. P. 8. "Men are entrusted to their own judgment and difcretion, and may employ every faculty with which they are endowed to provide for their ease, happiness, or preservation”—

In fubordination to the laws of God, and the duties he has enjoined; not per fas atque nefas. There are cafes in which we ought to give up our own eafe, happiness, and even prefervation, for the benefit of others, our friends, our country, our religion; and we thall in no wife lofe our reward.

P. 9. We are now coming to the point

"What is the meaning then of this principle, that a man who puts an end to his own life to avoid pain and mifery, has incurred the indignation of his Creator by encroaching on the office of divine providence, and difturbing the order of the univerfe?”

man.

Mr. H. has been careful to infinuate repeatedly in the courfe of his argument, "that the providence of the Deity appears not immediately in any operation, but governs every thing by the general and immutable laws above mentioned; that there is no event exempted from them, or peculiarly reserved for his own immediate action and operation; and that if general laws be ever broken by particular volitions of the Deity, tis after a manner which entirely escapes human obfervation."-But God may act mediately, though not immediately; he may direct, though he does not controul. The agency of fecond caufes proceeds not by chance, or a blind impulse; it was created by God's power, framed by his wifdom, and is guided by his providence. We have better authority for affirming, than Mr. H. can have for denying, that not a fparrow falls to the ground without our heavenly Father. If he regards the life of a bird, he cannot be indifferent to that of a The inference is made by the fame authority-" how much more, Oye of little faith"-quite contrary to another favourite pofition of Mr. H. that in the fight of God "every event is alike important, and that the life of a man is of no greater importance to the univerfe than that of an oyster.” If God be not inattentive to inferior animals, it must be because he had fome view in giving them exiftence. And fhall we fuppofe that man, the noblest of his creatures, the lord of this lower world, was formed without any view or defign at all? No, furely; he is fent upon earth, for a certain. time, to perform a certain part, to act, or to fuffer, as God for wife and just reafons fhall be pleased to ordain, till the part fhall be finished, and he fall be released and difmiffed by the fame hand. The Lord of nature gives, and takes away. It is the glory of a man to refign himself to the divine difpenfations, and to wait his difcharge in faith and patience. There is fomething more rational and manly and comfortable in all this, than in the notion of our being fubjected only to the "general laws of matter and motion," and whenever we happen to be out of humour with the world and ourfelves, flying at once for relief to the fword or the piftol.-But in this cafe, fays Mr. H.

P. 11. "It would be equally criminal to act for the prefervation of life, as for its deftruction."

By no means. God has implanted in every creature an inftin&t for the prefervation of life, and great pains must be taken to overcome that inftinct, before we can bring ourselves to effect it's destruction.

The reafon affigned is, that in one cafe, as well the other, we disturb the courfe of nature, and infringe the general laws of matter and motion.” My dear philofopher, let us obey the law of God, and leave the laws of matter and motion to themfelves. I am afraid it is impoflible you fhould

have

have impofed upon your own understanding, when you rifqued this argu

ment.

P. 12. "A hair, a fly, an infect is able to deftroy this mighty being, whofe life is of fuch importance"-Undoubtedly-now for the inference"Is it an abfurdity to fuppofe that human prudence may lawfully dispose of what depends on fuch infignificant caufes ?"

But is life of lefs importance while it continues, because by infignificant causes it may be taken away? Or because it may be fo taken away, are we therefore authorized to extinguish it by our own act and deed? The confideration of it's frailty can only render it more precious, inciting us to make the beft ufe of it while we have it, and to take all poffible care left we lose it.

P. 12. "It would be no crime in me to divert the Nile or Danube from it's courfe."

None at all. Some oppofition might arife from the inhabitants of certain countries perhaps, when they found they were likely to lose their rivers. But I with you had been fo employed, instead of writing Effays in defence of fuicide.

P. 12. "Where then is the crime of turning a few ounces of blood from their natural channel?"

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The public prints informed us fome time ago of a man who killed his wife and children, as well as himself, to prevent them from being unhappy. And where was the crime? It was only turning fo many more ounces of blood from their natural channell."-This, it feems, is the philofophical idea of murder, fomewhat fimilar to the notion once entertained of perjury by an Irish evidence-" Who would not fmack the calveskin (said he) for a friend?"

But more curiofities await us. We are now to be informed that refignation and gratitude are with the fuicide; and that it belongs to the poor foolish Chriftian only to murmur, and be thankless.

P. 12. "Do you imagine that I repine at Providence, or curfe my creation, because I go out of life, and put a period to a being, which, were it to continue, would render me miferable?"

