the doctrine elsewhere in Gods word and sound reason condemning of it 2. The antiquity of self-murder Secondly the Scriptures recording of such facts shews the antiquity of this vile sin which doth not justifie but demonstrate the inveterate maliciousnesse of it rooted and strengthened by age whose continuation from age to age brings forth every yeare new crops 3. It falls out in the Church Thirdly it manifests that even this horrible sinne hath fallen out and still doth fall out in the Church of God among the visible members thereof and by professors of the truth Observe Which points out unto us that what sins soever fall out elsewhere may and doe fall out sometimes within the visible Church a 1 Cor. 10.13 It is not therefore to be said that the doctrine or profession of the truth is the cause of the same or of any such horrible facts breaking out in the Church where the Gospell is professed and practised The truth is blamelesse neither is the Word nor Gods worship nor true Professors to be upbraided nor condemned for such things as are not by them caused nor approved but are condemned reproved and punished Horible crimes fall out in the Church Causes The causes why such horrible facts fall out sometimes in the Church among professors are two 1. The devills malice First the raging malice of the devill specially against the Church and Professors of the truth whereby he endeavours two things 1. To scandall the truth First to scandalize and disgrace the truth that so he may keep off others from embraceing of it incense them against it and harden them in their owne wicked self-pleasing wayes Woe to the world because of offences b Mat. 18.7 2. To blemish the Church Secondly hee endeavours thereby to blemish the Church and to disturbe the comfort and growth of godly professors and to sift and try them to fall that by such reproachfull crimes God may be dishonoured 2. Rage of mans corruption upon opposition The second cause of those notorious facts within the Church is the rage of mans corruption when it prevailes and gets head and vent against the damme and opposition of grace and truth restraining and mortifying of it which then is irritated and rages the more furiously when it gets advantage and breakes out Comparison as waters fed with continuall springs when they overswell the banks that shut them up doe impetuously and unresistably beare all downe before them where they breake out Why grosse sins are most offensive in professors Sinfull and grosse wicked facts breaking out in the Church and among professors of religion are more scandalous and more condemned because they reproach religion and subject the truth to blasphemy §. 3. Self-murderers are apparent by history The second way of discovery of self-murderers Histories 1. Heathen The second way whereby it is seene that divers persous doe murder themselves is humane histories both Heathen and Christian Civill and Ecclesiasticall which are full of such wofull examples as Livie tells us of Lucretia others of Cleopatra Cato Vticensis Empedocles Cleombrotus Ostorius Pomponius Atticus Tullius Marcellinus Cleanthes Dido and many others and Baldovin reports that Inter Turcas Barbaresque gentes Indiaesunt qui se in gratiam suorum dominorum a muris aut turribus praecipitant in signum summae submissionis observantiae Among the Turkes and barbarous nations of the Indies there are some that in favour of their masters doe throw themselves headlong from walls and towers in signe of the highest submission and respect Heathens did murder themselves But it may seem very strange that Heathens in whom nature was so prevalent with humane reason should kill themselves having so little hope of a better life and all their comfort bounded within this present world Reasons That they did it is apparent whereof three reasons may be assigned 1. Want of grace in Christ First their want of grace and faith in Christ to comfort and content their mindes and to strengthen and enable them patiently to suffer adversities and their want of wills to be in every state and thing obedient to God who leaving them to themselves they sunke under the power of their owne temptations So wretched is mans state out of Christ 2. Secondly many Heathens killed themselves out of an affectation of honour and immortality either by fame on earth or by happinesse in a better place after death whereof some of them had an obscure glimpse to which they knew no better speedier way than by this kinde of death which proceeded from their ignorance of a better course to bring them to what they desired and from want of foresight of destruction in the end of that meanes which they used So unhappy a thing it is to be without divine direction 3. Freedome from evills Thirdly of the Heathens that knew no better good than what they had in this world and aymed at no higher end in all their proceedings than their owne good divers of them being in calamitous conditions without hope of other freedome and under despaire of ability to endure as was fit by this course of self-murder laboured to free themselves from these evills after which they looked for no more This is the wisdome of flesh and blood of corrupt nature and carnall reason such as was taught by the Stoicks who were the best morall Philosophers among the heathen Observe They thought self-murder to be lawfull Where wee are to observe that it is no wonder that such did fall into such notorious enormities so long as they thought the same lawfull and fit to bee done and wanted both that illumination in the truth and also the power of grace in Christ which now God hath bestowed upon Christians But it is more to bee marvelled at that Christians who have meanes of more abundant knowledge and grace should dare willingly to run into the same flagitious and capitall courses of the Heathen being Christians in profession but