding the latter though he may be mistaken follows his own Nature Accordingly if he cannot obtain that in which he places his Happiness and his Life becomes miserable upon this Account he follows Nature who lays it down To this it may be reply'd That to sollow ones own Nature cannot be any Exemption from what was said before nor is the Account which has been given there too general for as to what relates to the End of Life the following of Reason by Virtue this belongs equally to humane Nature in General forasmuch as all Men are Rational Either then by this is meant the same with the following of humane Nature which is the Rule by which all Mankind is to Act or else we must suppose that there is a particular Rule or Law given to every individual Person different from the rest of the same Species which he alone is bound to follow But this would be more unreasonable than if we should say That every Subject of the Emperour of China was not bound by the General Laws of that Country but that he had a particular private Law by which he was bound to Act and that too often in direct opposition to the other 2. By following ones own Nature perhaps was meant the same with Zeno's Maxim * Or that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Diog. Laer p. 185 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which I think may be rendred the living Conformably or Consistently i.e. the being the same in Opinion Humour Manners the having ones Life all of a Piece whatsoever comes to pass which they also call'd †Ciâ—…ero de Offic. lib. 1. Decorum As if a Man were of an easie and obliging Temper that he should be the same in Adversity as well as Prosperity Sickness and Health to the meanest poorest Man as to the greatest Potentate If of a grave austere Way which was that which they chose he should carry that on through the worst Events and nothing be able to alter him the maintaining either of these or any other particular Character may be call'd the following of ones own Nature but though Men may choose different ways of Behaviour according to their Fancy or Constitution yet this must still be grounded upon the former Universal Maxim the living according to Nature as Humane and Reasonable otherwise the Character whatever it was wou'd be vicious and then 't wou'd be so much the worse to maintain it and equally absurd whether a Man was always Affably or Surlily the same if always in the wrong so that this regards only the outside the Dress of Virtue the particular Fashion which she is to appear in Let Men be sure of her first by following Nature as Humane in general and then they may give her what appearance they please by following their own Nature This will be further explain'd in the Answer to the next part of the Objection abovemention'd * See more to this purpose Chap. 11â—… 3. By following ones own Nature some will have meant the following a particular Opinion or Humour the indulging that particular Appetite or Passion which by Education Example or Constitution has got the ascendant which brings me to the remaining part of the Objection To follow Nature is to seek to be Happy Happiness consists in obtaining that which seems Good to me and avoiding that which seems Evil I and no other must be the Judge of this wherefore if Life becomes an Evil and Death a Good to me by the want of any thing in which I place my Happiness or by the suffering any thing in which I place my Misery I do but follow Nature in killing my self and the Law of Self-preservation is not transgress'd by my doing so but ceases naturally This was propos'd to be Answer'd by shewing these two things 1. In what Happiness or Misery Good or Evil as to Humane Life did really consist 2. The unreasonableness of every Man 's being left to himself to follow what seems Good or Evil to him and to dispose of Life accordingly As to the first Happiness truly consâ—…s in the observing the End of Life which has been so often mention'd As this is * See Chap. 2. p. 17. done more or less Men are proportionably Happy as 't is omitted proportionably Miserable But in the common acceptation of the Word Happiness signifies the enjoyment of a Man's desires whatever they are and for any one to say that he cannot be happy without such or such a thing which is not in his Power and that the Good or Evil of his whole Life depends upon it signifies nothing but the vehemence of that Man's desires not that there is any real Happiness in obtaining it or Misery in sailing of it it proving most commonly quite contrary that the more a Man enjoys what he vehemently desires the more miserable he is afterwards and then †Ridiculum est ad mortem cuâ—…re tadio vitae cum â—…nere vitae â—…t â—…lum ciâ—… ad morâ—… effeceris Sen. â—…pilt 24. forsooth Life seems an Evil to him and amidst the Discontent and Vexation which comes upon him at the sense of his Folly and the just reproof of his Reason He tells you very Philosophically that he does but follow Nature in delivering himself from what is Evil When he has been acting against Nature against good Sense for that is humane Nature all the while and when he has done so instead of recovering the way which he has lost and beginning truly to follow Nature he deserts it wholly and irrecoverably and offers the greatest and most positive Violence to it by Self-murther But the Mistakes concerning Happiness or Misery are grounded upon the Mistakes concerning Good and Evil and therefore 't will be necessary to take a short view of them As Humane Life consists of two parts the Soul and Body so what is good must be consider'd in a twofold manner as it relates to the Soul or to the Body 1. As it relates to the Soul the Regulating and Improving of the Mind which we suppose to be the End of humane Life This is usually called Moral Good and the contrary Moral Evil. Or else 2dly As it relates to the Body the Health or the Preservation of it for which End the several ways of Perception commonly call'd Senses were ordain'd by which notice is given to Reason what is most proper to maintain this Union and preserve Life or what is most likely to destroy it this is commonly call'd Sensitive Good and the contrary Sensitive Evil. To bring this to the Matter in hand supposing that Good True or Seeming were a proper Rule and End of humane Actions There are but two sorts of Good as has been shown Moral or Sensitive but through which of these is it that Self-murther can appear Lawful If Moral Good tends not only to the improvement of the Mind but also to the prolonging of
giving him leave to destroy himself For the Reasons following 1. Though these great Evils are caus'd by God's particular Providence yet they come upon the Party in a Natural way they may have their Causes assign'd by skilful Men without any recourse to Miraculous Power If so then since Self-murther has been proved to be naturally unlawful no Event which is Natural can be a sufficient sign to assure any Person that God gave him leave to do that which is against Nature * See Chap. 6. p. 69. 2. Pain can be no certain sign of God's giving Men leave to Kill themselves because there can be no degree of it fixt no particular time settled when they can judge assuredly that it is so and therefore People must be left to their own Fancies to destroy themselves when they think fiting according as they are led by their Cowardice or their Discontent Pain as I said before is most acute at first when the Disease strugles with Nature in its strength and before it has actually overcome it the Sensation of it grows less and less as the parts affected are weakned and it becomes Incurable When then can a Man suppose that God gives him leave to Kill himself upon the account of Pain when it is most Violent but then 't is Curable When it becomes Incurable as the Stoics taught but then a Man is past the worst of it and Natural Death draws nearer and nearer Beside People feel Pain differently according to their different Humours or Dispositions of Mind the same Man will sometimes bear much more when he has been pleas'd and his Affairs go on well in other Respects then when he is cross'd by Accidents and Disappointments therefore to make Pain the sign of God's giving a Man liberty to Kill himself and to leave every one to judge when it is so is to leave Mankind to their own Fancies and then one might destroy himself as well for a small fit of the Tooth-ach as another for the most violent fit of the Stone Add to this how many others have been in the very same Circumstances of Pain as you are you will not deny but that some of them have been as Wise as Learned as your self and as desirous to die too and yet they have not kill'd themselves they have not taken extreme Pain to be any sign of God's giving leave to do so and therefore how can you be ever satisfy'd that this is such a sign to you which they could never understand to be so to them †Chap. 6. p. 68. But to give farther scope in this Matter suppose that extreme Pain should not be only caused by God's Particular Providence but also in a miraculous and preâ—…ernatural manner yet this would not be any sign that God gives the Sufferer any leave to destroy himself Because 1. This would imply a Contradiction in God's acting 't would suppose him to will and to will not the very same thing at the very same time It has been already shewn * Chap. 1. p. 7. that the continuation of Life is as much owing to God as the beginning of it if this be so then as long as a Man lives let it be in extreme Pain Natural or Miraculous or in what ill condition soever so long 't is certain that it * Chap. 6. p. 61. is God's Will that he should Live If it were not that which is the cause of his Pain would put an end to his Life the first Moment it came upon him How then can it appear from any Circumstances of Life though never so dreadful that God gives a Man liberty to destroy Life This must be impossible because he alone continues that very same Life without him it could not subsist one Moment in Pain any more than in Ease and therefore since it does so 't is plain that he Wills that the Person should Live on not Kill himself And a good Man would be apt to reflect thus with himself in such Circumstances as I at first was so I still am by the Will of God alone He continues my Life as truly in this Torment let it be Natural or Miraculous as he did heretofore If He would have me die I should do so instantly without any need of my own Hand or of his manifesting his Will to give me leave but since I do not I find I have no such leave and therefore I will struggle on and whether in Life or Death conform my self the best I can to the Will of God I might add farther That extreme Pain though brought upon a Man by particular Providence nay even by Miracle cannot be any sign of such leave because by Providence is meant the Wise and Regular course of God's working and consequently supposes him to work always for some End That his working in this manner by extreme Pain c. cannot be to this End only that Man should destroy himself as by the last Argument appears that there are other important Ends of such Events namely the Punishment of the Wicked the Improvement of the Good and the Examples necessary to be given to the World of God's Justice on the one side of Patience Constancy Humility c. on the other that whatever the end of God's Providence is in this case whether any of these or any other 't is certain that very End is defeated by Destroying ones self and therefore we cannot suppose that extreme Pain can be any sign of leave for so doing But what has been said may suffice to shew the Unreasonableness of this pretended Rule for Self-murther viz. When God is pleas'd to reduce us to such a Condition that to Live is far worse than to Dye And whereas 't is said slightly that God gives a Man leave enough This shews their mistrust of what they say and that they are conscious that no such leave can be prov'd for what leave can be enough in this Case Let any one that is thus tempted consider the Nature of the Fact in Question and the Importance of it that without this leave 't is the Destruction of God's own Propriety the Rebelling against his Providence the positive Renouncing that end sor which Life was given the committing that which is Destrucâ—…iâ—…e to Civil Government to Humane Nature and withal that a mistake in this Case can never be recover'd Let him consider this I say and what he has just now read and then perhaps he will own that no leave can be enough but what is given by direct and evident Revelation 'T is true after all extreme Pain is the most dreadful Condition of Humane Life and the severest Trial of a good and great Mind 't is true it may be so excessive that all Reasoning of this kind may be to no purpose and Arguments concerning God's Propriety or the End of Humane Life or Civil Society cannot be much attended to in a violent sit of the Cholick or the Stone when Reason it self shall be often overcome
the End of humane Life must be something which it is in every Man's Power to perform otherwise this wou'd detract both from the Goodness and Wisdom of God and therefore it cannot depend upon any thing without us as Wealth Honour or the Pleasures of Sensation or the obtaining whatever * See Chap. 7. seems good to any one or avoiding whatever seems evil to him for none of these things are at the absolute command or disposal of Man wherefore that which is the universal End of every Man's Life must be something which depends only upon every Man's self and which no Events or outward Circumstances can hinder him from observing if he will III. The End of Life must be answerable to that degree of Capacity which the Creature has in respect of other Creatures Life is common to Beasts as well as Man the End of their Being is to live because by the Faculties which they are endowed withal they are capable of no more than what is proper for the promoting of this but Man is capable of more because endowed with nobler Faculties and therefore must have a nobler End than they and consequently a greater degree of Happiness These things being granted the best way to discover the True End of Man's Life will be to consider Humane Nature attentively according to that Rank which it bears in Vniversal Nature To this purpose it may be of some Use to examine what may be the true meaning of that Maxim which was in so much Credit among the ancient Greeks and Romans viz. The following Nature The Word Nature is sometimes a very general Term and then signifies that Course which the great Creator did put the whole World to act in sometimes in a more limited sense it signifies that Rule which he gave to each Creature to act by for the fulfilling of that particular End for which it was made in proper Harmony and Consent with the Vniverse Thus not only Beasts but Plants even Stones and Minerals and every Element may be said to follow Nature Yet since there are different Faculties appropriated to each of these by which they excel each other accordingly and as Beasts excel Plants by Sensation so Man excels them by Reason The true sense of the following Nature and the true End of all created Beings is the working according to the utmost of their Capacities or according to that Superiour Faculty or Power wherewith they are endowed and by which they are distinguished from one another To bring this particularly to Man the utmost Capacity of Beasts depends upon the Faculties or Powers of Sensation The utmost Capacity of Man depends upon the Powers of a Rational Soul Now Beasts act by necessity they follow directly where-ever sense does lead but Man is a voluntary Agent able to discover of himself what is his Duty and to follow this of Choice not of Necessity Wherefore there must be two principal Fountains of Man's Actions namely Knowledge and Free-will Again we must distinguish concerning Knowledge for this is of various kinds according as its Objects are that which is concern'd in the present Question is the knowledge of those Rules and Laws by which our Actions ought to be guided the knowledge of our Duty as usually divided according to its three chief Objects God our Neighbour and our selves This Knowledge so much of Reason as this implies is easie to be attain'd unto by the meanest Capacities for tho' there are three Objects about which Humane Actions are chiefly concern'd yet this variety does not hinder the clearness of Man's Knowledge as to the Fundamentals of his Duty towards each particular Object For instance who can be