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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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prayer VVhen there is warre in the Gates then is it a verie fit time to fast So did Iehosaphat when hee was to wage warre agaynst his enemies the Moabites Ammonites and Syrians 2. Chron. 20 Vppon the like occasion and Ioel commaund the people of his time Ioel 2 to sanctisie a fast For the Assyrians vnder their Captaine Sennacarib warred agaynst them and threatned not onelie the ouerthrowe of their kingdome but the ruine of the Temple and the spoyle of Religion So the Israelites did fast Iuds 20 when they did fight vnhappilie agavnst the Gibbionites and had euill successe So did the labytes 2. Sam 31 and Gilyadites when as Saule and his sonnes and his Armour-bearer were slaine in Gilboa and the whole hoast of Israel was discomfited by the Philistines So did the Inhabitaunts of the great Cittie of Niueue Ionas 3 when the Prophet denounced from Gods owne mouth the subuersion and vtter destruction of that Cittie within fortie dayes immediately to insue and come vpon them So did that deuout and godly Queene Hester and her retinue Hest 4 22 and her good Vncle Mardocheus and his seruants when they with the people and whole nation of the Iewes were in no small daunger by reason of the blood-thirstie designment and platforme of Hammon their extreame enemie Liberius who liued in the time of Constantine when as either the seasons were vnnaturall or any famin pestilence or war did oppresse the land adiudged it most necessarie that a fast should bee proclaimed August wherby the anger of God might be asswaged Augustine when hee saw that his citie was assaulted and besieged by the enemies the Vandales he humbled himselfe with fasting and prayer in which siege hee died as Possidonius doth recorde So at all times when we are to performe any serious matter or woulde preuent an imminent iudgement or otherwise would intreat a deliuerance from a plague which is alreadie come vpon vs we are to fast Fasting is a thing that is in our freedom for by the outward law he cannot be condemned that refuseth to fast But when as our fasting may promote Gods glory it is not then free we ought necessarily to fast we prescribe no time for it because it is not prescribed by the Scriptures August ad Caff praesbyt Epist 68 For well faith S. Augustine Ego in euangelicis Apostolicis literis torog instrumento quod appellatur test amentum nouum ansmo id reuoluens video praeceptūesse set iunissm quibus autem dieb us non oporteat ieiunare quibus oporteat praecepto Domini Apostelorum non inuenio definitum I finde both in the Apostolicall and Euangegelicall wrightings and in the whole instrument which is called the New Testament considering it well in my mind that fasting is commanded but vpon what daies we ought or ought not to fast I finde it not determined In the time of warre famine or pestilence or in any affliction the Scriprures as before haue beene aboundantly proued doo will vs to fast Her maiestie therefore both in zeale towards God and loue towardes her subiects hath to verie good purpose commanded although not an absolute fast which is an abstinēce from all nourishment which some for age and weakenesse of nature are not able to beare yet a moderate diet commanding an abatement of our superfluitie for the better releeuing of those which are in wants which we cannot without wilfull and most vnnaturall disobedience refuse to performe Dicinonpotest quot vnum intermissum hodie prandium nostrum saginare potest It cannot be set downe saith Augustine how many poore people may be releeued by the forbearing of one meale Aug. which thing how easie is it for vs to do and if wee shall doo it both God therby shall be serued our good Queene obeyed her deere subiects and our fellowe members in Christ Iesus succoured our wealth nothing thereby impaired and our bodily health not a little furthered wherefore if there be in vs any comfort of the spirit any consolation in Christ Iesus any fellowship any mutuall loue or tender compassion one towards another fulfill this order and obey this precept that peace may still bee in our walles and plenteousnesse within our pallaces CHAP. X. That the Prince or Bishop or ciuill magistrate vnder the Prince and no priuate person is to preseribe a certaine time for anie publique or generall fast and that the Prince next vnder God is cheefe head of the Church AS a publike fast is only to be commanmanded for