flesh that is corporallie eaten profiteth nothing It is the spirit that quickeneth and the wordes whiche I speake vnto you are spirite and life Now as wée muste in eatyng swallowe doune the meate into our stomackes that it may inwardlie worke shewe his strength in vs wheras beyng put without our bodies it doeth vs no good Euen so is it necessarie that we receiue Christ by faithe that he maie be made ours and he liue in vs and wee in hym For he saieth I am the breade of life he that commeth to me shall not hunger and he that beleueth in me shall neuer thirste And againe he that shall eate me he shall also liue through me and abide in me and I in hym By this it is manifeste that we vnderstande not by spiritual meate I knowe not what maner of imagined meate but the self The receiuing of christ his bodie same bodie of the Lorde whiche was crucified for vs whiche notwithstandyng is receiued of the faithefull not bodilie but spiritually by faithe And in this matter wée followe in all pointes the doctrine of our sauiour Iesus Christ whiche he taught This eating Ihon. vi what eating of Christe is necessarie to saluation of the fleshe and drinkyng of the bloud of the Lorde is so necessarie to saluacion that without it no manne can be saued Wée maie also eate and drinke A spirituall eatynge of Christ with out the Samentes spirituallie the bodie and bloode of Christe although wee receiue not the supper of the Lorde as ofte as wée beleue in Christe To this ende parhaps belongeth that saiyng of Augustine Note Aug. Why preparest thou thy tethe bealie Beleue and thou haste eaten Beside the former spirituall eating A sacramentall eatinge of Christe there is also a Sacramental eating of the Lordes bodie whereby the faythfull is not onelye spiritually and inwardly made partaker of the true bodie and bloode of the Lorde but outwardly also by comming to the Lords table receaueth the visible Sacramēt of the bodie and bloud of the Lorde When the faithful beleued he receaceaued quicknyng nourishmēt before whiche he still enioyeth therefore when nowe he receaueth the Sacrament he receaueth therwith muche norishment to his soule For he continueth in continuall receauinge of the Lorde his bodie bloud In so much Faithfull receauers receaue not the sacramentes onelye but Christ also that his faith is more and more kindled increased and with spirituall fode refreshed For while we liue fayth continually increaseth in vs. And he that outwardlie receaueth the Sacramentes with a true faith euen he receiueth not the signe onely but enioyeth the thynge it self also ment by the Sacramēt as we haue declared Furthermore he obeieth the Lorde his institucion and commaundemente and with a cherefull harte giueth thankes for his and all mankindes redēption remembryng faithefullie the Lordes death and witnessyng the same before the churche of whose bodie he is a mēber It is confirmed or sealed also to theim that receiue the Sacramentes that the bodie of Christ was betraied and his bloud shedde not onely generally for men but also particulerly for euery faithfull receiuer whose meate Note and drinke it is to life euerlastyng But he that without faithe cometh to the holie Table of the Lorde receiueth Vnfaithfull receauers receaue but the bare signes the Sacramente onely and not the thyng mente by the Sacramente whereby commeth life and saluacion and suche eate vnworthely of the lorde his table Now thei that eate vnworthely Vnworthie receauers of the Lordes breade and drinke of his Cuppe vnworthely are giltie of the bodie and bloude of the Lorde eatyng and drinkyng their owne damnacion For when thei come not with a true faithe thei doe slaūder and like vilaines despise the death of Christe and therefore eate and drincke their owne damnacion Wherefore wée dooe not so knitte Christe his presence in his Supper and ioigne together the Lords his bodie and blood with the bread and wine that we affirme the bread to be the bodie of Christe but after a Sacramentall maner Neither saie wee that the bodie of Christe lieth hidden corporally Heresies vnder the breade or that it oughte vnder the forme of breade to bee worshipped or that who soeuer receiueth the signe he also receiueth the thyng it self The bodie of Christ is in heauen on the right hande of his father Wee must therefore lifte vp our hartes and not fire set our mindes on the bread Neither ought wee to worshippe the Lorde in the breade and yet the Lords is not absent from his churche when it celebrateth his supper The soonne beyng absente from vs and runnyng Note this similitude his race in the firmament is notwithstandyng present emong vs by his vertue How muche more Christe the soonne of rightuousnesse beyng absent from vs touchyng his bodie whiche is in heauen is present with vs not bodily but