The Vanity of the Lives and Passions of Men, Chapter 7
CHAP. VII.
Of the vanity of the paſsion of Hatred.
THis Paſſion is the oppoſite of Love, and yet without Love and it nature could not be perfect, nor the world ſubſiſt; for if the divine Providence were not pleaſed to make uſe of the Natural averſion that is between the Elements, this univerſal Fabrick of the World would ſoon return to its firſt Chaos: And without this paſſion of Hatred men might juſtly complain of Nature, to have onelyonly given them an inclination to purſue the good, and not an averſion to eſchew the evil. Divers men conceive this paſſion to be the greateſt Antagoniſt of mankinde, and repute it as a Monſter in Nature, but it is out of ignorance, and for want of divine knowledg, for all the handy works of God were created perfectly good, as the bleſſed Spirit doth confirm it by theſe words: And God ſaw every thing that he had made, aGen. 1.31.and behold it was very good; but ſince the fall and diſobedience of Adam, men have abuſed the good that was in the creatures, and by a pernitious tranſmutation have made thoſe which were created for their good, to be the Agents of their corrupt inclinations. And would they make uſe of Hatred for the end it was created, they would finde it a moſt uſeful paſſion for the propagation of a godly life, as it will appear at the end of this Chapter: but for the better deſcription of this paſſion, I intreate the Reader to obſerve theſe inſuing particulars as they are ſet in order.
1. The definition of Hatred.
2. How many ſorts there are.
3. The Cauſes of it
4. Who are moſt addicted to it.
5. The nature and bad effects of it.
6. The uſe that may be made of it.
Firſt for the better deſcription of the nature of this paſſion, I will ſet down divers definitions of it, according to the different opinions of the beſt Authors. Hatred is an averſion and a deteſtation or horror, that men have againſt all ſuch things as they conceive in their imagination to be contrary to their good, and oppoſite to their content. The Biſhop of Marſeilles, pag. 175.Or Hatred is a deteſtation or horror of the ſenſitive appetite againſt ſuch things as it conceives to be hurtful and diſtaſtful to the Senſes, and to its content, or deſtructive to its Beeing; even as the Hatred or antipathy there is naturally between the Sheep and the Woolf. As Love, ſaith another, is a certain ſympathy of the Senſitive appetite with ſuch things as are ſutable and convenient to Nature; even ſo Hatred is an antipathy of the Senſitive appetite againſt ſuch things as are diſtaſtful to the Senſes, or contrary to mens good, or deſtructive to their Beeing. And as Love is of two ſorts, viz. The firſt, True Love and Amity, Theophraſt. Boju. in his Commentaries upon Ariſtotles Phyſ.called the love of Friendſhip: Secondly, Vicious Love, called Luſt: ſo there is two ſorts of Hatred. viz. The hatred of Deteſtation or Horror: ſecondly, the hatred of Enmity; the laſt being far inferior to the former; for to deteſt and abhor, is the higheſt degree of Hatred. Senault ſaith, That Hatred is nothing elſe but a meer averſion in us, from whatſoever is contrary unto us; or an antipathy of our appetite to a ſubject which diſpleaſeth it: Senault, pag. 244.all which definitions come neer unto one and the ſame ſenſe.
Secondly, The Moraliſts are of opinion, there is four ſorts of Hatred: firſt, The Vegetative: ſecondly, The Brute: thirdly, The Melancholick: fourthly, the Humane: but the Divines add to theſe four the Spiritual Hatred, of which I ſhall ſpeak towards the later end of this Chapter: firſt, The Vegetative is apparent in the Plants, as between the Cabbage and the Vine, and between the Oak and the Ivy: ſecondly, The Brute, is to be ſeen between the Sheep and the Woolf, between the Cock and the Lyon, and between the Baſilisk, the Panther, and Mankinde;See Plinius in his Natural Hiſtory. for the Naturaliſts ſay, That if a man ſee a Baſilisk, that the Baſilisk dies by the glance of his eyes, but if the Baſilisk ſee the man firſt, he falls down dead: And it is Recorded, that the Panther doth ſo deteſt and abhor man, out of a natural hatred, that the Hunters that ſeek after him do commonly ſet the Picture of a man againſt an Oak, and behinde it their ſnares to catch him, for he hath no ſooner diſcovered this Picture, but with a fierce violence he runs towards it, and ſo is inſnared and taken: thirdly, The Melancholick Hatred is not naturall but accidental, for it doth proceede from an Aduſt, or burned Choler reſiding in the blood, but ſpecially in the Meſentery veines, who caſt ill and virulent vapors up to the brain that begets Chimaeraes, and ſtrange phanſies, that makes men ſometimes abhor their Parents, nay, their Wives and children: and this Melancholy begets ſuch a hatred in Timon the Athenian againſt mankinde,See Plutarch in his Morals. that he cauſed Gibbets to be erected and ſet up in his Garden, and proclaimed through the ſtreets of the City, That whoſoever would come and hang themſelves, they might: fourthly, The Humane and Natural Hatred proceeds from an antipathy of Affections that is between ſome men; and between men and women, as the extraordinary antipathy which was between the affections of Mark Antonius, See Plutarch in Marcus Antonius Life.and Auguſtus Ceſar; for which Antonius was adviſed by an Aſtrologian, that the good Angel of Auguſtus would at laſt prevail over his; and the great antipathy there was between Socrates and his wife, who had lived one with another live Cats and Dogs, if the unparallel'd temperance of Socrates had not mitigated their debates. And it is ſeen daily, that men hate the company of ſome other men that never did them wrong, nor give them occaſion of offence: and I have known my ſelf a man and a woman of good means, that had ſuch an natural averſion one againſt the other, that they were inforced to live aſunder, and yet neither of them could ſhew a juſt cauſe; from whence this antipathy of affections did proceed. There is another ſort of Humane Hatred that is accidental, but the deſcription of it will be more proper in the next Diſcourſe.
