The Portraiture of the Image of God in Man, Part 2 · Chapter 3 – Chapter 5
CHAP. III. How the paſsions are cured by the morall vertues.
THe morall Philoſophers cure the Paſsions by morall vertues onelyonly. Prop. Illuſt.
There are eleven morall vertues, that cure theſe paſſions; which vertues attend them, as Paedagogues waite upon their pupilles, and they fing unto them as nurſes do to their babes, foreign haſt not, burſt not forth; Theſe paſsions have their beginning in the appetite, and end in reaſon, but the vertues have their beginning in reaſon, and end in the ſenſitive appetite; therefore they may fitly rule the paſsions.
The eleven vertues, are Liberality, Temperance, Magnificence, Magnanimity, modesty, Fortitude, Iuſtice, meeknes, affability, urbanity or Courteſie; and Verity: and as the eleven paſsions are reduced to foure, ſo are the eleven vertues reduced to foure, which are called the foure cardinall vertues: Prudency, Temperance, Fortitude, and Iuſtice.
Theſe vertues cure the perturbations or paſsions, Prop. when they are either in exceſſe or defect, by drawing them to a mediocrity; and at laſt they attaine to their laſt happineſſe, being ruled by the heroicke vertues.
The moraliſt maketh a double middle. Illuſt. Firſt, when vertue is oppoſite to vice, and then the vice is to bee corrected by the vertue; here the one extreame is the meane, Virtus media, in extremo aut in medio.which muſt rectifie the other extreame. Secondly, when the vertue is interpoſed betwixt two vices, then the vertue muſt mediate betwixt them.
Here we may obſerve, Doctrine. that there is a greater difference betwixt the vertue and vice, than betwixt two vices; for there cannot be a middle betwixt vertue and vice, but there is middle betwixt two vices; this the Scripture ſheweth us, Revel. 3.15. I would yee were either hote or cold, but becauſe yee are luke-warme, therefore I will ſpew you out of my mouth; God will have no middle here betwixt truth and falſehood, therefore he abhorres more luke-warmeneſſe than coldneſſe: coldneſſe is not to be corrected by luke-warmeneſſe as the middle, but it muſt bee reduced to hotneſſe.
But there is a middle betwixt vice and vice, and theſe two are corrected by the vertue in the middle.
Example in the concupiſcible appetite, there are the vices of Prodigalitie in exceſſe, and the vice in defect is avarice; theſe two are to bee reduced to the middle liberalitie the vertue. So again in the concupiſcible appetite there is Morologia, ſcurrility; Hoſ. 7.3. They make the Kings heart merry with their lies; ſuch was the jeſting of the boyes at Eliſha, 2 King. 2 24. The other extremitie is ruſticitie or ſullenneſſe, ſuch was that clowne Nabal, and theſe can abide no mirth. Theſe two extremities are to be corrected, by foreign *Eſt nomen, foreign.which is when a man ſheweth himſelfe pleaſant without juſt offence to his neighbour; as when Elias jeaſted at the Idol Baal, 1 Kin. 18.27. So for a man to have too great a deſire of honour, this is called pride. The other extremitie is, to be altogether averſe from honour, this is called puſillanimitie or baſeneſſe of minde; theſe muſt be moderated by the vertue foreign, a moderate love of honour.
Example, 1 Tim. 3.1. Hee who deſireth a Biſhopricke deſireth a good worke, this is the middle; but when Amonius the Monke cut off his right eare, that they ſhould not make choyce of him to the miniſtry, this was the extremitie in defect. The other extremitie is, when preſumptuouſly, men ſeeke this calling, as when the high Prieſts ſought the Prieſthood by bribes.
Queſt. What ſort of middle is this, when vertue moderates betwixt two vices?
Anſw. Duplex medium, arithmeticum ſeu medium rei, et geometricum ſcu medium perſonae.There is a twofold middle; the firſt is called an Arith meticall middle, the ſecond is called a Geometricall middle; the firſt is called, medium rei, the ſecond is called medium perſonae ſeu rationis.
Medium arithmeticum, or medium rei, keepeth always an equall proportion betwixt the two extremes; as when the Iſraelites gathered their Manna, they put it all in one heape, then every man got his Gomer meaſured out unto him, for they gote all alike Exod 16.19. 2 Cor. 8.15. But medium geometricum, ſeu perſonae, vel rationis, draweth neerer the one extreme than the other, and giveth to the perſons according to their conditions and eſtate, as it giveth ſtrong meate to thoſe that are ſtrong, and milke to babes, Heb. 5.13. So the vertue that is placed betwixt two vices, it keepes Geometricall middle, and ſtands not equally betwixt the two extremes, for prodigalitie commeth neerer to liberality than avarice doth.
