mynde and inwarde maÌ„ mai haue the purersenses to vnderstande the cleare sighte to beholde the more open eares to heare and the gredier stomacks to digest the holi misteries of god For likewise as he is no mete maÌ„ to pray vnto God that commeth out of the Tauern sweating and set on fire with drincking of whot wine eatiÌ„g of delicious meats so in like maner is he no fit man either to reade or to hear y â— word of god that hath a ful gorge and stuffed belly The more the body is filled the more is the mind dulled made vnapt to receiue any message from god But albe it y â— outward man decay be made feble for a tyme yet the inwarde man is renewed day by day and made strong And this meant the holy fathers godlye bishops of Christes churche in tymes paste when they appointed fastinge on the eueÌ„s of solempne feastes that the people by their fasting might be made the more apt the day folowing when they came to the teÌ„ple to heare the blessed worde of theyr saluacion The holy letters do testify that when Moses receiued the law he was in the mount with God and fasted .xl. daies and .xl. nights before the taâ—les of the law wer deliuered vnto him where of wee maye learne howe reuerently we oughte to take the word of god auâ— not to come vnto it with vnwashed fete as they vse to say And this is to be noted by y â— way that as Moses fasting was fouÌ„d worthy to receiue the law of god so likewise when he came downe from the mount saw the people droncke and mad singinge piping dauÌ„ciÌ„g leaâ—ing he threw down the tables of y e law brake them on peces by this declaring that Epicures and belly gods be no worthy and mete vessels to receiue the new wine of gods word When the children of Israell at a certaine time came together to read the boke of the law of the Lord they fasted the whole day that they mighte reade the holye scriptures with the more reuereÌ„ce and bee made the more mete to haue the holy ghost present with them to teache them by hys godlye inspiracion Esdras also being greatly desirous to haue certaine secretes opened vnto him was commaunded of Uriel the angel to fast vii daies first of al. Whych thing he did and had hys desyre satisfied In like manner after the Prophet Daniel had fasted and praied vnto the Lord for knowledge of certain misteries Gabriel the aungell of God came and reueled vnto him the secretes of Christes incarnatioÌ„ passion death c When Baruche red hys boke before the kinge and the kinges councell and before all the people they all wepte fasted prayed before the Lorde Before that oure sauyoure Christe tooke vppon hym the office of preachinge to declare vnto the people the ioyfull tidinges that he broughte frome heauen he fasted .xl. daies and .xl. nights and dyd eate nothinge at all geuinge vs example by his fasting not to faste the like fast which is impossible and aboue y e natural strengthes of ani maÌ„ but to come vnto the word of god thorow fasting with al reuerence humilitie whither we reade or heare it The Apostles of Christ lykewise before they vniuersally preached the kyngdom of Christ fasted and praied and as they wer fastyng and prayinge the hollye Ghoste came downe vpon them and endued them with the knowledge of al languages taught them the true vnderstandynge of Gods holy misteries To ende Cornelius being very desierous to knowe y â— true and approued religioÌ„ before God fasted praied vnto the Lord and god graciousâ—â— satisfied his desire The .xxiiii. Chapter TThus le we that all godlye men both of the old and new Testament vsed abstinence for the most part wheÌ„ they shuld eyther preach heare or read the worde of God that they myghte come the more reuerentlye vnto it and be made the more mete to handle so holye and worthye misteries It is conuenieÌ„t therfore y â— we also if we wyll vse fastinge aright do folowe the