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ception of insanity, either constitutional or temporary, arise from infidelity. For religion asserts the being of God-and Nature establishes the position. Religion maintains the Divine sovereignty, and that the moral government of God extends over all things-and Providence confirms the fact. Religion reveals a future state of rewards and punishments, involving man's responsibility-and Conscience admits, in its hopes, and fears, and premonitions, the doctrine. Religion explains that the Judge eternal is the avenger of guilt, and will try the offender by his own rectitude, and the principles established in the Scriptures, and not by human caprice or infirmity—and Reason recognises a conclusion so consistent. Religion asserts the right, and the exclusive right of Deity, to dispose of man, and to limit the life which he has given-and Justice agrees that a demand so obviously arising out of the relation between the Creator and the creature, cannot be resisted without treason against the eternal Majesty. Suicide, involving the converse of all these propositions, advanced by revelation, supported as they are by nature, Providence, conscience, reason, and justice, must originate in infidelity.

The justification also of this act, attempted to be drawn from the example of eminent men in antiquity, and from the opinions of others, among the most distinguished heathen philosophers-induces the inference of doubt upon the subject, if not of suspicion. That which is plainly right, carries its

evidence in itself, and seeks no foreign justification it leaves the principle to make its own way, and time to demonstrate its purity and propriety. When we begin to hesitate in any point, it is time to abandon it: whatever is doubtful, may be criminal; and we are taught to "abstain from all appearance of evil." But this is an act more than dubious-conscience startles at it-and examples are sought, not to try the justice of the scruples involuntarily obtruded, but, if possible, to remove them. The examples gathered from antiquity, are far from displaying, in most cases, dignity of character; they consisted then, as now, in a petulant and impatient quarrel with Providence: or in a most unphilosophical predominance of the passions or in a proud and cold scepticism, which having first chilled the charities of life into apathy, left it with contempt. Devotion to patriotism, or to religion, however mistaken in some cases, must be excepted, as emanating from a better principle; and should be regarded as a sacrifice to duty, real or supposed: which enters into the question of self-preservation especially, and not into the condemnation of suicide: because although these resigned themselves for an object which they considered as paramount to life, in point of obligation as well as value, they did not fall by their own hand, but surrendered themselves to perish-excepting in a few instances, depending upon very extraordinary circumstances. These too are special questions, which must be left to the un

erring equity of the Judge Eternal. The opinions of the most illustrious men in the heathen world also differed widely upon this subject; and, while some attempted a feeble defence of it, (for the greatest talent must be weak, when it combats against reason and conscience,) others eloquently and forcibly delineated its folly and turpitude. If some were found to allow, many were forward to condemn, with just abhorrence, this infamous practice. Among these, Socrates, Plato, and Cicero, those princes of the ancient philosophers, were preeminent. The latter uses the remarkable expression, that "it is as unlawful for a man to withdraw from life without the Divine permission, as for a soldier to quit his post without his general's orders."

It has been said, that some eminent and good men, in modern times, have either attempted or perpetrated this crime. I believe none such can be adduced, except such as were evidently under the decided influence of mental derangement. But it has been maintained, that religion itself, or at least a certain class of religious tenets, has produced a disorganization of intellect, which has either terminated fatally, or evinced a strong propensity to self-destruction: and the name of the excellent and lamented Cowper has been often adduced as an example to make out this serious charge. Whoever has attended accurately and faithfully to facts, will discover, that this great man attempted suicide, before he felt the power, or even made any marked profession of religion :

and this is most strikingly evident from the sketch of his early life, which he has left behind him, as the production of his own pen. No one can read this, his own testimony, without feeling satisfied, that in his attempts at suicide, he was under the powerful and immediate influence of that insanity which it is well known was with him constitutional; and which rendered it necessary in one instance to place him under restraint, and to the last hour of his life, required that he should be observed with the most unslumbering vigilance. Religion, or the class of religious sentiments which he adopted, had nothing more to do with it, than every prominent idea has to do with the mind of an insane person. No class of religious sentiments authorize suicide: yet he was perpetually tormented with the impression that he ought to perpetrate it. Every species of madness fixes upon some one great and prevailing point: and the man is frequently rational on every other subject, but as certainly discovers the state of his mind when you touch that particular feeling. It is clear, also, that in cases of insanity, the thing to which the mind attaches the highest importance, will be probably the point of aberation. From Cowper's first permanent religious impressions, religion was the business of his life; the first, last, great, and only concern. Upon this subject, therefore, would the disease most decidedly rest, and most distinctly disclose itself. The mind will also clothe the disease, whatever may be the subject, in its own

livery. The spirit of Cowper was gentle, and tender-mild and melancholy. He had a heart all susceptibility, and fraught with the purest affections-but an imagination overshadowed with gloom. No wonder, independent of any particular creed, which does not here, at least, appear chargeable with his malady, his religious impressions should be the reflex of his constitutional tendencies. Had his mind been of another order-more ardent, heroic, and imaginative, on the same subject he might-instead of shewing us a personal despair, without the slightest foundation in the principles which he adopted—have surrounded us with scenes of terror, judgment, and majesty, beyond all ordinary conception, as sublime as dreadful; the effect of the same disordered fancy; as unreal, and as evidently foreign from the religious doctrines believed, as were the milder and affecting despondencies of Cowper-in the same way borrowing their features from the spirit that conceived them. 1 have entered further into this instance than I should otherwise have done, because it is one which the enemies of certain religious sentiments delight to select, and to exhibit as the victim of those sentiments: because other cases impartially examined, would terminate in a similar result; and because the conclusion must be, in every candid judgment, that suicide, or attempts upon human life, have no countenance from any quarter that deserves to be considered either as wise or goodexcept insanity be the cause.

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