seeing S. Paul willed the Corinthians to giue no offence neither to the Jewes nor to the Grecians nor to the Church of God I can not chuse but beléeue and say that it is a sinne wilfully and without cause to breake and despise set dayes and times of Abstinence and fasting cōmanded by Authorite and this shall bee proued vnto you by 6. speciall arguments 1. By the fift Commandement 2. By the testimony of S. Paul Rom. 13. 1. 3. By the definition of Sinne. 4. By Examples 5. By the Ancient Fathers 6. By generall Councels This is proued by the fift Commandement In the 5. Commandement which is the first Commandement of the second Table we are commanded to honour our Parents where by honour is meant loue feare and obedience and by our Parents not onely our naturall Parents but all Kings Princes Gouernours and Superiours which doe rule vs. Well then if we wilfully breake and despise set dayes and times of Abstinence and fasting commaunded by Authoritie we doe not honour our Superiors If wee doe not honour our Superiors we breake this Commaundement If wee breake this Commandement I hope none will deny but we sinne This is proued by the testimony of S. Paul Rom. 13. 1. where the Apostle saith Let euery soule be subiect to the higher power Why because there is no power but of God We must not saith he resist the power for if we resist the power we resist the ordinance of God They that resist what shall they receiue They shall receiue to themselues iudgement Heerehence I frame this argument Whosoeuer doeth resist the power doth resist the ordinance of God But they that wilfullie breake and despise set daies and times of abstinence and fasting commanded by Authoritie doe resist the power Therefore they doe resist the ordinance of God If therein they doe resist the ordinance of God who can deny but that they sinne This is proued by the definition of sinne To sinne as S. Austen saith is facere quod non licet to do that which is not lawfull to doe Héerehence I drawe this argument Whosoeuer doe that which is not lawfull doe sinne but they which wilfully breake and despise set daies and times of Abstinence and fasting commanded by Authoritie doe that which is not lawfull therefore they doe sinne This is proued by Examples Adam in Paradise was commanded Gen. 2. 17. of the Lord not to eate of the tree of knowledge of good and euill If hee did hee should die the death Aarons sonnes were commanded Leuit. 10. 9 of the Lord not to drinke wine nor strong drinke in their ministerie which commandement because they brake they were slaine The man of God that came out 1. Reg. 13. of Iuda was slaine by a Lion because being seduced by the false Prophet hee did eate bread and dranke water in his house contrary to the Lords Commandement Saul would haue put his sonne 1 Sam 14. Ionathan to death because ignorantly he tooke a little honny contrary to his commandement If Adam Aarons sonnes and the Prophet of God were punished of the Lord for their not abstinence and if Ionathan was in so great danger for breaking his fathers commandement in eating a little honny Is it not a sinne before God for vs wilfully to breake and to despise set daies and times of Abstinence and fasting commanded by Authoritie seeing wee are commanded of the Lord to submit our selues to our Princes ordinances and bound in conscience truely and vnfeinedly to obey them Let vs yet goe further The noble kings Ezekias Iehosaphat and Iosias made lawes for the exercise and the recalling of Gods seruice That Christian and religious Emperor Constantine made lawes also in things pertaining to holinesse towards God and towards his Church Theodosius his successour tooke the same course King Alured or Alfred appointed and commanded set daies and times of Abstinence and fasting And so did king Edgar Anno Dom. 958. Had it beene a sinne for people in those daies to haue broken these their Princes lawes and ordinances wilfully wantonly and without cause and shall we thinke that it is not a sinne for vs in these daies to doe the like This is proued by the testimony of the ancient fathers Most certaine and assured it is that Austen Ambrose and other of the ancient fathers were of this mind and thought it a sinne wilfully to break and to despise set daies and times of Abstinence and fasting commanded by Authoritie S. Austen de temp Ser. 62. calleth them new teachers that shut out the merite of fasting and asketh what saluation we can obtaine if we blot not out our sinnes by fasting séeing saith hee the Scripture saith that fasting and almesdeeds doeth deliuer from sinne Alijs diebus ieiunare saith he remedium est aut praemium c. To fast on other daies is a remedie or reward but not to fast in Lent is a sinne S. Ambr. in ser 25. de Quadrag saith thus among many other things Non leue est peccatum Jt is no small sinne to breake a fast that is commanded Although these two ancient fathers had their errors and in some sort thought corruptly of fasting yet I will say of them and of their opinion concerning fasting as reuerend master Hooker saith lib. 5. Eccle. pol. lib. 