The Vanity of the Lives and Passions of Men, Chapter 5
CHAP. V.
Of the vanity of mens paſsions in general.
THe next aggravation of the vanity of the lives of men, after the former deſcription of the vanity of their deſires, is the vanity of their paſſions, with the exorbitant care they take for the cure of their bodily diſeaſes, and their unparallel'd careleſneſs of the cure of the maladies of their ſouls; for what greater vanity can there be, then to prefer the health of their body that is momentary and nothing but duſt, to the preſervation of the welfare and tranquillity of their immortall ſouls, who are in the eſteem of our bleſſed Saviour,aMar. 8.37 ſuch a precious Jewel that there is nothing under the Sun, that for value may be given in exchange for it: and yet it is daily ſeen, that if their finger doth but ake, or if they have but a quotidian ague, (that is a wholſom medicine in the Spring) they will preſently take their bed, and ſend for the beſt Phyſitians, and will ingenuouſly declare unto them the ſymptoms of their diſeaſe, that they may the better preſcribe fit remedies for the cure of it: but if their ſouls be ſick, by the rageful diſtempers of their paſſions, which breed ſtorms of preturbations in their ſoules, as the impetuous windes do tempeſts at ſea, they make nothing of it, neither will they ſend for a ſpiritual Phyſitian, that can pour in their feſtered wounds the Balm ofbJer. 8.22. Gilead, and aſſwage by their grave Counſels the fury of their paſſions, but will rather, if any come to viſit them, unſent for, diſguiſe their vicious paſſions, by the names of vertues, for they commonly call Ambition a deſire of Glory, and Avarice a prudent fore-caſt; and the furious paſſion of wrath a generoſity of courage, and ſo of all the reſt: and by this concealing and diſguiſhing of their ſpiritual maladies, make them by cuſtome utterly incurable. This common vanity of men hath induced divers learned Authors, to preſcribe in their Writings, divers excellent remedies to cure theſe concealed maladies of the ſoul: but before I ſpeak of the remedies, it is fit the Reader ſhould be informed of the eſſentiall cauſe of theſe diſtempers, for as it is impoſſible for a Phyſitian to cure the bodily infirmities of his patient before he be acquainted with the nature of them; even ſo it is far more impoſſible for the Reader to pacifie the fury of his paſſions, before he be informed by theſe inſuing particulars of the cauſe and nature of them. I will therefore ſpeak in order of theſe things.
1. Of the two diſtinct powers of the ſoul.
2. Of the Concupiſcible and Iraſcible appetite.
3. Of the definition of mens paſſions.
4. Of their ſeat, and number.
5. Of their original ſpring.
6. Of their evil and good eſſects.
Firſt,There are two diſtinct powers in the ſoul. the ſoul is diſtinguiſhed into two diſtinct powers, the one is called Rational, the other Senſitive: the Rational is onelyonly peculiar to men, but the Senſitive is common to men and beaſt.See Ariſtotle in his Phyſ. lib. 16, 17. The Rational is a ſpark of the divine eſſence, and therefore immaterial, and immortal, but the Senſitive is materiall and earthly, and therefore mortal and corruptible, and from hence the Chriſtian Philoſophy,And Senault upon the uſe of paſſions. doth infer the reſurrection of the body, becauſe it hath ſuch an affinity with one of the powers of the ſoul; beſides, the Rational power doth its operations without the aid of the corporal organs, but the Senſitive cannot execute its functions without the aſſiſtance of the organs of the body, and that is the reaſon, why the operations of it are more carnal, and thoſe of the Rational more divine and celeſtial; and this made St. Paul cRom. 7.23, 24, 25.cry out, But I ſee another law in my members warring againſt the law of my minde, and bringing me into captivity to the law of ſin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am, who ſhall deliver me from the body of this death! I thank God through Ieſus Chriſt our Lord: ſo then, with the minde I my ſelf ſerve the Law of God, but with the fleſh the law of ſin: Moreover, the Rational power of the ſoul is the ſpring of all the intellectual faculties of the minde, but the Senſitive power is the ſpring of the ſenſes, and of all the affections and paſſions of men.
