The vanity of the lives and passions of men.: Written by D. Papillon, Gent.

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 Pro∣vidence 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 Ha∣tred men might justly complain of Nature, to have onely 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 per∣fectly good, as the blessed Spirit doth confirm it by these words: And God saw

every thing that he had made,a and behold it was very good; but since the fall and dis∣obedience 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 inclina∣tions. And would they make use of Ha∣tred 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 in∣suing 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 na∣ture 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 con∣ceive

in their imagination to be contrary to their good, and opposite to their content. Or Ha∣tred 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 na∣turally 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 appe∣tite against such things as are distastful to the Senses, or contrary to mens good, or destru∣ctive to their Beeing. And as Love is of two sorts, viz. The first, True Love and Amity, called the love of Friendship: Secondly, Vici∣ous Love, called Lust: so there is two sorts of Hatred. viz. The hatred of Detesta∣tion or Horror: secondly, the hatred of En∣mity; the last being far inferior to the for∣mer; for to detest and abhor, is the highest de∣gree of Hatred. Senault saith, That Ha∣tred 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: all which definitions come neer unto one and the same sense.

Secondly, The Moralists are of opini∣on,

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 Chap∣ter: 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 be∣tween the Sheep and the Woolf, be∣tween the Cock and the Lyon, and be∣tween the Basilisk, the Panther, and Mankinde; 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 Pan∣ther doth so detest and abhor man, out of a natural hatred, that the Hunters that seek after him do commonly set the Pi∣cture of a man against an Oak, and be∣hinde it their snares to catch him, for he hath no sooner discovered this Picture, but with a fierce violence he runs to∣wards it, and so is insnared and taken: thirdly, The Melancholick Hatred is not naturall but accidental, for it doth pro∣ceede 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 be∣gets such a hatred in Timon the Athe∣nian against mankinde, 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 Na∣tural Hatred proceeds from an antipathy of Affections that is between some men; and between men and women, as the ex∣traordinary antipathy which was between the affections of Mark Antonius, 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 anti∣pathy of affections did proceed. There is another sort of Humane Hatred that is ac∣cidental, 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 vindi∣cate 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 de∣niall of Love, or more properly of Lust; the denial that Joseph gave to his Mi∣stress,b changed her love to a cruel hatred, for she caused him to be cast into a dun∣geon, 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 them∣selves never sufficiently respected nor ho∣nored; and nothing doth sooner engen∣der Hatred in men then misprision: fourthly, Calumnies and false Reports that blemish a mans Fame and Reputati∣on are cause of an inveterate Hatred, for Honor is dearer to some men then their own lives, and many have constantly in∣dured 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 fa∣miliarity with men, as it may appear in Ty∣molions Life: fifthly, The infidelity of men is often the cause of mens hatred; for Con∣fidence and Trust abused, is a great mo∣tive to Hatred: and the reason why Ha∣tred 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, that their Emperor Osman would change his Militia, and remove the Seat of his Empire from Constanti∣nople to Damasco, begot such an impla∣cable 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 incon∣stancy of his wife, did not onely 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 pro∣ceeding 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 car∣riage of Haman the Agagite, towards Mor∣decai,c 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 al∣ways 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 neigh∣bours, 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 ma∣lice those murmuring labourers who en∣vied at the goodness and liberality of the Father of the Houshold that sent them in∣to his Vineyard: yet they had some co∣lour 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.d 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 addict∣ed 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 Gentle∣men, 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, whereupon he com∣manded 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 effemi∣nate and cruel Emperor bear to the Ver∣tue 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, wit∣ness the irreconcilable hatred that was between Marius and Sylla, and their ad∣herents; and the horrid hatred that was between Antonius Caracalla, and his bro∣ther Geta, that did at last transport Antoni∣us with such rage, that he slew his bro∣ther in his mothers arms: fifthly, The common people are addicted to hate the Favorites of Princes, because they con∣ceive them to be the cause of all the bur∣den that are laid upon their backs, I mean Lones, Subsidies, Taxes, and Monopo∣lies: fifthly, The wicked are addicted to Hatred, 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 provokedf 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 bro∣ther was accepted: secondly, Hatred pro∣voked Simeon and Levyg to murder (un∣der the vail of Religion) all the Sheche∣mites, and to plunder their City: thirdly, Hatred and the desire of Vengeance pro∣vokedh

