The Christian PHYSICIAN By Henry Atherton M. D. Solus homo Sapientia instructus est ut Religionem solus intelligat haec est hominis atque mutorum vel praecipua vel sola distantia Lact. de Ira Dei. LONDON Printed by T. James for William Leach at the Crown in Corn-hill 1683. TO THE Right Honourable Lord JOHN Earl of Radnor Viscount Bodmin Baron of Truro and Lord President of his Majesties most honourable Privy Counsel My LORD WHen I at first drew out a Scheme of the ensuing Discourse I had the Honour of your Lordships Approbation and Encouragement to proceed upon those Topicks which caused me to sequester the vacant hours I could steal from my other occasions that I might employ them on these Meditations which having brought to some perfection and received the concurrent consent of a great Prelate of this Realm who gave himself the trouble to peruse them and me the honour to recommend them as worthy of publick view I could not in the least dispute to whom I should dedicate them for not only your Lordship's condescension at first in advising but indeed those many other Obligations which your Honour hath been pleased to lay upon me most justly challenge them and even the greatest of my Services Neither am I so fond to imagine that the offering of these to your Lordship's Feet doth cancel any former debt but rather I cannot but be sensible that if your Lordship design to patronize and shelter them from the storms of the World it will be infinitely increased I shall have the deeper score to pay and the greater pardon to beg for this presumption But I doubt not but that your Lordships good nature runs parallel with your other Vertues of which the World is a copious Index and therefore shall hope to obtain it together with your Honour's Acceptance of this small Acknowledgment That your Lordship may enjoy a long uninterrupted state of Health whereby you may be able to assist His Majesty in his great and momentous Counsels and as your Honour hath began may continue to be a prop and support to this our tottering Church and at length go late into Heaven are the hearty Wishes and constant Prayers of From Newcastle upon Tine Nov. 2. 1682. Your Lordships most humbly Devoted Servant Henry Atherton THE PREFACE THis our latter Age hath so much degenerated from the Piety and Simplicity of the Primitive Christians which were the only marks by which they were heretofore distinguished from the Heathen Nations as not only not to own and live up to those Principles of their Profession as Christians but instead thereof openly and avowedly to defend Irreligion and Hobbianism in their Arguments Atheism and Profaneness in their Lives even worse than Heathens To be Sober and Religious is now adays to be morose and ingentile if not hypocritical To be loose and debauched is the only modish thing To be able by Sophisms to baffle the Arguments of a well mâ—aning Christian is taken for the characteristick Note of Ingenuity and a pregnant Wit And on the contrary to use any perswasives to Religion and Piety savours of nothing but stupidity and folly Which things considered I cannot but fore-see what bad Entertainment this small Tract is like to meet withal abroad in the World especially among those who pretend to the most ripe Reason and keenest Wit whose custom indeed it is to make this ill use of it as to turn all sober things into Ridicule or Railery or else to dispute themselves out of their Duty which they will easily do when they suffer their understandings to be so frequently bribed by their vicious Inclinations There are I must confess many native defects in this Essay and to these I fear will be added the severe Censure of its being altogether impertinent at least I cannot nationally expect that it should be accepted by all or like the Manna fit every Palate however let it try it's fate it will fall into the hands of some serious and pious persons who may probably approve the deâ—â—ign if not like the work and I hope with such whom I chiefly desire to gratifie it may meet with a candid and favourable reception The Reader may find here I must acknowledge many Excerpta and if I have not done right to every Author I desire him to charge it wholly upon the defect of Memory or want of inserting the Name in my common Place Book In my Second Section I have followed Cartesius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as judging his method very Argumentative How it comes to pass that the scandal of Atheism if it be now such even to a Proverb Ubi tres Medici duo Athei hath been cast upon those of our Faculty or whether there have been any just grounds for it I know not but this I am sure of that the knowledge of Second Causes and our frequent Converse with them ought rather to give us the clearer apprehensions of the First and by how much the Subject on which we continually employ our Minds and Studies is more noble and sublime so much the more divine ought to be our Speculations this good effect it had upon