will set downe mine opinion with submission to better iudgements in three seuerall propositions 1. The precise time and distinct houres how long a Fast must be continued is not any where that I know of peremptorily defined or commanded eyther in the holy Scriptures or in any Writings of the Ancients For as for the Scriptures wee finde examples of some that haue fasted for three dayes and many that haue fasted till night but where eyther that space or any other is commanded for my part I confesse I know not And for the ancient Church it is a cleare case that they vsed to fast somtime till euening and many times but till three a clocke in the afternoone Which sheweth that they thought no set space of time absolutely necessary 2. In euery religious Fast the abstinence must be continued so long as that the body by wanting his ordinary food may bee in some sort chastened and afflicted For so the Scriptures set out a Fast vnto vs as accompanied with chastening and humiliation Thus Dauid speaketh (a) Psal 69.10 I wept and chastened my soule with fasting And the Angell speaking of Daniels Fast (b) Dan. 10.12 When thou didst set thine heart saith hee to vnderstand and to chasten thy selfe before thy God And Ezrah (c) Ezrah 8.21 I proclaymed a Fast that wee might afflict our selues before God By all which and other moe sayings to like purpose it is apparant that in euery true Fast there is an afflicting of the body Which how it is to be vnderstood I haue declared (d) Cap. 4. pa. 49 c. elsewhere 3. The longer our abstinence is so it bee with moderation and regard to a mans strength such as heretofore I described the more perfect the Fast is and the more auaileable for the good which we intend by it My reasons are First because fasting is ordained for humiliation and chastening of our selues before God which the more sensible it is the more effectuall it proueth but the longer the abstinence is the greater is the humiliation or chastening that is wrought by it And therefore the longer the abstinence the perfiter the Fast is Secondly Vpon extraordinary occasions and when greater need required then Gods seruants haue been accustomed to enlarge the time of their fasting as I haue shewed before in Ester and the men of labesh c. And this sheweth that the longer the abstinence is the more powerfull the Fast is Thirdly The ancient Church did vse longer abstinence in Lent time than on other Fasting-dayes intending therein as in all the other religious duties to shew more piety than at other times they vsed And this sheweth that the longer the abstinence is the more perfit they thought the Fast to be Fourthly this conclusion is acknowledged by our Aduersaries of the Romish Church For though they defend the loosenesse of their Church which permitteth them on Fasting-dayes to take their dinner at the vsuall time yet they confesse a Quò quis tardiùs distulerit cò meliùs ieiunare iudicandus est Valer. Reginald prax fori poenit l. 4. c. 13. num 158. Quanto plus tardâ horâ comeditur meliùs ieiunatur Caietan v. Ieiun pag. 120. Neque ignorant Catholici ieiunium tantò esse perfectius quantò diutius refectio siue Coena differtur Bellar. de bon oper in particl l. 2. cap. 2. pag. 1072. B. that by how much later the houre of our eating is by so much our Fast is the better and that they know well enough that the Fast is so much the more perfit by how much the refection after it is the longer protracted 4. The vsuall time of abstinence mentioned in Scriptures in an vsuall and ordinary Fast is the space of one day from morning till night Thus it is said of the children of Israel (b) Iudg. 20.26 that they wept and sate before the Lord and fasted that day vntill euen and of Dauid and his men (c) 2. Sam. 1.12 that they fasted vntill euen for Saul and for Ionathan c. and of Dauid when hee mourned for Abuer that hee would not be perswaded by the people to eate meat while it was yet day but sware saying (d) 2. Sam. 3.35 So doe God to mee and more also if I taste bread or ought else till the Sunne bee downe And so elsewhere And according to this custome it is obserued of the Iewes that euer since they haue kept their Fast (e) Buxdorf Synag Iudaic. cap. 25. pag. 458. Tostat in Matth. 4. q. 11. Azor. part 1. l. 7. cap. 11. q. 1. pag. 563. col 2. till the Starres appeare in the Firmament And lesse time of abstinence then this I no where finde vsed in Scriptures 5. In the Primitiue Church I finde that in the beginning they fasted till sixe of the clocke in the afternoone or till sun setting which in common estimation is about sixe of the clocke For that is the most indifferent time to measure the euening by the most proportionable to the whole yeer and most answerable to the custome of Gods people in the old Testament For there was not such difference betweene the day and the night among the Iewes as is among vs. For in Iurie the shortest day had tenne houres and the longest night but foureteene Whence it followeth that for the greatest part of the yeere the sun did set much what about sixe either not long after or not long before it And when the greatest inequality was as in the depth of winter it did set at fiue of the clocke and in the height of summer at seuen And therefore the most equall time to measure the end of the day or the sunne setting by for all the yeer is sixe of the clocke And that I take to haue bin the vsuall time when both the Iewes and the ancient Christians did breake off their Fasts But afterward Christians began to abridge the time of the abstinence and to cease their Fasts at least many of them about three of the clocke in the afternoone Which Azorius a Tepescente sensim vetere illo feruore coeptum est solui ieiunium primò quidem antequam sol occidcret deinde verò etiā paucis heris ante solis abscessum Azo par 1. l. 7. c. 11. q. 1. pag. 563 564. imputeth to decay of zeale euen in those better times and I wil not deny but it might be so in some part albeit perhaps another reason may be conceiued thereof besides namely the multitude of their Fasts which at that time were frequent especially among the religious sort who gaue themselues to deuotion For they sauing Sundayes and festiuall times were vsed to fast euery day and it might seeme perhaps too much strictnes in such continuall sort to endure so long abstinence and therefore though in Lent time and vpon other dayes of more straite discipline they vsed to fast till night yet ordinarily they broke off their Fasts three houres sooner
Dubit 5. nu 31. pa. 723. Filliuc Moral quaest Tract 27. part 2. cap. 5. nu 78. pag. 285. Writers of the Roman Church say the like of other Fathers and conclude that their sayings doe not proue this to be any Diuine precept but that when they say that Lent-Fast was of Gods appoynting wee must vnderstand their words thus that they meant to say that it had some ground in Scriptures in that Moses and Elias and Christ did fast forty dayes or to like purpose And if this be all then the Fathers doe not say that Lent was of Christs institution or was appoynted by any command of his And other proofe than this there is none that I know of so much as tendered vnto vs. The conclusion then of all is that this Fast of Lent is of very ancient obseruation but not of Diuine or Apostolicall institution for ought that yet hath beene proued II. The second particular to be inquired into is How and in what sort Lent was kept in the ancient Church And for answere hereto my meaning is not neyther is it necessary to enquire into all the seuerall customes and orders that were vsed among them which were an endlesse and needlesse piece of worke but onely to note the extraordinary zeale and deuotion which they vsed at this time more than at other And that may be seene in foure things especially 1. In the length and continuance of their Fasts For whereas at other times in the yeere they fasted one or two or three dayes in one weeke and seldome oftner or more in the time of Lent for the most part they vsed to fast eyther sixe or fiue dayes together and that for diuers weekes one after another without intermission (a) Antiquit. Liturg. to 2. in seriam 6. post Cineres p. 104. And secondly those which at other times did breake off their Fast at three of the Clocke after noone in the time of Lent continued their abstinence till euening or Sunne-set 2. In the hardnesse or meanenesse of their fare when they did eate For on those dayes (b) v. Antiqu. Liturg. to 2. in feriam 6. post Cineres p. 106. when they did not fast as on Sundayes and Saturdayes they did take both their dinner and supper and on their fasting-dayes after abstinence all day they refreshed themselues at night but still their dyet was both sparing and course such as Daniel vsed in his Fast of three weekes For as he saith of that time * Dan. 10.3 I ate no pleasant bread neyther came flesh nor wine in my mouth c. So these ancient Christians during the time of Lent did forbeare flesh and wine and strong drinkes and all nourishing and pleasant food Yea sometimes they contented themselues with a dry feeding of bread and salt and some few hearbes or dryed rootes 3. In c Solenne tempus aduenit quod ampliùs quà m per anni caetera spatia nos orationibus atque ieiunijs animam humiliare corpus castigare commoneat Aug. de diuers Serm. 74. cap. 1. pa 498. B. cap. 6. Exhortor ut quotidianis ieiunijs largioribus eleemosynis feruentioribus orationibus Deum propitietis the strictnesse of discipline and seueritie of punishment which then they exercised for correcting of sinne (d) Antiq. Litâ—â— to 2. in feria 4. CineruÌ„ p. 49. seqq Filesac de Quadr. cap. 12. 15. Booke of CoÌ„mon Prayer in the beginning of the Commination For if a man had fallen into some foule crimes they vsed on the first day of Lent which they called Caput ieiunij the beginning of the Fast to enioyne him publique penance such as the fault did seeme to require and then after his penance ended their manner was vpon the humiliation and submission of the penitent on Maundy-Thursday to receiue him into the peace and communion of the Church againe And as for other Christians whose life was not spotted with any noted and open sinne yet they also exercised themselues in the practice of strict discipline as in examining their consciences and amercing themselues for their sinnes and refraining their vsuall delights and recreations and all with more strictnesse and seuerity than at other times they were accustomed to vse 4. In the exactnes and plenty of all good dueties eyther of piety toward God or of mercy towards the poore or of charity towards all men They were now more frequent in prayer and more abundant in Almes-deedes and more diligent in hearing and reading of Gods Word and more plentifull in all good exercises that might profit their soules or helpe forward their saluations a Omne vitae nostrae tempus stadium quoddam debemus putare virtutum ad coeleste brauium totâ virtute contendere Sed hoc praecipuè in Quadragesimae diebus implendum est qui abstiuentiae et ieiunijs dedicati tantum nobis ad virtutem animi conferunt quantum de corpore voluptatem decerpunt Aug. de Temp. Ser. 64. Dom. 1. Quad. pa. 231. D. so that at once while they famished the body they fatted the soule and while they estranged themselues from earthly pleasures they solaced their soules with heauenly delights and spirtituall ioy And hereupon Leo said that b Parùm religiosus alio tempore demonstratur qui in his diebus religiosior non inuenitur Leo Ser. 2. de Quadr. p. 82. Ser. 3. in princ hee shewed himselfe to haue little religion at other times that in these dayes was not found to be more religious than was or dinary This was their manner of spending their Lent-time The proofe of which particulars out of the ancient Writers I haue forborne to set downe at large because I thought it would but trouble the ordinary Reader and if any list to see the seuerall testimonies for confirmation heereof I haue in the margin poynted him to such Authors as haue gathered them to his hand and where the learned Reader may finde them if he please In the mean while we may take notice of the holy vse that the Ancients made of this time of humiliation which practice of theirs if it had bin continued among them who boast themselues of Abraham to bee their Father and make claime to bee the children of the Catholike Church they had not brought such a scandall vpon this holy discipline as in these latter dayes they haue III. The third thing to be enquired concerning Lent-Fast is What good vses it had among those Ancients and might haue among vs if wee did follow their example And heereto mine answer is that the generall vse of this institution was that the people of God might haue a solemne and speciall time of the yeere wherein they might in a more speciall and more exact and deuouter manner take account of their liues and reckon with their soules for the yeere past and amend whatsoeuer defects they had incurred and performe all such seruices as might both correct the errors of the yeere
