THE ORDOVR AND DOCTRINE OF THE GENERALL FASTE APPOINTED be the Generall Assemblie of the Kirkes of Scotland halden at Edinburgh the 25. day of December 1565. ☞ †☜ Ioel. 2. Therefore also now the Lord sayeth Turne yow vnto me with all your heart and with Fasting with weaping and with murning IMPRINTED AT EDINBVRGH BE ROBERT LEK PREVIK ANNO. DOM. 1566. ⧠THE SVPERINTENDENTES MINISTERS AND COMMISSIoners of Kirkes Reformed within the Realme of Scotland conuened in the Generall Assemblie at Edinburgh the 25. day of Dâ—cember 1565. To all that trewly professâ— the Lord Iesus within the same Realme or els where wishe grace and mercy from God the Father and from his onely Sone our Lord Iesus Christ with the perpetuall conâ—ort of the holie Spirite THE Present troubles being somewhat coÌ„siddered but greater feared shortly to follow it wes thoght expedient dearelie beloued in the Lord Iesus that the whole Faithfull Within this Realme shuld together and at one time prostrat them selues before their God crauing of him pardone and mercy for the great abuse of his former benefites and the assistance of his holy Spirite by whose mightie operation we may yet so conuert to our God that we prouoke him not to take from vs the lyght of his Euangle which he of his mercie hath caused so clearly of laite dayes to shine within this realme But because that suche publicte Supplicationes requyre alwayes Fasting to be ioyned therewith And publict Fastynge craueth a certane time and certane exercises of godlynes then to be vsed with greater streatnes then at vther tymes The whole Assemblie after deliberation hath appointed y â— last Sonday of February and the first Sonday of Marche nixt following the date of the said assemblie to that moste necessare exercise as tyme now standeth of publict Fasting And further did require the same to be signified be all Ministers to their people the Sonday preceading the said last Sonday of Februarie But lest that the Papistes shall think that now we begine to authorise and praise that which some tymes we haue reproued and dampned in them Or els that the ignorant who knowe not the commoditie of this moste godlie exercise shall contempne y e same We haue thoght expedient somewhat to speak to the one and to the vther And vnto the Papistes first we say that as in puritie of conscience we haue refused their whole abhominationes and amongest the rest that their supersticious and Pharisaicall maner of Fasting So euen vnto this day do we continew in the same purpose boldely affirming that their Fasting is no Fasting that euer God approued but that it is a deceauing of the people and a meare mocking of God which moste euidentlie will appeare If in the Scriptures we searche what is the ryght end of Fasting what Fasting pleased God and which is it that his soule abhoreth Of Fasting in the Scriptures we finde two sortes the one priuate the vther publicte The priuate is that which man or woman doeth in secrete before their God for such causes as their owen conscience beareth record vnto them As Dauid during the time that his Sone which wes begotten in adulterie wes struken with mortall seicknes fasted weapâ— and lay vpon the ground because that in the seicknes of the Chylde he did considder Godes displeasure agains him self for the remouing whereof he fasted murned prayed vnto suche tyme as he saw Godes wil fulfilled by the awaytaking of the Chylde Priuatlie fasted Anna wyse to Alcana euen in the verray Solempne Feastes during the tyme of hir barrennes For she weapt and eat nothing but in the bitternes of hir heart she prayed vnto the Lord nether ceased she from sorow and murning vnto suche tyme as Eli the hie Preist concurred with her in prayers by whose mouth after that he had hard her petifull complaint she receaued conforte Of this Fasting speaketh oure Mâ—â—ister Iesus Christ in these wordes when ye Fast be not sowr as the Hypocretes for they disfigure their faces that they may some vnto men to Fast. But thow when thow Fastest anoynt thy heade and washe thy face that thow seame not vnto men to