I do really imagine, from all that I have obferved and heard, that this is the difpofition of mind in which many of thofe leave the world, who become their own executioners. Suicide is the refuge moft frequently recurred to by pride, luft, and ambition, when difappointed in their schemes, or reduced to beggary by their own folly and extravagance. Sour, gloomy, and defperate, they put themfelves upon the forlorn hope of atheifm and annihilation, dafh from the world, and plunge into eternity, at a venture. Melancholy, if it proceed from the abovementioned caufes, partakes of their criminality. If it be conftitutional, it is a disease, and muft be judged of accordingly. As to the fuppofed inftances of fuicide, committed to efcape from pain and fickness, they very feldom happen. In that fchool of affliction men learn patience, and with patience, many other good leffons. But from whatever caufe fuch a refolution may proceed, he who throws back his life, the gift of God, in the face of the donor, and in effect says, he will have no more of it, moft certainly "repines at Providence," and cannot be far from "curfing his creation." How would the defpifed christian virtues of humility, repentance, faith, and charity, in every trial, fet all right, and reconcile us to our fufferings and our duty!-But let us hear Mr. H,

I thank Providence both

P. 12. "Far be fuch fentiments from mefor the good which I have already enjoyed, and for the power with which I am endowed of escaping the ill that threatens me."

A very fine piece of still life, for one about to commit fuch an act of violence upon himself! A moft amiable and gracious portrait of self murder, after the manner of the Stoics! Suppose, instead of thanking Providence for a "power," which you are going to employ in a manner never intended by your Maker, when you are upon your knees, you should intreat for grace to bear your misfortunes like a man, and improve them to the purpofe for which they were fent-Would not this conduct difplay more piety and refignation than cutting your throat to escape them?-Mr. H. is of a different opinion.

P. 13. To you it belongs to repine at Providence, who foolishly imagine that you have no fuch power, and who muft ftill prolong a hated life, though loaded with pain and fickness, with fhame and poverty."

Pardon me, Sir; the accents of a Chriftian in such circumitances are very different indeed-" Thou haft fent me ficknefs, and I have borne it with patience, without murmuring; great loffes, and I have bleffed thy holy name; calamities and afflictions, and I have received them with thankf giving.'

P. 13. "Do not you teach, that when any ill befalls me, though by the malice of mine enemies, I ought to be refigned to Providence, and that the actions of men are the operations of the Almighty as much as the actions of inanimate beings?"

Certainly they are all under his direction-and now again for the infe

rence

"When I fall upon my own fword, THEREFORE, I receive my death equally from the hands of the Deity, as if it had proceeded from a lion, a precipice, or a fever.'

That is, because I must be refigned to God's Providence, when, in the courfe of his difpenfations, my life is taken from me, therefore-I may kill myfelf. This is an argal that would have difgraced the gravedigger in Hamlet-In the one inftance we employ our utmoft exertions to preferve life; in the other, we ourselves destroy it—But it is said,

P. 13. "If my life be not my own, it were criminal for me to put it in danger, as well as to difpofe of it."

When it pleases God to call for life, in the way of duty, it must willingly be facrificed. But fuicide never lies in the way of duty. And no two cafes can be more effentially different, than that of the hero who dies in the caufe of his country, his king, or his God, and that of the wretch who through pride, impatience, and cowardice, lays violent hands upon himfelf. Attempt not, for the credit of philosophy, to confound the two characters; for heaven and hell are not farther asunder.

P. 14. "There is no being-which by ever fo irregular an action can encroach upon the plan of the Creator's Providence, or diforder the univerfe. It's operations are his works equally with that chain of events which it invades, and whichever principle prevails, we may for that very reafon conclude it to be most favoured by him."

Rare news for pickpockets, profligates, and cut-throats!-A lady has paid a vifit to a neighbour, and in the evening is returning to her home, which, according to the natural" chain of events," the fhould reach in peace and quietnefs. But a man, exercising the powers with which his Vol. III, Churchm. Mag. July, 1802.

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E

Creator

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Creator has invested him," ravifhes, robs, and murders her. This is the 'irregular action, which invades the chain." Be of good courage, my boy!" It's operations are equally the works of God with the chain of events invaded by it, and whichever principle prevails, we may for that very reafon conclude it to be the most favoured by him."-" God fees no fin in his elect," fays the fanatic: but according to the new philofophy, God fees no fin, (for if this mode of reafoning be juft, there neither is nor can be fin) in any man.

P. 14. "When the horror of pain prevails over the love of life; when a voluntary action anticipates the effects of blind caufes, it is only in confequence of thofe powers and principles which he (the fupreme Creator) has implanted in his creatures."