ancient Church is most proper and most profitable Now out of these two last poynts layed together we may learne not to esteeme and thinke of the ancient institution and vse of Lent according to the new obseruatiō of it in the Church of Rome For if we looke vpon it according to the intention practice of the old Christian Church we cānot choose but thinke it to be a chiefe time of deuotion and such a practice of holy discipline as may season mens minds for all the yeere after But if we looke vpon it according to the doctrine and practice of the Roman Church we may then iustly thinke it a superstitious foppery as many of the Worthies and learned Writers of the reformed Churches haue spoken and written of it Which speeches of theirs because they may seeme sometimes to inuolue the ancient Fathers the nouell Doctors of the Roman Church in the same condemnation and haue therefore giuen occasion to the Romanists to declame against our Churches as if they condemned all the Ancient Fathers of superstition in their allowance of this Lent-fast it will not be impertinent if in this place I adde a few words more for the defence of our Churches Doctrine Whereas therefore our Aduersaries say and that with great and loud ourcries that we and our Churches doe not onely condemne all fasting and in particular this Fast of Lent but that we doe withall accuse all the old and purer Churches of Christ as being superstitious in their vse of these Fasts mine answere is as followeth First For forreine Churches beyond the Seas which haue abolished the vse of Lent-Fast I say they may haue as iust or reasonable a defence for their doing as the Church of Rome hath for her doings about some other Fasts For it is acknowledged by her owne children that a Ieiuniū quaertae sextae feriae iam inde ab Apostolerum temporibus in praecepto positum constat consuetudine abrogatum esse arbitrio nostro relictum Reginald Prax. fori Poenit l. 4. cap. 12. Sect. 3. p. 148. num 133. the fast of Wednesday and Friday euery weeke was commanded from the very times of the Apostles and yet is now abrogated in the Church of Rome by a contrary custome and is left at mens free choyce and liberty And if it be lawfull for them to abrogate that old Law of Fasting on Wednesday and Friday vsed from the Apostles time onely because custome growing out of negligence and decay of zeale hath brought a disuse of it then it cannot be iudged sinfull and inexcusable in these Churches which out of consideration to auoid Popish superstition did abrogate those Lawes of Lent-Fast which Antiquity had formerly obserued Secondly for our owne Church at home shee in her publique Liturgy (b) Booke of Common-Prayer in the beginning of the Commination hath allowed the old discipline of Lent and doth wish the restoring of it And diuers learned Writers (c) Field of the Church l. 3. cap. 19. Hooker Polit. l. 5. nu 72. Morton Appeale l. ◠cap. 24. Boys on the Epistle for the first Sunday in Lent Sir Edw. Sands Relation nu 10. fol. 6. pag. 2. in our Church of good note and great learning haue defended the holy vse of it in their writings And if any priuate men among vs haue condemned all vse of Lent-Fast it is their priuate opinion not approued by our Church And therefore as themselues will not answer for euery incommodious speech that hath fallen from the lippes or pennes of any of their Writers no more ought they to charge our Church with euery such saying that any priuate Doctor of her profession hath vttered Thirdly If any Diuines in the reformed Churches haue vttered any thing to the preiudice eyther of fasting in generall or of this Fast of Lent in particular they looked vpon it as they then saw it practised and finding it full of superstition in the Church of Rome they could not conceiue much better vse of it than they found among them who magnified it so much And therefore wee may thanke the Church of Rome for the contempt or dislike that Lent hath of late growne into Fourthly The speeches which these learned men haue let fall against these Fasts were vttered amidst their contentions and controuersies with the Roman Church and while they were iustly offended with her superstitions And in such a case it is not strange if men bending themselues against the present errours doe sometimes at vnawares runne too farre the contrary way To this purpose wee reade in the Ecclesiasticall History that a Fere enim impietatis istius quae tantoperè nunc celebratur eam dico quae 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 siue de inaequalitate est quantum ego scio ipse primus seminarium praebuit non ille quidem improbitate mentis sententia sed quòd vebementiùs acriusque oppugnare Sabelliū voluerit Quem ego comparare solitus sum insitori qui quum incuruum tenella arboris statum sedulò corrigere studeat deinde immodicâ attractione peccet medo excidat plantà mque ipsam in contrariam diuersamque deducat formam c. Nicephor l. 6. c. 25. ex Epist Basil M. ad Maxim Philos quae extat tom 2. edit Paris Graecolat pag. 802. est Epist 41. inter opera S. Basil Dionysius Alexandrinus an Orthodox Father striuing too eagerly against Sabellius did vnwittingly sow the seedes of Arianisme and gaue the first occasion to that heresie And in this sort they of the Church of Rome doe sometimes excuse the ancient Fathers for their harsh speeches a Maximè distinguenda sunt ea quae dogmaticè assertiuè in Tractatu positiuo docent ab ijs quae contentiosè in certamine contra Aduersarium disputando etiam in materia fidei pronunciant Ab bocenim posteriori genere dictorum nulla testimonia sumenda sunt quia facilè contingit in talibus modum excedere veritatis lineam transgredi vt de Origine notat Athanasius de Gregorio notauit Basiliue Stapl. Contr. Relect. 6. q. 4. in Explicat pag. 633. Stapleton saith that wee must put a difference betweene those sayings of the Fathers which they did deliuer positiuely and assertiuely in a composed Treatise and those things which they wrote in their disputations against some aduersary For in such case saith hee it is easie to exceede measure and to goe beyond the bounds of truth And b Ardebant veteres illi tanto sincere pietatis Catholicae defensionis ardore vt dum vnum errorem omni virium conatu destruere annituntur saepè in alterum oppositum errorem vel deciderint vel quodammode decidisse videantur agricolaru◠more c. Sixt. Sen. Bibl. l. 5. in praefat pag. 328 329. Sixtus Senensis noteth that the ancient Fathers were so zealous in defending the Catholique faith that while they laboured with all their might to ouerthrow one errour they many times fell
be a solemne time at least once in the yeere wherein men may call themselues to an account for all their negligences repent them of all their euill doings and with Prayers fastings and mournings turne vnto the Lord. 2. That this time of the yeere was chosen as fittest both because that herein we remember the sufferings of Christ for our sinnes as also for that after this meditation of Christs sufferings his ioyfull Resurrection doth immediately present it selfe vnto vs in the dayes following c. 3. That for the limitation of the number of dayes men had an eye to Christs Fast of forty daies as to a conuenient direction His meaning is that the Church vpon the former grounds being to appoint a number of dayes for this solemne seruice and worke of humiliation did make choice of forty dayes the rather because Christ had fasted forty dayes for our sakes Neither is this without good ground and reason For first the very number of the same dayes might serue for a more liuely expression and remembrance of Christs Fast for oursakes To which purpose God himselfe saith in a like case vnto the rebellious Iewes (a) Num. 14.34 After the number of the dayes in which ye searched the Land euen forty dayes each day for a yeere shall ye beare your iniquities euen forty yeeres In which passage we may note three things 1. That GOD did proportion the punishment to the sinne that it might carry the more liuely representation of it This I gather hence because he saith After the number c. for that implyeth that God did regulate the punishment by the offence 2. That this proportion betweene the sinne and the punishment consisted in the paritie or equality of the same number obserued in them both 3. That though there was this proportion and likenes of the number yet there was a disproportion and vnlikenes in the matter of that number For their sinne was acted in fortie dayes but their punishment was to be suffered for fortie yeeres and yet notwithstanding this dissimilitude in the things numbred the likenes in the very number it selfe did serue to keepe a fresh remembrance of the fact And so in our Lent-Fast there is a great difference betweene the manner of Christs Fast and of ours because hee fasted altogether without tasting any thing which we can no way reach vnto but doe come as farre short of it as forty dayes are short of forty yeeres yet in as much as we keepe the same number of dayes in our Fast that he kept in his this very agreement in the number may serue to represent vnto vs and to keepe a remembrance of that Fast of our Sauiour And this may be one reason why the Church might well make choyce of the same number of dayes for their yeerely and solemne Fast which our Lord had vsed before in his Fast in the Wildernesse Secondly the Church might iustly make choice of the same number of dayes that Christ fasted because the vsing of the same number might serue as a meanes to expresse our affection and loue to our Sauiour For euen among men children that desire to honour the memory of their Fathers will sometimes say I will doe this thing or I will obserue that order because my Father or Grandfather was wont to doe so before me And a kinde man after the death of his friend or benefactor whom he doth reuerence and respect will keepe some customes and vse some courses the rather because it was the manner of that man whom he doth honour to doth so And finally all of vs vse to say of them that be in loue or doe tenderly affect one another that they loue the very ground on which each of them doth tread And all this sheweth that where there is loue and respect there men doe desire to conforme themselues in euery manner they may to the actions and behauiour of those whom they doe affect and loue And so in this case the Church might shew loue and respect to her Redeemer by making choice of that number of dayes for her Fast which hee had vsed in his I may then I hope not without ground say that the Church did appoint fortie dayes for Lent-Fast with an eye to the forty dayes Fast of our Sauiour as willing and that for good reason to keepe the same number of dayes that he had done Now out of all this we haue three Corollaries which I will add for the conclusion of this whole point 1. Coroll That our Church hath great reason to wish as she doth that the old Discipline of Lent might be restored againe For the thing in it selfe is very effectuall to purge sinne and worke amendment of life and the time is very fitly chosen to conforme vs to the sufferings of Christ and to fit vs for the celebrity of his Resurrection because hauing purged out the old leuen of sin we may then keepe the feast with the vnleauened bread of syncerity and truth yea and the very number of dayes allotted for this seruice is not without some good vse to keepe the fresher remembrance of our Lords tentations and fastings 2. Coroll That they ouershoote themselues in a mis-gouerned zeale who to crosse the superstitions of Rome do make these ancient fasting daies the vsual times of their feasting For in so doing they doe not onely shew themselues vnlike to the ancient Christians whose example it is our glory to follow in their lawfull courses but they doe also without cause obliterate a good memoriall of their Sauiours mercies I like their zeale in purging out of Popish superstition but I should like it better if it were ioyned with moderation and wisedome such for example sake as Ezekiah and the Priests did vse in purging of the Temple And that was this (a) 2 Chro. 29.16 They brought out all the vncleannes that they found in the Temple of the Lord into the Court of the House of the Lord and the Leuites tooke it to carry it out abroad into the brooke Kidron And when they had thus cleansed all the House of the Lord then (b) Vers 21. c. they brought bullocks and rammes and Lambes and hee goates and offered sacrifices and performed the wonted seruice to the Lord in his Temple Where we see they did not pull downe the Temple because of the superstitions or abominations rather with which Ahaz and the Idolaters of that time had defiled it but they purged out the superstition and kept the Temple still for its wonted holy vses And so it were a commendable zeale if men would purge the ancient fasting dayes of the Church and carrie out the superstitions with which Popery hath defiled them and cast them into some riuer or rather into some sea that they may neuer apeare any more in the Chrian world But as it had beene too much violence then to pull downe the Temple for the vncleannes sake that was in it so it is too much violence now