5. pag. 208. Ecclesiast Poliicie Concerning euery mans duety herein saith he that which Austen and Ambrose are alleadged to haue done is such that all men fauouring equitie must needs allow and follow it also if they affect peace Well then if according to master Hookers iudgement al men must néeds allow this opiniō of these two Fathers if they fauour equitie and affect peace then I hope I may say that it is a sinne wilfully and without cause to breake and to despise set daies and times of Abstinence and fasting commanded by Authoritie This is prooued by generall Councels and specially by that of Chalcedon held in the yeere of our Lord 454. to confound the errour of Eutiches who held that in Christ God and Man make but one Nature The Councell of Mentz vnder Canon 35. Charles the great made this decrêe Si quis indictum ieiunium super biendo contempserit c. If any one shall with pride contemne fasting commanded and will not obserue it with other Christians let him be accursed The like was established by the Councell of Carthage in their 63. Canon By the Councell of Laodicen in their 50. Canon and by the Councell of Toletan in their 7. Canon If those Councels thought them fit to bee accursed and excommunicate that would not obserue fasting commanded by Authoritie shall not wee thinke that they thought it a sinne in them that did wilfully breake and despise the same I might stand longer and much longer vpon this question but I will conclude it with the saying of the Apostle S. Peter say vnto you euen as the Apostle Peter said to the Jewes 1. Epist 2. 13
breede of Cattell to maintaine the Princes Nauie and the Calling of the Fisherman but especially for the worthy receiuing of the blessed Sacrament of the Eucharist 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Lords Supper For in the beginning of the primatiue Church many came to the holy mysteries promiscuously without any preparation Which when the ancient fathers vnderstood and saw the great harme and hurt that did arise of that negligent comming to that holy Table they established a Preparatiō or Correctiō decreed forty dayes of fasting praying hearing of the Word of God and comming to the Church that in those dayes the people being diligently purged by praier by fasting by reares by compassion and by other such meanes they might come to these holy mysteries with purer consciences and better deuotion The time of Lent was ordained at this time of the yeere in the Spring time for three reasons 1. By reason of heate encreasing and abundance of humors or moisture growing or comming on 2. To preserue brêed and encrease because at this time there is a generall bréed and encrease of all things 3. Because of the feast of the Lords Resurrection which requireth a peculiar Preparation For the general receiuing of the Eucharist or Lords Supper did alwaies fall out in the spring time I might speake more and much of these Particulars but I will conclude them with the saying of a worthy praise worthie Knight in a booke which he writeth of the relation of the religion of the west parts of the world where he saith thus I am so far off saith he from thinking the instutition of Lēt to be superfluous or the restraint in it vnprofitable that I rather encline to the custome of the Greeke Church who besides their great Lent haue three other Lents also in the yeere though the other neither so long nor in them so strict an obseruation Thus much of the 3. Particulars Now of the two Questions The first Question Whether set daies and times of abstinence and fasting ought to be commanded by authoritie Fastings are either of mens own frée voluntary accord as their particular deuotion doeth mooue them thereunto or els they are publikely enioyned in the Church and required at the hands of all men Montanus as Eusebius writeth was the first author of these appointed times of fasting of this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of this set lawe-making of fasting For which cause manie there bee that reiect and renounce the same But most certaine and assured it is that set daies and times of fasting appointed in spirituall considerations to bee kept of Christian people tooke not their beginning either from Montanus or frō any other whose heresies may preiudice the credit due estimation thereof but haue their ground in the law of nature are allowable in Gods sight were in all ages heeretofore vsed and may till the worlds end be obserued not without singular vse and benefit They haue their ground in the law of nature because they teach vs to kéepe order and moderation sobrietie and temperance in our meates and drinkes For nature doeth content her selfe with a litle Nature is our best guide which if we follow we shal neuer go astray And therefore Cyneas the Philosopher was of this opiniō that when the gods framed Nature they went beyond their owne skil why because the maker quoth hee is subiect to the thing made They are allowable in Gods sight because they are daies partly of pēsiue humiliation and sorrow and partly a signe of duety deuotion and reuerence towards God They were in all ages héeretofore vsed for preuention of disorders and riot for the preseruation of Cattell and the maintenance of Sea-faring men because the decay of the one and the waste of the other could not well bee preuented without such politike order and consideration They may till the worlds end be obseruéd not without singular vse benefit because they draw men to penitency to temperance to sobriety to all Christian duety and deuotion and to the generall good and publike profit of the whole Common-weale Some there bre that would proue set dayes and times of Abstinence and fasting out of the Scripture and specially out of these places Leuit. 