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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
B15342	A treatie of iustification. Founde emong the writinges of Cardinal Pole of blessed memorie, remaining in the custodie of M. Henrie Pyning, chamberlaine and general receiuer to the said cardinal, late deceased in Louaine. Item, certaine translations touching the said matter of iustification, the titles whereof, see in the page folowing	Pole, Reginald, 1500-1558.; Copley, Thomas, Sir, 1534-1584, suggested trans.	1569 (1569)	STC 20088; ESTC S102468	222,799	366

est By the which onely he is trewly iuste who so euer is iust But to declare that his minde was not to make any such separation Ib. cap. 70. he saith it is the charitie that commeth from a pure harte a good conscience and vnsained faith He might allege for him th' authoritie of S. Ihon th'Euangelist who being required by his scholers a litle before his death to teach them some perfecte lesson Hier. li. 3. com in epist ad Galat. cap. 6. whereby they might liue well and haue cause to remembre him said my children loue one an other And when they looked for more he repeted the same againe and said It is our Lords commaundement and if there be no more done but that it is inough He should haue Prosper to say for him De vit contēpla li. 3. ca. 13 Charitie is a summarie and abbridgement of all good doings of the which euery good worke taketh his life without the which neuer man pleased God. S. Bede would say Homi. aestiua in lita maio Ser. 7. de Epipha Chrysost tom 1. fol. 176. Charitie is the principall vertue in so muche that without that vertue other principall vertues can not be Leo would call her the mother of all vertues and Chrysostome the mother of all goodnes And thus haue I proued not only that faith without charitie iustifieth no man but also that charitie hath a souereine working in the acte of our Iustification without the which faith auaileth nothing and so doth not faith alone iustifie nor exclude charitie An answere to obiections that be made to proue that faith alone iustifieth without charitie THE IIII. CHAPTER BVT leste the mainteiners of Iustification by onely faith should seeme to be without all ground and to exclude charitie without colour of reason they frame one especiall argument which for the readers better satisfaction I will put forth and answere here The argument is this We be iustified by faith without all workes of the Lawe Charitie is a worke of the Lawe Ergo we be iustified by faith without charitie To the which I answere with S. Augustine that their second proposition deceiueth them for that charitie is not onely a worke of the lawe but also the gifte of the holy Ghost in the newe testament Rom 5. S. Paule saith the charitie of God is powred abrode in our hartes through the holy Ghost that is geuen vs. 1. Ioha 4. And S. Iohn saith Moste dearely beloued let vs loue one an other for loue commeth of God. Vppon which wordes S. Augustines answere is De grat li. arb cap. 18. Cùm dicitur diligamus inuicem lex est Cùm dicitur quia dilectio ex Deo est gratia est When it is said Lette vs loue one an other it is the lawe when it is said for loue commeth of God it is grace He maketh this the greatest differēce betwene th' old and new testament that where as in the old God lead his people by terror and feare in the newe he geueth them plenty of his charitie and loue Contr. Adiman cap. 17. De spirit lit cap. 17. Item cap. 21. ca. 16. Haec est breuissima c. This is the shortest and plainest difference of both testaments feare and loue Ibi in tabulis lapideis There the holy Ghost wrought in tables of stone here in mens hartes And what be the lawes of God writen by God him self in mennes hartes but the presence of the holy Ghost who is the singer of God by whose presence charitie is powred abrode in our hartes which is the fulfilling of the law Thus doo we see that charitie is not onely a worke of the law but also the fruite of the holy Ghost the speciall token of the new testament wrought in our hartes by the holy Ghost And so hath S. Augustine answered this argument xi hundred yeares before they were borne that lately haue made it And whereas it is saied that faith onely iustifieth What it is truely to apprehēd Christe bicause faith onely apprehendeth Christe I aske what is meant by the terme of Apprehension If it be to beleue onely that Christ died for sinners that alone iustifieth