said (a) Luk. 1.74 75. that being deliuered out of the hands of our enemies we might serue God without feare all the dayes of our life the name of dayes includeth the whole space till the end of the time mentioned because the seruice of God is such as may not be neglected either by night or day And so when it is said of Lazarus (b) Ioh. 11.39 that he had beene dead foure dayes the meaning is that he was dead all that while both by night and day because men that are dead by day doe not vse to liue by night and then dye the next day againe And so againe when it is said of Saul that hee was three dayes without sight the meaning is that hee was blinde for so many dayes and so many nights And the reason is the same because if a man be blind for so many dayes it cannot be conceiued that he had his sight in the night time In these such like cases the conditiō of the things is such that what is said of thē for the day must be taken for the night too And in such cases there is no neede to mention the nights But yet sometimes as when the speech is of such things which though they happen in the day yet are vsed to be intermitted in the night then the name of the dayes doth not include the night also As when it is said of Laban that he pursued after Iacob (c) Gen. 31.23 seuen dayes iourney the meaning is he followed so farre as a man may or doth vse to goe in the space of seuen dayes not counting the nights because men that trauell by day are supposed to take vp their lodging and rest in the night time And so if a man should hire an ordinary day-labourer to worke with him for two or three daies all men would vnderstand the bargaine to be made of working in the day and not in the night time but if a Mariner should bee hyred to labour in a ship by sea or a nurse to attend a sicke partie for the same number of dayes euery man would construe that both of day and night because such labours and paines as the mariner and nurse do take in such cases are to be continued aswell by night as by day Now when the speech is of such things as being done in the day may be intermitted or vse to be intermitted by night then the name of dayes doth not include or comprize the nights also And so it falleth out in this matter of fasting For when the Iewes were to fast for many dayes together their maner was to abstaine from meate all the day Chap. 1. p. 7 8. but at night to eate a sparing meale as I haue declared in another place already And hereupon the Learned doe obserue that the Iewes when they speake of many dayes Fast without mentioning the nights they vnderstand it commonly of fasting onely in the day time till euening and that when they meane that a Fast is continued for diuers dayes without eating any thing at night then for distinction sake and that their meaning may be plaine they adde the nights too as when Ester saith to the Iewes (a) Ester 4.16 Fast ye for me and neither eate nor drinke three dayes night or day And so in this place Saint Mathew saith that Christ fasted forty dayes and forty nights lest any man should conceiue that hee abstained all day for that space but did refresh himselfe in the euening II. The second question is Why our Lord made choyce of this number of fortie to determine his fasting by This question may admit two constructions and so receiue two answers accordingly For first it may be vnderstood of the precise number of fortie why iust so many dayes without missing either vnder or ouer Or secondly it may be meant of an extraordinary number of dayes and space of time that is why hee fasted so many dayes and nights as it exceedeth mans strength to endure without eating 1. If wee take it in the former sense then I thinke I may safely say as many of the Learned doe that our Lord did make choyce of this number of dayes that hee might therein conforme himselfe to the two great Prophets of the Old Testament Moses and Elias For Moses was the giuer of the Law and Elias was the restorer of the Law and both were in their kinde the most excellent Prophets that the old Church had and both of them for the confirmation of their calling and to gaine credit to their places did fast forty dayes and forty nights when they were to speake with God in the Mount as it is recorded of Moses Exod. 34.28 Deut. 9.9 and of Elias 1 King 19.8 a Quadragesima same ieiuniorum habet autoritatē in veteribus librie ex ieiunio Mosi Heliae et ex Euāgelio quia totidē diobus Dominus ieiunauit demonstrans Euangelium nō dissentire à Loge Prophetis In persona quippe Mosi Lex in persona Heliae Prophetae accipiuntur inter quos et in mōte gloriosus apparuit vt euidentius emineret quod de illo dicit Apostolus testimonium habens à Lege Prophetis August Epist 119. ad Ianuar. cap. 15. pag. 195. f. Now our Lord to shew that he was not inferior to either of these great Prophets and that they did consent and agree with him thought good to begin his Ministery as they did theirs with a miraculous Fast of forty dayes To which purpose wee likewise reade that when our Lord was transfigured in the Mount (a) Matt. 17.3 Luk. 9.30.31 Moses and Elias appeared vnto him and talked with him and spake of his death and passion And this did serue for a cleare confirmation of Christs calling and authority that these two speciall and principall Prophets did both concurre to beare witnesse of him and hereby it appeared that the Gospell had witnesse of the Law and the Prophets as the Apostle speaketh Rom. 3.21 But then the question may be further Why did Moses fast forty dayes and forty nights and that at two seuerall times when he was with God in the Mount And hereto I answere that many both ancient and moderne Writers especially those that be in the Church of Rome doe say that there was a mystery in this number and that that was the reason why both Moses and Elias and our Sauiour also did fast that space of time but eyther they say not what that mystery was or else they proue not what they say nay themselues cannot agree what to say For some interpret the mystery one way and some another as euery mans seuerall fancy doth leade him the relation of which sundry conceits would be more tedious than profitable But to the poynt it selfe for my part I haue onely two things to say 1. That though I will not peremptorily condemne their opinion who conceiue a mystery in the number b In
I reason thus The Iewes did lawfully obserue foure seuerall set daies euery yeere for daies of fasting And therefore it is not alwayes superstitious and sinfull to obserue set fasting dayes Some againe answere that these Fasts were appointed vpon occasion of their present calamities in Babylon and ceased at their deliuerance My reply is that I see no proofe that these Fasts did cease to be obserued after the Iewes were deliuered out of captiuity The contrary may seeme more probable because in the (a) Calendan Hebraeorum edito à Genebrardo praefixo CoÌ„ment in Psalmos Kalender of the Iewes wherein their Feasts and Fasts are noted these foure dayes remaine still as beeing in vse among the Iewes And b Haec sunt festa quatuor ista communissima quibus Iudaei tempore Prophetae Zachariae ieiunaruÌ„t adhuc annis singulis ordinariè summarieque ieiunant Buxd. Synagog Iudaic. cap. 25. Buxdorfius a man well acquainted with the manners and customes of the Iewes telleth vs that the Iewes to this day do keepe those fasting dayes which are there mentioned by the Prophet But say that they ceased vpon the peoples deliuerance yet it is not true that they were appointed vpon occasion of their present miseries in Babylon for other dayes might haue beene as fit for that purpose and perhaps more conuenient then these but as the learned obserue by occasion of some miserable accidents which befalling them but once did moue them to fast the same daies that those accidents happened for many yeeres after And if those Fasts did last no longer then the time of their captiuity because all that while they had iust cause to humble themselues in remembrance of these euils yet thus much will follow from thence that therefore vpon occasion of a sorrowfull accident which hath once befalne vs we may for euer after fast that set day so long as we haue cause to be humbled in remembrance of it And hence againe it will follow that therefore Good-Friday may euery yeere constantly be kept for a fasting day because it was occasioned by the death of Christ for our sinnes and we shall neuer want iust cause to bee humbled in remembrance hereof so long as the world lasteth because besides our old sinnes we doe euery yeere commit many moe new ones which helped to nayle our Sauiour to the Crosse The like might be said of some other the like dayes And therefore there is warrant in Scriptures for set and standing times of fasting II. My second proofe is from approued examples of Gods Church both in the time of the Law and in the time of the Gospell For in the time of the Law the Iewish Church kept their set dayes of abstinence as besides the Fasts now mentioned out of the Prophet may further appeare by the words of the Gospell For there it is said that the Disciples of Iohn and of the Pharises did fast often and more particularly of the Pharises that they fasted twise a weeke Now as (a) Caluin in Dan. 6.10 Caluin concludeth that Daniel had his set prefixed houres of praying because it is said that hee prayed three times a day So may I hence inferre that the Pharises kept set dayes of fasting because it is said of them that they fasted twise euery weeke And (b) ExaÌ„ part 4. de Tempore Ieiun nu 54. pa. 95.1 Kemnitius gathereth from the ninth of Saint Mathew that both the Pharises and the Disciples of Iohn had certa stata tempora ieiuniorum set and standing times for their Fasts Now that this practice of theirs is an approued example for vs appeareth first because our Lord when he reproueth their errours in their Fast yet findeth no fault with this And secondly because he excused his Disciples for not fasting as the Pharises and Iohns Disciples did from the vnseasonablenes of the time and promised that after-ward when the time was fitting they should then fast And this sheweth that our Lord was so farre from condemning the Pharises and Iohns Disciples that he excuseth his Disciples for not doing the like Againe in the time of the Gospell the Christian Church hath still had her standing and set dayes for fasting as the time of Lent euery yeere and the Friday euery weeke and some others as is so apparent that it cannot be denyed nor needs not to be proued And these set times haue beene commended by many holy and learned Fathers of the Church but were neuer disliked by any of them that euer I could finde And so in conclusion in the iudgement of Gods Church both before and since Christs appearing in the flesh which heerein was neuer blamed by Christ or his Apostles or the learned Fathers it is no sinne to keepe set dayes of fasting III. The third proofe is taken from reason grounded on the authority of Scriptures And my reasons in that kinde shall be these two 1. Nothing is sinfull but that which is forbidden by Gods Law for (a) 1 Ioh. 3.4 Sinne is the transgression of the Law as the Apostle defineth it But to keep set dayes of fasting is no where forbidden by any Lawe of God It followeth And therefore to keepe such dayes is no sinne Against this Argument nothing can be excepted vnlesse some Text of Gods Law can be shewed which condemneth or forbiddeth the obseruation of such standing times And for that purpose some obiect the place of Saint Paul (a) Gal. 4.10 Yee obserue dayes and moneths and times and yeeres I am afraid of you lest I haue bestowed on you labour in vaine But to this the reply is easie and may be borrowed out of Beza for he expounding a like place in Saint Paul One man esteemeth one day aboue another another esteemeth euery day alike the Apostle heere saith this learned man b Agit non do quouis dierum discrimine sed de eo demum quod in Lege Mosis pracipitur vt apparet ex eo quod scriptum eâ—â— Coloss 2.16 Beza in Rom. 14.6 doth not speake of euery difference of dayes but of that only which is prescribed in Moses his Law as is apparent by that which is written Coloss 2.16 Let no man iudge you in meate or in drinke or in respect of an holy day or of the new moone or of the Sabbath dayes which are a shaddow of things to come c. And so I say The Apostle in the place alledged doth not speake of euery obseruing of dayes and times but such onely as was prescribed by Moses and is abolished by Christ And this exposition of this place is as directly prooued by that other to the Colossians as that whereof Beza speaketh The place then alledged doth not proue that standing times of fasting are forbidden by Gods Law Arg. 2. The keeping of set times for the doing of holy duties is a thing found to be profitable and vsefull in the life of a Christian because it may serue for the more constant performance
