videns Samuel the Prophet both to distinguish him from other Samuels who were not Prophets if any such men were and to intimate that his joynt-reformation with David was determined and agreed on before hand with a divine consent flowing from the spirit of prophecy PAR. 15. IN somuch that Samuel is counted one of the Trium-viri e Psal 99 6. Psal 99.6 which were the great instruments of Gods glory in Sion whom the Lord answered when they called on him nor can any wise Christian thinke but Samuel who in expresse termes is said to order the porters f 1 Chro. 9.22 1 Chron. 9.22 Had farre greater care of greater matters Thus much for the state Ecclesiastique which Samuel reduced to good order as a Seer PAR. 16. SEcondly for the state Politique which he governed as a Iudge when in his Circuites which he yearely kept as a Judge Itinerant to Bethel Gilgal and Mizpeh he had spoken unto all the house of Israel g 1 Sam. 2.3 1 Sam. 2.3 And counselled them to put away the strange gods and Ashteroth from among them and to prepare their hearts and serve God onely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith the Septuagint PAR. 17. NOw to shew that both dulia and latria belong onely to God and that the distinction is over nice and over-valued Christ saith to Satan 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and when the Israelites had done so ver 4. Then Samuel bad them gather all Israel to him and promised to pray for them PAR. 18. VVHereupon a dyer or parliament was gathered at Mizpeh ver 6. The people drew water and powred it out before the Lord though they drew it perhaps to drinke as thirsty men for it was no Sacrifice yet being drawne they would not drinke but powred it before the Lord as David did his longed-for water h 2 Sam 23.16 2 Sam. 23 16. c. They abridged their owne desires thwarted their owne appetites certainely they fasted and confessed their sinnes then also did Samuel offer a burnt offering wholly unto the Lord and Samuel cryed unto the Lord and the Lord answered him ver 9. To which place the Psalmist alluded i Psal 99.6 Psal 99.6 yea but what is all this to the Passeover of Samuel or where did Samuel keepe the Passeover I answer that in all probability it was about this time the offering of a sucking Lambe wholly for a burnt offering might be no hinderance but that both he and all the Israelites might keepe a great Passeover before at or after this great reformation though it be not described for other reformations of Joshuah Hezekiah Iosiah were accompanyed with receiving a solemne Passeover and so might this I am sure a Eccle. 46.14 Ecclesiasticus 46.14 It is said of Samuel that he judged the congregation by the Law of the Lord and that in all causes saith Tostatus PAR. 19. THough the causes concerning the divine Law belonged to the high Priest yet some unusuall priviledge was granted to Samuel who was both a Levite and a Prophet and an extraordinary Priest saith the great Salianus in his Annals let me adde that he was a judge also and that the Iudges had a regall power Samuel being herein a Type of Christ a King Priest and Prophet Lastly let the words before cited have their due consideration b 2 Chro. 35.18 2 Chron. 35 18. There was no Passeover like to that of Josiahs from the dayes of Samuel the Prophet and though we cannot punctually say it was in such a yeare of Samuel yet this resultance is unforced and may runne among the likely ones In the dayes of Samuel the prophet there was a passeover like to Josiahs PAR. 20. I Cannot omit that c Iosephus l. 10. c. 5. Iosephus agreeth with the Scripture in sense A Prophetae Samuelis temporibus in hunc usque diem saith he of Iosiahs passeover nulla talis festivit as celebrata fuit he hits upon an excellent reason quia tum omnia juxta praescriptum legum antiquas consuetudines peragebant which words as cited by Salianus may have reference to the dayes either of Samuel or Iosiah Salianus churlishly finds fault with Iosephus as if he accused of Sacriledge and of breaking Lawes and neglecting ancient customes in the greatest Festivity and Sacrifice both Hezekiah Iosaphat Asa Salomon and David himselfe yet Salianus himselfe both supinely passeth over the passeover of Samuel inhering in smaller matters and doth not observe that Iosephus hitteth exactly the Scripture straine namely not so much accusing others of Sacriledge neglect or contempt or any positive mischiefe as saying in a comparative reference that upon reformation there was no passeover every way so absolute as Iosiahs