ignorant Or who must not consent immediately That the Supreme Being to whom we owe Life and all Things ought to be honoured or that we ought to do by others as we wou'd be done by our selves or that we ought not to injure our Health or act against our Knowledge or do any thing to impair much less to destroy those Faculties by which we excel other Creatures These are Truths which are so plain and self-evident that the very mention of 'em is Demonstration and therefore no Man can plead Ignorance in this Case or that his own Reason tells him otherwise This then is the first Fountain of humane Actions knowledge of Duty And such Knowledge being to be attain'd unto by Reason alone and yet to be attain'd easily by every Man's Reason such Knowledge being the Perfection of that noble Faculty I desire leave to distinguish it in the following Discourse when I mention the End of Life by the Word REASON But yet the easiness of this Knowledge wou'd signifie nothing unto Man unless the Will did put it in Execution It must be readily applied and reduc'd to Action or else our Duty wou'd remain unperform'd Thus 't is not sufficient for a Man to know that God must be honour'd that his Neighbour is to be us'd as himself or that he ought to do himself no Injury unless this were put in practice by his being pious just patient temperate c. Wherefore the Compliance of the Will with that which it knows to be its Duty is the chief thing to be taken care of The Vices of Men come not so much from want of Knowledge or Reason in this Case as from want of such Compliance And the true Notion of a weak Man is not so much from his being ignorant of his Duty as from his not doing what he knows to be so On the other side that which makes a good Man is not greatness of Knowledge but the bending of his Will vigorously in all Circumstances whatsoever to the doing what he knows is his Duty And therefore the doing so is that which has obtain'd the venerable Name of VIRTVE for VIRTUE is the force and vigour of the FreeWill through which the Soul complies chearfully and gladly with what it knows to be Duty Which force or vigour takes different Names according to its different Objects above-mentioned and is call'd Piety Justice Beneficence Constancy Temperance c. If this is allow'd it will not be difficult to show wherein Man's true Happiness consists for this is the natural result of what has been said 't is that Rest or Ease which the Soul enjoys after it has mov'd regularly and vigorously in the doing of its Duty 'T is the sweet Fruition which it is blest withal upon the just sense of the proper Vse of its Free Will and its having faithfully discharged the End for which it was made which it being impossible to do otherwise than by Reasons showing what is Duty and Free Will 's obeying accordingly I conclude that the true End or Design of humane Life is THE FOLLOWING OF REASON BY VIRTUE I will not contend but that the following of Reason mâ—…ght possibly signifie as much as the following of Reason by Virtue because the Word Following seems to imply an Act of Free-will and if this be
be no Injury committed unless against Propriety and therefore if the State has no Propriety of Man's Life it can be no Injury to it for a Man to destroy his Life This is not so 't is injurious to hinder or prevent the use of a thing as well as to destroy the Propriety of it The State has the use of each Man's Life The performing the End for which Life was given to every Man is of great advantage to the Publick and to hinder it of this Advantage or of this Use to deprive it of it for ever is an Injury to it Or else 2. It is suppos'd that the Publick has a Propriety of each Man's Life that in right of this it may give leave to any Person to kill himself and then the doing so cannot be injurious to it but this is also a mistake For the Publick has no Propriety of any particular Innocent Man's Life No Lawful Power over it unless it be to desend it Therefore for the Publick to give any Man licence to destroy himself wou'd be to usurp God's Power to grant more than it has it self †See more to this purpose Chap. 8. and also to contradict the very End for which it has any Power at all the great design of all Society namely the Security and Preservation of each particular Man's Life There is another Argument that I have 〈◊〉 seen to this purpose I 〈◊〉 that has Power over his own Liberty has Power over his own Life a Man has Power to sell himself for a Slave 1. There is a great difference between Liberty and Life therefore it does not sollow that is a Man has power over the one he has the same over the other Liberty is but a Condition of Life a very desirable one indeed yet not to be preferred before Life it self because the end for which Life is given may be pursued amidst the greatest â—…ry and no Liberty of the Body can be of equal value with the noble and unbounded Liberty of the Mind * Apud Balth. Gomes de potest in â—…ipsum lib. 1. cap. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 4. 2. No Man can part voluntarily with his Liberty unless for want of Sustenance in extreme Necessity that is in order to preserve Life and then this is rather a Duty than a Privilege he is bound to do so to preserve Life even at the Pain the Shame the Misery of Servitude And if so how can it be ever reasonably concluded that because a Man must part with his Liberty to preserve his Life therefore he has a right to throw that Life away Another Argument perhaps may be raised from the Celebrated Story of the two generous Friends Damon and Pythias to this purpose No Man can lawfully give the security of his own Life for another Mans appearance at a certain Day unless he has a full Propriety of his Life One of the two above-mentioned gave this Security for the other And this seems to have been approved of in Ancient times as the most Learned * De Jure B. P. l 2. c. 21. Sect. 11. Grotius observes but then 't is absolutely condemned afterwards by him For though this Security might have been accepted in a few Places yet it was not so long noâ—… is any where at this Day and for this Reason because it cou'd not be lawfully given nor reasonably taken when forfeited nor can any Rule of strictest Friendship require a Man in the State of Nature to die positively for his Friend This I mention the rather because it is one of the Reasons the †Vid. Diog. Lacrt. in Zenon Stoicks assign for the lawsulness of Self-murther Hazard his Life he may in some Cases for him as other things may be hazarded of which we have the use only but destroy it positively he cannot because he has no absolute Propriety of it Lastly 't is said * Montaigne lib. 2. chap. 3. As I do not offend the Laws provided against Thieves when I embezel my own Money and cut my own Purse nor that against Incendiaries if I burn my own Woods So am not I under the Lash of those made against Murtherers for having depriv'd my self of my own Life Not to insist that such Actions as these are Signs of Folly or Madness and therefore that such Persons Estates may be begg'd or that they ought to be with-held by force from doing thus No Man can possess his Life in such a fulness of Propriety as he may his Estate as has been shewn ‖ Chap. 1. above the absolute Propriety of Humane Life is in God and this Propriety is as much injur'd by a Man's destroying his own Life as another Persons Man as to his Life is only in the Nature of an Vsufructuary who has no lawful Power to impair the Estate he possesses much less to alienate or destroy it And this is one Reason why all Intemperance either of Passion or Appetite is Unlawful because this impairs the Faculties of the Mind or Body this is committing waste upon the Estate How much more then must it be unlawful to destroy it wholly and irrecoverably by Self-Murther I cannot call to mind any other Arguments which have been brought directly against God's having the Propriety or absolute Dominion of Humane Life 't is more usual to allow it to be so in a general way and then run to distinctions pretend that God himself doth dispence with this Right that he often dismisses People from their attendance upon Life and summons and calls 'em to him In which Cases say they Self-murther being not only permitted but requir'd must be lawful This the Stoicks signified by their * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Diog. in Laert. Zen. See Plotinus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arian in Epict saepiss reasonable Exit The Door being open and their encouraging People to walk out Kill themselves accordingly The same distinctions the Author of Biathanatos makes use of As to Dispensation that Learned Gentleman grounds it upon this †p. 48. that no Law can be squared for all Events Athing says he which universally consider'd may be in it self profitable or honest may by reason of some Event become dishonest or hurtful neither of which can falt within the reach or under the command of any Law in which Cases a Men may be the Bishop or Magistrate to himself without an express Dispensation from God * Biath p. 108. When I may justly part with Life it is by Summons from God and cannot then be imputed to any Corruption of my Will Velle non creditur qui obsequitur imperio yet I expect not a particular Inspiration or new Commission c. To †Jos. de bel Jud. Lib. 3. Josephus's Argument the same with Plato's ‖ Chap. 2. p. â—â— above mention'd That a Servant which runs from his Master though never so severe is punished by Law how much more if by Self-murther he runs away from so indulgent a
Master as God He replies * p. 110. That the Servant runs not from his Master but to him in this case and at his Call obeys his Voice Again †p. 112. This is not to usurp upon God's Authority or to deal with anothers Servant if I become his Servant his Delegate and his Commissioner in doing this when he can be no other way so much glorified ‖ p. 149. If they say God concurs to no Evil We say nothing is so evil but that it becomes good if God command it and that this viz. Self-murther is not so naturally evil that it requires a special Commission from God but as it becomes good if he commands it so it becomes indifferent if he remove the Reasons with which the Precept against it is Conditioned There is one Passage in Cicero to the same purpose †Liber 1. Tuscul. Quaest. Cato went out of Life as one that was glad of the opportunity for the God who rules within us forbids our departure hence without his Command but when that God himself gives just Cause as he did to Socrates Cato and many others A wise Man will certainly be glad to depart out of this State of Darkness into that of Light Not that he may break Prison for that the Laws forbid but walk out of it being called and dismiss'd by God as by some lawful Magistrate The summ of all which is to this purpose 1. That though it be true that God has the Absolute Propriety of Humane Life in which Regard indeed Man cannot lawfully destroy it Yet if God dispences with this Right of Propriety and calls or summons him out of Life he may depart lawfully viz. by Self-Murther 2. That there is no need of Particular Commission or Extraordinary Manifestation of God's Will to this purpose but only of his removing those Reasons upon which the Obligation of preseving Life was founded This is that which the Stoicks scatter up and down their Writings to reconcile this Act with Submission to Providence which they diligently maintain and which is Collected and Improv'd by our Author in the several Places above mentioned Before I Answer this particularly I desire the Reader wou'd take Notice 1. That whatever is said in any of these Places concerning the removing the Reasons or the ceasing of that End for which Life was given shall be debated more particularly in the next Chapter and but just touched upon here as not being wholly to be avoided 2. As to what is insinuated here concerning God's Glory though this does not fall under the present Argument yet that this is always best promoted by observing of his Laws that there can be no Case imagined nor is there any pretended but only glanc'd at by this Author artificially in general terms Wherein a Man can be irresistably forc'd to forsake his Reason and his Virtue and so detract from God's Glory Or where in it will not be more for his Glory to suffer Death from others than from himself But of this more perhaps hereafter This being premised I shall in Answer to what is said above shew these three things I. That according to the Account which this Learned Gentleman gives of Dispensation and according to the Nature of the Law of Self-preservation there can be no need at any time of such Dispensation for this Law II. That in a Case of this Nature wherein Propriety of the greatest Importance is concern'd Where an Error can never be recover'd and where it is confessed that there is a Law to secure it no Dispensation can be sufficient but what comes from the Proprietor the Law-giver himself and which must evidently and undeniably appear that it did so by some plain and positive Manifestation of his Will III. That no such natural Manifestation of God's Will is or can be assign'd whereby Man may be fully assured that he is dismissed call'd or summon'd by God from Life As to the first it is observable that Self-preservation is allowed to be Law of Nature And yet affirmed that it may be despensed withal upon this account †That a thing which is universally Profitable or Honest may by reason of some particular Event become Dishonest or Hurtful and when it does so the Reason or End which is the Soul and Form of the Law ceases This can never have place in any Law of Nature particularly Self-preservation grounded upon God's Propriety and the End of Humane Life already mention'd because as there can be no time wherein it can be dishonest or hurtful if we mean morally so to avoid doing wrong to God to the Publick and to our selves so there can be no time wherein it can be destructive or hurtful in the sence asoresaid to follow Reason by Virtue there can be no Event I say wherein it will not be a Man's Duty and wherein it will not be in his Power to act thus and therefore it can never be necessary that this Law should be dispensed withal Besides the Word Law is too general as us'd here the Law which we are speaking of is Law of Nature and confest to be so there may be Dispensations from Obedience to Humane Laws which are limitted to particular Actions and which through the weakness of Humane Prudence cannot be fitted exactly to all Events but then 't is observable that all such Dispensations are supplemental rather than destructive to that Law concern'd tending more effectually to the same end which that Law did assisting and promoting it in a better manner which end is always the Preservation of Mankind of each particular Person as far as is consistent with the whole and not the Destruction of any one If it be said That the very End of Life which I have assign'd is inconsistent often with this Law of Self-preservation and destructive of God's Propriety it frequently happening that Men endanger their Lives nay certainly incur Death the more strictly and faithfully that they follow Reason by Virtue and therefore that there must be some sort of Dispensation as to the observing of this End 1. To this I Answer There is no neceâ—…ty of this That which I suppose to be the end of Humane Life is so excellently fuâ—…ed to the Nature of Man that it not only promotes his happiness his well-being but certainly contributes to the prolong atâ—…on of his Being at the same time the following of Reason by Virtue including the regulating of Mens Passions and Appetites making 'em Temperate and Peaceful Just and Bâ—…cent c. All which if Duly observed by any number of Men wou'd certainly prolong Life as well as Happiness Wherefore if Life becomes in danger upon this Account and good Men suffer Death for the sake of their Virtue this is accidental not through any natural defect in that end of Life or because it contradicts Self-preservation and is destructive to God's right over it but through the fault of unreasonable Men who will not act by the same Rule but make