Thirdly, ſome of the accidentall cauſes of the Hatred of men are theſe, for they are ſo numerous that I cannot ſpeak of them all: firſt, An inveterate wrath, is oftentimes the cauſe of an everlaſting Hatred, for when Wrath cannot vindicate it ſelf at the preſent, it becomes an incurable Hatred, becauſe Wrath is a ſuddain and fiery diſtemper of the Heart, which is but like a lightning if it may freely vent it ſelf; but if it be reſtrained in the breſt, it becomes an irreconcilable Hatred: It is a common ſaying, That Cholerick men never ſleep upon their anger, and that it is but a flaſh that paſſeth away; but if this Choler hath not ſome vent, it is changed into ſuch a hatred, that all the precepts of Philoſophy can hardly extinguiſh the fire of it: ſecondly, One of the greateſt cauſes of Hatred is the deniall of Love, or more properly of Luſt; the denial that Joſeph gave to his Miſtreſs,bGen. 39.17.20. changed her love to a cruel hatred, for ſhe cauſed him to be caſt into a dungeon, and in ſtead of imbracements, to be fettered with irons: thirdly, Self-Love is an ordinary cauſe of Hatred; for ſuch as are poſſeſſed with this vanity, think themſelves never ſufficiently reſpected nor honored; and nothing doth ſooner engender Hatred in men then miſpriſion: fourthly, Calumnies and falſe Reports that blemiſh a mans Fame and Reputation are cauſe of an inveterate Hatred, for Honor is dearer to ſome men then their own lives, and many have conſtantly indured all other injuries, that have been caſt into great diſtempers by Calumnies, which have alſo bred ſuch a hatred in their hearts, that they have ſhunned all familiarity with men,See Plutarch in his Life. as it may appear in Tymolions Life: fifthly, The infidelity of men is often the cauſe of mens hatred; for Confidence and Truſt abuſed, is a great motive to Hatred: and the reaſon why Hatred is ſo predominant in theſe days, is, that men are ſo much addicted to betray the Truſt that others have confidently depoſed in their hands, for like Weather-Cocks they change their friendſhip upon the leſt occaſion of their friends diſgrace, nay Religion it ſelf, that ſhould be the greateſt link, and the ſtrongeſt bond to knit the fidelity of men together, is as ſubject to mutation and change as the Windes, for look as the current of the Times goes, theſe Camelions Religion is according to that which is moſt in faſhion: ſixthly, Jealouſies of Hate, and jealouſies of Love are great provokers to Hatred: The jealouſies that the Turkiſh Janiſaries did conceive,See the Turkiſh Hiſtory in his Life. that their Emperor Oſman would change his Militia, and remove the Seat of his Empire from Conſtantinople to Damaſco, begot ſuch an implacable hatred in their hearts, that they cauſed him to be ſtrangled in the black Tower of Conſtantinople: The jealouſie that Mecaenas had conceived of the inconſtancy of his wife, did not onelyonly deprive him of ſleep for three years together, but did alſo ingender ſuch a hatred in his heart againſt women, that he ever after abhorred the ſight of them: And that is the reaſon why the hatred proceeding from the jealouſie of Love is held to be the moſt implacable.
