is Continencie commaunded vnto them who haue the gift thereof in that consultatorie priuate precept Math. 19.12 He that can receiue it let him receiue it Of the same sort is the renouncing of all wordly busines to follow the studie of Christs heauenly Doctrine commaunded vnto them vnto whom it is expedient by that Consultatorie precept Math. 19.21 If thou wilt be perfect Goe sell thy goods and giue them to the poore and come follow mee But of the latter sort is Decencie of apparell and a discreete constitution of Church-orders commanded in generall by that Consultatorie precept 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let all things be done comely and in order Of the same sort is this Ordinarie penitentiall fasting or this Fasting of ordinarie repentance wherof we now speake cōmanded here in speciall Then shall they fast Now as it is not in the free power of a priuate mans consultation who hath the gift of Continencie or to whom it is most expedient to leaue the world and to follow Christ altogether to disobey Christs priuate consultatorie commaunds as it is euident by Saint Paul who saith in the 15. ver of the 9. Chap. of his 1. Epi. to the Corinthians that it was better for him to die then that he should take a lawfull stipend of the Corinthians which was not then expedient so much lesse is it in the power of a publicke Officer or of the supreme Magistrate to suffer the Church of God to be ruled without all outward Decencie or to disobey Christ in not obseruing that which hee hath specially commanded by this speciall Consultatorie publicke commaunde Then shall they fast And thus haue I shewed also how things of indifferent nature left to mans free consultation not only by warrant of the word but also by Consultatorie priuate or by consultatorie publicke commandement are to be held or not to beheld to be vnder the Consultatorie power of the publicke gouernours of the Church For although those indifferent duties which are commaunded to priuate men onely by Consultatorie priuate commaund be to be performed by priuate men so onely as the spirit of God in them shall exact as it did of Saint Paul their Consultatorie obedience in the exact performance of them yet those indifferent duties which are commaunded also to publicke Officers by the speciall Consultatorie publicke commaunde of Christ the most louing Bridegroome of his Church these in different duties I say of this so speciall Consultatorie publicke commaunde cannot without neglect of dutie vnto Christ their Lord and maister the only lawgiuer able to saue and destroy be either intermitted vpon an humour or omitted and disannulled altogether by the publicke gouernours of Christs Church The neglect of these Church fasts then in any Church whatsoeuer is a token of some want of that feeling which the Church as a true louing wife should haue of the bodily absence of her louing husband according to the speach of our Sauiour in this my Text But the daies will come when the Bridegroome shall be taken from them and then shall they Fast Surely as Salomon saith Eccle. 7.6 The heart of Fooles who laugh in the face as the Apostle speaketh 2. Cor. 5.12 is in the house of mirth but the heart of wisemen who laugh in the heart are soberly and truely wise vnto saluation is alwaies in the house of mourning that is as our Sauiour heere in my Text doth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth confound and turne the tearmes of Fasting and mourning making them all one in the house of fasting because it is better to goe to the house of mourning then to the house of feasting because by a sad looke the heart is made better And thus I haue assoiled the former doubt which might worthely arise touching the gouernours of the Church their absolute omission and repealing of all Church fasts To the other doubt thus much I speake briefely that though the Fast be Catholicke as is the Fast before the Communion and all our other Church-fasts except two onely that is to say though the Fast be Vniuersally constituted and decreed to be kept in all the particular Churches of the world by the Vniuersall decree and sentence of an Oecumenicall counsell yet the Oecumenicall counsell doth alwaies with this Prouiso decree it that no particular Church shall be further bound vnto it then as it is an helpe and no wayes an hindrance vnto true mortification If it be found either through the superstition of this doting old world or through any other enormitie wherewith Sathan and mans corruption doth often staine and defile the best exercises of godlines to be any whit preiudiciall to those holy duties of absolute necessitie which are commanded by absolute precept then the practise of the best particular Churches and euen of some Diocesan Bishops haue taught vs that our righter way to obey the Oecumenicall counsell is to obey rather the meaning then the bare and dead letter of their decree I confesse that Saint Austin saith wisely and well speaking of these Vniuersall customes of fasting decreed by the Plenary counsel of the whole church Si quid horū tota perorbem frequentat Ecclesia hoc quin ita faciendū sit desputare insolentissimae insaniae est If any of these things be vsed by the custome of the whole Church for a man to hold that such a thing ought not or may indifferently not be done it is a part and a tricke of most siely fondnesse and madnesse But he giueth this reason intimated both in his words following and in his words before going where he had set downe his formall difference betweene particular Church customes and betwixt Vniuersall Church customes to be the cause of this his speeach for that the Vniuersall Church neuer decreeth any thing that is Contra fidem bonos more 's against the Faith and good maners but the particular Churches may be supposed to decree some new customes both Contra fidem bonos more 's Out of which reason we may plainely see how Saint Austin did vnderstand the decrees of Vniuersall counsels and the minde of all Churches when they chanced to haue the same custome in the vse of an indifferent duty amongst them all Namely that the intention and minde and meaning of the Vniuersall Church is this to keepe or to decree no custome that is Contra fidem bonos more 's yet that his meaning is not neither was it the Catholicke meaning of the whole Church that the customarie vse of any indifferent thing not commaunded by absolute precept should therefore neuer be altered because it was once decreed by so Vniuersall a decree and consent of all Churches Though indeed whilest such indifferent matters are in vigour and force and are commanded by the Church he is worthily to be esteemed Schismaticus schismate charitatis in the highest degree who doth not obediently yeeld vnto them also Schismaticus schismate fidei if he dispute
rich and plenteous crop for the whole yeares sustenance of our soules The heathen people as Athenâ—ns one of their Greeke writers telleth vs had euery yeare a Spring-song which they did vse to sing in their streetes at the first sight of the swallow 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The swallow the swallow is come bringing the good houres and the good yeare with her The like Spring-song doth Christ himselfe sing vnto his spouse the Church in the second of the Canticles the tenth verse Arise my Loue my faire one and come thy way For behold saith he the Winter is past The raine is changed and is gone away The floures appeare in the earth The time of singing of birds is come and the voyce of the Turtle is heard in our land What is this Window song this May-song this Spring-song Arise my Loue my faire one and come away c but our Sauiour Christ his rouzing of vs out of our dead Winter sleepe of sinne by the preaching of the Gospel of Repentance at the windowes of our eares which he openeth with his owne hands and the power of his spirit what is this first appearing and opening of the Spring-floures out of the winter prison of the earth which was fast-bard and lock with cold frosts afore the sunne returning beganne to resolue the frozen cold and with his heate to make a gâ—ole-deliuerie of the fruit of the vegetatiue life of earth but the first appearing and opening of the floures of Faith and Repentance by the comfortable and liuely heate of the Sunne of righteousnesse Christ Iesus who with the heat of his zealous Spirit resolueth the frozen vnfallowed ground of mens sinfull hearts dead in sinnes and trespasses and with the cold blasts of Gods desertions mollifieth quickneth them through their Lent-fast deliuereth them out of the winter-prison of ignorance infidelitie presumption securitie forgetfulnesse of God acediousnesse vnzealousnesse into which naturall concupiscence Sathans suggestions the euill examples and continuall custome of sinne in the world had either subtilly or by strong hand cast them What 's lastly this which Christ cals Our Land but the Place of his feet his Vineyard his Natiue Soile his Church whereof hee himselfe is the chiefe Member the chiefe Vine the best Plant and of whose Sion it is said that He was borne there What 's this voyce of the Turtle heard in this his and our Land but the mournefull voice of