passeover was since the great passeover in the dayes of Samuel Nulla talis Festivit as which words of his may Commodo sensu be well expounded no passeover since Samuels was ever so reall and exquisite for substance manner and matter and so perfectly circumstantiated which the Scripture before Iosephus fully declared And so much for the fourth great passeover which would not have beene omitted by all writers for the place thereof if it could have beene necessarily and demonstratively proved from hence but indeed the argument is onely probable not apodicticall or necessary and yet I thought fit to enlarge this poynt because some matters momentuall are couched in it and divers things conjoyned which lay scattered and therefore not usually observed as parts of one history The Prayer MOst gracious Father thine especiall love to us hath vouchsafed to ingirt and encompasse us thy servants of great Britaine not more with the Ocean than with a Sea of prosperity and gladnesse here is no leading into captivity no complayning in our streetes peace is within our walls and plenteousnesse within our palaces the breath of our nostrils the light of our Israel is upheld and comforted by thee his most gracious spouse his most fruitefull Vine brancheth forth joy for the present and manifold stronger assorances for the time to come Most heartily we blesse thee for this thy mercy and humbly desire the continuance of it upon our most Sacred Soveraigne and upon his most gracious Queene Vpon our most hopefull Prince and royall Progeny and upon us by them for the mediation and merits of thy beloved onely Sonne in whom thou art well-pleased even Iesus Christ our onely Advocate and Redeemer Amen CHAP. IV. The Contents of the fourth Chapter 1. In the fifth great Passeover specialized to be kept by Hezekiah the unsanctifyed in part ate it and in the second moneth by dispensation divine and the Priests and Levits onely killed the Passeover 2. The Kings prayer accepted both for the uncleane Priests and people and the people healed at the good Kings prayer 3. A voluntary Passeover to supply the imperfection of the former Devotions halfe performed are to be renewed and quickened 4. The Priests and Levites prayers accepted of God for the people 5.
Evening that is to say to cause darkenesse which came to passe at Mid-day and before he saith In passione Christi at the Passion of Christ as Rigaltius and Pamelius read it better than it was in Rhenanus Primis men sis novorum is plaine enough and as needing none explication is omitted and unexplained by all those three learned men and it sheweth the new occurrences and strange effects begun neare about their going out of Aegypt But why Tertullian should say Initio primi mensis novorum which were not done till the tenth and fourteenth day I see not unlesse Tertullian thinkes it was foretold by God to Moses by Moses to Israel on the first day of the moneth what was to be done and was done afterwards in the tenth and fourteenth day The summe of Tertullians meaning is that Christ was slaine as the Passeover was in the first day of unleavened bread toward the Evening the day hasting to make the Evening by the mid-dayes turning darke to adapt the substance to the figure and fulfill the prophesie and therefore the sacrifice was called the Passeover of the Lord Exod. 12.11 that is the Passion of Christ which was accomplished above all other Evenings betweene the two Evenings the one miraculous Cùm media dies tenebresceret saith Tertullian when the mid-day waxed darke and lasted so a long time The other naturall toward the shutting of the day Exod. 12.14 This day viz. the fourteenth shall be unto you for a memoriall and ye shall keepe it a Feast to the Lord throughout your generations and doubling the precept ingeminateth you shall keepe it a feast by an ordinance for ever therefore were the Iewes to blame to shift off the day and to translate the Feast which was nayled to the Iewish policie for ever Though this fourteenth day of themoneth was never dispensed withall by God Almighty for ought that we can learne and therefore was one of the rites of perpetuall durabilitie yet the Iewes presumed to change it as is now to be explained PAR. 11. MOst holily did our Saviour say to them Matth. 