; Which being laid down, I affirm it is needlefs to confult Cafuijis when it is certain, that Truth fpeaks to us; which we are fure it does when Evidence difplays it felf in the Anfwers that are made to our £w^*r/M, that is, to the attention of our Mind. Therefore when we retire into our own Breaft, and in the filence of our Senfes, and Paffions, hear a Voice fo clear, and intelligible, that we cannot be doubtful of the Truth of it, we muft fubmit to it, let the World think of us what they pleafe: We muft have no regard to cuftom, nor liften to our fecret Inclinations, nor defer too much to the refolves of thofe who go for the Learned part of Men. We muft not give way to be mifguided by the falfe fhew of a pretended Piety; nor be humbled by the oppofitions of thofe who know not the Soul which animates them: But we muft bear patiently their proud Infults, without condemning their Intentions, or defpifing their Perfons. We muft, with fimplicity of heart, rejoice in the Light of Truth, which illuminates us; and though its Anfwers condemn us, yet ought we to prefer, them, before all the fubtil Diftinftions the Imagination invents, for the ju- ilification of the Paffions.
Every Man, for Example, thai can enter into himfelf, and ftill the confus'd noife of the Senfes and Paffions, clearly difcovers that every motion of Love, which is given us by God, muft Center upon him, and that God himfelf cannot difpenfe with the Obligation we have to Love him, in all things. 'Tis evident, that God cannot fuperfede acting for Himfelf, cannot create, or preferve our Will, to will any thing befides him, or to will any thing but what he Wills Himfelf. For I can- not fee how it is conceivable, that God can Will a Creature fhould have more Love for what is lefs lovely, or fhould Love Soveraignly, as its end, what is not Supreamly amiable.
I know well that Men who interrogate their Paffions, inftead of confuting Order, may eafily ima- gine that God has no other Rule of his Will than his will it felf, and that if God obferves Order, 'tis meerly hecaufe he voilVd it, and has made this fame Order by a Will abfolutely Free and Indif- ferent.; There are thofe who think there is no Order immutable and neceflary by its Nature: And and that the Order or Wifdom of God, whereby he has made all things, though the firft of Crea- tures, is yet it felf a Creature, made by a Free- Will of God, and not begotten of his Subftance by the neceffity of his EfTence. But this Opinion which fhakes all the Foundations of Mora- lity by robbing Order, and the Eternal Laws, depending on it, of their Immutability, and over- turns the entire Edifice of the Chriftian Religion,, by diverting JESUS CHRIST, or the WORD of God, of his Divinity, does not yet fo perfectly benight the Mind, as to hide from it this Truth: That God Wills Order. Thus whether the Will of God Makes Order, or Suppofes it, we clearly fee when we retire into our felves, that the God we Worfhip cannot do what plainly appears to us to be contrary to Order. So that Order Willing that our Time, or the Duration of our Being, fhould be for him that preferves us, that the Motion! of otir Heart fhould continually tend towards him, who continually impreffes it in us; that all the Powers of our Souls fhould la- bour only for him, by vet tue of whom they ad. God cannot difpenfe with the Commandment Mark 12. he gave by Mofes in the Law, and repeated by his Son in the Gofpel, Thoufbalt Love the Lord thy %o. Cod with < all thy Heart, and with all thy Soul, and with all thy Mind, and with all thy Strength.
But becaufe Order requires that every Righteous Perfon fhould be happy, and every Sinner mi- ferable, and that every A&ion conformable to Order, and every Motion of Love to God fhould be rewarded, and every other contrary to Order, or that tends not to him, punifh'd: It is evident^ that whoever will be happy muft conftantly tend towards God ', and reject with abhorrence what- ever flops or retards him in his courfe, or Weakens his propenfion to the true good: And for this he need not confult any Cafuijis-, For when God fpeaks, 'tis fit that Men fhould be filent: And when we are abfolutely certain, that Our Senfes, and Paffions, have no Voice in thofe refolves we hear, in our moft Secret and inward Reafon, we ought always refpedtfully to attend and fubmit to them.
Would we be refolv'd whether we may go to' a Ball or a Play: Whether we may in Confcience fpend a great part of theDay in Sports,and vainConverfation,whether certain Converfations,Studies, and Employs, are conformable to our Obligations. Let us retire into our felves, and hufh our Senfes and 'Paffions, and then fee in the Light of God, whether we can do for him any fuch A&ion: Let us interrogate him who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, to know if the Road we purfue will not lead us to the Gates of Death: And whether (God being Efientially Jaft, and neceffarily oblig'd to punifh what is not agreeable to Order, and to reward all conformity to it) we have reafon to believe we are going to augment, or enfure our Felicity, by the Action we in- If it be our Love to God that leads us to the Ball, let us go: If Heaven is to be gam d by play- ing, let us play Day and Night: If we have in profpeft the Glory of God in our Employment, let us exercife it-, Let us do all things with joy, for our Recompence fhall be great in Heaven. But if after having carefully examin'd our Eflential Obligations, we clearly difcover that neither our Being, nor the Time that meafures it, is at our own difpofal, and that we do an unjuft thing, which it neceflarily lies upon God to punifh, when our only ftudy is how to fpend our time in Mirth and Pleafure, If our Lord and Mafter CHRIST, who has purchas'd us by his Blood, f eproaches our Infidelity and Ingratitude in a moft clear and intelligible manner, for living alter ijj - F. MaLebranche Concerning the Flefcand the World, for Leading an Effeminate, and Voluptuous Life, and following Opinio On and Cuftorri: Let us yield to his Voice, and not harden our Hearts, nor feek put fuch Spiritual^ Guides, as comfort us under thefe Reproaches, and fecure us againft thefe Menaces, and involve in delightful Clouds that Light which ftrikes, and pierces our very Soul.._'■:_ When the Blind leads the Blind they both fall into the Ditch, fays the tvangelift. But if Gccji excufesnot the Blind who commits himfelf to the Conduct of a Blind Leader, will he excufe him. who feeing clearly will yet willingly be guided by the Blind, becaufe he leads him pleafantly, and entertains him by the w ay, according to his Inclinations? Thefe voluntary Blind Men ought to know, that God who never deceives, frequently permits thefe Seducers in punifhment to the cor- rupt Affections of thofe that feek them. That Blkidnefs is a penalty of Sin, though it be often the caufeofit; and that it is juft, that he who cared not to hear Eternal Wifdom, who fpoke only for his good, mould at laft fuller himfelf to be corrupted by Men,whofe deception is fo much more dangerous, as their Flatteries are more pleafmg.
'Tis true 'tis no ealie thing to retire into our felves, to filence our Senfes, and Paffions, and to diftinguifh the Voice of God, from that of our Body: For we molt commonly take fenfible Proofs , for evident Reafons ^ and on that account it is neceflary to confult the Cafuifts. But it is not al- ways needful: For we fee our Duty on many occafions, with the cleareft Evidence, and an un- doubted certainty. And then it is even dangerous to confult them, unlefs it be. done with the greateft Sincerity, and by a Spirit of Humility, and Obedience. For thefe difpofitions ob- lige God to prevent our deception, or at leaft to keep us from deceiving our felves in any hurtful, manner.
When it is convenient to advife with a Spiritual' Guide, fuch an one is"' to be chofen, as under- stands Religion, and reverences the Gofpel, and is acquainted with humane Nature. We muft take heed leaft the converfe of the World has corrupted him, leaft Friendflup fhould make him too Gen- tle and Complaifant, leaft he mould be Brib'dby his hopes or fears of us j We muft choofe one in a thoqland, lays St. Therefia, who, as fhe relates her felf,had like to have loft her way to H'eaven,by the means of an Ignorant Guide.
The World is full of Deceivers, I fay of Well- Meaning Deceivers-, no Iefs than "others. Thofe who Love us, feduce us by their Complaifance: Thofe who are below us, flatter us } out of Re- fpect or Fear: Thofe above us out of Contempt, or Negligence, overlook our neceflities. Befides, all Men giveus Counfel, agreeable to the Breviates we give of our own Condition, and we never fail to make the belt of our Cafe, infenfibly laying our hand upon our fore when we ate afbam'd of it. We often deceive our Counfellours, that we may deceive our felves: For we fancy our felves fecure, whilft we follow their Directions. They do but conduct us whither we defign'd to go ^ and yet we would fain perfwade our felves, in fpite of our Light, and the Secret reproofs ot our Reafbn, that 'tis our Obedience which determines us. We feduce our felves, arid God: per- mits us ^ but we can never deceive him who Penetrates the Bottom of our Heavtc. And though we deafen our felves never fo much to the Voice of Internal Truth,' we are fufficiently made; fenfi- ble by the inward Reproaches, we receive, from the Supream Truth, leaving us to our felves, that it enlightens our Darknefs, and difcovers all the Wiles and Stratagems of Self- Love.
, 'Tis therefore evident, that our Reafon muft be confblted for the Health of our Soul, as our Senfes are to be advis'd with for the Health of our Body; and that when the former cannot clearly refolve us, we muft apply to the Cafuifts as we muft have recourfe to the Phyfician, when the lat- ter* are defective: But this is to be done with Judgment, fince Ignorant Cafmfis may Murther our Soul, as Vnskilful Phyficians may Poifon our Body.
Whereas I explain not in particular the Rules which, may be given about the choice and ufe that's to be made of Phyficians and Cafuifts. I defire my Sentiments may be candidly inter- preted, and that it may not be imagin'd I am againft drawing all poffible fupplies from other Men. I know that a particular Bleffing attends our fubmifllon to the Opinions of the Wife and Underftanding: And I am willing to believe this general Rule, that 'tis requifite to die in the ufual Forms, is furer for the common fort of Men -, than any I could eftablifh for the Preferva- tion of Life But becaufe 'tis of perpetual ufe to retire into our felves, to confult the Gofpel; and to liften to JESUS CHRIST, whether he fpeaks immediately to our Mind and Heart, or by Faith declares himfelf to our Ears and Eyes ^ I thought I might be allow'd to fay what I have laid. For Our Cafuifts deceive tis when they go contrary to the Doctrine of our Faith and Reafdh. And as we give Honour to God by believing that his Works have what is neceflary to their prefervation, I thought I could make Men fenfible their Machine wasfo admirably contriv'd, that it's own Nature can better furnilh it with what's neceflary to it's fafety, than Science and even the Experience of the ableft Phyficians.
THE The Search after Truth! iij io*L£ii j ij:u,i THE ILLUSTRATION UPON THE Third CHAPTER of the Fifth BOOR.
That Love is different from Pleafure and Joy.
TH E Mind commonly confounds things that are very different, when they happen at the fame time, and are not contrary to each other. As I have fliown by many Inftances in this Work; becaufe herein chiefly confifl our Errors, inRefpedt of what paffes within us. Be- ing we have no clear Idea of what conftitutes the Nature or EiTence of our Mind, nor of any of the Modification it can receive, it often falls out, that to our confounding different things, they need but happen in us at the fame time. For we eafily confound what we know not, by a clear and diftindt Idea.
It is not only impoffible clearly to conceive wherein confifts the difference of our InternalMotions- it is even difficult to difcover any difference between them: For to do, this we muft turn our Eyes inward,and retire into our felves; not to confider them with reference to Good and Evil, which we do willingly enough: But to contemplate our felves with an abftract and barren confideration which colls us great trouble, and diftra&ion of Thought,.
We eafily conceive, that the Roundnefs of a Body differs from its Motion; and though we know by Experience, that a Bowl on a plane cannot be prefs'd without being mov'd, and fo Motion and Roundnefs are found together: Yet we ufe not to confound them with one another, becaufe we conceive Motion and Figure by clear and diftinct Ideas. But 'tis not fo with Tleafure and Lovey which we almofl always confound together. Our Mind grows, as it were Moveable by Pleafure, as a Bowl by it's roundnefs, and becaufe it is never, void of an imprefllon towards Good, it immedi- ately puts it felf in Motion towards the Objects which caufes, or feems to caufe the Pleafure. So that the Motion of Love happening in the Soul at the very time of it's feeling this Pleafure, is fuf- ficient to make her undiflinguifh or confound them, becaufe /he has no clear Idea of her Love and Pleafure as (he has of Figure and Motion. And for this Reafon fome are perfwaded, that Plea* fure and Love are not different, and that 1 diftinguilh too many things in each of our PaJJions. But that it may clearly appear, that Pleafure and Love are two very different things: I divide , Pleafures into two forts, the one fort precedes Reafon, as are agreeable Senfations, and go commonly by the Name of the Pleafures of the Body. The other fort neither precede Reafon, nor the fenfes, and are generally call'd the Pleafures of the Soul. Such is the Joy that arife in us, in purfuance of a clear knowledge ofconfus'd fenfation we have of fome Good, that either does, or fliall accrue to us.
