Treatise of the Passions and Faculties of the Soul, Chapter 6
CHAP. VI. Of Humane Passions in generall: their use, Naturall, Morall, Civill: their subordination unto, or rebellion against right Reason.
NOW Passions may be the subject of a three-fold discourse; Naturall, Morall, and Civill. In their Naturall consideration, we should observe in them, their essentiall Properties, their Ebbes and Flowes, their Springings and Decayes, the manner of their severall Impressions, the Physicall Effects which are wrought by them, and the like.
In their Morall consideration, we might likewise search, how the indifferencie of them is altered into Good or Evill, by vertue of the Dominion of right Reason, or of the violence of their owne motions; what their Ministry is in Vertuous, and what their Power and Independance in Irregular actions; how they are raysed, suppressed, slackned, and govern'd, according to the particular nature of those things, which require their motion.
In their Civill respects, we should also observe how they may be severally wrought upon and impressed; and how, and on what occasions, it is fit to gather and fortifie, or to slack and remit them; how to discover, or suppresse, or nourish, o… alter, or mix them, as may be most advantagious; what use may be made of each mans particular Age, Nature, P…opension; how to advance and promote our just ends, upon the observation of the Character and dispositions of these, whom we are to deale withall.
And this Civill use of Passion, is copiously handled in a learned and excellent discourse of Aristotle, in the second Booke of his Rhetoricks; unto which profession, in this respect, it properly belongeth: because in matter of Action, and of I…dicature, Affection in some sort is an Auditor, or Iudge, as he speakes. But it seemeth strange, that a man of so vast sufficiencie and judgement; and who had, as we may well conjecture, an Ambition to knit every Science into an entire Body, which in other mens Labours lay broken and seattered; should yet in his Bookes De Animâ over-passe the discoverie of their Nature, Essence, Operatio… a…d Properties; and in his Bookes of Morall Philosophie, should not remember to acquaint us with the Indifferencie, Irregularitie, Subordination▪ Rebellion, Conspiracie, Discords, Causes, Effects; consequences of each particular of them, being circumstances of obvious and dayly use in our Life, and of necessarie and singular benefit, to give light unto the government of right Reason.
Touching Passions in order unto Civill or Iudiciarie affaires, I shal not make any observation; either of the other, I shall in part touch upon, though not distinctly and asunder, but in a briefe and confused collection of some few particulars.
The Order which I shall observe, in setting downe the Honour and Corruption of them in Generall (which Method shall in part be kept in their Particulars) shall be this; first, according to the Antecedents of their Motion and Acts; secondly, according to the Acts themselves; and thirdly, according to the Consequents of them.
First, touching the Antecedents to the Act of Passion, they are either the Outward Motives thereunto, as namely, the Objects, unto which it is carryed; and the Causes, whereby it is produced: or the Inward Root and Principles of the Act, whereby it is wrought and governed.
For the two former, Passion is then sayd commendable, when it is direct and naturall. And the Corruption is, when it is carryed to an undue Object, or proceedeth from an indirect Cause: but these are more observable in the particulars, and therefore thither I referre their distinct handling.
For the third, the Dignitie of Passion chiefely consists in a Consonancie and Obedience to the Prescription of Reason: for there is in mans Faculties a naturall subordination, whereby the actions of the inferior receive their motion and direction from the influence of the higher. Now Appetite was in Beasts onelyonly made to be governed by a sensitive Knowledge: But in Man, Sense ought not t… have any commanding or moving Power, but onelyonly Instrumentall, Ministeriall, and Conveying, in respect of the Object. The Action of Sense, was no… from the first Institution, ordain'd to touch the Affection, but to present it selfe primarily to the Vnderstanding; upon whose determination and conduct, the Passions were to depend, to submit allforeign ▪ Theador. ser. …. denatur. Hom. their inclinations thereunto, and to be its Ministers, in the execution of all such Duties, as it should deeme any way expedient for the benefit of Mans Nature: so that herein consists a great part of Mans infelicitie, by the Fall; that albeit his Vnderstanding it selfe be blinded, and therefore not able to reach forth any perfect Good to the inferiour parts; yet that small portion of Light, which it yet retaineth for the government of our Actions, is become uneffectuall, as being able onelyonly to convince, but not to reforme.
The Corruption then of Passion in this respect, is the independance thereof upon its true Principle: when it stayeth not to looke for, but anticipates and prevents the Discourses of Reason; relying onelyonly on the judgement of Sense, wherewith it retaines an undue correspondence. So that herein is mainly verified that complaint of the Prophet;…sal. 49. … ▪ Man, being in Honour, hath no understanding, and is become as the *foreign, &c. Clem. Alex. Stro…. l. 4. foreign in … ▪ & Ta… ▪ orat. ad Grat. Libic. l. 1. c. …3.Beasts that perish. For, as in the Body, (to use the similitude of Aristotle) if any parts thereof be out of joint, it cannot yeeld obedience unto the government of the Motive Facultie; but when it would carry it one way, it falls another: So it is in the Mind of Man, when that Naturall continuitie and Vnion of Faculties, whereby one was made in operation dependant on another,Vid. Plutarch. lib. devir…ute Morali.is once dissolved; when Affections are dis-joynted from Reason, and cast off the reines whereby they should be guided, there cannot be that sweet harmonie in the motion thereof, which is required to the weale of Mans Nature.
It is prodigious to see an Instrument (such as all Appetite should be) to be the first and selfe-mover in its owne actions; whence cannot in the Mind of Man but follow great danger: it being all one, as if a Waggoner should commit himselfe to the wild and unswayed fancie of his Horses; or, as if a blind man, who hath not the power of directing his owne feet, should be permitted to run headlong, without wit or moderation, having no Guide to direct him. For as Fire (though it be of all other creatures, one of the most comfortable and usefull, while it abides in the place ordained for it;) yet, when it once exceeds those limits, and gets to the house-top, it is most mercilesse and over-running: So Passion (though of excellent service in Man, for the heating and enlivening of Vertue, for adding spirit and edge to all good undertakings, and blessing them with an happier issue, than they could alone have attained unto) yet if once they flye out beyond their bounds, and become subject onelyonly to their owne Lawes, and encroach upon Reasons right, there is nothing more tumultuous and tyrannicall. As Bias said of the Tongue, that it was the best and thePlutarch. de Audit. worst part of the Sacrifice, so may we of the Affections; Nec meliores unquam Servos nec Dominos sent it Natura …eteriores; They are the best Servants, but the worst Masters, which our Nature can have. Like the Winds, which being moderate, carry the Ship; but drowne it, being tempestuous. And it is true as well in Mans little Common-wealth, as in greater States, That there are no more pestilent and pernicious disturbers of the Publique Good, than those who are best qualified for service and imployment; if once they grow turbulent and mutinous, neglecting the common end, for their owne private respects, and desirous to rayse themselves upon publique Ruines. And indeed it is universally true, Things most usefull and excellent in their Regularitie, are most dangerous in their Abuse.