15.3 Ye transgresse the Commandements of God by your traditions and verse 6. Ye make the Commandement of God of none effect by your tradition and ver 9. In vaine doe they worship mee teaching for doctrines the Commandements of men what the Iewes before and in our Saviours life did practise their Successours followed to an haire Sebastian Munster in his Tractat. called Translationes anni fixioner pag. 141. bringeth in a Iew giving a reason why they varied from Gods appointment thus Sapientes roboraverunt verba sua plus quà ea quae sunt legis our Rabbins and Wise men have more regarded their owne Interpretations than the letter of the Law So I expound In sensis favorabili they trod in the steps of their Fathers preferring their owne Traditions before the preceps of God More particulatly the said Munster in his Booke where he handleth the Hebrew Calendar thus Patet apud Judaeos duplicem haberi Paschae rationem unam â—egitimam quâ juxta legem Mosaicam c. It is apparent that the Iewes kept a double account of their Passeover one lawfull by which according to the Mosaicall Law it was appointed to be killed towards the end of the fourteenth day and to be eaten toward the Evening which began the fifteenth day The other account was full of Law invented by the Lawyers and for foolish causes erected against the Law of God by which they put over for one or two dayes their New-Moones or Calendar of their moneths other where in the same booke he promiseth to shew with what frivolous reasons they endeavoured to palliate or varnish over this changing of Feasts and to excuse the Transgression of the Divine Law PAR. 12. MOst specially to our purpose Munster ibid. thus It is plaine that Christ did eate the Passeover the lawfull Passeover with his Disciples on the fifth day of the weeke at even and he annexeth his Reason because Christ fulfilled the Law which established that time but the Iewes abstained from entring into the Judgement Hall on the sixt day of the weeke Joh. 18.28 that they might eate the Passeover that day at even according to the decrees of their fathers for the Iewes saith he tooth and nayle hold fast the traditions of the Elders eating the Passeover on the sixt day of the weeke or on the preparation of the Passeover Luke 23.54 but translating the Feast of the passeover from the sixt day to the Sabbath day which by reason of the concurrence of two feasts is called an High Sabbath day Joh. 19.31 I will a little enlarge the arguments of Munster The Iewes led Christ from Caiphas unto the Hall of Judgement and it was earely and they themselves went not into the Judgement Hall lest they should be defiled but that they might eate the passeover Joh. 18.28 therefore they had not then eaten it though Christ and his Disciples had eaten the passeover the night precedent for after the three-fold Supper of Christ Iudaicall Ordinary and Eucharisticall Christ passed the brooke Cedron entred into a Garden was apprehended late at night and the next morning lead early into the Iudgement-Hall or Pilates House Secondly Ioh. 19.14 It was the preparation of the Passeover and about the sixt houre when Pilat sate downe on the Iudgement-seate and when he delivered Christ unto them to be crucified ver 16. The preparation of the passeover differeth from the eating of the passeover and precedeth it wherefore the Iewes had not eaten the passeover before and none can thinke with reason that the Iewes after they had once apprehended him would or did dismisse him that he might eate the passeover but they kept him in safe-custody after Judas had once betrayed him and Judas betrayed him not till Christ and his Apostles and Judas among them had celebrated the passeover which the Iewes had not PAR. 13. A Third Argument may be this when they consulted to take Iesus and kill him they sayd Matth. 26.5 Not on the Feast-day lest there be an uproare among the people they were so superstitiously addicted to their seeming-strict observation of their Feasts that if they had taken or killed any man in such a solemnity it would have made an uproare or mutiny therefore it was told to Christ as an unusuall and offensive matter that Pilat had mingled the Galilaeans blood with their Sacrifices Luke 13.1 as I conceive these Relators intended to have made this bloody deed of Pilat an occasion of a new commotion consulted with Christ to that end Iudas Galilaeus Act. 5.37 rose up in the dayes of Taxing and the dayes of taxing were about the birth of our Saviour Luke 2.1 c. Then Judas Galilaeus stood up and hee would have the free-borne of the Iewes the sonnes of God forsooth to pay no tribute though he perished and all as many as obeyed him were dispersed as it there followeth yet those