heathens in manners and practise Whereas the consideration of the parties murdering themselves being Heathens should deterre Christians from such vile facts that they may not be worse than heathens in their practise from whom they are so far divided in profession Self-murdering Christians are heathens But Christians that kill themselves upon the same reasons that the heathen doe doe thereby declare that in this point they have nothing of Christians but the name and otherwise are heathens and in that respect are justly to be debarred Christian buriall 2. Ecclesiasticall histories Wee also finde the like examples in Ecclesiasticall and Christian histories as in Eusebius his history lib. 8. cap. 6. Where he sayes Quo tempore fama est viros mulieres etiam divina inexplicabili alacritate suâ sponte in rogum insiluisse In the which time of persecution the fame is that both men and women did of
Note The higher that this ground of error of judgement is the more obstinate are the resolutions that are built upon the same Because such conclusions are to the deceived matters of conscience founded as they think upon divine authority farre above the countermand of any humane reason or argument and testimony of truth diffenting from their tenets and opinions Observe Abused Scripture harmefull From hence we may observe that although God hath graciously given us his holy Scriptures to be the powerfull meanes of life a Rom. 1.16 yet many men do abuse and make the same the meanes of their owne destruction as Peter speakes of the unlearned and unstable who did wrest the Episties of Paul as they did also the other Scriptures unto their owne destruction b 2 Pet. 3.16 and so the Commandement that was ordained to life is found to bee unto death to them Rom. 7.10 as the Gospell that is the savour of life to life to those that are saved is the savour of death to death to those that perish c 2 Cor. 2.16 Nothing doth so much hurt when it is abused as that which may do most good when it is rightly used There is no heresie or practise or opinion so vile in the Christian world that pretends not and abuses not Scripture or something in it or from it in defence or excuse of the same and upon that ground chiefly prevailes upon mens consciences and holds them captivated in their errors and ill courses and so men do turne the sweetest Manna into the bitterest gall of Aspes to their owne perdition Compatison As a man by managing a sword by its handle may defend himselfe thereby so by taking and using it by the point or edges mischiefes himselfe by the same Therefore wee need take heed how wee use the sword of the Word Prevention of this error by not following the letter against the true meaning of the Scripture For prevention of error of judgement from this ground of abused Scripture wee are to be carefull that we be not moved with the letter of the Scripture without its proper sense agreeable to the truth contrary to which the abused letter of the Scripture is no warrant for us to beleeve or do any thing as wee see by our Saviour Christs replie to Satan who a Mat 4.6 in tempting of him alledged Scriptures after his manner to perswade him to doe evill Observe Our faith and practise should be founded upon sound knowledge otherwise all our building will fall that is reared up upon a rotten foundation and wee shall commit two faults at once one in error of our judgment another in our unwarrantable practise according to the same Rules or meanes of knowledge of the Scripture Therefore that we may not wrest the Scripture from its true sense to our meaning that wee shall please to give it or that wee should take it in a carnall or grosse sense contrary to its owne interpretation we are to observe foure rules or helps that wee may rightly understand the Scripture 1. Humility First it is needfull that we be indowed with humility of spirit that denying our owne selves and carnall reason wee may submit to take such sence and meaning of the Scripture as it of it selfe affords with the assistance of the helps of the Church and not to impose upon it any sense of our owne making or to wrythe or wrest it to favour our conceits or purposes but that laying aside all ambition of over-ruling the Scripture to force it to patronize and countenance any new fangled humorous opinions or old errors of ours for our vaine ostentation or sinfull profit we are humbly to conforme all our opinions and courses to the Scriptures and not to bring the Scriptures into subjection to our opinions and practise God will guide the meeke in judgement and the meeke will he teach his wayes saies David Psal 25.9 2. Holinesse The second meanes whereby we may be able rightly to understand the Scriptures is holinesse of heart and conversation as our Saviour tells us that if any man will do his will he shall know of his doctrine whether it be of God Iohn 7.17 For as the Philosopher saies Every evill body is an ignorant Omnis malus est ignorans Arist Ethic. l. 3. and persons prepossessed with error and vice labour to interpret all Scripture in favour of the same Whereas godly people indowed with a new divine nature as Peter tels us a 2 Pet. 1.4 are thereby inclined so to expound the Scripture as best agrees with the truth and grace of God in them who are divinely illightned whereby they are able to try things that differ b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Phil. 1.10 When others are blinde and cannot see a farre off 2 Pet. 1.9 3. Prayer The third meanes to help us rightly to understand the Scriptures is Prayer to God that he would both reveale and manifest to us his truth and also would give us grace rightly to conceive it in our minds and hearts as the Prophet David praies Teach me good judgment and knowledge Psal 119.66 that so we may be taught of God c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Thes 4.9 For the