Self-Homicide is Not So Naturally Sin that it may Never be Otherwise, Preface
THE PREFACE Declaring the Reasons, the Purpose, the way, and the end of the AVIHOR.
BEZA, A man as eminent and illustrious, in the full 1. The reason of this discourse.glory and Noone of Learning, as others were in the dawning, and Morning, when any, the least sparkle was notorious, aEpist. ante confessionem.confesseth of himself, that only for the anguish of a Scurffe, which over-ranne his head, he had once drown'd himselfe from the Millers bridge in Paris, if his Uncle by chance had not then come that way; I have often such a sickely inclination. And, whether it be, because I had my first breeding and conversation with men of a suppressed and afflicted Religion, accustomed to the despite of death, and hungry of an imagin'd Martyrdome; Or that the common Enemie …nd that doore worst locked against him in mee; Or that there bee a perplexitie and flexibility in the doctrine it selfe; Or because my Conscience ever assures me, that no rebellious grudging at Gods gifts, nor other sinfull concurrence accompanies these thoughts in me, or that a brave scorn, or that a faint cowardlinesse beget it, whensoever any affliction assailes me, mee thinks I have the keyes of my prison in mine owne hand, and no remedy presents it selfe so soone to my heart, as mine own sword. Often Meditation of this hath Incitements to charity towards the doer.wonne me to a charitable interpretation of their action, who dy so: and prov…ked me a little to watch and ex…gitate their reasons, which pronounce so peremptory judgements upon them.
bB. Dorethcus doctrin. 6.A devout and godly man, hath guided us well, and rectified our uncharitablenesse in such cases, by this remembrance, [Sois lapsum, &c. Thou knowest this mans fall, but thou knowest not his wra…ling; which perchance was such, that almost his very fall is justified and accepted of God.] For, to this …nd, saith one, cBosq. conc 2.[God hath appointed us tentations, that we might have some … for our …, when he calles us to …count.]
An uncharitable mis-interpreter un…tily demolishes his own house, and rep…s not onothers. He loseth without any gaine or profit to any. And, as dlib. de patientia.Te…tullian comparing and making equall, him which provokes another, … him who will be provoked by another, sayes, [There is no difference, but that the … offen… first, And that is nothing, because in … there is no respect of Order or Prioritie.] So wee may soone becomes as ill as any offendor, if we offend in a severe increpation of the fact. For, eScala paradis. grad 3.Climachus in his Ladder of Paradise, places these two steps very neere one another, when hee sayes, [Though in the world it were possible for thee, to escape all defiling by actuall sinne, yet by judging and condemning those who are defiled, thou art defiled.] In this thou act defiled, as fIn quaest. fuse disp. ad q. 6.Basil notes, [That in comparing others sinnes, thou canst not avoid excusing thi…mne.] Especially this is done, if thy ze…le be too fervent in the reprehension of others: For, as in most other Accidents, so in this also, Sinne hath the nature of Poyson, that gForest. de venen. not. in observat. 2.[It enters eas…st, and works fastest upon cholerique constitutions.] It is good counsell of the Pharises stiled, hSerar. Trihaeres. l. 2. c…p. 17.[… judices proximum, don… ad ejus locum pertingas. Feeleand wrastle with such tentations as he hath done, and thy …le will be tamer. For, [iHeb. 2. 17. Therefore (saith the Apostle) it became Christ to be like us, that he might be mercifull.]
If therefore after a Christian protestation of Incitements to charity toward the Author.an innocent purpose herein, And after a submission of all which is said, not only to every Christian Church, but to every Christian man, and after an entreaty, that the Reader will follow this advise of Tabaus, [kSerar. Trihaeres. l. 2. cap. 17. Qui litigant, sint ambo in oonspd… tuo mali & rei, and trust neither me, nor the adverse part, but the Reasons, there be any scandall in this … of mine, it is Taken, not Given. And though I know, that the malitious prejudged man, and the lazy affectors of ignorance, will use the same calumnies and obtrectations toward me, (for the voyce and sound of the Snake and Goose is all one) yet because I thought, that as in the poole of Bethsaida, l10. 5. 2.there was no health till the water was troubled, so the best way to finde the truth in this matter, was to deb…te and vexe it, (for mAthenag. de resur.[We must as well dispute de veritate, as pro veritate,]) I abstained not for feare of mis-interpretation from this undertaking. Our stomachs are not now so tender, and queasie, after so long feeding Why it is not inconvenient now to handle this point.upon folid Divinity, nor we so umbragious and startling, having been so long enlightned in Gods path, that wee should thinke any truth strange to us, or relapse into that childish age, in which mFilesacus de authorit. Epis. cap. 1. 97.a Councell in France forbad Aristotles Metapbysiq…es, and punished with Excommunication the excribing, reading, or having that booke.