Fourthly, Princes Favorites are addicted to Hatred, as it may appear by the carriage of Haman the Agagite, towards Mordecai, cEſther 3.2, 3.becauſe he did not worſhip him as the other Officers that ſate at the King Ahaſuerus gate, and his hatred was ſo cruel, that conceiving Mordecai to be too baſe an object for his hatred; he made ſute to the King that all the Jews living in his Dominions might be deſtroyed in one day: ſecondly, Envious men are always addicted to Hatred, and upon the moſt unjuſt, and ridiculous occaſion that can be imagined, viz. for the proſperity of their intimate friends, or next neighbours, whoſe good and wellfare they are obliged by the Commandments of God to proſecute with all their might; and yet the malice and corruption of mens hearts is ſo vile, and ſo baſe, as to hate thoſe who never injured them, for no other reaſon but becauſe God is pleaſed to bleſs them more then they; exceeding in malice thoſe murmuring labourers who envied at the goodneſs and liberality of the Father of the Houſhold that ſent them into his Vineyard: yet they had ſome colour for their diſcontent, becauſe they had born the burden and heat of the day; but theſe have none at all, and therefore their cenſure will undoubtedly be greater at the laſt day, then that which was given to theſe Labourers, viz. dMatth 20.11, 12, 13, 14.15.Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil becauſe I am good? thirdly, Effeminate and vicious Princes are addicted to Hatred: It is recorded by Dion, that as the Emperor Commodus was riding over the ſtone-bridge that croſſeth the River of Tiber at Rome, he ſaw ſix noble Gentlemen, who were diſcourſing together upon the bridg, and having ſent for them, he inquired of what they diſcourſed, they anſwered, they were talking of the noble Acts, and vertuous Parts of his father Mark Aurelius, See Dion in his Life.whereupon he commanded that they ſhould inſtantly be caſt into the River, ſaying, They could not ſpeak well of his father but they thought ill of him: Such a hatred did this effeminate and cruel Emperor bear to the Vertue of his deceaſed father; and it is daily ſeen in this age, that the baſe and profane People doth hate extreamly vertuous and religious men: fourthly, Ambitious and high Aſpiring men are much addicted to Hatred, for they hate mortally their competitors, and all their abettors, witneſs the irreconcilable hatred that was between Marius and Sylla, See Plutarch in their Lives.and their adherents; and the horrid hatred that was between Antonius Caracalla, and his brother Geta, See Herodion in their lives.that did at laſt tranſport Antonius with ſuch rage, that he ſlew his brother in his mothers arms: fifthly, The common people are addicted to hate the Favorites of Princes, becauſe they conceive them to be the cauſe of all the burden that are laid upon their backs, I mean Lones, Subſidies, Taxes, and Monopolies: fifthly, The wicked are addicted to Hatred,1 Cor. 4.13. for they hate implacably the Juſt and the Righteous, and hold them as the off-ſcouring of all things.
Fifthly, the nature and effects of Hatred in the unregenerate are nothing elſe but murders, ruine, and deſolation: firſt, Hatred provokedfGen. 4.8. Cain to kill his brother Abel, and this hatred did proceed from Envie, becauſe his ſacrifice was rejected of the Lord, and the ſacrifice of his brother was accepted: ſecondly, Hatred provoked Simeon and Levy gGen. 34.25, 26.to murder (under the vail of Religion) all the Shechemites, and to plunder their City: thirdly, Hatred and the deſire of Vengeance provokedh2. Sam. 13.29. Abſolom to murder (under colour of friendſhip and hoſpitality) his brother Amnon at a banquet as he ſet at table: fourthly, It was Hatred that provoked men to invent all maner of Weapons to deſtroy themſelves; and the devilliſh Art of making Canons, Gunpowder, Muskets, Calivers, Carabines, and Piſtols; whereby the moſt valiant are as ſoon ſlain as the greateſt cowards: fifthly, It was Hatred that provoked men to dive into the bowels of the earth to finde out Mines of Silver and Gold, whereby they might execute their hatred, ſpleen and malice, and ſet all the world together by the ears: ſixthly, Hatred hath given men an habit in all maner of impiety, who have left by it their natural humanity, and are become devouring Lyons and Tigers; Nay, when open violence cannot ſerve to execute their hatred, they have an art to poyſon men in their meat and drink, by the ſmelling of a pair of gloves,The Queen of Navarr was poyſoned by the ſmell of a pair of Gloves. by the putting on of a ſhirt, or by the drawing off a pair of Boots; nay, by the very taking of a man by the hand under colour of curteſie, as the Genovais Admiral did to the Venetians Admiral, after he had been overcome by him at ſea. In a word, Hatred hath been the projector of all the horrid actions of men; for it is a paſſion that deprives men of all Reaſon & Judgment, and hath bin the cauſe of all the woes of men; for by the hatred of Satan, was our firſt mother Eve iGen. 3.6.deluded, and by her charms ſhe deluded Adam her husband, and ſo by their tranſgreſſion