matter of the Scripture is in many points so supernaturall and high and wee so dull and grosse in conceiving such truths that as flesh and blood cannot reveale them to us neither can the naturall man receive the things of the Spirit of God d 1 Cor. 2 14. without divine help procured by prayer 4. The Spirit of God The fourth meanes of rightly understanding the Scripture is the Spirit of God in and by our use of hearing and reading and conferring illightning our mindes and perswading our consciences of the truth according to the promise of our Saviour touching the holy Spirit whom he said he would send and that when this Spirit of truth is come he would guide us into all truth which he manifests to us by a twofold light Twofold light of the Spirit 1. In the Word First that which accompanies the Word and truth it selfe whereby it makes it selfe conspicuous to all that have eyes to see it Comparison even as the Sun manifests it selfe by its owne light and splendour to the world 2. In our mindes The second kind of light whereby the Spirit manifests the truth of the Scripture to us is that light that hee endowes our minds withall whereby we are enabled and made capable to see and apprehend the former light of truth in the Word Compatison as a blind man that can see nothing before that he hath both an inward faculty of sight restored to him and also an externall light to make the object visible So then none can truly nor fully understand the truth of the Scriptures but by the same Spirit that gave them For as the Apostle saith The things of God knoweth no
is borne by many Be observant and helpfull 2. How men are to order themselves in afflictions The second use or observation from the point is that people in distresse do fit themselves and so order their course and behaviour as is most pertinent and best becomming their present estate that they may not be overcome by it 1. First by their care to live by faith a Habak 2.4 and not by sense and that they may ride by the anchor of hope cast upward within the vaile b Heb. 6.19 2. Secondly by humbly submitting themselves under the mighty hand of God with passive obedience rather cutting our masts of self-will and pride by the board than to hazard being over-set by a high saile in the storme of troubles 3. Thirdly they should labour to possesse themselves in patience that they may stand fast and overcome by suffering 4. Fourthly they should endeavour to be chearefull under the crosse 5. Fiftly they should not be carefull of future events so long as they walke in a good course but commend themselves by prayer to God a Phil. 4.6 Mat. 6.25 and rest confidently upon him being imployed and taken up with meditation of the gratious promises and dealing of God towards those that depend upon him By neglect of which course the Devill prevailes much against people in that estate even sometimes to self-murder §. 18. Concerning anger and revenge The third generall motive of self-murder Anger and revenge The third generall motive of self-murder is the rage of Anger and the unsatiable desire of revenge which are most furious passioÌ„s that most spoile and are least subject to the command of reason or religion and can most hardly be supprest or kept within any due compasse which when they cannot ease themselves by vent upon others will reflect upon the subject wherein they are to destroy the same Kinds of it This anger and revenge is of two sorts 1. Against a mans selfe First that which is directly against a mans owne selfe and that is either for what he hath done or else for what he presently is Sometimes men fall into that degree of anger and revenge against themselves for what they are or have done or beene that nothing will content them Propter peccata admissa For sinnes done but murdring of themselves as for some hainous crime or flagitious course of life whereby they finde themselves upon sight and sense hereof subjected either to importable shame and punishment or to intolerable griefe of conscience as those that are guilty of some horrible capitall crimes done against their consciences such as wilfull murder spitefull blasphemie against God and the like in regard of the former wee see how Indas hanged himselfe and the more secret that such crimes have beene kept and secure from the stroke of humane justice the more is man armed and bent with self-murder to destroy himselfe whom divine justice will not suffer to live Viciousnesse of nature and wicked motions Againe for the present when a man labours in a continuall conflict against the execrable viciousnesse of his nature and against the horrible motions of his minde and inclinations of his heart with much uncomfortable molestation and trouble without hope of overcomming the same finding the same more and more to prevaile against him so that hee concludes that if he doe live hee shall be quite overcome by it and caried headlong to all evill to his greater shame and eternall ruine which that hee may prevent or bee revenged upon his wretched flesh and corruption out of his furious zeale he by the instigation of Satan murders himselfe and so upon pretence of destroying sinne hee destroyes himselfe in and by the most horrible sinne of self-murder He esie Touching this killing of a mans selfe in griefe and revenge for his sinnes committed Alphonsus à Castro adversus haereses de Martyrio haeresi secunda Haeresis est quae docet cos quise pro peccatointerimunt delore Martyres numupari pro cò quod puâ—unâ—in se quod dolent commisesse sayes it is an heresie which teaches that those that kill themselves for their sinne ought to be called Martyres because they doe punish in themselves that for which they grieve that they have committed it The Author of which heresie he sayes was Petilian the Donatist against whom St. Augustine wrote which name of heresie it may well brooke if we consider