no man for the Diuelles beleue it and tremble Iacob 2. bicause they hope not to be partakers of that benefite nor loue him that purchased it If to apprehend Christe be vnderstanded to dwell in Christe and to haue him dwell in vs it is not true that Christe is apprehended in that sorte by onely faith without charitie For it is saied 1 Ioan 4. God is charitie and he that dwelleth in charitie dwelleth in God and God in him And Christ him selfe saith Si quis diligit me Ioan. 14. sermonem meum seruabit Pater meus diliget eum ad eum veniemus mansionem apud eum faciemus If a man loue me he will kepe my saying and my Father wil loue him and to him will we come and make our abode with him By these woordes let the Reader learne what it is truely and profitably to apprehend Christe He apprehendeth Christ truly Aug. ser 61. de ver Dom. tract in Ioan. 29. that is vnited and made a member of Christe whiche as I haue proued in the last Chapter can not be done without hope and charitie He apprehendeth Christ truely that cleaueth vnto Christ and the glue whereby the sowle is fastned vnto Christe saith S. Augustine is charitie Ipsum gluten est charitas In Psal 62 If it be said that faith apprehendeth the promise Christ hath promised lyfe euerlasting to suche as become his friendes Ioan. 15. Heb. 5. And they be his friendes that keepe his commaundements He is made a cause of life euerlasting but to such as obey him The promise is made to the children of Abraham that is to suche as haue the faith and obedience of Abraham whereof I shall speake at large hereafter Chapt. 23. And so is it true that faith alone neither apprehendeth Christe nor his promise profitablie vnlesse hope and Charitie be ioyned vnto it That Faith excludeth not Hope in the acte of our Iustification THE V. CHAPTER Of Hope AS God requireth of such as come to his seruice that they stedfastly beleeue in him and with all their heartes loue him So doth he also require of them to repose al hope and affiance in him onely saying by his Prophete Iere. 17. Maledictus homo qui confidit in homine Cursed is the man that putteth his trust in man. And by the same Prophete Iere. 9. 1. Cor. 1. Psal 107. Psal 33. Let not the wise bragge in his wisedome neither lette the strong boast in his strength Nor lette the riche glorie in his riches But lette him that boasteth boast in our Lorde Wherefore as mans power to saue is vaine and he vnhappie that trusteth in it so happie is the man that trusteth in God. Of so great force is a

are saued through faith Finally to conclude this is the faith that woorketh through charitie In whiche woordes beside other thinges it is to be noted that the faith whereby we are saued and the faith whereby the iuste man liueth is none other but the faith that worketh through charitie Which vertue saith Leo by her mixture and tempering geueth life euen to very faith whereby the iuste man liueth For the iuste man liueth by faith saith S. Bede not by that faith that is vttered onely by confession of the lippes but by that faith that woorketh through charitie And thus may we truely vnderstande what the Scripture meaneth as often as it is said by faith we are saued or through faith we are iustified That S. Paule teacheth not Iustification by onely Faith excluding charitie c. And in what sense the Fathers sometime saie Faith alone iustifieth THE VIII CHAPTER BVT yet this satisfieth not all men An Obiection Rom. 3. Galat. 3. For some thinke still we are iustified by faith alone for that S. Paule saying we are iustified by faith and putting to it without woorkes of the Lawe semeth to them to saie as much as we are iustified by faith alone And that opinion they inforce the more bicause diuerse of the auncient Fathers haue vsed these woordes Faith alone iustifieth The Ansvvere To the whiche I answere that neither S. Paule nor any of the Auncient Fathers euer meant it in that sense which they haue taken it that is to exclude from Iustification Charitie hope penance or any vertue and gifte of God. S. Paule his wordes by them alleadged be in the Epistles to the Romaines and Galathians Aug. ad Simplicia li. 1. qu. 2. Et in exposit epist ad Rom. inchoat Primas in Praefa epist ad Rom. Aug. in Exposi 4. ca. ad Gal. The Argument and intent of his whole Epistle to the Romains as S. Augustine saith is this Vt de ipsorum meritis nemo glorietur c. That no man boast nor vaunt him selfe of the merite of his workes of which the Israelites were bolde to make their boaste that they serued the Lawe which was geauen them and thereby had receiued the grace of the Ghospell as a debt due vnto their desertes bicause they serued the lawe for which cause they would not haue the same grace geuen to the Gentils as vnworthy of it vnlesse they would receiue the Iewish Sacramentes The Galathians to whome the Gospell had ben preached were moued and solicited by Iewes whose desire was to bring them to carnal obseruances of the Lawe Aug. in Exposi 4. ca. ad Gal. Prima in argu ep ad Galat. Rom. 4. Galat. 