Lifes Preservative Against Self-Killing, Preface – Encomium
THE PREFACE TO THE READERS OF THIS TREATISE: AND To my Auditors in my Miniſtery; ſpecially my ever much reſpected loving Friends, and reſpective Pariſhioners, the Inhabitants of Leigh in Eſſex: Grace and Peace be multiplyed.
THis Treatiſe I can neither commend to you, from the pleaſantneſſe of the nature of the ſubject of it, which is about Selfmurder; that is a wickedneſſe not to be named among Chriſtians, in regard of likeing, or practice thereof: nor yet can I magnifie it to you for any thing that is ſimply mine in it; although there is much more mine in it, than might have beene, if there had been full and compleat Tractates made by other men of that ſubject; whence I might have borrowed more, and have had more help, than now I could, to have made this a more perfect and better poliſhed peece.
I doubt not but it ſhall be found, in the adviſed and candide peruſall thereof, to carry in all the paſſages thereof the impreſſe and ſtamp of truth; for which it may be worthy of your acceptation, both for information of judgment; and alſo for direction of practice, in many important points and caſes.
Although I did not obtrude it to the preſſe for publique uſe, upon mine owne meere motion, or preſumptuous ſelf-conceit; yet I need not make Apologie for my publication thereof, from the incouragements and furtherance of ſuch perſons, whoſe worth of Judgement and power of godlineſſe is ſuch, as might be ſufficient to put mee forward to it; ſeeing that, in theſe dayes, wherein ſo many doe moſt wretchedly, and unnaturally kill themſelves, it is a Tractate too neceſſarie and uſefull: which ſufficiently warrants mee, upon and with the approbation of the Church, to divulge the ſame to the worlds view and ſervice.
Although many men of learning and worth, Caſuiſts, Schoolemen, and other Divines: Proteſtants, and Papiſts, Ancient and moderne, tranſmarine, and Domeſtick have occaſionally, or but brifely couched and condemned Self murder; yet I have met with no ſingle, nor compleat Treatiſe of it. And therefore, ſeeing how requiſite and needfull it is that there were in theſe dayes, ſuch an entire Tractate of that ſubject, when as of moſt other ſubjects, and of many leſſe neceſſary there is a ſurcharge of bookes and pamphlets; and finding my ſelfe, in this particular unprevented by others of a Birth and opportunity free for me to adventure to the Sea of publickneſſe, I have imbarqued my ſelfe in this bottome of diſmall denomination from Self-killing; which notwithſtanding ſpreads and carryes in the fore-top, and in the Enſigne upon the Poup, the white and comfortable Colours of Lifes preſervation, having all her force and ordnance bent againſt Self-murder; to overcome and ſink the ſame; for which purpoſe it diſplaies the Flagge of bloody colours againſt it in the maine Top of every page. And thus I have, for the good both of Church and Common-weale, and of the ſoules and bodies of men, (all which this ſubject doth neerly concerne,) adventured to commit my ſelf to the ſtormie and unconſtant Ship-wrecking Ocean of this tumultuous and tempeſtuous world, under the ſailes of the preſſe, with flowen ſheets, quò fata ferunt, whither divine providence will carry me. I pray for heavens favour; for the worlds faire weather; and for a proſperous voyage: deſiring that my auſpicable attempt may occaſion and provoke others of better abilities to perfect my good meaning and weake Aſſay, by their more exquiſite performances; and that my ſelfe may not be diſcouraged, by counterblaſts, or ill ſucceſſe, in my firſt ſetting ſaile out into the worlds view.
The Contents and worth of the Treatiſe will bee apparent to the judicious Readers, upon the adviſed peruſall thereof: and the fruit of the ſame will ſhew it ſelfe, in the Effects of it: and according to your eſteeme in both, I doubt not but you will entertaine and regard it. I pray you read conſideratly every paſſage thereof, and the whole to the end, before you raſhly cenſure, condemne, or reject any thing therein, upon the firſt miſtake; either of the matter, or of the Authors meaning. What ſhall be, upon good reaſons, manifeſted to me to be therein amiſſe, I will willingly endeavour to amend and correct; with reſpective thankfulneſſe to the Informer.
I affect not to ſtand upon the pinacle of publickneſſe; objected to the contrary blaſts of every bodies impetuous cenſure, neither agreeing within themſelves, nor many times with the truth; where paſſion, prejudices, or their owne private unſound principles, and by-reſpects yeeld them the premiſes of their concluſions.
