546 TOIL UNLAWFULNESS OF SELF-MURDER. this consideration, that since it is lawful for me to cut ofFa gan-, grenedor a broken limb in order to stave life, it is lawful to give my arm to the surgeon and to desire him, to cut it off, and the surgeon sloes it without blame in the sight of God or man. This he could not do without my leade. But my own right to do it being conveyed to him does in this case authorize him to do it. So if I had right todestroy myself, my own right would author- ize another to destroy nie. I grant there are some cases, wherein a man may possess an inalienable right which he cannot convey to another, such are rightsof honour, as nobility, magistracy, rights of natural rela- tion, as paternity, filiation, &c. because these relate to other. persons. But so far as any man has a right to injure, or maim, or destroy his own body, I see no reason why it may not be conveyed to another by his authority : And if a man might lawfully stab himself, I think the same right might be conveyed to another man to stab him. Now ask yourself, if a person were weary of his life and begged that you would knock him on the head, would you not think it unlawful, and consequently be afraid to destroy him, though at his own request ? Do you not think this in the com- mon nature of filings would be a great injury to his relations, to his friends, to hiscountry and to human society, though the per-. son himself desired it ? Do you not imagine this would be true murder both in the sight of God and man, and justly expose you to punishment? But it seems to me, that he might as well give you power to murder him, as assume the power himself. If the taking away the life of such a person would be murder, then the taking away your own life is murder too, and therefore by no means is it an act allowable or lawful in the sight of God. VIII. Consider how many practices there are which God has forbidden in his word as being injurious to our own bodies, yet each of them seem to be far less pernicious in their nature, and in their cúnsequences titan self-murder is; and thence we may draw a strong argument toprove that self- murder is not only sinful but a very heinous sin. All manner of intemperance is forbidden by the word of God ; gluttony and drunkenness have a tendency to ruin our health and destroy our natures, and these are prohibited in the Old Testament, and in the New. Whore-, dom, or fornication, is a sin against the body, and as such it is exposed in scriptureas an aggravated iniquity that a man should sin against his own body ; 1 Cor. vi. 18. 'l'he body of aChris- tian is said to be the temple of the holy Spirit, and lini that de- files this temple God will destroy ; 1 Cor. iii. 16, 17. Now are there such denunciations against those iniquities that injure or defile the human body, and must we not suppose the guilt of the person is more aggravated, and that his punishment shall
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