to preserve Life If we consider Self-preservation alone without the moral end of it this cannot be accomplish'd by attaining that which conduces to any other end or seems good to Man in any other respect than as it wou'd preserve Life Wherefore it is impossible for any honest Man of very ordinary Understanding to mistake to such a Degree as to look upon Self-murther as such a good because this implies a Contradiction and wou'd make that to be the end of a Law which is the utter destruction of it for this wou'd be to argue in this manner the Law of Self-preservation is accomplish'd in attaining that which seems good to us Self-homicide i. e. Self-destruction may seem good to me therefore the Law of Self-preservation may be accomplish'd by my Self destruction 4. These two Words End and Good are of too large and doubtful a Signification that which conduces to our ends and is good to us does not always accomplish the Law of Self-preservation that which conduces to the true end of Life the following of Reason by Virtue accomplishes indeed the Law of Self-preservation because it not only improves the Mind but prolongs Life and therefore is truly good to us But there are many other Ends of humane Actions as many as we have Passions and Appetites which become not only unworthy of our Reason but destructive of our Life as well by the manner of our pursuing 'em as the measure of our enjoying them and therefore what ever they seem whatever Shape or Beauty our Passions give them are so far from being Good that they are directly certainly Evil and being so can never accomplish the Law of Self-preservation These things will appear more clear if in the next place we suppose the Objection above mention'd to be made in these or the like Words To follow Nature has been allow'd to be the best rule of humane Actions by the wisest Men of all Sects 1. To follow Nature is to seek to be happy 2. My happiness consists in obtaining that which seems good to me and avoiding that seems evil 3. I and no other am to be the Judge in this Case therefore if Life by the want of any Good in which I place my Happiness becomes an Evil and Death seems good to me I do but follow Nature in killing my self and the Law of Self-preservation is not transgressed but gives place or ceases naturally For the Answering of this Argument clearly I will make use of this Method 1. I will show what is meant by following Nature 2. In what Happiness or Misery Good or Evil as to humane Life do really consist 3. The unreasonableness of every particular Man's being left to himself to follow what seems Good or Evil to his private Judgment and to dispose of Life accordingly 1. What is meant by following Nature Though some Account of this Maxim has been * Chap. 2. already given yet being very much in request at present and the Mistakes concerning it the occasion of other Crimes as well as this of Self-murther it commonly happening that they who talk loudest of Nature and Reason understand 'em least or act against 'em most it is requisite to say something farther of it and if in so doing I should repeat any thing that I have said before let the Reader think either that I wou'd save him the trouble of turning back again or knew not how to express my self better The Word Nature is sometimes a very general Term and signifies that Order which the great Creator put the whole World to move in sometimes in a more limitted sence it signifies that Rule which he gave each Creature to follow for the fulfilling of that particular End for which it was made in proper Harmony and Consent with the Universe so that the Word Nature rises in its signification according to the several Degrees of the Creation and by following Nature must be meant the obeying it according to that particular Power which distinguishes one Creature from another This Beasts do by Sensation this Man shou'd do by Reason That great that God-like Faculty which is given us to discern Good and Evil and to regulate our Passions and Appetites by Virtue accordingly Wherefore for Man to follow Nature is the very same with the End of Life to which Self-preservation is subservient * See Chap. 2. p. 16. 17. as has been shown namely the following of Reason by Virtue They who indulge their Passions and Appetites who live only by Sensation do not follow Nature as Men but as Beasts nay 't is not near so well with ' em Sensation in Beasts preserves them they obey no Appetite to excess and therefore to term Intemperance Beastliness is no less than Detraction for 't is really Manliness humane Nature Corrupted where Reason enslav'd to Appetite is kept to the vile Drudgery of serching in more and more of its gross and earthly Object till Sensation it self sinks down gorg'd and suffocated under it Did we follow Nature as faithfully as Beasts do by observing that which is our chief Faculty we shou'd be happy and preserve our Being as carefully and successfully as they do theirs but instead of this we rashly destroy it or fondly overlay it And by the Intemperance of our choicest Enjoyments act as foolishly against Sensation as against Reason That the wisest Men of all Sects took thisto be the meaning of following Nature or living according to it will appear to any one that consults their Writings of Morality particularly the Stoicks Thus they tell us * Diog. Laer. l. 7. p. 185. That to live according to Nature is to live according to Man's particular Nature and the Nature of the Vniverse doing nothing which that Common Law which runs through the whole Creation Right Reason forbids Which Law is the same with Jove the disposer and manager of all things †Antonin lib. 7. Sect. 8. To follow Reason and to follow Nature is one and the same thing to a Rational Creature ‖ Diog. Laer. ib. To live according to Nature is to live according to Virtue for Nature leads us to this says Cleanthes This is confirm'd by that Excellent Writer Philo the Jew * Philo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This says he speaking of obeying God is that end of humane Actions the living according to Nature which is so much celebrated by the greatest Philosophers for this is done when the Mind entring the path of Virtue treads in the steps of Right Reason and follows God ever mindful of his Commands ever observing 'em all strictly both in Word and Deed. Yet perhaps it may be Objected That this account of following Nature is too general * Dr. Donne p. 45. 41. Epist. Sen. Lip man ad St. Phil. l. 2. D. 17. some things are natural to the Species and others to the particular Person and therefore when Cicero consulted the Oracle he had this Answer FOLLOW YOUR OWN NATURE He that follows his
and necessary it may be suppos'd sufficiently to warrant any Man's Obedience when the Publick Judgment declares that it is so But the chief Question is from whence this Power is deriv'd to the Publick by whom it was granted Some suppose it to be granted by Man himself upon a kind of compact for Protection but though Proâ—…tion may be one great End of this Power yet it is generally agreed that this Power cannot be conserr'd on the Publick by every particular Man because God alone has the absolute Propriety of humane Life Man has no such Power himself and what he has not he cannot make over to another Mr. Hobbs will have it to come from Man but then to decline this Objection and secure his darling Principle of Self-preservation he says This is not done by Man's transferâ—…ing any right of his own but by laying down the right which he has to hurt others His own Words are these * â—…viathan part 2. chap. 28. page 162. The Subjects did not give their Sovereign that Right but only in laying down theirs strengthned him to use his own as he should think fit for the Preservation of them all so that it was not given but left to him If I take this right this is a very odd distinction for if a Man has any right to hurt others for his own Preservation then as he is bound to Preserve himself so he is bound to retain that Right and yet if he lays it down he parts with it as much as if he actually gave it away He told us just before * Ib. p. 161. That in the making of a Common-wealth every Man gives away the Right of defending another but not of defending himself In several Places †Leviath part 1. chap. 14. he repeats and inculcates this that no Man can ever part with the right of defending himself no not after Lawful Tryal and Condemnation If this be so How can he lay down the right which he has to hurt others since by so doing he must be left in a great measure defenceless and liable by his own Consent not only to be hurt but to be actually destroy'd as in all Capital Punishments Wherefore not withstanding Men chuse to struggle thus rather than have any thing to do with God while they frame their Political Systems Yet it seems plain that such a Power as we are speaking of can be deriv'd from no other but God who alone having the absolute Propriety of all humane Life can alone have the right to give some Men Power over the Lives of others and who having fram'd Man in such a manner that Civil Society is necessary for his Security and Improvement and yet such Society not to be preserv'd without such a Power must upon these Considerations and also as he is a wife and just Being and as he who wills the End must will the Means necessary to that End must I say be supposed to grant to the Magistrate such a Power a Power to hazard Life himself and to oblige others to do so in defence of the Publick From what has been said may appear that the Power or Authority which any Government has to require Men to hazard their Lives for the Publick Good is derived from God himself that the time and manner of doing this depends upon the Publick Judgment and that Man is thus warranted for hazarding his Life accordingly To return then to the Instance above-mention'd of a Man's giving a Magistrate his Plank in a Shipwreck If a Man may hazard his Life for the Publick Good then if there be some particular Person in whom the Publick Power and Publick Judgment is lodg'd from whom all the Springs of Action derive their Motion who is in effect the Life the Soul of the whole Body and in whom the Liberty and Property as we love to speak of many Millions centers and may be lost and among the rest his Life also who shall be concern'd for this Publick Persons safety then we may conclude that any Man may hazard his Life even to the utmost danger to preserve such a Person yet in these Cases we are to remember Life is only hazarded not abandon'd much less positively destroy'd and that for such extreme hazard Men may justly suppose that they have Authority from God himself as they are Members of any Civil Government And though the danger be great yet 't is very seldom that Men fall into certain Death upon these Accounts as might be shown easily But suppose it should be so yet in this Case an honest good Man does not mind any thing but to do his Duty to pursue faithfully the End for which Life was given and if Life should be lost in this pursuit this is not his desire nor his fault 't was not his aim to die but to do as he ought nay gladly wou'd he have lived had Life been consistent with his Virtue but when this came in Question both Death and Life became indifferent and though he Chooses neither he accepts reaâ—…y of either as they offer themselves in his way to his Duty This I find confirm'd by the School-men in a harder Case than any above-mention'd Suppose a powerful Tyrant shou'd bring the last City of any State to the greatest Extremity by all the sad Consequences of a long and prosperous Siege as loss and wearineâ—…s of Men Famine Contention Corruption and no hopes of Succour shou'd be left suppose that after this he shou'd refuse all Articles of Submission and shou'd threaten Destruction by Fire and Sword unless they deliver'd upto him some one particular innocent Person This City say they * 〈◊〉 de Valenâ—… Tom. 3. Disput. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 8. Punct 〈◊〉 may not â—…ly deliver him up though they know him to be Innocent but that very Person may deliver up himself and yet without being guilty of destroying himself because as abovesaid his chiâ—… end is the doing so much Good not the Dying his particular intention his design that he had in view continually was to save his Country and this being the only means which was left he resolves to incur the greatest danger to 〈◊〉 purpose and yet in all this is positive only as to the doing of his Duty and far from being positive as to the destroying of his Life To compleat this Argument let us now see 2. How great the difference is between this and Self-murther and consequently how unreasonably the one is made a plea for the other He that hazards Life for the Publick does this in obedience to the Laws both of God and Man he that destroys his own Life does this in disobedience to the Laws of both the first by observing the true End of Life does what God and Nature primarily design'd as most proper to preserve Life and if he loses it 'tis by the violence of others the latter neglecting the true End of Life destroys it wilfully by the most positive act of injustice to God his
several kinds * Biath p. 51 52 53. 1. Such as are drawn from particular Persons of which many are Fabulous as that of Homer Others such as suffered Death to maintain their Virtue and for the Publick as Regulus Codrus or Persons scandalous as Comas Festus As for the Gladiators they did not prove any desire of Death as Natural These were of two sorts Forc'd or Voluntary they who were forc'd to be Gladiators as Captives in War fought for their Lives or Liberties they who chose to be so fought for Applause and after all many despis'd this Applause to ask their Lives of the People many others had theirs given for a Reward of their Skill and Courage which they gladly accepted wherefore no Instance in the World could be more improper than this to prove Self-murther Natural 2. The next kind of Examples are more General †p. 54. such as are drawn from the Customs of whole Nations or from the ‖ p. 73. Connivency or appointment of humane Laws Here I must desire that two things must be observ'd 1st That in the alledging of Examples of this kind a great difference should be made between Nations many being so Ignorant and so Savage that it would be very strange to fetch the Principles of right Reason from among them Poâ—…phyrius says * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Some People are grown so wild and brutish that to quote their Customs would be to scandalize humane Nature the Instances which he gives are very proper for our Purpose The Massagetes says he reckon those unhappy who die a Natural Death and therefore Eat their dearest Friends when they grow Old The Tibarenians break their Necks down a Precipice The Bactrians throw them alive to their Dogs and Strasanor Alexander's Lieutenant had almost lost that Province for endâ—…vouring to break this Custom The Sâ—…cythians bury the dearest Friends of the Deceasâ—…d with them alive or slay 'em upon the Funeral Pile Wherefore when we quote Nations for Examples we ought first to have a particular regard to their Condition their Learning their Wisdom and their Virtue and should be sway'd least of all by those who are in either of the wide extreams of Luxury or Barbarity 2. In the next place secondly we ought to enquire carefully into the ground and occasion of the Custom which is pleaded whether it be founded upon some Religious or Superstitious Principle or encouraged by some Political Consideration any of which if it be it ought not to be alledg'd as meerly Natural By these two Rules let us examine the Instances which are here brought and first that of the Gauls Our Author says That * Biath p. 53. In Caesar's time for one who dy'd Naturally there dy'd many by this devout Violence there are some whom he calls Devotos and Clientes or Soldurios which always when the Lord dy'd Celebrated his Funeral with their own Caesar says that in the Memory of Man no one was found that ever refused it This is not Reported Candidly the matter was thus upon Adcantuannus's Sallying with 600. Men which did great Execution Cesar says That it was the Custom among the Gauls for People to devote themselves to some great Man upon this Condition that on the one side they were to enjoy in Common all the Benefits of Life On the other side if any Violence was offer'd to him and their Defence or Assistance necessary they were either to dye with him or save him or if not kill themselves afterwards this alone is that which he says * Neq adhuâ—… hominum memoria repertus est quisquam qui 〈◊〉 interfecto cujus amicitiae se devovisset mori 〈◊〉 lib. 3. de bello Gal. no one ever refused From whence 't is plain 1. That this was a League Offensive and Defensive only for the preserving of Life on both sides The one for Nourishment and Defence against Hunger the other for Defence against Violence these Men did not affect Death but Life Death was the Bond of their Fidelity to their Friend and Lord if this had not been dreadful to 'em it could not have been any tye upon them if it was dreadful It could not be naturally desir'd though they brought it upon themselves 2. This being put in practice not when the Lord dy'd of any Distemper but only when he was Kill'd and most of his Clients who were to defend him being slain with him as must be supposed it cannot be true that many dy'd thus for one that dy'd a Natural Death To this may perhaps be added the Custom of the Ancient Goths and Vandals who used to cast themselves down steep Rocks into a Bay which they call'd Odin's Hall * Sir W Temples Miscel. p. 241. This Odin or Wodin was their God of War had humane Sacrifices offer'd to him and was suppos'd to appear and invite his Votaries into †Vid Stephan Comment in Saxon. Gramâ—…at lib. 6. p. 55. Balhalden i. e. Pluto's Palace or perhaps Baal's Hall These Ignorant People supposed that this Gulph led down to this Hall and that for this haste which they made they should be Feasted and Rewarded there made themselves away out of a Religious Principle and yet in no other manner than by throwing themselves down this Precipice The next considerable Instance is of the Samanaei Priests in great request among the Indians who he says ‖ Vide Porphyâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lib. 4. studied ways how to die when they were in perfect Health these were an Order of Religious Men who professeâ—… Poverty renounc'd all Food of Flesh or any Living Creature liv'd in continual Retirement and when they had purg'd their Souls in this manner thought they might give them case but this was thro a Religious Principle and therefore not Natural nor put in practice by those of that Nation who were not of the same Order There are other Instances of the Indians in History * Inquinari putant ignem nisi qui Spirantes recipit Q. Curtius lib. 8. Curtius speaks of a sort of Wise Men among them that burnt themselves alive for which he gives this Reason that they reckon'd Fire which they Worship'd perhaps for a God as the 〈◊〉 did Polluted by dead Bodies Thus Calanus burnt himself in the presence of Alexander and †〈◊〉 lib. 15. Strabo speaks of an Indian that came upon an Embassy to Augustus who afterwards upon his Return at Athens though in perfect Health and Prosperity burnt himself publickly to do Honour to his Sect and Country among the Stiocks and other Philosophers there as is most Probable But that which is observable here is that their voluntary dying was in but one particular way namely by Fire which was grounded upon a Religious Opinion that the Soul was purg'd by that Element from that Pollution which it had contracted in the Body and then conveyed by it upwards to its place of Happiness Thus we are told by
But the Doctrine both of Plato and Aristotle lost ground immediately after their Decease they who succeeded Plato in the Academy besides their want of his great Abilities his Elevation Sagacity and Politeness came short of him in his Virtues being guilty of Covetousness and great Enormities Aristotle who died about Twenty four Years after him enjoyn'd his Friend Theophrastus to conceal his Books which was done carefully for many Years during which time his Followers in the Lycaeum taught only by Tradition which made his Opinions liable to be Adulterated and such as were Genuine to lose very much of their Spirit and Vigour While the Academy and Lycaeum were under these disadvantages two very great Genius's appear'd much about the same time Epicurus and Zeno the first was for advancing a new Principle of Morality and indeed a very strange one as commonly understood which was Pleasure And conformably to this he new dress'd up the Systeme of Democritus and us'd the Gods worse by his manner of owning them than Anaxagorus had done by discarding them entirely In all Ages the Natural Systeme has been fitted to the Moral one and where-ever you sind Libertinism encourag'd under the popular pretence of asserting the right of humane Reason there you will meet with a world ready made to the purpose and God and Providence excluded for fear of being injurious to the Liberty and Property of humane Nature But Zeno took a very different way he had heard Crates many Years yet cou'd not allow of the Brutality and Immodesty of the Cynics and therefore went over to Xenocrates and Polemon the Successors of Plato these he sollowed very much in his Principles but still retain'd the severity of the others in his Manners From Plato he taught the being of one God Supream over many others and that the World was Govern'd and Mankind particularly by his Providence And though he and his Followers mention Fate frequently yet this signifies generally only that Series of second Câ—â—â—ses that Method which is observ'd by God in the Administration of that Providence He taught further that the first Principle in humane Nature was the preserving of ones self that Nature recommended us to our selves in the strictest manner as Cicero makes Cato speak at large that the End of humane Life and the measure of all our Actions was the following of Nature This Maxime was common to all the Platonists But Zeno resolving to set up a new Sect though without any Reason as Cicero proves excellently †Lib. 4. de finibus though he durst not reject this Principle which was so readily embrac'd by every body yet he endeavour'd to give it a new turn to weaken and obscure it by many Niceties and Distinctions and so make way for several of his Principles especially that of Self-murther which were otherwise too plainly inconsistent with it And here I intended once to give a particular Account of this matter but it growing unavoidably longer than I expected and full of their Contradictory Subtleties and Absurd Distinctions and having already stated ‖ Cap. 2. 7. sup the true meaning of this Principle I think it may suffice to direct such as are curious to Cicero's 3d and 4th Books de Finibus and to Plutarch's Discourses against the Stoics Having resolv'd then I say to retain this Principle and yet in spite of it adhere to that of Self-murther also They assign'd in the next place five just Causes as they call'd 'em for putting it in * See Diog. Laâ—…tins it Ciceron pro Muraena it li. 3. 4. de 〈◊〉 Execution 1. For ones Country 2. ones Friend 3. great Pain 4. loss of Senses or Limbs 5. incurable Diseases some add extreme Poverty or Disgrace These are some of the Chief things which they call'd Indifferent neither Good nor Bad in themselves and therefore below the concern of their Wise Man and yet they made these the chief measures of the Reasenableness of Self-murther Furthermore they taught that their Wise Man i. e. any one that followed their Principles strictly * See Diog. Laâ—…tius it Ciceron pro Muraena it li. 3. 4. de 〈◊〉 cou'd not possibly be deceiv'd in his Opinion therefore never ought to repent or change his Mind that all Mankind except themselves were Madmen and Fools and equally so insomuch that there wou'd not have been the least difference between Socrates and Anytus had they liv'd after Zeno and neither of them beeâ—… Stoics but as for themselves they were all Kings Wise Men Rich Beautiful above the World and equal to the Gods To fortifie themselves in this strange Vanity they taught further that a wise Man ought always to observe the same Method keep the same Manners Looks and Appearance that all Faults were equal that all Passions were alike blameable therefore that a Stoic ought neither to ask Pardon nor grant Forgiveness And that their Manners might be answerable to their Opinions they added that a wise Man ought to be austere that Truth was the more wholesome though less pleasing for its roughness This Zeno retain'd from his first Masters the Cynics and encourag'd in opposition to Epicurus and withal to prevail upon the People by the old yet still successful Cheat of Plain-dealing as if it were necessary for Sincerity to be Savage and a Philosopher must unavoidably forgoe his Humanity in order to be Virtuous nay as if Virtue to recommend her self to the World wou'd chuse rather to appear in a Brutal than a 〈◊〉 form This sullen contracting of themselves stissen'd 'em by degrees into Stubbornness instead of Constancy and whilst by the vain Rants in which they celebrated their own Merits and madly mixt the God with the Beast whilst their Pride I say made 'em undertake and prosess what they cou'd not compass and maintain as soon as they met with any great Calamity they forgot all their sine Harangues of Patience Honour Courage turn'd short and fell upon themselves in a Rage and seem to have reserv'd this Principle of Self-murther as a back Door to use their own Metaphor by which they poorly stole away when they coulâ—…d not carry on the Cheat any longer Thus we see the Rise of this Sect Compounded of the Principles of the Platonists and the Manners of the Cinics and how contrary Self-murther is to their Doctrines of Providence Self-preservation things indisserent and pretended Apathy and nothing but the 〈◊〉 of their Pride and Stubbornness As to its prevailing among the Romans this was much about the time above-mention'd when that Famous Republick arrive'd to the highest pitch of its Glory though not of its Powerer Zeno flourish'd about the 129th Olympiad the beginning of which was about the 489th Year from the Building of the City the first of his Followers that I meet withal of any esteem among the Romans was Panaetius who was the Master of Scipio Aemilianus the Younger Africanus about Fourscore Years after Zeno. To know the means by which
can be no harm for they cannot intend their Creatures any Mischief If there be not Gods or if they take no care of humane Affairs To what purpose is it to live in such a World as is without Gods or without Providence but there are Gods and they do take care of Mankind and have put it into their Power not to fall into any of those things which are really Evil c. * Lib. 4. Sect. 31. Be thou my Soul like unto some Promontory upon which the Billows beat continually but that remains unmov'd and forces 'em to fall off on either side and slide gently into a Calm Shall I cry out poorly Unhappy me whom this or that befals and not rather say Happy me who am able to bear it who am neither shockt with what I feel now nor frighten'd with what may come hereafter such an Accident might have happen'd to any one as well as me but no body cou'd have born it so well as I. Why shou'd I call any thing Unhappiness which cannot reach or injure Humane Nature Search into thy self impartially Can that which has hefalln thee make thee less Temperate less Modest less Knowing or less Prudent Can it hinder thee from being Just or Generous If not remember when any Accident inclines thee to be discontented Remember I say that the thing which befalls you is really no Vnhappiness in its own Nature but that you are able to support it undauntedly is a real and great Happiness * Lib. 10. Sect. 23. He that runs away from his Master is a Fugitive The Law is our Common Master he that declines obeying that runs away from it and thus does that Man who Murmures Rages or Trembles at what has been is or shall be done by him who Governs all things who is that Law which distributes to every one of us the several parts of our Obedience I cou'd easily produce more Instances for they are to be met withal in almost every Page of his Book if I did not think these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 how Inconsistent 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the other things which he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 observable that this great Man seems to be sensible of this himself He never inculcates this Principle with that 〈◊〉 and Violence which the others do He cou'd not quit it wholly as he was a Stoic it being the Characteristic of that Sect yet he mentions it but twice or thrice I think in all his Book and that too in so short and slight a manner that he seems to be asham'd of it and to be Conscious how Contradictory this was to that Submission to Providence that Magnanimity and Constancy in all Events which he recommends continually and indeed it was impossible that it should take any root in so excellent a Temper His great Regard to the Gods his Natural Goodness and Moderation made his Mind yield readily to all the Dispensations of Providence Whereas the Vain the Stubborn and Obstinate Mind as it is quickly incens'd so it snaps short immediately and breaks rather than yields even to God himself Thus I have given an Account of the first Rise of the Stoic Philosophy shew'd the Time when it began to appear among the Romans the Causes of its Progress how the Principle of Self-murther in particular come to be in Request and to be put in Execution how Inconsistent this is with the other Principles of that Sect and particularly with what is taught by those Three Authors whose Authority has Recommended it so much to the World and if what has been said is true as any one that Questions it may easily find if they will Examine the Authors which I have referr'd to which I intreat them to do then this great Prejudice grounded upon the Doctrine and Example of this Wise and Virtuous Sect ought not to sway any longer with them CHAP. XI Cato's Case considered in Particular His Character His Enmity against Caesar. The several Circumstances of his Death What may most Probably have been the true Cause of it And of the great Encomiums which were given him afterwards HAving thus given some Account of the Roman Nation and of the Philosophy of the Stoics the way lies the more open to consider the Case of Cato's Death who was so great an Ornament to both and whose Example is so much pleaded in the behalf of Self-murther Nothing is more reasonable than that one or more ill Actions shou'd escape the Censure of Posterity under the Splendour of a great many good ones but the Perverseness of some People will not allow of this who being given to think out of the way and maintain dangerous Paradoxes are always searching into the Lives of great Men to pick out something to justifie their Pretences Wherefore though it be a very ill office to disturb the Ashes of the Dead and to call in Question those Encomiums which have long since ripen'd into Glory yet when such Authorities shall be thus dangerously abus'd and great Names brought in instead of sound Arguments it is absolutely necessary to enquire into the Matter of Fact as well for the Vindication of the Dead as the Information of the Living Of all the Examples that are brought for Self-murther Cato is the most Considerable wherefore in order to the making a right Judgment of this Matter it will be necessary to do these things 1. To form a just and true Idea of him by considering his particular Temper and what it was that distinguish'd him from other Men. 2. To consider him as he stood in Relation to Caesar. 3. To Examine exactly the several Circumstances of his Death and from these shew the true Causes of it And when this is done 4. To inquire into the Reasons usually given for its being so much applauded and assign the true ones I. We are to form a just Idea of him c. To this End we are to consider in the first Place That he liv'd in such an Age wherein the Common-wealth was at the very worst the lower sort as well as the higher were 〈◊〉 in Luxury and by their Expeâ—…sive Vices 〈◊〉 open to the Brihery and Corruption of the Ambitious The Laws and Liberties of Rome the Publick Good which their Ancestors had Studied and Improv'd with so much Glory were quite forgotten and several Parties form'd to usurp not defend the Government Places of greatest Trust and Authority were sold Publickly and they who bought 〈◊〉 made haste to be whole again by selling Truth and Justice Among these Corrâ—…ptions Cato grew up untainted in his Integrity not to be work'd upon by the Impunity or rather the Reputation of these Crimes nor to be frighted by being left single and alone but bravely opposing himself against the Enemies of his Country notwithstanding the Pride and 〈◊〉 of their Wealth or Power Indeed never was there a more sincere Lover of the Publick Good never did any Man incur so many Dangers to hinder the passing of Factious and Destructive Laws No body