the Catechumeni Competentes Ordinary and Extraordinary Penitents mourning all the time of this forty dayes Fast of Lent as a Turtle or chattering all together as Swallowes in the dust of Ordinary and Extraordinary Repentance Like a Crane or a Swallow so did I chatter said Penitent Hezekias Isa 38.14 I did mourne as a Doue But besides this great Conueniencie of hauing this fortie dayes Haruest for our soules Humilation and Sanctification at this time of the yeere we are further for this cause to be very desirous to follow the Saints of God in the seuere keeping thereof because as Saint Austin saith it may be and ought to bee kept as a Resculptiue and Memoratiue Fast The foure Fasts in Zacharie kept by the Iewes in Babylon were all Memoratiue For the Fast of the tenth Moneth was kept in remembrance of Nabuchodonosor his first laying of siege against Ierusalem The Fast of the fourth Moneth in remembrance of the grieuous famine and taking of their Citie and killing of their Nobles The Fast of the fift Moneth in remembrance of Nabuzaradan the King of Babylons Steward his burning of the Temple and the Citie The Fast of the seuenth Moneth in remembrance of the cutting off of the last hope of their comfort namely of good Gedaliah his trecherous slaying by that ambitious and cursed Ishmael Ieremie 40. 14.16 41. 1 2.3 After the same maner this our fortie daies Fast of Lent is Memoratiue and is kept by the Churches of God to put vs into a liuely and sensible remembrance of the fortie daies Fast of Moses Elias Christ of the fortie dayes and fortie nights Raine which brought in Noahs Flood vpon that former vngodly world and of that Extraordinary and most humble Fortie-dayes Fast of the Penitent Niniuites wherby they did preuent the Vniuersall Deluge of destruction threatned by Ionas at the fortie dayes end To vse no more reasons to set out vnto our consciences The great necessitie of this our Lent-fast in all Churches Let not this still still bee the Aegyptian shame of our Church of England that when Moses is fortie dayes and fortie nights twise told Fasting in Mount Horeb the Mount of God partly at the sight of the glorious paterne of Gods true Worship partly at the sight of the Israelites idolatrous and false worship wee with those beastly prophane idolatrous wilde headed irreligious fleshly wanton caluish minded Israelites worship Our golden Calues and the vanities and lusts of our fleshly appetites Eating and drinking and rising vp to play That when Elias is in his grieuous Fast of forty dayes and fortie nights walking to the same Mount of God Horeb we with Ahab and Iesabel runne a whoring from God to the mountaine of Samaria the hautinesse and stubburnesse of our irreligious and impenitent hearts That whilest Christ himselfe is for our sakes in the wildernesse fighting vpon all disaduantages with the greatest punishment of our sinnes Famine and with the greatest enemie of our Saluation the Diuell we after the example of the Diuels instruments the fleshly Iewes altogether mindelesse of our Saluation fight for the Diuell and the flesh against Christ by our impenitencie in practising our customary maner of sinning all maner of sinnes of drunkennesse gluttony licentiousnesse wantonnesse strife enuie oppression of our poore people and tenants following the world and our suits in Law more fiercely and griedily at this time of the yeere then at any other time besides That lastly whilest godly Noah Shem and Iaphet are lamenting and exercising Continencie and Fasting at the fearefull fight of the destruction of an vngodly world whose dead carkases were continually beaten by the waters knockt against the side of the Arke to put them in mind of Gods iust wrath against sinne whilest the King of Niniue descending from his Chaire of State into the dust and ashes of Extraordinary Repentance Fasteth in Sackcloth with his Nobles and penitent People euen to the beast that perisheth because it is the instrument of mans sinne whilest Tertullian Cyprian Austin Leo Gregory Bernard and all the godly Fathers for the space of a thousand yeeres and more after Christ are euery yeere marshalling themselues their Extraordinary Penitents their Catechumeni their Competentes after the example of so worthy Precedents in dust sack cloth and ashes for their Ordinary and Extraordinary sinnes preaching once at the least euery day so long as Lent lasteth frequenting publicke Prayer thrice euery day laying aside a great part of their worldly necessary businesse watching some nights and
