The anatomy of melancholy : what it is, with all the kinds auses, symptomes, prognostickes, & seuerall cures of it, in three partitions, with their severall sections, members, & subsections, philosophically, medicinally, historically opened & cut up / By Democritus Junior [i.e. Robert Burton]. With a satyricall preface conducing to the following discourse.

  • Robert Burton
Date:
1676
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Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The anatomy of melancholy : what it is, with all the kinds auses, symptomes, prognostickes, & seuerall cures of it, in three partitions, with their severall sections, members, & subsections, philosophically, medicinally, historically opened & cut up / By Democritus Junior [i.e. Robert Burton]. With a satyricall preface conducing to the following discourse. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    420 there he that enter therein. The parable of the feed and of the fower, fame fell on bar¬ ren gronadyfome was cheaked. Whom he hath ■predeflinatedj he hath chofen. He will have mercy on whom he will have mercy. Non efi volentis nec currentis, fed miferentis Dei. Thefe and the like places terrifie the fouls of many; cledion, predeflination, reprobation, prepoftercufly conceived offend divers, with a deal of foolifh prcfumption, curiofity, need- lefs fpeculation, contemplation, folicitude, wherein they trouble and puzzle themfelves about thofe qucftions of grace, free-will, per- feverance, Gods fecrets • they will know more difcern and try themfelves , whether they be Gods true children eled:, an fint reprobriy pra - defiinatiy ^c. with fuchfcrupulous points,they ftill aggravate fin,ihunder out Gods judgements without refped, intempeftively rail at and pro¬ nounce them damned in all auditories, forgiv¬ ing fo much to fports and honeft recreations, making every fmall fault and thing indifferent an irremiliible offence, they fo rent, tear and wound mens confciences, that they are almoU mad, and at their wits ends. Thefe hitter potions ( Brajmtts ) are f Defuturo ftill in their mouthsy nothing hut gall andhor- de ror., and a mad noijcy they make all their andi- dmnatio- ihan is revealed by God in his Word, humane j tors defperate : many are wounded by thisX;« ers- ,b F.ccUfi- a[L /. 1. ■ iiMdjcio an mains difcrlmen , ah his tjni capacity, or ignorance can apprehend, and to importunate enquiry after that which is r^v- vealed ^ myfteries, ceremonies, obfervation of Sabbaths, laws, duties, &c. with many fuch which the Cafuifls difeufs , and School-men broach, which divers miftakc, mifconflrue, mifapply to themfelves, to their own undoing, and fo fall into this gulf. They doubt of their Elelliony how they ftmllknow ity by what ftgns, aAnd fo farfoAh, faith Luther,fuch nice bUndisin- points, torture and crucifie themfelveSy that tuYy an ab they are almoft mad, and all they get by it is j tion is required in this kind. his qui ‘ ‘ . ^ I htl. i.n-j--, territant: ingms ut^inqne piriciilnm alii ‘]d means, and they commonly that are moft de- punt, & vout and precife , have been formerly pre- //- fumptuous, and certain of their falvation ^ they that have tender confciences, that follow fer-^p(r\Jbmty mons, frequent leftures, that have indeed at multos Icaftcaufe, they are moft apt tomiftake, f de- fall into thefe miferics. I have heard complain of ^e/o/«fw»,and other books of like nature ( good otherwife ) they are too tragical, too much dejeding men, aggravating offences-, great care and choice, muchdifere- thisy they lay open a gap to the Devil by Defpe ration to carry them to Hell j but the greateft harm of all proceeds from thofe thundering •Minifters, a moft frequent caufe they are of this malady .* ^ and do more harm in the Church C,*''’’ ) ihan ihey that fiaiter; mat afddio- danger on both ftdes, the one lulls them ajleep in j The laft and greateft caufe of this malady, is our own confcience, fenfe of our fins, and Gods anger juftly deferved, a guilty confcience for feme foul offence formerly committed, j-0 mifer Orefte, quid morbi te perdit i I Bffipti, mm Or: (fonfeientiafSam enim mihi confeius de malis perpetratis, mag- carnal fecurity, the other drives them to defpair» ' good confcience is a continual feaft, but nitiidine Whereas well advifeth, We fhould \ galled confcience is as great a torment as can tnintem ab^ ^,cddle with the one without the other, nor poftjbly happen, a ftill baking oven, ((oPterius fpeak of judgement without mercy • the one in his Hieroglyph, compares it ) another hcH. alone brings Defperation, the other fecurity. Our confcience, which is a great ledgier book, joroent in dijpera- tionem tra hunt. c U-enu [up. 6. Cant, I. alterum But thefe men are wholly for judgement, of a rigid difpofirion themfelves, there is no mercy with them, no falvation, nobalfome for their difeafed fouls, they can fpeak of nothing but fim altm reprobation, hell fire, and damnation, as they mf^npe- lade men with burdens Mt :'rs:or-gtkvous to be born, which they themfelves datio joli- touch not with a finger. 'Tis familiar with If judicii Qur Papifts to terrifie mens fouls with purga- indefpefu- vifiQps apparitions, to daunt even cipitat, & generous ipirits, to ° require chanty , mi(ericor~ as Brentius obferves, of others, bounty, meeks- di.-efalUx nefs, love,patience,when they themfelves breathe luft, envy, covetoufnefs. They gmrat ft- ^^^ch Others to fall, give alms, do penance, and curitdtm. crucifie their mind with fupcrftitious obferva- tions, bread and water, hair-clothes, whips,and the like , when they themfelves have all the dainties the world can afford, lyc on a down bed with a Curtezan in their arms; Heu quan¬ tum patimur pro Chrifto , as ® he faid, what a cruel tyranny is this, fo to infulc over and ter¬ rifie mens fouls! Our indifereet Pallors many of them come not far behind, whilft in their or¬ dinary Sermons they fpeak fo much of eledion, predeflination, reprobation abaterno, fubtra- tuodtu- CTion of grace, pr;«cerition, voluntary permif- tids. fion, G' c. by vf hat figns and tokens they fhall d in 'Luc. horn. 10:5. exigunt ab aliis charita- urn, benifi- centiam, cum ipfl ml fptetent jr vUrlihi- dincm, in- wherein are written all our offences, a regifter to lay them up, ( which thofe g ^./Egyptians in g Flersas. their Hieroglyphickj expreffed by a mill, as well for the continuance, as for the torture of it ) grinds our fouls with the remembrance of fome precedent fins, makes us refled upon, accufe and condemn our own felves. ^ Sin lies ^ 4- at door, &c. I know there be many other ^ caufes alligned by Zanc hi us, and*^9*^^es the reft • as incredulity, infidelity, prefumpti- on, ignorance, blindnefs, ingratitude, difeon- tent, thofe five grand miferies in ttyiriftotle. Ig¬ nominy, need, ficknefs, enmity, death, &c. but this of confcience is the greateft, ^ Inftarulce- 1 ns corpus jugiter perceliens : I nis Icrupulous furg cafil- confcience ( 21s ^ Peter For eft us C3.\kk) which plena tortures fo many, that either out of a -deep prehenfion of their unworthinefs, and confide- ration of their own diffolute life, accufe them-fciypo que- felves and aggravate every fmall offence, when rmt,& ubi there is no fuch caufe, mifdouhtihg iri the mean time Goffs mercies, they fall into thefe inconve-'^^^fJ^^J ” niences. The Poets call them Furies, Dire, divinedif but it is the confcience alone which is aihou-fRentes, ft fand witneffes to accui’e us. dejli- * Nocte dieque fuum geftant in peUore tefiem. ... ' ■ A continual teftor to give in evidence, to em- fuvmi, panel