Secondly, Becauſe this Senſitive power is diſtinguiſhed into two diſtinct appetites, viz. the Concupiſcible, and the Iraſcible, which are properly the faculties that the French call Appetitives, which intimates in the Engliſh tongue an aptneſs,See Beau-lieu in his Body of Philoſophy, pa. 721. an inſtinct, or natural inclination, inticing men and beaſt to purſue ſuch objects as ſeem Good, or to fly from ſuch objects that ſeem to be Evil; and the truth is,The proprieties of the Concupiſcible and Iraſcible appetites. that the propriety of the Concupiſcible appetite is to induce men to proſecute the objects that ſeem ſimply to be Good, or to draw them back from ſuch that ſeem ſimply to be Evil, who have no appearance in them to be difficult to be obtained, or to be avoided: and the propriety of the Iraſcible appetite is to intice men to meet the objects preſented by the ſenſes unto them after a ſhort reſult of the imagination that be not onelyonly ſimply good or evil, but full of difficulties to obtain or to eſchew; for the ſeeming good ſimply,See Ariſtotle in his Phyſio. lib. 16. cap. 3. is the proper object of the Concupiſcible appetite, becauſe it is pleaſant and uſeful to men or beaſt, and may be obtained without difficulty; but the ſeeming good that is apparently difficult to obtain, and the evil that is hard to avoid, is the proper object of the Iraſcible appetite: But you are in this place to take notice once for all, That the objects that the ſenſes repreſent to mens phanſies, or imaginations are not always really good, nor really evil, becauſe the judgments of men are oftentimes deluded by the ſenſes, who varniſh over the good with evil, and the evil with good; and that is the reaſon why this phraſe of ſeeming good, or ſeeming evil, is uſed ſo often in theſe Diſcourſes.
Thirdly,The definition of paſſion, according to Ariſtotle and the Biſhop of Ma…ſeilles. Paſſions argues imperfection in the ſubject, and a diſtemper in the ſenſitive power of the ſoul: and here is the definition of the general words of Paſſions: Paſsion is nothing but a motion of the ſenſitive appetite proceeding from the apprehenſion of a reall or ſeeming good or evil, which begets an alteration in the body againſt the law of Nature: Mens paſſions are born with them, and therefore cannot be utterly extinguiſhed, neither by an habit of moral Vertue, nor by Grace; but their ſury may be allaid, and their diſtemper regulated; they never ariſe but there is an apparent alteration of the body, as it is noted in the deſinition above related, and this alteration proceeds after this maner, the objects having been repreſented to the imagination by the ſenſes; if it conceives them to be good; the concupiſcible appetite doth intice men to proſecute theſe objects, and having obtained their deſire, there proceeds from the injoyment of it, a paſſion of joy and delight, which dilates the blood, with the vital ſpirits that reſide in it to the extreameſt part of the body; and the heart being deprived of ſome of his natural heat, makes an alteration in the body, that is apparently ſeen in the face, which hath by it a more pleaſant aſpect, and a more ruddy complexion then ordinary; but if this delight or joy be violent and come unexpectedly, it makes a contrary alteration in the face, for then it becomes pale, and the body falls into a ſwound,That mens paſſions cauſe varieties of changes and alterations in the body. and ſometimes deprives the party of life, becauſe the ſuddain violence of the paſſion, hath driven all the blood and vital ſpirits from the heart, and ſo for want of heat the life is extinguiſhed. Contrarily, if the objects procure a paſſion of fear, then the blood and the vital ſpirits reſident in it, with-draw from the extream parts of the body, and aſcend up to the heart to comſort the ſame, and ſtir up the paſſion of undantedneſs to oppoſe this fear, but in the mean time, this irregular motion of the heart, and the running of the blood cauſeth an apparent alteration in the body, for the face and all the members of the body loſe their natural complexion and become pale, the knees, feet, and hands trembling, as if the party had the dead-palſey. Nay, if this paſſion be violent, and happen unexpectedly, it will deprive the party of life, for it will bring up ſuch a ſuperfluous current of blood and vital ſpirits about the heart, that it will be ſmothered by it, as it ſhall be proved by divers inſtances in convenient time and place. But ſome will object, How can the powers of the ſoul ſympathize thus with the accidents that happen to the body? I anſwer, that it is by the communication that is between the Senſitive power of the ſoul, and the organs of the body, as it appears in the paſſions of Delight and Dolour; for if a man injoy any pleaſure, the ſenſitive power of the ſoul hath her part of this delight; likewiſe if his body be racked, the ſenſitive power of his ſoul ſuffers her part of the torments, for the body and the ſoul is but one individual, the body without a ſoul being but a lump of clay, the one being the matter, and the other the form; or the the body is the Bulk of the ſhip, and the ſoul the Helm that guideth the ſame.
Fourthly,That the heart is the ſeat of mens paſſions, according to Ariſtotle in his Phyſiogn. lib. 16. the paſſions of men are ſeated in the heart, becauſe it is the ſeat of the Senſitive power from which they are derived: and this is the opinion of Ariſtotle, and other ancient and modern Authors: yet divers are of another judgment, ſome would have the ſeat of them to be in the liver, others in the gall, others in the ſpleen: but, becauſe the reaſons & arguments they uſe to prove their opinion, have been confuted for erronious, I will not trouble you with them, ſpecially ſith our bleſſed Saviour doth confirm by theſe words,dMatth. 7.21. that they are ſeated in the heart, For from within, out of the heart proceeds evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, &c. And theſe are the effects of mens paſſions, nay,And of Beau-Lieu. in his Body of Philoſophy, pa. 722, 723. daily experience confirms the point; by the carriage of young children who are addicted to envy, vindication, wrath, and divers other paſſions, before they be able by their rational power to diſtinguiſh the good from the evil, becauſe the rational power that is ſeated in the Underſtanding doth increaſe by age: but the Senſitive power is bred with us; and therefore the heart is the true ſeat of the paſſions, affections, and inclinations of men.
