Examination of those Plausible Appearances in the Romish Church, Chapter 1
CHAP. I. That passion blindeth the iudgement of man, and hindreth it from assenting to the Truth.
IT's a matter worthy astonishment, that not onelyonly vulgar braines, but even the most eminent wits, should suffer themselues to be so easily wonne, by the out-sides of lies, to beare armes against the truth. Albeit the spirit of man, the more excellent a temper it is of, the more naturall, and eager an appetite it hath after the knowledge of the trut…: by the same instinct loathing ignorance, and especially disdaining to be cheated. So that even the most artificiall flatterers, insteed of humoring it, would offend it, if it once conceiued it selfe to be but flattered: as on the contrary, if it once compleatly apprehended the truth, it would stoope to it, how harsh and bitter soever it were. So hard is it but that the compleat representation, the inside of a lye will offend vsus, and that of the truth affect vsus.
But the cause of our mischiefe is the perversenesse of our passions, which oftentimes so over-heat, and distemper the heart, that out of it, as it were exhaling thick, and black vapours vponupon the vnderstanding they either disturb our iudgements, or altogether dull our apprehensions. Neither deale they so well with vsus as those piercing smoakes, which bereauing man of his bodily sight, yet leaue him still this vncomfortable priviledge, that as he seeth nothing, so he cannot bee gull'd by any lying apparitions. Whereas when a heart chafed with passion, hath dimmed, yea extinguished the light of the vnderstanding, yet that takes not from it a presumptuous conceit of its owne cleere sight, and reall comprehension of the truth. Whence it commeth to passe, that man compassed about with thick darknesse, confidently dreameth that he walketh in the Sunne shine, and is strongly conceited that he hath then fast hold of the truth, when he huggeth an absurd, ridiculous fable. This corruption is almost vniversall, and like to a generall distemper of all the humours in the body, it's dispersed into all the passages of mans life. In a word, it's the Epidemicall disease of our soules which maketh vsus easily induced to beleeue all that for true which we desire should be so, as being more sutable to our dispositions, and convenient for the accomplishment, and execution of our desires, and designes. VponUpon this we invent vntounto our selues probabilities, and readily entertaine such as are presented vntounto vsus, to make vsus beleeue that matters are so as passion willeth vsus to conceiue them: as on the contrary that which we desire should be false, as thwarting our aymes, crossing and encumbring our enterprises by the like naturall flattery of our selues, we perswade our selues that it is false indeed, or suffer our selues to be easily so perswaded by another.
The first veine of this corruption may be espied even in the infancy of man. Children are cheered, and delighted, if one tell them that the tale which pleaseth them is true, and they willingly beleeue it how strange, and fabulous soever it otherwise seeme vntounto them: cōtrariwise they are vexed and discouraged, if one plainely tell thē that it was fained only for pleasure; it will be a hard matter to stick this impression into them. So naturally familiar is the power which passion hath, to darken, and blindfold the vnderstanding.
After the same manner whosoever loueth with a fit of passion, he will descry many shewes of arguments to encourage his affection, in the discourse of him who extolleth that vponupon which he doteth. And as he desireth that that which he loueth shou…d bee praise-worthy, beholding it through this clowd, he vieweth it in a shape and colour farre different from the naturall. Parents oft-times curb'd by civility from an outward expression of their indiscreet affection, yet in themselues giuegive the lye to those who freely tell them the truth of their children: for it being a iust cause of extreame griefe vntounto vsus to be the parents of vntoward children, so is it hardly beleeued by vsus, so long as there remaineth any probability of the better contrary. He who is desirous to enter into a law-suit will conceiue a pretious esteeme of weake, and frivolous counsell, which perswadeth him that his cause is good: contrariwise he will disesteeme, and bee much displeased with the solidereasons of a sage Counseller, who out of the goodnesse both of his conscience, and skill, certifieth him of the weaknesse of his cause, and disswadeth him from entring into law. All this proceedeth from this passion which entangleth his vnderstanding, and hindreth it from a steedy view of those cozening semblances, from an impartiall examination of them, and from comparing of them with the truth. Even so some one sick of an ignominious disease, against all other Physitians he will willingly approue of him who shall iudge him to be sicke indeed, but of an honest disease. Imprinting according to his desire this false conceit into his minde, vnderunder the superscription of truth: for so a lye is never approued of, but masked with the looks of its opposite. Yea our owne passions varnish it over, or at least hinder vsus from tearing of its vaile, for feare least we beholding it with a narrow eye, stripped of the borrowed face of truth, should be affrighted by its vglinesse.