But if it were decay of zeale in those former Christians that they ceased their Fasts before night then it must needs be an extinction of zeale in the Romane Church who breaketh her Fast at the vsuall time of eating or rather doth not keepe any Fast so long And now out of all this we haue in the generall this cleare and manifest conclusion That though no precise time for continuance is prescribed in Gods Word yet the continuance of a Fast without eating or drinking till euening which by common estimation is held to be about sixe of the clocke is approued of in Scriptures and was practised by the ancient Christians and commended of all and that the shortening of this time was from decay of deuotion And therefore if wee would take a safe way and that which is best approued of all we must continue our abstinence on our fasting dayes till night without eating or drinking till about euening vnlesse infirmity or some other necessary cause doe require refreshing sooner But more particularly we may from the former discourse gather and obserue these things following 1. Wee may see that the Fast of Protestants which is continued in perfect abstinence from all meate and drinke till the euening is more agreeable to the custome of Gods people in former ages and is in it selfe a better and more perfect Fast then the Fast of Papists is euen our Enemies being Iudges For they praise it for a better Fast which hath the longer abstinence and we fast till night whereas they doe not so much as forbeare eating till mid-day 2. We may see with how little God is contented at our hands in respect of that which Christ performed for our sakes For abstinence for the space of one day is accepted of God for a good dutie of humiliation but Christ our Lord fasted forty dayes and forty nights for the furthering of our saluation And yet whereas Christ performed all this for our sakes we think it too much to doe this little for his sake Nay as the Iewes were wearie of the Sabbath day and times of Gods seruice and said (a) Amos 8.5 When will the new-moone be gone and the Sabbath that we may set foorth wheat And againe (b) Mal. 1.13 Behold what a wearinesse is it say they And ye haue snuffed at it saith the Lord of Hosts So we may finde men that when they come to heare a Sermon are weary of hearing and wish that the Sermon were ended before the time and when they come to Church-Seruice are weary of praying and wish that the Seruice were ended before the time but especially if they vndertake an holy Fast are sooner wearie of the Abstinence and wish that the fasting day were ended before the time But a good Christian for discouering of his owne corruption should take notice of this inequality between Christs sufferings for our sakes and our suffering for his sake And if the flesh grow weary of hearing or reading or praying or fasting for a conuenient requisite time he should check himselfe with the example of his Sauiour and say to himselfe But my Lord and Master preached all day and prayed all night and fasted many dayes and nights together for my sake and shall I grudge to spend one houre or one day in his seruice for his Names sake The religious soule that shall thus now and then checke his owne dulnesse will by the meditation heereof gaine more feruour in Gods seruice CHAP. X. What we are to thinke of the Fast of Lent THe Church from the beginning hath been accustomed to keepe an annuall Fast euery yeere commonly called Ieiunium Quadragesimale the fortie dayes Fast because it was continued about that number of dayes and was occasioned by this forty dayes Fast of our Sauiour Concerning which Quadragesimal or forty dayes Fast known among vs by the name of Lent or Lent Fast haue bin diuers opinions of late yeeres as there were diuers customes in keeping of it in former times For some haue magnified it too superstitiously placing Religion in outward things onely wherein the power of godlinesse could not consist and others haue scrupulously condemned all vse of it thinking that it could neuer be well vsed which they had seene so much abused In respect of which difference of opinions as also and especially because it is so proper to the argument in hand and hath such reference to the words of the Euangelist which I tooke for my ground I thought it not vnfit in the last place to enquire into the nature condiof this Lent Fast that amidst different opinions we might know what to thinke For which purpose I haue proposed to my selfe these 5 things to bee more particularly considered of 1. Who was the Author of it and from whence the institution of it came 2. How and in what sort it was kept in the ancient Church 3. What good vses it then had or now may haue among vs. 4. Why choyce was made of this season of the yeere for this Fast 5. What relation and what dependance this forty dayes Fast of Lent hath on Christs Fast of forty dayes in the Wildernesse I. The first thing is Who was the Author of it c. Answ I finde three speciall opinions concerning this point 1. The first opinion is that the Fast of Lent is of Diuine institution either appointed immediately by Christ himselfe or else ordained by the Apostles with authority and by the commandement of their Lord and Master a Dominus noster sanctis suis Apost olis per Spiritū S. id etiam inspirauit vt disertis verbis huius abstinentiae praeceptum populo Christiano proponerēt Pisan de Absti cap. 9. pa. 138. v. Filesa de Quadrag ca. 1. Ant. Liturg. tom 2. Sabb. post Cineres pag. 117. c. Azor. p. 1. lib. 7. cap. 12. q. 1. Of this opinion are many Popish Writers and to this purpose some of the Fathers speeches are alledged but their meaning is not that which at first sight it may seeme to bee 2. The second opinion is that it is of Apostolicall but not Diuine institution They meane that the Apostles did ordaine Lent-Fast as beeing in their iudgements a wholesome and most conuenient order but not as being any commandement receiued from God or from Iesus Christ And of b Non fuit datū subsequentibus tēporibus sed ab ipsis Apostolis initio nascentis Ecclesiae c. Val. Reginal Prax. fori poenit l. 4. ca. 12. nu 129. p. 148. v. et Vas to 3. in 3. Disp 213. nu 4. pag. 444.2 Ioh. Medina Cod. de Ieiun quaest 2. pa. 328. Less de Iustit Iure l. 4. c. 2. Dubitat 5. num 29. seqq pa. 722.2 Filliuc Tract 27. part 2. ca. 5. nu 77 78. nu 95. Bell. de bo oper in partle l. 2. cap. 14. Stapl. prompt Cathol Domin 1. Quadrag p. 84 85. Tost Mat. 4. q. 18. Barrad to a. l. 2. c.
2. pa 61. Beerlyn promp pare 3. in festo Cinerū Text. 3. Azor. part 1. l. 7 c. 12. this opinion are not a fewe of the latter Popish Doctors 3. The third opinion is that it is an ancient Ecclesiasticall Order begun in the Church after the Apostles time and consequently that it may not be called either Diuine or Apostolicall vnlesse we will call it Apostolicall because it is a very ancient Order whose beginning and institution is vnknowne as such like orders are many times called Apostolicall and referred to their institution Of this opinion is c Collat. 21. c. 30. Cassianus an ancient Writer and d Fest Hom. Disp 69. nu 4. p. 469. Kem. Exā par 4. de Ieiu tit quomodo vetus Eccl. Ieiun c. pag. 125. Nicol. Vedel Exer. 10. in Ignat. epist ad Phil. c. 3. nu 11. pag. 60. nu 19. pag. 67. diuers learned men in the reformed Churches That which I conceiue most probable I will set downe in three distinct and seuerall assertions but with submission to better indgement 1. Pro. It is certaine that the obseruation of Lent was very ancient and receiued throughout the whole Christian Church For whosoeuer shal peruse the writings of the Fathers shall finde mention of it in men of all countries and euen as neere to the Apostles times as any Monuments or Records of the Church doe reach 2. Propos It is not certaine that it was either appoynted or obserued by the Apostles of Christ as any Rule or Order agreed vpon by them for the vse of the Church My reasons are 1. Because no man who liued in their time or within that age doth say it nor can any other tell which of them or in what manner or with what instructions they either ordained or obserued it And to say that therefore it is of the Apostles institution because no other Author is knowne is a coniecture that may faile vs. 2. (a) V. Filesac de Quadrag c. 2. seqq v. etiā Vedel Exerc. 10. in Ignat. ep ad Philip. cap. 3. nu 11. seqq Because the Fast of Lent was anciently obserued in diuers Churches and Countries after a very diuerse and different maner For first there was a difference in the number of weekes appointed for this vse some obseruing eight weekes some seuen some sixe and some as we now doe sixe weekes and foure dayes Secondly there was difference in the fasting daies of Lent for in some places they fasted euery day saue Sunday in some other euery day except Saturday and Sunday in some other euery second day and in some but euery other weeke onely For on those other dayes in Lent though they abstained from some meats yet they did eate their dinner and then the Ancients thought it to be no fasting day Now if there had been any set order agreed vpon by the Apostles for the practice of the Church in all likely hood there could not haue beene such variety in so short a time It may be I deny not that the Apostles who were frequent in fastings as Saint Paul speaketh of himselfe 2 Cor. 11.27 did vse it at this time more frequently and for longer time then at other times of the yeere because they were now occasioned to remember the sufferings of their Master and anon after to celebrate his Resurection And this practice might perhaps giue occasion to the Churches abroad to take example by them and to celebrate a more solemne and longer Fast at that season but with such different obseruations and facions as vsually falleth out among sundry nations and companies when all agree in one end or maine worke but haue not the same Rules to proceed by prescribed vnto them But if this be supposed yet still I say that it is not certaine that the Apostles did eyther institute or obserue a Lent Fast of forty daies such as is now vsed in the Christiā Church 3. Propos There is no reason to imagine that the Fast of Lent was any precept of Christs either deliuered by his own mouth or giuen to the Apostles by inspiration or otherwise And for this my reasons are two 1. My first reason shall be the same with that which Saint Augustine vsed in the very like case Hee disputing of the Saturdayes Fast against one who vrged the necessitie of it concludeth or reasoneth in this manner a Ego in Euangelicis Apostolicis literis totóque inslrumento quod appellatur Testamentum nouum animo id reuoluens video praeceptum esse ieiunium Quibus autem diebus non operteat ieiunare quibus oporteat praecepto Domini vel Apostolorum non inuenio definitum As per hoc senlio c. Augustin Ep. 86. ad Casulan pag. 132. C. I saith hee hauing in my minde reuolued the New Testament doe finde that Fasting is commanded in the Writings of the Euangelists and Apostles but on what dayes men ought not to fast and on what they ought I no where finde it determined by any commandement of Christ or of his Apostles Atque per hoc sentio c. And for this cause I thinke that there is no such necessity in the Saturdaies fast otherwise than as the orders and custome of euery Church doe require In which dispute of that learned Father I consider two things for my purpose 1. I note his Assertion It is not found to bee appoynted or commanded in the Writings of the New Testament Secondly I note his conclusion which hee inferreth hereupon Atque per hoc sentio c. And therefore I thinke it no precept of Christ And so I may reason in this case Let a man reade all the Writings of the Apostles and Euangelists and he shall no where finde that the Fast of Lent was appoynted by the commandement eyther of GOD or of Christ or of his Apostles Atque per hoc sentio And therefore I am of opinion that it is no commandement of Christ 2. My second reason is because there is no proofe that may perswade vs that this institution was Christs precept For all the reason that is brought for this purpose so farre as I can learne or obserue is onely this because some of the Ancients say that it was appoynted by Christ or by Almighty God But they who speake thus doe not meane that which these men would haue who alledge them For a Quamuis Ambrosius Hieronymus Augustimus intelligant Quadragesunam à Domino indistā non verbo sed exemplo c. Bellarm. de bonis oper l. 2. c. 14. §. Adde quod non Bellarmine confesseth of three of the chiefe of them namely Saint Hierome Saint Ambrose and Saint Austin that they are to be vnderstood of Christs Fact and example because he fasted forty dayes and not of any precept of his as if hee had commanded it And other (b) Azor. Instit l. 7. cap. 12. q. 1. pa. 566 567. Less de Iustit Iure l. 4. c. 2.