the damnable danger of it specially accompanied with obstinacy in opinion against the judgement and advice of the Church Than to bee counted an heretick nothing was more odious because the same excludes a man both from the Communion and priviledges of the Church on earth and also from the fruition of glory in Heaven to which for punishment self-murder is equivalent and if in any case it bee held obstinately in opinion to bee lawfull it is directly and formally an heresie because the contrary is according to truth determined by the Church as a point concerning salvation Twofold revenge upon oxes selfe for sinne There is a twofold revenge upon ones self for sin a good and a bad 1. Good In three things The good is that whereof the Apostle speakes 2 Cor. 7.11 Behold what revenge which flowes from griefe for offending God and consists in three things 1. Mortifying humiliation First godly revenge upon ones selfe for their sinnes is in our chastising of our selves and afflicting of our soules before God in penitent manner in mortifying humiliation subduing our bodies by discipline abstinence c. whereby through Christ both the guilt and love of sinne is extinguished in us and also the power of the corruption of it is killed 2. Curbing our lusts Secondly it is in the restraining and curbing of our owne lusts and wills to subdue them wholly to the will of God which cannot bee done without both much trouble and paines and dislike to the old man of nature Cutting off the meanes of sin And also it is in the stinting or depriving of our selves of the use of those things by which the flesh hath or doth take occasion to sin against God as delights and pleasures or things above necessity when wee abuse them which is as to pluck out the right eye or to cut off the right hand 3. Strictnesse Thirdly it is in a more strict tasking of our selves to religious observances to holy duties and good life and to opportunities and offices of doing good to ourselves and others so cutting our selves short of that liberty whereby wee are apt to breake out to dishonour God and so bringing our selves under the yoake of more severe spirituall subjection and discipline to God wee shall subdue and mortifie our old man of sinne in which three points lyes the revenge here allowed The second kind of revenge upon ones self Bad. The second kind of revenge upon ones selfe for sinne is that
raging passions furious preposterous zeale and by the foggie mists of misprisions and horrors overspreading mans understanding and conscience whereby a man becomes spiritually phrentick which is a kind of learning that makes mad a Act. 26.24 All wilfull sin is a spice of spirituall or morall madnesse Note in which respect David confessed of himselfe that he was as a beast before God b Psal 73.22 2. Distresse of conscience The second cause of spirituall phrensie that occasions self-murder is inextricable perplexity of distresse of conscience proceeding from want of all sensible feeling of grace of the favour of God of comfort or hope and from apprehension of Gods heavie displeasure and of fearefull subjection to eternall damnation and misery in which estate a man hath not the use of those parts of understanding and grace which he hath in him but is like a ship in a storme driven without command of sailes or rudder to destruction Some kind of phrensie excuses not and some doth excuse a self-killer from the imputation of self-murder This motive although it be powerfull sometimes to the effecting of self-killing warrants not an act done both against reason and religion where the foresaid phrensie is by default contracted or in the time of the lucide intervals thereof if a man do kill himselfe he is directly and formally a self-murderer Observe Phrensie is calamitous and to be prayed against We are to observe from hence how dangerous and calamitous a thing it is to be subject to such phrentick distempers and therefore wee are to labour and pray for a sound minde and that we may be able wisely to use those parts of understanding and religion that wee have for our owne good and the good of others that having our right wits and senses we may not doe those prankes or so live as may prove that we are fitter for Bedlam or to be begged for fooles than to be reputed reasonable or wise men §. 23. Of examples of self-murder The last generall motive to self-murder Examples The eighth and last generall motive whereupon self-murderers doe kill themselves is frequent examples both of heathens and Christians who have done the same and are celebrated and famous in histories of whom we neither see nor heare of further evill befallen them It is certaine that examples of commendable persons and such as we love is a strong motive to draw men to the like practise Note But it is to be observed that they are neither the best men nor the wisest that are led by examples as by their supreme rule without respect of more warrantable direction and reason but of this see more afterward Cap. 17. § 7. arg 17. and cap. 18. § 4. Iosephus reports how Eleazar by this motive encouraged himselfe and others to kill themselves De bello Judaico lib. 7. cap. 28. in these words Let us see the example of the wiser sort as hee calls them of the Indians who he said being just men did tolerate this life as a necessary office of nature for a certaine time though against their wills yet did they hasten to unloose the soule bound in this mortall body though not urged thereunto by any calamity or necessity but only for desire of immortality But this motive from examples of self-murder is unsufficient to warrant the same because they are contrary to sound reason and religion against which no example is to be followed and such examples are the practise not of the best but of the worst disposed of men who are not to be imitated specially in that which is evill and