Fast but vnto thy Father which seeth in secrete and will rewarde the opinly Of the same no dout speaketh y â— Apostle when that he sayeth defraude not one another except it be with coÌ„sent for a tyme that ye may giue your selues to Fasting and prayer To this priuate Fasting which staÌ„deth chiefly in a temperat dyet in powring furthe of our secrete thoughtes and necessities before God can be prescriued no certane rule certane tyme nor certane ceremonies but as the causes and occasiones why that exercise is vsed are diuers yea so diuers that seldome it is that many at ones are moued with one cause so are diet tyme together with all vther circumstances requyred to suche Fasting put in the libertie of them that vse it To this Fasting we haue bene faithfully and earnestly exhorted by oure Preachers as oft as the Scriptures which they entreated offered vnto them occasion And we dout not but the godlie within this Realme haue vsed the same as necessitie craued albeit with the Papistes we blew no Trumpetes to appoynt thereto certane dayes The vther kynde of Fasting is publict so called because that it is openlie awowed some tymes of a Realme some tymes of a multitude some tymes of a cietie and some tymes of a meaner company yea some tymes of particulare persones and yet publictlie vsed and that for the wealth of a multitude The causes thereof are also diuers for sometymes the feare of ennimies sometymes the angrie face of God punishing sometymes his threatning to distroy some tymes iniquitie deprehended that ryghtlie before wes not considered and sometymes the earnest zeale that some beare for preseruation of Godes people for aduaÌ„cing of his glorie performing of his worke according to his promes moue men to publict Fasting confession of their sinnes solempned prayers for defence against their ennimies recouering of Godes fauoures remouing of his plagues preseruatioÌ„ of his people setting fordwarde of that workâ— which he hath of his merce promised to finishe as in the subsequent probationes euideÌ„tly shall appeare ¶ When Messingers came to Iosaphat saying there cometh a great multitude against thee from beyond the sea out of Aram that is Syria c. Iosaphat feared and set him self to seke the Lord and proclamed a Faste throughout all Iuda And Iuda gathered them selues together to aske counsall of the Lord they come euen out of all the cieties of Iuda to inquire of the Lord. And Iosaphat stoode in the CongregarioÌ„ of Iuda and Ierusalem in the hou of the Lord before the new court And all Iuda stoode before the Lord with their yonge ones their wyfes and their Chyldrene And Iosaphat said ô Lord God of our Fathers are not thow God in heauen and reignest not thow in all Kingdomes of the
shal coÌ„tempne And albeit thow promes mercy grace yet shall we dispaire and remaine iâ— inâ—idâ—litie Onles that thow creat in vs new heartes write thy Law into the same and â—eale into vs remission of our sinnes and the sense and â—ealing of thy â—atherlie mercy by the power of thy holie Spirite To the originall â—orld thoâ— spak by Noha To Pharo and his people by thy 〈◊〉 Moyses To all Israell by the fearfull Trumpet of thy Law To the Cietie of Ierusalem by thy owen wisdome our Lord Iesus Christ. And to y â— multitude aswel of Iewes as Gentiles by the preaching of thy holy Apostles But who gaue obedience Who trembled and constantly feared thy hote displeasure Who did rightly acknowledge the tyme of their visitatioÌ„ And who did embrase and kepe to the end thy fatherly promises Onely they ô Lord to whome thy Spirite wes the in warde teacher whose heartes thow opened â–ª from whome thow remoued Rebellion and inâ—idelitie the rest were externally called but obeyed not they heard aswel mercy offered as threatninges pronounsed but nether with the one nor with the vther were they affâ—ctuâ—lly moued We acknoâ—ledge ô Lord that the same corruption â—â—rcketh in vs that budded â—urth in them to their distruction and iust condemnation And therefore we moste humbly beâ—eak thâ—e ô Father of 〈◊〉 for Châ—ist Iesus thy sâ—nes 〈◊〉 that