3. as though saluation laie in the same To answere vnto bothe these boasting of them selues and of the woorkes of the law and exacting them of other as necessary to saluation In bothe these Epistles S. Paule saith no man is iustified by the lawe proouing the same by Abraham who was iustified before circumcision was commaunded and long before the law was geuen and therby doth barre and put of al workes of the Lawe from our Iustification as nothing auailing towarde the same But what the woorkes of the lawe be it is not a matter so plaine to all men Beside the rites and ceremonies commaunded by Moyses S. Augustine calleth all suche the woorkes of the Lawe as a man presumeth to doe of him selfe of his owne power and strength without faith and the helpe of God August de spirit et li. c. 29 Adhuc dubitamus quae sunt opera legis quibus homo non iustificatur si ea tanquam sua crediderit sine adiutorio dono Dei quod est ex fide Iesu Christi Doe we yet doubt what the woorkes of the Lawe are by whiche no man is iustified if he take them as his owne without 〈◊〉 helpe and gift of God which cometh by the faith of Iesus Christe These be the workes of the lawe Serm. 15. de verb. Apostol which in another place he calleth also the iustice of the law Lege Dei proposita c. When the lawe of God is laid before vs whosoeuer is proud and thinketh he is able to fulfil it by his owne power and strength if he do that the lawe commaundeth not for the loue of iustice but for feare of punishment this man concerning the iustice of the lawe is a man without blame In both places he calleth al suche the workes of the lawe and the iustice of the lawe that a man doth of him self presuming of his owne strength without grace and helpe of God. Ex lege quia in mandatis Aug. ibid. sua tanque de viribus suis It is the iustice of the law bicause it is commanded It is a mans own bicause it cometh as of his own strength Now as S. Paul doth truly barre and shut out from the procuring of our Iustification al rites and ceremonies of the lawe and also all morall workes that we doe of our selues without faith and helpe of God So if a man would reason that he barreth likewise charity hope penance and the Sacraments of the Church bicause a man is iustified by faith without workes of the law he should shew him selfe ignorant of the Scriptures and of S. Paules meaning These be no workes of the law For not onely charitie Galat. 5. ioy peace patience mildenes and faith but briefly al workes of charitie when they be done by faith by helpe of grace and the gifte of God are fruites of the holie Ghoste not workes of the lawe Lex spiritus vitae Rom. 8. They be the law of the holie Ghoste and of life perteining not to the letter that killeth but to the spirit that geueth life August de spirit et lit c. 17 Ad prudentiam carnis terrendam c. When the workes of charity are written in tables to make the wisedome of the flesh afraied it is the lawe of workes and the letter that killeth the transgressour but when charitie is powred into the beleuers heart it is the lawe of faith and the spirit that geueth lyfe to the beleuer S. Augustine saith woorkes that be done for feare onely by commaundement of the law are called the lawe of woorkes and the killing letter but when they be done by charitie which through the holy Ghost is powred into our heartes they be called the Lawe of faith and geue life to the doers They be called the lawe of faith and workes of faith bicause they are geauen by faith and with faith Aug. ibid. cap. 30. Per fidem impetratio gratiae contra peccatum c. By faith grace is obteined against sinne by grace the sowle is healed from sinne Wherefore when S. Paule saieth a man is iustified by faith without workes of the Lawe Rom. 3. he saith nothing els but that a man is iustified by grace and not by him selfe For as he saith here Ephes 2. Rom. 3.