the Royal Prophet Psal 139.14 Who when his Meditations drew him to consider that he was fearfully and wonderfully made he presently breaks forth into Praises unto Almighty God and Acknowledgments of his marvellous Works Neither want we instances to take off that general Infamy of many Men truly pious in this Profession Even Hippocrates who flourished Four hundred ninety two years before Christ obtained the Title of Divine and that Character in his life that he was Vir Sanctis Moribus And to speak nothing of Galen Averroes Avicen and other Forreigners in this Art in whom Piety and Morality hath eminently shined we have lately had a more modern Hippocrates both of this Age and Nation who amongst other sweet Odours to perfume his Memory hath this that he was In toto Vitae statu Christianus But what need I mention any more when St. Luke himself was both Physician and Evangelist at the same time If I may by this small Treatise either silence the obloquies of some convince others or so far prevail with or encourage any as to lay aside their unreasonable Opinions and betake themselves to more religious and circumspect Lives I have my aim and shall think my self sufficiently recompenced for my weak labours If they fail of this I shall at least have that satisfaction in my own Breast that I designed them well ON THE Christian Physician Written by his Honoured AND Very much Esteemed Friend Dr. HENRY ATHERTON OF NEW CASTLE LEt now no more in Natures widest Round Be such a Prodigy as Atheist found Much less let on our Learn'd Physicians be Hereafter cast that blackest Obloquy Our good Physician having conquered Diseases which to death our Bodies led Aspireth higher yet and doth oppose Diseases more incurable than those If Precepts crown'd with good Example be
much less can I perform any good Action that might please thee I most humbly beseech thee that as by thy special Grace preventing me thou dost put into my Mind good desires and intentions so by thy continual help I may bring the same to good Effect To that end I beseech thee cleanse the thoughts of my Heart by the Inspiration of thy Holy Spirit and give me such a preparation of Soul as may qualifie me for the Duties of the ensuing day and grant that I may perfectly love thee delight in thy service and worthily magnifie thy holy Name through Christ Jesus our Lord. The Morning being come consider what necessary business you have to do that day and dispose as prudently of it as you can that it may not interfere with your Holy Exercises of Religion when you begin upon it And if any such be you may do well to dispatch it in the Morning In your private Morning Devotions be not unmindful to continue your Requests unto God for his assistance in the Duties of the day in these or the like Expressions which you may find place to insert among your other Petitions O Most gracious God thou hast been pleased to discover unto me my Duty and hast given me an hearty desire to perform the same But O Lord I know without thee I can do nothing but through thine assisting Grace I shall be able to offer up such a Sacrifice this day as may be well pleasing and acceptable in thy sight Let that Grace O Lord be sufficient for me to quicken my Devotions to kindle my Zeal and to work in me a Godly Humiliation for all my past Sins together with stedfast Resolutions of forsaking them for the time to come And tho O Lord I know thou hearest not Sinners wilfully resolved to persevere in their Sins yet thou wilt hear those that confess and abandon them Hear me therefore O Lord in the multitude of thy Mercies even in the Truth of thy Salvation and remove my Sins from before thy sight that they may not hinder good things from me this day but set them full in mine and let them ever be before me that I may not only confess them with an humble lowly penitent and obedient Heart but also actually forsake them that so 〈◊〉 may obtain forgiveness of the same by thy infinite goodness and mercy in and through Jesus Christ Amen Another to this purpose out of the Method of Private Devotions O Lord who seest the purposes of alâ— Hearts and hast been privy to the Intentions of thy Servant touching calling himself this day to an account of his ways and humbling himself before thee for all his Transgressions and rendring thee praise and thanks for all thy Mercies Be thou in Mercy present to mâ— by the preventings and assistings of thy Grace that I may with a true Hearâ— and contrite Spirit perform what I intend Grant that no worldly cares oâ— business may so take off my mind from thee but that I may be able forthwitâ— to return and without distraction to imploy my whole Soul in my designeâ— Devotions to the Glory of thy Name my own amendment and comfort here and everlasting Blessedness hereafter iâ— and through thy Son Jesus Christ my Lord. Amen 1. First abstain from all Food and Sustenance unless thouart of a weak and valetudinary temper until the Solemnity be over If thou art if thou eat and drink sparingly with a design only to strengthen thy self the better for the carrying on of thy Duty I think thou hast not broken thy Fast The Fast it self being not injoyned so much for its own sake but as it is a help and furtherance to other Duties 2. Have a care that you do not only fast from Meat but from Sin also for if you abstain from the former and not from the latter it is a great Argument of your Hypocrisie and that your Righteousness doth not exceed that of the Scribes and Pharisees who fasted to be seen of Men Matth. 