publike causes so none but publike persons may enjoyne the same The frantike Anabaptist arrogantly in this thing as in diuers other Church matters intrudeth himselfe into the magistrates office and at his pleasure when the toy is in his head assembleth his factious consorts and companions and proclaimeth a fast The lewd Papist who excludeth the Prince from all Church gouernment and ordaineth the Pope to bee the head of the church would not haue the Prince to meddle with this office and prescribe this dutie Thus as Iannes and Iambres resisted Moset so these two scismaticall and hereticall sects doo resist their Prince But the light of Gods word will scatter their darknesse the truth of the Scriptures will discouer theyr falshood they will fall downe both like Dagon before the Arke of God and the pregnant instances of the worde of God shall swallow vppe these fansies of these charming spirits as Moses and Aarons roddes deuoured the roddes of the Egyptian Sorcerers If wee looke into the Scriptures and into the publike fasting of all times that are there remembred it will soone appeare that either the Prince Bishoppe or Magistrate had the appointment of this godly dutie When as the Philistines greeuously afflicted and spoyled the Israelites 2. Sam. 7.4 the whole people generally were assembled and conuented to Mizpah where they both wept and fasted for this miserable calamitie But it was by the counsell and designement of Samuel their Bishop and their Magistrate A gaine when their was warre betweene these two people 1 Sam. 14 it was Saul their King that gaue commaundement to the hoast that they should fast vntill the euening When the Philistines had slaine Saul in mount Gilboa and put to flight the armies of the Israelites 1 Sam 1 12 Dauid who raigned in Sauls steede 2 Par. 20 moued the people vnto a generall fast King Iehosophat likewise in a trouble some time Hester 4.16 Gaue order for a fast So did Queene Hester whē as her leige people by the trecherie of Hamon 2 King 25 8 did stand in ieopardy When a fast was proclaimed for Naboaths destruction it was decreed and commanded by the authoritie of Iezabell Ioel 1 16 When the trumpet was blowne vpin Sion and a conuocation of the people had and a fast denounced it was by the aduisement of the Prophet Ioel. Esdras who was learned in the law of the God of
doo excuse themselues from fasting they lewdly do accuse the times of their Creator If these men will suffer themselues to be reformed and not remaine incorrigible I doubt not but if they will peruse these treatises but they will bee perswaded to fulfill these duties Wherin I haue indeuoured by pregnant proofes of Sciptures authorities of Fathers and manie perswasorie and effectuall similitudes gathered from the Fathers to enforce the same And these I am bold to dedicate to your Grace and to you Honourable and my good Lord of Norwich for verie good causes both publike and priuate 1 First I take my selfe as a poore Minister of the Church to owe a Canonicall dutie to your Grace as to one to whom the gouernment of our Church vnder the sacred Maiestie of our blessed Queene is principally committed and to you reuerend father beeing our prudent godlie and vigilant Diocesan 2 Secondly both your loues to my deceased father might haue incouraged me if there were nothing else 3 But principally I presume herein to giue you this booke because your Graces godly sanctions and your my Lord industrious publication of these sanctions to vs your Cleargie through the confines of your libertie are the subiect matter and occasion of my Booke 3 Also the loue your Grace and your honour do beare to all godlie endeuors and the countenance that you giue vnto painful ministers hath ministred vnto me no small cheerfulnesse in this matter 5 Last of all in that I haue deuoted my selfe in all solemne obsequies vnto your good Lordship and it hath pleased your honour aswell to ascribe mee in the number of your Chaplains as to encourage me in my labour and studies as my bounden dutie willeth mee I consecrate vnto your Lordships the fruits of these my labours GOD euen the most mightie God enrich your zealous harts with the abundant graces of his spirit and make your names famous vnto the endes of the worlde giue you long life with all worldly prosperitie that by both your god lie wisdoms we may stil be led as sheep as by the handes of Moses and Aaron London the 8. of October in the yeare of our saluation 1597. Your Graces and Lordships in all obsequie to be commaunded Samuel Gardiner To