Cases of conscience practically resolved containing a decision of the principall cases of conscience of daily concernment and continual use amongst men : very necessary for their information and direction in these evil times / by Jos. Hall.

CASE X.

Whether and how farre a man may act towards his own Death.

DIrectly to intend or endeavour that, which may worke his owne death, is abominably wicked, and no lesse than the worst murder.

For if a man may not kill another, much lesse himselfe; by how much he is nearer to himselfe than to ano∣ther: and certainely if we must regu∣late our love to another by that to our selves, it must follow that love to our selves must take up the first roome in our hearts: and that love cannot but be accompanied with a detestation of any thing that may bee harmefull to our selves. Doubtlesse, many that can be cruell to another, are favourable enough to themselves; but never man that could be cruell to himself would be sparing to another's blood.

To will or attempt this is highly injurious to that God, whose we one∣ly are; who hath committed our life as a most precious thing to our trust, for his use, more than our owne; and will require from us an account of our managing of it, and our parting from it. It is a foule misprision in those men, that make account of themselves as their owne, and there∣fore that they are the absolute Lords of their life: Did they give them∣selves their owne being? had they nothing but meere nature in them? can they but acknowledge an higher hand in their formation, and anima∣ting? What a wrong were it there∣fore to the great Lord and giver of life, to steale out of the world, with∣out his leave that placed us there? But much more if Christians, they know themselves, besides, dearly paid for; and therefore not in their own disposing, but in his that bought

them. Secondly, most desperately injurious to our selves, as incurring thereby a certaine damnation (for ought appeares to lookers on) for e∣ver, of those soules which have wil∣fully broken Gods more easie, and temporary prison, to put themselves upon the direfull prison of Satan to all eternity.

Nature it selfe, though not enligh∣tened with the knowledge, of the estate of another world, found cause to abhor this practice: However the Stoicall Philosophers, and some high Roman spirits following their do∣ctrine, have beene liberall of their lives; the Thebans of old professed detestation of this worst of prodiga∣lities: And the Athenians enacted that the hand, which should be guilty of such an act, should be cut off, and kept unburied; And it was wisely ordained by that Grecian Common-wealth, when their Virgins (out of a

peevish discontentment) were growne into a selfe-killing humour, that the bodies of such offenders should bee dragged naked though the streets of the City; the shame whereof stopped the course of that mad resolution.

It is not the heaviest of crosses, or the sharpest bodily anguish that can warrant so foule an act. Well was it turned off by Antisthenes of old, when in the extremity of his paine he cried out, Oh who will free me from this torment! and Diognes reached him a poynard, wherewith to dis∣patch himselfe: Nay, said hee, I said, from my torment, not from my life: as well knowing it neither safe, nor easie, to part with our selves upon such termes.

Farre, farre be it from us to put in∣to this ranke and file those worthy Martyrs, which in the fervour of their holy zeale have put themselves for∣ward to martyrdome; and have cou∣rageously

prevented the lust and fury of Tyrants, to keep their chastity, and faith inviolable. I looke upon these as more fit objects of wonder, than either of censure, or imitation. For these (whom wee may well match with Sampson, and Eleazar) what Gods spirit wrought in them, hee knowes that gave it; Rules are they by which we live, not examples.

Secondly, However wee may not by any meanes directly act to the cut∣ting off the thred of life; yet I cannot but yeild with learned* 1.1 Lessius, that there may fall out cases, wherein a man may (upon just cause) doe, or forbeare something whereupon death may indirectly ensue: Indirectly, I say, not with an intention of such issue: for it is not an universall charge of God, that no man should upon a∣ny occasion expose his life to a pro∣bable danger; if so, there would be

no warre, no traffique; but onely that he should not causelesly hazard him∣selfe; nor with a resolution of wilfull miscarriage.

To those instances hee gives of a souldier that must keep his station, though it cost him life: of a prisoner that may forbeare to flee out of pri∣son, though the doores be open: of a man condemn'd to dye by hunger, in whose power it is to refuse a suste∣nance offered: of a man that latches the weapon in his owne body to save his Prince: or of a friend, who when but one loafe is left to preserve the life of two, refraines from his part and dyes first: or that suffers another to take that planke in a shipwrack, which himselfe might have prepos∣sessed, as trusting to the oares of his armes: or that puts himselfe into an infected house out of meer charity to tend the sick, though hee know the contagion deadly; or in a Sea-fight

blows up the deck with gun-powder, not without his own danger; or when the house is on fire, casts himselfe out at the window with an extreame ha∣zard: To these, I say, may be added many more; as the cutting off a limb to stop the course of a Gangreene; to make an adventure of a dangerous in∣cision in the body, to draw forth the stone in the bladde; the taking of a large dose of opiate pills, to ease a mortall extremity; or lastly, when a man is already seized on by death, the receiving of some such powerfull me∣dicine, as may facilitate his passage (the defect of which care and art, the eminently-learned Lord* 1.2 Verulam justly complaines of in Physitians:) In these, and the like cases, a man may lawfully doe these things which may tend, in the event to his owne death, though without an intention of procuring it.

And unto this head must bee refer∣red those infinite examples of deadly sufferings for good causes, willingly embraced for conscience sake. The seven Brethren in the Maccabees, (al∣luded to by St. Paul to his Hebrewes, Heb. 11. 35.) will and must rather en∣dure the butchering of their owne flesh, than the eating of Swines flesh, in a willing affront of their Law: Da∣niel will rather dye than not pray. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, will rather fall downe bound into the fiery Fornace seven-fold heated, than fall down before the golden Image.

And every right-disposed Christi∣an will rather welcome death than yeild to a willing act of Idolatry, Re∣bellion, Witchcraft: If hereupon death follow by the infliction of others, they are sinfull agents, hee is an innocent sufferer.

As for that scruple among our Ca∣suists, whether a man condemned to

dye by poyson, may take the deadly draught that is brought him; it is such, as wise Socrates never made of old, when the Athenians tendred him his hemlock; and indeede it may as well be disputed, whether a man condemned to dye by the Axe, may quietly lay downe his head upon the Block; and not, but upon force, yeild to that fatall stroke. A juster scruple is, whether a man condemned to a certaine and painefull death, which hee cannot possibly eschew; may make choice rather of a more easie passage out of the world; where∣in I marvell at the indulgence of some Doctors, that would either ex∣cuse, or mince the matter. For al∣though I cannot blame that naturall disposition in any creature, to shrinke from pain, and to affect (what it may) the shifting from extremity of mise∣rie: yet for a Christian so to doe it, as to draw a greater mischief to him∣selfe,

and an apparent danger to his soule, it cannot justly beare any other than a hard construction. For thus to carve himselfe of Justice, is mani∣festly to violate lawfull authority; and whiles he would avoid a short pain, to incur the shame and sin of a selfe-exe∣cutioner.

But if in that way, wherein the doome of death is passed, a man can give himselfe ease, or speed of dissolu∣tion (as when a Martyr being adjudg'd to the fire, use the helpe of a bagge of Gun-powder, to expedite his passage) it cannot be any way judged unlaw∣full: The sentence is obeyed, the exe∣cution is accordingly done; and, if the patient have found a shorter way to that end which is appointed him, what offence can this be either to the Law, or to the Judge?

Notes

• * 1.1

  Less. de Jure l. 2. c. 9. dub. 6.
• * 1.2

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. LVerul. Adv. of Learn.