Malebranch's search after truth, or, A treatise of the nature of the humane mind and of its management for avoiding error in the sciences : vol I : done out of French from the last edition.

CHAP. XII.

Of the Effects which the thought of Future Bliss and Sufferings is capable of producing in the Mind.

IF it happens often that the little Pleasures and slight Pains which we actually feel, nay more, which we have a Prospect of, strangely disturb our Imagination, and hinder us from judging of things according to their true Idea's; we have no reason to believe that the prospect of Eternity cannot act upon our Mind. But it will be necessary to consider what it may be ca∣pable of producing there.

We must observe in the First Place, that the hopes of an Eternity of Pleasures does not Act so powerfully upon the Mind, as the fear of an Eternity of Tor∣ments. The Reason of it is, Men do not Love Pleasure so much, as they Hate Pain. Moreover, by the Internal Knowledge they have of their Disorders, they are sensible that they deserve Hell; and they see nothing in themselves to Merit such great Rewards, as to participate of the Felicity of God himself. They are sensible when they please, and even sometimes against their Will, that far from deserving Rewards, they are worthy of the greatest Chastisements; for their Conscience never leaves them; but they are in the like manner continually convinc'd, that God is willing to shew his Mercy upon Sinners, after having satisfy'd his Justice upon his Son. Therefore the Just themselves have more Lively Apprehensions of the Eternity of Torments, than Hopes of an Eternity of Pleasures. The prospect of Pain then consequently, is more prevailing than the prospect of Reward; and

here is partly that which it is capable of producing, not alone, but as a principal Cause.

It produces an infinite number of Scruples in the Mind, and confirms them so much, that it is almost impossible to get rid of them. It Extends, as it were, even Faith to prejudices, and makes us pay the Wor∣ship which is only due to God, to Imaginary Powers. It obstinately fixes the Mind on vain or dangerous Su∣perstitions. It makes Men earnestly and zealously Embrace Human Traditions, and Practices that are useless for Salvation, Judaick and Pharisaick Devoti∣ons, which have been invented by servile Fear. Final∣ly, it sometimes throws Men into a blindness of De∣spair: Insomuch, that looking confusedly on Death as an Annihilation, they foolishly hasten to make away with themselves, to be freed of the Mortal Disquiets which possess and frighten them.

There is often more Charity than Self-Love, in the Scrupulous, as well as in the Superstitious; but there is nothing but Self-love in the desperate: For taking the thing rightly, those must needs Love themselves extreamly, who chuse rather not to be, than to be un∣easie. Women, Young People, and Weak Minds are the most subject to Scruples and Superstitions, and Men are more liable to Despair.

It is easie to know the reason of these things. For it is Visible, that the Idea of Eternity being the great∣est, the most terrible, and the most frightful of all those that surprise the Mind, and strike the Imagina∣tion, it is necessary it should be attended with a long Train of Accessory Idea's, to make together a consi∣derable Effect upon the Mind, because of the Rela∣tion they have to that great and terrible Idea of Eter∣nity.

Whatever has any relation to Infinity cannot be Little, or if it is Little in itself, it receives an immense greatness by that Relation, which cannot be compar'd to any thing that is Finite. Therefore whatever has any relation, or even what we fancy to have any relation, either to an unavoidable Eternity of Tor∣ments, or Delights which is propos'd to us, must needs

frighten those Minds that are capable of any Reflection or Thought.

The Fibers of the Brains of Women, or young People, and of weak Minds, being, as I have said elsewhere, Soft and Flexible, receive deep Marks of one of these two: And when they have abundance of Spirits, and are more capable of Thought and Just Reflection, they receive by the Vivacity of their Ima∣gination a very great number of false Impressions and Accessary Idea's, which have no Natural Rela∣tion to the Principal Idea. Nevertheless that Rela∣tion, though Imaginary, maintains and fortifies those False Impressions, and Accessary Idea's which it has created.

When two Lawyers are ingag'd in some great Cause, which wholly takes up their Mind, and yet do not understand the Case, they often have vain Fears, being in dread that certain things may Pre∣judice them which the Judges have no regard to, and which experienced Lawyers do not fear. The Affair being of very great Consequence to them, the Motion it produces in their Brains diffuses it self, and is com∣municated to distant traces which have naturally no relation to it. It fares just in the same manner with the Scrupulous, they unreasonably form to themselves Subjects of Fear and Disquiet; and instead of examin∣ing the Will of God in the Holy Scriptures, and of relying on those whose Imagination is not tainted; their Mind is wholly taken up with an Imaginary Law, which disorderly Motions of Fear impress on their Brains. And though they are inwardly con∣vinc'd of their Weakness, and that God does not re∣quire from them certain Duties which they prescribe to themselves, since they hinder them from serving him; they cannot forbear preferring their Imagination to their Understanding, and from submitting rather to certain Confused Sentiments which frighten and plunge them into Error, than to the Evidence of Rea∣son, which gives them Assurance, and leads them again into the right way to Heaven.