Marke a difference betwixt morall vertues and theoligical; Differunt virtutes morales et theologicae.the moral vertues are the middle betwixt the two extremes; but in Divinitie if ye ſhall conſider the theologicall vertues as they hauehave a reſpect to God, (and that infinite good) they cannot be a middle, for theſe which have a middle, faile either when they come ſhort or exceede the middle: but wee cannot exceede, when wee looke to God who is infinite, for wee may come ſhort there.
Object. But hope ſeemeth to bee a middle betwixt preſumption and deſpaire, then in the theologicall vertues there may be a middle.
Anſw. There is a double middle; the firſt is called medium formale, Duplex medium, 1 formale vel quantitatis abſolutae. 2. materiale vel proportionis.a form all middle; or, the middle of quantitie: and this reſpects the inward eſſence of the vertue, here no middle is found: the ſecond is called a material midle, or a midle of proportion, and in this we may either exceed or come ſhort, becauſe of the eight circumſtances that accompany every action; which are comprehended under this technicall Verſe.
Quis? quid? vbi? quibus? & cur? quomodo? quando? quibuſcum;
That is, every action is tried by theſe circumſtances:
Who? what? and why? by what meanes? and by whoſe?
How? when? and where? doe many things diſcloſe.
As, who doth it; what he doth; where he doth it; and by what inſtrument, &c. If we reſpect theſe circumſtances, then a man may exceed or come ſhort of religion.
Example, foreign, true worſhip is the middle; foreign, and foreign atheiſme and ſuperſtition are the two extremities; if we reſpect religion in it ſelfe ſecundúm formale, as it is me dium quantitatis abſolutae, here we cannot exceed and be too religious, for religion it ſelfe is oppoſite to all defects of religion So hope, in reſpect of the inward forme of it, looking directly towards God, wee cannot exceede here, although we come ſhort; but reſpecting the matter of it, and weighing all circumſtances in hope, a man may preſume or deſpaire; as who hopeth; what he hopeth for? when hee hopeth? and ſuch.
The matter may be cleared by another example when we conſider Iuſtice as Iuſtice, we cannot exceed in Iuſtice, or be too juſt; but conſidering Iuſtice in reſpect of circumſtances, a Iudge may be either too juſt, Eccleſ, 7.16. noli eſſe nimiùm juſtus; be not too just; and ſo exceede the middle: or he may be deficient in Iuſtice, having no reſpect of the poore in judgement, theſe two are equally abomination before the Lord, Prov. 17.15. to let the wicked goe, and condemne the innocent; the one in exceſſe; and the other in defect. So, Exod. 23.4. Yee ſhall not have pittie vponupon the poore for his poverty.
As theſe paſſions are cured by drawing them to the vertues, the mediocritie: ſo they are cured when all theſe vertues are joyned together, and ruled by the Heroicke vertues; and then the moraliſts hold that a man may attaine, ad ultimum finem, to true happineſſe it ſelfe without any helpe of Gods grace, onelyonly through the remnants of the Image of God remaining ſtill in them yet after the fall.
When all theſe paſsions are cured by the vertues, the moraliſts make up a perfect Lady whom they paint forth to us after this ſort, they ſay her forerunners are, obedience, continencie and patience; her attendants which attend her are many, as ſecurity, hope, tranquillitie, joy, reverence, clemency, modeſty, and mercy: they deſcribe her ſelfe this way; her head is wiſedome, her eyes prudencie, her heart love, her ſpirits charity, her hand liberality, her breaſt religion, her thighes juſtice, her health temperance, and fortitude her ſtrength.
