Of peace and contentment of minde. By Peter Du Moulin the sonne. D.D.

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 Passi∣ons. 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 o∣beyed. She is like the coachman, and the Passi∣ons like the horses, fierce and hardmouthed, pul∣ling 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 Rea∣son, 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 obe∣dience, 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 mas∣sy gold, all glittering things for precious, and feathers and sugar plums for the Soveraigne good. Which first imaginations, being some∣what cleared of their grossest fogge by age and experience, yet leave these false notions in the minde, that things are within such as they ap∣peare 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 onely course to free the Appetite of vicious Passions, is to heale the un∣derstanding of erroneous Opinions. The Appe∣tite cannot but goe astray when the understand∣ing is blind. When the understanding is free of error, the Appetite is free of Vice. For al∣though 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 se∣duced by flattery of Passion, that stroakes him and puts her hand before his eyes; for it is im∣possible 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 ob∣ject, or to a good object otherwise then it should, is a mistake in the true price & true inconveni∣ence 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 ear∣nestnesse, 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 repre∣sent the just price of the chief things that we com∣monly 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 recom∣mend 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 con∣sideration 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 qua∣lities and circumstances that contradict our in∣clination 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 con∣sider her nature and just value; And when Passi∣ons 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 af∣fection 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 dan∣gers, pride and rashnesse from lessening them, ha∣tred and choller from making our enemies ap∣peare more deformed and guilty then they are, sadnesse from aggravating evils, joy from disap∣pointment of false hopes. In a word, right opi∣nion 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 rea∣son confirmed in it by long and carefull institu∣tion, 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 wise∣dome, 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 tempta∣tions set upon our passion, that there we may double our guard.

Then we must endeavour to get a right opini∣on of the course of the world, the genius of the times, and the nature of men and businesses, par∣ticularly 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 a∣voyd them then they are worth, and lest we neglect them if they be worth seeking or shun∣ning.

Thus in matter of seeking Preferment we must think soberly before, whether it be worth the ne∣cessary paines to get it, and whether it will re∣compense the cares, the envy, and the opposi∣tion that attend it. The like when we are temp∣ted by unlawfull profit and pleasure, the advan∣tage 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 con∣tent 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 consi∣der of it. That pause must be employed to scat∣ter 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.