examples of these holi men whensoeuer we entende eyther to preache reade or heare the worde or God and not vnreuerentlye to come vnto the holy scripture as vnto prophane wrightings after the example of many vngodly parsons which w t out al humilitie reuereÌ„ce read the woorde of god as thoughe it wer an Ethnike chronicle a boke of mannes statutes of Beuise of Hampton of Gye of Warwicke of Robinhoode and suche other lyke fonde and foolyshe fansyes yea ther waÌ„t not the greater shal be our plage which scorn y â— word of god and moste shamefullye abuse it some vnto â—koffynge and iesting some vnto the tauntinge of other some vnto y â— vpholdiÌ„g of their fleshly liberty corrupt maÌ„ners some vnto the maint eining of wicked opinions c. whose destruccion slepeth not whose damnacion is at hand For if it be not lawful to cast pearles before hogs nor to gyue that is holy to dogs nether is it lawful for hogges to touch pearles nor dogs to taste y â— is holi If thei wer punished that did eate vnleuended bread at the feast of the passeouer if Uza wer striken vnto y â— death for touching the arcke if that geast y t came vnto the maryage not hauinge the wedding garmente was bounde hand and feete and â—ast into vtter darcknes wher weping and gnashinge of teethe is if the Corinthes wer plaged for abusinge the lords supper let not those swinish Epicures doggish papistes Licencious Libertines vngodly Anabaptistes grosse gospellers and wicked worldlinges thincke that they shal escape vnpunished if they go forth to abuse the word of god or to come vnreuerentlye vnto it For the holye scripture is the message of god brought vnto vs from heauen by his holy Embassadoures the Prophetes Apostles yea by his own dearly be loued sonne that kinge of glory which sealed confirmed it with the sheding of his most precious blud it may not therfore be lightly regarded nor vnreuereÌ„tli haÌ„dled For if the y t despyseth Moses law saith S. Paul dieth w toute mercy vnder .ii. or .iii. wytnesses how much sorer suppose ye shal he be punished which tredeth vnder fote the son of god counteth the blud of the Testament wheâ— with he was sanctifed as an vnholy thyng and doth dishonoure to the spirit of Grace That we therfore maye humbly reuereÌ„tly deuoâ—tely honorably come vnto the preachyng hearing or reading of the blessed word of God let vs not neglecte thys noble vertue of fasting but after the exaÌ„ple of the aforesayd godly men prâ—pare our selues by the diligent exercise therof to be mete to handle so holye and heauenly misteries By this meanes shal it come to passe y â— god which is the author of the holi scripture shal alwaye be present wyth vs
eat on the other daies the cost y â— thou shuldest make on that daye that thou fastest lay it vp giue it to the widow to the fatherles childeÌ„ or to the poremaÌ„ and so shalt thou fast a good fast that he which hath receiued it of the may fil his soule and that his praier may go vnto the lord for the. If thou fulfillest thy fast on this maÌ„ner as I commaund the thy sacrifice shalbe acceptable to the Lorde and thy fast shalbe written in the boke of life Origen saithe we finde in a certaine boke that the Apostles saide blessed is he that fasteth to thys ende that he maye nourishe the poore man The fast of suche one is wonderfully accepted before God Hereto pertaineth the sayinge of S. Austen mercy dyd commende and greatly setforthe the praier and fastinge of Cornelius For hee beinge ryche and a wealthye man fasted He dyd not onlye faste but he also fed them that wanted that theyr fulnesse myghte make his faste acceptable Agayne in a nother place he sayeth before all thynges that whyche we were wonte to eate at our dynner on the fastyng daies let vs bestowe it on the poore Oure goulden mouthed Doctoure in a certayne homilie councelleth vs that