The French academie Fully discoursed and finished in foure bookes. 1. Institution of manners and callings of all estates. 2. Concerning the soule and body of man. 3. A notable description of the whole world, &c. 4. Christian philosophie, instructing the true and onely meanes to eternall life. This fourth part neuer before published in English. All written by the first author, Peter de la Primaudaye, Esquire, Lord of Barre, Chauncellour, and Steward of the French Kings house.

Of the distinction that ought to be betweene the Vnderstanding and Knowledge, and the Will and Affections in the soule, and betweene the seats and instruments which they haue in the body: of the agreement that is betweene the heart and the braine. Chap. 36.

ACHITOB. The heauens and the earth and all the elements, the stones, plants, beasts and all the other creatures that want reason and vnderstanding, obey God in their kind, but yet they know him not: and the obedience which ▪they yeeld vnto him pro∣ceedeth not of any knowledge they haue of his will, or of Iudgement in them to discerne good from euill, but onely so farre forth as they are drawne by their naturall inclination in * 1.1 those things that concerne their nature. But Angels and men, in whom God would haue his Image to shine in euery part of them, and after all sorts, were created by him of that na∣ture, that he would be knowne of them, and that they should follow his Will, not without Vnderstanding and iudgement therof, nor without agreement of their wils with his. There∣fore hee hath giuen them a nature that is partaker of Vnderstanding, and prescribed vnto them rules of Iudgement and of certaine knowledge, which are vnto them as it were lawes ordained by a soueraigne Prince for the ruling of his subiects. And to the end that these lawes should not be in vaine, he hath placed in man a Will to execute them, & an affection of ioy, that is brought to him by means of the good which he receiueth or expecteth, when he obeyeth these lawes that command nothing but iust things. So that he would haue the nature of man to leade a ioyfull life, and by this meanes be preserued, that hee might solace himselfe in the knowledge of God his Creator, and in obeying him, settle & rest himselfe in him. As contrariwise, it pleased him to place there an affection of sadnes, to take vengeance of rebellion against his lawes, and of the transgression of them, to the end there might be a flame of anger and griefe to destroy that nature, when it doth not conforme it selfe to the rule of his diuine wisedome and will. Hereby we know by experience what difference is be∣tweene a ioyfull life, and that which is sad and full of griefe, and how ioy preserueth and maintaineth the one, and sorrow consumeth and extinguisheth the other.

But to the end we may fully vnderstand these things, and bee able to iudge aright of the diuers powers, vertues and offices of the soule, we must diligently consider, that as GOD * 1.2 hath distinguished the Vnderstanding from the Wil and affections, and the Animal vertue and life from the Vitall, so also hee hath giuen them diuers Seates and Instruments in the bodie. There is likewise great difference betwixt Vnderstanding and Knowledge, and the Will and Affections, as we see it by experience in common life. For it falleth out often, that