the Reader GOdly Reader if euer these two Christian and Religious duties of Fasting and Almes haue bin iudged needful it is now high time â—ey should be well thought vpon and diâ—gently put in practise For through the â—nkindnesse of former yeares the iust punishment of our sins and more through the insufficed wretchednesse of cruell men commorants maultwormes badgers and â—egraters and of the like title the rods of Gods furie and the verie imps and lims of the diuel the poore haue beene brought vnâ—o all extremitie and are now almost constrained to eate the flesh of their own armes The Lord in mercie hath now visited vs and hath done his part and hath turned our former scarcitie into present plentie the earth hath brought forth hir increase and God euen our owne God hath giuen vs his blessing But wee regard not to visit the poore to do our dutie but albeit we find him a gracious father we remain stil gracelesse children For the plentie which God hath sent to refresh the poore is without cause kept in and not acknowledged to the vndoing of the poore But take we heed that we tempt not God and presumptuously prouoke the holy one of Israel vnto anger in extenuating and abazing his rich mercies and making him a niggard when as he hath opened the windowes of heauen giuen vs plentiously of his blessings to drink as out of a riuer If for his bountiful nesse weeshall reward him with vnthankfulnesse and our eyes shal be euill because hâ— is good he hath verie sharp arrows to draw out of his quiuer instruments of death 〈◊〉 grind our hairie scalpes For doubtlesseth poore shall not alwaies be forgotten the patient abiding of the meeke shall not perisâ— for euer Let vs therefore heare their criâ— and sustain them with releefe This we shâ— be verie able to performe and thereby prâ—uent a future danger if we shall giue out our riotous feasting and deuote our selues sometimes to a religious fasting If this seemeth too greeuous and ouer burdensome to vs content we our selues with a moderate diet and let our superfluities be bestowed to succour their necessities As God hath liberally lent to vs so let vs largely lend to him againe By giuing to the poore thou dost lend to him and he promiseth to set it vpon his owne accounts in theresurrection of the righteous Consider wee the difficult estate of these times the huge heapes of poore people their extreame miserie I haue vsed all diligence as God hath guided mee with his holy spirit to stirre you vp to these religious duties vrging and pressing these two propositions with as effectual and plausible perswasions as I could I hope I haue not languished in any part of my worke but in euery place without any impertinent and idle digressions to make the paper swell haue by solid arguments illustrated and confirmed such needfull circumstances as belong to my assertions I heartily desire thee not superficially and slenderly to consider it but deliberately to reuolue it in thy mind And albeit there be others who haue written of this argument more sufficiently then I yet seeing I cannot bring gold and siluer with others I see no reason but that I may bring such as I haue euen goats haire and badgers skins vnto the Lords Tabernacle The widowes mite was as pleasing vnto God as the plentifull and sumptuous contributions of the rich Though I haue but one talent I cannot in duty bind it vp in anapkin or bury it in the earth The honor of Christ Iesus whose vnworthie seruant I am my dutie to my deare soueraigne whose loyall subiect I am the loue of my countrey whose vnfaigned friende I am hath animated me to this labor which I commend to God and to thy indifferent iudgement Fare well London this eight of October 1597. Thine in the Lord Samuel Gardiner The Cognizaunce of a true Christian or the outward markes whereby he may be knowne The first Chapter Of diuerse kinds of fasts BEcause there are so manie sundrie kindes of fast and few there be who fast in that order as they ought it is verie needfull that first we should distinguish it before we do define it that wee deceiue not our selues in a zeale without knowledge 2. Tim 3 5. Hauing a shew of godlinesse but indeed do denie the power of it There is a fast which may be called Naturall A natural fast because the law of Nature doth prescribe it and that is but an abstinencie only for the time or a spare diet which is onely vsed as a preseruatiue of our health that both body mind might be more pliable vnto their proper functions forasmuch as by a large and plentifull repast the minde