ought to be resigned to providence, and that the actions of men are
the operations of the Almighty as much as the actions of inanimate
beings? When I fall upon my own sword, therefore, I receive my death
equally from the hands of the Deity as if it had proceeded from a
lion, a precipice, or a fever. The submission which you require to
providence, in every calamity that befals me, excludes not human
skill and industry, if possible by their means I can avoid or escape
the calamity: And why may I not employ one remedy as well as
another? -- If my life be not my own, it were criminal for me to put
it in danger, as {14} well as to dispose of it; nor could one man
deserve the appellation of hero, whom glory or friendship
transports into the greatest dangers, and another merit the reproach
of wretch or misereant who puts a period to his life, from the
same or like motives. -- There is no being, which possesses any
power or faculty, that it receives not from its Creator, nor is
there any one, which by ever so irregular an action can encroach
upon the plan of his providence, or disorder the universe. Its
operations are his works equally with that chain of events which it
invades, and which ever principle prevails, we may for that very
reason conclude it to be most favoured by him. Be it animate, or
inanimate, rational, or irrational, 'tis all a case: its power is
still derived from the supreme Creator, and is alike comprehended in
the order of his providence. When the horror of pain prevails over
the love of life; when a voluntary action anticipates the effects of
blind causes, 'tis only in consequence of those {15} powers and
principles which he has implanted in his creatures. Divine
providence is still inviolate, and placed far beyond the reach of
human injuries. 'Tis impious says the old Roman superstition[4] to
divert rivers from their course, or invade the prerogatives of
nature. 'Tis impious says the French superstition to inoculate for
the small-pox, or usurp the business of providence by voluntarily
producing distempers and maladies. 'Tis impious says the modern
European superstition, to put a period to our own life, and
thereby rebel against our Creator; and why not impious, say I, to
build houses, cultivate the ground, or fail upon the ocean? In all
these actions we employ our powers of mind and body, to produce some
innovation in the course of nature; and in none of them do we any
more. They are all of them therefore equally innocent, or equally
criminal. But you are placed by providence, like a centinal, in a
particular station, {16} and when you desert it without being
recalled, you are equally guilty of rebellion against your almighty
sovereign, and have incurred his displeasure. -- I ask, why do you
conclude that providence has placed me in this station? For my part
I find that I owe my birth to a long chain of causes, of which many
depended upon voluntary actions of men. But providence guided all
these causes, and nothing happens in the universe without its
consent and co-operation. If so, then neither does my death,
however voluntary, happen without its consent; and whenever pain or
sorrow so far overcome my patience, as to make me tired of life, I
may conclude that I am recalled from my station in the clearest and
most express terms. 'Tis providence surely that has placed me at
this present in this chamber: But may I not leave it when I think
proper, without being liable to the imputation of having deserted my
post or station? When I shall be dead, the principles of {17} which
I am composed will still perform their part in the universe, and
will be equally useful in the grand fabrick, as when they composed
this individual creature. The difference to the whole will be no
greater than betwixt my being in a chamber and in the open air. The
one change is of more importance to me than the other; but not more
so to the universe.

     -- 'TIS a kind of blasphemy to imagine that any created being
can disturb the order of the world, or invade the business of
Providence! It supposes, that that being possesses powers and
faculties, which it received not from its creator, and which are not
subordinate to his government and authority. A man may disturb
society no doubt, and thereby incur the displeasure of the Almighty:
But the government of the world is placed far beyond his reach and
violence. And how does it appear that the Almighty is displeased
with those actions that disturb society? By the principles {18}
which he has implanted in human nature, and which inspire us with a
sentiment of remorse if we ourselves have been guilty of such
actions, and with that of blame and disapprobation, if we ever
observe them in others: -- Let us now examine, according to the
method proposed, whether Suicide be of this kind of actions, and be
a breach of our duty to our neighbour and to society.

     A MAN who retires from life does no harm to society: He only
ceases to do good; which, if it is an injury, is of the lowest kind.
-- All our obligations to do good to society seem to imply something
reciprocal. I receive the benefits of society, and therefore ought
to promote its interests; but when I withdraw myself altogether from
society, can I be bound any longer? But allowing that our
obligations to do good were perpetual, they have certainly some
bounds; I am not obliged to do a small good to society at the
expence of a {19} great harm to myself; why then should I prolong a
miserable existence, because of some frivolous advantage which the
public may perhaps receive from me? If upon account of age and
infirmities, I may lawfully resign any office, and employ my time
altogether in fencing against these calamities, and alleviating, as
much as possible, the miseries of my future life: why may I not cut
short these miseries at once by an action which is no more
prejudicial to society? -- But suppose that it is no longer in my
power to promote the interest of society, suppose that I am a burden
to it, suppose that my life hinders some person from being much more
useful to society. In such cases, my resignation of life must not
only be innocent, but laudable. And most people who lie under any
temptation to abandon existence, are in some such situation; those
who have health, or power, or authority, have commonly better reason
to be in humour with the world. ([editor's note] 4) {20}