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; where∣by the most valiant are as soon slain as the greatest cowards: fifthly, It was Hatred that provoked men to dive into the bow∣els of the earth to finde out Mines of Sil∣ver and Gold, whereby they might exe∣cute 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 smel∣ling 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 Vene∣tians Admiral, after he had been over∣come 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 de∣prives 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 Evei 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 man∣kinde. Moreover, Hatred is of a perma∣nent 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 Salomonk ; but Hatred con∣tinues from generation to generation, and death it self cannot extinguish Hatred. Amilcar, father to Hanibal, out of an in∣veterate hatred he bore to the Roman Commonwealth, 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, 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 bre∣thren Eteocles and Polinices, could not be extinguished after their death, for after they had slain one another in a Duel, 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, did continue from one generation to another. But Paulus Jovius relates the most un∣heard of cruelty proceeding from an inve∣terated 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 ob∣ject worthy of my hatred and vindicati∣on, except I had also procured the eternal death of thy soul: An horrid and unpar∣rallel'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 a∣version to fly from sin, it would serve for a strong motive to the propagations of a godly life; for sin should be the onely object of mens hatred, as the efficient cause of all their miseries; and why our blessed Saviour out of his tender compas∣sions towards his Elect, was willing to suffer the ignominous death of the Cross, to redeem them from the guilt and pu∣nishment of sin which was eternal death;

And men cannot by any other means shew themselves grateful, and to be sensi∣ble of this incompre hensible love of Christ, then by having an inveterate ha∣tred against sin, and to detest and abhor with all their hearts all sinful courses, sith sin is the onely separation wall that bars them from having an intimate and loving familiarity with God: for the ha∣tred 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 unfai∣ned hatred of sin, there is no possibility of salvation; hatred against sin being the chiefest ingredient required in a true Re∣pentance: 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 thatl loveth not his bro∣ther, 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:m I hate vain thoughts, but I love thy Law saith the Prophet David: And again, I hate and abhorn lying, but thy Law do I love: Do I not hate them, O Lord,o that

hate thee? and am not I grieved with those that rise against thee? I hate them with a per∣fect hatred, I account them my enemies. The fear of the Lord,p saith Salomon, is to hate evil. Pride and arrogancy, and the freward mouth do I hate: Hate the evil and love the good,q saith the Prophet Amos. To con∣clude with the Apostle St. Peter,r Let us lay aside all malice, hatred, env e, and hypo∣pocrisies, and all evil speaking: as new born babes desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby, &c.

Notes

• a

  Gen. 1.31.
• The Bishop of Marseilles, pag. 175.
• Theophrast. Boju. in his Commenta∣ries upon A∣ristotles Phys.
• Senault, pag. 244.
• See Plinius in his Natu∣ral History.
• See Plutarch in his Mo∣rals.
• See Plutarch in Marcus Antonius Life.
• b

  Gen. 39.17.20.
• See Plutarch in his Life.
• See the Turk∣ish History in his Life.
• c

  Esther 3.2, 3.
• d

  Matth 20.11, 12, 13, 14.15.
• See Dion in his Life.
• See Plutarch in their Lives.
• See Herodion in their lives.
• 1 Cor. 4.13.
• f

  Gen. 4.8.
• g

  Gen. 34.25, 26.
• h

  2. Sam. 13.29.
• The Queen of Navarr was poyso∣ned by the smell of a pair of Gloves.
• i

  Gen. 3.6.
• k

  Pro. 15.1.
• See Livius & Plutarch.
• See Monta∣gnes Essais.
• See Garnier in the Tra∣gedy of An∣tigone.
• See Guie∣chardine in the wars of Italy. Paulus Jovi∣us in his Tragical Relations.
• Matth. 27.35.
• l

  Ioh 3 14. 1 Ioh. 3.15.
• m

  Psal. 119.104.
• n

  Psalm 119.163
• o

  Psal. 139.21, 22.
• p

  Pro. 8.13.
• q

  Amos 5.15
• r

  1 Pet. 2.1, 2.