as thow hast caused the lyght of thy worde clearely to shyne amongs vs and as thow hast plainely instrâ—cted vs by the external ministerie in the ryght way of Saluation So it will please thee inwardly to moue our dulle â—eartes and by the power of thy holy Spirite that thow will write and 〈◊〉 into them that holy fear and 〈◊〉 which thow crauâ—st of thy chosen childâ—ene and that faithâ—ull of ediâ—nce to thy holie will together with the sealing and sâ—nse that our sinnes are fully purged frâ—ly râ—mitted by that only 〈◊〉 Sacriâ—ice â–ª whiche onely by it self is acceptable vâ—to thee to wit the 〈◊〉 death mediation of â—hy â—nâ—ly Sâ—ne our Souerane Lord â–ª 〈…〉 Mediator and 〈…〉 our Lord Iesus Christ. To whome with thee and with the holy Ghoste be all honour and glore worlde without end ¶ This Confession ended the Minister or Reâ—der 〈…〉 read the 27. anâ— 28 â–ª of 〈◊〉 which eâ—ded â–ª the Minister shall wishe 〈◊〉 mâ—n to discend sâ—cretly into him self to exâ—mine his owen coâ—â—cieâ—ce whereinto he findeth him selfe giltie before God The Minister him self with the people shâ—ll prostrate them selues remâ—iâ—e in priuate mediâ—ation a reasonâ—ble space as the quarter of an houre or more Thereafter shal the Minister eâ—horte the people to confesse with him their sinnes and offences as â—olloweth IVST and râ—ghteous 〈◊〉 thow ô Lord God â–ª Father eâ—erlasting holy is thy Law and moste iuâ—t are thy iudgementes yea euen when thow doest punishe in greatest seueritie we do confesse as the treuth is that we haue transgressed thy whole Law and haue offended thy godly Maiestie in breaking and violating euerie precept of the same And so moste iustly mâ—y thow poure â—urth vpone vs all plagues that are threatned and that we â—inde powred furth vpone the disobedient at any tyme from the beginning And so muche the rather ô Lord because that so loÌ„g we haue bene called by thy holie worde to vnâ—eâ—ned repentance neâ—nes of lyfe and yet haue we still remaned in our former Rebelliâ—n â–ª and therefore if thow wilt enter in iudgement with vs we caÌ„â—â—ther esâ—â—ape confusion in this lâ—fe nor iust condempnatioÌ„ in the lyâ—e to cum But Lord thy mercy is â—ithout measâ—re and the treâ—th of thy promises abydeth for euer 〈◊〉 are we that thow shuld 〈…〉 looke vpone vs but Lord thow hast promised that thow wilt show mercy to the moste grieuous offeÌ„dâ—rs whensoeuer that they repeÌ„t And further thow by the mouth of thy deare Sone our Lord Iesus Christ hast promised that thow wilt giue thy holy Spirite to suche as humblie 〈◊〉 vnto thee In boldnes of the whiche promes we moste humbly beseak thee ô Father of mercies â–ª that it wold please thy godly Maiestie to worke into our stubburne heaâ—tes an vnâ—eane◠〈◊〉 for our former offâ—nces with some seâ—se â—nd â—ealing of thy grace and mercy together with an earnest desyre of Iustice and righteousnes in the which we are bounâ— continually to walk But because that nether we nor our prayers can stand before thee be reason of that imperfectione which still remâ—neth in this oure corrupted nature We 〈◊〉 to the oâ—edience and perâ—ite Iustice of Iesus Christ oâ—r onely Meâ—iator in whome and by whome we call not onely for remission of our sinnes and for assistance of thy holy Spirite but also for all thinges that thy godly wisdome knoweth to be expedient for vs and for thy Church vniuersall Praying as he hath taught vs saying Our Father that art c. ¶ This ended the Minister shall read the Text whereupone he will ground his sermon FIRST he shal expone the dignitie and equitie of Gods law Secondly the plagues and punishmentes that ensew the contempt thereof together with the blessinges promised to the obedient obseruers of it Thridly he â—all teache Christ Iesus to be the end and perfection of the Law who hath perâ—itely accomplished that whiche wâ—s impossible to the Law to do And so shall he exhorte euerie maÌ„ to vnâ—eaned repentance to steadfast faith in Christ Iesus and to showe frutes of the same The Sermone ended the commone prayer shalbe vsed that is conteaned in