As for the number of the paſſions of men, it is uncertain, for they may be multiplied by the limitation of their objects, as the windes have been of late: for at the firſt they were but four, the Eaſt, North, Weſt, and South, and then they were multiplied to eight, and afterwards to ſixteen, and then to two and thirty, and of late they have been multiplied to threeſcore and four: as for the paſſions, Ariſtotle was of opinion that there was but one general paſſion, and that was Love: Others ſaid there were but two, and they were Delight, and Dolour; others ſaid there were but four, and they were Ioy, Sorrow, Hope and Fear; and this opinion was grounded upon reaſon, for whatſoever men act or undertake, they delight, grieve, fear or hope. That there is eleven general paſſions.But Beau-lieu, and the Biſhop of Marſeilles maintain there are eleven general paſſions, but Senault a modern Author hath made them up twelve, to make the paſſions of the Iraſcible appetite equall with thoſe of the Concupiſcible appetite, and ſo hath brought in remiſneſs; which in the two former Authors opinions, nor in mine, can be no general paſsion, becauſe it is mixt or compoſed of Love and Compaſsion: and theſe are the eleven general paſsions, and the ſix of the Concupiſcible appetite ſhall have the precedency. Firſt, Love. Secondly Hatred Thirdly, Deſire. Fourthly, Flight or Eſchewing Fifthly, Ioy. Sixthly, Dolour, or Sorrow: and theſe are the five of the Iraſcible appetite: Firſt, Fear. Secondly, Vndauntedneſs or Boldneſs. Thirdly, Hope. Fourthly, Deſpair. Fifthly, Wrath, or Choler. And here followeth their definition according to Beau-Lieu, The definition of theſe eleven paſſions according to Beau-Lieu, pag. 723.which I conceive to be the beſt. Firſt, Love, is a motion, an appetite, an affection, or paſsion towards a thing which is lovely, and pleaſant unto us, whether it be preſent or abſent. Secondly, Hatred is a paſsion againſt ſome thing that is adverſe, or ſeemeth evil unto us, whether it be preſent or abſent. Thirdly, Deſire, called by ſome Concupiſcence, is an affection to poſſeſs, and injoy a thing that is abſent, which is pleaſant unto us. Fourthly, Flight is a Paſsion inticing us to eſchew, or fly from a thing that ſeemeth evil, or is adverſe unto us. Fifthly, Ioy, Delight, or Volupty is the poſſeſſion, or injoyment of the thing deſired, which ſeemed good and pleaſant unto us. Sixthly, Dolour or Sorrow is a paſſion, proceeding from the anguiſh of the body, or from ſome evil accident hapned unto us: Theſe ſix paſsions are incident to the Concupiſcible appetite; and theſe five following to the Iraſcible appetite. Firſt, Fear is an apprehenſion of an evil that is neer, and hard to be avoided. Secondly, Vndantedneſs, is an aſſurance or confidence that we can avoid, or overcome an evil, though it be never ſo difficult. Thirdly, Hope is an expectation of a good that we deſire and long for; in the obtaining of which we ſee ſome probability, although it be invironed or compaſſed about with great difficulties. Fourthly, Deſpair is a paſſion that inticeth us to fly back, or retreat from the purſuit of a Good much deſired, becauſe we conceive an impoſſibility to obtain the ſame. Fifthly, Wrath is a fiery paſſion, inticing us to vindicate our ſelves for ſome injury received, or to chaſtiſe ſuch as do evil, or hinder others to do good.
Theſe eleven general paſſions, and all others that derive from them, may be reduced to ſix heads; three incident to the Concupiſcible appetite, and three to the Iraſcible; the three of the Concupiſcible have every one of them their Oppoſites. Firſt, Love hath for his oppoſite Hatred. Secondly, the Deſire hath for his oppoſite the Flight. Thirdly,See Beau-Lieu, p. 724. Ioy hath for its oppoſite Dolour: but the paſſions of the Iraſcible have but two oppoſites, viz. Firſt, Hope hath for his oppoſite Deſpair. Secondly, Vndantedneſs hath for his oppoſite Fear,: but Wrath hath no oppoſite; If you will know the reaſons, read Beau-Lieu, in his Body of Philoſophy, for I cut them off for brevity ſake. Theſe eleven generall paſſions may be multiplied by the limitation of their objects to be as numerous as a ſwarm of Bees.
