Reason in a Treatise intitled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Which by the great Character of the Author rais'd afterwards upon better Grounds by the Agreeableness of the Argument to the present Age and by its having passed some Years unanswer'd as far as I can understand has been highly esteem'd by some People There are some few more both Ancient and Modern that have scatter'd among their Writings something upon the same subject whom I shall refer to upon Occasion But 't is with these I shall be most concern'd and chiefly with the latter not that I pretend a particular Answer to every Thing which he has said they who peruse that Treatise will find that this is not necessary I shall only chuse out such Arguments as being drawn from natural Principles any ways oppose what I have laid down or seem otherwise to have most weight in them According to the Method which I have already observ'd I shall draw up the most considerable Objections which I have met withal I mean in the Author above mention'd particularly under these Heads 1. Such as are made against Self-preservation as confess'd to be a Law of Nature in general 2. Such as are brought against it with relation to God's Propriety of Humane Life and either deny this Propriety or else allowing it suppose that Man may kill himself Lawfully by God's Dispensation Dismission Call or Summons 3. Such as suppose another end of humane Life instead of that above-mentioned which they affirm may cease And when it does so that the Obligation of Self-preservation may cease also 4. Such as relate to what has been said concerning Man as a Member of Civil Society * See Chap. 6 7 8. 1. As to such Objections as are made against Self-preservation in general †Dr. Donne's Bâ—… p. 44. Edit Lond 1648. He tells us in the first Place That though Self-preservation is of natural Law yet that natural Law is so general that it extends to Beasts more than to Vs because they cannot compare Degrees of Obligation and Distinctions of Duties and Offices as we can Here in the first Place 't is observable that we have it acknowledged That Self-preservation is a Law of Nature The same is also consessed by the Stoicks as we observ'd before That this Law extends to Beasts as well as to us is true so does it to Creatures inferior to them that they observe it better than we do is also true But that they are more obliged to observe it than we are which I suppose is meant by its extending to Beasts more than to us is a great Mistake The Law indeed is general but the Obligation to observe it is more or less according to the Rank which each Creature bears in the Creation and according as it is qualified to obey it Wherefore since the end of humane Life is to follow Reason by Virtue since by the same Power of Reason Man is furnished with better means to preserve his Life to this great End he must be more obliged to the Observation of this Law than other inferior Creatures And where the Law is plain and acknowledged on all sides as that of Self-preservation is here As there can be no occasion for comparing of Degrees of Obligation or of any Distinctions of Offices and Duties so the making Use of these proves always prejudicial to the Law For when Men are thus shewing their Parts they generally distinguish away their Duty This also is the Argument of a prejudic'd and partial Temper For in these Cases the Law is first broken at least in Intention and then People raise up a Number of little Niceties and Distinctions to escape in the Dust of them As if Reason were given them to evade Obedience to Laws though never so much acknowledged and not to promote it This it was necessary to observe because what this Learned Author says here is to make way for all that he says afterwards And thus he goes on * Ib. â—…p 46. Self-Preservation does not illimittedly rigorously and urgently bind but that by the Law of Nature itself Things may yea must neglect themselves for others ‖ p. 47. Rectified Reason only belonging to us instructs us often to prefer publick and necessary Persons by exposing our selves to inevitable Destruction from which he concludes †p. 56. That Self-preservation is not so of particular a Law of Nature but that it is often transgress'd Naturally This is attempted to be proved again by comparing Deserting and Destroying one's self and by showing that they are the same Thing After which he would have it that * This he calls his chief Strength p. 116. Deserting one's self is Lawful in many Respects As when a Man puts himself upon a Jury Or when a Man may chuse to repel Force by Force When he attends an Executioner When he practises consuming Penances ‖ p. 131. Or When he stands mute at the Bar. †p. 24. This latter Case says he seems to be justified by Church and State and that for so low a Respect as the saving of a Tempor al Estate or escaping the Ignominy of another Death These Instances are of divers Kinds and may be thus divided 1. Into such as relate