opportunity that it had fallen lower and yet rais'd it self This was all very true but then it was as true to him as to them and since they rejected it he ought to have follow'd it And if he had done so how many more tryals might he have had for the Liberty of Rome Africa had not been wholly lost at that time the younger Pompey would have had more time to have strengthned himself or had he gone to him with those excellent Commanders Petreius and Afranius 't is very probable that Caesar might have lost that Battle which was the most doubtful and most bloody that he ever fought and which he gain'd only through the folly of Labienus or after that he might have retir'd into some place unknown for the Roman Empire was not extended to that degree then or ever after that there was no place to retire to no means of evading Tyrants fury but Self-murther And though he could not have prevented Caesar's greatness yet he wou'd still have been a curb upon him and at least have made him use his Fortune more moderately nor was it long before Opportunity did offer it self to recover again his Countries Liberty I do not think that Cato wou'd have been drawn into the Conspiracy against Caesar I believe his great Mind was not capable of consenting to the Murthering even of his mortal Enemy in so base a manner but afterwards he might possibly have joyn'd with them supported the Virtue of Brutus and restrain'd the Fury of Cassius against Anthony and young Octavius and wou'd have been in all respects a great strength to their Party for notwithstanding Brutus's Character his Ingratitude to Caesar lost him many Thousand Romans that would gladly have come in to Cato Wherefore if we consider these things impartially though it is commonly said in Justification of Cato's Self-murther that he dy'd for the Liberty of Rome 't is plain that he stabb'd it himself yet not purposely but accidentally in such a manner as a Man that resolves himself a Mischief might in his rage stab his own Father that cling'd about him There is one thing by which Cicero wou'd prove that Cato ought to have dy'd in this manner and that is Decorum * Cicero de Ossicijs lib. 1. Sect. 31. which is the same with maintaining a Character a certain likeness between all our Actions an unalterable equability of Life And this is grounded upon the difference between Universal and particular Humane Nature of which something has been said above This difference of particular Natures which forms the several Characters of Men is of that force says he that sometimes one Man ought to kill himself and yet another in the very same Circumstances ought not For was †Montaign is very much pleas'd with this Passage lib. 2. cap. 11. not Cato's Case the very same with those others who surrendred themselves to Caesar in Africa and yet perhaps it would have been blameable in them to have kill'd themselves because their Manners were gentler and easier but as Nature had given Cato an incredible Gravity and he had confirm'd this by a perpetual Constancy and had always remain'd unmoveable in what he had once resolv'd and undertaken it became him rather to die than to see the Tyrants Face Here this great Man seems to give in too much to the Principles of the Stoics upon which though well corrected in other places that excellent Treatise is founded They laid down in the first place that a wise Man cou'd not possibly be mistaken upon this they advanc'd That such a Man ought never to change his Opinion or way of Living or Acting but be always the same Now if the first cou'd have been true the latter wou'd have been reasonable but alas it is far from being so the wisest and the best of Mankind may err in his Opinions and consequently in his Actions and therefore nothing can be more dangerous than to mantain that a Man ought never to alter 'T is true Levity and Inconstancy are great and unmanly Faults but next to the not being in any Errour at all 't is the greatest Wisdom to get out of it quickly and the doing so is no more Levity and Inconstancy than when a Man has mistaken his way and is running upon a Precipice 't is Levity and Inconstancy to turn back again To persist in an Errour is Stupidity this is the Constancy the Decorum of Brutes but to get out assoon as possible not only becomes the Dignity of humane Nature but improves it in the highest manner since every Errour we leave the more we have of Truth and consequently partake the more of God himself Decorum is the Beauty which is reflected from Vertuous Actions the first care shou'd be concerning the Actions that they be Virtuous and the Decorum will follow naturally but when People mind this first 't will be always of ill Consequence To observe a Resolution steadily is so much the worse if the Resolution be not just and is no more than being positively in the wrong wherefore it should have been prov'd first that Self-murther was Lawful for if it be not so no Plea can be weaker than that of Decorum which in this Case is nothing more than habitual Stubbornness and profess'd Injustice and as for the Evil which is pretendod here for Cato's dying Namely the seeing the Tyrants Face this was not necessary he might and ought to have sav'd himself with the other Senators and struggled still against all Opposition for the Publick Good as I said before and then Rome might have receiv'd him with open Arms as she did Terentius Varro after the Battle of Cannae though lost by his Rashness because he did not despair of her Safety or if she had not he had still observ'd Decorum in the best the noblest way for Duty will be always decent and nothing else can be truly so This Passage of Cicero's puts me in mind of what I said concerning him above when I brought him in against Self-murther He is so directly in his Somnium Scipionis as Macrobius shews sufficiently * Chap. 9. That Excellent Piece was written before Cato's Death when his Judgment was Free. Afterwards Cicero being of the same Party that Cato was and being carry'd away with that Torrent of Applause which that Age run into He makes all the shifts he can to palliate and excuse his killing of himself and is very hard put to it to do so as may appear from the Instance which we have been just now discoursing of and his making Socrates's Case and his the same 1. Tuscul. quaest than which nothing can be more unreasonable but if any Body should be so zealous in this matter as not to be satisfy'd with this his Authority shall be wav'd if they please To conclude this Point if it be ask'd after all What shall we say to those Encomiums which were given to this great Man How could so many People be in the
wrong How could his Death ever have been so much Applauded if not Reasonable and Lawful The true Causes of this great Applause were 1. That he was a Man really of the greatest Probity Honour Integrity Courage the truest Lover of his Country that can be found in any History that the Faults of his Life were fewer and the Excellencies brighter than any other Example can afford 2. That upon this Account the Character of the other Cato which was very great sunk into his and in after Ages what was said of the Former was attributed to the Latter 3. That as to his Death there are some Actions which become Famous not for their being Reasonable but for their happening at a particular time Cato kill'd himself just upon the alteration of the Roman Government He dy'd with the Roman Liberty most certainly whether he dy'd for it or no and the more that Liberty was miss'd the more was his Death Applauded the two great Revolutions of the Roman State the Birth and Death of that Glorious Republick was attended by the Self-murther of two most Virtuous Persons which being Celebrated with so many Encomiums has deceiv'd many People but the Virtues of their Lives conceal'd the Errours of their Deaths and the Publick being so far concern'd in them ran away with their Applause which Posterity has receiv'd from Age to Age without much Examination From what has been said I hope it doth appear that as no Example of Self-murther ought to sway with us either upon account of the Romans Practice or the Doctrine of the Stoics so this of Cato in particular ought not to be of any Authority in this Case CHAP. XII Concerning Courage what the Nature Proper Object and Vse of it is The mistakes concerning it and the occasions of them That Self-murther is not the natural Effect of true Courage OTher Pretences there are for Self-murther which are grounded upon mistaken Notions of Courage Honour and Liberty the first of which is Courage In so Warlike an Age and Nation as this is it might perhaps be taken amiss for any one to enquire what Courage is But that they who abound most in any thing that is commendable always bear the Examination of it best Here we meet with our Author again who is more Lofty than usual upon this Occasion * Donne pag. 〈◊〉 When I frame to my self says he a Martyrology of all which have perished by their own means for Religion Country Fame Love Ease Fear Shame I blush to see how â—…aked of Followers all Virtues are in respect of this Fortilude c. The 〈◊〉 as he calls it follows consisting chiefly of Thieves Minions Gladiators As to the Causes of this Fortitude which he mentions here to omit at present what relates to Religion what concerns dying for ones Country has †Chap. 8. been spoken to at large the Motive of Fame shall be consider'd in the next Chapter as also that of Shame But how the killing of ones self upon the account of Ease Love nay Fear too shou'd be Instances of Fortitude is very strange By Fortitude here I suppose meant the same with what is call'd Courage This being generally look'd upon as a great Virtue and Self-murther believ'd to be an Effect of it It will be necessary to make a particular enquiry into it not only for the clearing of this Mistake but several others rising from the same Root 1. Let us see what is the Nature Object and use of Courage particularly as Rational and Humane 2. What the Mistakes are concerning it and what are probably the Causes of them And this being done I shall shew 3. That Self-murther is not the Effect of true Courage 1. As to the Nature of it Courage is only the Effect of an active and vigorous heat in the Heart as its Name imports in many Modern Languages which Heat sends forth many brisk and lively Spirits which diffuse themselves through the whole Body and prompt it to Action so that this is Common to other Creatures as well as Man and therefore not any Virtue naturally the Virtue of it depends upon the goodness of the Object and proper use of it 2. As to the Object All Objects work upon Creatures which have Life either under the Notion of Good or under the Notion of Evil as to things indifferent our Passions are not concerned about them As to what is or seems Good if this is easie to be obtain'd the very Appearance of it is sufficient to make the Soul reach after it without any occasion for Courage and if we cou'd imagine a Man to be wholly at ease to abound in all things he can wish for and to be secure in the enjoyment of them such a one wou'd have no need of Courage and therefore it wou'd languish and die away by Degrees But on the other side if any thing presents it self as an obstacle in the way to that which we take to be Good or if any thing which we take to be Evil threatens us with danger then the Soul looks out and views the Enemy and according as it finds its strength prepares to attack or resist it from whence it appears that the proper Object of Courage is Evil. Thus a Modern Author * Hobb's Leviath p. 1. chap 6. Fear is the Opinion of hurt from the Object Courage is the hope of avoiding that Hurt by Resistance Or as another †De la Chamb. Char. des paâ—sions vol. 2. cap. â— Courage is a Power of the Soul which employs the Forces of the Mind to overcome Evils or to put a stop to ' em From whence we also come to a knowledge of 3. The proper use of Courage namely to Attack or Resist what is Evil. What has been said hiâ—…herto may belong to Beasts as well as Man the proper use of Courage as belonging to Man consists in the promoting that End for which he receiv'd Life the use of Courage in Beasts is to preserve Life but since Liâ—e was given Man to a more excellent End as has been shewn whatever Springs there are in Humane Nature of which Courage is one of the Chief must be suppos'd to be intended as subservient to this End and therefore the Justness and Regularity of their Motion must be measur'd by it accordingly First then humane Courage ought to be inform'd truly concerning its Object to have a right and certain knowledge of its being Evil which Reason will quickly discover Secondly it ought to Attack or Resist that Evil in such 〈◊〉 manner limited and directed by such Virtues as may hinder it from interfering with any part of our Duty towards God our Neighbour or our selves This makes Courage to be founded upon Justice and directed by it otherwise it wou'd be Evil it self It has been said already that Courage is twofold either such as Attacks or such as Resists Evil. Let us bring both of them to these Rules 1. As to that part of Courage which
consists in Attacking Evil the measure of this is that the Evil be real which we attack that it be attack'd with * Ea animi elâ—…tio quae in periculis cernitur si Justitia vacaâ—… in vitio est Itaque probe dehnitur à Stoicis Fortitudo Virtus propugnâ—…ms pro aquitate Cicero de 〈◊〉 lib. 1. Justice from whence it follows that a Man's Courage ought not to be the Instrument of his Ambition his Covetousness Anger or Revenge for these will make him not only fancy Evil where there is none but attack it in such a manner as is most unjust In this regard Beasts use their Courage better than Men they always do it in defence of Life to supply their Hunger or to escape Death when threaten'd some other way But Man employs it against Man when Life is far from being in danger only to usurp over him and therefore this kind of Courage is rarely employed by good Men unless upon extreme Necessity and yet even where such Necessity requires it it must be always closely attended by Justice and Goodness without which it would be nothing but injurious Insolence Yet commonly speaking there is seldom any thing in the World less regarded than Justice by those who value themselves most upon this kind of Courage pushing Courage as some call it and what is most strange although the World sutâ—…ers so much by it there is nothing that it is more apt to admire Hence it is that Impudence and Cruelty Noise and Madness want of Sence as much as Virtue Oaths Violence Rashness Revenge Injuring Man and Blaspheming God is so often counted Courage These Mistakes begin early they are some of the first Effects of the Baseness and Degenerateness of humane Nature Men either out of Cowardize Worship what they fear or else Admire it because they find the same Principles in themselves by which it usually Acts as Pride Ambition Covetousness Revenge and would be glad to have it as an Instrument to compass such Ends as these aim at This ill grounded Admiration is nourish'd afterwards by the Honour and Titles which are given to this successful Injustice as such an one the Conquerour or the Great and by some Characters in Heroic Poetry But Conquerour is generally a Fatal Title the Badge of Absolute Slavery and is generally selt more by the Heroes own Country than those which he adds to it And what should be meant by such an one the Great The great Promoter of Arts and Sciences the great Encourager of Virtue No the great Invader and Destroyer of Mankind Or what are many of the Heroes of Poetry if stript of the Ornaments of Numbers Wit and Eloquence and consider'd in themselves Besides how oft is the Poet misunderstood and thought to Paint a Demi-God when he intended perhaps a Centaur Thus Alexander himself seems to have been misled when coming to Achilles's Tomb * Cicero pro Archia Poeta he is said to have cry'd out O happy Youth who hadst such a Poet as Homer to Record thy Deeds This false Admiration betrayed him into one of the worst Actions of his Life the dragging the †Quint. Curtius lib. 4. Gallant Batis Governour of Gaza round that Town as the other had done Hector only for having defended it Faithfully and Honourably Homer indeed was an Admirable Poet he always drew to the Life whatever the Original was he represents Thersites Naturally so does he Achilles too but this was the worse for him for Achilles was nothing but an insolent Bravo Lustful Passionate Inexorable Barbarous Homer's design in