none are warrantably commended in histories nor famous in the Church because and in respect that they killed themselves but for some precedent vertues and pious disposition in their lives For all men who are guided in their judgement by sound reason and divine truth doe thereby verily thinke and beleeve that the damnable act of self-murder doth bring the committers thereof into the wofull and fearefull estate of eternall perdition in the world to come Thus farre I have laboured to discover the motives abused to self-murder and have shewed the insufficiency of them Observe Where we may observe how men encourage themselves and pretend reason for all their wicked and unreasonable courses and how weake and unwarrantable their grounds and excuses are for the same which like smoke or a shadow vanishes in the tryall of impartiall truth and so leaves the sinner stript naked from his shifts and subjected to just judgement of condemnation at the last CHAP. 16. The introducement and entrance into self-murderer §. 1. Of the persons subject to self-murder WEE are now to proceed to the introduction and beginning of self-murder in the act thereof about which we are to consider two things 1. Persons subject to self-murder First the persons that are most subject upon the former grounds to temptations and acts of self-murder are specially of foure sorts 1. Melancholicke people First melancholie people because they are most cogitabundi tristes given to musing and sadnesse on whom Satan workes most and they are most subject to discontentment and apt thereupon to entertaine impressions and resolutions of self-murder So that naturall temper makes much for the passive capacity of some vertues and vices more than others 2. People under spirituall temptations Secondly the persons most subject to these fits of self-murder are Christians under great spirituall temptations upon their want of apprehension of the presence of grace and favour of God and upon the sense of the horrour of their owne raging corruptions and lusts in the seeming prevailing thereof against their opposition without hope of ability to subdue them or to have them pardoned And upon conceiving that their crosses when the same are great are in wrath from God without any hope of forgivenesse or freedome which swallowes them up in despaire temptations incline men contrary to their own tempers 3. Proud ambitious persons Thirdly the parties most subject to self-murder are high-minded and ambitious persons impatient of disgrace and crosses as was Ahitophel and all such as place their chiefe happinesse in earthly things whereof when they are disappointed they grow into that degree of discontentment that they will not out-live their expectation of earthly things but will rather kill themselves than endure such a crosse and disappointment in that which they most highly value 4. Wicked persons Fourthly those that are most subject to fall into this self-murder are people that are most obnoxious to a wicked and flagitious course of life imbraced and impenitently lived in contrary both to the meanes they have and also to the light and reluctancy of their owne consciences with such affection of love to and zeale for evill and hatred and opposition of goodnesse and all good people that they overpitch themselves so farre beyond recovery that when they are throughly awaked and doe seriously consider
constant practise thereof seeing such do alwaies live impenitent wretches in their sins without godly remorse and new life 2. Actuall repentance Secondly for such persons actually and indeed to repent soundly and to life at or in their act of this transcendent self-murder they cannot in regard that either they want time to doe it if it were possible for them to repent or they want rather a heart savingly to repent which requires both a divine principle within them whereby they may be able to do it and also some blessed meanes of Gods ordination to exuscitate and stirre up that power into act the former a self-murderer hath not for the latter God never ordained vile self-murder to be a meanes of a self-murderers repentance neither attends such mens leisure to give them repentance when they list who would not repent at his call By the transcendency of their sin these self-murderers over-set themselves beyond the pitch of recovery And if any such should happen to have time betweene his vile act and his expiration his sorrow for such an extraordinary and odious fact cannot be true saving repentance because repentance in such extremities and also late where there is no time to trie and give proofe of the soundnesse of it is forced and rarely true and also repentance for one grosse fact or for a few is not sound nor sufficient for salvation where a man stands guilty and impenitent for abundance of other finnes and corruptions whereof he ought to repent as well as of the other And when and where was it ever knowne certainly that any such transcendent self-murderer did savingly repent although he had time betweene the blow and his departure And therefore as no proper and transcendent self-murderer doth or can truly repent so can he not be saved but is damned by and upon accomplishment of that enormious and odious fact §. 7. The Churches Iudgement of self-murderers 5. Reason That all self-murderers are damned By the Iudgment of the Church The fifth and last argument that makes it apparent that no proper self-murderer is saved is the ancient and constantly continued Iudgement of the Church touching the finall estate of such persons which is expressed by her order and practise in excluding them from the priviledges of Christian buriall as hath beene formerly said a Chap. 17. §. 