The works of the Rev. John Wesley, Vol. 06 (of 32)

Name: The works of the Rev. John Wesley, Vol. 06 (of 32)
Author: Wesley, John

Wesley, John

Methodist Church; Theology -- Early works to 1800; Theology -- History -- 18th century

* It was truly reason that made _Medea_ kill her children, that made
_Cato_ kill himself, that made Pagans offer human sacrifices to idols;
that made _Epicurus_ deny a providence, _Mahomet_ pretend a revelation;
that made some men sceptics, others bigots; some enthusiasts, others
profane; that made _Hobbes_ assert all religion to be human invention,
and _Spinosa_ to declare trees, and stones, and animals to be parts
of God; that makes free-thinkers deny freedom of will, and fatalists
exhort to a reformation of manners; that made _Vaux_ a conspirator, and
_Ludlow_ a regicide; that made _Muggleton_ a fanatic; and _Rochester_
a libertine. It was as truly reason that did all these things, as it is
reason that demonstrates mathematical propositions.

_Medea_ and _Cato_ acted as truly according to the judgment of their
reason at that time, as the confessor that chuses rather to suffer,
than deny his faith.

Had not _Medea_ and _Cato_ thought it best to do what they did, at the
time they did it, they would no more have done it than the _confessor_
would chuse to suffer rather than deny his faith, unless he had judged
best so to do.

And when we say reason governs the passions, it means no more,
than that reason governs itself; that it acts with deliberation and
attention, does not yield to its first judgments, but uses second, and
third thoughts.

So that guarding against the passions, is only guarding against its own
first judgments and opinions; that is guarding against itself.

To all this may, perhaps, be objected, that our passions arise from
bodily motions, and depend upon the state of our blood and animal
spirits, and therefore what we do under their commotions, cannot be
attributed to our reason.

It is readily granted, that the body has this share in our passions
and tempers: but then the same thing must be granted of the body,
in all the acts and operations of the mind. So that if our desires
and aversions cannot be imputed to our reason, because of the joint
operation of the animal spirits in them; no more can syllogisms and
demonstrations be attributed to our reason, because the operation of
bodily spirits concurreth in the forming of them.

For the most abstract thought, and speculation of the mind, has as
truly the _conjunct_ operation of bodily spirits, as our strongest
desires or aversions. And it is as much owing to the state of the body,
that such speculations are what they are, as it is owing to the state
of the body, that such passions are what they are.

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

Opening the text

The works of the Rev. John Wesley, Vol. 06 (of 32)Wesley, John

Religion

The works of the Rev. John Wesley, Vol. 06 (of 32)

Wesley, John

Methodist Church; Theology -- Early works to 1800; Theology -- History -- 18th century

* It was truly reason that made _Medea_ kill her children, that made
_Cato_ kill himself, that made Pagans offer human sacrifices to idols;
that made _Epicurus_ deny a providence, _Mahomet_ pretend a revelation;
that made some men sceptics, others bigots; some enthusiasts, others
profane; that made _Hobbes_ assert all religion to be human invention,
and _Spinosa_ to declare trees, and stones, and animals to be parts
of God; that makes free-thinkers deny freedom of will, and fatalists
exhort to a reformation of manners; that made _Vaux_ a conspirator, and
_Ludlow_ a regicide; that made _Muggleton_ a fanatic; and _Rochester_
a libertine. It was as truly reason that did all these things, as it is
reason that demonstrates mathematical propositions.

_Medea_ and _Cato_ acted as truly according to the judgment of their
reason at that time, as the confessor that chuses rather to suffer,
than deny his faith.

Had not _Medea_ and _Cato_ thought it best to do what they did, at the
time they did it, they would no more have done it than the _confessor_
would chuse to suffer rather than deny his faith, unless he had judged
best so to do.

And when we say reason governs the passions, it means no more,
than that reason governs itself; that it acts with deliberation and
attention, does not yield to its first judgments, but uses second, and
third thoughts.

So that guarding against the passions, is only guarding against its own
first judgments and opinions; that is guarding against itself.

To all this may, perhaps, be objected, that our passions arise from
bodily motions, and depend upon the state of our blood and animal
spirits, and therefore what we do under their commotions, cannot be
attributed to our reason.

It is readily granted, that the body has this share in our passions
and tempers: but then the same thing must be granted of the body,
in all the acts and operations of the mind. So that if our desires
and aversions cannot be imputed to our reason, because of the joint
operation of the animal spirits in them; no more can syllogisms and
demonstrations be attributed to our reason, because the operation of
bodily spirits concurreth in the forming of them.

For the most abstract thought, and speculation of the mind, has as
truly the _conjunct_ operation of bodily spirits, as our strongest
desires or aversions. And it is as much owing to the state of the body,
that such speculations are what they are, as it is owing to the state
of the body, that such passions are what they are.

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

The works of the Rev. John Wesley, Vol. 06 (of 32)

The works of the Rev. John Wesley, Vol. 06 (of 32)

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