directly to Civil Society which shall be consider'd hereafter 2. Such us concern Religion as that a Man may desert himself by consuming Penances Which is not true if consuming to such a Degree as to destroy Life but this does not belong to the Argument in hand 3. As for those others which remain it cannot be proved from any of them that Desertion of one's self is Lawful or that Self-preservation may be transgress'd Naturally upon this account For Example whereas it is said That a Man may choose to repel Force with Force in the State of Nature this is by no means so when Life is apparently in danger or that a Man deserts himself by attending an Executioner this cannot be because he has forfeited his Life to the Publick and that too by his own Consent if he has taken his Tryal Nor does he desert his Life who puts himself upon a Jury but on the contrary endeavours to preserve it by the Privilege which that Ancient and Excellent Law allows him Some have also brought Instances of Soldiers and Seamen as seeking Death lawfully or as hastning their Deaths upon lawful Motives and therefore without any Breach of this Law of Self pâ—…servation But nothing can be more weak than this Ask the Soldier or the Sea-man whether they seek Death or no and they will confess that on the contrary they seek a Livelihood If not why do the bravest of them oppose those who would bring them Death so vigorously But to shew the unreasonableness of such Pretences I will propose a Case much stronger than any of these in which notwithstanding the Law of Self-preservation shall not be infringed but most strictly observ'd Vpon a Shipwreck many Leagues from any Land ten Persons
get into the Long-boat who being driven backwards and forwards for many Days and their Provision all spent agree to cast Lots who shall be first eaten and continue to do so till but two are left Was this Lawful Yes certainly Is not this then a plain Breach of the Law of Self-preservation so often mention'd Not at all but rather the Observing it in the best manner Because if this Course had not been taken there would have been certain Death to them all in a few Hours either by Famine or by Killing one another In this Case it was lawful for them not only to put their Lives upon the Hazard of Ten to One but upon equal Hazard as the Two last must do Because a Hazard of Death upon the hardest Terms is better than a Certainty of it All this then being done as the using the best the only way to preserve Life and consequently in each Man 's own Defence can be no Breach of the Law of Self-preservation the same Account may be given of several other pretended Instancâ—…s of Desertion of one's self They first suppose some Case in which Man is brought into great Hazard of Life but this Hazard they conceal or pass over slightly And then if he incur any danger in order to preserve it they call this Desertion of one's self and transgressing the Law of Self-preservation Whereas the doing so is the most faithful and diligent Observation of it that can be possibly As for the other Instance of Desertion When any Person accused stands mute at the Bar which is said to be allowed by our Church and State and therefore brought to prove the Reasonableness of Destroying one's self First this is truly deserting of a Man's self so far he is in the Right because 't is the refusing the means of avoiding Condemnation or of obtaining Mercy afterwards and running voluntarily into a more painful Death than any which he can fear But then secondly to say That this is justified by our Church and State is very strange because the Person who is thus obstinate is condemned to suffer the greatest Punishment for this very Crime of being so 'T is the excellency of the Laws of England above those of other Nations that as they have the greatest tenderness in the case of Life so they have the greatest care in the case of Propriety Now whereas some Men may not value their own Lives so much as their Childrens welfare and whereas the publick Good is above all private Considerations It has been thought â—…it by our prudent Ancestors to deter such Persons from great Crimes not only by the forfeiture of their Lives but also by the forfeiture of their Estates But then again to shew the regard which they had to Propriety these could not be forfeited without Conviction and Conviction could not be without Pleading wherefore to make them plead a more dreadsul Death * Peine forte Diere as the Name imports if duly put in Execution than any which the Law requires if they should be found guilty upon Pleading is threatned for their Obstinacy so that the Law does not leave it to a Mans choice thus If you will stand Mute and will be prest to Death you shall save your Estate the Estate is not under any Consideration as to the intent of the Law in this Case but the obstinacy of refusing to Plead which being punished so dreadfully nothing can be greater detraction than to say That the deserting of ones