7. Argument 9. that she will neither permit nor allow that their bodies shall be brought to the grave with Christian solemnity as with ringing of Bells or singing of Psalmes or the like nor that they shall be interred or buried in consecrate ground or Christian buriall Pecreti secunda pars causa 23. quaest 5. c. 12. Vlacuit in common with the bodies of those all whose soules the Church hopes in charity are saved in Heaven neither at their buriall where ever it be else will the Church suffer any prayers or reading of Scriptures to be used Quise laqueo pertmunt aut ense recant wanifestum si seclus borum sit nobiscum non tumulentur Rarmundus as may intimate to others any comfort or hope of their salvation Their wills she makes void as of persons that having cast away their soules have nothing left nor power to dispose of any thing she deemes it unreasonable for such to have their wills stand who do in so high a degree withstand and counterveen the will of God Barring them from Christian buriall Neither at any time after their buriall will the Church allow or permit that any commemoration shall be made of the names of any such in the suffrages or solemnities of her divine service as anciently the manner was to deale with those of whose salvation shee did not despaire That by this omission it might be manifest how shee abhorred self-murderers and their vile practise and that their names might bee extinct and rot whose soules shee conceived were damned she would not have them remembred or registred by her to their honor that were so dead or to the comfort of the living either in regard of the fact or in respect of the finall estate of the persons whose names she conceives are razed out of the booke of life For if so bee that the Church did in charity conceive that the soules of any proper self-murderers had communion after death in place state and blessednesse with the soules of those that are saved why then should shee or could shee justly exciude the bodies of those self-murderers from communion in Christian buriall with the bodies of the godly and heires of salvation And if the Church had any hope of the salvation of self-murderers why should she deny the use of those meanes of solemnities of reading of Scripture of saying godly prayers and of making honourable commemorations of their names in publick divine assemblies and service whereby the Church her self might be comforted and also the disconsolate friends of such parties might be cheered touching the goodnesse of the finall estate of such self murderers Why should the Church deny any of her common priviledges to any that she conceives to inherit the priviledge of enjoying the kingdome of Heaven it cannot be done only for terror to the living that they may not dare to do the like because the Church the pillar and ground of truth a 1 Tim. 3.15 will not do so much wrong and injustice to the dead to effect any good for doing whereof she hath other and those warrantable meanes sufficient yea even the Roman Church leaves no place of hope for self-murderers so much as in purgatory but abandons them all to hell without redemption by all which the Church makes it manifest that it is her Judgement that none such are saved but are all damned whose very externall goods are judged by the Church and Common-wealth to be execrable and in that respect are made a deodand And therefore upon all the foresaid reasons and arguments I conclude that no proper self-murderer in manner aforesaid can be saved but are all damned §. 8. Of certaine uses Observe From what hath beene said touching the finall estate of proper self-murderers we may observe for our use 1. first that none but reprobates and damned persons do breake out into this transcendent direct and proper self-murder so that it is proper only for reprobates and damned persons to do it in the perfit height and greatest enormity of it and is not incident to any good body that shall be saved to do it in that manner 2. Secondly the consideration of the finall damnable estate of those self-murderers in respect of that fact may make self-murder odious and formidable to all people lest by their venturing and approaching neere to the brinks of that desperate gulph they should fall in to the everlasting destruction both of soule and body which shewes the desperate madnesse of those that wilfully ruinate themselves for ever in this manner by self-murder §. 9. Certaine objections answered and first touching the
and most necessary thing that he can provide preserve and commend to his posterity So that if there be any thing of worth in this world for which he ought to contend to death a Jud. 3. it must be the true religion that through his neglect or fearefulnesse he suffer it not violently by force of forraigne armes to be opprest and himselfe and his to be tyrannically thrust out of his just possession of it without which to be were better not to bee when therefore he shall bee forcibly inthralled and subjected to that which he is perswaded is erroneous and hereticall and the bane of his soule §. 28. About the publike confession or profession of the truth The second member about confession of the truth 1. The second member of the case wherein a man ought to expose his life to death in cause of religion is in point of confession of the Gospell and true religion with danger of our lives for the same which is to bee done both when wee are called to declare our faith and opinion about the truth so that then we are neither to dissemble nor deny it but are commanded to make profession of it 1 Pet. 3.15 as was practised by Iohn the Baptist Iohn 1.20 and so by all the blessed Martyrs 2. And also when we doe see that our concealement of our profession may prejudice the truth dishonour God strengthen and confirme the adversaries or may discourage and offend the weake Christians whereby they may droope or fall then no feare of death should cause a man to forbeare to declare himselfe in point of religion lest that of our Saviour Christ be verified upon him