past and fit them for all holy duties for the yeere to come And this practice might bee of great vse for all those that should vse it accordingly and that in diuers respects 1. Because there may be some publike offences committed by the body of the Church either in the omission of some common duty or in their neglect of gouernment and discipline or in the mis-ordering of the publike State And for such sinnes as these it is very reasonable that as the whole body hath sinned so the whole body should sorrow and repent by their ioynt humiliation submission seeke reconciliation and pardon For which purpose we may reade that God did not onely appoint the Priest and the Prince the people to bring sinne-offerings for their errours but enioyned also an Oblation for the Community or body of the Church Leu. 4.13 14. c. If saith he the whole Congregation of Israel sinne through ignorance and the thing be hid from the eyes of the Assembly c. When the sinne which they haue sinned is knowne then the Congregation shall offer a young bullocke for the sinne In which passage wee may note two things 1. That besides the sinnes of particular men there might be some sinnes of the whole Community sinnes which were properly neither the sins of the Priest nor of the Prince nor of the people alone for of all these hee had spoken before and had appointed them their seuerall sacrifices and oblations for their atonement but sinnes they were of the whole Congregation As for example saith Tostatus when some Ceremonie or dutie was neglected by all and not noted or questioned by any Or 2. when the body representatiue they in whō the chief gouernment rested did commit some errour against Gods Law either in making or in executing or in neglecting of publike Lawes or in any other miscarriage about the publike state And such slips as these may easily be committed by the Congregation or Community of the Church at this day Secondly note that when such offence was committed God appointed that as the whole Congregation was guilty so the whole should ioyne in the sinne-offering And so it is requisite that for the common sins which escape the body of the Church the whole body should ioyne together in one and haue some appointed time in which by their ioynt repentance they may obtaine common forgiuenesse For which purpose the time of Lent might serue most conueniently it being the time in which the whole Christian Church in all countryes did vse publike humiliation and in which Kings and Nobles and people did ioyne in exercises of fasting and sorrow Which course of humiliation if Christian States and people did vse accordingly then I doubt not but many Churches and Common-wealths might haue stood firme and in a flourishing estate which now are ruinated or possessed by the Enemy because they did not preuent Gods Iustice by their open and publike repentance Secondly there might be good vse of this institution of Lent for the former purpose because in the compasse of a yeere there may happen many faults and distempers in our soules which are not discernable in the space of a day or a weeke or a moneth Euery man findeth by experience in his houses and dwellings that if he view them at the daies or weekes end hee shall many times perceiue but small difference but after a yeere or more he will spy some defects which at the beginning of the yeere they had not And so in his clothes and the vessell of his house after so much space of time he may see decay in the one and rust in the other though he could not obserue any such change in the euening from that which they were in the morning or at the end of the weeke from that which they were at the beginning And so euen religious minds though they fall not into some notorious sinne which sheweth it selfe at the first view yet they may decay in the feruour of their zeale a Quia dum carnis fragilitate austerior obseruantia relaxatur dumque per varias actiones vitae huius sollicitudo distenditur necesse est de mundano puluere etiam religiosa corda sordescere magnâ Diuinae institutionis salubritate prouisum est vt ad reparandam mentium puritatem quadraginta nobis dierum exercitatio mederetur c. Leo Ser. 4. de Quadrag p. 87. or gather some soyle or filth of worldlines or fleshly delights or such like distemper which is not to bee discerned till after some space of time And for amending of such insensible decay of holines this time would bee fit if it were vsed with that obseruance of discipline which in ancient time was vsuall 3. There may be vse also because in a matter of so great importance as is saluation and eternall happines besides the ordinary care for which a Christian hath opportunity liberty euery day some more speciall time to bee employed with more exact diligence may be very conuenient at the least if not altogether necessary For thus we see in trading and house-keeping men thinke it not inough to booke vp their expences and receipts euery day nor to take account of their successe at the weekes end but besides that ordinary care they vse once in the yeere to cast vp their shops and compare their bookes and take a generall view of all that hath past before in the yeere that so they may correct their errors and supply their defects and better their whole course of liuing for the time to come And the like care schoolemasters take with their schollers for besides their daily and weekely exercises and examinations once in the yeere they do lightly exact of their schollers an entire repetition of all their Grammer rules that by disuse they doe not decay in the grounds of their learning And thus in matters of the soule Leu. 16.29 34. God appointed the Iewes one speciall day or as some thinke two dayes in the yeere wherein ouer and aboue their ordinary exercises of Religion vsed at other times they should wholly intend the sifting of their soules and should in a more exact manner exercise the workes of repentance and humiliation and chastisement for their sinnes And so the Christian Church beside all their other instructions exercises for that purpose which happen euery day in one kinde or other hath moreouer appointed a set and solemne time in the yeere to celebrate the memory of Christs birth and circumcision and of his death and resurrection and ascension into heauen and such like other mysteries of saluation And so in like manner it will be a very profitable course for Christians if they haue a set and solemne time of the yeere for the more exact and perfect examination of their consciences and afflicting of their soules for sinne and the quickening of their zeale for Gods seruice And for this purpose the institution of Lent as it was vsed by the
into the contrary or might seeme to fall into it euen as Husbandmen in streightening a crooked sprigge doe many times bend it too farre the contrary way And thus saith hee St. Austin writing against the Pelagians did goe so farre in defence of Gods grace that hee seemeth to doe some wrong to mans free-will And on the contrary fide Saint Chrysostome defending free-will against the Manichees did extoll it too farre with some wrong to Gods grace And so it is no vnpardonable errour if some learned men among vs or in our Churches haue in hatred to the superstitions of Rome spoken too harshly of the deuotions of elder times And this shall suffice for answere to this accusation or calumnie rather of the Romish Doctors IIII. The fourth question concerning this time of Lent is Why this time of the yeere was made choyce of for this purpose Answ I finde many reasons giuen by diuers men But of those many the greater part may seeme to haue beene inuented after the institution of Lent to shew the congruity and fitnesse of it The true reasons which I thinke did moue the Church at the beginning to ordaine this time of humiliation were onely but two of them Of the former sort were these and such like 1. The first is a politique reason and it is because this time of the yeere is a time of breed and of the increase of creatures and the sparing of the increase by abstinence and slender diet might cause plenty and store in the Common-wealth for all the yeere after 2. The second is a physicall reason which is because (a) Filliuc Tractat. 27. cap. 5. part 2. q. 8. num 97. pag. 287. at this time of the yeere there is most increase of bloud in a mans body and the heate thereof might breed Feuers and hot diseases but spare diet especially consisting of fish and hearbes and rootes c. will serue to qualifie the bloud and to bring it to a right temper 3. The third is a reason of allusion to the season of the yeere For b Hāc Quadragesimam largitue est nobis Dōmnus vt buius temporis spatio in morem totius creaturae nunc concipiamus virtutū germina Terra indictâ Quadragesimâ asperitatē deponit hiemis ego indictâ Quadragesimâ asperitatem reijcio delictorum Illa terra aratris scinditur vt mundanis sit cōgrua frugibus mea terra ieiunijs exaratur vt coelestibus sit apta seminibus Herba segetum reuiuiscit in messem surculus arboris conatur in fruticem palmes vineae pubescit in gemmam c. Ambros Serm. 40. in feria 3. post Dominic 2. Quadrag pag. 57. C.F. now fields and gardens trees and hearbes and all vegetables doe sprowt and flourish and grow and so with the season of the yeere Christians should haue their spring of grace and be now more plentifull in all good dueties and offices of Religion Againe now is the seed-time of the world Men plow and harrow and breake the clods of the ground that it may be fit to receiue seed and to bring forth a plentifull increase and so men being admonished by the course of nature should now take occasion to ransack their consciences and humble their soules and chasten the whole man that they may be the more fit to receiue the seedes of grace and to bring forth the fruits of righteousnesse 4. The fourth is a reason drawne from the necessity of mortification at this time For now bloud doth most increase and is most hot and stirring (a) Iansen in Concord cap. 15. pag. 124. col 2. E. Filliuc Tractat. 27. cap. 5. part 2. q. 8. num 97. Aliique and the heat of nature is apt to produce increase of lust And therefore as men in the spring-time doe abstaine from Wine and strong drinkes lest they should breed Feuers and hot distempers in the body so it is requisite that they should forbeare nourishing meates and vse abstinence lest full feeding should breed youthfull lusts and distempers in the soule These and such like are the reasons of congruitie which vnder correction I thinke men did afterward inuent to shew the reasonablenesse and fitnesse of this constitution but now the proper reasons which did as I take it induce the Church to appoynt this Fast were these two 1. Because the time going before Easter was the time of Christs sufferings and passion and death In those dayes it was that he was betrayed by his Disciple and sweat bloud in the Garden and was accused and condemned and crucified and buried for our sinnes which sufferings of Christ are still to be remembred with thankefulnesse by euery Christian And because the most expresse remembrance of things past is at the same time when they were done therefore this time of the yeere in which Christ did vndergoe his sufferings was thought the fittest season in which Christians should celebrate the memory of them For to this purpose it is that God himselfe speaking of the day in which hee destroyed the Egyptians and passed by the Israelites houses without hurt saith of it (a) Exod. 12.14 This day shall bee vnto you for a memoriall and yee shall keepe it a Feast vnto the Lord throughout your generations And a little after (b) Vers 17. Yee shall obserue the Feast of vnleauened bread for in this selfe-same day haue I brought your armies out of the Land of Egypt Therefore shall yee obserue this day in your generations by an Ordinance for euer And againe (c) Exod. 13.3 ◠9 10. Remember this day in which yee came out from Egypt out of the house of bondage c. And when the Lord shall bring thee into the Land of the Canaanites c. thou shalt keepe this seruice in this moneth c. And it shall bee for a signe vnto thee vpon thine hand and for a memoriall betweene thine eyes that the Lords Law may bee in thy mouth Thou shalt therefore keepe this Ordinance in his season from yeere to yeere Where we may note what God requireth and why hee requireth it First What and that is that they should keepe this day of that moneth from yeere to yeere for a Festiuall day vnto the Lord. Secondly Why they should doe this at this time and that is because at this time God did deliuer them and the keeping of this time would be for a signe of remembrance and for a memoriall of that mercy And for like purpose (d) Ester 9.21 22. Ester and Mordecai commanded the same dayes to bee celebrated euery yeere in which God had deliuered them from their danger And so the Church of Christ hath euer thought it fit that the Acts and workes of our Sauiour which tend to our Redemption such as were his Conception Birth Resurrection Ascension into heauen c. should be celebrated among Christians about the same time of the yeere in which he performed them And so no lesse fit is it that his sufferings and