But this Lady trimmed thus, is but a farded Helena, untill grace come in and ſanctifie her. Wee ſee this betwixt Diogenes & Plato, & betwixt Ariſtippus and Diogenes, how every one of them diſcovered, that their vertues were but ſhewes of vertues. When Diogenes ſaw Plato delight in neatneſſe and cleanneſſe, and to have his beds well dreſſed, he went and trod upon his beds, and he ſaid calco Platonis Faſtum, I tread upon Plato's pride Plato replyed, ſed majori Faſtu, with a greater pride. Againe, when Plato ſaw Diogenes goe with an old cloake full of holes, he ſaid he ſaw his pride through the holes of his cloake When Diogenes was dreſſing rootes for his dinner, Ariſtippus came in; Diogenes ſaid unto him if Ariſtippus mere content with ſuch a dinner, he needed not to fawne upon Kings & flatter them. Ariſtippus replied, If Diogenes could uſe Kings, he needed not to eate of ſuch rootes; thus we ſee how Diogenes taxed Ariſtippus pride and Ariſtippus againe Diogenes his counterfeit humilitie.
So wee ſee likewiſe their vertues to bee counterfeit vertues; for they counted this an Heroicke vertue to kill themſelves, either for feare of ſhame as Luerecia did, and Cleopatra; or for vaine-glory, as when M. Curtius leapt into the gulfe at Rome, in the time of a great peſtilence, thinking there was no other remedy to take it away.
Queſt. What are we to thinke of theſe paſſions ruled by the morall vertues in the heathen, whether were they ſinne or not?
Anſw. God liketh the workes of men two wayes. Complacētia Dei duplex foreign.Firſt, by a generall liking of them, becauſe they proceed from the reliques of intire nature yet left in man, Rom. 2.14. for by nature they did the things of the Law, 1 Cor. 11.14. doth not nature it ſelfe teach you?
Secondly, he liketh them according to his good pleaſure, when he loved them as renewed in Chriſt. The workes of the Heathen which proceeded from the remnant light of nature were not done by them as renued men; neither did they proceed from the corruption of nature, as when a man ſinnes; but from the ſparkle of naturall light, which he left in them. So if wee reſpect the worke it ſelfe, the good workes of the Gentiles are not ſinnes, and in this ſenſe it is ſaid, 2 King. 10.30. Iehu did that which was good in the ſight of the Lord. So, Gen. 20.26 thou didſt this in the integritie of thy heart.
But if wee conſider theſe vertues according to the Goſpell, then we muſt call them ſinnes, Opera gentilium ſine fide, pecca ſunt,becauſe they proceeded not from faith; For without faith it is impiſsible to pleaſe God, Heb. 11.
Secondly, if we reſpect the end of their workes, Opera gentilium reſpectu finis ſunt peccata.they are ſinnes, becauſe they did them not for the glory of God, but for their owne prayſe.
Thirdly, in reſpect of the ſubject of their good works, becauſe the perſons were not renued who did them. If the perſon be not renued, his workes cannot be accepted before God. Aurichalcum, latten or copper, is called a falſe mettall, not becauſe it is a falſe ſubſtance, but becauſe it is falſe gold. So theſe workes of the heathen, are falſe vertues, becauſe they proceed not from faith; but they are not ſimply falſe.
CHAP. IIII. How the Stoickes cure the Paſsions.
THe Stoickes take another courſe to cure theſe paſsions; for they would root them out of the nature of man, as altogether ſinfull. A man having the gout, one layeth a plaiſter to his feet, which ſo benummed them that he can walke no more, here the phyſicke is worſe than the diſeaſe. So the Stoicks when they feele perturbations in the paſsions, they would pull them out; here the remedy is worſe than the diſeaſe. As at the firſt, in Athens the thirtie tyrants cauſed to bee put to death ſome wicked man; but afterward they began to kill good citizens; ſo the Stoickes at the firſt ſet themſelves againſt the ſinfull paſsions, and at laſt againſt the good Citizens, the beſt paſsions: for they would roote out of man the chiefe helpes, which God hath placed in the ſoule, for the proſecuting of good, and declyning of evill: if there were not paſsions in the ſoule, then there ſhould be no vertues to moderate them; for take away feare and hardneſſe from fortitude, then fortitude were no more a vertue.
The paſſions are aſcribed both to Chriſt and God, and therefore are not to be rooted out.
Chriſt himſelfe tooke theſe paſsions upon him, therefore they cannot bee ſinne, Luke 10.21. Hee was angrie, Marke 3.5. He was ſad, Math. 26.38. and rejoyced, Luke 10.21. They are ſanctified by regeneration. The Apoſtle, Rom. 1.30. condemnes the want of naturall affection, hee calls them foreign, without naturall affection.
