Observations Natural and Moral, Chapter 19
CHAP. XIX. Whether the Sight or the Hearing be the better ſenſe.
Mat. 6.22. The light of the body is the eye.
THe eyes reſemble the heavens moſt, and as the Philoſopher proveth by that Maxime, Perfectiſſimo corpori perfectiſſima debetur figura, the moſt perfect forme is due to the moſt perfect bodie: Reaſon, 1 the heavens are the moſt perfect body, therefore the round forme which is the moſt perfect forme is fitted for them, ſo the eye is a moſt perfect bodie and of a round forme.
The eye moſt reſemble the heavens having the tunicles as the ſpheares, Reaſon, 2 & motion within it ſelfe as the heavens, The eyes reſemble the heavens.and cleare like the cryſtall heaven, and it moſt reſembleth the ſunne: Iob. 3.9. neither let it ſee the eye lids of the morning, where the holy Ghoſt compareth the eye lids to the clouds and the ſunne to the eye, therefore it was called oculus mundi, the eye of the world.
The eye moſt reſembleth the mind, The eyes reſembleth the mind moſt.therefore in the ſcriptures it is called the eye of the mind; Eph. 1.18. and there is ſuch intelligence betwixt the eye and the mind, that the eye taketh the denomination from the mind; if it be an unchaſt mind, then it is called oculus adulter an adulterous eye, if it be a corrupt mind then it is oculus nequam an evill eye; if it be a ſimple mind, then it is called oculus ſimplex; if the mind be liberall, then it is called oculus bonus a good eye.
The eye diſcerneth and taketh up things farther than any other ſenſe doth, Reaſ. 4 The eyes taketh up the object better than any other ſenſe albeit far diſtant.although the objects be farre diſtant from it, as the mind doth, and then it hath a ſurer knowledge of things than the care hath; it beleeveth onelyonly that which it ſeeth, the eare beleeveth the report of others, therefore we ſay plus valet unus oculatus teſtis quàm auriti decem, better is one eye witnes than ten eare witneſſes. The Queen of Sheba admired the glory of Salomon more when ſhe ſaw it than when ſhe heard of it.1 King 10.7.
The eye moveth the beholder moſt, 2 Sam. 16. Reaſ. 5 perchance the Lord will looke [begnoni] upon my affliction, but the Maſoreth read it [begneni] in oculum meum, that is, foreign in afflictionem meam. foreign in oculum meumto the teares of mine eye, becauſe teares moove much; & when men would expreſſe any thing that is deare unto them they ſay, ye would have pulled out your eyes for mee, Gal. 4.15.
The Hebrewes put the ſenſe of ſeeing for all the ſenſes, Ioh. 20.29. becauſe thou ſaweſt thou beleeved, that is, Reaſon, 6 becauſe thou touched: ſo Alexander the copperſmith hath cauſed me to trye much evill that is, to feele much evill, 2 Tim. 4.14. ſo, Pſal. 16. he ſaw no corruption, that is, he felt no corruption. So for ſmelling, The ſenſe of ſeeing put for all the ſenſes by the Hebrewes.Thou cauſed our Savour to be abhorred in the eyes of Pharao, that is, in the noſtrils of Pharaoh; thirdly it is put for the taſt, Pſal. 33.9. Taſt how ſweet the Lord is, that is, ſee; fourthly for hearing, Exod. 20.8. and the people ſaw the voyces, that is, heard the voyces.
It is thought that this ſenſe is not a fit ſenſe for ſciences and learning, but they are deceived who thinke ſo, for the ſenſes are profitable for ſciences two manner of wayes, The ſenſe of ſight both profitable for finding out ſciences and for the learning of ſciences being found out.either for finding out ſome principles of the ſciences, or for the learning of them which are already found out; the ſight helpeth us moſt to find out ſciences, but the eare helpeth us moſt to learne them when they are found out.
It is objected againſt this ſenſe, that it is often deceiceived, Object. taking up a falſe ſpecies from the object, as in the water a ſtaffe ſeemeth broken to us when it is whole: ſo when a man looketh through a paire of ſpectacles which are full of corners, his hand cannot touch theſe things, which he looketh upon with his eyes.