spirituallie by his liuely working in vs And as he hath declared that he would be presente with vs in his laste supper Ihon. xiiij xv xvj Whereby it foloweth that we haue no supper with out Christe yet that we haue a misticall Supper without bloudshed euen as our aunciēt fathers haue termed it We are also admonished in the celebracion Other endes of the Lords Supper of the Lordes supper to bee mindfull of whose bodie we are made mēbers in cōsideracion thereof to agree with all our brethren to liue an holie life and not to defile our selues with wickednesse and straunge religions but to continue in true faithe to the ende of our life to indeuer to excel in holinesse of liuyng It is mete therfore A preparyng of our selues before we come to receauinge of the lords supper that mindyng to come to the supper we first trie our selues accordyng to the Apostles commaūdement chiefly of what faithe we are whether wée beleue that Christ is come to saue sinners and to call them to repentaunce and whether eche man beleue that he is one of that nomber who beyng deliuered by Christe is saued throughe him and whether he haue determined to amende his synfull life and to liue godlie to continue by Gods helpe in true Religion in concorde with their The beste kinde of celebrating christ his Supper brethren and to giue God hartie thākes for their deliueraunce c. Wee iudge that to be the plainest and beste maner or waie of celebratyng the lord his Supper whiche cometh nereste to Christ his institucion and the doctrine of the Apostles that is to witte which consisteth in declaryng or preachyng God his woorde in Godlie praiers in imitatyng Christe his doynges in eatyng the bodie and drinkyng the blood of the Lorde also in the fruictfull remembraunce of his death in saithfull The supper of the Lorde should be celebrated in both kindes thankes giuyng ioinyng them selues in Godlie felowship to the vnitie of the bodie of the Churche Wee disalowe
all the daies of our life againste the worlde Sathan and our owne fleshe We are Baptised also into one bodie of the Churche that we maie well agrée with al the members thereof in one Religion dooyng one for another We beleue that the maner of Baptisme whereby Christe hym self was The forme of baptismge Baptised and his Apostles did Baptise is moste perfect Wherfore what soeuer was after by mannes inuencion added and vsed in the Churche we thinke not to be necessarie to the perfection of Baptisme As the coniuracion Popish bapt the vse of burning lightes of oile of Salte of spittle and the like with this custome to cōsecrate twise in the yere Baptisme For wee beleue that one Baptisme of the churche in Gods firste Institucion was sanctified and consecrated by his worde and is now also of efficacie and vertue by reason of that firste blessyng of God We teache that women or midwiues wemē should not baptise ought not to Baptise in the churche For Paule secludeth women frō Ecclestasticall offices but Baptisme partaineth to Ecclesiasticall dueties We condemne the Anabaptistes who Heresies deny that yong children newly borne ought to bee Baptised of the faithfull accordyng to the doctrine of the Gospell The kyngdome of God belongeth to children And séeyng thei are included in God his couenaunte why should not the signe of the couenaunte be giuen to them Wée condemne the Anabaptistes in other poinctes also of their doctrine whiche thei alone holde particulerlie and defende against the worde of God We are not then Anabaptistes neither dooe wée take parte with them in any matter of theirs ¶ Of the holy Supper of the Lord Chap. 21. THe Supper of the Lorde whiche is also called the table of the Lorde the Euchariste that is thankes geuinge is therfore cōmonly named a Supper because it was instituted of Christ in his last Supper and nowe representeth the same the faithful spiritually fedynge and drinkynge in it for the aucthor of the Lord his Supper is The aucthor of the Lords Supper not any Angell or man but the sonne of GOD him selfe our Lorde Iesus Christe who firste consecrated it for his Churche that consecration blessinge dureth as yet amonge all those that celebrat none other Supper but the selfe same whiche the Lord instituted recitynge his wordes and in al thinges looking on Christ only with a true faith of whose handes as it were they receaue that which they take by It is a remembraunce of gods benefites the seruice of the ministers of the churche The Lorde wyll kepe by this holy Sacramente in freshe remembrāce his chiefeste benefite bestowed vppon mākynde namely that when he gaue his bodie to be betraied and his bloud to be shedde he forgaue vs all our sinnes and redemed vs from eternall death and from the power of the Deuill and now fedeth vs with his flesh and giueth vs his bloudde to drincke whiche