as the Caricke Figs so much commonded by Iulian the Apostata the costliest Pepper Almonds Dates the finest Flowre bread called Simnels Hony and the most daintie Bladder nuts vsed by wantons to prouoke lust what a Madnesse is this we doe not onely trouble and vexe our selues our Caterers Cooks and other seruants but we do trouble and vexe Nature by forcing her in our Orchards and Gardens to bring forth some kinde of feed or fruit which we may eat in stead of our ordinary bread from the which in our fasts wee are commanded by the Church to abstaine and from which Daniel and the holy ones of God haue abstained in their ordinary Fasts Lastly of their hating superstitious and foolish abstinence with a perfect hatred Saint Austins learned and large discourses against the Manichaeans Delicata Abstinentia as Erasmus doth fitly terme it are a plentifull witnesse For the mad Mannichaeans did as our fond superstitious Papists doe at this day absteine altogether from flesh yea and from wine too which the Papists doe not but yet euen in their deuoutest Fasts they glutted them selues with the costliest banketting dishes and with other the strongest drinkes that their Parasiticall Caterers Apothecaries Brewers could possibly deuise to prouide for them in the whole Country where they liued So that as Cato in Plutarch complaineth of the Bellie-gods of Rome in his time the same might truely haue beene spoken of the Epicurisme of the Mannichaeans and may be truely verified at this day of the Romish Cleargie making their bellie their god and their glory their shame More is giuen for some daintie strang Fish then for a sed Oxe To shut vp therfore my answer to this third question Touching the seuerity of Church-fasts namely with what moderation they are to be broken and what abstinence is fittest to be vsed when we break them the practise of the Saints of God wherewith I haue now confirmed my Answere that the breaking of them ought to bee Seuere but not Sauadge is sufficient to resolue and settle him who hath any wit in his head and is not fondly contentious And surely heerein I cannot but by the way greatly commend the good wisedome and happinesse of the Gouernours of our English Church euer since the puritie of Gods truth and the ancient maners of the best ancient Churches and Counsells haue beene restored and reformed in it For who seeth not how wisely and happily they haue with those ancient Fathers seene and shewed vnto the world Quid intersit to vse still Saint Austin◠words inter portum religionis sirenas superstitionis What necessary difference there is betwixt the hauen of true religion and betwixt the Syrens or the Syrenian Rockes of Popish superstition The Papists had so nuzled vs vp in the admiration of their church authoritie as that the people of this land thought their decrees to bee the very vnuariable Oracles decrees and customes of the Sonne of God and that to disobey them was as mortall a sinne as to breake the absolute commandements of the morall law Whereas therefore at this day we are commanded to fast vpon the Wednesdayes and Fridayes c our Church gouernours doe teach vs that this commaund is to bee obeyed as an exercise of Religion commanded conditionally by Christ as pertaining to the well being of that Mortification which is absolutely commaunded by him But in that we are commaunded when wee breake our Fasts at night for our gouernours would haue vs to follow the example of better times and not to eate any thing adnutritionē for the space of twentie foure houres in that I say we are commanded when wee breake our fasts at night to absteine from flesh and to eate fish our Church gouernours doe set downe this distinct kinde of abstinence and this positiue commaunde what in speciall we shall eate not as an exercise of Religion but as an exercise of our Ciuill obebience to the Ciuill Magistrate whom for conscience sake also that euen to the shedding of our dearest heart blood much more in the restraint of shedding the blood of Sheepe Calues Bullockes and in the killing seething and broyling of a few seelie fishes we are to obey as the vndoubted Deputie of Christ So that Turbae imperitorum quae vel in ipsa vera religione superstiosae sunt as Saint Austin saith of them The vnlearned Frie of multitudes who are still prone to superstition especially in this old doting age of the decrepit dimsighted world euen in those Churches of Christ where the truth of Religion is taught most reformedly and sincerely cannot nowe in England Fast superstitiously though they would nor any longer in a stubburne minde to shewe their good will towards the Church of Rome and their traiterous hearts