The defect here is not in the eye, Anſw. but in the medium; for the eye may be deceived by the medium two manner of wayes, either by the refraction of the perpendicular beame that proceedeth from the eye, or by reflection; by refraction, The eye ſometimes deceived by the medium two wayes.as the ſtaffe in the water ſeemeth to bee broken, becauſe the beame of the eye is hindred by the medium the water: ſo by reflection when the eye is hindered that it cannot ſee the object through the ſpectacles becauſe of the many ſuperficies and diverſe corners of them, the beame is reflexed backe againe ſo that it can never fix it ſelfe upon the right object: but if the organ bee ſound and the medium bee fit for the organ, and a proportionable object for them both, neither too bright nor too obſcure, then the eye can never bee deceived.
It is objected againſt this ſenſe, Object. that it can hurt by looking upon another, as an envious eye looking upon a child may hurt the child, and make him die; and the Apoſtle alludeth to this, Gal. 3.1. O fooliſh Galatians, who hath bewitched you?
The heathen that had conceit that the witches could hurt with their eyes, Anſw. The ſuperſtitious conceit of the heathen concerning bevvithing vvith the eye.and therefore they did hang faſcininam vel turpiculas about the childrens neckes to be foreign againſt their bewitching with the eye. When one ſaw Eſope in his maſters houſe (who was a very deformed creature) he ſayd that his maſter had bought him ut eſſet faſcinum domus, but they were much miſtaken in this, for it is not the eye that hurteth, more than the words of the enchanter; for when the enchanter uſeth his charme or ſpell, the words hurt not, but it is the Divell that doth the hurt: The evill eye doth not hurt, but it is the Divell that concurreth with it.So when an envious eye and bewitching eye is thought to hurt, it is the Divell that concurreth with the evill eye, and it is hee that harmeth; the heart of an envious man may hurt himſelfe, and the ſtrong imagination may bring death to a mans ſelfe, and a ſore eye may affect the eye of another who looketh upon it, with the humor comming from it, but it can neither infect the ayre nor bring death to any man.
It is commonly objected againſt this ſenſe, Object. that it is the fitteſt ſenſe to let in ſinne to the ſoule, Many things objected againſt the eye.as Eve looking upon the forbidden fruit, longed after it; David looking upon Bathſhebe committed adulterie with her; and the ſonnes of God, ſaw the daughters of men to be faire, which brought on the firſt great judgement upon the world: therefore the Lord Num. 15.39. ſaith, Seeke not after your owne heart, and your owne eyes, after which ye uſe to goe a whering; and the Hebrewes ſay that oculus eſt proxineta peccati, Many have pulled out their eyes becauſe of the evils that come by the eye.it is the broker which goeth betwixt the object and the heart, to make up the ſinfull bargaine. Democritus knowing well what evill came by the eye, pulled out his eyes; and Oediput becauſe his adulterous eyes drew him to inceſt to lye with his mother, therefore he pulled out his eyes. And for this cauſe the eyes were called ſubſeſſores which lye in the high way to wait for men, and to kill them at unawares; Petrus Abbas Claravallenſis, when he had loſt one of his eyes by ſickneſſe ſayd, I have loſt one of mine eyes, and now I am more affraid of that which is left than I am ſorie for that which is loſt, therefore when wee would diligently meditate upon any thing, wee ſhutte our eyes.
But we muſt know that the moſt excellent things being abuſed become worſe, Anſw. as the ſweeteſt wine becommeth the ſowreſt vineger: The moſt excellent things being abuſed become worſt.this argueth onelyonly that if the eye be abuſed, then it becommeth the worſe ſenſe, but being rightly uſed, it is the moſt excellent ſenſe, for it beholdeth the world which the Philoſopher calleth Altar of God, in which we may ſee his power and his wiſedome to prayſe him and magnifie him for it. Then the blind man concluded how pittifull his cauſe was, who wanted this noble ſenſe and lived like a priſoner continually in darkneſſe.
I perceive this day that to be true, The ſpeech of the deaſe.that everie man judgeth other mens greefes leſſer than his owne; but if my greefes were weighed in a ballance with this mans, they would ſoone weigh them downe.