Fifthly, The original ſpring of the paſsions of men, is the ſenſes, which are: firſt, the Sight: ſecondly, the Odour: thirdly, the Hearing: fourthly, the Taſt: fifthly, the Feeling; and they ariſe and ſpring up after this maner: The Senſes having repreſented the Objects to the Fanſies, or imaginations of men,The original ſpring of the paſſions of men is the Senſes. after a ſhort reſult of the rational part: the Concupiſcible appetite doth intice men to proſecute the reall or ſeeming Good; and the Iraſcible appetite doth induce them to proſecute the Good, compaſſed with difficulties, or to fly from the apparent or ſeeming Evil. Now by this purſuit of the Concupiſcible appetite, or by the flight of the Iraſcible appetite; the heart which is the ſpring of all the motions of the body, muſt of neceſſity be diſtempered; and from this diſtemper proceeds the alterations of the body that I have ſpoken of before, which have been noted to be contrary to the Laws of Nature: for the natural temper of the heart, of ſuch as are in perfect health, and that are free from the motions that ariſe from their paſſions, is more equal (as it may appear by the beating of the Pulſe, which is the ſureſt evidence men have, of the temper or diſtemper of the heart) then the ballance of the moſt excellent Watch upon earth: and the heart being once brought out of his natural temper, the foreſaid alterations are greater or leſſe, according to the degree of the diſtemper of the heart; which are ſo violent in ſome paſſions, that they are viſibly ſeen in the ſtrange poſtures of the body; the high colour of the face, the inflammation of the eyes, or by the ſhrilneſs, and fierceneſs of the voyce. Beſides, theſe alterations proceeding from the paſsions, there is a continual contention between the forementioned Concupiſcible and Iraſcible appetites in the will of men, which is the cauſe of the anxiety and preturbation of the minde, which ſhall be deſcribed in the next Diſcourſe.
Sixthly, the evil effects of the paſsions of men ariſe from their contentions one with another, and their good effects ariſe from the aſsiſtance they give one to another to fly from evil, for to cleave to the good; The Deſire, that is a paſsion incident to the Concupiſcible appetite is a great inticer to ſin, and therefore it is called by St. John, dIoh. 2.16.The luſt of the eye, and by St. Paul e1 Theſ. 4.5.The luſt of concupiſcence; and by this paſsion of the luſt of the eyes was David inticed to commit the hainous ſin of adultery withf2 Sam. 11.2, 3, 4. Bathſheba, the wife to Vriah the Hittite; Now had Flight come to his aid as it did to Joſeph, when his lewd Miſtreſs did tempt him to luſt, it had been an excellent effect of that paſsion. It is likely that there was then a great contention between the Concupiſcible and the Iraſcible appetite, the firſt inticing King David to ſin by the repreſentation of ſo beautiful an object, and of the injoyment of ſuch a ſeeming good; and the ſecond by perſwading him to eſchue and fly from this apparent evil varniſhed over with a ſeeming good; but what became of their great contention, but a great perturbation in the minde of David for a time? yet had the Concupiſcible appetite the maſtery, for David did injoy his deſire, and remained impenitent a whole year:f2 Sam. 12.13. but when he was awaked from this ſpiritual lethargie by the Prophet Nathan, he cried, out of a penitent heart, I have ſinned againſt the Lord: this was then an evil effect of this paſsion of Deſire. The paſsion of fear that did poſſeſs Saint Peter when our bleſſed Saviour was brought into the Hall of the High Prieſt, cauſed another evil effect, for it did intice St. Peter gMatth. 26.70, 71, 72, 75.to deny his Lord and Maſter three times before the Cock crew; but it was a good effect of the paſsion of Joſeph, above cited, for it made him fly from ſin to preſerve his continency; and it was a noble effect of the paſsion of Undantedneſs that did poſſeſs the hearts of Shedrach, Meſhach, and Abednego, hDan. 13.19.and of the Prophet Daniel, iDan. 6.16.to induce the three firſt to indure the torments of the fire of a burning furnace, heated ſeven times more then it was ordinarily: and the ſecond, to deſpiſe the rage of the Lyons, rather then diſobey the Commandment of the Lord. But theſe are but moral allegories, for it is not in the power of the Concupiſcible appetite to make the children of God commit ſuch ſins as the Prophet David, and St. Peter did, but it was becauſe God was pleaſed to give them over to themſelves, to make them know that the perſeverance in grace is a free gift of his; neither is it in the power of the Iraſcible appetite to infuſe ſuch a continency as was found in Joſeph, nor ſuch an unparallel'd undantedneſs as was in Shadrach, Meſhach, Abednigo, and in Daniel; but it was the bleſſed Spirit of God that did infuſe in their hearts that admirable fortitude, &c.