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A01450
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The cognizance of a true Christian or the outward markes whereby he may be the better knowne: consisting especially in these two duties: fasting and giuing of almes: verie needfull for these difficult times. Diuided into two seuerall treatises. Published by Samuel Gardiner, Batcheler of Diuinitie
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Gardiner, Samuel, b. 1563 or 4.
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1597
(1597)
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STC 11573; ESTC S102818
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96,047
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234
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THE COGNIZANCE OF A TRVE CHRISTIAN or the outward markes whereby he may be the better knowne Consisting especially in these two duties Fasting and giuing of Almes verie needfull for these difficult times Diuided into two seuerall Treatises Published by Samuel Gardiner Batcheler of Diuinitie Iames 1.27 Pure religion and vndefiled before God euen the father is this to visit the fatherlesse and widowes in their aduersitie and to keepe himselfe vnspotted of the world Aug. in Psal 43. VVilt thou haue thy prayers flie vp vnto God giue it two wings Fasting and Almes LONDON Printed by Thomas Creede and are to be sold by Nicholas Ling. 1597. To the most Reuerend Fathers and right worthie Prelates Iohn by Gods prouidence Lord Arch-Bishop of Canterbury Primate of all England and Metrapolitan William Lord Bishop of Norwich his very good Lord and Maister Samuel Gardiner wisheth long life continuall honor and euerlasting happinesse WHereas there were late orders giuen vs in charge by publique authoritie seriously commaunding the strict obseruation of these two religious and Christian duties Fasting and giuing of Almes very fit for all times but most necessarie for these difficult seasons and late yeares of scarcitie I iudge it not amisse in some large discourse to dilate vppon them and that they might more zealously be performed to vrge by al the plausible arguments that I coulde the necessitie of theÌ„ For there be too many defectiue in these poynts who walking after their owne vngodly lusts do nothing else but sweate ouer their treÌ„chers in al Epicurisme without consideration of the affliction of Ioseph wallowing theÌ„selues like the sensuall and carnal Iouinianistes whoÌ„ Augustine reproueth Aug. de haeresibus â—nd Quod vult deum Ambr. Tom. 3 Serm. 37 1 Cor. 15 who vtterly did reiect and condemne all Fasting and not vnlike Sarmotian and Barbatian gluttonous lubbers whom Ambrose remembreth finally like the beasts whom Paul fought withall in the maner of men at Ephesus who said amoÌ„g themselues Let vs eate and drinke for to morrow we shall die The schoole of these is great the mischiefe which they do is vnsufferable This kind of people most pestilently troubled the Church in the Apostles time Paul could not refraine weeping when he mentioned these vnto the Church of Philippos whose God was their bellie philip 2 Iud. 8. who wer carnally minded Holy Iude was also much infested with this crew VVho despised gouernment did speake euill of those who were in authoritie fleshly and not hauing the spirit This our happie Common-wealth is not a little troubled with refractory rabblements of prophane gospellers who liue loosely lewdly turning fasting into feasting charitie into crueltie They are so far froÌ„ fasting feeding of the poor as they do nothing els but surfet theÌ„selues and fleece the poore They rauish them as Dauid saith when they get theÌ„ in their nets Basil The reuerend father Basil speaketh of such vngodly fellowes who abounded in his time who for al their supercilious lookes graue gestures and counterfeit constrained holinesse were so wretchedly minded as they wold not contribute the least peece of money towards the reliefe of the poore or any godly vse they would first torment a begger with a hundretd questions before they would sustain him with the smallest deuotion But these times I am perswaded do exceed all the times that haue gone before vs and doo seeme to haue come now to their extremitie There cannot be a more effectuall signe of a consuming and dying bodie then the coldnesse of the bodie and therefore it was said of Dauid 1. Reg. 1. that when he was readie to die that they couered him with cloathes but no heate came vnto him it is a token of a dead soule when as it is cold in duties of deuotion and cannot be warmed by the pittifull and patheticall out cries of the poore When the sicke man with greedinesse laieth hold vpoÌ„ his bed and violently wold draw the couerlets sheets and whatsoeuer hee