that Poem was to shew the ill Consequences of Dissention among Generals of several Governments in the same intreâ—…t A lasting Lesson for Greece which was divided into several little States Not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for a Pattern to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Insolence broke that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was the Death of so many 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Indeed few Heroes would 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to their Poets or Historians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 did 'em Justice These are the 〈◊〉 of the Mistakes concerning this sort 〈◊〉 Courage which imposes upon Mankind first by its Noise and Splendor and afterwards often enslaves them I have been the more particular in this matter because this lawless Arrogance which is often sowr'd into a surly Brutishness after it has been long Injurious to Man and Insolent to God when any thing happens cross to it and it is Check'd or Controul'd by Providence is very apt to fly out into Rage and Indignation and because it cannot reach that falls upon it self and so becomes one of the most common Causes of Self-murther which ignorant People take to be an Effect of Courage accordingly 2. The other part of Courage consists in the resistance of Evil. And is that firmness and constancy of Mind whereby it supports it self undauntedly under all Calamities this is the more noble sort of Courage because a Man cannot be unjust here towards his Neighbour or towards his God for this consists in the bearing of all Events with Patience whether they be Poverty Pain Loss of Senses Friends or Children Disgrace c. Some one of which at least befal most Men sometime or other and therefore every one ought to be provided with this kind of Courage whatever he is with the other because there are much fewer Evils that require being resisted by Violence than by Patience This then is that Fortithan which the Soul should have always ready to retire unto when it is surprized by sudden Evils and then it is then chiefly that it has the most glorious opportunity of discovering it self for what nobler Idea can we form of humane Nature than to consider it beset by several Evils at once attack'd in its Body Reputation and Estate and yet undaunted And though left singly and alone Arming it self with Resolution Patience and Constancy whatever has been said of the Vulcanian Arms of Old such as these are Impenetrable indeed because well wrought and tempered by deliberate Reason by God himself and bestowed by him upon the greatest and the best Men only But alas though this part of Courage is so necessary to Mankind yet it is least regarded because 't is against the wild Appetites and Passions which are indulg'd by the other it has no Noise Pomp and Ostentation which glitter splendidly upon Corrupted Fancies but is Calm Easie Regular and Modest as all the Steps of Virtue when guided by right Reason are If this is a right Account of Courage then 3. Self-murther cannot be any Genuine or Natural Effect of it in which of these Senses soever we take it for 1. That which makes the difference between Brutal and Humane Courage is Reason and Justice now Self-murther has been shown at large to be highly against these to be an Act of the greatest Injustice and therefore in this Regard cannot be the Effect of Courage as Humane and Rational nor can it be the Effect of Brutal Courage properly so call'd because there is no Beast
though never so remarkable for Courage that ever destroys it self this will appear more plain if we consider 2. The proper object of Courage which is Evil I will not stay to show here how often Evil is falsely Represented and Magnisied or how many ways it is mistaken but supposing that to be really Evil which Men take to be so yet in the Case of Self-murther the Soul instead of attacking or resisting what it takes to be Evil flies away from it and therefore this Act is no more an Argument of true Courage than the rushing into a Torrent the leaping down a Pit or Precipice in a Panic Fright is so If Courage is the attacking or resistance of Evil as has been shewn then Death must be look'd upon as an Evil before any Man can be suppos'd to shew his Courage by killing himself for where there is no Evil there can be no occasion for Courage Death can never be an Evil but when Life is casie and happy and look'd upon as a great Good this makes it so honourable for People of Quality who abound in Wealth and Power and all such things as make Life desirable to hazard theirs for the Publick But to them that kill themselves Life cannot seem Good but Evil And when Life becomes an Evil through great Pain Poverty Disgrace c. then Death must be look'd upon as Good proportionably and if so there can be no Courage in running to it But on the contrary 't is the part of a brave Man when Life becomes an Evil to him not to fly to Death but to turn Head and engage with the Misfortunes of Life for here lies the Enemy as Caesar told his frightn'd Souldier An unhappy Life is the Field for true Courage and Magnanimity whereas the killing of ones self is plainly to decline the Combat to convey ones self away out of the reach of the Eneny to pass from a state of Misery into a state of Ease or Indolency at least as they suppose and this sure can be no great Argument of Courage That which is most apt to deceive People upon this Account is the Notion which the World generally has of Death as the greatest of all Evils that it takes us through a Thousand Pains and Tortures from our Friends and Relations our Projects and Possessions and all the Enjoyments of the World All which Terrours are increas'd by the sight of the Death of some dear Friend or near Relation for then humane Nature Starts and Trembles at the Ghastly looks and Convulsions of Expiration These are the things which make People grow up in a detestation of Death and this is still augmented the more happy they are in their outward Circumstances Wherefore they who kill themselves may seem indeed to such People to have a great deal of Courage because these run voluntarily into that which they abhor as the worst of Evils whereas the Notion of Life and Death is quite contrary in such unfortunate Creatures 't is some Pain some discontent that drives them to this Violence upon account of which Death as I said before becomes the Good and Life the Evil therefore as it wou'd be true Courage in Health or Prosperity to suffer Death rather than commit a Crime So in Sickness or any Adversity it would be the same to undergo Life rather than be guilty of Self-murther for he who parts with Life because he thinks himself Unhappy parts with nothing but what he is griev'd withal He only lays down his Burthen quits his Virtue his Arms for fear of the Enemy and where can be the Courage of this even Sardinapalus and Nero cou'd desert their Station in this manner and why not with as much Bravery as any other can pretend to In a Word when the Heart gives way to Evils and Asslictions when Hope is gone and Despair enter'd Men may make themselves away out of tenderness and softness there being little or no Pain to be selt in Voluntary Death especially if Men will take but as much care as Brutus did to place the Weapon right or as the Emperour Adrian to have the Mortal Place mark'd out exactly What shall we say then that all Men are Cowards that kill themselves No but that this particular Act has naturally more of Cowardice than Courage in it and is in those who have signaliz'd their Courage an act of Revenge or Indignation and therefore though some Men of Courage have kill'd themselves yet since the Nature of Courage consists in resisting Evil and Self-murther is the flying from Evil since many Women and Slaves many Effeminate Men and Notorious Cowards many for Ease or Fear as our Author himself confesses have kill'd themselves Self-murther ought not to be look'd upon as the natural effect of Courage To confirm what has been said I shall call several Persons of unquestionable Authority The Character of Hercules is certainly perfect as to Courage and yet Euripides representing him in the greatest Affliction that ever Man could suffer through his own Fault his Wife and Children lying Murther'd round him by his own Hand in his Madness At first he has thoughts of killing himself but immediately he checks himself with the Consideration * Eurip. Hercul Furens Act. 4. that he will not have his Courage question'd by doing so that whoever cannot bear great Calamity will not dare to meet his Enemy in the Field Wherefore he resolves to expect his Death boldly and not to force it upon himself †Apollon Rhodius Nicom lib 3. cap. 8. Another tells us that to die wilfully for Poverty Love or any Grievance is so far from being any sign of Courage that it is meer Cowardice for to avoid what is grievous is nothing but Softness and Esseminacy for no body chooses such a Death because 't is Honourable but because it frees him from an Evil which he cannot bear and to be so affected is Cowardice ‖ Quintus Curtius lib. 5. Sect. 11. 'T is the part of a brave Man rather to despise Death than hate Life Cowards often undervalue their Being only to avoid what is troublesome but true Courage tries all things * See â—…rot de J. B. P. lib. 2. cap. 19 Sect 5. Besides these see Josephus's Speech lib. 3. de Bell. Jud. Let me add one more 't is not lawful nor becoming a Man of Courage to bend under his Destiny and not embrace whatever happens undauntedly but run poorly away from it This was the great Brutus who thus condemn'd Cato's Death when cool and deliberate and before he doubted whether Virtue was any thing but an Aery Name * Sen. Theb. Act 1. Sect. 1. Non est ut putas Virtus Pater Timere Vitam sed malis ingentibus Obstare nec se vertere Retro dare Multos in summa pericula misit Venturi timor ipse mali fortislimus ille est Qui promptus metuenda pati si cominus instent Et differe potest Lucan lib. 7.
When he came to do so no wonder that he kill'd himself CHAP. XIII Of Honour That this is twofold either Inward a Principle of Virtue or Outward the Applause which follows upon it That neither of these can ever require Self-muriher The mistakes concerning Honour which occasion it Objections answer'd THe next pretence for Self-murther is Honour There is nothing I think that is more generally pretended to than this excepting Wit only and yet this seems to be as little understood as that Honour People find is something that is commendable though what it is they cannot tell therefore every one being desirous to have their Actions pass for honourable the Word is strain'd to as many Significations as they have Inclinations often 't is taken for some particular Quality which is thought to belong more to one degree of Men or to one Sex than another Thus in Women Chastity is Honour in Men of high birth Truth and Justice in Soldiers Courage in Tradesmen punctual Payment but since these several Qualities may be attended by great Vices Since these things are truly as commendable in one Person as another and equally required in all People this is but a very imperfect account of Honour For this must be something which concerns all Mankind and therefore humane Nature it self must be considered before we can come to any knowledge of it The perfection of Humane Nature and the great end of Humane Life has been shewn to be the following of Reason by Virtue therefore what I said of Courage before must be said of Honour now that the excellency of it consists in the promoting of this End now though whatever is an hindrance to this is call'd by the general Name of Evil yet all Evil does not appear in its own natural shape but often puts on the form of Good and so works and insinuates it self into Man by his Passions and Appetites wherefore Honour seems to be that Principle whereby the Soul is secur'd against both these kinds of Evil in the quiet pursuit of the End of Life And thus perhaps it may be describ'd Honour is an Elevation of the Soul upon the sence of its Preheminence above the rest of the Creation in regard to that great End of its being the following of Reason by Virtue a firm Resolution to observe it and agenerous disdaln of all Pleasure or Profit all loss or danger of whatever the World can promise or threaten of whatever is dreadful or delightful in comparison of doing so So that this is the greatest excellency of Man's Nature 'T is a Spirit drawn off from the noblest parts of humane Reason 't is that God within us as the Stoics speak that divine Power which directs Man's Free-will follows him diligently through every part of his Duty Regulates his Knowledge and his Courage and hinders the one from falling into Injury and the other into Knavery 1. This I take to be the first and most important meaning of the Word Honour as it is an inward Principle of Action and depends wholly upon ones self 2. There is another signification of this Word Honour as it depends upon other People and is something of the same Nature with Reputation but above it Reputation is esteem from supposed Excellencies when we say such an one is reputed so and so Honour is Praise Respect Veneration upon a clear Knowledge a certainty of such Excellencies and when this is given by many Men it is call'd Glory so that Honour is twofold inward or outward But the last depends chiesly upon the Persons that are to bestow it The outward Honour which is truly Valuable is the Image of inward Honour reflected back in the Applause of Good and Wise Men upon a Man's observing faithfully the true end of Life and making always a right use of those Powers by which he excells all other Creatures in following impartial Reason by steady Virtue what ever Dangers threaten or Pleasures slatter Thus Cicero who understood this very well though he was a little too forward to help himself to it tells us that Glory which is of the same Nature with Honour though of a larger Extent is * Gloria est solida quaedam res expressa non adumbrata ca est consentiens laus honorum incorrupta vox bene Judicantium de excellente Virtute Tuscul. Quest. lib. 3. something of substance like solid Imagery not the slight shadowing of fading Colours 't is the concurrent praise of Good Men the impartial Verdict of such as are able Judges of Excellent Virtue So that where there is excellent Virtue for the Foundation on the one side and where Men are qualified with Knowlege and Integrity on the other the Honour which is given by such is solid and lasting like the Statues of the Gods and all other no better than the slight daubing of fading Colours which decays immediately But because the love of Honour includes the fear of Dishonour and no Man can be desirous of Praise but he must have a proportionable Aversion to Disgrace it will be necessary also to observe from whence this comes this must be from acting quite contrary to what was said above from forsaking the true end of Life from refusing to follow Reason by Virtue and deserting it wilfully to obey Vice the result of this is first inward Disgrace when the Soul abhors it self and hates the sight of its own folly and this when known becomes outward Disgrace which truly consists in the concurrent dispraise of good Men But then we should take notice that though this is a great Evil and though a Man may happen to fall into it yet he may recover his Reputation or Honour again by taking the contrary Course and following of his Reason by Virtue and that the sooner because good Men upon whose Verdict Disgrace depends will be always ready to acquit others of blame upon reasonable Grounds and glad to believe and proclaim their change If this then be an Account of Honour how can it be pretended that it shou'd ever require a Man to Murther himself for first as to inward Honour if this be an Elevation of the Soul rais'd upon a just sense of the Advantages which Man has above other Creatures in the Powers of Knowledge and Free-will and the excellent end which they are given for and if it be a firm Resolution of pursuing that End What can be more contradictory to this than Self-murther What can it signifie to Man to have such Preheminences nay to be made to any purpose at all if the noblest Principle in his Nature shou'd teach him to decline that purpose if that which was plac'd in him to support and improve his Being shou'd require him not to be at all Again if Honour be the generous disdain of whatever is Terrible or Dangerous in the way to our performing the true end of Life and if it is always in a good Man's Power to perform this End What Circumstances can be of such