6.16 and are promised their Reward shall go no farther than that of Men too This is not such a Fast as God hath chosen or will accept 3. Abstain likewise this day from all gratification of your Senses from all Pleasures and Recreations This day you have design'd for condemning your self for your sins for humiliation of your self for them and mourning over them then how inconsistent will this be with Mirth and Jollity Altogether as great a Soloecism as Musick and Dancing at a Funeral to have silence in the Kitchin and the noise of Mirth in the Chamber is a thing very indecent and incongruous 4. Lastly let not Intemperance be either the Preface or Conclusion to your Fast least the Fast be so far from taking off your old sins that it be an occasion to draw on new guilt Thus I have led you through those previous Acts towards this Duty of Fasting we now come more closely to the Exercises of it Being retired to thy Closet about Noon thy mind being as much as possible disburthen'd of Worldly Thoughts cast thy self down upon thy knees and humbly say In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost Amen Prevent me O Lord in all my doings with thy most gracious favour and further me with thy continuual help that in all my Works begun continuued and ended in thee I may glorifie thy holy Name and finally by thy Mercy obtain everlasting life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen Our Father which art in Heaven c. And then taking Gods Holy Book into thy hands â—ay Sanctifie unto me O Lord my present Reading and Meditations that it may in some measure prepare me for that great Work I am now about Take off my mind from all Vain and Earthly Things and inspire it with a holy Zeal that I may with spiritual desires and affections perform this spiritual Duty and grant that nothing may find admitâ—ance into my heart but what shall reaâ—ilysubmit to thy Laws and Discipline Grant this O Lord for Jesus Christ â—is sake Amen After you have spent half an hour in â—he reading of that portion of Scripture which you have thought fit to select for his purpose or that good practical â—ook which you have made choice of â—pend another half hour in digesting it â—r Meditating upon it and make partiâ—ular applications of it to your self This â—roximate preparation also you will find â—ery necessary in Order to the calling â—f your Mind from Vain and Worldly â—houghts which without it would be too apt to Straggle and be Distracted and to fix and intend them on that Exercise which you are about This being done you begin again with Prayer after this manner O Lord thou High and Holy one whose glory is above the Heavens and hast Thousands of Angels Ministring unto thee and yet are pleas'd to humble thy self to behold the things that are done by us poor wretched Mortals here on Earth In confidence therefore
That he would bless his Minister that hath this day blessed you that he would pour down a double portion of his Spirit into his heart and make him an eminent Instrument for his glory and finally may so live and so preach that he may both save himself and them that hear him Pray also that he would continue such his spiritual Mercies towards you and make you to grow in knowledg and to be more fruitful under all the means of Grace that so his Word may be unto you the savour of Life unto Life and not to any Soul of you the savour of death unto death c. Thus shalt thou sanctifie this day unto the Lord and the Lord will sanctifie thee unto himself He will give thee of the blessings of this Life and that which is to come Remember the words of the Prophet Isaiah ch 58.13 14. If thou turn away thy foot from the Sabbath from doing thy pleasure on my Holy day and call the Sabbath a Delight the holy of the Lord honourable and shalt honour him not doing thy own ways nor finding thine own pleasure nor speaking thine own words Then shalt thou delight thy self in the Lord and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the Earth and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy Father for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it Of the holy Sacrament SHould I here go about to enumerate the many great benefits of this holy Mystery I might in the next page also reckon up all the benefits of Physick Meat and Drink for what there are to the Body the other is to the Soul Meat and Drink are the Supporters of our Beings strengthen the Powers and Abilities of the