I want the daughters of muſicke, Eccleſ. 12. I am no more delighted with muſicke nor old Barzillai was, Reaſons for the preheminence of the hearing.2 Sam. Reaſon, 1 19.35. That could not heare the voyce of ſinging men, and ſinging women; and let one ſing as ſweetly unto mee as the ſweeter ſinger of Iſrael could doe, yet I am like the deafe adder that is nothing moved with it.
The care is janua diſciplina the gate of knowledge: Reaſon, 2 it is true, Greater knowledge by hearing than ſeeing.a man may ſee the principles of knowledge with his eye, but when a ſcience is found out, how can hee learne it? it is onelyonly this ſenſe of hearing which begetteth underſtanding. A man may be blind and yet have great knowledge, but if hee want his hearing, what knowledge can he have? Rabbi Ioſeph Coecus was blind; yet he paraphraſed the third part of the Bible in the Chaldie tongue, foreignand for this the Hebrewes call him [Saggi maor] abundans lumine: Dydimus was blind ſeventie yeares, yet he was muſt skilfull in the Scriptures, therefore Ierome calleth him videntem ſuum Didymum, his ſeeing Didymus: it is this ſenſe which breedeth underſtanding more then the eye, therefore Socrates ſayd to a young man who was beautifull, loquere ut te videam, ſpeake that I may ſee thee; a man wanting this ſenſe of hearing, can have little knowledge of any thing. Reaſon, 3
That we have knowledge by hearing rather than by ſeeing or any other ſenſe, we may prove it by the example of old Iſaac, Oculi caligant, palatum ſeducitur, fallitur manus, ſed non fallitur auris: and Bernard ſpeaking to this purpoſe ſayd, Non eſt in guſtu veritas, etſi ſuavitas, non in oculo ſed in aure.
Faith commeth by hearing, Rom. 10. Reaſ. 4 A man wanting the ſenſe of hearing wanteth faith; this ſenſe is the ſenſe of obedience, ſpeake Lord for thy Servant heareth, 1 Sam. 3.10. and the Hebrewes put audire for intelligere, they put hearing for underſtanding.
The eare is the moſt excellent ſenſe, Reaſ. 5 the Apoſtle ſaith corpus aptaſti mihi, but David ſaith aures perforaſti mihi Pſal. 40. becauſe the body is moſt fitted to obedience by the care.
The Lord taketh greater paines about the eare then about any other ſenſe, Reaſon, 6 firſt he uncovereth the eare and taketh a vaile off it, 1 Sam. 20.12. that is called revelare aurem to uncover the eare; ſecondly, perforat aurem hee boreth the eare, Pſal. 40. as the ſervants eare was bored of old that they might dwell with their maſters for ever, Exod. 22. God taketh great paines about the eare.the firſt was ad intelligentiam for underſtanding, the ſecond was ad obedientiam, for obedience, thirdly he circumeided the eare, which includeth both the other two.
Sathan envieth moſt the eare, Reaſon, 7 Sathan envieth the eare moſt.therefore in the Goſpeil it is ſayd, that hee poſſeſſed a man with a deafe Divell, but hee never ſtudied to make a man blind.
Leaving theſe theologicall and morall reaſons, Reaſon, 8 we may perceive what benefit wee have by our hearing, how it is the mother of our ſpeech; Why one that is borne deafe is alſo dambe.for a man that is borne deafe, hee can never ſpeake. Then the deafe man concluded that his caſe was a thouſand times worſe than the blind mans, and that hee ought to bee thankefull to God who enjoyed the ſenſe of hearing, although he was defective of the ſenſe of ſeeing.
The concluſion of this is, Concluſion. the ſight is the moſt excellent ſenſe for naturall things in this life, and the hearing for ſpirituall things; therefore theſe two ſenſes have beene fitly compared to Martha and Marie, Martha was troubled about many things, The fight and hearing like Martha and Mary.but Marie ſate at his feet and heard him diligently, therefore ſhe made choyſe of the better part, Luk. 10.41.42. But in the life to come the ſight ſhall bee no more buſied about earthly things, but ſhall ſit downe at the feete of Chriſt and chuſe the better part with Mary, and onelyonly then it ſhall contemplate heavenly things, for then wee ſhall walke by fight and not by faith.