Contemplative and bookish men, must of necessitie be more quarrelsome then others, because Dissentions among schollars more and harder to end then others.they contend not about matter of fact, nor can determine their controversies by any certaine witnesses, no… judges. But as long as they go… towards peace, that is Truth, it is no matter which way. oDan. 10.The tutelare Angels resisted one another in Persia, but neither resisted Gods revealed purpose. pHumf. Iesui. part. 2. ad rat. 5Hierome and Gregorie seem to be of opinion, that Salo…n is damned, Ambr…se and Augustine, that he is saved … All Fathers, all zealous of Gods glory. qejusd. part 1 praefat. ad Com Leicest.At the same time when the Romane Church canonized Becket, the Schooles of Paris disputed whether hee could be saved; both Catholique Judges, and of reverend authoritie. And after so many Ages of a devout and religious celebrating the memory of Saint Hierome, Causaeus hath spoken so dangerously, that rRatio 5. n Such perplexities wee ought to enclin to that side that favoureth the dead.Campian saies, hee pronounces him to be as deepe in hell as the Devill. But in all such intricacies, where both opinions seem equally to conduce to the honor of God, his Justice being as much advanced in the one, as his MercieMercy in the other, it seemes reasonable to me, that this turne the scales, if on either side there appeare charity towards the poore soule departed. sNotae Mallon. in Pale…t. Sin. part. 1. cap. 2.The Church in her Hymnes and Antiphones, doth often salute the Nayles and Crosse, with Epithets of sweetnesse, and thanks; But the Speare which pierced Christ when he was dead, it ever calles, dirum M…ucronem.
This pietie, I protest againe, urges me in this discourse; and what infirmity soever my reasons may have, yet I have comfort in Tresmeg…tus Axiome, tDe pietate et …blilosophia. Why I make it so publique.[Qui pius est, s…mmè Philosophatur.] And therefore without any disguising, or curious and libellous concealing, I present and object it, to all of candor, and indifferencie, to escape that just taxation, uH…er. Apol. advers. Ruffin.[Novum malitiae genus est, & intemperantis, scribere quod occultes.] For as, xTheodor. a Niem. l. 2. ca. 37.when Ladijlaus tooke occasion of the great schisme, to corrupt the Nobility in Rome, and hoped thereby to possesse the Towne, to their seven Governours whom they called Sapientes, they added three more, whom they called Sapientes, and consided in them; So doe I wish, and and as much as I can, effect,) that to those many learned and subtile men which have travelled in this point, some charitable and compassionate men might be added.
If therefore, of Readers, which yTessarid. 6. What reader I wish.Gorionides observes to be of foure sorts, (Spunges which attract all without distinguishing; …owre-glufles, which receive and powre out as fast; B…gges, which retaine onelyonly the dregges of the Spices, and let the Wine escape; And Sives, which retaine the best onelyonly, … I finde s…me of the lastsort, I doubt not but they may bee hereby enlightened. And zGen. 3. 6. et 7.as the eyes of Eve, were opened by the taste of the Apple, though it hee said before that shee saw the beauty of the tree, So the digesting of this may, though not present faire obj…cts, yet bring them to … the nakednesse and deformity of their owne reasons, founded upon a rigorous suspition, and wi…e them to be of that temper, which aHom. de S. Susanna.Chrisostome commends, [He which suspects benignly would faine be deceived, and bee overcome. and is p…ously glad, when he findes it to be false, which he did uncharitably suspect.] And it may have as much vigour (as bSte…ch. de Valla de Don. const.one observes of another Author) as the Sunne in March; it may stirre and dissolve humors, though not expell them; for that must bee a worke of a stronger power.
Every branch which is excerpted from other The reason of so many citations.authors, and engrafted here, is not written for the readers faith, but for illustration and comparison. Because I undertooke the declaration of such a proposition as was controverted by many, and therefore was drawne to the citation of many authorities, I was willing to goe all the way with company, and to take light from others, as well in the iourney as at the journeys end. If therefore in multiplicity of not necessary citations there appeare vanity, … ostentation, or digression my honesty must make my excuse and compensation, who acknowledg as cEpist. Tit. Vesp.Pliny doth [That to chuse rather to be taken in a theft, then to gave every man due, is obnoxii animi, et infelicis ingenii.] I did it the rather because scholastique and artificiall men use this way of instructing; and I made account that I was to deale with such, because I p…esume that naturall men are at least enough inclinable of themselves to this doctrine.
This my way; and my end is to remove God punishes that sinn most which occasions most sinne in others.…andall. For certainly God often punisheth a sinner much more severely, because others have taken occasion of sinning by his fact. If therefore wee did correct in our selves this easines of being scandalized, how much easier and lighter might we make the punishment of many transgressors? for God in his judgemen…s hath almost made us his assistants, and counsellers, how far he shall punish; and our interpretation of anothers sinne doth often give the measure to Gods Justice or Mercy.
If therefore, since dPaulin. Ep. 4. Severo.[disorderly long haire which was pride and wantonnesse in Absolon, and squallor and horridnes in Nebuchodonozor was vertue and strength in Samson, and sanctification in Samuel,] these severe men will not allow to indifferent things the best construction they are capable of, nor pardon my inclination to do so, they shall pardon this opinion, that their severity proceeds from a self-guiltines, and give me leave to apply that of Ennodius, eEpist. ad Astyriion.[That it is the nature of stiffe wickednesse, to think that of others, which themselves deserve and it is all the comfort which the guilty have, not to find any innocent.]