He that loveth his life sholl lose it a John 12.25 Whereas contrariwise He that hateth his life in this world or as it is in Matthew Ioseth it for Christs sake b Mat. 10.39 shall keep it unto life eternall By failing in this point many a man standers himselfe causing the people of God to thinke worse of him than he is indeed and deprives himselfe of much honour and comfort that he might have by exposing himselfe to all hazzards for Gods cause to whom that in the fifth of the Iudges concerning Ruben may be applyed that for the divisions of Reuben there were great thoughts of heart why abodest thou among the sheepfolds to heare the bleatings of the flocks c Judges 5.15 16.23.18 And againe that concerning Meroz Curse ye Meroz saith the Angel of the Lord curse yee bitterly the inhabitants thereof because they came not to the help of the Lord against the mighty Whereas contrariwise in the same cause it is said with commendation Zebulon and Napthalie were a people that jeoparded their lives unto death §. 29. Touching not omission of necessary duties commanded of God in any perill of life for the same The third member is about omission of duty The third member of the ease wherein a man ought to expose his life to death in cause of religion is when he is charged and bidden by any humane command or authority upon threatning paine of death to forbeare doing of that which God commands him to doe whether the same be personall duties of generall obedience to Gods lawes that are proper to all men or officiall respecting some conditions of men in their speciall places and relations as officers and the like if they have the same in charge immediately from God without dispensation 1. Personall then a man is not upon any humane prohibition to omit doing of such duties which he is bound by immediate authority from God to performe a Dan. 6.10 as honouring of our parents and all the other affirmatives of Gods morall Commandements which no man can release or dispense withall to discharge a man before God for his omission of them 2. Officiall Also for officiall duties which are so proper to mens particular places and relations wherein they are that without performance of those duties these relations and places would be marred a man is not to omit them upon any threatning and danger so long as he stands in such relation or place 1. Of divine institution because both the places and duties belonging to them are of divine and not humane ordination and dependance as the places and duties of parents children husbands wives masters servants magistrates subjects c. who are not upon any humane command or danger to omit their duties to those to whom they owe them upon divine bond which is so plaine that it is professed of the Pope that he cannot nor will not absolve subjects from their allegiance and obedience due to their Princes b Bellar. in dialogismo adversus Borclaium c. 31. but only from obedience to such as by heresie contumacy or the like are fallen from their places of Kingly authority which they had being unworthy of it and of the duties and respects due to the same 2. Of humane institution But it is to be observed that for those places and their duties which are wholly of humane ordination as offices of State or Common-wealth they are to bee executed or suspended by the superiour authority although our endeavours are not to concurre in it mainly and clearely to crosse the morall rules of equity and religion Also for callings that are fundamentally of divine ordination the manner of execution whereof depends upon the rules of Gods direction in his Word as is the Ministry of the Gospell so long as the persons that exercise that function have their calling thereunto by men who are the Church of God by the same power they may be discharged and put out of place or while they are in it be suspended from liberty of exercising their publike office and ministry for the same power that makes may unmake and the affirmative Commandements of God doe not binde ad semper to the doing of them alwayes Of obedience to suspension and deprivation specially when the intermission only or restraint of exercise of those duties is intended by the deprivers or suspenders so long as there is sufficient provision by others to perform the same without so great dānge to the Church as might arise to the same by the Ministers doing of the duties of his calling contrary to the said authority then such a deprivation or suspension Exception against suspension and deprivation of ministers by the Church of Rome although it were unjust is to be obeyed and for a man in that case to suffer for his disobedience to the same he can have no comfort nor just incouragement except such restraint were so generall that there were not men enough in places to discharge the duties of that function without which a true Church cannot subsist so as therein and by the doctrine thereof men may be saved then in that case of extreame necessity such a deprived or suspended Minister by the rule of charity which warrants lay-men to help to uphold
