"lawful for a private person to kill another man (however guilty he may know "him to be) unless he be authorifed in fome fpecial manner by the law to do "it; then he, who kills himself, must also be a man-flayer in the eye of the "law; and the more innocent the felf-murderer was of every crime, the lefs "reason there was for his committing fuch an action, and confequently the greater was his guilt in [s] fo doing. For why fhould a man, who has done evil to another, do to himself the greatest of evils-that of murdering himself, only left another person should do him a less injury? why fhould he "thus commit fin himself, for fear another fhould commit it? But the fear is

tr

(especially as relating to women) of being polluted by brutal luft. Yet how "can another's luft pollute thee not confenting to it? Chastity is a virtue of "the mind; how then can it be really loft by any thing that may happen, "when the body is in captivity to the will and fuperior force of another? So on "the other hand, the mind being impure in its defires, how is true chastity

preserved even in an inviolated body? If then, even after involuntary violation, "there can be no fufficient grounds for murdering oneself, under the idea of a "stain contracted, how much lefs room can there be to do it beforehand, under "the uncertainty and fear alone, that another (not we ourselves) may do what " is evil?—It is never allowed, much less commanded, in canonical fcripture, "that we should destroy ourselves, either with a view of obtaining immortality or of avoiding calamity. But on the contrary it is commanded in the [T] "law, "Thou shalt not kill;" namely, neither thyfelf nor any other; fince "he that kills himself, kills no other but a man. Though fuicide has been "deemed in many a mark of spirit or greatness of mind, yet if the matter be "more accurately examined, there will be found more courage and intrepidity, "as well as foundness of judgment, in enduring fuch mifery and oppreffion as we cannot avoid than in thus flying its approach. That many brave and great men among the Heathens murdered themselves is not to be denied; but "the question refts not on the act itself, but the right to commit it; and there"fore found reasoning is in this cafe before all example. Now reafon bids the "Christian not be warped by the examples of the Heathens (who acted on fuch "different principles) but confult the history and rule of his own faith. If

c.ii.

[s] This mode of arguing has been confidered in another place and found defective.-See Part III. C. ii. [T] See a full difcuffion of this commandment in Chap. on Chriftianity, Part III. C. i.

"he

" he do this he will find, that neither patriarch, prophet, nor [u] apostle, ever "flew to this method of deliverance from affliction and trouble;-that our "Saviour advised his disciples to fly from city to city in the times of perfecution, " but not to deliver themselves by the short and easy (if it had but been innocent) method of fuicide;—that no particular mansions of blifs are allotted to fuch, as should compass their deaths in this hafty manner, but that on the "contrary the Chriftian is made perfect in fuffering. This being the cafe, "whatever notions the Heathens might entertain of the greatness or magnanimity of the action; and however they might celebrate the praises of their "Lucretia or Cato, yet it is plainly an unlawful action on any occafion in a "Christian; who, if he must look toward heathen examples, will find much more to commend and imitate in the steady perfeverance of a Regulus through "the paths of mifery and torture, than in the hafty injuftice of a Lucretia punishing her own innocence, or in the ftoical pride and felf-importance of "an expiring Cato. But it is a dangerous error that has crept into some "people's minds, that a perfon may kill himself, becaufe either his enemy has injured him or means to do fo. This is for a man to avoid one crime, which by another perfon, by certainly committing as great or a greater himself. But fays an objector, "what if there should "be danger of my confent to the crime myself hereafter, and thus participating "of the guilt, ought I not rather to make fure of my innocence by first putting

"it is probable may be committed

an end to my life, in order to escape the hazard of temptation?" This is to "commit certain murder, for fear only of being tempted to participate in some "crime hereafter, which may or may not be equal in magnitude to murder; "this is to commit a fin, which from its nature can admit of no repentance, for "fear of committing one fome time or other, which might admit of forrow and "contrition. But if it be ever lawful to fly from the danger of a future fin by a "voluntary death, then would it not only be lawful, but highly prudent and expedient to do it immediately after baptifm (" he must mean of adults") "when by the font of regeneration we have been completely purified from all "fin: this is the moment to be embraced to avoid all danger of finning in "future. But whofoever will maintain, that any or every man may do this at "that time, I will maintain, that he is both a dotard and a madman. Yet if

[u] See more of this in Chap. on Chriftianity, Part III. C. i. where the Latin of this paffage is quoted in a note.

" he

"he may not do it at that time, which would be fo effectual to avoid "all" "fin, ftill lefs may he do it at any other, to avoid any particular" fin. But "in reply to all this it is obferved, "that holy church fanctifies and honours "with pious memorials, the martyrdoms of many virgins and women, who took various methods of deftroying themselves, in order to avoid the brutal "luft of their perfecutors and conquerors; the church therefore in their perfons encourages and honours fuicide."-Of fuch (Auguftin replies) I dare affirm nothing rafhly. Perhaps the church had fufficient teftimony, that it was the "divine will, that the memories of thefe faints fhould be honoured; I cannot

tell-it may be that it has. If God command even to kill ourselves, we must obey; only it is to be clearly marked, that this divine [x] command be in"volved in no degree of uncertainty. But this we fay, this we affirm, this we univerfally maintain, that no one ought to bring a voluntary death upon "himself for the fake of flying from temporal sufferings, left he fall into "eternal ones; that no one ought to do it for fear of another perfon's fin, left he fall into a more grievous one of his own, whom another's could not "have polluted; that no one ought to do it on account of his own paft fins, "for which he fhould rather wish to live, that he may have time to heal the "difeafes of his foul by repentance; that no one ought to do it through eager"nefs of obtaining a better life, fince a better life will not befall thofe after "death, who have been guilty [y] of their own murder."