beyng with a true faithe spiritually receiued nourisheth vs to life euerlastyng And this so greate a benefite is renewed so ofte as the supper of the Lorde is celebrated For he said dooe this in the remembraunce of me It is also confirmed vnto vs in this Supper leaste wee should wauer in faithe that the Lordes bodie in deede was deliuered for vs and his bloude shedde for the remission of our sinnes And truely that to the outwarde yies is by the minister represented in the Sacramente and as it were laied before our face which inwardly is doen after an inuisible sorte by the holie ghoste Outwardlie breade is offered by the minister the wordes of Christ The signe the thinge signified are heard Take eate this is my body take deuide it betwixt you Drinke ye all of this this is my bloud Therfore the faithfull taketh that whiche is offred what the faithfull receaue by the lordes minister Thei eate the Lorde his bread and drinke of the Lordes Cuppe but inwardlie by the helpe of Christ through the holy ghost thei receiue the fleshe also the bloud of the Lorde and are fedde with them to life euerlastyng For the fleshe and bloud of Christ is true meate drinke to eternall life And Christe hym self in that he was deliuered for our sakes and is our sauiour is that principall chiefe thyng of the supper neither suffer we any other thyng to be put in his stede But that it maie the better and more plainly bee perceiued how the Howe the fleshe blode of Christe is meat drīke indede fleshe and bloud of Christ is the meate and drinke of the faithfull receiued of them to life euerlasting we will adde these fewe woordes There bee diuers kindes of eating For there is a bodily eatyng whereby meate is receiued into mannes mouth is chewed with the Two kindes of Eatinge with the bodelie mouth tethe and swallowed into the beailie After this kind of eatyng the Capernites in tyme paste vnderstoode that thei should eate the Lorde his fleshe But thei are confuted by Christe hym Heresies self For Christe his fleshe can not bée eaten corporally without an heinous Aug. de doct Christ cruell acte It is not then meate for the beallie as al menne are cōpelled to confesse We disalowe the Popes Canons in the decrees of the bisshops of Rome Ego Berēgarius de cōse dist 2. For neither the godlie in tyme passe nor wée doe now beleue that Christe his bodie is eaten with the mouthe of the bodie corporallie or essenciallie There is also a spirituall eatyng of Christ his bodie not that wherby we Christe his bodie is not eaten with the bodelye mouth 2. A spiritual eatinge by fayth thinke that the verie meate is chaunged into the spirite but whereby the bodie and bloud of the Lorde kéepyng still their essence and propertie we receiue theim not after a corporal but after a spirituall sorte by the working of the holie ghoste who doeth bestowe vpon vs those giftes whiche wer purchased by the flesh and blud of Christ who was deliuered and put to death for vs grauntyng vs remission of our synnes deliueraunce from Sathan and life euerlastyng so that Christe liueth in vs and we in him For he bringeth it to passe that wee receiue hym Christ is spirituall meate and drinke with a true faithe and that he is spirituall meate and drincke to vs that is to saie our life For as bodilye meate and drincke dooeth not onely refreshe and strengthē our bodies but also preserueth our life so the fleshe of Christ betraied for vs and his bloude shedde for our sakes dooe not onely refreshe and strengthen our soules but also preserueth them a liue not in that thei are corporally eaten or dronken but in that thei are giuen vnto vs by the spirite of God spiritually accordyng to the Lord his saiyng The bread which I wil giue is my flesh which I wil giue for the life of the worlde Also the
our owne merites For what can be more plaine then that whiche Paule saieth All Roma iii. haue synned and are depriued of the glorie of God and are iustified freelie by his grace and through the redempcion that is in Christe Iesus For Christe hath taken vpon hym and borne the sinnes of the worlde he hath satisfied the iustice of God God therefore for his onely Christes sake Iustice imputed to vs. who suffred death and rose againe is mercifull to our sinnes not imputing them to vs but accepting Christes iustice as our rightuousnes so that now we are not onely purged and clensed frō synne but also clothed with Christ his iustice and deliuered from synne death and condemnacion to be short we are made rightuous and heires of life euerlastyng To speake properlie therefore God alone doeth iustifie vs and that onely for Christe his sake not laiyng our synnes to our charge but imputyng his rightuousnes to vs. Because wee receiue this iustificacion not for any of our workes sake we are iustified by faith only