Book 1, Chapter 12: Distress from a Man’s Own Body

Of the fifth special distress, arising from a man's own body.

The fifth and last kind of temptation or trouble of mind, arises from a man's own body.

Before I enter to speak thereof, one question, in the mean time, must be answered, namely, how the body being an earthly substance, should trouble or annoy the mind, considering that the mind is not bodily but spiritual: for nothing can work above its own power: and it is against reason, that that which is bodily, should either alter or trouble a spirit. For answer hereunto, these things must be considered.

Sect. 1.

First of all, the actions of man, though they be sundry, yet they all proceed from one only fountain, and common cause, the soul; and are done by the power thereof. The body of itself, is not an agent in any work, but as it were a dead instrument, in and by which the soul produces all actions and works.

Secondly, though all the actions of man come from the soul, yet the most of them are such, as be performed by the body, and the parts thereof, and by the spirits that are seated in the body, as by instruments. Indeed some actions of the soul and mind, are done without the help of the body; but I say, that the most of them, are wrought by the body, and spirits therein contained. And yet notwithstanding the spirits in themselves, are no agents at all: but the only agent in any work, is the soul itself. For example: the using of the outward senses, as of sight, hearing, tasting, touching, smelling, as also of the inward, as imagination, memory, &c. all this is done by the brain, and the parts of the brain, as proper instruments. All affections both good and bad, come from the soul, but yet they are done and acted in, and by means of the heart and vital spirits. So also the powers of life and nourishment proceed from the soul; and yet they are done and wrought by the liver, and other inward parts, as instruments whereby the soul nourishes the body. In a word, there is no natural action in man, but for the effecting thereof, the parts of the body are used as it were the hands and instruments of the soul; and all this comes by reason of the union of the body with the soul, whereby they make one person.

Hence it follows, that when the body is troubled, the soul is also troubled. Now the body affects and hurts the soul and mind, not by taking away, or diminishing any part thereof: for the soul is indivisible. Nor by depriving it of any power or faculty given it of God: for as the soul itself, and the parts thereof, so also all the faculties of the same, remain whole and entire, without abating or diminishing. But by corrupting the action of the mind, or more properly, by corrupting the next instrument whereby the mind works, and consequently the action itself.

This may be conceived by a comparison. A skillful artificer in any science, having an unfit tool to work withal, though his skill be good, and his ability sufficient: yet his instrument wherewith he works being bad, the work which he does must needs be an imperfect work. Howbeit the tool takes not away the skill of his workmanship, nor his power of working, only it hinders him from showing his skill, and doing that well, which otherwise he should and could do well. In like manner, the body being corrupted, hinders the work of the soul; not by taking away the work of the soul, or the ability of working: but by making it to bring forth a corrupt work, because the instrument which it uses is corrupt and faulty. And thus we must conceive of all the annoyances of the soul by the body.

The temptation follows. The body causes the trouble of mind two ways, either by melancholy, or by some strange alterations in the parts of the body, which oftentimes befall men: in what sort we shall see afterwards. For troubles of mind thus caused, are more common, and as noisome as the most of the former.

Sect. 2.

Touching that which comes by melancholy, sundry things are to be considered for our instruction, and for the remedy of that evil.

1. And first of all; if it be asked what melancholy is? I answer, it is a kind of earthy and black blood, specially in the spleen, corrupted and distempered; which when the spleen is stopped, conveys itself to the heart, and the brain; and there partly by its corrupt substance, and contagious quality, and partly by corrupt spirits, annoys both heart and brain, being the seats and instruments of reason, and affections.

2. The second is, what are the effects and operations of melancholy? Ans. They are strange, and often fearful. There is no humor, yes, nothing in man's body, that has so strange effects, as this humor has, being once distempered. An ancient divine calls it the Devil's bait, because the Devil being well acquainted with the complexion and temperature of man, by God's just permission, conveys himself into this humor and works strange conceits. It is recorded in Scripture, that when the Lord took his good Spirit from Saul, whereby he did carry himself well in the government of his people: and an evil spirit came upon him, he was in so fearful a case that he would have slain him that was next to him: how so? Surely, because God in justice withdrew his Spirit from him, and suffered Satan, to enter into the humor of choler, or melancholy, or both, and by this means caused him to offer violence to David.