Such was the nature of that religious fuicide, which prevailed among fome Christians in the early ages of the church, and fuch were the opinions of the

[x] Auguftin fpeaks here very tenderly of the decifions of the church upon thefe kinds of suicides; whofe action he approves not, and only thinks it can be juftified by fome extraordinary inftinct or inspiration of God (as he does Samfon's alfo). What he fays here is plainly in deference to the decifions of the church refpecting Pelagia and other female fuicides, of whom the church has made faints. His own private opinion of the matter feems decided against countenancing (though not against compaffionating) the case of these zealous women.

[Y] Hoc dicimus, hoc afferimus, hoc modis omnibus approbamus, neminem fpontaneam mortem fibi inferre debere veluti fugiendo moleftias temporales, ne incidat in perpetuas; neminem propter aliena peccata, ne hoc ipfe incipiat habere graviffimum proprium, quem non pollucbat alienum; neminem propter fua peccata præterita, propter quæ magis hâc vità opus eft, ut poffint poenitendo fanari; neminem velut defiderio vitæ melioris, quæ poft mortem vita non fufcipit.AUGUSTINUS De Civitate Dei, Lib. I.

2

fathers

fathers concerning its commiffion. But as its practice could only rest on the miftaken zeal and enthufiafm of certain individuals, its general propriety could never be formed into a point of [z] controverfy, and confequently no councils could be called, or canons made, to cenfure it as an article of herefy: it could only be reprobated in them (as occafion required) as an acknowledged fin, and have a peculiar punishment affigned to its commiffion.

It was a custom in the early ages of the chriftian church for offerings to be made at the altar according to the abilities and rank of the donor; and the names of thofe, who had contributed either in their life-time or at their decease, were publicly commemorated in prayers and maffes. But the church had excluded with great propriety the reception of fuch oblations from various forts of offenders, as a juft reprobation of their crimes; and alfo to fhow, that while fuch objects of cenfure lived in an unrepenting ftate, they were not fit to be admitted into communion with the church. It appears that fuicides or "Biathanati" (as they were then called) were constantly ranked among these great offenders; and with them thofe alfo, who were killed in the actual commiffion of any great crime. These latter were included on the plea, that such perfons were in effect no better than murderers of themfelves, because they brought their deaths immediately on themfelves. But in procefs of time a relaxation was made refpecting thefe, which could only be grounded on a charitable fuppofition, that had they not been cut off in actual commiffion, they might have lived to repent; and that to compafs their own deaths was not their immediate point in view.

Yet the rejection of any oblation was to continue in full force against the immediate affaffin of himself, as appears from a canon made in the fecond councilof Orleans, which appoints, "that the oblations of thofe, who were killed in "the commiffion of any crime, may be received, except of fuch as laid violent [A] hands on themselves." This cenfure is extended by the council held at Bracara or Braga, to the refufal of the ufual rites of chriftian burial; fince in

[z] See the ufe Donne would make of fuicide's not being condemned as an article of heresy, in Part VI. C. i.

[A] Concilium Aurelianenfe fecundum An. Chrifti 533. Canon XV. De Oblationibus Interfectorum. See Collectio Maxima Conciliorum, Fol. Vol. IV.

ແ

the fixteenth canon relative to difcipline it is appointed, "that no commemo"ration fhould be made in the oblation (or eucharift) for fuch as destroyed "themselves; neither should their bodies be carried out to burial with pfalms, "nor have the ufual service faid [B] over them."-The fynod held at Auxerre forbids in its feventeenth conftitution or canon "ever to receive the offerings "of thofe, who had procured their own voluntary deaths by any [c] means.' The Capitulars of Charlemagne and his fon Lewis the Pious, which were compiled about the beginning of the ninth century, ordain in the following manner. "It is adjudged concerning any one, who kills or hangs himself, that if any: "one interefting himfelf in the cause of the felf-murderer, or fympathifing. " with him, wifhes to beftow alms in behalf of his foul, let him do so, and "let him ufe the prayers and pfalms accordingly; but let the murderers of "themselves be deprived of the benefits of oblations and maffes. Because the judgments of God are incomprehenfible, and no one can fathom the depths. [D] of his counfels."-The Bulgarians being converted to Chriftianity in the ninth century, fent a number of queftions to Pope Nicholas the First, on points of ecclefiaftical difcipline; of which the ninety-eighth concerned self-murderers, and was thus answered by Nicholas. "Ye afk, whether he is to be buried,. "who has murdered himself, or whether the facrifice (of the mafs) is to be "offered for him? I anfwer thus. His body is to be buried, that it may not: "become offenfive to others; but it is not to be carried out to burial with the "accustomed funeral obfequies ;—that thus an horror of the deed may be im-preffed on others. But if there be any, who impelled by humanity are "willing to pay any regard to his fepulture, let them do it to indulge their " own feelings, not out of respect to the felf-murderer. But no facrifice is to "be offered for him, who not only hath-finned even unto death, but hath "invited that death on himself. For who more accomplishes that fin unto

[B] Concilium Bracarenfe, An. Chrifti 563. De Difciplinâ. Canon XVI.--See Coll. Maxima Concil. Vol. V.

[c] Concilium Antifiodorenfe. Synodus An. Chrifti 578. "De iis, qui fibi mortem confcifcunt." Canon XVII.-See Coll. Max. Concil. Vol. V.

[D] De eo, qui femetipfum occidit vel laqueo fe fufpendit, confideratum eft, ut fi quis compatiens velit eleemofynam dare, tribuat, & orationes in pfalmodiis faciat. Oblationibus tamen & miffis ipfi careant. Quia incomprehenfibilia funt judicia Dei & profunditatem confilii ejus nemo potest investigare.Capitularium Caroli Magni & Pii Ludovici Impp. in Capitularibus Regum Francorum, L. VI. c. lxx.