The Mystery of the Holy Government of our Affections, Chapter 3
CHAP. III.
Of the Causes of Affections and Perturbations.
COncerning the Causes 1. Of Philosophers, which deriue from the Humorsof Perturbations, there are two contrarie Opinions: One of the Philosophers, that conceiued all perturbations to arise frō the Complexions, or Humours, that is, from the bodie and carnall part of man.
The other is of Diuines, 2. Diuines, from the Soule.that hold all perturbations, howsoeuer they may be occasioned, from the diuers Temperatures of Nature, yet to proceede immediately from the disposition of the Diuine Soule, either qualified with grace, and so expressing the same in the further ayme and imployment of such Affections, as tend to good, or else oppressed with corruption, and so discouering it selfe in those Affections of Malice, Enuie, &c.
This latter to be true, appeareth first by the Operation From the Soule proued.of the Soule in these perturbations, without the vse of Senses, as in dreams: secōdly, as also by the cōtrary temper of Diseased parties, whē such humours doe most abound, as in the Iaundize, though Choller abound, yet there …s least signe vsually of Anger: thirdly, & especially seeing these are Euils of sinne, therefore seeing the Soule is the immediate subiect of sinne, and not the Body, the Body accidentally sinnes for the Soules sake: it must needs follow, that these Affections proceede from the Soule, and not the Bodie, not the Humours, &c.
And therefore, though Answ. to Obiect.the Soule seeme to follow the temperature of the body, in regard, that the body being out of temper, the minde also fareth accordingly: yet neither is this generall, but onelyonly in some persons, and vponupon some occasions. Neither that, that it may only at all be so referred to the body, as that it doth actually worke vponupon the soule, making it suffer thereby. But either this falls out, in regard How the Soule suffers from the Body.of the neere coniunction of the soule and body, the soule sympathizing herein with the body, as a louing companion: or the Iustice of the Lord, by this outward chastisement of the body, arrests the soule, to giuegive vp it account, or affects the same in merciemercy, to renue repentance: It being a certaine ground, that the soule is the onelyonly …d prime mouer of the …ody, and all the actions …hereof: so that it were …onstrous and preposte…ous, that the body should …oue any such Affections … the soule, contrary to it …mmortall and impassible …ature.
And therefore howsoe…er the wisedome of flesh was enforced to acknow…edge the Immortalitie of …he soule, both in that the …nward power thereof, in …ccusing, and excusing sinne, necessarily reacheth beyond this life: And it …aturall light soaring a…oue these earthly things, doth argue plainely some further happinesse to belong thereto, then to this life is incident: yea, th… not satisfaction thereof in any earthly thing whatsoeuer, doth plainely euidence, that there is some further happinesse to content the same: yet seeing this Light serueth onelyonly to make inexcusable, as appeareth by the contrary practise of men to their knowledge, therefore hath it beene iustly giuen vp to such dotages, and blockish imaginations: which, though they crosse euen naturall light, yet they may serue to the satisfaction of the flesh, that so enioying herein a shew of happinesse, they might be preuented of the search of …he true happinesse, which …oncernes the Life to …ome.
And hence arose these …range and contrarie O…inions Ground of these false Conceits, concerning Affections.concerning the Affections, according to …hose diuers Models and …deas of happinesse which …he wise men of the world …amed to themselues. For whereas the Stoikes placed 1. Stoikes.…heir happinesse in such a …ind of tranquilitie, and …eace of the mind, which …ight rather be senselesse …f euill, then sensible of any …ood, because they had no …se, nor experience of Grace, to the subduing of …heir affections, and orde…ing them to the true ob…ects and ends: therefore in their carnall wisedome they coniected such a kind of senselesse happinesse, as might be free from all affections: As esteeming them to be no better then Perturbations, tending to disturbe the peace of their minds, that so they might put out that light of conscience, expressed in the Affections, and accusing them of Enill, whereby they were bound to the punishment of another life, and so thereby confirme their imaginarie happinesse in the things of this life. VVherein, though they did not obscurely discouer their notion of the soules immortalitie, in that they laboured hereby to preuent that vse of conscience which conuinced the same, by the sense of future punishment due thereto: so herein also did they plainely proue the wisedome of the flesh to be enmitie against God, & their owne saluation, in that they placed happinesse in such a benummed and senselesse an estate, which of all other was farthest from true happinesse, as hauing no feeling nor comfort thereof, and by it sense lessenes in euill prooued necessarily the high way to most certaine condemnation, as seruing to make vp the measure of sinne. And like vntounto these, is the conceit of the Libertines, who mis-conceiuing the powe… and application of Christ, as if he came to take away onelyonly the sense of sinne, and not the power and guilt of it, doe therefore hereby measure their interest in Christ, that they are senselesse in sinne, commit it most greedily without any remorse, and wallow most securely and desperately therein.