For Example, a Man in tailing a Fruit, which he does not know, finds pleafure in eating it, if it bo good for Nourifhment. Which is a preceding or preventing Pleafure; for fince he feels it before he knows whether the Fruit be good, 'tis evident it prevents his Reafon. An Huntfman when hungry experts to find, or actually finds fomething Eatable; which gives him an actual fenfe of Joy. Now this Joy is a Pleafure which follows the knowledge of his prefent or future good.
It is perhaps evident by this diftinttion of Pleafure into that which follows, and that which pre- vents Reafon; that neither of them but differs from Love. For preventing pleafure undoubtedly precedes Love,Cmce it precedes all Knowledge, which fome way or other is always fuppos'dby Love. On the contrary, Joy, or the Pleafure which fuppofes foregoing Knowledge, prefuppofes likewife Love; fince Joy fuppofes either a confus'd Senfation, or a clear Knowledge of the prefent or future Pofleffion of what we Love: For if we poffefs'd a thing for which we have no Love, we fliould receive no Joy from it. Therefore Pleafure is very different from Low, -fince that which prevents Reafon; prevent and caufes Love, and that which follows Reafon, neceflarily/«^oyh Love; as an Effect fuppofes the Caufe.
Moreover, if Pleafure and Love were the fame thing, there could be no Pleafure without Love, nor Love without Pleafure, otherwife a thing could be without it felf. Neverthelefs a Chriftian I oves his Enemy, and a well-educated Child his Father, though never fo irrational and unkind.
Q.q The The Sight of their Duty, the Fear of God, the Love of Order and Juftice caufes them to Love,) hoc only without Pleafure, but even with a fort of Horrour, thofe Perfons that are no ways de- lightful. I own they fometimes have the Senfe of Pleafure or Joy, upon the Refle&ion, that they perform their Duty; or upon the Hopes of being rewarded as they do deferve. But befides, that this Pleafure is very manifeftly different from the Love they bear to their Father, and Enemy j though perhaps it may be the Motive of it, it fometimes is not fo much as the Motive of their act- ing; but 'tis only an abftract View of Order, or a Notion of Fear, which preferves their Love* In one fenfe it may be truly faid, they have a Love for thefe Perfons, even whilft they do not think of them. For Love remains in us during the Avocations of Thought, and in Sleep: But I conceive that Pleafure has no longer a Subftance in the Soul, than (he is aware of it. Thus Love or Charity remaining in us without Pleafure or Delegation, cannot be maintain'd to be the very Since Pleafure and Pain are two contraries •, if Pleafure were the fame with Love, Pain would not differ from Hatred. But 'tis evident, that Pain is different from Hatred; becaufe it often fubfifts without it. A Man, forlnftance, who is wounded unawares, fuffers a moft real and cutting Pain, whilft he is free from Hatred. For he knows not even the Caufe of his Pain, or the ObjeQ of his Hatred, or rather the Caufe of his Pain not defer ving his Hatred, cannot raife it. Thus he Hates not that Caufe of his Pain, though his Pain moves or difpofes him to Hatred. 1 'Tis true, he defervedly Hates Pain; but the Hatred of Pain is hot Pain, but fuppofes it. Hatred of Pain does not Merit our Hatred, as does Pain: For the former is, on the con- trary, very agreeable; in that we are pleafed in Hating it, as we are difpleafed in Suf- fering it. Pain therefore not being Hatred, the Pleafure which is contrary to Pain is not Love, which is contrary to Hatred, and confequently the Pleafure which is presedaneous to Reafon," is not the fame thing as Love. I prove likewife that Joy, or the Pleafure which purfues Rea- fon, is diftinguiih'd from Love.