after we know a man, we either loue him or hate him. And if at the first we loued him well, yet after he is known vnto vs, we may fall to hate him: or if we first hated him, afterward vp∣pon better knowledge we may receiue him into our loue. Now although these affections of lo••e and of hatred be thus mutable in vs, yet the selfe same knowledge remaineth alwayes with vs. For if we did not still know him, we could neither loue nor hate him: because as a man cannot loue without knowing the thing loued, so hee cannot hate that which is vn∣knowne. Therefore it is no difficult matter to iudge, that the Vnderstanding differeth from the Will and affections, and that they are distinct offices, and seuerall properties and vertues of the soule: which haue also their diuers Seates and instruments. For the internall sences are ioyned with that power which the soule hath to know: and the heart with the power of the Will and Affections. Heereof it is, that we see many endued with great knowledge of honest and vertuous thinges, but they haue no good affection to follow after them and to put them in practise: so that their heart agreeth not with their braine, nor their * 1.3 will and affections with their vnderstanding and reason. Contrariwise, there are others that haue not so great knowledge of goodnesse and of their dutie, and yet they haue a good affection and will to doe well, but for want of vnderstanding what is right and iust, they obserue and keepe it not according to that measure of desire which is in them. Where wee see againe how and in what sort there is no good agreement betweene the braine and the heart, and betweene those powers and vertues of the soule, which wee haue already named. So that wee may compare the former sort of men to one that hath eyes to guide him, but no legges or feete to goe vpon, or if hee haue any, yet hee will not set them on * 1.4 worke. As for the other sort, they are like to blinde men that long to goe and to walke, and haue legges to carry them, but they cannot goe whither they would, because they haue neyther eyes nor sight to direct them, nor guides to leade them. Now by the consideration of these two sortes of men, wee may conclude and iudge with our selues what they are, that want all these things mentioned by vs, because they haue neither sounde knowledge of the trueth and of that which is good, nor Will and desire tó haue any, nor any affection to followe that which is good: whome I would com∣pare to them that are blinde, and withall haue both hands and feete lame at one time. But this matter may yet bee vnderstoode better, if wee make this our speech to agree with that which Saint Paul writeth to the Romanes, where he sayeth, That the wrath of God is reuealed from heauen against all vngodlinesse, and vnrighteousnesse of men, which with hold the * 1.5 trueth in vnrighteousnesse. For wee may vnderstand by trueth, those true and naturall impressions of the knowledge of God, and of his Lawe, and of the good and honest things which are in men as beames of the Diuine wisdome▪, shining in that part of the soule whereby hee knoweth. But because the VVill and the affections of the heart agree not with this knowledge, and there are no diuine motions, nor celestiall flames to stir vpand to kindle the heart with the loue of GOD, and to procure it to follow after that know∣ledge, therefore men are detained in vnrighteousnesse, and yeelde not vnto God that honour and obedience that they owe vnto him: VVherein they shew themselues vnthanke∣full and vnrighteous, And therefore the Apostle expounding himselfe sayeth by and by af∣ter, That when they knewe God, they glorified him not as God, neither▪ were thankefull, but be∣came vaine in their imagination, and their heart voide of vnderstanding was full of darkenesse. VVhere∣by * 1.6 hee declareth, that their ingratitude and naughty heart was the cause why they abused that vnderstanding and knowledge which they had receiued of God, and afterward also he depriued them of these excellent gifts of his grace, which hee attributeth to the heart for certaine reasons which we are to note. For we may see in many places of the Scripture, and in their writings and exhortations that follow the doctrine and stile thereof, that the heart is often taken for the seat of the minde, of the vnderstanding and of reason, as well as sort * 1.7 the affections of the soule. Neuertherlesse the Philosophers and they that follow them in such discourses, attribute these soueraigne powers of the soule onely to the braine, which they make the seate of them, as we haue sufficiently shewed heretofore: and as for the affe∣ctions of the soule, they assigne the seate of them to the heart. Now one body hath not two, but one soule. Therefore although it haue many faculties, powers, vertues, and offices, yet they are all comprehended vnder those two and depend of them, euen as in one body there are many members appointed to diuers operations. Now because reason ought to be the Gouernesse and mistresse of the affections, it is necessary they should agree together. For as reason guideth before, the affections will followe after. Therefore vice may al∣wayes