against the Church of England vpon out Fasting dayes absteine from Egges white meates as it is an abstinence inioyned superstitiously in the Church of Rome a particular Church and not the Catholicke Church of our Creed no wayes at all binding their consciences who are not visible members of the same particular Church Sect. IIII. TO the fourth Question Touching the seuere obeying of this commaunde of Disciplinarie Ordinarie Fasts as it is further determined by Saint Lukes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Then shall they mourne pray Fast often I answere that although many religious men euen to the number of three thousand together in each Monasterie haue fasted all the yeare through and although in regard of the great necessitie of our common and ordinarie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to bee taken by vs of our inordinate appetite whereby Adam and Eue did first transgresse brought this miserable estate of sin the wrath of God vpon vs their posterity it were to be wished as not onely Diogenes an heathen man but also Saint Hierom one of Christs Saints sometimes wished that we could alwaies Fast and liue without meate yet the Church of God considering the frailtie and weaknesse of man haue thought their obedience to bee acceptable vnto Christ and answerable inough vnto this his consultatorie commaunde if they appointed Fasts at some times onely and not at all times of the yeare These Fasts briefely are either Conceptiua ieiunia to borrowe tearmes Docendi causa from Macrobius or they are Statiua Stata ieiunia Conceptiua ieiunia are Fasts appointed at an vncertaine Such were those Primitiue Fasts Sacrorum ordinum appointed and kept first at an vncertaine by these children of the Bride-chamber these neere Attendants of Christ these blessed Apostles For it is plaine out of the 13. and 14. of the Acts that because the Church of God was then as Noahs Arke floating vpon the waters of affliction and was as the Doue of Noahs Arke carrying the Oliue branch of spirituall Peace and rest in her mouth but finding no bodily peace or rest for the rest and abode of the sole of her foot therefore they could set no
certaine time for the Fast of holy Orders when they either ordained or instituted Ministers Statiua Ieiunia are Fasts appointed at a certaine Such were those foure Fasts kept euery yeere all the time of the seuentie yeeres Captiuitie in Babylon mentioned Zachar. 7.5 8.19 Such are at this day all Church-fasts whether they be Catholicke and Vniuersall commanded and frequented by all Churches as is the Fast before the Communion This fortie dayes Fast of Lent howsoeuer in diuers circumstances very variable The Fasts of holy Orders termed also Ieiunia Quae â—or Temporum of the Spring Summer Autumne Winter quarters The Fasts in Vigilijs praecipuarum Festiuitaturo that is to say vpon the chiefe Saints dayes Euens and the weekely Fasts of Wednesdaies and Fridayes appointed first as Epiphanius and Austin tell vs to put vs in continuall remembrance of my Text and of the causes of our Bridegroomes first taking away from vs. Or whether they be Locall and particular Fasts Such as is the Fast of Saturday which in Saint Ambrose time was kept euery weeke at Rome and in all Africa beyond the Sea but was not kept at Millaine where Saint Ambrose himselfe was Bishop nor in any of the Easterne Churches Such as is also our new Ember-weeke Fast in Rogation weeke which is kept within the fiftie dayes after Easter within which dayes as Cyrill Austin Epiphanius doe all ioyntly witnesse no Church in their time did Fast at all Thus haue we the diuision of the frequent or often Fasting commanded and commended vnto vs by Christ himselfe in this Consultatorie Precept Then shall they Fast often and thus haue the Gouernours of the Church of Christ from age to age continued their obedience vnto the Commaund of their Bridegroome by commanding straightly and practising seuerely all these Legitima Ieiunia as Leo an ancient Father termeth them besides their Voluntaria Ieiunia as he also speaketh their Voluntarie priuate Fasts which after the example of Cornelius in the 10. of the Acts and of Saint Paul 1. Cor. 7.5 and 1. Cor. 9.27 they daylie imposed vpon themselues in their priuate houses Amongst these Church-law-Fasts as Leo calleth them the Catholicke Fasts not onely by reason of their Vniuersallitie and Antiquitie vltramemoriall for euen in regard of their antiquitie many of the Fathers haue dared to call them Apostolicall but also by reason of the weighty causes and speciall holy ends for the which they were