Does not the argument prove too much? May not the fame be faid of numberless defires which arife in the heart of man, as at prefent circumftanced, and which, according to all the rules of true philofophy, as well as true religion, ought to be controuled and overruled by a fuperior princiciple? Will not the fame plea be as valid in the cafe of him who finds himfelf strongly excited to revenge, to intemperance, to luft, &c. &c. &c. as of him who is tempted to deftroy himself? All, it may be faid, happens in confequence of thofe powers and principles implanted in us." The truth is, that human actions must be directed, because they will be judged, by other measures than our pains or our pleafures. On one fide is my propenfity; on the other, the law of God. Can it be a matter of indifference, which of the two prevails? According to thefe arguments, as Rouffeau has juftly obferved, "there can be no crimes which may not be juftified by the temptation to perpetrate them; and as foon as the impetuofity of paffion fhall prevail over the horror of guilt, a difpofition to do evil fhall be confidered as a right to do it." See Eloifa, Lett. cxv.

P. 15. "Divine Providence is ftill inviolate, and placed far beyond the reach of human injuries."

Certainly. When Judas betrayed his Mafter, it was foreseen that he would do fo, and all things were ordered accordingly; "Providence was ftill inviolate"-But Judas was not therefore guiltless.

P. 15. It is affirmed that "to divert rivers from their course, to inoculate for the small pox, to put a period to our own life, to build houses, cultivate the ground, or fail upon the ocean, are actions equally innocent, or equally criminal." Why? Becaufe "in all of them we employ our powers of mind and body, to produce fome innovation in the course of nature; and in none of them do we any more."

1. As to the actions of "diverting rivers, building houfes, cultivating the ground, and failing upon the ocean," there is no occafion to discuss their legality,

2. The intention of inoculation is to preferve life, that of fuicide can be only to destroy it; fo that there is a material difference between them.

3. No one ever rested the morality of human actions merely on the circumftance here ftated of " producing fome innovation in the course of nature." Otherwife, one might argue, after the manner of Mr. H. "Jack kills a hog, and Dick kills a man. They must be equally innocent, or equally criminal. Jack employs his powers to produce fome innovation in the courfe of nature; and Dick does no more. Each turns a few qunces of blood out of their natural channel; and the blood of a hog makes as good puddings as that of a man."

P. 15. << But you are placed by Providence, like a centinel, in a particular station, and when you defert it without being recalled, you are equally guilty of rebellion against your almighty fovereign, and have incurred his difpleasure."

This is an argument urged against suicide by heathen as well as Chriftian writers. How does Mr. H. overthrow it?

P. 16. "I alk, why do you conclude that Providence has placed me in this ftation? For my part, I find that I owe my birth to a long chain of caufes, of which many depended on the voluntary actions of men."

Here we should answer, but that Mr. H. like the wife of Sifera, returns anfwer to himself.

P. 16. "But Providence guided all thefe caufes, and nothing happens in the universe, without it's confent and co-operation.”

Now comes Mr. H-'s reply.

"If so, then neither does my death, however voluntary, happen without its confent."

If by confent Mr. H. means permifion, all the evil ever perpetrated on earth has been perpetrated by God's permillion; for otherwife it could not have been perpetrated at all. But if he means approbation, we must deny the propofition. Many things are permitted which are not approved of. Of his approbation or difapprobation we have other rules by which to judge.

P. 16.-" And whenever pain or forrow fo far overcome my patience, as to make me tired of life, I may conclude that I am recalled from my ftation in the clearest and most exprefs terms."

Then may every man put an end to his own life when he thinks proper. The "patience" of fome people is foon " overcome;" and perhaps there are few Englishmen, who have not found themselves" tired of life," in one part or other of the month of November; but happily prevented from hanging themselves by a fenfe of higher obligation, they have returned to bufinefs, and done excellent fervice to their country, in the month of January. The ftation of a centinel is not, nor is it fuppofed to be, a station of eafe, but of duty. A good foldier endures hardthip; and a good Christian muft do the fame. Affliction is a call, in the most clear and exprefs terms," not to fullenness and suicide, but to the exercise of patience, refignation, and fortitude. "For even hereunto are we called;" and our commander himself has fet us the example. Let us follow him with alacrity and chearfulness, and we shall one day fit down with him at the right hand of the Majefty in the heavens-This is a philofophy that has fome comfort in it, and is worth cultivating.

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P. 16. "Tis Providence furely that has placed me at this prefent in this chamber: but may I not leave it when I think proper, without being liable to the imputation of having deferted my poft or station ?"

Is there no difference, then, between your walking out of life, and your walking out of one room into another?

P. 16. "When I shall be dead, the principles of which I am compofed will still perform their part in the univerfe, and will be equally useful in the grand fabrick, as when they composed this individual creature.”

They may be fo. Your clay, like that of Alexander may ftop a bunghole.

"The difference to the whole will be no greater than betwixt my being E 2 in