but by faithe in God his mercie and through Christe therefore we teache and beleue with the Apostle that man is iustified by faithe onely in Christe not by the Lawe or by any woorkes For Paule saieth Wee thinke that a man is iustified by faithe without the workes of the lawe And again Rom. iiij Roma iii. If Abraham were iustified by workes he hath wherin to reioyce but not with God For what saieth the scripture Abrahā beleued God and it was cōpted to hym as rightuousnes Now to hym that woorketh the wages is not compted by fauour but by debte and to hym that worketh not but beleueth in him that iustifieth the faithe of the vngodly is compted for rightuousnes And again Ephe. ij by grace are ye saued through faithe and that not of your selues it is the gifte of God and not of woorkes leaste any man should boaste hymself Then because faithe ketcheth holde faste on Christe who is our rightuousnes and attributeth all thynges to the grace we receaue Christe by fayth of God in hym therefore iustificacion is ascribed to faithe chiefly for Christ and not because it is our woorke for it is the gifte of God That wee receiue Christe by faithe the Lorde declareth at large wher he vseth this woorde Ihon. vi Eate for beleue and beleue for eate For as by eatyng wee receiue meate Eat vsed for beleue so by beleuyng wee are made partakers of Christ Wherefore we deuide not the benefite of Iustificacion attributyng Iustification is not to be attributed partly to vs. and partly to Christ it partely to the grace of God or to Christe and partly to our selues our loue to our woorkes to our merites But wee ascribe it wholie to the grace of God in Christe by faithe And whiche is more out loue and our workes cannot please God if thei be doen of vs that are vniuste Wherefore we muste firste be made iuste before wee can loue or doe iuste workes We are made iuste in deéde as we haue declared by faithe in Christe by the mere grace of God who dooeth not impute our sinnes but Christe his rightuousnes to vs and compteth our faithe in Christe as rightuousnesse Furthermore the Apostle plainly sheweth that i. Timo. i. loue cometh of faithe The ende of the Lawe is Loue issuyng out of a pure harte a good consctence and an vnfained faithe Here we speake not of a counterfet vaine idle or dedde faithe but of a liuely and quickenyng faithe whiche through Christe who is life and quickeneth hym whō faithe ketcheth hold on is a liue and so is saied to bee because Sainct Paules saiyng is cōferred with sainct Iames. Iames. ii she declareth her self to line by her liuely woorkes Saincte Iames then maketh nothing against this dostrine who speaketh of a vaine and dedde faithe whereof some boasted albéeit thei had not Christ liuyng in thē by faithe He saieth also that woorkes Iustifie not therein disagreyng from the Apostle for then he were to bée reiected but shewing that Abraham declared his liuely and iustifiyng faithe by his woorkes The whiche thing all the godlie doe who notwithstandyng putte their truste in Christe onely and in no workes of their owne For in an other place the Apostle saith Thus I Gala. ii liue yet not I now but Christe liueth in me and in that that I now line in the fleshe I liue by faithe in the sonne of God who hath loued me and geuē himself for me I doe not abrogate the grace of God For if rightuousnes bée by the lawe then Christe died in vain ¶ Of faithe and good woorkes of their reward and mannes merite Cha. 16. CHristian faithe is not a bare opinion what faith is or perswasion of men but a moste sure confidēce an euidente and constaunte assente of the mynde to bee shorte a moste certaine comprehendyng of God his truthe set forthe in the Scriptures conteined in the Apostles Crede yea and cōmaunded of God himself who surmounteth al goodnes But chieflie faith is a cōfidence in God and his soonne Christ his promises whiche Christe is thence of all promises This faithe is the free gifte of God whiche onely he geueth Faith is the gifte of God of his grace to his electe accordyng to measure when to whō and as muche as he liste and that by his holie spirits by the meane of preachyng the Gospel and faithfull praier This faithe is increased and that by God his mercie For els the Apostle would not haue The increese of fayth Luke xi saied Lorde increase our faithe Al that hetherto we haue saied concernyng faith thapostles haue taught before vs For Paule saieth Faith is the ground of thynges whiche are hoped for and the euidence of those thynges Hebre. xi that are not seen And againe he saith Al the promises of god in Christ ii Cor. i. are yea and are in hym Amen To the Philippians he writeth that it was Phi. i. geuen to them that thei should beleue in Christe And againe Christe hath Rom. xii ii Thes iii. Rom. xi distributed to euery man a