The divine physician, prescribing rules for the prevention, and cure of most diseases, as well of the body, as the soul demonstrating by natural reason, and also divine and humane testimony, that, as vicious and irregular actions and affections prove often occasions of most bodily diseases, and shortness of life, so the contrary do conduce to the preservation of health, and prolongation of life : in two parts / by J.H ...

SECT. IX. Of Servile, Slavish, and all Unlawful Fear in excess.

THere is (as Divines distinguish) a Di∣vine fear, a Filial fear, a Dutiful fear, a Wise fear; and these are all lawful: But then there is also a Slavish fear, a False fear, a Distrustful fear, or a Natu∣ral fear joyned with diffidence; and these are unlawful.

Servile or Slavish fear, whereby Men do abstain from sin, rather in respect of the punishments ensuing thereupon, then out of an unfained hatred thereof, or a fear which ariseth upon the apprehension of God's Justice, and wrath against sin, and

the punishments and plagues for sin, is to be avoided as irregular: For we ought to serve God without this sort of fear, Luke 1. 74. It is Carnal, and such as doth no wise proceed from the working of the Spirit, but is quite contrary to the same: For God (saith the Apostle) hath not given us the Spirit of fear, but of power of love, &c. 2 Tim. 1. 7. The reason hereof may be in that the perfect love of God in us excom∣municates it: Perfect love (saith St. John) caseth out fear, 1 Ep. John 4. 18.

And as touching False fear; though it be rather a fruit of weakness, and a pu∣nishment of sin, (for so 'tis threatned as a pu∣nishment by the Lord, Lev. 26. 17, & 36.) then a sin in it self; yet, as it is irregular, it is concluded within the scope of this Discourse, and as it is frequent, or exces∣sive, may justly deserve reproof.

Distrustful fear is straitly prohibited by those Apostles, Peter (1 Pet. 3. 14.) and John (Rev. 2. 10.) Yea all Natural fear, when it is joined with distrust and diffi∣dence, or excess, is to be avoided as un∣warrantable in Sacred Writ, Num. 14. 9.

2 Kings 6. 16. And was therefore by Nehemiah resisted, Nehem. c. 6. v. 11.

Now as all unlawful and immoderate fear is to be avoided in regard of the Soul; so also in regard of the Body: For it is of∣ten the cause of Diseases; as first of that called in Latin Tremor, in English Trem∣bling or shaking of the Members. Metus de∣jicit vires, ac proinde tremorem inducit, saith the learned Galen, Com. 1. in lib. 3. Epid. cap. 4. Fear brings down the strength, and so causeth trembling. His meaning more largely might be thus: (viz.) that the heat which resides in the Blood and Spi∣rits, being that which supports and for∣tifies the members of Man; those mem∣bers being destitute thereof, can hardly support themselves, but tremble and shake in that manner; and whereas the hands and lips shew greater signs of alteration then the rest, the reason is, for that those parts have a more strict bond with the heart, and have less blood then the rest; and therefore cold doth more easily make an impression upon them. Also it is some∣times the cause of that disease called Cor∣dis

Palpitatio, Panting of the heart, Deut. 28. 65. or at least of the like Symptoms, and those as dangerous, especially when they precede a Syncope or Swounding, which is as proper an effect and Cata∣strophe of this Passion, as of that disease.

Moreover it is sometimes the extimula∣ting & promoting cause of the Lask or Diar∣rhaea: for as the Author of a certain Natural History saith, if the Natural heat leave the heart and go downward, * 1.1 the fear is not only encreased, but it bringeth withal a loosness of the belly. Therefore it is written (saith he) in the Book of Job, where it is spo∣ken of the fear that Leviathan bringeth upon Men, That the mighty are afraid: by rea∣son of breakings they purifie (or purge) them∣selves, (Job 41. 25.) i. e. for fear of him. Neither is this all; but experience teach∣eth us at a dear rate, that in immoderate fear, through the strength of fantasie, and imagination, sundry contagious Diseases, as the Small Pox, Measles, &c. are fre∣quently imprinted in the blood, when guilt makes Men fearful of deserved pu∣nishment;

according to that of the Wise man, The fear of the wicked, it shall come up∣on him, Prov. 10. 24.

And as it causeth Diseases, so conse∣quently shortness of life. Oft-times pre∣sent death hath followed upon it, through suffocation of the Vital Spirits: It was al∣most present death unto the Churle Nabal; he lived not many dayes after that he had been striken with it: It came to pass in the morning, when the wine was gone out of Nabal, and his wife had told him these things, that his heart died within him, and he became as a stone, 1 Sam. 25. 37, & 38. And in the next Verse we find, that he died about ten dayes after. It put the Watch at Christ's Sepulcher into such a shaking fit, by an Earth-quake under them, (Mat. 28. 4.) and another within their hearts, that, but for God's Mercy, it had shaked them in∣to their Graves, when they became as dead Men. It seemeth to be a notable con∣traction of life, by its sudden introduction of the blossoms of old age, viz. gray hairs, which by the extremity of this Passion, have been strangely effected in the space

of a week or two, (as 'tis storied of one Mr. Baynings of London.) Yea, even in one night, as appeareth by Record of a me∣morable example, during the Reign of the Emperour Charles the Fifth. For one Francis Gonzague having caused a young Man of his house to be comitted to Prison, for that he suspected he had conspired a∣gainst him; this miserable young Man was so terrified with his affliction, as the same night he was cast into Prison, his hair grew all white.

But more fully to the matter; we find the sad and pernicious effect of immode∣rate fear in this following Narration. An∣no 1568. there was in Breda, one Peter Cou∣logue, a Godly Man, who by his Popish Adversaries was cast into Prison, and his Maid-servant daily brought him his food, confirming and comforting him out of the Word of God, as well as she was able: for which they imprisoned her also. Not long after, Peter was put to the torment, which he endured patiently. After him the Maid was fetched to be tormented; Whereupon she said, My Masters, where∣fore

will ye put me to this torture, seeing I have no way offended you? If it be for my Faith-sake, ye need not torment me: For, as I was never ashamed to make a Confession thereof, no more will I now be at this present before you: But will, if you please, freely shew you my mind therein, (Vide Clark's Mar∣tyrol. p. 305.) Yet for all this they would have her to the Rack. Whereupon she again said, If I must needs suffer this pain, pray give me leave to call upon my God first. This they assented to: And whilst she was fer∣vently pouring out her prayers to God, one of the Commissioners was surprised with such fear and terrour, that he fell into a swound, out of which he could ne∣ver be recovered. Many such like In∣stances might be heap'd up, were it not in vain to evince this Point, Per plura quod potest fieri per pauciora, By many words which may be done by few: And therefore I shall conclude it with the Sentence of that Atlas of Experimental Knowledge, Lord Bacon, in his translated History of Life and Death, pag. 222. Great fears shorten the life; for (saith he) in fear, by reason of the cares ta∣ken

for the remedy, and hopes inter-mixed, there is a turmoil and vexing of the Spirits. And so much shall serve for this Section.

Notes

• * 1.1

  2d: Part of the French Academy p. 262.