by her cōmitted to marry an other then if putting her away for fornication he then marry an other not bicause this is not also adultery but for that it is the lesse then the firste where the wife being put away for fornication an other is married And in the same Chapter he farther saith Ambos enim licet alterū altero grauius moechos tamen esse cognoscimus VVe know both of them to be adulterers though the one more greuous then the other And so we see that though not in equal and euen ballance yet are they both weyed in one balance of adulterie And that point semeth to darke C. In the bookes before alleged which he wrote to Pollentius To. 6. li. 1. ad Pollēt cap. 9. it was vnto him a matter so euident and plaine that being out of al doubt thereof he doubted not to say That whether a man put away his wife that hath cōmitted no adultery or her that hath ben taken in adultery if he mary an other he cōmitteth not a smal or venial offence but manifest adultery which is a mortal and dedly sinne saying vtrosque moechos esse minimè dubitamus VVe nothing doubt but that they be both adulterers And in an other place of the same worke speaking of them who for vnchast life put their wiues out of their cōpany he saith To. 6. li. 2. ad Pollēt cap. 19. To. 7. de Nupt. Concupis lib. 1. c. 10 Non alia quarant coniugia quia non erunt coniugia sed adulteria Let them not seeke other mariages for they shal be no marriages but adulteries To the same effect in an other worke whiche he wrote also after this booke he saith that who so euer in that case marrieth againe Lege Euangelij reus erit adulterij By the law of the Ghospel he shal be guilty of adulterie But if any such matches fortune to be made I can not certainly say Touching this point also D. he saith in an other place in the person of his aduersary yet as a truth in both sides graunted Quòd videlicet qui dimittit viuere permittit adulteram Tom. 6. de Adulterinis Coniugijs ad Pollent li. 2. ca. 16. si alterā duxerit quamdiu prior illa viuit perpetuus adulter est nec agit poenitētiam fructuosam à flagitio non recedens Nec si Catechumenus est ad baptismū admittitur quoniā ab eo quod impedit non mutatur That he which putteth away his wife for adultery and suffereth her to liue if he marry an other as long as that former wife liueth he is a continual adulterer neither doth he any fruteful penance as long as he cōtinueth in that wicked acte Neither if he be a Catechumen can be admitted to Baptisme bicause he leaueth not that which letteth him from baptisme Thus much haue I thought good to say here good Reader to the end that neither thou shouldest misconstrue S. Augustine neither doubt of his mind and opinion in these pointes which albeit he doth not resolue here yet as thou seest he doth in other and later Bookes by him written cleerly define and plainly teache VVhat they ought to doo that are to be baptised and what benefit they take in baptisme THE XX. CHAPTER THerefore to shewe nowe what is the sownd and true doctrine lest a daungerous securitie be geeuen to any deadly sinne or elles a more daungerous authoritie graunted this is the order of the cure and remedy thereof That they whiche are to be baptised do beleeue in God the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost in such order and sorte as the Creede is deliuered that they do penaunce from thier deade workes and doubte not but that they shall receyue in Baptisme a ful and perfect remission of all their sinnes paste Not yet so that it shall be nowe lawfull for them to sinne But that it shall be no more hurtful to them that they haue before sinned And that it is a remission of al that is past not a permission to do the like any more Then may it truly be said euen spiritually Ioan. 5. behold thou art made whole nowe sinne no more which our Lorde therefore saied of the bodyly health bicause he knewe that to him whome he healed that paine and disease in the fleshe was happened by the desert of his sinnes But to him that entreth an adulterer to be baptised and being baptised goeth forth an adulterer I maruaile howe these menne can thinke it may be saied behold thow art made whole For what can be a greuous and deadly disease if adulterie shal be accompted healthe It is not to be thought that the Apostles admitted to Baptisme suche as liued in great and heinous sinne THE XXI CHAPTER BVT in the three thousandes saie they whom the Apostles Baptised in one daie Obiectiō and in so many thousandes of beleeuers Acto 2. emong whome the Apostle preached and filled with the Gospell the whole countreis between Hierusalem and Slauonie Rom. 15. it is leeke there were some menne cowpled with other mens wiues and some weemen with other wiues husbandes whervpon the Apostles shoulde haue made a certaine rule which should from thence foorth haue been kepte in the Churches whither suche should not be admitted to Baptisme except they had first forsaken and corrected their adulterous liues Ansvver