Eucharist was taken were altogether at three Suppers in one night in that night in which he was betrayed and that those Apostles certainely and Christ himselfe partaked of all the three suppers that they kept not one constant forme but varyed their gestures that there is no firmenesse of consequence to argue that whatsoever was done at the first supper the same was done at the second or whatsoever was at the second supper that it continued in the same fashion untill the end of the third supper that these severall Suppers were not in the same degrees of holinesse and were attended with proportionable Rites and different ceremonies That the eating of the Paschall Lambe was the first Supper That their joynt-eating of common food was their second Supper That the institution of the Eucharist and taking of it was their third supper called by the * 1 Cor. 11.20 Apostle the Supper of the Lord. To some intelligent people which heard me these things seemed though new and strange yet probable and analogall to faith others hung betweene doubt and beliefe but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ecce Rhodus Ecce salius here is the man here his leape Nunc specimen specitur nunc certamen cernitur now is the tryall you may see it as Mnesilochus phraseth it in Plautus what I said I am ready not onely to say againe but to prove and justify God the truth and learned men the Disciples of truth being judges Indocti procul este viri procul este profani Let men unlearned and profane Be farre from hence they judge in vaine PAR. 4. THat I may beare the whole truth before me necessary to the unfolding of what our Saviour practised from the beginning of his eating of the Paschall Lambe till he had finished the most sacred Eucharist I intend under the divine benediction to handle foure poynts three preparatory the fourth definitive and decretory 1. What the Iewes of those times did at their ordinary meales 2. What they then did at their Feasts or Festivall dayes 3. What the Iewes were wont to observe at their eating their Passeover 4. What courses in particular our blessed Saviour tooke and used the night of his apprehension The Prayer ASsist me therefore I beseech thee O omniscient supreamest intelligence most wonderfull Vni-Trinity Trin-Vnity transcendent in fulnesse of knowledge and O sweet Saviour most blessed Lord whose cause I handle whose truth I search and disclose take the vayle of ignorance from before my face let me see with thy piercing eyes let my fleece be wet with thy dew from heaven distill upon me some drops of thy Divine knowledge power thy sacred oyntment and spreading oyle upon my head and fill me with humble veracity for thine owne Names sake O Saviour Iesu God and man the gracious Mediator betweene God and Men. Amen CHAP. II. The Contents of the second Chapter 1. The Iewish strictnesse in often giving of thankes 2. The duty of thankefulnesse exhorted unto 3. Ingratitude condemned 4. The Iewes at their Feasts began their banquet with blessing of a â—â—p of Wine what the particular words were poculum bibatorium every one dranke in order our most blessed Saviour scorned not to follow that custome The custome of the Table of the King of Sweden 5. The Master of the Feast among the Iewes consecrated the bread the very words of consecration translated are set downe 6. Some recreations were at their Festivals and wise holy discourses sometimes riddles were propounded our Saviours divine Table talke 7. The duty of Thankesgiving appoynted by the Apostle for all our doings 8. The temperance of the Primitive Church at their repast and at Feasts also proved by Tertullian and Minutius Foelix also their Prayers and singing and sober retyring 9. Our age in a double extreame some over-prodigally feast it the immoderate use of Tobacco taxed 10. Some are inhospitable inhospitality under pretense of devotion distiked 11. The meane in eating and drinking commended 12. Mirth and feasting practised on the Lords day in Tertullians time 13. Holy Hester her banquet of Wine the brethren of Joseph were temperate though the vulgar hath it inebriati sunt cumeo Iosephs liberality and full table was not intemperate or immodest 14. Christ Feasted on Sabbath dayes 15. Ahashuerus his moderation and Law wished for to be in use PAR. 1. THe Iewes were never wont to eate or drinke without Prayers blessings or giving of thankes especiall thankes for especiall blessings sometimes shorter ejaculations were in use sometimes longer devotions if they are but of Nuts Plumbes Apples Grapes or the like they had Peculiares preculas apt short