Now the effects thereof in particular, are of two sorts. The first, is in the brain and head. For this humor being corrupted, it sends up noisome fumes as clouds or mists; which do corrupt the imagination, and makes the instrument of reason unfit for understanding and sense. Hence follows the first effect, strange imaginations, conceits and opinions, framed in the mind: which are the first work of this humor, not properly: but because it corrupts the instrument, and the instrument being corrupted, the faculty cannot bring forth good but corrupt actions.

Examples hereof are well known, I will only touch one or two. One is called the Beastial or Beastlike Melancholy; a disease in the brain whereby a man thinks himself to be a beast of this or that kind, and carries himself accordingly. And herewith have all those been troubled, which have thought themselves to be wolves, and have practiced wolvish behavior. Again, it is said of Nebuchadnezzar (Daniel 4:30) that he was driven from men, and did eat grass as the oxen, that is, behaved himself, and fed as a beast. Now some are of opinion that his human shape was taken from him, and that he was transformed into a beast; at least that he had the soul of a beast instead of a human soul for a time. But they are deceived. For there is no such transportation of souls into bodies, either of men or beasts. Others think, that Nebuchadnezzar was smitten in the brain with this disease of beastlike Melancholy, whereby he was so bereft of his right mind, that he carried himself as a beast. And this interpretation is not against the text: for in the 31st verse of that chapter it is said, that his mind came to him again: and therefore in the disease, his understanding, and the right use of his reason was lost. And the like is true in history, by diverse examples, though it were not true in Nebuchadnezzar.

Again, take another example, that is common and ordinary. Let a melancholic person upon the sudden, hear or see some fearful thing, the strength of his imagination is such, that he will presently fasten the thing upon himself. As if he see or hear that a man has hanged himself, or is possessed with a devil, it presently comes to his mind, that he must do so to himself, or that he is, or at least shall be possessed. In like manner upon relation of fearful things, presently his fantasy works, and he imagines, that the thing is already, or shall befall him. And this imagination, when it enters once and takes place, it brings forth horrible and fearful effects.

The second effect or work of Melancholy, is upon the heart. For there is a concord and consent between the heart and the brain, the thoughts and the affections: the heart affecting nothing but that which the mind conceives. Now when the mind has conceived, imagined, and framed within itself fearful thoughts; then comes affection and is answerable to imagination. And hence proceed exceeding horrors, fears, and despairs, even of salvation itself, and yet the conscience for all this untouched, and not troubled or disquieted.

3. Thirdly, it may be demanded, whether there be any difference between the trouble of conscience and Melancholy? For many hold, that they are all one. Answer: They are not all one, but differ much. Affliction of conscience is one thing, trouble by Melancholy is another: and they are plainly distinguished thus.

First, when the conscience is troubled, the affliction itself is in the conscience, and so in the whole man. But in Melancholy, the imagination is disturbed, and not the conscience. Secondly, the conscience afflicted, has a true and certain cause, whereby it is troubled, namely, the sight of sin, and the sense of God's wrath; but in Melancholy, the imagination conceives a thing to be so, which is not so: for it makes a man to fear and despair, upon supposed and feigned causes. Thirdly, the man afflicted in conscience, has courage in many other matters: but the melancholic man fears every man, every creature, yes himself, and has no courage at all, but fears, when there is no cause of fear. Fourthly, imaginations in the brain caused by Melancholy, may be cured, taken away, and cut off by means of physic: but the distress of conscience, cannot be cured by anything in the world but one, and that is the blood of Christ, and the assurance of God's favor.

4. Fourthly, the way to cure Melancholy is this. First, the person troubled must be brought to this; that he will content himself, to be advised and ruled by the judgment of others, and cease to rest upon himself touching his own estate: and by this shall he reap much quiet and contentment.

Secondly, search and trial must be made, whether he has in him any beginnings of grace, as of faith and repentance, or no. If he be a carnal man, and lacks knowledge of his estate, then means must be used, to bring him to some sight and sorrow for his sins, that his melancholy sorrow, may be turned into a godly sorrow. If he lacks faith and true repentance, some good beginnings thereof must be wrought in his heart.

Thirdly, when he is brought to faith in God's mercy, and an honest purpose not to sin any more; then, certain merciful promises of God, are to be laid before him: and he must be exhorted, to rest upon these promises, and at no time to admit any imagination or thought, that may cross the said promises. Now the promises are these, and such like: Psalm 34:9, No good thing shall be wanting to them that fear God; Psalm 91:10, No evil shall come near the godly man; 2 Chronicles 15, The Lord is with you, while you are with him, and if you seek him, he will be found of you; James 4:8, Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. And the best means to cause any man thus diseased, to be at peace with himself, is to hold, believe, and know the truth of these promises, and not to suffer any bythought to enter into his heart, that may cross them.

Moreover, though the former promises may stay the mind, yet will they not take away the humor, except further help be used. Therefore the fourth and last help, is the art of physic, which serves to correct and abate the humor, because it is a means by the blessing of God, to restore the health, and to cure the distemper of the body. And thus much touching the trouble of mind, caused by Melancholy.

Sect. 3.

The second means whereby the body annoys the mind is, when it occasions trouble to the mind, by strange alterations incident to the body. When a man begins to enter into a phrensy, if the brain admit never so little alteration; presently the mind is troubled, the reason corrupted, the heart terrified, the man distracted in the whole body. Thus from the trembling of the heart, come many fearful imaginations and conceits, whereof a man knows not the cause. The same is procured by the swelling of the spleen, by the rising of the entrails, by strange cramps, convulsions, and such like.

The remedy hereof is this. First, it is still to be considered, whether the party thus troubled, has the beginnings of true faith and repentance, or no. If he has, it is so much the better. If he has not, (as usually such persons are mere natural men,) then the first duty is, to use all means, to stir up in him some godly sorrow for his sins, to bring him to the exercises of invocation, and to some confidence in God's mercy for pardon.

Secondly, this being done, means must be used to take away the opinion conceived, which will be done by giving him information of the state of his body, and what is the true and proper cause of the alteration thereof. This being known the grief or fear conceived, will easily be stayed. For take away the false opinion, and inform the judgment, and the whole man will be the better.

Thirdly, the opinion being altered and reformed, it may be the alteration in the body will remain: the party therefore in that case must be taught, that it is a correction of God, and that God does not barely suffer the correction to be inflicted, but is the very author of it, and therefore the party is to be well pleased, and to rest himself in that will of God. For every present estate, whether it be good or bad, is the best state for us, because it comes by God's will and appointment.

And thus much touching the distinct kinds of distresses of mind: whereunto I add this one thing further, that if we make examination of the estate of persons as are troubled with any of these five temptations we shall not usually find them single, but mixed together, especially Melancholy, with terror of conscience or some other temptations.

For the distraction of the mind will often breed a distemper in the body, and the distemper of the body likewise will sometimes cause distraction of mind. Again, Melancholy will often be an occasion, (though no direct cause) of terror of conscience; and in the same manner the conscience touched and terrified with sense of the heinousness of sin, and the heaviness of God's wrath, will bring distemper of body by sympathy, and cause Melancholy.

In this case, if question be made, what is to be done, I answer, that for mixed distresses, we must have recourse to mixed remedies, using in the first place the best means for the rectifying of the mind the principal grounds whereof have been before delivered; and then taking the seasonable advice of the physician, whose calling and service God has sanctified for the cure and relief of the body in case of extremity.

And so much of the first sort of questions, concerning Man simply considered in himself.