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A24695
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Considerations and exhortations to the serious and religious observation of the Lent-fast, enjoined by authority humbly proposed in tendency to promote a reformation of manners in the debauched age we live in / by P. A., Gent.
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P. A., Gent.
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1700
(1700)
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Wing A23; ESTC R19145
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9,433
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18
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CONSIDERATIONS AND EXHORTATIONS TO THE Serious and Religious Observation OF THE Lent-Fast Enjoined by AUTHORITY Humbly Proposed in tendency to Promote a Reformation of Manners in the Debauched Age we live in By P. A. Gent. Paenitentia vera nunquam sera Prov. xxix 1. He that being often reproved hardeneth his neck shall suddenly be destroyed and that without remedy LONDON Printed and are to be Sold by John Nutt near Stationers-Hall 1700. CONSIDERATIONS AND EXHORTATIONS TO THE Serious and Religious Observation OF THE LENT-FAST BY way of PREFACE you may please to take notice That the following Essay is chiefly transcribed out of a larger Discourse of the Author printed Anno 1685 at the Death of King Charles II. then Dedicated to my Lord Dartmouth Master of the Horse to King James II. at his coming to the Crown The Author humbly conceiving it may not be unseasonable now we are again entred upon the Lent-Fast For a word spoken in season how good is it Prov. xv 23. more-especially this following his Christian Considerations for Christmas past as a second step made for the Reformation of Manners For if People would be persuaded religiously to observe the Lent-Fast it might possibly prove a second step also towards the same good End Provided also that those who are eminently engaged in the said Noble Design would be careful to be of vertuous Conversation themselves that People may not have this to object truly what is in our English Porverb That Vice corrects Sin For this hath been found to be true in all Ages of the World Vivitur Exemplis magis quam Legibus Men are led more by Example than by Precept or by Laws And may I without offence here mention that Testimony of Dr. Burnet now Bishop of Salisbury in his printed Travels into Italy not long since That in that great and populous City of Rome when he was there there was such a wise Regularity in the Government of it that deserved great Commendation for that Publick Vices were not to be seen there I heartily wish that it might be so said of the City of London who have doubtless a better Reformed Christianity than they at Rome to be the Foundation of it And now I hope my ensuing Discourse may prove more acceptable my Design being for promoting so great a Good to us as the compleating of our true Repentance and the Safety of our Souls that I have presented what I have discoursed in miniature in little being all circumscribed within one Sheet of Paper THAT a Religious Abstinence and Fasting in tendency to appease God's Displeasure against a Nation and People and for the Reforming of Manners was a Duty always acknowledged both by Jews and Christians in all Ages of the World yea what even Heathens and Mahometans have since consented to As to the Antiquity of the Lent-Fast and the Observation of it as a learned Man tells us it is like the River Nilus we can scarce find out its Head it being mention'd by Ignatius and Irenaeus two of St. John's Scholars also by Origen who lived not long after them also in the famous Council of Nice where they mention the Forty Days of Lent as a thing known and long observed before that time How far our Blessed Saviour did approve of the Performance of this Christian Duty both by his Practice and Doctrine is too evident to be denied But certainly if we had not the aforesaid Evidence of the Sacred Scriptures and Antiquity no Man of Reason and Conscience who believes he hath an Immortal Soul capable of Eternal Happiness or Misery Reward or Punishment can doubt but that the Religious Observation of this Time of Lent by Fasting Abstinence and Self-denial calling our selves to an Account of our Lives serious Consideration and Repentance hath a wise and great tendency to the promoting of Piety and Vertue in us for as one tells us that in truth to a good Man Vita est Reflectio And therefore to be most wisely recommended to our Observation this Holy Time of Lent in Commemoration of our Great Lord and Master the Blessed Jesus his Fasting Forty Days and Forty Nights Which Intention of the Church is fully expressed in her Collect for the First Sunday in Lent viz. O Lord who for our sakes didst fast Forty Days and Forty Nights give us Grace to use such Abstinence that our Flesh being subdued to the Spirit we may ever obey thy Godly Motions in Righteousness and true Holiness to thy Honour and Glory c. And it is a thing acknowledged by all Men That the grand Reason and Ground of the Prevalency of Vice and Wickedness in the World is chiefly and principally from the want of sober serious and wise Consideration this being most true That inconsiderate Men are wicked Men. For Men are led by their sensual Appetites and Passions which stick close to them and indeed are so great a part of themselves that it lays Reason many times asleep It much concerns us to exercise Reason and serious Consideration as well as Faith And it hath been found by Experience that wise and great Instructor of Mankind that the strict and religious Observation of this Time of Lent hath proved to be a mighty Restraint to Irreligion and Prophaneness and Debauchery yea even in those Places where Men are most exquisite in Wickedness That it hath been matter of Admiration and Wonder to Travellers to see such a change of Manners and what an Outward Appearance there is among them of Demureness and Sobriety Seriousness and Devotion I shall give it you in the words of that learned and excellent Person of our own Country Sir Edwin Sandys in his Europae Speculum where speaking of Italy he saith That notwithstanding the abounding of Vice among them yet during the Time of Lent the People of all sorts are then much reformed no such Blasphemy nor dirty Speaking as before their Vanity of all sorts laid reasonably aside their Pleasures abandon'd their Apparel their Diet and all things else composed to Austerity and a state of Penitence they have daily then their Preaching with Collections of Alms whereto all Men resort and to judge of them by their outward shew they seem generally to have very great Remorse for their Wickedness insomuch saith he as I must confess I seemed unto my self in Italy to have best learn'd the right Use of Lent and there first to have discerned the great fruit of it and the Reason for which those Sages in the Church at first did institute it Neither can I saith he easily accord to the Fancies of such as because we ought at all times to lead a life worthy of our Profession that therefore it is Superstitious to have any Time wherein to exert or expect it more than other but do thus rather conceive that the Corruption of Times and the Wickedness of Man's Nature is so exorbitant that it was a hard matter to hold the ordinary sort of Men at all times within