iudge of reason by the affections which it ought to gouerne, as of the gouernment of a good Prince by the estate of his subiects, and of a good father of a family by those of his houshold. Moreouer, seeing the affections proceede from the heart, there is a seat of that loue which we ought to beare as well towards God, as towards men, which comprehendeth the whole law of God and all iustice. For he that loueth God, is not onely afraide to offend and displease him, but desireth also to serue and please him: and he that loueth his neighbour, * 1.8 doeth not onely abstaine from procuring him any dishonour or losse, and laboureth also to aduance his honour and profit. Therefore if the minde be lightened and inflamed with di∣uine light, and the reason also that ruleth therein, then the heart will waxe hote, and burne with the loue of God and of his neighbour. Which if it fall out so, the heart will not be slacke * 1.9 in shewing forth those heauenly motions that are within it, and giuing matter to the soule to glorifie God, and to the tongue and mouth, which will speake out of the abundance therof. Likewise there will be an accord and consent betweene it, and the voice and tongue, which then will vtter nothing but the truth. And this is the cause of that which we are taught be∣fore, namely, that God by his prouidence and wise counsaile hath ioyned neere vnto the heart the chiefe instrument of the voice, which is the lungs: as the other instruments that are higher, are lodged neere to the braine, and chiefely the tongue, as the Oratours and Embas∣sadours of Kings are placed next vnto them. Wherefore if mans nature had not beene cor∣rupted through sinne, but had continued perfect and sound, there would alwayes haue bin a goodly concord and consent betweene the heart and the brain, the voice and the tongue, the reason and the affections. Next, we must note, that seeing the heart is the first member of the whole body that receiueth life, and then giueth the same to others, as also the last that * 1.10 leaueth life, and seeing it is the shop of all the vitall spirits, without which neither the braine nor the rest of the members can haue life, or performe their duties; it is not without cause, that this member is taken to be as it were the seate not onely of the affections, but also of reason. Therefore it is taken in the Scripture one while for the minde, as when Moses * 1.11 saith to the people of Israel, Yet the Lord hath not giuen you a heart to know: and another while it is taken for the affections, as when our Sauiour Christ saith, Thou shalt loue the Lord thy God * 1.12 with all thy soule, and with all thy minde. For we see heere how he putteth a difference betweene the heart and the minde. Sometime they are put indifferently one for another, or one for both, especially the heart, as when the Lorde saide to Salomon, Behold I haue giuen thee a wise and an vnderstanding heart, the heart is taken for the senses and minde, as it appeareth very * 1.13 euidently. For the same cause Saint Paul continuing his speach of Gods punishment aboue mentioned, against the vngodlines and vnrighteousnesse of men, he addeth to that before re¦cited, this saying: Wherefore also God gaue them vp to their hearts lusts, vnto vncleannesse, to defile * 1.14 their owne bodies betweene themselues, which turned the truth of God vnto a lie. In which place wee see how the Apostle maketh the heart to be the Seate of the appetites and of the affections, and how he calleth the vnruly and disordered affections of the heart by the name of lustes; for so he expoundeth himselfe by and by after, calling them Vile affections, vnto which God gaue them vp. Whereupon we wil note this, that the naturall affections of the heart, which * 1.15 pricke it forward to the desire of pleasure, and which minister pleasure vnto it, should bee no sinne at all vnto men, but a benefit giuen them of God in the perfection of their na∣ture, were it not that by reason of the corruption which hath taken holde of it, such desires and affections can not containe themselues within the limites of their sound nature, but there is alwayes some excesse euen in the perfectest, and that being sinne, is properly called euill concupiscence, because it continually prouoketh vs to euill, and causeth vs to goe be∣yond the bounds which God had set to our affections. Whereof it is come to passe, that that which should be a benefit vnto men in naturall pleasures, is become hurtfull to them. Now forasmuch as the order of our discourses hath brought vs to the tractate of affections which haue their seat in the heart, before we goe any further, we must say somewhat of the nature of this part of the body, as we haue done of the braine, to the end we may the better know the seat and instruments of the vitall power and vertue of the soule, and of the will and affe∣ctions, as those which belong to the animall power and vertue, haue bin declared vnto vs. Let vs then heare ASER handle this matter.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The differēcs of mans obe∣diēce to God from that of other crea∣tures.
• * 1.2

  Difference betwixt know¦ledge and af∣fections
• * 1.3

  Of the dis∣cord between the heart and the braine.
• * 1.4

  A comparisō
• * 1.5

  Rom. 1. 18.
• * 1.6

  verse 21.
• * 1.7

  How the scripture ta∣keth the word heart.
• * 1.8

  Mat. 22. 40.
• * 1.9

  Of the agree∣ment that ought to bee betweene the minde and the heart.
• * 1.10

  VVhy the h••rt is taken some∣time for the ••ea•• of reason.
• * 1.11

  Deut. 29. 4.
• * 1.12

  Mat. 22. 3.
• * 1.13

  1. King. 3. 12.
• * 1.14

  Rom. 1. 24. 35
• * 1.15

  Pleasure of it owne nature a gift of God.