can claspe vnto himselfe we say that man will die The world now with all the Art they can seeke to draw into their possessions the reuenues of the Bishoprikes and the zelous coÌ„tributions of our godly ancestors vnto the Church it is to be concluded therfore Mar. 12 Matt. 25 Matt. 7â— the the world shall shortly die We were neuer greater professors and lesse practisers The figge tree had leaues but no fruit the foolish Virgins had oyle but no lampes we go in sheepes clothing but inwardly are rauenous wolues When as Iehu King of Israell went to kill the sonnes of Achab and destroie Baals priests he met a souldier by the way and said to him Is thy hart right towards mee Who answered yea 2. Reg. 10 Iehu replied then giue me thy hand So Christ the true King of Israel who came into this worlde to destroy Idolatry asketh of vs that make our selues professors of his name the same question whether our hearts be right towards him if wee say yea hee asketh our handes that are the instruments of good works In the old law God comaunded that the skinne of euery beast which should be for a sacrifice should bee drawne off The skin is the outward couering so our outward couering and dissimulation must be pulled off we must expres our religion in our deeds But it is far otherwise for how little fasting and how great feasting and that vppon dayes and nights inhibited by godly authority is now to be seene Wheras there should bee no beggers in Israel by our vnsatiable and extreame couetousnesse beggers doo increase and swarme in euery place It appeareth that wee beare but little loue vnto her Maiestie by whom we liue who thus vnconscionably doo preferre our owne vngodly lusts before her godly lawes thinking that lawful which is lustfull vnto vs shifting off these her godly laÌ„wes to glut our affections like the grosse beastlie Atheists and Epicures whoÌ„ Ambrose thus describeth Multi sunt quibus cum ieiunium indicitur de intemperie se tempor is semper excusant Dicunt enim aestiuis mensibus Dies long a est fortior sol est torrentior sitim ferre non possumus poculis nos refrigerare debemus hyemis tempore algorem tolerare nequimus escis calefieri nos oportet It a hominis quorum animus semper est in prandio prandendi sibi causas inquirunt dum se a ieiuntis excusant tempora Creatoris accusant There are many saieth Ambrose who when as they are commaunded to fast doo excuse themselues by the wickednes of the time For they say in SoÌ„mer season the day is too long the Sun is hotter we are nor able to endure thirst let vs coole our selues with cuppes In Winter they replie we cannot abide the chilnesse of the weather we must warme our selues with meate Thus these men whose mindes are wholie set vppon their meate doo alwayes make occasion to dine and whiles they
own conceite best there hath beene no end of their difference and quarrelles Calixtus 1 Calixtus the first instituted and ordained a quarterly fast restraining and limitting it to foure seasons of the yeare Pope Innocent the first Innocent gaue commaundement that the Sabboth should be fasted Gregotius The fast of Lent was founded by Gregorie the first of that name as Gratian beareth witnesse Some appointed certaine weekes especially to be fasted One would haue the time called Septuagesima another Sexagesima another Quinquagesima another Quadragesima another the Rogation dayes another the Vigtls of the Apostles to be consecrated vnto fasting There are some deuoted to a peculiar day as to Fryday some to VVednesday some to Sunday Augustine in a Letter which hee wrote to Cassulanus giueth this reason of the Wednesdayes fast Aug. de Cassulants because Christ was betrayed and solde as that day and that Fryday should bee fasted because Christ was crucified that day But whether the Sabboth shoulde bee fasted it remaineth doubtfull The Mediolanenses and the East Churches peremptorilie concluded that they were not to fast then because Christ was then free of his trouble and rested quietly the Sabboth day in his Sepulchre But the Roman Church and the church of Affrica and other Churches affirmed it to be meete that the time wherein Christ was humbled and not without ignominie shutte vppe in the graue shoulde be assigned vnto fasting Epiphanius Epiphanius is ledde by another reason then that which hath beene premised why the VVednesday shoulde bee giuen to fasting namely because Christ vppon a VVednesday ascended vp into heauen Which reason of his if wee shoulde gaine say and stande vppon it that hee ascended vppon the Thursday which is more probable wee coulde not bee conuicted This his reason grounded vppon Christs ascention is verie much applauded because that Christ himselfe did then appoynt vs for to fast when the Bridegroome shoulde bee taken from vs. Mat. 9. But the