self in this manner is not only allowed but justified in this Nation These general and mixt Objections belonging to Man partly as in the state of Nature and partly as a Member of Civil Society not knowing how to rank under any particular Head I thought it most convenient to bring in here and perhaps they may not be altogether unserviceable to the illustrating of that which is to follow CHAP. VI. Such Objections consider'd as are 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 Dispensation Dismission Call or Summons WE come next to consider such Arguments as contradict the Propriety which God has of Humane Life This is opposed very little directly as being too manifest yet as it is one of the chief things upon which the Controversie depends many offers have been made to evade it Thus 't is said †Bâ—… pag. â—…2 that though no body is properly Lord of his Life though we have not Dominion 〈◊〉 have Vsum and it is â—…ful for us to lose that when we will But how lose it not sure by dâ—…roying the thing it self a Man may surrender any thing to the right Owner which is lent him and provided it be in good Condition be no longer accountable for it but Self-killing is destroying Life and destroying is certainly a very strange way of surrendering ‖ Ibid. Suppose a Man of Quality should lend a considerable Sum of Money to one of his Servants to whom he took a sancy which might turn if he wou'd to his certain and very great advantage and this Fellow should run to a Gaming-â—…use and play it away immediately and his Lord should expoâ—…late with him for doing so would it not be a very odd answer for him to say that though he had not the Dominium of the Money yet he had the Vsum of it and it was lawful for him to lose that when he would The Application is easie Again he says * See Chap 〈◊〉 If the reason why 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not kill our selves be because we are not Lords of our own Lives but only God Then the Sâ—… cannot take away our Life for that is no more Lord of our Life than we are The State is not Lord of any Mans Life by any full Dominion over it but accidentally When the publick Life the being of the Government is concerned And then it has such a Power over each Corrupted and Disobedient Subject as each Man has over any Corrupted Limb and may cut it off for the Preservation of the rest before the Contagion reaches the Vitals of the State And this Power in both Cases is derived from God who though he reserves to himself the full Propriety of Life yet he must be suppos'd to allow Man the means necessary to preserve Life Which sometimes cannot possibly be done otherwise either in Natural or Political Bodies than by Amputation The next Argument is somewhat Obscure 't is in these Words †Ib. p 113. If in this Case there were any Injury done to the State then certainly it were in the Power of the State to License a Man to do it for this in the State were but Cedere in Re Sua which any Man may lawfully do Here two things are suppos'd if I am not mistaken 1. That there can
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
be seeming Goodness in the other Accordingly he that Robs Ravishes Murthers may plead that he did so only because it seem'd good to him and that in so doing he did but follow Nature but if this be to follow Nature if the ground of General Natural Law is nothing but the appetition of Good True or Seeming then how absurd are all Humane Laws and how unnatural are all Courts of Justice In a Word to give a Man up to act by seeming Good and seeming Evil is to let him loose to his own Will and Pleasure to grant him Wildness instead of Liberty and to make Life depend upon this is to tell him he may destroy himself whenever he thinks fitting CHAP. VIII Examination of such Objections as are brought to invalidate what was said above concerning Man's being a Member of Civil Society and the unlawfulness of Self-murther in this regard also Application of what has been said to the Coroners Inquest in this Case HItherto I have endeavour'd to Answer those Objections which might seem to oppose what I had said to prove Self-murther Vnlawful as Man was consider'd in the State of Nature I come now to examine some others which are brought against what has been said to confirm the same as he is a Member of Civil Society First I must say something to that which was * Chap. 5. p. 44. above mention'd as an Instance of deserting ones self Lawfully †Biath p. 46. Self-preservation doth not so rigorously and urgently and illimitedly bind but that by the Law of Nature it self things may yea must neglect themselves for others of which the Pelican is an Instance Another Instance he gives of Bees too from whence he infers ‖ p. 47. That as this natural Instinct in Beasts so rectisied Reason belonging only to us instructs us often to prefer publick and necessary Persons by exposing our selves to inevitable Destruction * p. 128. We may Lawfully dispossess our selves of