16. 29. The tenth day of the seuenth moneth ye shal humble your soules Leuit. 23. 27. The tenth day of this seuenth moneth shal be a day of reconciliation And Zach. 7. 5. When yee fasted and mourned in the 5. and 7. moneth Trueth it is that these set and prescribed fasts in Leuiticus were commanded of God as a part of a legall worship which had their end in the death of Christ And trueth it is also that the fasts spoken of by the Prophet Zacharie were appointed vpon occasion of the present afflictions of the Church in Babilon which ceased vpon their deliuerance But our set dayes and times of Abstinence and fasting are appointed and commanded to be obserued not for conscience or religions sake but for Ciuill and Politike regards and not for the priuate good but for the generall good of the whole Common-weale Which if they were left to the peoples owne choise libertie and will it may soone bee coniectured what would follow thereof because the corruption of the time is such and the wickednes of mans nature is so exorbitant that it is a hard matter to hold the ordinarie sort of people within the lists of duetie obedience and good order without the cōmandement of the superiour and the seueritie of good lawes For which cause very necessary it is yea a good and godly thing it is that set daies times of abstinence and fasting should be appointed and commanded by authoritie Which no one will dislike or disdaine vnlesse hee bee like vnto Aerius who opposed himselfe against fasting and said These set fasts away with them they are Ephipha haer 75. Iewish and bring men vnder the yoke of seruitude If I will fast let me chuse my time to fast that Christian libertie be not abridged I might prosecute this Question more at large but I hope euerie charitable Christian and equally-minded man and woman is heerein satisfied And therefore I will conclude it with this argument or this syllogisme Whatsoeuer is for the general good and publike profit of the whole Cōmonweale that ought to bee appointed and commanded by authoritie But set dayes and times of Abstinence and fasting are for the generall good and publike profit of the whole Common-weale Therefore they ought to bee appointed and commanded by authoritie The other Question Whether it be a sinne wilfully to breake and to despise set daies and times of Abstinence and fasting commanded by Authoritie To hold this question affirmatiuely may peraduenture seeme vnto some a Paradox or rather a grosse errour and grieuous absurdity But seeing Kings and Princes are Christs deputies here on earth to gouerne the world and in the Scripture are called gods Seeing Christ willed his disciples to beware of offences and
and 14. Submit your selues to all manner of ordinance of man c. But some peraduenture may say you haue spoken nothing of Imber Fasts and Fasts on Saints Eues What can you say of them are not they altogether idle superstitious and to bee abolished I pray you giue mee leaue and I wil speake somewhat of them also And 1. I will shew you why they were so called 2. By whom they were first ordained And 3. the occasion why they were ordained They were called Imber-daies vpon no other reason and occasiō but of eating bread baked vnder Imbers or ashes Whosoeuer doth say otherwise saies it either of malice or ignorance For the people vpon those dayes vsed to fast and to eate nothing but bread baked vnder Imbers Which they did for two causes First to pay vnto God at such times the tithes of their soules bodies in thanksgiuing for the fruites of the earth and the fruites of his grace Secondly that the holy Ghost might the more plenteously bee powred downe vpon them which receiue holy orders For the Sunday after these Imber-fasts and at no time els alwaies hath beene and yet still is the ordering of ministers by the Bishops Some refer the first institution of these Imber-fasts to Pope Vrbanus Some to Calixtus the 2. And some say that they were first confirmed in the Coūcel of Mentz held vnder Charles the great of which I spake but now for this intent that people vpon those daies should come to the Church should fast to the 9. houre and abstaine from flesh and all things els But most certaine it is that these Imber-fasts are most ancient haue béene most common and in all the Christian world most religiously obserued foure times of the yeere and therefore they are called