CHRISTIAN HVMILIATION OR A TREATISE OF FASTING Declaring the Nature Kindes Ends Vses and Properties of a Religious FAST Together with a briefe Discourse concerning the Fast of LENT By Henry Mason Pastor of Saint Andrews-Vndershaft London LONDON Printed by G.P. for Iohn Clarke and are to be sold at his Shop vnder S. Peters Church in Corne-hill 1625. TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFVLL Mr. Henry King Arch-Deacon of Colchester Canon-Residentiary of the Cathedrall Church of St. Paul and eldest Sonne to the worthy Prelate Dr. KING late Bishop of London Reuerend SIR HAuing vpon occasion hertofore looked somewhat into the nature properties of a religious Fast I found it so pleasing to God and so profitable for men that I was thereupon induced not onely to make vse of it in mine owne practice but to cōmend it also in the exercise of my Ministery to my Hearers and Parishioners And for the same reason I haue now aduentured to offer my Meditations on this subiect to the view of the world abroad hoping that some may be occasioned hereby to make a better vse of this holy discipline then of late yeeres men haue bin accustomed to doe For howsoeuer I haue incurred some mens censures already by speaking mine opinion and shall now in all likelihood by printing it incurre the censures of other moe especially of such forward spirits as vse to condemne before they consider yet I hope I shall be able to approue my Conclusions to the moderate iudicious Readers For if I doe not much mistake my selfe and if I erre I desire to bee directed better I haue on my side first of all the holy and blessed Scripture the supreme Iudge of Controuersies against whose sentence there can lye no exception or appeale Secondly I haue also the constant and vniforme consent of learned Fathers and of the Primitiue and ancient Church whose vnanimous iudgement all sober men will so farre respect as not to swarue from it vnlesse they can cleerely proue that it swarueth frō Gods Word And lastly I haue also the approbation of this present Church of England whom her owne children may not lightly esteeme without contempt offered to their heauenly Father and I for my part do so much respect and reuerence that besides the Obseruance which is due to her as my Mother I am also perswaded in my soule that she is the purest best reformed Church in Europe doe blesse God vpon my knees that hath appointed her to be my Mother my selfe to be bred and brought vp in her lapp In which perswasion beside the maine reasons or grounds of my beliefe not now to be insisted vpon I am the rather confirmed also because I know it was the constant opiniō professiō of your worthy Father my much reuerenced Lord whose iudgemēt I do highly deseruedly esteeme whose memory I shal euer desire to honor with all dutifull and thankfull respect And were he now aliue I should not seeke a Patrone for this little Booke elsewhere But since that GOD hath translated him from vs into the company of the glorified Saints as I could not diuert my thoughts altogether frō him but should rather haue offered this poore seruice to his Ashes then not to haue mentioned my respectiue dutie to his name so I could not find any better resemblance of him vpō earth in which I might see him pourtrayed and in some sort made present to mee then in your selfe who being his first-borne doe beare a liuely image both of his person and vertues In regard of all which my humble request is that you will accept of this small Treatise in stead of him who is gone suffer it vnder your shaddow to beare your Fathers name And so with my best prayers for your happines I leaue you to Gods blessing Your most affectionate friend HENRY MASON CHRISTIAN HVMILIATION OR A TREATISE OF FASTING Declaring the Nature Kindes Ends Vses and Properties of a Religious FAST THere are but two wayes to please God and by pleasing him to come to eternall life eyther perfect obedience to Gods Lawe or vnfeined repentance for our sinnes By the first way Adam in his innocency might haue obtained happinesse but since Adams fall there is no way left but the second For all haue sinned and are depriued of the glory of God And now the Scriptures doe presse Repentance the fore-runner of pardon as that without which we cannot be eyther freed from sinne or receyued to Gods fauour And this is the cause that Gods children haue so vsually accustomed themselues to all meanes of humiliation by which they might eyther encrease or expresse their repentance and godly sorrow Amongst which meanes they found none more effectuall and therefore amongst them we finde none to haue beene more vsuall then abstinence and fasting The consideration whereof together with the condition of our times hath prouoked mee to looke into the nature of this thing which eyther was too much vsed in former times or else is a great deale too much neglected in ours And that I might haue some directions to rule my meditations by I thought it conuenient to take for my ground-worke the words of the Euangelist where hee saith of our blessed Sauiour a Matth. 4.2 And when he had fasted forty dayes and forty nights hee was afterwards an hungred In which words there are three things specified first what our Sauiour did he fasted secondly how long hee continued herein forty dayes and forty nights thirdly what befell him in the end hee was afterward an hungred And within the compasse of these three things I shall God willing bound and comprize my following meditations In handling whereof I thinke it not amisse to prescribe to my selfe this method First to speake of fasting in generall and as it is considered by it selfe Secondly to consider it as it was heere practized by our Sauiour And lastly to adde a few words of our Sauiours hungring which is the consequent of his abstinence and fasting And first for fasting in generall there are these things to be considered 1 What fasting is and what this word doth import 2 What sorts of fasting are commended to vs in Scriptures for our vse 3 How and wherein it may further vs for holy duties and workes of Gods seruice 4 What conditions are required in our fasting that it may be accepted 5 In what cases and for what purposes it may serue vs to obtaine help and fauour from the Lord. Secondly for fasting as it was exercised by our Sauiour wee haue these poynts to consider of 1 Why our Lord did fast at all 2 Why he fasted forty dayes and forty nights 3 When or at what times men may or ought to fast 4 How long a Christian should continue his fast 5 What we are to thinke of that forty dayes fast of Christians commonly called Ieiunium Quadragesimale or Lent-Fast These with a briefe touch of Christs hungring which is the third generall poynt are the subiect and
till after Sun-setting and at night when Starres appeare then they eate And therefore if it were said saith he that Christ fasted fortie dayes it would be vnderstood that at nights he did eate as the Iewes were wont to doe And Maldonat a Autideo diebus Euangelista noctes adiecit vt indicaret eum non Iudcorum more ieiunasse qui per diem nihil cibi potusve sumentes noctu vescebātur Mal. in Matt. 4.2 The Euangelist saith he added the mention of nights that he might shew that Christ did not fast after the maner of the Iewes who taking no meate nor drinke all the day did eate at night And Lucas Brugensis b Noctium additur mentio ne putes Ieiunium fuisse quale Iudaeorum iuxta legem qui interdiu ieiunare iussi vesperi noctuque edere poterant Luc. Brugens in Mat. 4.2 There is mention added of nights lest a man should thinke that this Fast of our Sauiour was such as the Fast of the Iewes was according to the Law who being commanded to fast by day might eate in the euening And in like sort Iansenius c Noctium etiam fit mentio quemadmodum in Ieiunie Mosis ad distinctionem Ieiunij Christi à Ieiunijs Iudaeorū qui tota die ieiunantes in vespera nocte cibum sumpserunt Ians harm Cap. 15. pag. 124. col 2. There is mention also of nights saith he as there is likewise in the Fast of Moses to distinguish Christs fasting from the fasting of the Iewes who fasting all day at night did take meate And if this was the custome of fasting at those times and this the vse of speech among that people That if men were said to fast some dayes without expresse mention of nights it would be vnderstood that he did not eate nor drinke any thing all the day but did eate at night then in all reason of the world we must so vnderstand these words of the Prophet Daniel as learned Kemnitius d Harm Euangel ca. 51. Pericop 6. pag. 817. Exam. Concil Trident. part 4. de Ieiun nu 25 26. pag. 89. col 2. also doth Answ 2. Secondly I answere That a Fast is either properly so called or improperly and by an imperfect kinde of partaking with it a Perpetua S. Scripturae phrasis et sanctorum omnium in V. N. T. praxis aperiè docent eos demū verè ieiunare qui prersus ab omni cibo abstinēt siue per vnū siue per plures aliquot dies Impropriè tamen Ieiuniū dici potest cùm quis parcè vel tenuuer viuit veletiam à prandio aut coenae abstinet Idem iudicium esto de Ieiunio in quo adbibetur ciborum delectus Alsted Theol. Polem part 4. de Ieiun Contr. 