Diseases of the Soul, Part 1 – Part 3
The Induction.
THE Sicknesse of this World is Epidemicall, and hath with the inuisible poyson of a generall pestilence infected it to the heart. For Uice in manners, as Heresie in doctrine, distilleth insensible contagion into the fountaine of Life; and dum Bellar. in praes. Tom. 1. Controu.vnum interficit, centum alios inficit, in killing one, banes many. Whether ex daemonis iniuria, vel ex hominis incuria, from the Diuels malice, or mans securenesse, Iniquity is growne from a mist to a Mysterie, Ignorance to Arrogance, nescience to negligence, 2. Thes. 2. 7.simple imprudence to politicke impudence, and I know not how, too much light hath made men blind. At first they knew not when they sinned, now they would know to iustifie their sins: they defend that, wherein they offend, and buy Sicknesse with as great expence of time, wit, money, as the anguished Atheist would health.
Sickenesses in mens Soules are bred like diseases in naturall, or corruptions in ciuill bodies; with so insensible a progresse, that they are not discerned, till they be almost desperate: as the franticke endures not bonds, nor the Lethargicall noise: or as it was once sayd of the Romanes, that they could neither endure an ill Emperour, nor obey a good one: so wee may say of our selues (no lesse then Liuy of that State) Nec vitia nostra, nec remedia Decad. lib. 1.ferre possumus: wee can better brooke our maladies, then our remedies. There is, say Physicians, no perfect Health in this world; and man, when hee is at best, enioyes but a neutrality. But the Physicians of the Soule complaine further: That wee are all as an vncleane thing, Esay. 64. 6.and all our righteousnesse are as filthie ragges, &c. and in many Iames 3. 2.things wee sinne all. We may say with the Prophet, not so much for our punishments, as our sinnes, The whole head is sicke, and the whole heart faint. From the sole of the foote, euen vntounto the head, there is no soundnes in it; but wounds Esay 1. 5. 6.and bruises and putrifying sores.
The Methode.
TO pursue this Argument, I would willingly dispose the tenour of my speech into this method, 1. to describe the disease, 2. to ascribe the signes, 3. to prescribe the remedie. And whereas Physicians begin their medicinall institutions or instructions at the Head, as the most noble part of the body; the principall seate of the wits, the beginning of all the organicall sences, and the proper house and habitation of the animall vertue; (though Philosophie attributes that supereminent dignitie to the Heart) and I (for metaphors sake) without contention suffer my selfe to be led after their rule; behold, I apply to the Head first: which if I could cure, it would more easily discerne the infirmities of the descending parts. In the Head and other corporall parts there are many diseases, which I will not contend to find out; desiring onelyonly to say (not all, but) enough. I will borrow so Non ego cuncta meis amplecti versibus opto.much Timber out of Galens wood, as shall serue me for a scaffold to build vp my Morall discourse.
Head-ach and Braine sickenes. Disease. 1.
HEad-ach is diuers, say Phisicians, according to the causes; proceeding some of colde, some of hot; of drinesse, of moisture, of blood, of choler, of flegme, windynesse, drunkennesse, of an offending stomacke. There is an Head-ach called the Migram, Hemicrania, possessing lightly one side of the Head, and distinguished by a seame that runnes along in the skull. There is a disease in the Soule not vnlike this, and they that labour of it, are cald Braine-sicke men. They may hauehave some pretty vnderstanding in part of their heads, but the other part is strangely sicke of crochets, singularities, and toyish inuentions; wherein because they frolicke themselues, they thinke all the world fooles that admire them not. They are euer troubling themselues with vnnecessary thoughtfulnesse of long or short, white or blacke, round or square; confounding their wits with Geometrical dimensions, & studying of Measure out of measure. A square cap on another mans head, puts their head out of square, and they turne their braines into dry wooll, with storming against a garment of linnen. New Albutij to moote the reasons, why if a Cap fell down, it brake; if a Spunge, it brake not; why Eagles fly, and not Elephants. There be such students in the Schooles of Rome; what shalbe done with an Asse, if he get into the Church to the Font vncouered, and drinke the water of Baptisme: vponupon the strange hazard of a Clarks negligence, and an Asses thirst entring the Church, which are vncertaine, they make themselues Asses in certaine. Or if a hungrie Mouse filch the Body of our Lord, &c. Braue wits to inuent Mouse-traps. These curiosities in humane, but much more in diuine things, proue men braine-sicke.
Cause.