Ieiunia quatuor temporū the fasts of the foure times because of the foure speciall turnings of the sun the first about the Spring Equinoctiall the second about the Summer Solstice the third about the Equinoctiall in Autumne and the 4. about the winter Solstice And vpon these three daies of the wêeke the Wensdaies the Fridaies and the Saterdaies because our Sauiour Christ was solde vpon a Wensday crucified vpon a Friday died vpon a Saterday and rested in his sepulcher These reasons haue beene alleadged heeretofore for the institution and obseruation of these Jmber-fasts The eues of Saints-daies are called in Latine Vigiliae which is watchings because in the time of the Apostles and alōg time after watchings prayers and almes-déeds were accustomed to be ioyned to fastings These fasts on saints eues were not at first idely inuented and haue not in times past beene fondly nor foolishly obserued And they haue beene set as master Hooker writeth as vshers Eccle. Pollib 5. pag. 214. of festiuall daies for preuention of disorders as much as might be which may bee kept not without great good to the kéepers and singular vse and benefite to the whole Common-weale Concerning which as the Apostle S. Paul said to the Corinthes so say I vnto you Let all things bee done honestly and according to order Great is the dignitie of order and therefore the Apostle saith Let all things Great is the necessity of order and therefore the Apostle saith Let all things be done Great is the eminency and the excellency of order and therefore the Apostle concludeth his Chapter with the same Will you haue common dutie kept which Nature requireth then let all things be done honestly and according to order Will you haue common law regarded which Pollicie willeth then let all things bee done honestly and according to order Will you kéepe your goods your houses and all things that you haue in peace quietnesse and prosperitie then let all things bee done honestly and according to order Will you be faithfull and firme louing and loyall subiects to our gracious Soueraigne then let all things bee done honestly and according to order And will you haue all things to go well with you and to prosper well with you in this world then let all things be done honestly and according to order Without this order there is no duety no deuotion no charitie no concord no law no loue no peace plentie nor prosperitie no grace goodnesse nor any godlinesse although we heare neuer so much know neuer so much talke debate and dispute of diuinitie neuer so much Thus much of the 2. Tim. 3. 16 matter Now of the application and the vses Because all Scripture is giuen by inspiration is profitable as the Apostle Paul telleth vs to teach to improue to correct and to instruct in righteousnesse we ought heere to follow the example of Dauid and to chasten our selues with fasting as he did although by some it bee turned to our reproofe Of which his fasting Humiliation was the cause euen as diuine speculation was the cause of Moses so long fasting in the Mount For in the holy Scriptures wee reade how not only Kings fasted as Dauid and Iehosaphat but Prophets fasted as Moses Elias Daniel women fasted as Anna Hester Iudith and Sara Raguels daughter the children of Israel fasted the inhabitants of Gabish Gilead fasted the Apostles fasted Saints Fathers and Confessors fasted yea the very heathen as wee reade fasted as Iupiters priests in Create with the greatest Philosophers Antisthenes Pythagoras and Socrates But in these our daies it is strange to see the scorne and the scandall the contempt and the disdaine which many make of fasting in so much that if a man or a woman doeth but for ciuill and politike respects obserue and kéepe set daies and times of Abstinence and fasting commanded by Authoritie he shall be of some reproched and reproued for it he shall be of some thought to bee popish and superstitious We are all now growen to excesse and to extreamities to lust libertie and licentiousnesse We are all for the most part giuen to gluttonie and gourmandice to securitie sensualitie and surfetting We are all now growen to bee Epicures to be Sibarites and to loue the two daughters of the horse-leach although they sucke out all the blood of our bodies The best feastmaker is thought with some to be the best Christian and the least faster is thought with some not to bee the least professour Wee care not for the preseruation of the breed of Cattell the maintenance of the Kings Maiesties Nauie or the Calling of the Fisherman Wee care not for any good Lawes or Statutes whatsoeuer that enioine vs to Abstmence and fasting but like Heliogabalus we will be our own heires and make an end of all things our selues like the children of Israel when they were without Kings we will doe that which is good in our owne eies and like the two sonnes of Aaron Nadab and Abihu we will offer strange fire although we be burned in the flames thereof Worshipfull and beloued in the Lord Men brethren and fathers I pray you giue me leaue to say thus much vnto you The wisest and