measure of faithe And again All menne haue not faithe neither dooe all men obeye the Gospell Luke also witnesseth Act. xiij As many as were ordained vnto eternall life beleued Wherefore he calleth faithe the faithe of Gods elect And againe Roma x. Faithe cometh by hearyng and hearing by the worde of God In other places he often biddeth men praie for faithe The saied Apostle affirmeth faithe The force of faith to bee of greate efficacie declaryng it self by Loue Faithe quieteth the conscience openeth to vs a frée entrie vnto GOD that wee maie come to hym with bolones and obtain of hym profitable and necessarie thynges It kepeth vs in doyng our duetie that wee owe to God and our neighboure In aduersitie it strengthneth vs with paciēte facioneth and formeth in vs
extreme Vnction or anelyng are the inuencions of man whiche the Churche maie wāt without any dōmage Neither vse we them in our churches For thei haue some thynges whiche we cānot allowe We vtterly deteste all the marchaundice whiche the Romistes practise in dispensing for their Sacramentes The aucthor of all Sacramentes The author of sacramēts is God is not man but God onely Men can not institute Sacramentes for they partaine to the seruice of God and it belongeth not to mennes duetie to inuent or make God his seruice but to receiue kepe that whiche Note is deliuered to thē of God Moreouer the Sacramentes haue promises annexed to theim whiche require faithe But faith resteth onely vpō the worde of God and the worde of God is likened to tables or letters the Sacramētes An apte similitude to seales wherewith GOD onely sealeth his letters And as God is the aucthour of his Sacramentes so continually God worketh in his sacramentes he worketh in that Churche wherein the Sacramentes are rightly ministered So that the faithefull whē thei receiue the Sacramentes of God his ministers doe acknowledge that God doeth woorke in them and therefore receiue the Sacramentes as though it were at GOD his handes Thei knowe also that the ministers viciousnes if there bee any notorious sinne in them hurteth not them seing The Sacrament is not the worse for the ministers sinne that thei confesse that the worthinesse of the Sacramentes depēde of the lordes institucion Wherefore thei make a manifeste difference in the ministeryng of the Sacramētes betwene the Lorde hymself and the minister of the A difference betwene the auctor the minister of sacramentes Lord cōfessyng that the thyngs ment by the Sacramentes as grace faithe forgiuenes of sinnes in Christ c. are geuen by the Lorde hymselfe but the figures to wit water bread or wine Christ is the chiefest thing to be considered in the sacraments bee deliuered theim by the handes of Gods ministers Howbeit the cheifest thyng that in all the Sacramentes is proposed of God and taken hede vnto of all the godlie in all ages whiche other call the substaunce and matter of the Sacramentes is Christe their sauior that onely sacrifice and that lābe of God whiche was slain from the beginnyng of the worlde and that rocke whereof al our forefathers did drinke by whom all the electe are Circumcised without handes and by the holie Ghoste are washed from all their synnes and are nourished with the true bodie and bloud of Christ to life euerlastyng And touchyng that whiche is chiefeste wherin the sacraments of the newe and olde Testamēt are a like in the Sacrament and the thing it self the Sacramentes of bothe people are like For Christe the onely mediatour and Sauiour of the faithefull in the Sacramentes bothe of the olde and newe Testamente is that chiefe principall thyng and the thyng it self ment by the Sacrament One and the self same God is aucthour of theim in bothe To bothe people thei were giuē as tokens yea as pledges of God his grace promises whiche maie bryng into our remembraunce and renewe his large benefites whereby also the faithfull were separated from al other religions of the worlde whiche to cōclude were receiued Spiritually by faith vnityng the Ceremonies to the Churche and admonishyng theim of their duetie In these I saie the like the Sacramentes of bothe people are not vnlike although thei differ in signes But wee make a farre greater difference in the Sacramētall signes For our Sacramentes are stronger and of longer duraunce because to the worldes ende thei shall neuer bee chaunged Our Sacramētes witnesse that bothe the thyng and the promes is alreadie fulfilled and made perfecte in Christ whiche the Sacramentes of the old lawe did signifie should be fulfilled Also ours are more simple lesse troublesome of smaller coste and not intangled with Ceremonies belongyng to a mightier people dispersed throughout the whole worlde and seyng thei be more excellente and brede in vs a stronger faith by the working of the holie ghoste