prayers Zorobabel powred forth thankes for wisedome given unto him 1 Esdras 4.60 1 Esdras 4.60 The Psulmist was abundant in thankesgiving above any other duty both for ordinary and extraordinary blessings inviting all the Host of Heaven and Earth reasonable sensible vegetable yea inanimate creatures to prayse the Lord. PAR. 2. GIfts of minde body and fortunes are to be received with blessing of God generall favours of the Almighty looke for a returne of thankes yea are more to be esteemed as being more common That the heavenly Creatures move constantly in their Spheres that the Sunne shineth that the Moone powreth downe the supernall influences that our preservation with the meanes thereof is continued deserveth from us the Sacrifice of prayse unto God every grace of God unto us must be answered with a grace or thankes from us to God all Rivers runne into the Sea saith * Eccleâ—â— 1.7 Ecclesiastes Chap. 1.7 Unto the place from whence the Rivers come thither they returne againe Adfontem saith Saint a Bern. in cap. Iejunij Serm. 1 Bernard unde exeunt flumina revertuntur ut iterum fluant Flummis aqua si stare caeperit ipsa putrescit inundatione facta superveniens repellitur sic plane sic gratiarum cessat decursus ubi recursus non fuerit nec modo nihil augetur ingrato sed quod acceperat vertitur ei in perniciem Rivers returne to the fountaines that they may flow againe if they begin to stand they grow to decay even so grace ceaseth when it is not returned and to the ungratefull man nothing increaseth but what he received turnes to his overthrow Out blessed Saviour spent a good part of his time in this holy duty for brevity sake I will infist onely upon one place b Ioh. 6.11 Iob. 6.11 Christ gave thankes and then distributed the bread to his Disciples The Apostle gives a reason God hath created meates to be received with thankesgiving c 1 Tim. 4.3 1 Tim. 4.3 It was Gods intention they were created to that purpose or end and they goe against Gods intention who are unthankefull He that eates and drinkes and le ts grace passe Sits downe like an Oxe and riseth like an Asse PAR. 3 THe ingratitude of the receivers indeed infecteth not the meate but their receiving is uncleane and filthy even their minde
and other exercises of devotion and prepared God to blesse all But fasting is defined to be a mourning Zach. 7.5 When yee fasted and mourned I answer Here fasting precedeth mourning where Illyricus saith Fasting is an effect of mourning and naturally floweth from it when it is commanded Watch and Pray is one a definition of the other because they be conjoynd Fasting and mourning be two distinct things and fall not under one definition PAR. 8. THese be his arguments which hee thinkes strong enough to withhold him from subscribing to those who thinke fastings of old were and now are to be used that the macerated bodie may better obey the soule and that a Christian may be apter to pray and to all divine exercises But Illyricus objecteth against himselfe Are fastings wholly unprofitable Why are they then so often conjoyned with prayers if they be not exercises preparing to prayers Hee answereth Since these afflictions of fasting are undertaken by the prime motion of nature in great griefe of minde and then confirmed by custome in the easterne countries it came to passe that they did both fast and pray in troubles Nature custome chance are his grounds for fasting and prayer Not God not Scriptures not holy examples precedent these are nothing to the frothy German Moreover saith hee the calling upon God was their onely remedie for all their evils therefore they alwaies added earnest prayers to their afflictions that their sinnes might be remitted and the punishments averted Is calling upon God the onely remedy Did not faith and contrition and repentance precede Doth not fasting accompany Shall wee exclude hope renounce charity and make prayer to be the onely remedy Thus forsooth in some other humors Faith alone saveth onely faith Fides sola solitaria Yet all Novelists must know They shall sooner separate light from the Sunne heate from the fire then they shall separate faith true faith saving faith from Charity from Hope from the feare and love of God or from other Theologicall vertues I professe that I am sorry that Illyricus gave cause of so long a diversion I have onely censured his Tractate de causa finali jejunii I must be briefe in the rest The Prayer MOst glorious Saviour in thy feastings thou wert holy thy words full of power thy actions full of wonder in