when so euer wee faste we should be lyberall to the poore and gyue theym largelye of oure goods In a nother place he also sayeth he that eateth hys meate and is not hable to fast let hym geue the larger almes lette him be the more diligent in praiing let him haue the more ferueÌ„t desyre to heare the word of God Here Chrisostome estemeth almesse among other vertues of so hie price that if ther be ani which can not abyde to fast for y â— weaknes of theyr bodye yet if they be plenteous in doinge the workes of mercye and in prayinge and hearing the worde of God they are not refused of god but accepted as good Christians Mercye therfore and almes is a precious thinge in the sighte of God â–ª and ought to be exercised of the faithful when so euer occasion is geuen whether they faste or not Mercye saieth the aungell is betâ—er then to hoorde vpâ—e treasures of golde For mercye delyuereth froÌ„ death clense the sin causeth to find euerlasting life Thus haue wee hearde that Christen menne oughte to vse theyr faste vnto thys ende that they abstaynynge frome meate and drincke mighte haue wherof to geue the more abundantlye to the poore to feede the hungrye to clothe the naked to relieue the sicke to healpe the endebted and to comforte the neadye O blessed are they that so faste But wher are they and we shall commende them and call them blessed For great and commendable thynges dooe suche woorcke amonge theyr neyghboures and Christen brethren ¶ The .xxi. Chapter THirdly if we wyll vse fasting aryghte we must vse it vnto this ende also that by the dilygent doing and often exercyse therof we may be made the more apte to praye and to lifte vp oure heartes vnto the Lord our God with feruent praiers humble supplications and heartye thanckes geuinge For vnto this ende serued fasting in times past as dyuers histories of the holye scrypture do declare If anye mysfortune or greuous plage chaunced at any time to the people of god then streightwaies they fasted as we reade in the boke of iudges Againe if anye plage wer threatned theÌ„ by the Prophetes of god for theyr wyckednes as we reade of the Niniuites or if they perceiued anye great euyl to be at hand as wee reade in the histories of the Israelites of Iehosaphat Iudith Esther c. then fell they straightwaies to fastinge And theyr fastes wer taken vnto this end that they might humble theym selues in the syghte of God and be made the more mete for to pray to swage the wrathe of God Nether do we read that anye solempne fast was proclaymed at any time but it was done to this end that the fasters might the more quietlye and frely serue god and cal on his holy name by feruent and coÌ„tinual praier And as we read this in the olde testamente so lacke we not the like examples in the newe Is it to bee doubted but that oure sauyoure Christe in that time of his longe and solempne faste ioyned to his faste prayer He withoute doubt prayed vnto God hys father all that tyme that by his preachinge whyche was at hande manye myghte bee tourened from theyr vngodlynesse vnto the true worshippinge of God from wickednes of life vnto innocencye of maÌ„ners We reade also that the godlye Matrone Anne serued God in the temple wyth fastynge and prayer both day and night The Apostles likewise after Christes ascencioÌ„ did alwaies ioin to their fastinge praier In like manner reade we of the vertuous manne Cornelius whiche ioined to hys fastinge bothe prayer and almes deede And the aungel sayde vnto Thobye prayer is good wyth fastinge Esdras sayd lykewyse to the Iewes We fasted prayed vnto the lord we had good lucke Quene Esther also sente woorde to Mardocheus saying gather together all the Iewes and praye for me but se that ye neither eat nor dryncke .iii. daies and three nyghtes and I wyth my maides wyl fast pray lykewyse Again Eliachim the priest saied