Although I am, in ſome ſort, under an obligation of ancient intention to have made ſome thing publick, about the body of Practicall and Caſe-divinity; yet I may be excuſed for not performing; becauſe the precipitating zeale and bold undertakings of leſſe conſiderate youth are often commendably moderated, or recalled, by more mature and beter adviſed age.
I find ſo much, and ſo wel, ſcatteredly done by others (of great worth for judgment, piety, and experience,) touching that ſubject; which collected into one body, out of their writings publick and private, may ſuffice. And alſo I doe perceive that it may be hurtfull, beſides the difficultie of it, to deſcend particularly and punctually to the ſpeciall definite and publick determination in Print, of all incident caſes, as the ſame may be diverſified, by their ſeverall circumſtances and accidents: whereupon I have beene hitherto deterred from that taske; which requires the united wiſdome and experience of all the moſt practically-judicious, pious, and profound Divines.
For the preſent, this Tractate I commend to your uſe. And above all, as I ſtand moſt bound, I commend it to you my much reſpected Auditors and friends of my peculiar charge; whereupon I have faithfully, although in weake manner, attended and beſtowed my labours in my miniſtery theſe ſeaven and twenty yeares, and upward; (in ſucceſsion to a moſt Reverend, Iudicious and godly Divine, a Father both to you and me,) endeavoring to doe you all the beſt ſervice and good that I could: and (I thank God) not without comfort of ſome fruit of my paines among you; although it be not ſo much as I would, for the ſalvation and welfare of you all; from whom neither any inteſtine diſcontents, nor externall invitations could ever hitherto prevaile to draw mee, to whom I found my ſelfe ſo ſtrongly obliged and tied, both by my comfortable calling, and the Churches order, to bee yours; and alſo by our mutuall entire affection and reſpects each of us to other; begun with your Anceſtors, and continued with your ſelves as the ſame ought to be betweene a Miniſter and his pariſhioners or people.
In which regard I leave and commend unto you this Treatiſe, for a monument and witneſſe, in times to come, of remembrance of your true and deare Friend; whoſe laſt farewell, he would be loath ſhould be concluded with this leſſe-pleaſant ſubject. Wherein (I confeſſe) my care is moſt for you, that you may have benefit, by that now ſubjected to your eyes; which for the moſt part of it, you have heard ſounding in your cares.
For which purpoſe, I beſeech God through Ieſus Chriſt, to give a bleſsing; and to watch over, and keep, build up and ſtrengthen you all in his grace, love and feare unto the end; and in the End give both you and me the Crowne of eternall glory with all the bleſſed Saints in heaven. Amen.
And ſo he leaves you that remaines ever Your owne JOHN SYM. Leigh in Eſſex.
To the Chriſtian Reader.
SOLON, Cic. in orat. pro Roſc. Amerin.the wiſe Law-maker among the Athenians, being aſked the reaſon why hee made no penall law againſt ſuch as ſhould kill their parent, returned this anſwer, that he ſuppoſed no man would doe it. He was thought to doe wiſely,Sapienter feciſſe dicitur, cum de co nihil ſanxerit, quod antea commiſſum nō erat, ne non tam prohibere, quam admonere videretur, &c. in enacting no penalty againſt that which had not then beene done; leſt he might ſeeme rather to put men in minde to do ſuch a villany, than to reſtrain the doing of it. But after that wofull experience had given too great evidence of mens impudency in committing this inhumane and unnaturall ſinne, moſt ſevere lawes were made againſt the ſame. In like caſe hath more woefull experience given more abundant evidence of the more then moſt in humane and unnaturall ſinne of Self murder. And I ſuppoſe, that ſcarce an age ſince the beginning of the world hath afforded more examples of this deſperate inhumanity, than this our preſent age, and that in all ſorts of people, Clergie, Laity, Learned, unlearned, Noble, meane, Rich, poore, Free, bond, Male, Female, young and old. It is therefore high time that the danger of this deſperate, deviliſh and damnable practice be plainly and fully ſet out: which to my beſt remembrance hath not before this beene performed by a full and juſt Treatiſe.Chryſoſt. Hom. 84. in Ioh. 19. Auguſtin. epiſt. 61. aliſque in locis. Hier. comment. in Ion. cap. 1. Cic. de Fin. bon. & mal. l. 5. & Somn. Scipion. Proxima deinde tenent moeſti loca qui ſibi lethum Inſontes peperere manu &c. Virg. Aen. 6.