common Man can skill of well enough needs never ask St. John or St. Paul what he should do but knows what he should do as well as St. Paul or St. John either and that it is not rather a matter wherein we need the Counsel and Direction of such as are professed that way Truly it is neither the least nor the last part of our Learning to be able to give an Answer and Direction in this Point but therefore laid aside and neglected by us because not sought after by you and therefore not studied but by very few because Nemo nos Interrogat i. e. No body asks us the Question because it grows quite out of request We have learned I know not where a new and shorter course which Flesh and Blood better like of viz. in the whole course of our Life not to be able to set down where or when or what we did when we did that which we call Repenting and what Fruits there came of it what those Fruits might be worth but even a little before death and that as little as may be not till the World hath given us over Lo then to come to our Quid faciemus i. e. to ask what shall we do when we are able to do nothing and then one must come and as we call it speak comfortably to us that is to say minister unto us a little Divinity Laudanum rather stupefactive for the present than doing any sound good and so take our leaves to go meet with Ira ventura i. e. the Wrath to come This way this fashion of Repenting St. John knew it not it is far from his Fructus dignus i. e. worthy Fruit. St. Paul knew it not it is far from his Opera digna i. e. worthy Works And I can say little to it but I pray God it do not deceive us for it is not good trying Conclusions about our Souls Now saith the Author This excellent Discourse is so fair an Item to a tender pious Christian from diverting him and thereby deferring the making of his Accounts even with Heaven till the Cross or Bed of Sickness call upon him sure that 's no Time or Place to contest with two such Enemies as Infirmity of Bodies and of Sins Unto which another worthy Author adds his Advice which is To renounce the Errors and Neglects of the Age we live in and imitate the Piety of those Christians who lived in the first Ages of the Christian Church if we will fight well in our Christian Combat And indeed the Truth of our Repentance is our All for as it hath been said we must have Innocency or true Repentance to make us acceptable to God As for the first no Man hath it and therefore we must trust wholly upon the latter I need say no more of this Subject of Repentance but to advise us all to hearken diligently to what our Mother the Church speaketh to us and adviseth in her Excellent Liturgy for this Time of Lent An APPENDIX to the preceding Discourse IN my Essay for the Promoting the Religious Observation of the fast-Fast-Day January the 30th last past being streightned in Time I could not then fully express my Thoughts and have therefore annex'd them here viz. That in truth King Charles I. his greatest Crime was his managing a War against his Rebellious Subjects to uphold the Church of England and maintain Episcopacy according to his Coronation Oaâ—h and accordingly I have heard even that great Presbyterian Divine Doctor Cornelius Burgess in those times in his Pulpit term that Civil War Bellam Episcopale the Episcopal War which it truly was And may I recommend to the perusal of all ingenuous Persons that excellent Printed Sermon of Dr. Burnet now Lord Bishop of Salisbury which he preach'd at the Savoy Church January 30. Anno 1674. wherein they will find a sufficient Proof of the great Abilities of Mind of the Royal Martyr King Charles I. To which if they please to add his Disputation at Newcastle with Mr. Henderson as also his managing the Personal Treaty at Newport in the Isle of Wight Anno 1648. they may be fully satisfy'd of the little need he had of Dr. Gauden's or Dr. Bailey's Assistance who was also said to be the Compiler of the King's Book in former times and how then at last it should fall upon Dr. Gauden I cannot imagine when he had no need of any one to assist him and more especially of Dr. Gauden who had taken the Covenant as is affirmed and was also a Stranger to him when it is well known the said Prince had such an Antipathy against such as had taken the Covenant that he could not be persuaded at the Isle of Wight so much as to hear one of those Presbyterian Divines that attended the Parliaments Commissioners there to Preach before him although very great and celebrated Preachers viz. Mr. Marshall Mr. Vines Mr. Caryll and Mr. Seaman and he never all the time of the Treaty went to Church but heard his own Bishops and Doctors who preach'd to him in the Presence-Chamber all which I my self knew very well who was there all the Time of the said Treaty and some Days after it ended Which I humbly conceive makes it incredible that the King should admit of Dr. Gauden to be a Guide of his Conscience But to say no more but to end this Controversie What can be the meaning of the great Bustle about it and those concerned therein except it be to blacken the Royal Martyr and his Sacred Memory that they may whiten Bradshaw and the rest of the wicked Regicides which if so let them take the glory of it to themselves who delight in it God grant that all good and honest Christians may be free from having a Hand in the same For he that justifieth the wicked and he that condemneth the just even they both are abomination to the Lord Prov. xvii 15. Considering also that excellent Observation of a worthy Author That Innocency hath the nearest Resemblance of God and therefore to injure Innocence is more-especially to injure God himself FINIS