this rich Furniture All the Walls here are hung with Liberty Do you see that Iron Chest There 's Liberty in the bottom of it Do you remember such a Diamond or such a Locket In how small a compass does great Liberty lie Tou toyl Day and Night to satisfie your Creditors You must be a Slave to the Ingratitude of such a false Friend or the Extortion of this and that Vsurer when Providence has plac'd Liberty so very near you that no more is requir'd but to stretch out your Hand to accept of it I do not doubt but this would seem very strange to any honest Man and yet where things are equally unsawful the Case is the same Humane Life is God's own Propriety 't is entrusted to Man only for a certain End and therefore he has no more Liberty to destroy it than to break any Trust or commit any Act of Injustice whatsoever and Nature's having put it into our Power to go out of Life when and how we please is no more an Argument that we may lawfully do so than her putting it into our Power to Steal Ravish or Murther any one else There must certainly then be some great Mistakes in this matter and therefore in order to discover them and shew how inconsistent Self-murther is with true Liberty if rightly understood Let us suppose this Pretence to be drawn up in this or the like manner Liberty is one of the most Glorious Attributes of God Man is said to be like God in respect of this Particularly and therefore nothing ought to be more dear to him than his Liberty If this be so then when this Liberty is lost by any great Calamity it must be extreme Cowardice or extreme Dulness to drag about a Decrepit Body or an Afflicted Mind and to chuse to continue poorly under this Slavery when God and Nature still leave him so much Liberty as to set his Soul Free whenever he pleases Observe The Word Liberty here is a very doubtful Term having several Significations the using of which promiscuously occasions great Obscurity and Confusion which are the chief Advantages of this Pretence Sometimes it signifies that Liberty which Man has over his own Actions by the freedom of his Will Sometimes it signifies the Liberty of the Body as well as the Mind and these two as likewise the Slavery which regards each of these are often us'd the one for the other Sometimes again Liberty signifies some Authority or Power which Man is suppos'd to have to destroy himself in some particular Circumstances though he be ty'd up in all others Lastly it signifies that Ease or Freedom from any Trouble Grief or Pain which the Soul is suppos'd to be let out into by Self-murther according to which several Significations I will consider 1. That Liberty which is deriv'd from God to Man in what Respects Man is like God in the freedom of his Will and as to the Power which he has over his own Actions and show that Self-murther is not warranted by such Liberty 2. I will shew the difference between the Liberty and Slavery of the Soul and Body and inquire whether any Evil which oppresses the Body can be destructive to the Liberty of the Soul 3. That no Man upon the Account of any Calamity particularly upon Account of any extreme Sickness or Pain has any Liberty or Authority to destroy himself 4. That by so doing the Soul instead of enjoying any Liberty wou'd fall into a State of utmost Slavery I. As to the Liberty which is deriv'd from God to Man 'T was said that this is one of the most Glorious Attributes of God and that in this Respect it is that Man is particularly like him God is absolutely Free for he is Infinite Infinity must be perfect Liberty because nothing can be more Free than that which has no Bounds And yet the Liberty of infinite Power is always attended with infinite Wisdom and infinite Goodness without these Almighty Liberty wou'd be only Dreadful but these make it the Ground of our Trust and Confidence and render it Adorable wherefore if we consider God not only in his Essenoe but also in his Works since every Work of his must be to some excellent End or other the means he huses to Act by must also be most Excellent and that particular kind of Method if I may so speak which he observes for the bringing what he intends to pass must be a kind of Rule or Law to him He cannot do otherwise than he does because what he does is the Effect of infinite Wisdom measur'd by the rectitude of his own Perfection and therefore always best Yet this sets no Bounds to his Liberty because it is impossible that he shou'd ever will to do otherwise than only just as he does and he who always does whatever he wills must remain always Free But Man's Liberty is very different as he is a finite Creature it can be perfect only according to its measure and that measure must be proportionable to his particular Nature Now the Nature of Man consists of a Rational Soul and Body his Liberty therefore must be twofold that which regards the Soul or that which regards the Body As to the first which is our present Subject this must be according to the chief Faculties of the Soul Knowledge and Will Man's Will is free it has the full Power or Liberty to Act without any Necessity or Compulsion but since this Will can act only according to what Man knows it being impossible that any one should will any thing whereof he has no Knowledge the extent of humane Liberty must be proportionable to humane Knowledge Again the Objects of humane Knowledge as it concerns Mans Actions are moral Good or Evil and the Freedom of Man's Will lies in choosing the one and refusing the other Now â—…ince humane Knowledge is not only of small Extent but liable to Errour and to mistake Good and Evil since also there are several Passions and Appetites which are apt to further this mistaking God has sixt such Principles in Man as represent the Method of his own Acting and are self evident whereâ—…ore Man's likeness unto God does not consist in the boundleâ—…s Liberty of his Will but in his Wills being conformable to the Will of God and then is his Will chiefly so when it concurrs with those first Principles or Laws of Nature above-mentioned That is follows readily his Reason by Virtue Yet still this is no lessening or restraining of Man's Natural Liberty Infinite Liberty observes some measures for the attaining the Ends of Infinite Wisdom the measures which are here given to Man to walk by are the same with those they â—…re the Marks and Bounds of what is fit and just they represent the Method of God's own Acting as I said before and good Method always promotes the End it is concern'd about it is the nearest and the plainest way to it and therefore wou'd be the choice of
to that in particular 1. Since God himself who is absolutely free chooses to act always according to some Method which is a Rule to Himself the same with right and eternal Reason and yet His Liberty is not prejudic'd by acting so then although Man is oblig'd to act by some Rules Laws or Principles yet since they issue out from the same Fountain of Eternal Reason this is not any Prejudice to his Natural Liberty 2. Since it has been prov'd that these are some of those Rules viz. That the end for which a Creature is made or has Life given him ought to be observ'd that Gods Propriety ought not to be desiroy'd that whatever may prove destructive to Civil Society ought to be avoided And since the killing of ones self has been prov'd to be a direct breach of every one of these Rules then it follows that Mans Natural of Liberty can be no just 〈◊〉 for Self-murther The same Argument will serve also against all unwarrantable hazarding of Life and running into great and unnecessary dangers especially by Duelling Likewise against all Vices of Excess and Intemperance which concerning a Man's own Person only seem to be within the bounds of his Natural Liberty II. In the next place I am to shew the difference between the Liberty and Slavery of the Mind and Body and whether any Evil that oppresses the Body can be destructive to the Liberty of the Soul As Man consists of a Soul and Body his Liberty must be consider'd in Relation to both Man's Liberty as to his Soul or Mind consists in the free use of its Faculties Vnderstanding and Will in such a manner as was just now shewn his Slavery as to his Mind consists in the losing the free use of these and in their subjection to Irregular Passions and Appetriâ—…es Man's Liberty as to his Body consists in the free use of its Powers as to Motion and Sensation and his Slavery as to this in the Abridgment of this Motion or in its being at anothers disposal In the decay of Sensation or in its becoming greivous to him in Pain and Torture * Vid. Somnium Scipionis Now if we consider the Dignity of Humane Nature Man's Liberty must depend upon the Mind chiesly for when all is done the Mind is the Man Mens cujusque is est quisque the Body is but of very small Consideration in comparison of the other the Body may be enslaved without a Man 's own sault it being liable to outward force as well as inward decays of Nature but still the Mind may continue free This cannot be enslav'd but by a Man 's own fault and when it is so its Liberty may be recover'd again if the Person pleases and therefore there can be no occasion of Self-murther upon this Account Plotinus †Apud Macâ—…obium lib. 1. cap. 13. gives admirable directious in this case He tells us that therâ—… are two kinds of Death a Philosophical and a Natural one that the first was in our Power but not the latter that if Men would be free from any Evils of Life they may be so by dying Philosophically and this says he is the only voluntary Death that is commendable that which we bring our selves to by Reason not by Poison by Prudaence not by any Weapon As to that part of the Question Whether any Evil that oppresses the Body may be destructive to the Liberty of the Mind This has been in part answer'd The Liberty of the Mind consists in the use of Reason some Evils of the Body as extreme Pain and Sickness may destroy the use of Reason and cause Madness and then the Liberty of the Mind is destroy'd indeed But while Reason remains Liberty must remain also the Mind cannot be enslav'd though beset by various Evils till it basely surrenders up to 'em no more than a City is enslav'd when 't is only beseig'd and defends it self valiantly nay not so much since the Avenues of Reason in those who are adult especially cannot be shut up but on the contrary the greater the Evils are which beset the Body the more may the Mind enlarge its Liberty by the practising of several Virtues which it would not have had the opportunity of exercising otherwise All Virtues are the different ways of the Souls exerting its Power according to the Dictates of right Reason Wherefore if the Evils of the Body give it greater opportunities to exert this Power and require withal that it should be exerted with greater strength and vigour then these Evils will be so far from abridging its Liberty that they will rather enlarge it For the more Virtues is has to practice the more different ways must it have to move in the wider must its range and compass be and consequently the greater its Liberty And as to the Case of extreme Pain in particular which is so commonly pleaded upon this occasion The Liberty of the Body indeed may be lost it may be confin'd 〈◊〉 and tortur'd by Tyrants or Discases but unless this should cause Madness it would not destroy the Liberty of the Mind It must be confess'd the Union of the Body and Mind is very close and all Perception ends in the Soul and therefore the Pains of the Body may be very grievous to it but though very grievous yet rarely to such a degree as to prove destructive to its Reason Extreme Pain is the truest test of a great and upright Mind but although it may force a Man to Lament it need not to Rebel it may affect him with Sorrow but not cast him down into Despair and where Reason struggles faithfully to retain its Power Courage Honour Justice Constancy and great Examples will be called in to help to resist what is sensitive Evil rather than a good Man should fall into what is morally so rather than he should be guilty of an unjust Action to fly from Pain when this is only Coâ—…ardise and Weakness though colour'd over with the Plausible name of Liberty When Pain is encreas'd to such a degree as to destroy Reason the dispute is at an end but let Men have a care lest they should fancy or grant themselves to be Mad only through Impatience and indulg'd Passions and then afterwards make use of their Reason to contrive their Self-destruction If you cry out as 't is usual that the Pain is too great to be endur'd that you cannot possibly bear so much torture What do you mean by this that it will kill you or that you have not strength and patience to undergo it If it will kill you what need of Self-murther the more violent the Pain is the more short will it be and if a Tyrant inslicts it how much better is it as Good Darius said * Forsitan mireris quod vitam non siniam Alicno scelere quam meo mori malo Q. Curtius lib. 5. cap. 12. To die by anothers Wickedness than by your own If you mean the latter trust Nature
she will assist you to bear Pain is always most acute when new the Powers of Sensation are blunted by degrees by their Objects pressing too violently upon them and continual labour under Pain will harden the sense of Feeling and deaden Perception No one can know his strength unless he will try it the force of deliberate and well weighted Resolution is incredible and has supported the Weak and the Guilty in the most dreadful Torments Shall Women be able to suffer so much in Child-birth Could the Spartan Boys bear whipping to Death before their Altars without a Groan Nay have the greatest Villains mock'd their Executioners Could such a Wretch as Ravillac or he that shot one of the Princes of Orange smile amidst all the Artisices of Torture and shall not Innocence and Virtue be able to support a good Man under the ordinary calamities incident to humane Nature If submission to Providence Perseverance in Duty Constancy and Patience are Virtues when are these to be practised unless in extremities But it may be said the Disease is incurable the Pain is without intermission and therefore what good can a Man do by suffering on but only expose humane Nature and render it Contemptible not at all but rather quite Contrary who can pronounce a Disease like to last incurable and how oft have the best Physicians been deceived in this matter And as to intermission suppose there should be none where the Pain is intermitting Constancy and Patience must be intermitting too and return only by fits as the Distemper does but when the Pain is continual Virtue is continual also and yet not in danger of being long upon Duty because extreme continual Pain will quickly dissolve Nature and discharge the Soul and this Consideration might be sufficient to support a Man under such Circumstances without Diogenes's Dagger to give him Liberty For if the Soul be imprison'd and enslaved when in a tortur'd or diseased Body then let it look upon every Pain as a step towards its Freedom as the bursting of some Chain or the falling off of some Fetter and as every Limb grows weaker and every Sense decays let it collect its sorces cheerfully and rejoice at these happy beginnings of Laâ—…ful and Eternal Liberty And as to 〈◊〉 this is not worth Consideration in comparison of ones Duty yet a good Man need not fear it He will rather do credit to humane Nature than expose it by his 〈◊〉 * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Seneca says he will not leave his Body but when it begins to assect his Mind and then he well jump out of it 〈◊〉 from a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—…ouse this is a very low thought and would not be pardonable but that He make some amends for it in another place †De Consol. ad Helviam where he says that he who was great before he fell is not the less great for being fallen but is as far from Contempt as the Ruins of Temples are which the Religious adore as much as when they were standing Though Holy Temples yield to Time yet they cannot crush the God that was Worshipt in 'em by their fall no more can a decaying Body oppress an upright Mind And while the Mind is not oppress'd it cannot be contemptible There is a Beauty in Constancy and Fortitude which shines through all the Deformities of Death for at such times 't is not the Body