the Psalme booke the 46. page thereof beginning thus God almyghtie and heaueÌ„ly Father c. Which ended the 51. Psalme shalbe soung whole so with the benediction the Assemble is to be demitted for that exercise At after noune EFTER inuocation of Godes Name publictly by the Minister and secretly by euery man for a reasonable space The Minister may take the argument of his Sermone from the beginning of 119. Psalme where the deligent Reader shall obserue the properties conditions of suche as in whose heartes God writeth his Law Or if that be thought ouer hard then may ye take the Text of Iohne God is lyght and into him there is no daâ—cknes if we say we haue fellowshipe with him c. The prayer is referred vnto the Minister the 6. Psalme shalbe soung The benediction and exhortation to call to mynde whereâ—ore that exercise is vsed being ended The publict eâ—ercise shalbe put to end for that day Aâ—Bâ—IT that to 〈◊〉 wart the peâ—ple can not well conâ—ene euerie day betuix the two Sonday 〈◊〉 â–ª yet in Bâ—ougâ—es â—ownes we think they ought to conuene an hour before none and an houre more at after none The houre before none to be the houre accustomed to the commone prayers The houre at after none to be at 3. houres or after ¶ The exercise of the whole weke THE beginning euer to be with
Confession of our sinnes and imploring of Godes graces Then certane Psalmes and certane Histories to be distinctly reâ— exhortation to be conceaued thereupoÌ„ and prayers lyke wise as God shall instruct and inspyre the Minister or Reader ¶ Mononday before none Psalm 2. 3. and 10. Historie 2. of the Iudges Aâ—ter none Psalm the 12. 1â— and 17. Historie the 16. of the Iudges ¶ Teusday before none Psalm the 25. and 28. Historie the 7. of the Iudges After none Psalm the 36. and 40. Historie the 4. of the Iudges ¶ Wednesday before none Psalm the 14. and 55. Historie the 19. of the Iudges After none Psalm the 44. and 56. Historie the 20. of the Iudges ¶ Thurisday before none Psalm the 49. and 57. Historie Ester the 3. and 4. After none Psalm the 37. Historie Ester the 5. 6. 7. ¶ Fryday before none Psalm the 59. 61. and 64. Historie the 2. of Paralip 20. After none Psalm the 69. Histoâ—ie the 36. of Isai. ¶ Setterday before none Psalm the 68. and 70. Historie the 37. of Isai. After none Psalm the 74. and 77. Historie the 9. 10. of Esd. ¶ Sonday the last day of this pubâ—ict exercise for this tyme before none shalbe vsed in all thinges as the former Sonday except that the 26. of Leuiticus may be red for the 28. of Deute ronomie and for the prayer shal be vsed that which is to be fouÌ„d in the Psalme book the 165. page beginning Eternall and euerlasting c. Sonday at after none Psalm 78. Historie the 9. of Daniel THE exhortation and prayers ended for the conclusion shalbe distinctly red the 80. Psal. and so with exhortation to euery man to considder to what end the whole exercise tendeth With benediction the Assemblie shalbe demitted THE exhortations and prayers of eueâ—iâ— seuerall exeâ—cise we haue râ—mitted to be gatheâ—ed by the discrete Ministers for tyme preassed vs so that we coulde not â—â—ame them in suche ordour as wâ—s conuenient nether yet thought we it so expedient to pen prayers vnto men as to teache them with what heart and affection and for what causes we shulde pray in this great calamitie â–ª appearing shortlie to ouerwhelme this whole Reaâ—m vnles god of his great mercy abuse mannes expectâ—tion finde the remeâ—dy Before whome it is that we haue and presently do prostrate our selues for obteaning of those thinges without whiche the lyght of his Euangle can not long coÌ„tinew with vs. And therfore yet ones againe we eâ—horte by the power coÌ„mitteâ— vnto us by God charge all thâ—t professe the Lord Iesus and the sincerâ—tie of his EuaÌ„gle within this Reâ—â—me that euen as they loue the qâ—yetnes oâ— their common wealth the continuance of Christ Iesus his holy Euangle within the same and their owen Saluation together with the Saluation of their posteritie that vnfeanedly they prâ—strate them selues before the Throne