Joy and Sorrow being contraries:, if Joy were the fame thing with Love,' Sorrow and Hatred would be all one. But it is evident, that Sorrow differs from Hatred, becaufe it fometimes has a feparate Subfiftence. A Man, for Example, by chance finds hirafelf depriv'd of things that he has need of -, this is enough to make him forrowful: But it can- not provoke him to Hatred', Either becaufe he knows not what it was that depriv'd him of this neceffary thing; or becaufe, being unworthy of his Hatred, it could not. excite it. 'Tis true, this Man Hates the Privation of the Good which he Loves •, But it is manifeft, that this kind of Hatred is really Love: For he Hates the Privation of Good- meer^. y becaufe he Loves Good; and fince to fly the Privation of Good, is to tend towards Good; Is is evident, that the Motion of his Hatred is not different from that of his Love. Therefore his Hatred, if he have any, being not contrary to his Love, and Sorrow being always contrary to Joy, it is evident, that his Sorrow is not his Hatred: and confequent- ly Joy is different from Love. Laftly, It is evident, that Sorrow- proceeds from the Pre- fence of fomething which we hate, or rather from the Abfence of fomething which we Love.
Therefore Sorrow fuppofes Hatred, or rather Love, but 'tis very different from them both.
I know St. Auftin defines Pain to be an Averfion the Soul conceives from the Bodies be- ing difpofed otberwife than /he would have it; and that he often confounds Delegation with Charity, Pleafure with Joy, Pain with Sorrow, Pleafure arid Joy with Love } Pain and Sorrow, with Averfion or Hatred. But there's great Probability this Holy Father in all this follow'd the common way of fpeaking of the Vulgar, who confound-moft of thofe things which occur in them at one and the fame time: Or, it may be, did not examine thefe things in fo Nice and Philofophical a manner as he might have done. Yet I think I both may and ought to fay, that to me it feems neceffary exa&ly to diftinguifli thefe things, if we would explain our felves clearly and without Equivocation upon moft of the Queftions handled by him. For even Men of a quite oppofite Opinion ufe to build upon the Authority of this great Man, be- caufe of the various Senfes and Conftru&ions his Speech will afford; which is not always Nice and accurate enough to reconcile Perfons, who are perhaps more eager to difpute, than defirous to agree.
THE The Search after Truth 1 -|-- lL THE ILLUSTRATION flPd-N THE Third CHAPTER of the Second PART of the Sixth BOOK.
Concerning, the Efficacy afcribed to Second Caufes.
EVER fince the Tranfgreflion of our firjl Parent, the Mind rambling conftantly abroad, for- gets both it felf, and Him who pierces and enlightens it; and is fo abfurdly pliant to the Se~ ducements of its Body, and thofe about it, as to imagine its own Happinefs and Perfedion is to be found in them. He that alone is able to ad in us, is at prefent hidden from ourEyes: His Operations are of an infenfible kind; and though he produces and preferves all Beings, yet the, Mind whilft the earneft Enquirer of theCaufe of all things, cannot eafily know him, though it meets him every moment. Some Phiiofophers chufe rather to imagine a Nature and particular Fa- culties, as the Caufes of thofe which we term Natural Effeds, than to render to God all the Honour that is due to his Power. And though they have no Proof, nor even clear Idea of this pretended Nature and Faculties, as I hope to make appear, they had rather talk without knowing what they fay, and reverence a purely imaginary Power, than by any Effay of Thought to difcover that Invi- fible Hand which works all in all things. <;, 'Its unavoidable for me to believe that one of the molt deplorable Confequences of Original Sin# is our having no Tafte nor. Senfe for God; or our Incapacity of Tafiing or Meeting him without a fort of Dread and Abhorrence, We ought to/eeGod in all things, to befenfible of his Power and force in all Natural Effeds; to admire his Wifdom in the wonderful Order of his Creatures: In a word, to Worjhip, to Fear, to Love Him only in all his Works. But in Our prefent State there is a Secret Oppofition between Man and GOD; Man, confcious of his being a Sinner, hides him- felf, flies the Light, and is afraid to meet his Maker; and therefore had rather imagine in fur- rounding Bodies, a blind Power or Nature with which he can be familiar, than find in them the terrible power of an Holy and Juft GOD, who knows and Operates all in all.