there foloweth also more plentifull store of God his spirit by the worthie receiuyng of them Verelie seyng that Christe the true Christ abrogatinge the old sacramēts gaue vs new Messias is come in the fleshe and shewed to vs and abundaunce of grace powred vppon the people of the newe Testamente the Sacramentes of the old people are abrogated and the Sacramentes of the newe Testamente put in their places In the sted of Circumcision Baptisme In the place of the Paschal lambe and Sacrifices the Lordes supper Againe as in time paste the Sacramentes Sacraments consiste in three things did consiste of the woorde the signe and the thyng signified so now also the self same thre partes as it wer are required to the perfecte making of our Sacramentes For by the woorde of God thei are made that whiche before The worde thei were not that is to witte Sacramētes For they be consecrated by Consecratiō the worde and are declared to bée sanctified of hym whiche firste ordained them To sāctifie or cōsecrate a thing is to dedicate it to GOD and to some holie vses that is to saie to separate it from commō and prophane vses and appoincte it to some holie purpose For in Sacramentes the signes are made of suche thynges as are commonly vsed ◠Signes of outwarde and visible thynges As in Baptisme the elemēt of water and the visible wasshyng whiche wee sée the minister doeth is the signe but the thyng signified is regeneraciō and washyng awaie of our synnes In the supper of the Lorde the signe is bread and wine which we commonlie vse in eatyng and drinkyng but the thynge signified is the verie bodie of Christe 3. The things signified deliuered and his bloud shedde for vs. Therefore water breade and wine of their owne nature not seruing to god his instituciō and not put to any holie vse are onely that whiche thei are named to be and we proue them to be by experience Howbeit if the woorde of the lorde bée added with callyng vpon God his name and with renewyng of the firste institucion and sanctificaciō these signes are cōsecrated and declared to be sanctified of Christe For still remaineth in the Churche in his vertue and efficacie that firste institucion of Christe and consecracion of the sacramentes So that he whiche none otherwise celebrateth the Sacramentes then the Lorde hymself at the first ordained dooeth euen now enioye the fruites of that moste excellente consecracion of all other therefore Christ his owne woordes are rehearsed in the celebracion of the Sacramentes And bicause by the worde of God we lerne that these signes are ordained of the lorde for an other ende then cōmonly thei are vsed for therefore wée teache that the signes beyng put to this holie The signes beare the names of the thinges signified vse beare the names of the thinges signified by theim
But to vse fewe woordes thei are stuffed with many absurdities wherfore thei bee well omitted and other thynges more profitable for all Gods Churche put in their places ¶ Of holie daies faslyng and choise or difference of meates Chapiter 24. ALbeit Religion is tied to no tyme yet cannot it be planted or exercised without conueniente Times apointed to come to churche diuidyng and appoinctyng of tyme. Euery Churche therefore hath chosen a certaine time for publike prayer for preaching the Gospell and celebratyng the Sacramētes Eche mā may not breake this order of the churche at his pleasure And excepte there bee graunted competente leasure for this exercise by outwarde dooyng to declare our Religion surely men will be withdrawen from it by their owne priuate businesse Wherefore we se in aunciente Churches that there were not onely certaine houres in the weke appoincted for the godlie congregaciō but that the Sabboth daie was made holie to assemble to praie and to hear God his woorde whiche euen now also veric wel is obserued in our Churches for the better seruyng of GOD and increase of brotherlie loue But wée allowe not Iewishe obseruacions Iewishe obseruations of dayes of daies and suche like supersticions For wée beleue not one daie to bée holier then an other Neither thinke wée that our reste is allowed of God for it self sake But we kepe the lordes daie called Sūdaie not the Saboth or Saterdaie The Lordes daye therein vsyng frée libertie Moreouer if Chuches as thei maie by Christian libertie kéepe religiouslie Feastes dates of christ may be kept the remembraunce of Christe his birthe Circumcision Passion Resurrection Ascention into heauē and sending his holie ghost vnto his disciples we well allowe it but holie daies dedicated Holy dayes for sainctes to be disalowed to men or sainctes wée discommēde And certes holie daies partaine to the firste table of the lawe and belong onely to God to beshort the feast daies instituted for sainctes which we haue abrogated