sequell of this Chapter will verie well shewe the weakenesse and absurditie of this allegation Last of all Pope Innocent inferreth this reason to perswade vs to fast vppon VVednesday and the Sabboth which is our Saturday because both those dayes the Apostles did mourne and were in trouble for Christ There might more of their friuolous contentions De lana caprina of needlesse matters and of this Circumstaunce of the speciall time that is due to fasting be ripped vp in this place but partly because there is no vse of it and partly for so muche as such traditions which haue crept in from sixe hundreth yeares after Christ do rather of right appertaine to the latter and declining age of the world then to the custome and practise of the auncient Church I do willingly passe ouer them This is verie apparant and manifest both by manifold and pregnant proofes and allegations of holie scriptures and also by the authorities and the suffrages of the auncient Fathers that only such times and seasons as are most meere for mourning when any crosse or iudgement or greeuous calamitie is brought vpon vs are fit for fasting that only when we accomplish matters of much weight and would obtaine them at Gods hand by our zealous prayer that our prayers might bee more full of spirite and life and gracious in his eyes we are to helpe them and quicken them and further them by fasting If we take a short suruey either of the priuate fastings of the godly or of the publique fastings of the holy Saintes of GOD we shall finde them alwayes vsed in great and weightie matters and in their great troubles Iob. 2 12 when the heauie hand of god was greeuous vpon Iob. The friends and kindred of Iob seeing him thus vexed and tormented with plagues they layde groueling with him vppon the grounde fasting and mourning and praying to GOD for him seuen dayes togither that thereby the furie of his miserie might bee mittigated VVhen Ioab had murthered the innocent Abner and Dauid had followed him 2. Sam 3 32 to his buriall in Hebron hee vowed with an oath not to taste breade nor anie thing else vntill the Sunne was downe VVhen Dauid was reprooued of Nathan for his sinne and woulde intreate GOD for the life of his childe 2. SaÌ„ 12 16 which was conceyued in Adulterie hee fasted and went in and layde all night vpon the earth VVhen Nebemias had heard of the afflictions of the Hebrewes which remained in Hierusalem hee afflicted himselfe with fasting and called vppon the Lorde Nehem. 1 4 VVhen as Daniel had perused Ieremias Booke Dan. 9 2 of the seuentie yeares captiuitie which the people should endure hee confessed his and the peoples sinnes and hee mourned and fasted VVhen Christ began his office of preaching Mat. 4 2 he went into the Wildernesse and fasted fortie dayes This was a matter and woorke of importance For this cause Cornelius Acts 10 3 because hee had not as yet learned Christ trusted in the Lorde and perplexed in minde gaue himselfe at the ninth houre of the day to fasting and prayer The Primatiue Chuch beeing admonished by an Oracle that Paule and Barnabas shoulde bee chosen and deputed to visit the Citties and seuerall Townes where the Gospel had beene preached because it was a verie great charge there was first of all a fast agreed vpon and solemnized Acts 13 2 And when as this businesse was ouerpast and they returned homewarde by Iconium Lystra and Antiochia they made a solemne publication of a fast they ordeined and constituted Ministers Deacons Acts 14 23 thorow out the seuerall Citties and places of their circuit When as Peter was to buckle with that peruerse and prophane wretch Simon Magus at Rome vpon the Lordes day the Church of Rome decreed that the Sabboth day shoulde be fasted which practise and course afterwardes continued Aug. Epist ad Caâ—â—ul Hierome sayeth that Iohn beeing intreated of the Churches to write and publish his Gospell against the heritikes Ebion and Cerinthus who denied the diuine nature of Christ answered that he wold so do if first of all the whole Church would e publiquely fast Because the casting out of a Diuill is a verie great worke and a notable my racle when we will effect such a worke it becommeth vs to fast for Christ telleth vs in the person of his Disciples Mat 17 That this kinde no otherwise goe throut but by prayer and fasting When as a wido we is bereaued of her husband shee is desolate and in miserie and in much daunger therefore it becoÌ„meth her chiefsie then to be deuout in fasting Luke 2 36 wherefore Anns the daughter of Phanuell when shee was a Widdowe was verie zealous and religious in fasting and spent her life continuallie in the temple And Paule sayeth that shee that is a Widowe indeede will trust in God and exercise her selfe both day and night in fasting 1. Tim. 5.5 and