Body preserve its natural heat and vigor and repair its decays and our Saviour saith of this Holy Sacrament my Flesh is Meat indeed and my Blood is Drink indeed such as will not only like Meat strengthen and nourish but like Drink or Wine comfort encourage and revive even drooping dying Souls It came down from Heaven and it is of Efficacy sufficient to translate us thither and as the Body being but a little deprived of Food languishes and at last expires even so is it with the Soul being deprived of this spiritual Sustenance which is said to nourish the Soul unto Life everlasting it immediately grows sick and at length dead unto all good Works And then as the Body by too great plenty of feeding at last contracts Corruption and Diseases and hath need of some Physick to cleanse and purifie it and to preserve the Blood from dangerous putrefactions even so is it with the Soul which by conversing with the pleasures and delights of the World is apt to contract some stain and foulness which may here in this sacred Fountain be washed away and cleansed and the Soul by this Antidote preserved from future Corruptions It is not my design here to acquaint you with the nature use and end of this Sublime Mystery or with the manner of worthy receiving it this being a Province above my low Sphere or Capacity and already so exactly done by the Learned and Pious Authors of the Christian Sacrifice Whole Duty of Man Method of Private Devotions c. to which I refer you All that I shall say in it is to endeavour to press you to the frequency of communicating which if we consider the Will and Command of Christ Luke 22.19 our continual wants and necessities and the great and inestimable benefits we reap by it we should not think our selves excused from any opportunity that offers it self but rather court every one and if it be in our power make it rather than want it for certainly if thou be a good Christian thou wilt think every return too slow and confess with David That as the Hart panteth after the Rivers of Waters so panteth thy Soul after God That thy Soul is athirst for God even for the living God when shalt thou come and appear before him And if thou not knowing it before-hand come into a Congregation where the Table is spread or art sodainly invited to communicate with a sick or dying person I cannot see how thou canst turn thy Back upon that sacred Ordinance although thy preparations are not according to the Sanctuary or so strict as they ought to have been hadst thou had timely notice thereof Supposing thee therefore to be one who lives in an habitual preparation that is in a daily Examination of thy Conscience and calling thy self to an account of thy Sins and in a constant performance of Religious duties and even now lamenting that thou hast not more time to prepare thy self so that what is wanting in Act is made up in Desire thou may'st undoubtedly draw near with comfort and receive as worthily though not perhaps so much to thy own satisfaction as if thou hadst made a greater and more solemn preparation and I must tell thee who ever thou art that unless thou art thus always ready to receive thou art in no wise prepared to die which that thou maist be I shall in the next Section set down some short Rules and Directions which may help thee towards it Remote Preparations for Death THere is nothing so much sharpens the sting of Death and adds greater malignity and venom to it than the want of due Consideration of it before-hand and Preparation for it Inexpertata plus aggravant novitasadjicit calamitatibus pondus Senec. Epist 91. The suddenness and surprize of an evil adds to the weight and smart of it Death we are told is an enemy 1 Corinth 15.26 and you know to be surprized by an Enemy puts all into tumult and confusion and permits not the free use of that reason and conduct that we should otherwise have had upon a timely monition and preparation Nay we are told that it is the last enemy and being to fight but this one battle it will be the greatest imprudence in the World not to muster up all our forces not to make all the provision we can before-hand that we be not worsted in this last Conflict Non licet in bello his peccare To fail once here is to fail for ever And we shall never have any opportunity more to rectify a former fault And therefore that you may not miscarry in so momentous a concern take and follow these brief Directions First in the time of your greatest health carry your self with the greatest innocency watchfulness and circumspection Endeavour to keep your Soul in an habitual frame and temper of piety continually abstain from the commission of any known Sin and do not that at any time which if God should then call for thee for no Man hath any assurance that he shall not die suddainly thou wouldst not be ashamed to be found doing If a sharp Sickness seizes our Bodies whilst we have a load of guilt upon our Souls what consternation and terrour does it strike unto us Our Sins stare