confirme many foolishe vnprofitable thynges not to bee suffred Howbeit we cōfesse that frute fully the memorie of sainctes maie in A memory of sainctes due place and tyme bee recited to the people in godlie sermons and the holy examples of theim maie bee proposed as paternes to be followed of all men The more sharpelie the Churche of Christe reprehendeth glotonie dronkēnesse Publike and Priuate faste is requisite lasciuiousnes and all intemperauncie the more earnestlie it commēdeth christian fastyng For fastyng what fasting is is nothyng els but an abstinence and temperaunce of the godlie with chastenyng of our fleshe as presente necessitie requireth wherby we humble our selues before God and withdraw from the fleshe her nourishementes that it maie easelier and wittynglier obeye the spirite Wherefore thei faste Counterfet fasters not who haue no regard of these thinges but thincke thei faste if but once a daie thei fil their bealy and for a certaine prescript tyme abstaine from certaine meates thinckyng for this workes sake thei please God and doe a good deede Fastyng is the aide and helpe to all godlie menne to praie the feruentlier and to liue the vertuouslier That fast pleased not God as we Note maie reade in the Bookes of the Prophetes wherein the Iewes fasted frō meate and not from their wickednes There is a Publike a Priuate fast Our forefathers kepte in tyme paste The cause of publike fastes Publike fastes in lamentable tymes and when the Churche was afflicted Thei abstained altogether from meat vntill euenyng spendyng the tyme in the meane season in holie praier and worshippyng of GOD and in repentyng for their synnes This did little differ from mournyng Often menciō is made hereof in the Prophetes specially in the seconde of Ioell Suche a faste ought to be kept euē in these our daies the Church beeyng in so greate daunger Priuate fastes are obserued of eche man as euery man feeleth the The cause of priuate faste vertue of God his spirite to bee plucked frō him For so long he abstaineth from the nourishemente of the fleshe as he perceiueth God his spirite to bee withdrawen from hym All fastes oughte to come of a free The ende of fastinge willyng and a true humbled spirite not to gette praise or fauoure of men muche lesse to merite rightuousnesse thereby But lette euery manne faste to this ende to tame the pride of the fleshe to serue God more earnestlie Lenten faste maie bee proued by old testimonies but by none of the Apostles Lent fast not to be allowed writynges Therefore it oughte not nor maie be enioyned to the faithfull to keepe It is moste certaine that in tymes paste there were diuers kindes The time of fastynge and customes of fastyng Wherevpō Ireneus an auncient writer saith Some thinke that the faste muste bee Ireneus kept one daie onely some others many daies and others fourtie daies which varietie began not now in our tyme but longe before our daies by their meanes as I iudge who obseruyng not simplie that which was at the first taught theim vsed other maner of fastynges either through negligence or ignoraunce Socrates also the historigrapher Socrates saieth Because there is no aūciēte writyng foūde of this matter I suppose that the Apostle lefte it free to euery mannes mynde to dooe that whiche is good not by feare and necessitie Now as touchyng choise of meates Choise of meates is a doctrine of deuyls In fastyng we thinke that all is to be with holden frō the fleshe whiche maketh it more vnrewlie and wherein it taketh more delighte or whereby it is nourished or pampered whether it bee fishe fleshe pleasaunt fruites in sauor and tast daintie disshes or fine wines Otherwise wee knowe that all God Heb. ii his creatures are made for thuse and seruice of manne Al that GOD hath made are good without choise moderatly to be vsed with the feare of the Lorde For the Apostle affirmeth all thynges to bée cleane to them that bee Tit. i. cleane And again whatsoeuer is sold in the Shambles eate ye and aske no i. Cor. x. question for conscience sake The self same Apostle nameth their doctrine whiche commaunde to abstaine from meates the doctrine of Deuilles For i. Tim. iiii GOD made meate to bée eaten with thankes geuyng of the faithefull and them whiche knowe the truth bicause whatsoeuer God made is good and nothyng is to bee refused if it bee taken with thankes giuyng c. He also writing to the Collo reproueth those who Collos ii by ouer muche abstinence will purchace to thēselues an estimaciō of holines We therfore altogether disalowe the Tatians Encratites and to be short Heretikes Eustacius his scholers against whom was assēbled the Gangrens counsaite ¶ Of Cathechisyng or instructyng youth in the articles of their faithe of comforting or visiting the sicke Chap. 25. THe Lorde charged his people of