first ordained haue beene held in highest account and kept with greatest Seueritie But amongst these Catholicke and Vniuersall Fasts the Fast before the Communion hath beene of greatest Religiousnesse next vnto it the Fasts of Holy Orders and of these the most religious hath been the Fast of the seuenth Moneth in which Moneth onely amongst all the Moneths of the yeere God commanded his people of Israel by speciall absolute Precept to keepe their feast of Reconciliation with Fasting from Euentide to Euentide because as Leo and some other Fathers not improbably haue imagined vpon that very same tenth day of September Adam and Eue did first transgresse in Paradise by eating the forbidden fruit Next vnto these in account haue beene the Fasts of Lent especially of Caput Quadragesima which wee call Ashwednesday and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which we cal Good-friday Fast For vpon these dayes not onely the Competentes or Catechameni and the publicke or priuate extraordinary Penitents but euen euery deuout Christian in the time of the Fathers if not openly as the Extraordinary Penitents and Competentes had yet priuily as before I noted concerning Iehoram had sacke-cloth or haire cloth sewed about their loynes Lastly the next vnto these of principall account were the Fasts in Vigilijs praecipuarum festiuitatum the Fasts held vpon the chiefe Saints daies Eeuens as it is plaine out of Leo his Sermons De Ieiunio Decimi Mensis and out of the Homilies and Sermons of Ambrose Austin Bernard and others For to the end they might humbly and reuerently prepare themselues vnto the blessed and ioyfull keeping of Christmas and other high Festiuall Daies they did solemnely and publickely bestow the whole nights in Prayer and in singing of Psalmes and in hearing the word of God preached or read vnto them Surely to the iust condemnation of our fleshly and more dissolute times I speake it Those ancient Fathers and their people in whom there was that Primitiue vigour of the spiritous new wine of the Gospel did keepe these and other their Ordinary and Voluntary Fasts with farre greater humiliation of their soules and bodies before God then wee at this Day or rather dead night of all Christian godlinesse doe keepe our most piacular Extraordinary Fasts when the Sword Famine Pestilence or other more grieuous causes and curses haue smitten vs downe to the place of Dragons And yet they neuer fainted or were any thing at all wearie with the weekely if not daily obseruance of them neither did they intermit or loose any time but rather gayned time for the following of the necessary workes of their outward callings So truely so wisely so zealously obedient were they in the most seuere practise of this Commandement Then shall they mourne fast pray and make Supplications Often The hypocriticall foolish filthy wanton breach or ignorance of which Commaundement amongst vs Christians at this day in all the Churches of the world is as the Poet speaketh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the vnhappy mother of all disobedience Atheisme Barbarisme which now doe grow so fast vpon this delicious last Age of this second vngodly world the gluttonous and fleshly humorousnesse whereof must very shortly bee dried licked vp with the fire of Gods last vengeance Sect. V. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Math. 9.15 THere now remaineth but one thing more to be added for the full and faithfull Explanation of this Text and of this whole Doctrine concerning Euangelicall Fasts that is Their Holinesse intimated in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mourne defined in the next parable to bee farre aboue the Holinesse of Legall Propheticall or More then Propheticall Fasts For our Sauiour Christs Gospell Fasts commaunded heere and commended in the next parable must be as newe cloth fit to mend a decay in the best and strongest deuotioned mindes and as newe wine to bee contained onely in the best seasoned and holiest and purest Vessels or bottels of his Spirit In a word They must not therefore bee defined and esteemed to be truely Religious and holy because both fasting and abstinence are phisicionall and very wholsome for mans body for then Aurelian the heathen Emperour who hauing a strong body is chronicled to haue cured all the ordinarie diseases of his body by much Fasting might haue beene canonized for a Saint nor because they are very praiseable amongst men and very commodious to common-wealths For then the Philosophers and the niggards fastings might be accompted Religious nor because God hates