We meet often with a great deal of Charity and Virtue in Persons that are afflicted with Scruples; but there is not near so much in those that are addicted to some Superstitions, and who imploy themselves chiefly about some Judaick or Pharisaick Practices. God will be ador'd in Spirit and in Truth; He is not satisfied with Gestures and External Civilities, as kneel∣ing in his Presence, and being Praised by the Motion of the Lips, when the Heart has no share in it. Men indeed are satisfied with those Marks of Respect, but 'tis because they cannot search into the Heart; for even Men would be serv'd in Spirit and in Truth. God requires our Mind and our Heart; he has only made it for himself, and he only preserves it for him∣self: But there are many People, who unfortunately for themselves refuse him those things, over which he has absolute Right. They harbour Idols in their Hearts, which they adore in Spirit and in Truth, and to whom they Sacrifice themselves. But whereas the True God threatens them in the Secret of their Con∣sciences, with an Eternity of Torments to punish the Excess of their Ingratitude; yet they will not quit their Idolatry; they bethink themselves of performing some good Works externally: They Fast like others, they give Alms, they say Prayers, they continue for some time in the like Exercises; and whereas they are troublesom to those that want Charity, they leave them commonly to imbrace certain little Practices or easie Devotions, which agreeing with Self-Love, ne∣cessarily and insensibly overthrows all the Morals of Jesus Christ. They are Faithful, Earnest and Zealous Defenders of those Humane Traditions, which Igno∣rant Persons perswade them to be very Useful, and such things as the Idea of Eternity that frightens them, does continually represent, they eagerly defend, as absolutely necessary for their Salvation.

It is not so with the Just: They hear the Threat∣nings of their God, as well as the Impious; but the confused Noise of their Passions, does not hinder them from hearkning to his Counsels. The false Rays of Humane Tradition do not blind them so far, as to

make them Insensible of the Light of Truth. They put their Confidence in the Promises of Jesus Christ, and they follow his Councils; for they know that the Promises of Men are as Vain as their Counsels. Nevertheless we may say, That that Fear which the Idea of Eternity creates in their Mind, produces sometimes so great a Disorder in their Imagination, that they dare not absolutely Condemn those Humane Traditions; and that sometimes they approve them by their Example, because they have some Appearance of Wisdom in their Superstition, and in their False Humi∣lity; like those Pharisaical Traditions mentioned by St. Paul. * 1.1

But that which is particularly worthy of Considera∣tion, and which does not so much relate to the Cor∣ruption of Manners, as to the Disorder of the Mind, is, That the Fear we have before mentioned, extends to the Faith, as well as the Zeal, of those that are affected with it; even to Things that are False, and Unworthy the Holiness of our Religion. There are many People who do believe, and that with an Ob∣stinate Faith, That the Earth is Immovable in the Center of the World: That Animals are Sensible of real Pain: That there are Forms or Accidents really distinct from Matter: And a World of the like False or Uncertain Opinions, because they fancy that they should oppose the Faith in denying it. They are frighten'd by the Expressions of the Holy Bible, which speaks to our Capacity, and consequently makes use of the common Manner of Speaking, without any Design to Instruct us in Natural Philosophy. They do not only believe what the Spirit of God will teach them, but also all the Opinions of the Jews. They do not see, for Example, that Joshua speaks before his Soldiers, as Copernicus himself, Galileus and Descartes would speak to the Vulgar part of Mankind; and that though he had been of the Opinion of these last Philosophers, he would not have commanded the Earth to stand still, because he could not have made his Army Sensible, by unintelligible words, of the Miracle which God perform'd for his People. Those

who are of Opinion that the Sun is Immovable, never∣theless tell their Servants, their Friends, and even those that are of their Opinion, that the Sun Rises or Sets: They always speak like other Men, when their Principal Design is not to Philosophise. Did Joshua perfectly understand Astronomy; or if he did, did his Souldiers understand it? Or if both he and his Souldiers were skill'd in it, can any body think that they design'd to Philosophise while they only thought of Fighting? Therefore Joshua spoke as he ought to do, although both he and his Souldiers had believ'd what the most Eminent Astronomers believe at this time. Nevertheless those words of that great Captain, Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon; and what is said afterwards, that the Sun stood still according to his Command, perswade many People, that the Opinion of the Motion of the Earth, is not only a dangerous Opinion, but that it is also absolutely Heretical, and not to be maintain'd. They have heard that some Pious Persons, for whom we ought to have a great deal of Respect and Deference, condemn'd that Opi∣nion. They have a confused Knowledge of some∣thing that happen'd upon that Subject to a Famous Astronomer of our Age, and that seems sufficient for them to believe Obstinately, that Faith extends even to that Opinion. A certain confus'd Sentiment, excited and entertain'd by a Motion of Fear, which they hardly perceive, makes them harbour Diffidences against those that follow Reason in things which relate to Reason. They look upon them as Hereticks: They are Uneasie and Troubled whenever they hear them speak; and their Secret Apprehensions create in their Minds the same Respect, and the same Sub∣mission for their own vulgar Opinions, and for many other Notions of Philosophy, as for Truths which are the Objects of Faith.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Col. 2.22, 23.