that without which we can have no hopes to sustain our Lives as in a Shipwreck a private Man may give his Plank to a Magistrate and the Examples of Codrus Curtius and the Decij and the Approbation of the greatest and the wisest Nations in the Honours which they paid to their Memory are usually brought in upon this occasiou this is to prove that the Law of Self-preservation may be dispenc'd withal in regard of serving the Publick and therefore that it may be so as reasonably in any Man 's private Concern even to the degree of Killing himself Or thus there is no difference as to Self-preservation between a Man's Killing himself upon account of the Publick or his own account now he that dispossesses himself upon the publick Account to save a publick Person Of that without which he can have no hopes of saving his own Life Kills himself To this may be Answer'd 1. That the use of Instinct in Beasts is to Preserve them It was given them to this End alone instead of Reason therefore it is a Contradiction to affirm that any Beast Bird or Insect destroys it self by Instinct and the Instances here brought to prove this are Fabulous 2. That the more Reason is rectify'd in Man the more he will understand to what End he receiv'd Life and how little Authority he has to dispose of it and therefore the more carefully will he obey the Law of Self-preservation and this particularly upon the Consideration of what he owes the Publick 3. That the Law of Self-preservation may not be wilfully broken even upon the Account of the Publick No Man has naturally any Authority to destroy himself for his Country designedly and pâ—…ively but to hazard his Life only As to the Instances of Codrus Curtius and the Decij what they did was grounded upon a Religious or Superstitious Perswasion which they obey'd as Supernatural and therefore cannot be us'd to prove what is Naturally Lawful The Instance of giving a Magiftrate a Plank in a Shipwreck implies only great hazard of Life not positive Destruction of it because there is a possibility of escaping left and because the intention is not to die to abandon all care of ones self but to take care of another first To make this more plain I will show 1. What Authority the Publick Power where-ever 't is plac'd has to require any Person to hazard his Life and what Warrant that Person has to hazard it accordingly 2. The difference between extreme Hazard and Self-murther 1. What Authority c. In this Consideration I shall have no regard to any one particular State but only enquire into the End of Government or Civil Society in General and this with all Submission imaginable The end of Civil Government is I suppose the promoting the same things for many Men together upon which their true Happiness depended as consider'd singly in the State of Nature this is usually call'd the Publick Good that is each Man 's Private Good as he is Man consider'd collectively and with regard to the General Welfare Private Good being twofold as hath been shown Moral and Sensitive the object of humane Laws must be twofold also Virtue and Propriety and the promoting and securing these in Peace from all Enemies either from without or within any Political Body seems to be the true natural end of Civil Society Now as there is Publick Good to be secur'd so in order to this there must be Publick Power over every particular Subject lodg'd in one or more Persons according as the Form of the Government is and lest this Power should be either Dangerous or to no Purpose there must be also Publick Judgment the Result of the Debates of Wise and Upright Men to limit it and direct it Furthermore whereas every particular State must be consider'd as one Political Person in which respect the being of any State is to be look'd upon as the Publick Life and the Well-being of the same State the Publick Health So it must be supposed that the Publick Power must be such as is proper and requisite to defend these and consequently that it must extend to Particular Life whenever the Publick Life is any ways in danger Now this may be endanger'd two ways either 1st By Enemies within the State Corrupt and Vicious Men who obstruct and break the Laws and insect others in which Case the Publick Power extends to the actual Destruction of such particular Mens Lives as being necessary for the Preservation of all the rest Or 2dly It may be endanger'd from outward Enemies other Governments that would Enslave or Destroy it In which Case the Publick Power extends to the obliging such as it thinks fitting to hazard their Lives when 't is necessary for the Publick Preservation To hazard I say not positively destroy themselves as when a blow is made at a Man's Head he may lift up his Arm to defend it venture the breaking of it not positively break it which he has no right to do
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
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
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