of Godes Maiestie in bitternes of heart pray with â—s ARyse ô Lord and let thyne enâ—imies be confounded Let them 〈…〉 thy presence that 〈◊〉 thy godly nâ—me Let the gâ—ones of thy aâ—â—â—icted enter in before thee And preserue thow by thy owen power sâ—che as be appoynted to death Let noâ— thy enâ—â—â—â—es thus triumph to the end but let them vnderstand that against thee they â—ight Preserue the wyne which thy ryght hand hath planted Oppâ—ne thy poâ—â—r to the power of that Romaine Antichrist and let the glorie of thyne annoynted â—esus Christ our Lord shynâ— before all Nations So be it ¶ Hasten Lord and â—ary not THE SVPER INTENDENTES MINISTERS AND COMMISSIoners of Kirkes Reformed within the Realme oâ— Scotland Assembled in Edinburgh the 25. day of December 1565. To the Ministers of Iesus Christ within the â—ame Realme desyre grace and peace from God the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ with the perpetuall conforte of the holy Spirite THE present miserie and greater troubles appearing shortly to follow craue deare brethrene that euerie one of vs exhorte and admonishe another that we recule not back in the beginning of this battel which is cum vpon vs vnlooked for of many And therefore it is that we your brethrene partakers with yow of the afflictions of Iesus Christ vnderstanding the extremitie wherein the whole Ministers within this Realme now staÌ„d for lake of reasonable prouision to them selues and poore families Haue thought expedient to communicate with yow our myndes by this our letter Which is that firste we shall deligently marke those wordes of the Apostle saying No man shalbe crouned onles he striue laughfully and also that fearefull sentence of our Master Iesus Christ saying No man putting his hand to the plough and looking backe is apt to the Kingdome of God We haue ones professed our selues warriours against Sathan and laubourers in the husbandrie of the Lord our God who of his mercy hathe opened oure mouthes to exhorte vthers to coÌ„tempe this wicked worlde and to contend to enter into that heauenly IerusaleÌ„ God hath honored vs so that men hath iudged vs the Messingers of the euerlasting by vs hath he disclosed Idolatrie by vs are the wicked of the worlde rebuked and by vs hath our God coÌ„forted the consciences of many that were oppressed with ignoraÌ„ce and impietie Considder then deare brethrene what sclander offence shall we giue to the weak What occasion of reioysing shall the ennimies haue And to what ignominie shall we expone the glorious Euangle of Iesus Christ If that we for any occasion shall desist and cease from publict preaching of the same We that admonishe yow are not ignorant nether yet altogether without experience how vehement a dart pouertie is what troublesome cogitations it is able to rase yea euen in men of greatest constancie But yet dearâ— brethrene we ought earnestlie to considder with what conditiones we are entered into this moste honorable vocation and what we chiefly seake in the preaching of the Euâ—ngle For if we lay before vs vther conditions then Iesus Christ laide before his Apostles when he send them fuâ—th firste to preache the glaide tydinges of his Kingdome if we seake and ymâ—â—gine to our sâ—luâ—s better entreatment of this wicked generation then we find the derrest seruands of God haue gotten in the worlde we â—ther 〈◊〉 our selues or els declaire vs not to be trew succâ—ssours of those whose doctrine we propone to the people They were 〈…〉 as sheape amongs the 〈…〉 Wolfes to them it wes pronounced That they shuld be hâ—ted thâ—y shâ—lâ— be mocked men shulâ—◠〈◊〉 and persecute them for the â—â—â—â—imonie of the treuth which threatâ—ings we find not to haue bene vaine but to haue fallen vpone the chieâ—est meÌ„bers of Iesus Christ as the Actes of the Apostles beare testimonie And think we that the same Euangle which they preached can haue anâ— vther successe in oure Ministerie then it had in theires In giftes we mâ—ste confesse oâ—â—e selues â—arre Inâ—erioure to those lyghtes of the â—oâ—lde in deligence and paineâ—â—ll