As though it might not leekewise be saied against them that they finde not any one mencioned who being suche was admitted Or as though the Scripture could conueniently haue made mention of the particular crimes of euery man. Which truly would haue growen to an infinit matter and nothing needfull sith that generall rule is sufficient at the full where Peter at large protesteth to suche as were to be baptised saying withdrawe your selues from this wicked worlde Acto 2. For who doubteth adultery to appertaine to the wickednes of this worlde and those especially which choose to continue in that iniquitie But in like manner maie it be saied of common harlotes which no Church admitteth to Baptisme till they be deliuered from that filthy life that emong so many thousandes then of beleeuers emong so many nations some such might be found and that the Apostles should haue geuen for the rules of their receauing or of their repelling But by some smaller matters wee maie well gather coniecture of the greater For if the Publicans comming to the Baptisme of Iohn were forbidden Lucae 2. to exact any more then was appointed and taxed vnto them I maruaile if adultery could be permitted to suche as came to the Baptisme of Christe Obiectiō They saie also that the Israelites committed many and greuous offences and shedde muche blood of Prophetes and yet not to haue deserued by those factes to be vtterly rooted vppe but for their onely infidelitie that they would not beleeue in Christe But here they marke not that their sinne was not onely in that they would not beleeue

their transitory paine is signified although this should be most impudently said seing that all who without exception shal rise againe among whome no doubt the vnfaithfull shall also be our Lord hath diuided onely into two partes to wit life and Iudgement meaning thereby that the Iudgement should be vnderstanded eternal as wel as the life though he did not there adde that woorde for neither saith he there into resurrection of eternall life though he would not haue it any otherwise vnderstāded yet let them then consider what they will aunswer to that where he saith But he which beleueth not Iohan. 3. is already iudged For here no doubt they must either vnderstand Iudgement for eternall paine or els presume to say that infidels shall also be saued thorough fier For saith Christ He which beleeueth not is allready iudged that is to say is allready destined and appointed to Iudgement And then where is that which they promise for a singular benefite to such as beleeue and yet liue wickedly sith that they also which beleeue not shall not be damned but iudged Which if they dare not to affirme then lette them not presume to promise so fauourably vnto them of whom it is said they shal be iudged by the Lawe For now it appeareth that eternall damnation is also termed Iudgement But nowe as touching those that wittingely sinne what if we finde them not onely not to be in more easie but to be in much woorse and harder case Verely these be they chiefly whiche haue receiued the lawe For as it is written Where there is no lawe Rom. 4. there is no transgression And to this ende also is it saied I had not knowen concupiscense except the lawe had said Rom. 7. thou shalt not lust Sinne therefore taking occasion of the lawe hath wrought in me all concupiscence with many other such like whiche the same Apostle speaketh of this matter But from this most greeuous gilt doth the grace of the Holy Ghost deliuer vs through Iesu Christ oure Lord Rom. 5. which Grace Charitie being powred into oure hartes doth make vs to delight in iustice by the which immodederate concupiscence is ouercommed Hereby therefore is it proued not onely no easier Rom. 2. but much more greuous paine to be maent to them of whom it is said they which sinne in the lawe shal be iudged by the lawe then to them which sinning without the lawe shall perish without the law It is proued also hereby that Iudgement in this place is not ment for trāsitory paine but for the eternal paine whereby infideles shal be also iudged For they that vse this sentence to geue hope of saluation by fier to them whiche euen beleeuing doo liue moste lewdely saying to them they whiche haue sinned without the Lawe shall perish without the law but they which haue sinned in the lawe shal be iudged by the lawe as though it were said they shall not perish but be saued thorough fier coulde not see that the Apostle spake this bothe of them which sinned without the law and of them which sinned in the law For th'Apostle there in dede treated both of the gentiles and of the Iewes shewing that the grace of Christe whereby they might be deliuered was not only necessary to the Gentils but to the Iewes also All which that very epistle to the Romains doth euidently shew Therfore let them now if it like them promise euē to the Iewes also sinning in the law saluatiō through fier though the grace of Christ deliuer them not For