Thus as the Stoike and Libertine placed their happinesse in meere stupiditie and blockishnesse, so the Epicure on the contrary, placing happinesse in the sense, and in such things as might best affect the same, for the enioying of present delight, and car…all appetite, as esteeming it no happinesse, which is …ot by sense enioyed: …onceiued therefore so …nely of the soule, that it …erued onelyonly as salt, to keepe the body from pu…rifying, and make it sen…ible of delight, and so …oncluded of the Affecti…ns, as to be onelyonly the ef…ects of the Complexions …nd Humors of the body, …eruing onelyonly to expresse …heir naturall inclinations …nd operations, to the sa…isfying of the Flesh: 2. Epicure, and his confusion.Wherein, as they plainely discouered their estranging from the life of God, through the ignorance that was in them, in their confining their Affections to … carnall and senselesse pa… of nature: I meane, th… body, separated from th… soule, whereby they v… terly excluded themselue… from all true notion o… the Deitie, from all tru… fellowship with Him which is onelyonly attayne… by the Mind and Affect… ons thereof: so in thi… their prostituting of thes… noble affects of the diuin… soule to the guide & lur… of corruptible flesh: eue… wherein they seemed t… bee wise, they becam… fooles, cōfounding themselues in their owne imaginations, and ouerthrowing that sensuall happinesse which they fancied herein. For whereas they placed their chiefe happinesse in the sense & feeling of carnall delights, Let vsus …at and drinke, for to mor…ow 1. Cor. 15we shall die; they did vtterly depriue themselues of that which they most aymed at, namely, …o enioy the sense & com…ort of these sensuall meanes: in that they deri…ed and placed these affections only from and in …he complexions and hu…ours, which of themselues are altogether void of sense, and appetite. Wherein, as they altoge…her bewrayed their igno…ance of the true happi…esse, and so iustly depri…ed themselues thereof, in that they placed it onelyonly in the enioying of suc… corruptible things, which end with this life: so, howsoeuer their mayne ayme herein was, that by imputing these perturbations to complexions and humours, they might hereby conclude a determining of sinn… with this life, and so a… hope of the determining … punishment. (seeing these affections ending heere the other which proceede… therefrom, must necessarily end also:) or else, seeing these humours are im… patible, senselesse, &c. therefore sinne proceeding hereof, must neede… be a meere priuation, a nullitie, &c.
Yet as herein they discouered themselues to be without God, and so without hope of the life of Glorie: so hereby they made vp more speedily the measure of their sinne, and so were led like fooles vntounto the Stocks, and Oxen to the Shambles.
Wherein, that they might make vp the measure of their damnation.
Behold herein a further delusion of the Sadduces, 4. Sadduces.imagining, that these carnall Affections shal accompanie vsus to Heauen; that the Happinesse thereof consists onelyonly in satisfying our carnall appetites, that so we need not make scruple of them; nay, that we may giuegive the bridle most freely vntounto them: as beeing the next way to hauehave an Heauen vppon Earth, to prepare our selues on Earth vntounto Heauen.
Thus the Wisdome of the Flesh, as it is enmitie against God, so it iustly proues i… Rom. 8. 7.owne confusion. And therefore it being apparant by that which hath beene said before, that our Affections cannot proceed immediately from the Complexions, or Humours, but from the Diuine Spirit; these grounds may be further added, by way of conclusion, for the confirmation hereof.
As first, that the Affections in wicked Men, euen 3. Reasons proouing, that they arise from the mind.in the best complexions, and temper of the body, euen when they are furthered with all outward contentments, to the satisfying of the flesh, as in the best measure of health and outward prosperitie, are then most vile & outragious. Whether wee consider such Affections as concerne the acting of sinne; as appeares in the pursuit of our Lust, Reuenge, or such like: or take notice of such as concerne the punishment thereof, as Feare, Horror, and the like. As appeared in Belshazz…r, Dan. 5.in the midst of his greatest riot, and pompous Excesse. Which plainely argues, that they follow the temper of the Minde, and not the condition of the Body.
As also, on the other side, the Affections of the godly, in the worst constitution, and condition of the Body, and Outward Estate, are yet notwithstanding, by the grace of God ruling in the heart, made more pure and tempera…e, more conformable to the will of God, more fitted to the right end.
Secondly, vntounto which if wee adde, that it is the Tit. 2. 11.Grace of God only (whereof the Soule is only capable) that altereth and purgeth our affections of their corrupt and pestilent qualities, and so turneth them to their contrary and proper Obiects; as, Slauish Feare, into Filiall Feare, Carnall louelove, into the louelove of God, and goodnesse, &c. By this it necessarily followeth, that our Affections proceed immediately from the Soule, and hauehave their residence therein.
Thirdly, if wee shall consider, that our most principall and noblest Affections, of LoueLove and Ioy, are not determined and perfited in this life, but doe accompanie vsus after death; as whereby we expresse our enioying of eternall Happinesse, euen when the body lyes rotten in the Graue: this is a plaine euidence, that they arise out of the Soule, as their proper Fountaine.