to y e children of Israel wheÌ„ they were in greate sorowe and danger of theyr enemyes Be ye sure that the Lord wil hear your petycyons if ye contynewe stedfaste in fastynges and prayers in the syghte of the Lorde Thus se we that the godly people both of the olde and of the new testamente ioined alwaies for y e most part fasting and praier together thincking them selues theÌ„ to fast wel wheÌ„ their faste was accoÌ„pained wyth prayer as it is wrytten prayer is good with fastinge S. Peter also saith be ye sober and watche vnto prayer ¶ The .xxii. Chapter MOreouer our sauiour christ also ioineth praier fasting together wherhe saith this kynde of dyuels is not caste out but by fastyng praier To thys kind of fasting doth S. Paul exhort vs wheÌ„ he saith let vs giue no occasion of euil that in our offyce be found no faute but in all things let vs behaue our selues as the ministers of God in much pacience in laboures in watchings fastings Also S. Peter Be ye sober sayth he and watch vnto prayer And from the contrari doth our sauiour Christ cal vs away saying Take heede to your selues lest at any time your herts be ouercom with surfeting and dronkennes cares of thys lyfe and so the dai of iudgemeÌ„t come on you vnwares The prophet Esay thoundereth agaynst them which despising this godly maner of abstinence set al theyr minds on bankettyng and belly there Wo be vnto theÌ„ sayth he that rise vp early to folow dronkennes and to them
by hys holy spirit and teache vs the true knowledge of hys godly wyl vnto the glory of his blessed name the profit of hys holye congregacion and the syngular comfort of our conscience Howe haue wee hearde fyrste what the true and Christen faste is Secondly how we oughte to fast Thyrdlye what the true vse of fasting is It remayâ—eâ—h that we be not lyke that negligeÌ„t seruaunt whych knoweth hys masters wyl and doth it not therfore is beateÌ„ wyth many stripes but rather that we be likened vnto that good seede whyche bryngeth forth her encrease some an huÌ„dred fold some threscore fold som thirty fold If we now know the true doctrine of the holy scripture concerning fasting lette vs practise it in oure conuersacion when so euer any suche occasyon is offered as heretofoâ—e is declared and at all tymes let vs lyue soberlye ryghteouslye and godlye in thys presente worlde Lette vs not with the abuse caste waye the vse but let vs so muche the more gladly exercise the godly manner of fasting because the vngodlye papistes rayle on vs coÌ„tinnally beat into the symple peoples heades y â— we which professe the gospel abhorre and condempne all fastynge and prayeinge all coÌ„mendable customes godlye ordinaunces that by well doing we may stop the mouthes of folish and ignorauÌ„t men and that they which backebite vs as euil doers maye se our good workes â–ª and praise God in the day of visitacion to whome be all honour and glory for euer and euer ¶ Giue the glory to God alone ¶ Imprynted at London by Ihon Day â–ª dwellyng ouer Aldersgate â–ª These bookes are to bee solde at the shop at the lyttle Cundyte in Chepesyde Math. xiii i. Peter i. ii Pete v. Mat. xxvi Esaye lvi Ihon. x. Exo. xxxii Ihon. iii. iiii re xviii Pro. xxix Luk. xxiâ— Roma xiii Ephes. vi ii Cori. x. i. Peter v. The Contentes of this boke The diffynicyon of y â— true fast The Fast of the Fathers of y â— olde lawe Spyritual exercyses in y â— tyme of Fasting Ioel. â— ii Iudi. xx Reg. vii ii Reg i. Esdras i. Esther iiii Daniel x. Iudi. viii Luke ii Daniel x. Daniel ix Ionas iii. ii Esdâ— ix Eâ—ther iiiâ— iii. â—e xxi Psalm li. Esai lviii Ioel. ii â— â—ori vii Ioel. ii The true Fast. Constrained fasteâ— please not God ii Cori. ix Psal. liiiâ— Iere. xiiii Fasts comâ—â—â—ded of the hyghe powers i. Reg. â—â— ii Chro. xx i. Esd. viii Iona. iii. Esther iiii Esther iiii Ioel. i. Ioel. ii