Another cause of Fear may be the Nearness of an Evil, when we perceive it to be within the reach of us, and now ready to set upon us: For a• it is with Objects of Sense in a distance of place▪ so it is with the Objects of Passion, in a Distance of Time; Remotion in either, the greater it is, the less present it makes the Object; and by consequence, the weaker is the impression there-from upon the faculty: and this reason Aristotle gives why Death, which else where he makes the most terrible evil unto Nature, doth not yet with the conceit thereof, by reason that it is apprehended at an indefinite and remote distance, work such terror and amazement: nor so stiff Reason and the Spirits, as Objects far less in themselves injurious to Nature; but yet presented with a determined Nearness. And the reason is plain, because no Evil h•ts us by a simple apprehension of its Nature, but of its Union: and all Propinquity is a degree of Union. For although Futurition be a necessary condition required in the Object, which must infer Fear; yet all Evil, the less it hath d• Future, the more it hath de Terribili: which is the reason, why that Carnal Security, ⟨p. 281⟩which is opposed to the Fear of God, is described in the Scripture, by putting the Evil Day far from us, viewing as in a Landscape and at a great distance the terror of that Day. And if here the Atheists Argument be objected, Let us eat and drink, for to-morrow we shall die: Where the propinquity of Ruin is made an Inducement unto Riot. We must answer, that an Atheist is here in both right and vain, in that he conceiveth Annihilation, or never more to be the best close of a wicked life; and therefore most earnestly (though most vainly) desireth that it may be the issue of his Epicurism and Sensuality. And here briefly the Corruption of Fear in this particular is, when it takes advantage by the approach of Evil, to swell so high as to sink Reason, and to grow bigger than the Evil which it is afraid of.
Another cause of Feare may be the Neernesse of an Evill, when we perceive it to be within the reach of us, and now ready to set upon us: For a• it is with Objects of Sence in a distance of place▪ so it is with the Objects of Passion, in a Distance of Time; Remotion in either, the greater it is, the lesse present it makes the Object; and by consequence, the weaker is the impression there-from upon the faculty: and this reason Aristotle gives why Death, which else where he makes the most terrible evill unto Nature, doth not yet with the conceit thereof, by reason that it is apprehended at an indefinite and remote distance, worke such terrour and amazement: nor so stiffe Reason and the Spirits, as Objects farre lesse in themselves injurious to Nature; but yet presented with a determined Neerenesse. And the reason is plaine, because no Evill h•ts us by a simple apprehension of its Nature, but of its Vnion: and all Propinquity is a degr•e of Vnion. For although Futurition be a necessary condition required in the Object, which must inferre Feare; yet all Evill, the lesse it hath d• Future, the more it hath de Terribili: which is the reason, why that Carnall Security, ⟨p. 281⟩which is opposed to the Feare of God, is described in the Scripture, by putting the Evill Day farre from us, viewing as in a Landskip and at a great distance the terrour of that Day. And if here the Atheists Argument be objected, Let us eat and drinke, for to-morrow wee shall die: Where the propinquity of Ruine is made an Inducement unto Ryot. Wee must answer, that an Atheist is here in both right and vaine, in that he conceiveth Annihilation, or never more to be the best close of a wicked life; and therefore most earnestly (though most vainly) desireth that it may be the issue of his Epicur•sme and Sensuality. And here briefly the Corruption of Feare in this particular is, when it takes advantage by the approach of Evill, to swell so high as to sinke Reason, and to grow bigger than the Evill which it is afraid of.