ſin is come into the world; and ſin, like a contagious diſeaſe hath infected the whole race of mankinde. Moreover, Hatred is of a permanent nature, for it is not like Envie or Wrath, for Envy declines according as the proſperity of its object doth diminiſh, and Wrath vaniſheth into ſmoak, if its fury may have ſome vent, or it may be mitigated, For a ſoft anſwer turneth away wrath, ſaith Salomon kPro. 15.1.; but Hatred continues from generation to generation, and death it ſelf cannot extinguiſh Hatred. Amilcar, father to Hanibal, out of an inveterate hatred he bore to the Roman Commonwealth,See Livius & Plutarch. made Hanibal to take an Oath a little before his death, that he ſhould be to the end of his life a mortal enemy to the Romans; and the hatred that Henry the ſeventh, King of England, bore to the Houſe of York, induced him to make his ſon Henry the eight, to ſwear, as he was upon his bed of death, that after his deceaſe, that he would cauſe the Duke of Suffolks head to be cut off, that was then his priſoner in the Tower of London as being the laſt apparent hair of the Houſe of York; an Unchriſtian part, ſaith Montagnes, See Montagnes Eſſais.for a Prince to have his heart filled with hatred at his departure out of this world: Nay, the unparallel'd hatred that was between the two brethren Eteocles and Polinices, could not be extinguiſhed after their death, for after they had ſlain one another in a Duel,See Garnier in the Tragedy of Antigone. or ſingle Combat, their bodies being brought together to be burned, the fire, by an admirable antipathy did cleave of it ſelf into two parts, and ſo divided their bodies that their aſhes might not be mixed together: and the inveterate hatred that was between the Guelfs and Gibbelins, See Guiechardine in the wars of Italy. Paulus Jovius in his Tragical Relations.did continue from one generation to another. But Paulus Jovius relates the moſt unheard of cruelty proceeding from an inveterated hatred that ever was read of: Two Italians having had ſome bickerings together, ſuch a hatred was bred in their hearts, that one of them having got his enemie at an advantage, made him by threats deny his Saviour, promiſing to ſave his life if he did it, but he had no ſooner by imprecations impiouſly denied him, but the other ſtabbed him through the heart with his Ponyard, ſaying, The death of thy body had not been an object worthy of my hatred and vindication, except I had alſo procured the eternal death of thy ſoul: An horrid and unparrallel'd cruelty, and a matchleſs effect of hatred!
Sixthly, Having thus deſcribed the evil nature and effects of Hatred; I will now come to the uſe that Chriſtians ſhould make of it. I remember to have ſaid in the beginning of this Chapter; that this paſſion of Hatred had not been given to men to abuſe it as they do, but rather to eſchew ſin, the greateſt evil upon earth, and that being uſed as an averſion to fly from ſin, it would ſerve for a ſtrong motive to the propagations of a godly life; for ſin ſhould be the onelyonly object of mens hatred, as the efficient cauſe of all their miſeries; and why our bleſſed Saviour out of his tender compaſſions towards his Elect, was willing to ſuffer the ignominous death of the Croſs,Matth. 27.35. to redeem them from the guilt and puniſhment of ſin which was eternal death; And men cannot by any other means ſhew themſelves grateful, and to be ſenſible of this incompre henſible love of Chriſt, then by having an inveterate hatred againſt ſin, and to deteſt and abhor with all their hearts all ſinful courſes, ſith ſin is the onelyonly ſeparation wall that bars them from having an intimate and loving familiarity with God: for the hatred of ſin, is the firſt ſtep to attain to the love of God, and without the love of God, a true faith in Chriſt, and unfained hatred of ſin, there is no poſſibility of ſalvation; hatred againſt ſin being the chiefeſt ingredient required in a true Repentance: and how can men love God that hate their brethren? and therefore the bleſſed Spirit in holy Writ, doth ſo often exhort men to avoid all hatred, except it be againſt ſin; He that lIoh 3 14. 1 Ioh. 3.15.loveth not his brother, ſaith St. John, abideth in death; and whoſoever hateth his brother is a murderer; and ye know no murderer hath eternal life. Men muſt then love God and their brethren, and hate ſin; I hate every falſe way: mPſal. 119.104.I hate vain thoughts, but I love thy Law ſaith the Prophet David: And again, I hate and abhor nPſalm 119.163lying, but thy Law do I love: Do I not hate them, O Lord, oPſal. 139.21, 22.that hate thee? and am not I grieved with thoſe that riſe againſt thee? I hate them with a perfect hatred, I account them my enemies. The fear of the Lord, pPro. 8.13.ſaith Salomon, is to hate evil. Pride and arrogancy, and the freward mouth do I hate: Hate the evil and love the good, qAmos 5.15ſaith the Prophet Amos. To conclude with the Apoſtle St. Peter, r1 Pet. 2.1, 2.Let us lay aſide all malice, hatred, env e, and hypopocriſies, and all evil ſpeaking: as new born babes deſire the ſincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby, &c.