Chap. I] DUTY OF PRESERVING LIFE AND HEALTH. 273
says,) by Cicero himself, who, though substantially ( potissimum )a Stoic in his moral principles, was manifestly against suicidegenerally.* Still it is matter of just regret, that this great phi-losopher should in any case, or in any degree, have given counte-nance to the crime of suicide.
Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle, the most illustrious of all thephilosophers of antiquity, not only gave no countenance to sui-cide, but gave their voice decisively against it. And this singlefact must very much qualify, if it does not indeed destroy, Dr.Smith’s assertion, that the lawfulness of suicide was a doctrinecommon to all the ancient sects. Indeed, I may well ask everyman acquainted with ancient authors, and accustomed to form anestimate of ancient opinions, What is the ancient doctrine oropinion worth, against which Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle taketheir stand ? Reinhard f has expanded, illustrated, and enforcedthe reasoning of Socrates and Plato against suicide, in the co-pious, lucid, and persuasive style in which he has treated somany other subjects, and has shown, that the voice of philosophyand natural religion give no countenance to, and make no apologyfor, this crime.
The New Testament nowhere contains a positive 'prohibitionof suicide ; and from this it has sometimes been supposed, thatChristianity does not regard it as an offence against religion andmorals. To this, various satisfactory replies may be given. Ifit is one of our highest duties to preserve life and health ; to de-stroy life knowingly and intentionally must be highly criminal.Again ; we are forbidden, under the most severe penalties, bythe sacred writers, to take away the lives of others ; — can it beother than a high offence, to take away our own ? Moreover,an implication may be, under certain circumstances, scarcelyless strong and conclusive than a positive prohibition; and theimplication in regard to suicide is as strong and conclusive, asimplication can in any case be.
Thus, human life is represented as a term appointed or pre-
* De Officiis, Lib. I. c. 2, 31.
j {< De Morte Voluntarici quid et quam clar£ preecipiat Philosophia,” containedin his u Opuscula Academica,” Vol. I. pp. 67 - 92. See particularly, pp. 67,73,87,note.
35