1. pa. 506. Properly he is only said to fast that abstaineth from all foode whether meat or drinke And improperly or imperfectly a man may perhaps bee said to fast when hee forbeareth pleasant and nourishing meate contenteth himselfe with course feeding And in this sense if any man doe abstaine from Flesh and Wine and other such strong nourishment that hee may expresse a holy and religious sorrow I will not gain-say him if he call it a Fast but I must adde withall that it is an improper and imperfect kind of Fast and such as I no where finde so called in the Scriptures nor as I thinke is it to be found in the ancient Fathers and Writers of the Church Answ 3. Thirdly I answer That this partiall and imperfect abstinence may not go no not so much as for an improper or vnperfect Fast vnlesse the meate that is then vsed bee sparing and course and such as that it may in part afflict Nature while it doth in some sort refresh it Dan. 10 12. Sunt qui vinum nō bibunt vt aliorum expressione pomorū alios sibi liquores nō salutis causâ sed iucunditatis exquirant tanquam non sit Quadrage simae piae humilitatis obseruatio sed nouae voluptatis occasio August de diuers serm 74. ca. 9. pa. 499. H. such as Daniels was when he ate no pleasant bread nor dranke no Wine and by vsing of which in place of his ordinary food he is said to chasten himselfe For else if there bee a forbearing of one meate that we may glut or fill our selues with other or an abstinence from one kind of food that we may feede on another no lesse strengthening and such as doth content Nature as well this is no fasting at all but a changing of pasture rather nor is it an abstaining from meate but an vsing of variety of Cates. And out of this I deduce two conclusions 1. That they who thinke themselues warranted by Daniels example in this place tō eate their dinner when they keepe a Fast doe greatly deceiue themselues and much mistake the Prophets meaning 2. That they who thinke that Daniels practice doth iustifie their choice of meats in their time of fasting when they forbeare flesh onely and feed on all sorts of fish and eate cherishing rootes and drinke the strongest Wines are much mistaken and build vpon a sandie ground For Daniel did neither dine nor drinke Wine nor eate any pleasant meat CHAP. II. What sorts or kinds of fasting are commended to vs in Scriptures IN the Scriptures wee finde diuers kinds of fasting mentioned some whereof are commended for religious vses and others are passed ouer as no way concerning the spirituall state of our soules For differencing whereof we may note these distinctions following 1. Dist Some Fasts are necessary and by constraint when men are compelled to fast because they haue not either stomach or meate Such was the fast of the Aegyptian 1 Sam. 30.12 who was forsaken by his company being left sicke in the Fields was almost dead for want of victuals And some Fasts again are voluntary vndertakē of a mans own accord and by his owne free choyce of which kind there are many examples in the Scriptures The former of these is rather a hungring then a fasting for Ieiunium voluntatis est fames necessitatis Fasting is an act of the will but hunger is of necessity and whether a man will or no as Saint Austin (a) Aug. in Psalm 42. pag. 138. F. speaketh And therefore this can bee no act of vertue because it is not voluntary but necessarie And consequently it is not that Fast that is commended for Religion sake And therefore the voluntary Fast onely is it which belongeth to this place and is for our purpose 2. Dist Voluntary Fasts are of two sorts They are either worldly and prophane or religious and holy Worldly and prophane I call those whose end is for some worldly vse or for some respect belonging to this life And these are diuers For somtimes men may fast for effecting of some worldly businesse with better speede as Saul and his souldiers did when the people tasted no food because the King
shal find that at such a time when affliction lyeth vpon him whether inflicted by God or imposed by himselfe for his sinne that then he heareth more willingly and vnderstandeth more clearely and applyeth more closely to his conscience euery word that hee heareth or readeth than at other times hee was wont to doe And this sheweth that the sense of smart for our sins maketh vs attentiue to Gods Word and gracious admonitions Secondly we reade againe that the Lord himselfe by the Prophet saith of his people (a) Hos 5.15 In their affliction they will seeke mee earely Before hee had said I will goe and returne to my place till they acknowledge their offence and seeke my face But some might say Till they acknowledge their offence and seeke thy face Why When Lord will that bee Will this people that haue forsaken thee and made themselues Idols and doe despise thy Prophets will these men euer seeke thee Yes saith God that they will euen these men in their affliction and when the rodde is vpon them these will seeke mee and that earely too that is it will be the first and the chiefest of their cares And so when for our sinnes our owne hand is vpon vs it will make vs runne vnto God and to seeke his fauour before all the world to get remission of those sinnes which our selues being Iudges doe deserue so great correction And this sheweth that the sense of smart for sinne will make vs attentiue to our prayers and deuout in all holy dueties Thirdly Fasting may serue for eleuation of mind because it abridgeth vs of worldly delights and comforts For when we are most estranged from these then are wee most ready to seeke comfort in God For worldly pleasures especially if there be a continuall enioying of them they doe estrange our mindes from heauenly meditations and that partly because they take vp the time that should be bestowed on such thoughts but especially because there is such an opposition between worldly delights and spirituall comforts that hee who is filled with the one cannot relish the other And this it may seeme the Apostle meant but sure something he saw why worldly delights though lawfull in themselues doe yet notwithstanding hinder holy meditations when (a) 1 Cor. 7.5 he giueth this counsell to religious couples that they should forbeare the company of each other that they might giue themselues to fasting and prayer implying withall that men and women are most deuoted to heauenly thoughts when they are most estranged from worldly delights Fourthly Fasting may help to eleuate the mind to heauenly meditations because it doth temper and qualifie our naturall ioyes and worldly reioycings and teacheth vs how to referre them to their right ends For ioyes and delights of nature if a man still giue himselfe to the enioying of them doe not onely presse downe the soule for the present as hath beene said but they doe besides so possesse the minde and habituate as it were the soule of a man with their relish that when hee hath done vsing of them yet hee hath not done thinking on them And this made (a) Quintil. instit l. 12. cap. vlt. pag. 753. Quintilian to say that Students who are giuen to sports and tender care of their bodies will neuer proue learned men partly because they mis-spend much time in these vanities and partly because ne ea quidem tempora idonea quae supersunt the time which is remayning is not fit for studies And so it is in respect of the exercises of religion If we giue our selues still to worldly though lawfull pleasures they doe so drowne a mans soule that when hee ceaseth from them yet hee is not fit eyther to pray with deuotion or to heare with attention or to doe any other holy worke with minding of what he is about But now this holy discipline of fasting if it bee holily vsed it will helpe to moderate our pleasures that wee exceed not in them and to season and qualifie and temper them for an holy vse so that the same worldly delights which make another man to wax wanton against Christ will make this man more chearefull in Gods seruice and with Dauid to dance when hee bringeth home the Arke of God And as (b) 2 King 3.15 Elisha by hearing a Minstrell play was fitted to receiue heauenly reuelations and then fell on prophecying so if by a seasonable practice of humiliation wee haue made our way to Gods fauour then if wee feast and heare musicke and vse honest recreations euen these worldly delights will fit vs for heauenly inspirations and lift vp our hearts to prayse God with alacrity and chearefulnesse of mind And this we may well suppose was the reason why the Christian Church hath set fasting dayes before festiuall dayes and appoynted abstinence to be an Vsher to our feasting that our sorrow for sinne on the former day might turne our mirth the day following into an holy reioycing in Gods mercies Thus in diuers respects fasting may helpe to elcuate the soule and kindle the fire of zeale and deuotion And for these or some such respects as these (a) Bassl de Ieiun Homil. 1. pag. 327. Saint Basil and after him (b) Aug. in Psal 42. in fine Saint Augustin do compare fasting to the wing of a Fowle because as worldly delights like bird-lime doe entangle the soule and depresse her thoughts vnto this earth so abstinence like the birds wings doth make the soule to soare aloft and carryeth her prayers into heauen And (c) Ambros de Elia ieiun cap. 3. pa. 527. Saint Ambrose speaking of Elias his Fast saith of it Hoc gradu Elias ascendit antequam curru Elias went vp into heauen by this ladder of fasting before hee ascended thither in the chariot of fire And the learned of this age such as I haue had occasion to peruse doe generally agree vpon this note that fasting and prayer are often and vsually ioyned together in Scriptures because they goe together in our practice abstinence euer adding life to our prayers But if any man will please to make tryall in himselfe his owne experience will be a better proofe than all sayings of other men and all arguments that wit and reason can deuise And I wish that cyther this or any other consideration might moue religious mindes to make tryall of this practice that so they might be able to iudge of it out of their feeling and not by heare-say And if after tryall made in religious manner they find not their attention more quicke their deuotion more fiery their prayers more feruent their meditations more spirituall and themselues as it were turned into other men then they may suspect that the ancient Fathers of the Church and the learned Writers and Preachers of our owne time yea and the Prophets and Apostles themselues haue with faire words perswaded men to vnnecessary paines But if any shall seriously bend himselfe to make tryall
