that contynue so vntyl nyght and tyll they be set on fyre wich wine In those companies are harps and lutes Tabrets and pipes wyne But they regard not y â— work of y e lord Agayne he saythe Wo be vnto theÌ„ y t are strong to sup out wyne expert meÌ„ to set vp dronkeÌ„nes These giue sentence with the vngodly for rewards but coÌ„demne the iust cause of the ryghteouse Therfore like as fyre licketh vp the straw and as the flame consumeth the stuble euen so theyr roote shalbe as corrupcion and theyr blossom shal vanysh away like dust for they haue cast awai the law of the Lord of hosts and blasphemed the word of the holy maker of Israel From beastly baÌ„ketting vnto faithful fastiÌ„g contynual calling on the name of the Lord doth the prophet Ioel cal these belly goddes saying Wake vpye droÌ„ckards weepe mourne al ye wine bibbers not without a cause For he y t hath his bodye loden wyth meat drinke is no more mete to prai vnto god then a dead maÌ„ is to tel a tale nether can the minde of such one any more fly vnto god with heaueÌ„ly desires then a ship to much cuÌ„bred with burdens at the point to sinck can any lenger flote vpoÌ„ of y e waters We haue a prouerb no les true then commen among vs. When the belly is ful the body wold be at reast meaning that he which hath enfarâ—ed his belly with delicious meates and costious driÌ„cks is more mete to stepe like a swine theÌ„ to take any earnest weighti matter in haÌ„d We haue not red saith S. Eiprian y e the godly men did euer take any great thing in hand except they first fasted So oft as they weÌ„t about to obtain any thing of God they fasted wept and watched whole nightes in praier weare garmentes of heare next to their flesh so withal humblenes desired god to be benificial to theÌ„ Nether wanted they of their purpose wheÌ„ they most huÌ„bly fel down at the fete of god offered vnto him the sacrifice of a contrite hart but god was neare vnto them y t called on him reached forthe hys hand to them y t wer in daunger holpe theÌ„ that wer in trouble Again he saieth praier is of great vertue wheÌ„ fasting goeth afore Basilius magnus saith also y t fasting is necessari when we desire obtayne any thyng of the Lord The auÌ„cient fathers of Christes churche godly consideryng how necessary a thing praier is in the Church of Christ ordayned certayne feastful daies in the yeare on the whych the people shoulde resorte and come together vnto the temple for to praye vnto the Lord God And that they myght come the more deuoutely pray wyth the greater fruite they appointed also that the daye before the solemne feast they shuld fast that they myght be the more apt to pray wheÌ„ they come together into the temple For wher the body is burdened wyth meate ther the mynde can haue no free passage vnto God Let theÌ„ therfore that fast appointe their fastynge also to thys vse that by theyr abstinence they may be the more re pray not only to prepare them selues to pray but also earnestly to gyue theyr mindes vnto praier or els what doth theyr fast profit them To faste from meat and to goo about worldlye matters what other thing is it then a mockinge of God a derision of christen abstinence as S. Ambrose saith doest y u thincke y t he fasteth aright whiche waking betymes in the morning goeth not vnto y â— church to prai to hear the word of god but as sone as he is vp gathereth together hys seruauntes laieth abrode his nets bryngeth forth his dogs goeth running about the forestes Therefore if we faste lette vs faste a ryghte and after the examples of the auÌ„cyente holye fathers lette vs alwaye couple prayer wyth our fastinge So shall boothe we oure fastes our praiers please God ¶ The .xxiii. Chapter FOurthelye and finally forasmuche as the word of God is the singuler and vnspeakeable gift of God geuen of him to be a lantarne to oure feete and a light to our pathwaies to tourne souls from idolatri vnto true god lines to giue wisdom to the humble to make the faithful penitent heartes glad to lighten the eies of the ignoraunt to teach the true relygyon to iâ—proue errourres and heresies to amend sinners to instruct all degrees in righteousnes that the man of God may be perfect and prepared vnto all good worckes it is conueniente whither wee heare â—t of other or reade it oure selues that we both heare and reade it wyth greate reuerence and all humilitie seinge that not man but the holye ghoste is the authoure of it whiche breathed into the heartes of holye mâ—nnethe knowledge of it and putte in theyr myndes what they oughte to wryghte as S. Paule sayeth the whole scrypture was geuen of God by inspiracion And S. Peter recordeth the same sayinge The scrypture came neuer by the wyl of manne but holye men of God spake as they wer moued by y â— holy ghost If the holye scripture then commeth froÌ„ god god be the author of it who dare presume either to heare or to reade it but wyth an humble reuerence and reuerent humilitie As S. Austen sayeth by the bookes of the holye scrypture God hym self and oure lord speaketh vnto vs and sheweth vnto the effecte of a godlye wyll â–ª Let vs then consider and marke well with what honoure the message of that god and Lord ought to be receiued of vs. What if a message came vnto vs very earlye in the mornyng from a kyng wold we not streight waies al other cares laied aside receiue the letters with a readye wil withal deuocioÌ„ and after we had red theym laboure to fulfill the kynges request to y â— vttermoste And beholde from the heauen of heauens the Kynge of kynges and Lorde of Lordes yea and our redemer hathe vouched safe to dyrecte hys letters vnto vs by the Prophetes and Apostles not that hee shoulde commytte vnto vs anye seruyce necessarye for hym but sygnifye what thynges maye dooe vs good vnto saluacion and glorye O wyth what reuerence and greate honoure oughte we then to receiue reade or heare the letters of thys euerlastinge king and immortal god sente for oure glorye and for our saluation seing that by them not man bâ—t God speaketh vnto vs as oure sauioure Christe testifieth he that heareth you he speaketh of the preachers of goddes word heareth me he that despyseth you despiseth me he that despiseth me despiseth hym that sent me Now y â— we may come reuereÌ„tly humblye to the hearinge of gods worde it shal not be vnsitting to vse our fast vnto this end also that we maye come vnto it with fasting empty stomackes that oure
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
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