Of Peace and Contentment of Mind, Book 3 · Chapter 1
CHAPTER I. That the right Government of Paſſions depends of right Opinion.
THe right employment of a Chriſtian Philoſopher that will have peace at home is to calme the tumult of Paſſions. For the ſenſitive Appetite is in the ſoule as the common people in a State. It is the dregs and the loweſt part of the ſpirit, that hath a neere affinity with the outward ſenſe, greedy, raſh, tumultuous, prone to diſcontent and munity. Reaſon in a mans ſoul holds the place of a Soveraine, which many times is ill obeyed. She is like the coachman, and the Paſſions like the horſes, fierce and hardmouthed, pulling hard againſt the bridle, which many times they pluck out of her hands.
Of this a cauſe is given, which is natural and good. That the firſt yeares of life before a man be capable of the uſe of reaſon are altogether under the empire of the Appetite, which being uſed to rule doth not willingly become a ſubject to Reaſon, when age and inſtruction awake that higher faculty; and in many that rebellion holds till they be farre gone in their life, or to the very end. Wherefore it will be a wiſe part to tame the opiniatre appetite of children, beginning at the firſt yeare of their life, to teach their eager will to bee denyed. He that was uſed to yeeld to his Nurſe, hath already taken a ply of obedience, and will more readily bow to reaſon when age brings it.
That tender age breeds another cauſe of the diſobedience of Paſſions to right reaſon: That the childs judgement is dyed with falſe Opinions of the objects which his appetite imbraceth. For in the age when the Appetite is ſole regent in the ſoul, the Fancy and the Memory are filled with images proportionate to the outward appearance, making the child take all that is guilded for maſſy gold, all glittering things for precious, and feathers and ſugar plums for the Soveraigne good. Which firſt imaginations, being ſomewhat cleared of their groſſeſt fogge by age and experience, yet leave theſe falſe notions in the minde, that things are within ſuch as they appeare without: and that wealth gallantry and the pleaſure of the taſte, are the beſt things of the world; Opinions which preſently prove ſeeds of covetuouſneſſe ambition and luxury, which in ſhort time (as all ill woedes) will grow ſtrong and fill the ſoul with trouble and miſery.
Then the firſt, yea the onelyonly courſe to free the Appetite of vicious Paſſions, is to heale the underſtanding of erroneous Opinions. The Appetite cannot but goe aſtray when the underſtanding is blind. When the underſtanding is free of error, the Appetite is free of Vice. For although many times Paſſion runne into diſorder contrary to the light of the underſtanding, that never hapens but when the underſtanding hath conſented for a while to ſome falſe opinion ſeduced by flattery of Paſſion, that ſtroakes him and puts her hand before his eyes; for it is impoſſible for the Appetite to embrace that which Reaſon ſeeth and pronounceth to be altogether evill.
The great error of the underſtanding, which makes the paſſion to apply it ſelfe to an evill object, or to a good object otherwiſe then it ſhould, is a miſtake in the true price & true inconvenience of things; Which being once well knowne, we ſhall bate much of our deſire & feare of moſt things which we ſeek or avoid with great earneſtneſſe, and ſhall become earneſt to get other things which we neglect, and to avoid other things which we deſire.
I have endeavored in my ſecond Book to repreſent the juſt price of the chief things that we commonly eſteem & deſire, & the true inconvenience of things that we diſeſteeme or feare. But becauſe it would be an endleſſe labour to treat of all the ſeverall objects of our Paſſions, I will but recommend to every perſon that loves the cleereneſſe and tranquillity of his mind, never to ſet his love and deſire upon any thing, before a mature conſideration of what it is and what it is worth, and never to be angry or ſorry for any thing before we hath calmly & leaſurely examined whether it be evill, and if ſo, then in what meaſure; weighing as carefully and impartially the qualities and circumſtances that contradict our inclination as thoſe that contribute towards it. Thus he that delights in a glaſſe muſt remember well that it is a glaſſe; & after he hath ſufficiently conſidered the pureneſſe of the matter and the handſomeneſſe of the faſhion, he muſt conſider alſo that it is brittle ſtuffe, and that it will laſt but till the next knock; So ſhall he learne to love it according to its true price, and no more; his love will laſt no longer then the glaſſe, and when it is broken he will ſay, I knew before that it was a glaſſe.
Thus alſo to love and deſire a deare perſon as much as it is fit, and no more, we muſt well conſider her nature and juſt value; And when Paſſions will overvalue her with Idea's of perfection above her juſt ſize, Reaſon will bate of it, ſaying, With al this perfection ſhe is a humane creature, and therefore faulty, mutable and mortal, and as ſuch I muſt deſire her before I have her, cheriſh her when I have her, and mourne for her when ſhe is taken from me. Let us proportion our affection to the quality of the ſubject, and we ſhall love it as we ought.
Thus for other Paſſions, right Opinion is the moderator. It keeps feare from increaſing dangers, pride and raſhneſſe from leſſening them, hatred and choller from making our enemies appeare more deformed and guilty then they are, ſadneſſe from aggravating evils, joy from diſappointment of falſe hopes. In a word, right opinion is the faithfull guide of the appetite, the rule of equity, the preſerver of tranquillity.
But becauſe when the objects ſhew themſelves the violent commotion of the paſſion, without warrant from the judgement many times will ſhake reaſon from right Opinion; it muſt be ſtudied upon, when the mind is at reſt, and reaſon confirmed in it by long and carefull inſtitution, and ſtrengthened by holy reſolution.
The firſt thing of which we muſt have a right opinion, is God: Not to preſume to comprehend the Incomprehenſible, but to have a reverend beleefe of his goodneſs, juſtice, power, and wiſedome, of his conſtancy in his promiſes and love; and of his eyes ever open and bent towards … both to keep us & to take notice of our thoughts, words, actions, and affections.
The next thing of which we muſt be carefull to get a right opinion is our ſelves, to know our owne ſtrength, that we repoſe not a groundleſs truſt upon it, and to marke the weakeſt places of our ſoules, and thoſe avenues by which temptations ſet upon our paſſion, that there we may double our guard.
Then we muſt endeavour to get a right opinion of the courſe of the world, the genius of the times, and the nature of men and buſineſſes, particularly of thoſe men that we muſt converſe with, and of the buſineſſes that concerne us. Of thoſe things alſo that uſe to flatter or fright our Paſſion, leſt we bee more moved to get or avoyd them then they are worth, and leſt we neglect them if they be worth ſeeking or ſhunning.
Thus in matter of ſeeking Preferment we muſt think ſoberly before, whether it be worth the neceſſary paines to get it, and whether it will recompenſe the cares, the envy, and the oppoſition that attend it. The like when we are tempted by unlawfull profit and pleaſure, the advantage that is hoped by it muſt be calmely weighed with the diſadvantage of diſpleaſing God and troubling our conſcience. And ſo when anger ſets us upon revenge, we muſt endeavour to get the right Opinion of the uſe of revenge, what comfort, what benefit it may bring, and whether meekneſſe & pardon of the offence for Gods ſake be not more capable and likely to bring us content and real utility.
It is an old and a wiſe counſel to make a pauſe every time that we feele ſome ſtrong commotion in our appetite, to give time to reaſon to conſider of it. That pauſe muſt be employed to ſcatter all the clouds that Paſſion ſpreads before the eyes of the underſtanding, and help reaſon to recover the ſight of right Opinion, that we may obey that wiſe and rational command of the Lord Jeſus John 7.24. Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgement.