A10663:958
A treatise of the passions and faculties of the soul of man With the…A treatise of the passions and faculties of the soule of man With the…
A treatise of the passions and faculties of the soul of man With the several dignities and corruptions thereunto belonging. By Edward Reynolds, late preacher to the honourable society of Lincoln's Inn: and now rector of the Church of Braunston in Northamptonshire.A treatise of the passions and faculties of the soule of man With the severall dignities and corruptions thereunto belonging. By Edvvard Reynoldes, late preacher to the honorable society of Lincoln's Inne: and now rector of the Church of Braunston in Northamptonshire.
London: printed by R. Hearne and John Norton for Robert Bostock, 1640
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
The Corruptions then which I conceive of this part of Invention, are,
First, a Despair and Distrust of a mans own Abilities: For as Corruption and Self Opinion is a main Cause of Error: so Dissidence and Fear is on the other side a wrong to Nature, in abusing those Faculties which she gave for enquiry, with Sloth and Dullness. Multis rebus inest Magnitudo (saith Seneca) non ex naturâ suâ, sed ex debilitate nostrâ: and so likewise, Multie rebus inest difficultas; non ex natura sua, sed ex opinione nostrâ▪ Many things seem hard & involved, not because they are so, but because our suspicion so misconceives them. Thus as in an affected and ill disposed Body, •very light Weakness is more felt than a more violent distemper, where the Constitution is stronger. So with fearful and despairing wits, every Inquiry is estimated, not according to the nature of the Object, but according to the Disopinion & slender Conceit which they have of their own Abilities. Non calcant spina•, sed habent. It were but ridiculous for a Blind man to complain of dark weather, when the fault is not in the Air, but in the Eye.
First, a Despaire and Distrust of a mans owne Abilities: For as Corruption and Selfe Opinion is a maine Cause of Errour: so Dissidence and Feare is on the other side a wrong to Nature, in abusing those Faculties which she gave for enquiry, with Sloath and Dulnes. Multis rebus inest Magnitudo (saith Seneca) non ex naturâ suâ, sed ex debilitate nostrâ: and so likewise, Multie rebus inest difficultas; non ex natura sua, sed ex opinione nostrâ▪ Many things seem hard & involved, not because they are so, but because our suspition so misconceives them. Thus as in an affected and ill disposed Body, •very light Weaknes is more felt than a more violent distemper, where the Constitution is stronger. So with fearfull and despairing wits, every Inquiry is estimated, not according to the nature of the Object, but according to the Disopinion & slender Conceipt which they have of their own Abilities. Non calcant spina, sed habent. It were but ridiculous for a Blind man to complaine of dark weather, when the fault is not in the Aire, but in the Eye.