of them also it was said By the lawe they shall be iudged Which if they do not then speake they against them selues who confesse that they are tied with the band of the most greuous and heauie crime of infidelitie Why do they then applie to Infidels and to the faithful a like in a thing appertaining to the faith of Christ that which was spoken of them that sinne without the lawe and of them which sinne in the lawe sithe all this was spoken not of the faithfull but of the Iewes and the Gentiles inuiting them bothe to come to the faith of Christe Of the libertie of a Christian man and what Christian libertie is if it be rightly vnderstanded THE XXIIII CHAPTER FOR it was not saied they which haue sinned without faith shall perish without faith and they which haue sinned in faith shall be iudged by faith but the wordes are without the law and in the lawe Rom. 2. that it might plainely appeare that matter was touched which was in hand betwene the Gentiles and the Iewes not betwene good and euill Christians And yet if in that place they will needes by the word Lawe vnderstand faith which were to vnreasonable and to absurd yet may they reade the sentence of the Apostle Peter which is in this matter most open and plaine speaking of them who tooke to maintaine their fleshlines and to couer their nawghtines that which is written we which appertaine to the newe Testament be not the sonnes of the handmaide Gala. 4. but of the free woman by that libertie whereby Christ hath made vs free thinking that hereby was ment they might liue freely take all thinges as lawful whatsoeuer liked them being now put in securitie by so great a redemption not marking withall that which was said Brethern Gala. 5. ye are called into libertie only make not that libertie an occasion of carnalitie Whereupon S. Peter him selfe also saieth Free 1. Pet. 2. not as hauing libertie for a cloke or couer of naughtines Of the which sorte also he speaketh in his second Epistle 2. Pet. 2. These are drie springes and clowdes driuen with an hurlewind to whome a miste of darcknes is reserued for speaking proude thinges of vanitie they allure in concupiscences vnto vnclennes of the flesh those which were escaped a litle being conuersant in errour promising vnto them libertie when them selues were the bondmen of corruption For of what soeuer a man is ouercome to the same is he become bond For if fleyng backe from the filthines of the worlde into the knowledge of our Lord and common Sauiour Ihesu Christ they being againe wrapped and intangled in them be ouer-come the latter are become to them woorse then the first for it had bene better for them not to knowe the way of Iustice then knowing it to returne backe from the holy commaundement once geeuen vnto them for in them is the prouerbe truly verefied The dogge retourned to his vomite and the sowe being wasshed to wallowing in the mier Why then is ther yet promised against this most manifest truth a better state vnto them which haue knowen the way of Iustice that is our Lord Christe and liue naughtely as though they had not knowen him at all when it is most cleerely saied It had bene better for them not to haue knowen the way of Iustice then knowing it to returne backe from the holy commaundement deliuered

lightly ouerwhelmed with infirmities But those whiche vse a spare and thinne diete doo bothe escape that euill whiche is by sicknesse looked for as it were a tempeste beginning to rise and also repulseth that greefe whiche is already come euen as it were the meeting of some raging waue in the sea But it seemeth by you that it is more paynfull to reste then to runne and to bee at good ease then to wrestle if you saie it be more conuenient for sicke persons to fare deliciously then to feede sparingly Verely the animall vertue gouerning the life doth easely concocte and disgeste that which is but scarce and sufficient and doth well applie and appropriat it to that whiche is to be nourisshed But when shee is charged and accumbered with diuersitie of meates curiously dressed the same not being able to staie it till being kindly digested it maie be conueied orderly to the partes which are to be nourished bredeth sundry kindes of diseases But nowe lette vs goe forwarde with the historie prosecuting the antiquitie of fasting and howe all holy menne haue kept the same as an inheritance receiued of theyr Fathers the father still deliuering it to the Sonne as it were from hand to hand Whereby this possession hath also benne continued euen to vs by succession Ther was no wine in Paradyse there was no killing of quicke thinges there was not yet any eating of flesh After the floodde came wyne after the flood ye fell to eating all thinges as commonly as before herbes When perfection was dispeired of then was fruition of those thinges graunted A cleere proufe that wine before the flood was not knowen appeered in Noe who was vtterly ignorant of the vse of wine For it was not yet come