Treatise of the Passions and Faculties of the Soul, Chapter 12
CHAP. XII. Of the Passion of Hatred, the Fundamentall Cause or Object thereof Evill, how farre forth Evills are willed by God may bee declined by men, of Gods secret and revealed Will.
THe next in order is Hatred: of which the Schoole-men make two kinds; an Hatr…d of Abomination or loathing; which consists in a pure aversion or flight of the Appetite from something apprehended as Evill, arising from a dissonancy and repugnancy betweene their natures: and an Hatred of Enmity, which is not a flying, but rather a pursuing Hatred, and hath ever some Love joyned with it, namely a Love of any Evill which we desire may befall the person or thing which wee hate.
I shall not distinctly handle these asunder, but shall observe the Dignities and Corruptions of the Passion in generall, as it implies a common disconvenience, and naturall Vnconformitie between the Object and the Appetite.
The Object then of all Hatred is Evill; and all evill implying an opposition to Good admits of so many severall respects as there are kinds of opposition.
And there is first an Evill of Contraricty, such as is in the qualities of Water unto Fire, or a Wolfe unto a Sheepe, occasioned by that Destructive Efficiency, which one hath upon the other.
Secondly, an Evill of Privation, which we hate formally and for it selfe, as implying nothing but a Defect and Absence of Good.
Thirdly, an Evill of Contradiction in the not being of any creature, oppos'd to its being. For Being and Immortality is that which Aristotle makes one of the principle objects of Love; Annihilation then, or Not being is the chiefest Evill of things, and that which Nature most abhorreth.
Lastly, an Evill of Relation; for as things in their owne simple natures Evill, may have in them a Relative Goodnesse, and so to be desired; as the killing of beasts for the service, and the death of malefactors for the security of men: so things in their absolute being Good may have in them a Relative, or Comparative Evill, and in that sence bee by consequence hated; as our Saviour intimates He that hateth not father and mother, and his owne life for me, is not worthy of me: when they prove snares and temptations to draw us from the Love of Christ, they are then to bee undervalued in comparison of him. And therefore we find in the Law if a mans dearest brother or child, or wife, or friend should entice him from God unto Idolatry, he was not to conceale, pitty, or spare him, but his owne hand was to bee first upon him. And thus the Poet hath elegantly expressed the behaviour of Aeneas toward Dido, who being inflamed with Love of him, would have kept him from the expedition, unto which by divine guidance he supposed himselfe to be directed.
—Quanquam lenire dolorem
Soland… cupi…, & dictis avertere curas,
(Multag…ens magno que animum labefactus amore)
Iussa tamen Div…m exequitur.—
Though he desir'd with solace to appease,
And on her pensive soule to breathe some ease,
(Himself with mutuall love made saint) yet still
His purposes were fixt t'obey Gods will.
So then we see what qualification is required in the Object of a just Hatred, that it be Evill, and some way or other offensive, either by defiling or destroying nature: and the Passion is ever then irregular when it declineth from this rule.
But here, in as much as it is evident that the being of some evill comes under the Will of God; (Is there any Evill in a City, and the Lord hath not done … ) and our will is to bee conformable unto his; it may seeme that it ought to fall under our Will too, and by consequence to bee rather loved than hated by us, since wee pray for the fulfilling of Gods Will.
For resolution of this, wee must first consider, that God doth not love those Evils which hee thus willeth, as formally, and precisely considered in themselves. And next wee will observe how farre the Will of God is to bee the rule of our will; whence will arise the cleare apprehension of that truth which is now set downe, that the unalterable Object of mans Hatred is all manner of Evill, not onelyonly that of deformity and sinne, but that also of destruction and misery.
First then for the Will of God, we may boldly say what himselfe hath sworne, that hee will not the death or destruction of a sinner: and by consequence neither any other evill of his Creature, as being a thing infinitely remote from his mercy; he is not delighted in the ruine, neither doth hee find pleasure or harmony in the groanes of any thing which himselfe created: But hee is said to will those Evills as good and just, for the manifestation of his glorious Power over all the Creatures, and of his glorious Iustice on those, who are voluntarily fallen from him. But now because it is left onelyonly to the Wisedome of God himselfe to know and ordaine the best meanes for glorifying of himselfe in and by his creatures, we are not here hence to assume any warrant for willing evill unto our selves or others, but then onelyonly when the honour of the Creator is therein advanced. And so the Apostle did conditionally wish evill unto himselfe, if thereby the glory of Gods mercy towards his Countrey-men the Iewes might be the more advanced.