I confefs there are very many Perfons, who from another Principle than that of the Heathen iphilofophers, follow their Opinion about Nature, and Second Caufes: But I hopeto convince them in the Procefs of this Difcourfe, that they fall into this Sentiment, out of a Prejudice which 'tis im- poffible to fhake off, without thofe Succours which are furnifti'd by the Principles of a Philofophy, that has not always been fufficiently known. - For in all likelihood,this is what has kept them from declaring for an Opinion, which I think my felf oblig'd to efpoufe.
1 have a great many Reafons which will not let me attribute to Second orNatural Caufes, a Force^ Power, or Efficacy,to produce any thing whatever. The chief whereof is, That this Opinion is to me utterly inconceivable. Though I ufe all pofllble Endeavours to comprehend it, I cannot find in my felf the Idea to reprefent to me, what can be that Force or Power afcrib'd to the Creatures. And I need not fear paffing a rafti Judgoient,in affirming that thofe who hold that the Creatures are endued with a Force and Power, advance what they do not clearly conceive. For, in lhort, if the Phiiofophers clearly conceive, that Second Caufes have a true Force to ad and produce their Like; I being a Man as well as they, and participating of the fame Sovereign Reafon, might in all probabili- ty difcover the Idea which reprefent to them that Force. But, all the efforts that my Mind can make can difcover no other Force, Efficacy or Power, than in the Will of the Infinitely perfect Befides, when I think upon the different Opinions of Phiiofophers upon this fubjed, I can no longer doubt of my aflertion. For if they faw clearly what this Power of Creatures was, or what was in them. truly powerful, they would agree in their Opinion about it. When Men cannot accord, though they have no private Intereft to hinder them, 'tis a certain Sign they have no clear Idea of what they fay, and that they underftand not one another, efpecially if they dif- pute on fubjeds that are not of a Complex Nature, and of difficult difcuffion; like this before us. For there would be no difficulty to refolveit, if Men had a clear Idea of a created Force or Power. Here then follow forae of their Opinions, that we may fee how little agreement there is a- mongthem. ^ 7e6 F. MaLebranche Concerning For the There are Philofophers who maintain that fecond Caufes ad by their Matter, Figure and Motion- moil ex- and thece jn one fenfe are right enough: Others by their fubftantial form. Many by Occidents or traordma- QmVlt-m fome by Matter and Form ■ others by Form and Occidents, and others ftill by certain OrinioSs verms or faculties dtftincJ from all this. There are of them who affirm that the fubftantial Form sismre{ produces Forms >, and the Accidental Form, Accidents: Others fay that the Forms produce both o~ Metaphy- ther Forms and Accidents: Others, ftill that bare Accidents are not only capable of producing -A- ficks. Difp, w-rfcwW but even Forms. But it muft not be imagin'd that thofe for inftance, who fay, that Acci* Aff rt 2 2 *»** c'an Produce Forms by vertue of the Form they are join'd to, underftaiKi it the fame way. For &,. " one part of them will have Accidents to be the very Force, or Virtue o\ the Subftanttal Fcrm: Ano- Scor*. in 4. ther that they imbibe into them the Influence of the Form, and only ad fo by vertue of it: A Sent. Dili Third laftly "will have them to be but Inftrumental Gaufes. But neither are thefe latter fort alto- 12' lm 5* gether agreed about what is meant by Inftrumental Caufe, and the vertue they receive from the 37- 2. v. princ^al Nor can the philofophers compromife about the Adion whereby fecond Caufes pro- Paiaudan. duce their EfFeds. For fome of them pretend that Caufality ought not to be produe'd, fince it is this in 4- Sent. wnich produces. Others will that they truly aft by their own Adion. But they are involv'd in D. 12.Q. j-Q mMy Labyrinths in explaining precifely wherein this Adion confifts, and there are fo many diffe- Perer. 8*. rent Opinions about it, that I cannot find in my Heart to recite them.
Phyf-Ch. 3. Conimbr. upon Ariflotle\ Phyficks, and many others cited by Suare^. See F onfe'ea's Metaplryf. qu. 13. Seft. 3. and Sowin. and ■favell. upon the fameQueftion.