THe Cause of the Migram, is the ascending of many vaporous humours, hot or cold, by the veines or arteries. The Cause of this spirituall Migram, or braine-sicknesse, is the vnkindly concurrence of ignorance, arrogance and affectation, like foggy mistes and cloudes, obscuring & smothering the true light of their sober iudgements; and bearing their affections like a violent winde, vponupon one only point of the Compasse, new-fangled Opinion. Like the Gyants sonne, they must hauehave sixe toes on a foote: they hate, not to be obserued, and had rather be notorious, then not notable. Opinion, is a foote too much, which spoiles the Uerse. New Physicke may bee better then olde, so may new Philosophy; our studies, obseruation, and experience perfecting theirs: beginning, not at the Gamoth, as they did, but as it were at the Ela: but hardly new Diuinitie; not that an ancient errour should be brought out against a new truth. A new truth? nay, an old newly come to light: for Errour cannot wage Antiquity with Truth. His desire is to be crosse to regularity; and should he be enioined a Hatte, a Cappe would extremely please him: were he confined to extemporall and enthusiasticall labours, he would commend premeditation and studie; which now he abhorres, because they are put on him. He is vnwise in being so bitter against Ceremonies: for therein hee is palpably against himselfe, himselfe being nothing else but Ceremonie. Hee loues not the beaten path; and because eueryevery foole (sayth he) enters at the gate, hee will climbe ouer the wall, whiles the dore of the Church stands open, hee contends to Iohn 10. 1.creepe through the windowe. The Brain-sicke are no lesse then drunke with Opinion; and that so strangely, that sleepe which helps other drunkards, doth them no good. Their ambitious singularity is often so violent, that if it be not restrained, it growes to a kind of frenzy, and so the Migram turnes into the Staggers. Heerein, because we will not credit their Positions, nor receiue their Crochets in our set Musicke, they reele into the lowe-Countries.
Signes and Symptomes.
Physicions say of the Migram-affected, that in the violent fit of the passion, they can abide: 1. No noyse or lowd speech: 2. Not cleare light: 3. Not to drinke Wine: 4. Nor almost to moue at all, &c. Our Braine-sicke Nouelist is described by such tokens.
1. Lowd speech hee loues not, except from his owne lippes. All noise is tedious to him, but his owne: and that is most tedious to the companie. Hee loues to heare himselfe talke out of measure. He wonders, that the senses of all his hearers doe not get vp into their eares, to watch and catch his mysteries with attention and silence; when as yet himself is more Non-resident from his theme, then a discontinuer is from his charge.
2. The cleere light he cannot endure, for his braine is too light already. He presumes, that his head containes more knowledge then tenne Bishops; and wonders that the Church was so ouerseene, as to forget him, when offices were disposing, or places a dealing; and because he can get none, railes at all for Antichristian. He is the only wise man, if he might teach all men to iudge him, as he iudgeth himselfe: and no starre should shine in our Orbe, without borrowing some of his light. Hee offers to reforme that man, that would informe him; and presumes of so much light, that if himselfe were set, our world would be left without a Sunne.
3. Wine he hates, specially when it is powred into his wounds: (as the Fathers interpret the Samaritans wine to the wounded man, to clense and purge him.) Reproofe and hee are vtter enemies; no man is good enough to chide him: wholsome counsell, which is indeed Wine to a weake soule, he accounts Vineger; nothing so pleaseth him as his owne Lees. Opinion hath brewed him ill, and he is like water scared out of the wits.
4. He must not bee moued, nor remoued from what hee holdes: his will is like the Persian law, vnalterable. You may moue him to choler, not to knowledge: his braine is turned, like a Bell rung too deepe, and cannot be fetcht backe againe. His owne affectation is his pully, that can moue him; no engine else stirres him. A man may like him at first, as one that neuer heard musick doth the Tinkers note on his kettle; but after a while, they are both alike tedious. There is no helpe for his auditour, by by any excuses to shift him off; if he hauehave not the patience to endure an impertinent discourse, hee must venter the censure of his manners, and run away. His discourse is so full of parentheses, as if he were troubled with the rhume, and could not spette. He is euer tying hard knots, and vntying them, as if no body had hired him, and therefore he must finde himselfe worke. If hee light on the sacred Writ, he conceitedly allegorizes on the plainest subiect, and makes the Scripture no more like it selfe, then Michols Image in the bed vponupon a pillow of Goates haire, was like Dauid. He carries bread at his backe and feedes vponupon stones. Like a full fedde Dogge, he leaues the soft meate to lye gnawing vponupon bones: that wee may say of him, this man hath a strong wit, as wee say, that dogge hath good teeth.
Curation.
THe way to cure the Migram is diuers, according to the cause; either by cutting a veine, purging, revulsiue or locall remedies. But the sanation of this Brainsicke malady is very difficult: insomuch, that Salomon sayth, There is more hope of a foole, then of one wise in his owne conceit. For he imagines the whole world to be sick, and himselfe only sound. I might prescribe him the opening of a veine which feedes this disease, that is, affectation: the itching bloud of singularity let out, would much ease him. Or a good purge of humility to take him down a little, because he stands so high in his owne imagination: and full vessels, to preuent their bursting must hauehave timely vent. Or a little opium of sequestring him from businesse, and confining him that hee might take some sleepe; for his braines want rest. Or a little Euphorbium of sound admonition and fit reproofe dropped into his eare warme. Some Euphrasia or Eye-bright would do well. Vnctions, if lenifying, will do no good, nor any of the former, I doubt; except a strong pill of Discipline goe with them. The speciallest remedy is Discipline, as the Father sayd, when hee heard his sonne complaine of his head; my head, my head, commanded a seruant; Carry 2. King 4. 19.him to his Mother: so for these men so troubled with the Head-ach, deliuer them to their mother, let the Church censure them.