It hath in ſundry Sermons preached, and publiſhed, and in other printed Treatiſes, beene ſpoken againſt, and the hainouſneſſe and danger thereof, ſomewhat to the quick, yea and life too, beene declared: and that both by the Ancient Fathers, and alſo by late Divines. Yea Heathen men by the light of nature have damned it to the pit of bell: where they have placed Self murderers, making them againe and againe to wiſh themſelves alive on earth, though there, poverty, griefe, ſhame and all other evills ſhould befall them.
Surely moſt ſeaſonably is this Treatiſe here publiſhed by an Author well fitted and enabled thereto. For he is an expert Caſuiſt, by learning and experience ſo fully accompliſhed, as he hath for many yeares beene accounted an Oracle where be lives: and by all ſorts, reſort is made to him to be reſolved in intricate doubts. In handling this Treatiſe, like a skilfull Artiſt and wiſe builder,Luke 6.48. be hath digged deep to lay his foundation ſure: he hath begun with life, and artificially diſtinguiſhed the ſeverall ſorts thereof, and ſhewed the excellency of every ſort, that the hainouſneſſe of taking away ſo precious a thing, might thereby be the more aggravated. Many pertinent caſes are here and there, yea every where in this Treatiſe judiciouſly diſcuſſed and reſolved. So good is the wine here to be had,Vino vendibili non opus eſt hederâ. as there needs no buſh to draw thee to it. Let mee but perſwade thee to taſte it, I ſhall need to ſet no greater commendation upon it. I make no queſtion but that whereſoever it findeth entertainment, it will prove a moſt ſoveraigne preſervative againſt this horrible temptation to Selfmurder. The Lord give ſuch a bleſsing to it, as it may be a meanes of keeping men from laying violent hands upon any, eſpecially upon themſelves, and of directing and inciting them ſo to preſerve their temporall and ſpirituall life, as they may bee reſerved unto eternall life.
18. Apr. 1637. VVILLIAM GOUGE.
IN DOCTISSIMVM, ET ELABORATVM HVNC TRACTATƲM, Technas Diaboli homines ad horrendum ſcelus foreign provocantis, mirâ arte & pietate denudantem.
MOrtalibus vitae ſemèl ſcintillulam
Natura cunctis indidit,
Tuendam ab omnibus virili proſua: ad
Imaginem quae condita eſt
DEI, cruore et ſacro CHRISTI parta: huic
Larvatus invidet Serpens.
Hanc ſuffocare cordis pendulus (cujus
Curae anxiae cor vellicant)
Contendit: alter neſcius probi, qui ſe
Nequitiâ totum faedat,
Illam aeſtimat parvi; ſceleſtâ dexterâ
Extinguit illam tertius.
Sic à DEO creata vitae ſcintilla, et
CHRISTI redempta ſanguine
(Quae charior lapillis eſt, & purior,)
Morte interit repentinâ.
Quis non beatum praedicabit Symeum
(CHRISTI facit ſolertem quem
Gregis tuendi cura:) quipandit viam,
Quâ poſsit haec ſcintillula
Vitae foveri: pendulum cordis (cui
Iter dolores obſtruunt
Vocis) per anfractus doloris dirigit
Ad ſempiterna gaudia.
Acumine inſigni qui pandit ſubdolas
Technas diaboli, quibus
Vitae ſtruit dolum: qui cunctos inſtruit
Vitam caducam degere,
Vt illius peracto curſugaudijs
Vitae fruantur aeternae.
Gregem ô beatum, qui Tuo doctiſſimo
Labore ductus, abſtruſa
Coelſtium ſcitorum ediſcit dogmata!
CHRISTUS diu Teſoſpitet,
Gregem ut Tibi commiſſum poſſis (quod facis)
Fovere, ſcriptis, & vitâ.
T.Y.
Haec amoris ergò appoſuit, qui graviſſimum hujus Tractatus Authorem verè ſuſcipit, & ſincerè colit.
A deare Friend to the Author.
FRom Albion (whence now we all be one)
with healthfull ſalves, thou doeſt aſſay to cure
Self-murders griefe; that many long agone
doth kill; and fill dark Hell, with ſoules impure:
Which ſage Hippocrates, and Galen, (ſure,)
could not prevent, nor heale, with all their skill.
But thou, by thy receipts, that will indure,
moſt skilfully canſt ſoundly cure this ill.
Goe to, therefore deare Sym; God give ſucceſſe,
Like to thy skill, thy will, this to redreſſe.
S.H.