to the vse of mans life nor knowen at all emong menne When therefore he neither had sene any other drinke it nor had tried it him selfe Gen. 9. he was vnwares hurt thereof For Noe planted a vine and dranke of the frute and was made drunke Not that he was a great drinker or geuen to be drunke but bicause he was not acquainted with the measure that was to be taken thereof So wee see that the drinking of wine was a latter inuention then Paradyse And so is the Authoritie of fasting of more Antiquitie But we haue also learned that by fasting Moyses came vnto the hill Exod. 19. For he durst not haue aduentured the top of the hil smoking to haue entred into the darke cloude if he had not benne firste armed with fasting The effectes and frutes of fasting By fasting he receiued the Commaundementes written with the finger of God in plates of mettal So was fasting the cause of the lawe making aboue but glottony the cause of falling to madde woorshipping of Idolles beneth Exod. 32. For the people sate downe to eating and drincking and rose vp to plaie One drunken fit marred and defeated the constant Continuance of God his seruant in fasting and praying by the space of fortie daies For the tables written with the finger of God which fasting had receiued drunkennes lost the Prophet thinking it vnsemely that lawes should be deliuered from God to a drunken people In one moment of time that people which was taught from God and traded by woonderful miracles was thorough glotony throwen downe into the beastly woorshipping of the Egyptian Idoles Compare now bothe together and see how fasting leadeth to God and howe deliciousnes loseth saluation And being now entred into the way descende forward to later times Gene. 25. What defiled Esau and made him the seruant of his brother Was it not one onely eating for which he lost the prerogatiue of being the first borne But did not praier with fasting 1. Sam. 1. gette and gene Samuel to his mother What made that great Conquerour Samson to be inuincible Was it not fasting wherewith he was conceiued in his mothers wombe Fasting nourished him in steed of a nurse Fasting made him a man. For that was commaunded to his mother by the Angell in these wordes Iud. 13. What soeuer proceedeth out of the vine let him not eate ne let him not drinke wyne or stronge hote drinke that is to say any drinke that may make droonke Fasting bredeth Prophetes strenghtheneth the mightie and teacheth wisedome to lawemakers It is a good bulwarke to the soule a sure companion of life to the bodie a target to them that doo valiantly an exercise to suche as striue for the game This remoueth temptations this annointeth to pietie This is the companion of sobrietie the woorker of temperance This teacheth to doo manfully in battaile and instructeth to deale quietly in peace This sanctifieth men dedicated vnto God and maketh perfit the Prieste For it may not be that a man without fasting should presume to celebrate sacrifice not onely nowe in the mysticall and true seruice of God but not so muche as in the figuratiue sacrifice brought in by the Lawe Examples of fasting This fasting made Elias with his eies to behold a great miracle For when hee had by the space of forty daies purged his soule by fasting 3. Reg. 17. he was made woorthy in the denne in Choreb to see oure Lorde so farre as it was possible for man to see him He by fasting restored to the widdowe here sonne shewing him selfe by fasting stronge and mighty euen against death The voice goinge foorth from his mouth hauing benne longe fasting did for three yeres and sixe moonethes close the heauen from the people liuing against the Lawe For to mollifie the vntamed hartes of that stiffe necked people he was contente to condemne him selfe also to affliction and penurie 3. Reg. 17. So sure saieth hee as oure Lorde liueth there shal be no water in the earth but by my mouthe And thus he forced vppon all the people a fast thorough famine to the end he might thereby correct their iniquities growne of their delicate and dissolute life But what manner of life did Eliseus leade How did he vse him selfe when he hosted at the Sunamites house 4. Reg. 4. Or howe did he receiue and welcome the Prophetes Did not wilde herbes of the wood and a littell meale furnishe his table At the whiche time also suche as had eaten of the * Coloquint is an herbe vvhich after some mennes opinion may be called a vvilde goorde Coloquintes were in daunger to haue died thereof if by the praiers of him being purged and made acceptable thorough fastinge the poysone hadde not benne dissolued In fewe it is easie to finde that fastinge had leadde as it were by the hande all the holy Fathers to a diuine wisedome and to a heauenly kinde of life There is a certaine stone or substance whiche we Grecians * Vide de hoc lapide Dioscoridē lib. 5. cap. 147. calle Amianthon of that nature that it is not with fire to be consumed For being put in the flame it semeth to be burnt