in both; only with this Difference, that they Self-flaying is a Murder of a more hainous Aggravation. Fifthly, It is fo natural to all in Calamity, to magnify the Idea of the Miseries they fuffer, in their own Imagination; that they are apt, really to think them the most infupportable. They of an effeminate and more delicate Temper, are apt to think and cry out, the Mifery is unsupportable, which to one more hardy, would be but a Triffle. So that if the Thing pleaded, were allowed to justify Suicide, even in the Cafes most calamitous; it would tend to the Havock of Mankind; and the Self-murderers would become innumerable. It is to guard, against this destructive Consequence, that States and Common-wealths, Pagan as well as Jewish, have been careful to frame Laws to restrain from this unnatural Crime: Forbidding the burying of fuch Self-flayers, or ordering it to be done with fome publick Mark of Difgrace; and Rome is justly Cenfured for its long neglect of this.

The five foregoing Anfwers are fufficient to demonftrate the miferable and obvious Defect of the Plea for Self-flaying from this wretched Topick of intollerable Pains and infupportable Calamities, fo as to make Life a Burden. And it is remarkable, that even

among

among

the antient Heathen Authors of Probity and Virtue; their Philophers, Poets, and Hiftorians, do agree; that the Suicide which is acted from an Impatience of the Calamities of Life, is highly Criminal: Branding it as Cowardice; a base Abjectness of of Mind, or as a Ferocity worse than Brutal, that has nothing in it of the true Fortitude of Spirit. Yet the Suicide upon this abject Principle, from a Defire to be rid of Life, because of the Pains, Misfortunes and Calamities Men Juffer, is the difgraceful Practice of our Times, and that which our modern Deifts, pretend to juftify, as brave and heroick.

A second of the Topicks, urged as concurring to ftrengthen this pleading, is That the pretended infupportable Calamity renders the Man a Burden to all about him.

The very Stating of this Topick manifests, its Lameness. At this rate, no Man, how innocent foever, ought to enjoy Life, whenever he becomes a Nufance and Burden to his Neighbours; tho' his Calamity is not owing to his own Crimes, but merely to his Misfortune. This Topick, in the Confequences of it, would lead into a short Way of being rid of all the Objects of common Charity at once; the Aged and Infirm, the

Blind and the Lame, all of them together. However we are fure, if any one or all that are about them, to whom they are a Burden; fhould flay one of them; on that score it would be Murder in the Sight of God and Man; And if it would be Murder in them; it must be for in the Man who flays himfelf, on that Account, with a higher Aggravation, God hath planted in us, Bowels of Compaffion towards the Miferable And altho' Divine Revelation had never required us, to bear one anothers Burdens, (Gal. vi. 2.) yet in. this Cafe, common Humanity and the Law of Nature, bind to afford them charitable Releif And the Conviction, which every Man ought to have, that it is poffible he may himself be reduced to the greatest Calamity incident to Mankind, is a ftrong Motive to this Duty; feeing none alive has an Affurance of Exemption.

A third of the Topicks urged, is no less defective, viz. That the Life of the fuppof ed miferable Self-flayer, is become useless to Mankind. For in the greatest Misery a Man can fall under, during Life, he may be ftill ferving fome Purposes of Use to others, or himself. With regard to others I fhall only here refer to what is briefly hint

ed,

ed, in the Eighth of the foregoing Proofs, of the flagitious Sinfulness of Self-murder, becaufe tho' much more might be added; yet what is there hinted is fufficient. And with respect to himself, every remaining Moment of his Life may be useful; to fettle his Peace with God, by increafing his Repentance; to Exercife all the Virtues that agree to his State of Calamity, Patience, Refignation to the Will of God, fervent Prayer, and Supplication, &c. I forbear here to mention the Duties, then incumbent on the calamitous Man purely as a Chriftian, tho' moft eminently ufeful; because these are of no Confideration to our Deifts, who urge and propagate the fcandalous Pleading which I now examine.

The fourth and laft Topicks that concur to Drefs up this fhameful Pleading, is the ending Claufe, viz. That the miferable Man has no other Way left him, to be extricated; but to flay himself.

This way of Reasoning plainly supposes, that a Man has a Right, to perpetrate any the most flagitious Wickedness, if it is to extricate himself from what he thinks is an intollerable Burden, or Calamity. At this Rate a Man may have a right to Renounce and Blafpheme the only true and living

9: God;

God; and, to abjure every Virtue; to facrifice his Children to Moloch; to betray his Parents, or his Country, &c. If he sees no other Way to be extricated from the Pains or Burden which he thinks intollerable; and to Murder any Man, even his Prince or his Parents, when he conceives them to be an intollerable Burden: For of all murdering, Self-murder is the moft haincus. If the Advocates for Self-flaying fhall here reply; that they only intend it, when neither the Publick, nor any private Perfons are thereby injured: The Anfwer is, That the most miserable Perfon alive, and in the greateft Incapacity may still be of fome Ufe and Benefit to others, as has been fufficiently, though only briefly hinted, in our eighth Proof of the finfulness of Self-flaying, to which I here again refer. And they are all injured, that are deprived of this Benefit. And is not the vile Example of this unnatural Practice, an Injury to others? The Cafe therefore can never happen, wherein others are not thereby injured: Befides the enormous Offence that is thereby given to Almighty God the Author of Life; which is of inexpreffible Importance, tho' no Injury were thereby done to Men. Withal how can the Self-flayer know that there is no other way of being extricated?