544 THE UNLAWFULNESS OF SELF11IURDER. admirably applied byPlato, Cicero,-and others of the best phi- losophers ; so that though the Stoics of old, and the deists of late, have in their ranting discourses, and some flew of them in their rash practice, contradicted it ; yet they have never been able, with any colour of reason, to answer or evade their force of argument: Which indeed to speak the truth has been urged by the forementioned philosophers, with such singular beauty, as well as invincible strength, that it seems not capable of having any thing added to it. Wherefore I shall give it you only in some of their own words." " We men," says Plato in the per- son of Socrates, " are all by the appointment of God in a certain prison or custody, which we ought not to break out cf, and run away. We are as-servants, or as cattle in the hands of God : And would not any of us, saith he, ifone of our servants should contrary to our direction, and to escape out of our service, kill himself, think we had just reason to be very angry, and, if it was in our power punish him for it ?" So likewise Cicero : " God, says he, the supreme governor of all things, forbids us to depart hence without his order : -And though when the divine provi- dence does itself offer us a just occasion of leaving thisworld," as when a man chuses to suffer death rather than commit wick- edness, " a wise man will then indeed depart joyfully, as out of a place of sorrow and darkness into light; yet he will not be in such haste as to break his prison contrary to law ; but will go when God calls him, as a prisoner when dismissed by the magis- trate or lawful power." 1usculan. questionum libro primo. Again ; " That short remainder of life," saith he, " which old men have a prospect of, they ought neither too eargerly to desire, nor yet on the contrary unreasonably and discontentedly deprive themselves of it ; for as Pythagoras teaches, it is as unlawful for a man, without the command of God, to remove himself out of the world ; as for a soldier to leave his post without Isisgeneral's order." De Senectoie. And its another place : " Unless that God," saith be, " whose temple and palace this whole world is, dis- charges you himself out of the prison of the body, you can ne- ver be received to his favour. Wherefore you, and all pious men, ought to have patience to continue in the body, as long as God shall please, who sent us hither ; and not force yourselves out of theworld before he calls for you ; lest you be deserters of the station appointed you by God." Somnium Scipionis. And, to mention no more ; that excellent author, Arrian, book the first. " Wait," saith he, " the good pleasure of God : When he signifiés it to be his will, that you should be discharged from this service, then depart willingly ; but in the mean time have patience, and tarry in the place where he has appointed you Wait, and do not hurry yourselves away wilfully and unreason- ably." The objections, which the author of the defence of self - murder, prefixed to the oracles of reason, has attempted to ad-
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