thy fastings thou wast divine thou wert an hungred and yet wouldst not eate thou wert a thirst and yet didst not drinke grant good Lord Jesu that thy gratious example may be my guide both in feasting and fasting and that I may so behave my selfe in this temporary fading life being the very valley of misery that through the merits of thy fasting I may gather the crummes under thy table in thy eternall Kingdome So be it Lord Jesu so be it CHAP. V. The Contents of the fifth Chapter 1 All in fasting must afflict their soules Fasting commanded in the Old and New Testament Fasting is more than a temperate sober life 2 Divers effects of sorrow Divers efficient causes of Fasting 3 The Germans little practise Fasting The singular commendation of Fasting by Athanasius S. Chrysostome Leo Magnus S. Ambrose Bellarmine 4 A parting blow at Illyricus PARAGRAPH 1. ILlyricus in his first Tractate De Iejunio materiâ hactenus parum liquidò explicatâ vera dissertatio Having not all this while explicated the matter distinctly enough the true dispute c. hee beginneth with two positions boldly averred hardly proved At all times great hath beene the superstition and abuse of fasting and of other afflictions thereunto annexed Yet was there not one certaine forme of that fast for it was free and voluntary and therefore out of doubt one did cruciate himselfe otherwise than others did And yet himselfe truly confesseth they fed on no dainties But that is one certaine forme say I And he confesseth further To fast is to abstaine from the chiefe commodities of the body and to draw discommodities upon a mans selfe To abstaine from meate drinke sleepe washing annointing change of apparell musicke mirth and all recreations yea to put on sordid and ill apparell which they call sackcloth to lye on the ground on ashes dust or any other sordid place His very definition prescribeth this forme and accordingly was it used and yet he denyeth any one certaine forme That some fasted longer or oftner or stricter than others none will deny but all did afflict their soules or otherwise it was no true fast Whereas hee saith it was free and voluntary no man can deny but some had more occasion than others had and did fast whën others did not yes and fasted voluntarily yet himselfe confesseth they were commanded to fast on the daies of expiation Levit. 23.27 Yee shall afflict your soules And the Prophet gave precepts for fasting which in like case we are to imitate Christ foretold the Apostles should fast Christ said When yee fast annoint your heads implying that men were to fast I see fasting is commanded in the Old and New Testament but what daies we are to fast and not to fast by precept from God or his Apostles I finde not Augustine Epist 88. ad Casularum Yet in that Tractate hee doth very well confute such as say of old fasting was no other than a temperate and sober life His reason is excellent Moses Elias Daniel Christ and his Apostles who questionlesse alwaies lived temperately and soberly yet even they did fast certaine daies Againe saith hee It is easie to discerne from 2 Sam. 1.12 where they mourned and wept and fasted untill even from Daniel 10.2 and from Ionah 3.5 c. that fasting is a more sowre sorrowfull and hard thing than a temperate and sober life PAR. 2. IN the middle Tractate De efficiente causa jejunii Thus hee discourseth naturally Omnibus animalibus incitum est it is given to all living creatures not onely to live but to live contentedly and sweetly and to procure pleasing things and to fly the contrary But in great sorrows men lead a discontented life and desire to die and therefore begin to neglect all things belonging to an happy life And in greater sorrow beate their breasts teare their faces and haire as in the Southerne parts women were wont to do These sorrowes are not fitly ordered by Illyricus The sorrow which causeth men to desire death is greater than that when people beate their breasts teare away the haire from their heads and skinnes from their face But I must remember my promised brevity Hee returneth to his first position When wee are glad wee naturally love this life and the things tēnding to it and when wee are sorry wee hate life fly the presence of men and pleasures yea embrace things discommodious Yet custome much prevaileth in this point for some people testifie their joy and sorrow otherwise both by the quantity and quality than others doe Then defineth hee thus Fasting is in the holy Scriptures a certaine affliction of the body and an outward signe