The Fast that commeth of a soroweful heart Psalm ii Esaye lvi Mark wel The Faste that commeth of a mynde geueÌ„â—o godlynes Daniel ix iiii Esd. v Math. ix Mat. xxviii Actes i. Iho. xâ—iiâ— xv xvi Act. ii iii. Luk. ii Actes x. Actes xiii Actes iiiâ— Of the popish manner of fastynge Math. xv Rom. xiiii Lib. ii â—â—tra Iouinâ— anum O worthy Fast. The Papists drinkyng in y â— mornyng The Papists manner of dynyng A story of a Monke wych was a great faster Mat. xxiii â— Tim. iiii â—ilus i. Math. xv The Papysts drinkyng at nyght Mat. xxiii Luke xi Ad Nepot PistaciuÌ„ is a kynde of Nutteâ— Nyse and fyne Fasters in S. Hieromes tyme. Erser lvi Detempote In what the â—â—ynges of y â— papistes consisteth The fondenes of the â—apists in theyr fastyngâ— The supersticious worshyppynge of Sayntes Math. vi Thre thinges are to bee obserued in fastyng Hom. xlvi Ex cap. vi Math. ix What it is too annointe the heade i. Cori. xi Math. xxv Math. v. Ps. cxxxiii What it is to wash the face Agge ii â—sa xxiiii Aspectacle for rytchâ— men Math. xxv Luke xvi Esay lxxi Ser. i. iâ— dâ—uites auards An hathe saying for vnmercyful rytchmen 〈◊〉 xxxiiii Esal lvi i What it is to break thy breade to the hungrye Luk. xiiii Luke xi Why god did cast awaye the sacrifices feasts and fasts of the Iewes Esaye i. Iere. iiâ—i Pius 〈◊〉 Roma Gene. iiii God iudgeth the woorke of tâ—e heart and not y â— hearte of the workâ— â—ec xxxv â—rou xxi Ser. i. de Ieâ—unio Hom. xv in Cap. vi â—ath In Leuit. â—â—melâ—â— Cap. vi Ex sermone L. lxâ—ii Esay lviii Ex â—ract xvii in â—â—anes Titus ii What it is to faste in secrete Math. vi It is lawful to do anye good deede in y â— syghte of men so y â— vayne glorye be absente Math. v. Philip. ii i. Peter ii The desire of vayne glory poyâ—oneth all good workes Math. vi Hom. xlvi in Mat. vi Lib. iiii câ—tra Iulia â–ª cap. ii Mark wel In libro de â—elia et â—eâ—unio Mat. viii Math. ix Mark â—ii â—eâ—em ix â—â—orin i. Math. vi The manner of fasting in the Popâ— kiÌ„gdome was wycked The erroneous doctryne of y â— Papystes coÌ„cernyuâ— Fastynge Fastynge is a fruite of repentaunce Gene. xii â—xii xxvi and .xxviii The fasts of the olde Fathers Iob. vii Galath v iâ— Tim. â— i. Peter .v. The diuelles armiar y â— wycked spirits the world and the fleshe Galat. v. The rebellion of the fleshe against the spirite Galath v Fastynge tameth the flesh i. Pete iii. Psa. xxxv â—â—eg xi Psal. cix Esthe xiiii â— Cori. ix De salut document Capi. xxxv Bene. xvi Quest. â— xx vet et â—dtest Luke xxi 〈◊〉 v In Gene. Home ix Why we abstayne from meates Esay 〈◊〉 A Rule to bee obserued in fastyng Rom. xiii To fast to gyue vnto the poore Proue xix Esay lviâ—â— Toby xâ—â— Hermas S. Paules Dyscipâ—e Markâ— folow In Leui. Cap. vi Home x. A notable sentence Quest. C. xx Actes x. Serm lvi de tempo In Gene. Home vii Home ix In Gene. Toby xii Rara auis in terris Fasting to serue prayer Iudi. xx Ionas iii i â–ª Reg. vii ii Para. xx Iudit iiii and .viii. Esther iiii Why the godly men vsed fastynge in times past Math. iiii Luke ii Actes .xiii. and .xiiii. Actes x. Toby xii i. Esdr. viii Esthe iiii Iudit iiii Toby xii i. Pet. iiii Mat. xvii Mark ix ii Cori. vi i. Pet. iiii Luke xxi Esaye v. Ioel. i. A true and coÌ„moÌ„ prouerbe Ser. deteÌ„t et ieiunio Christi In regular Mona Capi. â— Why fastes wer apointed of y â— fathers of Christs Church Note Ambrose Psalm â—ix Psal. xix ii Tim. iii. ii Tim. iii. â—i Peter i. Ad Iulianum ep â— Luke x. ii Cor. iiii Exo. xxiiiâ— Belly beâ—â—stes ar not mete to receyue the woorde of God Exo. xxxii ii Esd. ix iiii Esd. v. Dan. ix x Baruch i. Math. iiii Actes i. ii 〈◊〉 x. We muste com to the woorde of â—â—ed reuerentlye Abuâ—ers of the wordâ— of God Math. vii Exodi xii ii Reg. vi Math. xxiii i. Corin. xi â—ebru x. The conclusion of the booke Luke xii Math. iiiâ— Titus ii i. Peter ii