The Passions of the Mind in General

The Passions

commoditie, not onely because it concerneth every
mans particular, but also, for that there be few estates
or conditions of men, that have int'rest in this mat-
ter; the Divine, the Philosopher, the curers both of the
bodie and the soule, I meane the Preacher and Physiti-
an; the good Christian that attendeth to mortificati-
on, and the prudent civill Gentleman that procureth a
gratefull conversation, may reape some commoditie
touching their professions; and in fine, every man may,
by this, come to a knowledge of himselfe which ought
to be preferred before all treasures and riches.

The Divine herein may first challenge his parte, be-
cause the inordinate motions of Passions, their preven-
ting of reason, their rebellion to virtue are thornie bri-
ars sprung from the infected root of original sinne (the
which Treatise wholy concerneth Divines, and all the
deformed broode thereby ingendred:) the Passions
likewise augment or diminish the deformitie of actuall
sinnes, they blinde reason, they seduce the will, and
therefore are speciall causes of sinne: whereupon a-
mong Divines grew that common distinction of sins,
Distinction of sinne that some are of Passion, others proceede from igno-
rance, others from malice and wilfulnesse; finally, Pas-
sions are meanes to help us, and impediments to with-
draw us from our end: the Divine therefore, who spe-
cially entreateth of our last end, and of the meanes to
atchieve it, and difficulties to obtaine it, must of neces-
sitie extend the sphere of his knowledge to this subject
of our Passions, and for this respect of Divines they are
See Thomas Aquinas with the Scholastics in I. II, q. 22, and others in the first part, where he treats of man. divinely handled.

The Philosopher, as well naturall as morall, the one
for Speculation, the other for Practise, wade most pro-
foundly