Secondly, it is no good Argument, God willeth the inflicting of such an evill, therefore it is unlawfull for my will to decline it: for first the Will of God, whereby hee determineth to worke this or that evill on particular Subjects, is a part of his secret Counsell. Now the Revealed, and not the Hidden Will of God is the rule of our Wills and Actions: whence it commeth to passe, that it is made a part of our necessary obedience unto God in our wishes or aversations to goe a crosse way to his unrevealed purpose. Peradventure in my sicke bed it is the purpose of God to cast my body into the earth, from whence it was taken; yet for me herein to second the Will of God by an execution thereof upon my selfe, or by a neglect of those Ordinary meanes of recovery which hee affords, were to despise his mercy, that I might fulfill his Will. Peradventure in my flight a sword will overtake mee, yet I have the warrant of my Saviours example and precept to turne my backe rather than my conscience in persecution: alwaies reserved, that though I will that, which God willeth, yet my will bee ever subordinated unto his. Wee owe submission to the will of Gods purpose and Counsell, and wee owe conformity to the will of his Precept and Command; we must submit to the will, whereby God is pleased to worke himselfe, and wee must conforme to the will, whereby hee is pleased to command us to worke. And therefore
Secondly, though the Will of God were in this case knowne, yet is not our will constrained to a necessary inclination, though it bee to an humble submission and patience in bearing that which the Wisedome and purpose of God hath made inevitable; for as the promises and decrees of Good things from God doe not warrant our slacknesse in neglecting, or our profanenesse in turning from them; so neither doth the certainty and unavoidablenesse of a future evill (as death intended upon us by God) put any necessity on our nature to deny it selfe, or to love its owne distresses.
Of which that we may be the more sure, wee may observe it in him, who as hee was wholly like us in nature, and therefore had the same naturall inclinations and aversations with us; so was hee of the same infinite essence with his Father, and therefore did will the same things with him, yet even in him we may observe (in regard of that, which the Scripture saith, was by the hand and Counsell of God before determined) a seeming Reluctancy and withdrawing from the Divine Decree. He knew it was not his Fathers Will; and yet, Father, if thou bee willing, l…t this cup passe from me: he was not ignorant that he was to suffer, and that there was an Oporte…, a necessity upon it, and yet a second and a third time againe, Father, if it be possible, let this Cup passe from me. Consider it as the Destruction of his Temple, and Anguish of nature, which hee could not (being in all things like unto us) but love; and then Transeat, Let it passe: but consider it as the necessary meanes of procuring pretious blessings for mankind, and of fulfilling the eternall Decree of his Fathers Love, and then, Not as I, but as thou wilt.
The same may be applied in any manner of humane evills, notwithstanding we are with an armed patience to sustaine them, or with an obedient submission unto Divine pleasure to wait for them; yet in regard of that pressure of nature, which they bring with them (on which the God of Nature hath imprinted a naturall desire of its owne quiet and integrity) so farre forth all Evill, not onelyonly may, but must bee Hated by every Regular will, upon paine of violating the Law of its Creation.
And indeed in all this there is not any deviation from the Will of God, intending that which we abhorre: for as it stands not with the nature of man to hate himselfe, or any good thing of his owne making; so neither doth it stand with the goodnesse of God to hate his Creature, or to delight barely in the misery or afflictions thereof; but onelyonly in that end of manifesting his glory and righteousnesse, whereunto hee in the dispensation of his Wisdome and Iustice hath wonderfully directed them. And therefore, as to murmure at the Wisedome of God in thus ordering evills unto a good end, were a presumptuous repining; so on the other side, not to entertaine those naturall desires of a straightned mind after deliverance from those evills, were to be in Solomons▪ phrase too Righteous, and out of a purpose to answere the ends of Gods Wisedome, to crosse the Law of his Creation.
So then it is evident that the Object and fundamentall cause of Hatred, is all and onelyonly Evill: which (however in respect of the Existence of it, it bee in some cases Good; for as it is in the power of God to educe out of confusion order, light out of darkenesse, his owne honour out of mans shame; so is it his providence likewise to turne unto the great good of many men those things which in themselves doe onelyonly hurt them) Yet I say this notwithstanding, as it worketh the deformity and disquiet of nature, it is against the created law and in-bred love, which each thing beareth to its owne perfection; and therefore cannot but be necessarily hated.
As on the other side, those ordinary and commong goods, which we call, in respect of God, blessings, as health, peace, prosperity, good successe, and the like; notwithstanding they commonly prove unto men, unfurnished with those habits of wisedome and sobriety, whereby they should bee moderated, occasions of much evill and dangers; so that their Table is become their snare (as the experience of those latter Romane Ages proveth, wherein their victories over men hath made them in luxury and vilenesse so prodigious, as if they meant to attempt warre with God.) Notwithstanding I say all this; yet for as much as these things are such as doe quiet, satisfie, and beare convenience unto mans nature, they are therefore justly with thankefulnesse by our selves received, and out of love desired unto our friends.
I now proceed from the object or Generall fundamentall cause of hatred, unto some few which are more particular, and which do arise from it.