of God were wont to doe For vpon ordinary occasions they vsed to fast one day from morning till night but vpon extraordinary for a longer space Thus Ester when a weighty businesse was in hand that concerned her life and the liues of her people she appoynted a Fast for three dayes and three nights And the men of Iabesh Gilead when they had a great cause of heauinesse by the death of Saul and the ouerthrow of the Army they fasted for seuen dayes space And Daniel when the Church was distressed and in great calamity hee fasted for three weekes together And so wee should extend our fast and keepe it with more strict obseruation and set more time apart for holy exercises when either we are about some weighty businesse or be in some great danger or haue fallen into some hainous sinne or haue a speciall cause to remember celebrate the pangs and passion of our Sauiour or happen vpon some other occasion of more than ordinary sorrow Thus what-euer our occasions be fasting is still of vse in the life of a Christian if the occasion be ordinary ordinary fasting is a fitting exercise eyther to auert euill or procure good and if the occasion be extraordinary then as the other exercises of Religion so this among the rest is to be vsed in a more than ordinary measure CHAP. VIII When a Christian may or should fast COncerning the Fast of our Sauiour it is recorded that hee then fasted when hee was to encounter with Satan and goe about his publique Ministery and to begin the great worke of our Redemption and vpon such vrgent occasions and when there is such extraordinary cause offered all men grant that then wee also may and ought to fast for the speedier procuring of Gods fauour But this example of Christ ministreth iust occasion to enquire further whether beside times of such vnusuall accidents a Christian also may not lawfully and profitably obserue set times of fasting And this is a question doubted of by some in our Church and disputed with arguments and reasons on both sides For clearing which doubt wee are first of all to declare the meaning of the question and that may appeare by these two notes 1. That some there be which commend fasting for a religious exercise if it bee vsed onely then when men shall vpon seuerall occasions see it to be conuenient but any standing dayes whether appoynted by publique authoritie or vndertaken by a mans owne priuate deuotion these they vtterly condemne as superstitious and Monkish For example When Ionas prophecied of iudgement against Nineueh (a) Ion. 3.6 7. the King proclaymed a fast and the people obserued it And this they approue of and allow our Magistrates vpon such an occasion to doe the like Againe when (b) Nehem. 1.3 4. Nehemiah heard that the Iewes were in great affliction and reproch and that the wall of Ierusalem was broken downe and the gates thereof burnt with fire he sate downe and wept and mourned certaine daies and fasted And this they approue of and allow euery priuate Christian by his example vpon such occasions as these to fast out of his owne deuotion But now further the ancient Christian Church in remembrance of Christs death on that day did appoynt euery Fryday to bee kept fasting-day and for the same and some other reasons they appoynted the time of Lent as often as it should happen to be obserued with abstinence and fasting And these and such like standing and set-times they allow not Secondly Wee must note that the obseruing and appoynting of these dayes may be meant and vnderstood two wayes eyther with opinion of necessitie or sanctitie in those times more than in other And this is not here questioned nor doe wee doubt but the Church as it appoynted the Fryday so if it had pleased might haue appointed any other day for this exercise nor do we thinke that there is any peculiar sanctitie in that day more than in others Or else the question may bee vnderstood of the lawfulnesse and conueniency of appoynting such set dayes and times for order sake and for the more constant performance of this worke And this is it which we meane in this question The question then is Whether it be lawfull for Authority to prescribe or for priuate men to vndertake set and standing dayes for fasting that it may be obserued the more ordetly and the more constantly And mine answere is That it is both lawfull and expedient for Gouernours to enioyne their Inferiours and for priuate men to prescribe vnto themselues such standing times so often as they shall fall either weekely or monethly or yeerely as they see it expedient And my proofes are some from Scriptures some from examples and some from reason grounded on Scripture I. From Scriptures And thence I alledge two places for this purpose 1. The first is Leuit. 16. For there God appointeth the tenth day of the seuenth moneth to bee kept for a fasting day and saith moreouer (a) Leu. 16.29 34 This shall be a statute for euer vnto you and againe This shall be an euerlasting statute vnto you to make atonement once a yeere Heere we see that God appointed vnto the Iewes a set fasting day to bee kept euery yeere as oft as it should happen And hence I argue thus Almighty God himself did appoint and thought it a profitable course for his people of the Iewes to obserue a set and standing day for a Fast euery yeere And therefore a set time of fasting may bee obserued without superstition and sinne Some answere that this was a Legall precept of Moses which is now abolished by Christ And I reply It is true that this precept in respect of that particular time was Legall and had its end in Christs death but it is no lesse true also that God in making and appointing that Legall precept did not command them any thing which in it selfe is superstitious and sinfull And therefore because God prescribed them a set time for that Fast it followeth that the appointing of a set time of fasting is not in it selfe superstitious and sinfull 2. The second place that may serue for proofe of this point is out of the Prophesie of Zacharie (a) Zach. 8.19 where we finde mention of foure seuerall fasting dayes obserued euery yeere by the Iewes in their knowne and appointed moneths Concerning which Fast thus much is first of al to be noted that they were (b) Hieron in Zach. 8.18 19. pag. 486. Buxd. Synag Iudaic. c. 25. Genebrar Calend. Hebr. Sept. 3. Dec. 10. Iun. 17 Iulij 9. occasioned by the calamities that befel the Iewes about the time when they were carried captiues into Babylon or before that time and were appointed as some thinke by some Prophet from heauen or as others by the authority or consent of the present Church and as the Learned generally doe confesse were allowed of and approued by almighty God himselfe And hence
death passion should bee celebrated with all thankfulnes about the same season in which he endured them a Ieiunandum orandum est Et quando potiùs quando instantiùs quà m propinquante Dominicae passionis solennitate quae celebritate anniuersariâ quodāmodo nobis eiusdē noctis memoriâ resculpitur ne obliuione deleatur Aug. de Diuer Serm. 74. c. 5. pag. 499. B. And the maner in which such sufferings of his may be most liuely represented and remembred by vs is if we passe those dayes in humiliation and sorrow whereby we may bee made conformable to his passion and death and by which wee may in a good sence be said to fulfill that which Christ did foretell when he said (b) Luk. 5.35 The dayes will come when the Bridegroome shall be taken away from them then shall they fast in those dayes And sure God himselfe by so obscuring the sunne that contrary to the course of nature it was darkened all the time that Christ was on the Crosse doth teach vs with what behauiour we should passe the time of his Sonnes sufferings and death And from hence I may conclude in St. Augustines words c c In qua parte anni congruentiùs obseruatio Quadragesimae constitueretur nisi confini atque continuà Dominicae passloni Aug. epist 119. ad Ianuar. cap. 15. pa. 195. f. In what part of the yeere could Lent haue bin more fitly placed then in that which is ioyned to our Lords passion and death Secondly because the Feast of Easter was now at hand and that was the day in which our Lord rose againe from his graue in which new Conuerts were baptized in great number and in which all sorts of men did come in flockes to the receiuing of the Lords Supper And therefore as the Euangelist saith of the Iewes Easter (a) Ioh. 19.31 that that was an high day so it may much more be said of the Christians Easter that it is an high day and to bee kept with all celebrity and in the most deuoutest manner And in respect heereof the Ancients were wont to keepe this Feast not for one day onely or for three dayes space as wee now doe but for a whole weeke together Yea and some festiuity and remembrance of it they kept for sixe weekes more euen till Whitsontide or the day of Pentecost Now that the great celebrity of this high day might be performed with better deuotion and more religious reioycing the ancient Fathers thought it necessarie that men should bee prepared aforehand for the performance of so weighty a seruice And therefore as the Iews (b) 2 Chron. 35.6 Ioh. 11.55 had their dayes of preparation before the Passeouer and as Christians haue their fasting eues to goe before their festiuall dayes that by their former dayes repentance they may be prepared for an holy reioycing the next day after so the Christian Church did thinke it necessary before this great Feast of Christs Resurrection to appoint some large and solemne time for humiliation and conuersion that men being prepared by a serious practice of al good duties they might be the more fit to pray for the new Conuerts and to receiue the blessed Sacrament and to praise God for his Sons Resurrection and to passe this holy day with an holy and heauenly reioycing And these I take it were the true reasons V. The fift and last question concerning Lent is What relation this Fast of fortie dayes in the Church hath to that of our Sauiour when he fasted forty dayes in the Wildernesse Answ To this question there bee three answeres 1. That our Lord as himselfe fasted fortie dayes in the manner declared so he appointed and ordained that his Disciples the whole Church after him should follow his example and fast once in the yeere so many dayes as he had done before in the wildernesse This seemeth to bee the opinion of (a) Enchitid lo. de Ieiun pag. 563. in solutione sextae oblectionis Coster and (b) de Quadr. cap. 1. pag. 392. seqq Filesacus and the (c) To. 2. Sabbatho post Cineres pag. 117 118. Author of the Booke called Antiquitates Liturgicae Answ 2. The second answere is that though Christ did not in words giue any such Law or appoint any such order yet his bare example doth tye Christians to the like obseruation practice Of this opinion some later Diuines in the Roman Church may seeme to bee who as (d) Quidam iuniores consent esse iure Diuino sancitum id probant quia aliqui veteres Ecclesia Patres videntur decuisse illud esse iuris Diuini quoniā Christus quadraginla diebus quadra ginta noctibus iejunium seruauit Azor. Instit part 1. l. 7. cap. 12. q. 1. pa. 566. col t. Azorius saith of them did thinke that Dent-Fast was by Diuine Law because some of the Fathers seeme to say that it was of Gods appoynting for that Christ did fast forty dayes and forty nights But these two answeres haue small shew of probability and no ground of certainety at all For all the reason that they alledge is so farre as I know only the authorities of some Fathers which haue not that meaning as Doctors of their owne Chruch haue endeuoured to declare Answ 3. The third answere is that neither Christs precept nor practice doth force or require Christians to keepe a Fast of fortie dayes or this which we call our Lent-Fast but yet the Church did appoint and doth obserue this number of daies in their Lent-Fast with respect and reference to the like number of dayes that Christ fasted in the wildernesse To this purpose Tostatus seemeth to speake when he saith that a Dicendū quòd hoc non prouenit ex alique mandato Christi sed ex solo Ecclesiae statuto Habuit tamen illud causas pendentes ex hoc facto Tostat in Mat. 4. q. 18. our fortie dayes Fast doth not proceede from any precept of Christ but onely from the constitution of the Church yet it had saith he reasons drawne from this Fast of Christ And Stapleton b Ieiunat igitur Ecclesia 40. diebus ad exemplum Christi non quide simpliciter quia Christus sic fecit sed quia eius exemplo sic faciendum esse in hac parte eius vesligia sequenda esse Ecclesia ab Apostolorū tempore docuit Stap. Prompt Cathol Dominic 1. Quadr. text 1. pag. 78. The Church saith he doth fast fortie dayes after the example of Christ not simply because Christ did so but because the Church hath taught vs by his example to doe so Which words may againe seeme to carrie the like meaning But it mattereth not what they mean (c) D. Field of the Church l. 3. cap. 19. pag. 105 106. A reuerend and learned Writer in our own Church hath deliuered the poynt in much more distinct maner Hee saith three things 1. That it is very fit there