but the Soul that is to be regarded and therefore what if the Body be pale weak and wasted away yet if the Mind continues the same unshaken and undaunted all the signs of outward Decay are but the marks of inward Virtue the Trophies of the Souls Strength and Victory and more proper to cause Admiration than Contempt Which of Scaevola's Arms would an Ancient Roman have reckon'd most comely that which was shrivel'd up lame and deformed with Scars or that which was whole and strong Sure brawny Limbs and a good Complexion are not Essential to Virtue Nay even the last Minutes of a great Man shall be beneficial the very sight of his Calamities shall be full of Instruction so that while he has Breath he shall never be past doing good All the excellent modern Buildings of Italy if I may use this allusion once more are owing to a few remains of the Ancient Roman Structures which notwithstanding the injuries of many Years and many devastations retain still some thing of their former Beauty and Magnisicence the same use might be made of the Decays of great Men in extreme Age or Pain or Sickness They are not indeed what they were but still they are more than others are what is left is regular and great and sufficient to form in us an Idea of what is lost and to teach us by the Rules of Proportion to improve our selves accordingly But a great and good Man's Example is as necessary in Death as Life we are to study as much how to Die as how to Live Where then can we receive so much Instruction for this purpose as in the Deaths of such Men and if so when can they be ever past doing good But I will not insist farther upon this Let the Stoics who are the great Defenders of Self-murther be Judges in this matter if we look into their Writings we shall find it inculcated continually the Pains of the Body can never have any influence upon the Liberty of the Mind That their wise Man is above the taking notice of any outward Evil that he is at perfect Ease in the midst of Tortures Nay they reckon it no less than a Crime to own the least sense of Pain and indeed grant more in that respect than we desire and yet after all make Pain by a strange Contradiction one of the chief Causes of Self-murther 〈◊〉 The next thing which I propos'd to speak to was Whether any Man upon account of extreme Aâ—…iction especially Pain or Sickness has Liberty or Authority to Destroy himself Not only the Stoics heretofore but some others since have been inclined to think that he has thus one tells us * Mont. lib. 2. chap. 3. God gives us leave enough to part with Life when he is pleased to reduce us to such a condition that to Live is far worse than to Die The Rule which is here given whereby we are to judge when we have this leave is when God is pleased to reduce us to such a Condition that to Live is far worse than to Die But this will be found very insussicient to this purpose if we examine the Particulars it supposes these two things 1. That there may be some Condition of Life far worse than Death 2. That 't is God that reduces the Sufferer to such a Condition As to the first before we can compare things rightly we must understand exactly the terms by which they are represented Life as Humane implies the union of the Soul and Body Death is the dissolution of that Union the condition of Life which is supposed here
and the best Soul disturbed into Madness All this is true but the Question is not whether a Man may not lose his Reason through extreme Pain if it were it would be readily granted but the Question is Whether a Man has any Liberty given him to destroy himself upon the account of extreme Pain while his Reason still remains This I suppose he has not for the Reasons above mentioned Nay Madness it self has not this Liberty for if a Mad-man kills himself he is not Excusable upon account of any Liberty which he had to do so more than other People but because he knew not what he did Nor are these Papers design'd for the perusal of People in extreme Pain but rather for those in perfect Health to prepare them if perhaps they are capable of doing so to undergo it if it should be their Lot And if they shall happen to be convinc'd when they are in Health that Self-murther is unlawful even in extreme Pain this will influence their Minds when they come to suffer it they will not venture to do what they were once satisfy'd was unlawful though they are not then able to run through the several Particulars upon which their Conviction was grounded The last signification of the Word Liberty is that Ease which the Soul enjoys after it is separated from the Body in Relation to which I am to shew IV. That as Man has no Liberty or Authority granted him to destroy himself upon account of extreme Pain or Sickness so if he presumes to put this in Execution to obtain Ease or Liberty the Soul instead of enjoying any such Liberty will fall into a state of Great Slavery This will require the making out these two things 1. That there will be another State after the separation of the Soul from the Body wherein it shall be accountable for its Actions and as they are Good or Bad be Rewarded or Punish'd accordingly 2. That Self-murther being one of the worst Crimes shall be liable to a proportionable Punishment The first of these That there shall be a State c. is very seldom deny'd by those who acknowledge the Being of a God and is readily granted nay vigorously maintain'd by the Gentleman with whom I have been chiesly concerned however it is necessary for the compleating of this Design to offer some Arguments for the Proof of it and to remove some Objections which are usually made against it Yet what shall be done to this purpose shall be only what may be naturally drawn from those Principles which I laid down at the Beginning for if those be true then this will follow of course if there is a God who reserves to himself the Propriety of Humane Life the Supreme and Absolute Dominion over us If Life is imparted and continu'd to Man for a particular End and if Rules and Laws are given him for the pursuing and obtaining that End if theâ—…e Laws may be broken here unpunish'd and a Man become the more unhappy the more faithfully he observes them if a Man is capable of doing more good than he can receive an adaequate Reward for in this Life and if he is capable of Committing more Evil than he can receive a full Punishment for if those Faculties which give him this Capacity and which distinguish him from all other Creatures suggest to him naturally Reward and Punishment and fill him with Hopes and Fears accordingly Then it will be allow'd by any sensible and unprejudic'd Person that it does appear even by the Light of Nature that there must be such a State hereafter Let us consider each of these Reasons a little more particularly 1. As to that Propriety which God reserves to himself over Humane Life that Absolute Dominion which he holds and exercises over Man this considering withal the Nature of Man is an Argument that he will take an account of his Actions hereafter 'T is true all other Creatures owe their Being and Preservation to God as well as Man and are as much subject to his Dominion as he is but the different Frames of Creatures shew that God will exercise his Dominion differently Beasts act by Instinct not by Reason by Necessity not Choice and therefore perform that End for which they were made and their being so framed is a plain Declaration that God will not exercise any Judicial Power over them But Man has Reason and Liberty to follow it he knows his Duty has Natural Principles to direct him in it freedom of Will to chuse whether he will be so directed or no and commonly refuses to be so and therefore acting contrary to the End of his Being and doing so through his own fault God who gave him such a frame and who retains an Absolute Propriety and Dominion over him must either do all this to no purpose or else call him to account hereafter Cou'd it be prov'd that God left us wholly to our selves after he put us into the World and that we had no Natural Rules to act by or that we could maintain and prolong our Beings without his Assistance there might be some ground for doubt in this Matter but since it is quite contrary since we have an * See pag. 6 7 8. inseparable dependence upon him since he has given us such Frames or Natures on the one side as prove us to be accountable and has retain'd such a Propriety and Sovereignty over us on the other as gives him a Right to require an account of our Actions 't is certain that he will nay that he †See that Excellent Treatise A Practical Discourse concerning Future Judgment from pag. 6. to pag. 14. must require it accordingly 2. This will appear more Plain if we come to consider the next Principle which I laid down at the ‖ Chap. 2. beginning that Life was imparted to us for a particular End for if Man is indispensibly oblig'd to pursue that End then this Obligation is a proof that there must be a Future State and that for these Reasons sollowing 1. Because every End supposes some Rules or Laws to be observ'd for the obtaining of it Now whatever the End of Humane Life is whether it be the following of Reason by Virtue or no 't is certain it is from God and therefore the Rules or Laws which are necessary for the pursuing of it must be from him likewise Now any Law given to a free Agent without any Punishment annex'd to it or without proper Provision made for the Executing of that Punishment wou'd justly call in Question the Wisdom of the Lawgiver and therefore we cannot suppose that the Laws which God gives to Man by Nature shou'd be defective in this Respect and yet we see frequently that all such Punishment is escap'd in this Life If we consider Man in the State of Nature whatever Crimes he commits against himself for Instance as to any Excess or Intemperance * Vid. pag. 20. Sup. no other has any right
Life to come to tell you considently that they are unnatural for all that this proves is only that such a Persons Mind is distemper'd that it does not exert its Faculties in a natural way that is in the same way that the generality of Mankind do for 't is from hence that we must judge of Humane Nature not from the temper or report of one or few Persons and if so then these Notions which are so General must be Natural and therefore certain because whatever is of Nature is of God There needs no further Answer to the Objections against a Future State or any further proofs for it where the wisest of the Philosophers concur with us so Universally The belief of this was the Foundation of those Excellent Discourses which were written by these Antient Sages and therefore we may find the Immortality of the Soul and a Future State continually Inculcated by the greatest of them this too was the ground of that greatness of Mind that Justice Courage Temperance and Piety of the Greeks and Romans 'T was this that gave Socrates that Calmness and Tranquility in his last Minutes under the most barbarous Injustice and made him as casie in his Death as ever lawful Monarch was at his Coronation And 't is to those Excellent Authors * Plato and Xenophon See this also clearly copiously and solidly prov'd in the Treatise above-mentioned viz. 〈◊〉 Practical Discourse of Future Judgment Likewise in the 2d Part. Vol. 1. Chap. 5. Sect. 2. Of the Christian Life 〈◊〉 that Late Eminent Divine Dr. Scot. which give an account of this Great Man that I remit the Reader for further satisfaction or if happily what has been said shall be sufficient then there will I suppose be no great difficulty in the remaining Point 2. That Self-Murther being one of the worst Crimes shall have a Punishment proportionable and consequently he that makes use of this to obtain Ease or Liberty shall fall into a state of great Misery or Slavery To make this appear we need only to produce the Opinions of some of the Greatest Men in this Matter and consider briefly the Grounds of Punishment and Reward in General and the Nature of this Crime in Particular For the First Virgil describing the Aboad and Condition of Self-murtherers in that Place above-mention'd * AEn 6. shews it to be unspeakably worse than the Evil which they sled from while he crys out Quam vellent aethere in alto Nunc pauperiem duros perferre labores This was according to the Doctrine of Plato and therefore Macrobius discoursing upon that Passage of Cicero which I quoted before †p. 22 Sup. That there could be no entrance into a State of Happiness for those who Kill'd themselves says ‖ Macrob lib. 1. in Som. Scip. Cap 13 it was the Opinion of Plotinus an Eminent Platonist That no Death could be Rewarded but what was Natural and that Death alone was Natural where the Body left the Soul and not the Soul the Body Besides as he adds farther the Soul shall be Rewarded according to that Perfection which it arrives to in this Life therefore Death is not to be hastned because it can never be so perfect but that it may receive addition tho' a Man may have risen to a very high Pitch of Goodness and Virtue yet he may rise higher sâ—…ill wherefore he that cuts off his Life cuts off his Improvement and so despises the Reward which is propos'd to him which being a great Contempt of the Proposer must be the occasion of severe Punishment To these let me add an Excellent Author * Milton's Paradise Lost. lib. 10. of our own who makes the first Man upon his Wife 's advising to kill themselves in their great Distress to argue thus from the Light of Nature If thou covet Death as utmost End Of Misery so thinking to evade The Penalty pronounc'd doubt not but God Hath wiselier Arm'd his Vengeful Power than so To be forestall'd much more I fear least Death So snatch'd will not exempt us from the Pain We are by Doom to pay rather such acts Of Contumacy will Provoke the Highest To make Death in us live then let us seek Some safer Resolution But the Reasonableness of this will be more plain if we consider what must be the Ground of Reward and Punishment in General and the Nature of the Crime before us What is it then that shall make the Soul to be admitted into a State of Liberty Ease or Happiness but the endeavouring faithfully to fulfil that End for which Life was bestow'd by performing every part of its Duty towards God our Neighbour or our selves and this too notwithstanding the worst Evils and Calamities which can possibly befall us On the other side what shall expose the Soul to the Slavery of extreme Torment but the forsaking of this End the refusing to submit to the Will of God the Injuring our Neighbour and encouraging others to do so now if the doing any one of these things must make a Man liable to Punishment what must it do to be guilty of them all and much more by Self-murther For this is the 〈◊〉 destruction of God's particular Propriety the Positive Renouncing that End for which he gives Man Life the doing what is destructive to Civil Society the Overthrowing the Laws both of God and Man to Rebel against Providence and break out into Eternity Self-murther is the doing all this and what is still more the doing it wilfully and advisedly and therefore what Punishment shall be due to it I hope the greatness of this Crime appears so plain by this time every Argument which has been us'd for the proving it unlawful proving this also that no new Arguments will be requir'd of me to demonstrate it and therefore I shall only confirm this by these two Considerations 1. That this is the least capable of 〈◊〉 of any ill Action whatsoever or 〈◊〉 't is the positive 〈◊〉 of it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 been allow'd as a most 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Duty by the Light of 〈◊〉 by which 't is plain also that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for something that is past and of Resolution of not doing the same thing for the time to come but the Gentleman with whom we have had so much to do after he has brought in a maim'd account of Repentance under the covert of a venerable Name viz. * See Biath pag. 32. This is true Repentance to do no more to speak no more those things whereof you Repent and not be ever Sinning and ever asking Pardon tells us such a Repentance as this our Case is capable enough of Was ever any thing so trivial What kind of Repentance Why a Man is capable of keeping the Resolution of Killing himself no more after he has once done so Can this be in earnest but this is absurd as to both parts of Repentance for this is either Sorrow for what is past supposes some thing