Even so did Corellius Rufus another grave Senator, by the relation of Plinius Secundus, epist. lib. 1. epist. 12. famish himself to death; pedibus correptus cum incredibiles cruciatus & indignissima tormenta pateretur, à cibis omnino abstinuit; neither he nor Hispulla his wife could divert him, but destinatus mori obstinatè magis, &c. die he would, and die he did. So did Lycurgus, Aristotle, Zeno, Chrysippus, Empedocles, with myriads, &c. In wars for a man to run rashly upon imminent danger, and present death, is accounted valor and magnanimity, to be the cause of his own, and many a thousands ruin besides, to commit wilfull murther in a manner, of himself and others, is a glorious thing, and he shall be crowned for it.

The Massegatæ in former times, Barbicians, and I know not what nations besides, did stifle their old men, after 70. years, to free them from those grievances incident to that age. So did the inhabitants of the Island of Choa, because their air was pure and good, and the people generally long lived, antevertebant fatum suum, priusquam manci forent, aut imbecillitas accederet, papavere vel cicuta, with Poppy or Hemlock they prevented death.

S. Thomas Moore in his Vtopia commends voluntary death, if he be sibi aut aliis molestus, troublesome to himself or others, (especially if to live be a torment to him) let him free himself with his own hands from this tedious life, as from a prison, or suffer himself to be freed by others. And ’tis the same tenent which Laertius relates of Zeno, of old, Justè sapiens sibi mortem consciscit, si in acerbis doloribus versetur, membrorum mutilatione aut morbis ægre curandis, and which Plato 9. de legibus approves, if old age, poverty, ignominy, &c. oppress, and which Fabius expresseth in effect (Præfat. 7. Institut.) Nemo nisi suâ culpâ diu dolet.

It is an ordinary thing in China (saith Mat. Riccius the Jesuit) if they be in dispair of better fortunes, or tyred and tortured with misery, to bereave themselves of life, and many times to spite their enemies the more, to hang at their door. Tacitus the Historian, Plutarch the Philosopher, much approve a voluntary departure, and Aust. de civ. Dei. l. 1. c. 29. defends a violent death, so that it be undertaken in a good cause, nemo sic mortuus, qui non fuerat aliquando moriturus; quid autem interest, quo mortis genere vita ista finiatur, quando ille cui finitur, iterum mori non cogitur? &c.

no man so voluntarily dies, but volens nolens, he must die at last, and our life is subject to innumerable casualties, who knows when they may happen, utrum satius est unam perpeti moriendo, an omnes timere vivendo, rather suffer one, than fear all. Death is better than a bitter life, Eccl. 30. 17. And a harder choice to live in fear, than by once dying, to be freed from all.

Theombrotus Ambraciotes perswaded I know not how many hundreds of his auditors, by a luculent oration he made of the miseries of this, and happiness of that other life, to precipitate themselves. And having read Platos divine tract de anima, for examples sake led the way first. That neat Epigram of Callimachus will tell you as much,

Jamque vale Soli cum diceret Ambrociotes, In Stygios fertur desiluisse lacus. Morte nihil dignum passus: sed forte Platonis Divini eximium de nece legit opus.

Calenus and his Indians, hated of old to die a natural death: the Circumcellians and Donatists, loathing life, compelled others to make them away, with many such: but these are false and Pagan positions, prophane Stoicall Paradoxes, wicked examples, it boots not what Heathen Philosophers determine in this kind, they are impious, abominable, and upon a wrong ground. No evil is to be done that good may come of it; reclamant Christus, reclamant Scriptura, God, and all good men are against it.

He that stabs another can kill his body; but he that stabs himself, kils his own Soul. Malè meretur, qui dat mendico, quod edat; nam & illud quod dat, perit; & illi producit vitam ad miseriam: he that gives a begger an almes (as that Comical Poet said) doth ill, because he doth but prolong his miseries.

But Lactantius l. 6. c. 7. de vero cultu, cals it a detestable opinion, and fully confutes it, lib. 3. de sap. cap. 18. and S. Austin ep. 52. ad Macedonium, cap. 61. ad Dulcitium Tribunum: so doth Hierom to Marcella of Blesilla’s death, Non recipio tales animas &c. he cals such men martyres stultæ Philosophiæ: so doth Cyprian de duplici martyrio; Si qui sic moriantur, aut infirmitas, aut ambitio, aut dementia cogit eos: ’tis meer madness so to do, furor est ne moriare mori. To this effect writes Arist. 3. Ethic. Lipsius Manuduc. ad Stoicam Philosophiam lib. 3. dissertat. 23. but it needs no confutation.

This only let me add, that in some cases, those hard censures of such as offer violence to their own persons, or in some desperate fit to others, which sometimes they do, by stabbing, slashing, &c. are to be mitigated, as in such as are mad, beside themselves for the time, or found to have been long melancholy, and that in extremity, they know not what they do, deprived of reason, judgement, all, as a ship that is void of a Pilot, must needs impuge upon the next rock or sands, and suffer shipwrack.

P. Forestus hath a story of two melancholy brethren, that made away themselves, and for so foul a fact, were accordingly censured, to be infamously buried, as in such cases they use: to terrifie others, as it did the Milesian Virgins of old, but upon farther examination of their misery and madness, the censure was revoked, and they were solemnly interred, as Saul was by David 2 Sam. 2. 4. and Seneca well adviseth, Irascere interfectōri, sed miserere interfecti; be justly offended with him as he was a murderer, but pitty him now as a dead man.

Thus of their goods and bodies, we can dispose; but what shall become of their Souls, God alone can tell; his mercy may come inter pontem & fontem, inter gladium & jugulum, betwixt the bridge and the brook, the knife and the throat. Quod cuiquam contigit, cuivis potest: Who knows how he may be tempted? It is his case, it may be thine: Quæ sua sors hodie est, cras fore vestra potest. We ought not to be so rash and rigorous in our censures, as some are; charity will judge and hope the best; God be merciful unto us all.