An excerpt from a letter from the blessed. Augustine to Dulcentius (No. 204)

(5) As for the extremely insane deaths to which some of them (Donatists - Ed. AB) subject themselves, and because of this they are hated and disgusted even by many of their [supporters], whose minds have not been seized by such great madness, we have often answered them according to the Scriptures and the Christian way of thinking, for it is written: “He who is evil to himself, to whom will he be good?” (Sir.14:5) Or, indeed, the one who considers suicide a permissible deliverance for himself, let him also kill his neighbor who finds himself in the same trials and wants to die, since Scripture says: “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:39). And the fact that without the command of laws or legal authorities it is not allowed to kill another, even one who wishes and asks for it, and is no longer able to live, is sufficiently shown by Scripture in the book of Kings, where King David ordered the murderer of King Saul to be put to death, although he said that Saul, already wounded and half-dead, asked him to do this and with one blow to free his soul, which was struggling with the bonds of the body and longing to be freed from torment. Therefore, since anyone who, without any authority from a lawful authority, kills a person is a murderer, then anyone who kills himself is not a murderer unless he is a man. All this we have stated in many ways in our other numerous conversations and writings. (6) However, it should be admitted that, as I remember, I have not yet answered questions about Elder Rhazis, whom, as an example to justify the crimes in which people destroy themselves, [the Donatists,] oppressed by the complete absence of examples of such actions in the testimonies of the Church, had difficulty finding in the book of Maccabees, and boast of this. But, so that your Grace [Dulcentius] and all prudent people will have this enough to refute them, [I will say]: if they are ready to transfer everything [without exception] as examples from the life of the Jewish people and their Scriptures to Christian life, let them transfer this too. But if there are numerous actions of people that are traditionally praised in these books, but they either do not correspond to our [Christian] time, or were already done incorrectly at that time, then the same applies to what Razis did. If he was famous among his [compatriots] and brought great benefit to Judaism (which, in comparison with Christian piety, the Apostle calls damage and rubbish (Phil. 3:8)), and for this he was called “the father of the Jews,” what is surprising if proud exaltation crept into him, so that he preferred death by his own hand to that, following such a high position in his eyes [brothers], to endure shameful slavery in the hands of enemies? (7) In pagan writings, such actions are usually praised. However, in the books of Maccabees, although this man himself was praised, his action was described without approval, and seemed to be presented before his eyes for condemnation rather than for imitation; of course, not for condemnation through our opinion (which we can also have, being people), but through the judgment of that sound teaching, which is clearly [set forth] in the Old Testament books themselves. For this Razis was far from what was said: “Accept everything that is brought upon you, and endure it in sorrow, and have patience in your humiliation” (Sir. 2:4). So, this man, having chosen death, was not wise, but was unable to endure humiliation. (8) It is written that he wanted to die valiantly and courageously; but is that really why it’s wise? Valiantly, of course, so as not to lose the freedom of one’s family by being captured; courageous because he had such great fortitude that he was capable of killing himself; and finding himself unable to do this with a sword, he threw himself headfirst from the wall, then, still alive, ran up a steep cliff, and there, already completely drained of blood, he took out his entrails and scattered them with both hands among the people, and only then, exhausted, died. (Compare 2Macc 14:41-46). These [actions] are strong, but not good: for not everything strong is good, because there are also strong atrocities. God said: “Thou shalt not kill the innocent and the righteous” (Ex. 23:7). So, if this [person] was not innocent and righteous, why is he being offered up as a role model? If he was innocent and righteous, why is the murderer of the innocent and righteous, that is, Razis himself, unreasonably considered worthy of praise?