the truth and Church is bound to doe the duties of his calling notwithstanding any such former restraint or danger of disobedience to it because the power of the Church is but ministeriall under and according to God rather declarative than Soveraigne therefore what she doth tyes not men here on earth to obey it to the destruction but to the edification of the Church or at least to prevent a greater mischiefe And also because the true Church may doe no such acts of deprivation or suspension whereby to intend or effect the destruction of the Church and therefore in that case transgressing of such restraints is no disobedience to the Church but rather an obeying the intent of the same as in times of persecution we have plentifull examples specially of the Church of the Iewes against the Christians A Caveat Yet herein is to be observed that such performance of duties in that case after restraint bee done in mecke patient manner without tumults or forcible opposition of authority submitting with passive obedience where they cannot lawfully performe active This extends not to warrant any schisme or heresie that esteem themselves only to be the true Church as did the Donatists and others to oppose out of feare of their owne ruine the proceedings and restraints of the more Orthodoxe and generall body of a sound Church whose authority doth preponderate and oversway her apostating members so long as by the doctrine publikely taught in her men may be saved and built up §. 30. Against commission of evill upon any humane command or threats Fourth member about commission of evill upon humane command The fourth member of the case wherein a man ought to expose his life to death in causes concerning religion is when a man is desired commanded or threatned to doe any sinne forbidden by Gods word that then hee doe it not although he therefore doe die as Iosephs practise manifests in resisting his whorish mistris a Gen. 39.12 and the three children that would not upon the Kings command worship the golden Image to save their lives Daniel 3.18 Because it is better for us to die than deliberately and wilfully to sinne against God as the woman with her seaven sonnes did choose 2 Mach. 7. according to S. Augustines judgement who sayes that if it be propounded to a man Vt aut mali aliquid faciat aut mali aliquid patiatur eligat non facere mala quam non pati mala b Epist 204. that either he should doe some evill or suffer some calamity then let him choose rather not to doe evill than not to suffer evill Observe How we are to abhorre sin For we are ever to doe that which may most neerely unite us to God our chiefe good and to shunne what may divide us from him which nothing can doe but our sinnes specially those that consist in the transgression of the negative Commandements and are most opposite to God and incompatible with him and therefore those lawes doe binde ad semper to the alwayes observing of them and cannot be dispensed withall seeing God is unchangeable The evill of sinne should be more terrible to us than death it selfe not onely for that it is the cause of death and imbitters it but also because it deprives us of a greater good of our spirituall life that farre exceeds the naturall The beatificall object that sinne deprives us of is the infinite blessed God from whom to be separated is worse than death it self and in that respect rather than we should sinne we should choose to suffer death which is a glorious kinde of Martyrdome and a meanes of advancement to happinesse for the power and practise of the truth laying downe our lives which is a more undoubted signe of grace and salvation than is the suffering of many for holding the truth in opinion and profession Wee should choose rather not to bee than not to bee happy for the originall and end of our being is better than our being it selfe in regard that our happinesse is not of and in our selves but in and from another who is both our beginning and end §. 31. Of the kindes of sinnes of commission to be avoyded Evils of sin to be avoided These sinfull evills that wee ought thus carefully to avoid and forbeare to death are of two sorts 1. Against the law of nature First those that be directly and absolutely forbidden by the Law of nature as fundamentally unlawfull at all times and in all cases for the contrariety that they have against the nature of God and against the inbred principles of reason and conscience of which no question can be made but that wee are alwaies utterly to shun them notwithstanding any humane command or inforcement that may be to the contrary because no human power can dissolve the obligation of those ingrafted Commandements of God and nature Innata Lex Rom. 2.15 that we may be discharged in conscience from keeping of them which would overthrow both divinity and humanity neither can any free us from the punishment of the transgression of them both because equity and Law requires that the soule that sins shall die and also for that there is no power matchable with Gods and natures to protect or free us by force from their vengeance 2. Against the positive Law of God Secondly the sins that wee are to shun and not wittingly and willingly to do upon any threats or worldly danger or for any profit are those that are forbidden by the positive Law and revealed will of God the violating whereof doth wrong the soveraignty and honor of God who is the absolute and onely independant King of all the world and his will the supreame unerring rule of our obedience throughout our lives our transgression whereof is a breach of that loyalty and due subjection which wee owe to that our highest Lord. To whese positive Law conformity is more properly obedience to God than conformity to the Law of nature is by it selfe considered Because the ground of our conformity to the Law of nature is naturall inclination and Reason equally binding Heathens aswell as Christians But the ground of our conformity to the positive Law of God is principally the soveraigne Authority and Will of God himselfe which kinde of obedience is that which is properly of the Church and her members to God and proceeds from faith love feare c. Evangelicall or Thelogicall graces From which obedience to God no wight can absolve or excuse us that we may lawfully and safely subject our selves to feare to please or to obey any other in opposition or contraty to him and his will Reasons 1. Because there is none above God whose will may be preferred or equalled to his to whom all is subordinate in nature state and imployment 2. Neither is any man Lord over the Conscience either to bind or discharge it contrary to the Law or will of God that we