They are aſcribed to God foreign, therefore they cannot be ſin. If the Stoicks ſhould reade that there are Ilands and Countreys, as Delos and Egypt, which had never felt the violence of earthquakes, and which had continued immoveable, when all other parts of the world had beene ſhaken, would they beleeve it? Why ſhould they then beleeve that there are men to be found voyd of all paſſions? They grant us this power, to tame Elephants, Tygers and Lyons; (and yet not to deſtroy them) why will they not allow us this power then, to ſuppreſſe theſe paſsions, when they riſe againſt reaſon? They muſt not then be rooted out but moderated: we muſt not take away diverſitie of tunes in Muſicke, but reduce them to good order, and ſo make up a harmonie.
CHAP. V. How Chriſt cureth the Paſsions.
CHriſt taking our nature and paſsions upon him, Prop. it is hee that onelyonly reduceth them to right order.
Chriſt rectifieth the paſsions, foure manner of wayes. Illuſt. 1 Firſt, he ſubdueth the paſsions that they ariſe not inordinately; Chriſtus quatuor modis moderatur paſſiones, 1. ſubjugando.Eſay. 11.5. it is ſaid, Iuſtice ſhall be the girdle of his loynes, to ſignifie that by juſtice all his ſenſuall affections are ſuppreſſed. Duplex cingendi modus: 1. ſurſum verſus ad mammillas, 2. deorſum verſus ad lumbos & renes.Againe, Revel. 1.13. Chriſt is brought in, with his girdle about his paps; to ſignifie that Ieſus Chriſt ſubdued, not onelyonly his ſenſitive faculties but alſo the intellectuall, in his will, and underſtanding; and it was for this that the High Prieſt under the law was forbidden to we are his girdle, about his ſweating places, Ezek. 44.18. that is, about his middle, as the Chal. de Paraphraſe interpreteth it, not beneath, but about his pappes; to ſignifie the moderation of all his paſsions; It is a true axiome; quod operatur Chriſtus pro nobis, oper atur in nobis; that which Chriſt doth for us, he doth in us: He ſubdueth his owne paſſions, Reconciliando.that He may ſubdue our paſsions.
Secondly, Chriſt reconciles the paſsions, which ſtrive ſo one againſt another: Iudg. 17.6. when there was no King in Iſrael, every man might doe what hee pleaſed; ſo theſe paſſions doe what they pleaſe, contradicting one another, till Chriſt come in to reconcile them. Moſes when he ſaw two Hebrewes ſtriving together, he ſayd, ye are brethren, why doe ye ſtrive? Exod. 2.13. So when Chriſt ſeeth the paſsions ſtriving one with another, Hee ſaith, Yee are brethren, why doe yee ſtrive? Acts 7.24.
Thirdly, Rectificando.Chriſt ſets the paſsions upon their right objects, whereas before they were ſet upon the wrong objects, and he turnes theſe inordinate deſires the right way. A man takes a bleeding at the noſe, the way to ſtay the bloud is to divert the courſe of it, and open a veine in the arme. So the Lord draweth the paſſions from their wrong objects, and turnes them to another. Mary Magdalen was given to uncleane luſt, the Lord diverted this ſinfull paſſion, and ſhe became penitent, and thirſted after grace, Luk. 8.2. So hee turned the paſſions of Saul when he was a bloudy murtherer, to thirſt for grace, Act. 9. We know a womans appetite to be a falſe appetite, when ſhee deſireth to eate raw fleſh, or coales, or ſuch traſh: and that ſhee is mending againe when her appetite is ſet upon wholſome meates. So when the paſſions are ſet upon wrong objects, then a man is in the eſtate of ſinne: but when the paſsions are turned to the right objects, then a man becomes the child of God.
Fourthly, when Chriſt hath ſent theſe paſſions upon the right object, Immobiliter permanendo.hee ſettles them that they cannot bee mooved; for as the needle in the compaſſe trembleth ſtill, till it bee directly ſetled towards the North pole; then it ſtands. So the affections are never ſetled, till they bee ſet upon the right object, and there he tyes them, that they ſtart not away againe, Pſalme 86.9. David prayeth, knit my heart to thee, O Lord. The beaſts when they were brought to be made a ſacrifice, were tyed with cords to the hornes of the Altar, Pſalm. 118.27. that they might not ſtart away againe: So the Lord muſt tye the affections to the right objects that they ſtart not away againe.
The paſſions are either in the concupiſcible or iraſcible part of the Soule. There be ſix paſſions in the concupiſcible appetite; Love, hatred, deſire, abomination, pleaſure, ſadneſſe.