450 DOCTRINE OF Tits PASSIONS. longingpartly to thesoul or mind, and partly to the animal body, that is, the flesh and blood : For it is evident, that ivhert we perceive any object with such properties as before mentioned, wve find usually some ferments of the blood, or natural spirits,* or some alterations which affect the body, as well as we feel special impressions on our minds. What these special ferments are, or what the distinct commotions of the nerves, or inward parts of animal nature of the several distinct passions, is not easy to de- termine with exactness : It requires a good skill in anatomy, and long andwatchful observation of the workings of the several pas- sions, to write on this subject with success. The ingenious Des- carteshas aimed at it in his treatise on this subject, and perhaps bath as happily performed it as could be expected, considering howmuch less acquaintance with animal nature thelearned world had arrived at in his age. I proceed now to give some further accountof thesepathetic powers of humannatureby thefollowing remarks: I. It is not necessary that the object which excites our passi- ons should be something actually present with us ; for if therebe but the idea of it found in the mind or imagination, it is sufficient to raise intense passions ; sometimes horror andfear may be un- ruly and violent when the objects or occasions of them are far distant; but they are supposed to be Approaching : And some- times the very absence of pleasing or displeasing objects may be the occasionof grief or joy ; but it is then the perception of this absence that is the immediate cause of them. . II. The passions are wont to be described as mere inward sensations. But since there are some fewof thepassions that . include acts of volition in them, or somepropensities or outgoings of the will, as well as perceptions of the mind, such as the passi- ons ofdesire, aversion, and their species, I chine rather in this place to describe the passions in general, assome sensible commo- tions of our whole nature, both soul and body, which description may perhaps morefully comprehend all the passions. III. Though most of the passions are confessed to be sensa- tions, yet I have frequently in my " discourses of the love of God, &c." called them active and sprightly powers, becausesome of them include the act of the will in them, and very few of them 't What I call here natural spirits, are sometimescalled animal or vital spirits which are supposed to be the springs or mediums ofanimal motions, both inward and outward : But whether these be some refined spirituous liquids, or vapours . drawn off from the blood, or whether they be nothing else but the elastic or springy parts of the air drawn in by respiration, and mingled withthe blood and other animal juices, is notyet agreed by philosophers. # I have sometimes described the passions, as the soul's sensations of some commotions in animal nature, arising from the perception of peculiar objects. And I think it is not of much importance whetherthey be called the soul's sensa- tions of commotions in the body, or sensible commotions of soul and body. I amsure bptb are included in every passion.
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