sorrow and moued his bowels vnto compassion and pitty Secondly that he might confirme and radicate and I thinke I may say that he might in some fort increase the graces that he had For the Scriptures say that he tooke vpon him our infirmities (f) Heb. 2.17.18 that he might be a mercifull and faithful High-priest and that (g) Heb. 5.8 he learned obedience by that which hee suffered and that (h) Heb. 12.2 he endured the Crosse and despised the shame for the ioy that was set before him and that in his greatest sorrow Luk. 22.43 an Angel came to strengthen him By which speeches we may gather that his feeling of our wants and his bearing of afflictions and his consideration of future ioyes and the prefence and conference of an Angell did increase or confirme his compassion toward vs and his obedience to his Father and his patience and his courage in his conflicts or else I know not what they meane and whereto they serue And if they intend thus much then by the same reason we may say that his praying and fasting and meditating might serue to increase or confirme or preserue the graces of the spirit which did enable him for his office Thirdly hee vsed this preparation that he might obtaine a blessing vpon his labours that they might become profitable to the Hearers For so we reade that he still vsed to commend businesses to Gods blessing When he fed the people (a) Mat. 14.19 he looked vp to heauen and blessed and brake and gaue them c. that is He prayed for a blessing vpon the meat and so when he consecrated the Sacrament (b) Mat. 26.26 he blessed it And when he was to leaue the world and to send his Disciples to supply his place of preaching (c) Ioh. 17.20 hee prayed not only for the Preachers but for them also that should beleeue through their word And so it is reasonable also to thinke that Christ did now fast and pray for a blessing vpon the word that hee was to preach and vpon the people to whom hee was to preach Thus in diuers good respects our Lord might vse his fasting for a preparation to fit him for his publike office and because we cannot conceiue that our Lord would omit an exercise so good and so proper for his present occasion we may wel suppose that one cause of his fasting was to prepare himselfe for this great seruice of his Ministery IIII. A fourth and last cause why Christ fasted heere may bee that he might giue vs an example by his owne practice For as a wise and carefull Physician will sometime iuste the Physicke which he prescribeth that he may encourage his patient to take it so our Lord vpon occasion did many things for our example So the Apostle saith Christ (a) 1. Pet. 2.21 suffered for vs leauing vs an example that we should follow his steps And when our Lord had washed his Disciples feete himselfe telleth them his reason (b) Ioh. 13.15 I haue giuen you an example saith he that ye should doe as I haue done vnto you And so seeing he vsed fasting heere before the entrance of his publike seruice and calling he might doe it for this reason among others that he might leaue vs an example vpon the like occasion to vse the like practice And from hence we haue two conclusions that may further commend the holy vse of a religious Fast 1. That an holy Fast is a good exercise to begin our Callings all important businesses withall For not onely Moses when he was to receiue the Law and Elias when he was to restore the Law but Iesus Christ himselfe when he was to perfect the Law did fast and pray before they vndertooke the worke and so if any of vs be to enter vpon a calling or to vndergoe some great seruice if for example we be called to bee Magistrates or are to enter vpon the state of marriage or to begin a trade or profession in the world or to vndertake any waighty matter it is a good rule and we haue good authority for it to consecrate our entrance by an holy Fast And sure I am perswaded it is one great cause that we haue oftentimes so little comfort in the execution of our places because we vse so little Religion in our entrance into them But if wee would follow Christs steps we might hope for his blessing to direct vs. 2. That an holy Fast hath a proper vse in the consecrating and ordayning of Ministers for the seruice of the Church Our Lord vsed it heere when he was consecrated and appointed for his Ministery and the Apostolicall Church by his example vsed it when Paul and Barnabas and other Elders were to be sent abroad for preaching of the Gospell and the Christian Church afterward by example of Christ and his Apostles haue appointed the foure solemn times of fasting to be the set and solemn times for giuing of Orders and for sending of Ministers into the Church And their warrant is Christs example and the practice of the Apostles and the Apostolicall Church The common neglect of which times and this holy exercise to be vsed at those times and for this purpose may bee one reason why the Church is not better prouided of Teachers and the people are not more profited by their labours For redresse whereof it were to be wished that publike Authority would appoint some publike meetings at those times that by fasting and prayer we might commend that great worke to Gods blessing with one consent of heart But because it is not in the power of priuate men to make publike orders euery Christian shall doe well in his deuotions at home by fasting and Prayer to begge a blessing on that sacred worke that God would direct the Fathers of our Church to admit fit men to that sacred function and would enable the then ordained Ministers to profit the Church by their labours and would sanctifie all to make vse of his Word and the publike Ministery while we haue it and doe enioy it CHAP. VII Why Christ fasted forty dayes and forty nights IN relating of our Sauiours Fast the Euangelist setteth downe the continuance of the time He fasted fortie dayes and fortie nights saith hee In which words wee haue two things to consider of 1. Why the Euangelist mentioneth nights as well as dayes 2. Why our Lord made choyce of this number of dayes to determine his Fast by I. And for the former question Why the Euangelist mentioneth nights as well as dayes the answere is he did it lest any man should thinke that though he fasted by day yet he did eate at night For it is true indeed that the name of dayes doth many times include the nights also especially if the condition of the things spoken of be such as what is said of thē for the day time is left to be vnderstood of the night time too As when it is
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.
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
lectione nec in Psalmis nec in vigilijs solito quid mimis facias Ieiuniū non perfecta virtus sed caeterarum virtutum fundamentū est c. Hieron ad Demetriad Ep. 8. pag. 72. C You should so fast saith he that you doe not faint and breathe short and haue neede of some body to beare you vp for falling but that subduing the bodily appetite you do not diminish spirituall exercises nor reade or sing or watch or pray lesse then you are wont For Fasting is not a perfect vertue to bee desired for it selfe but an helpe and ground of other vertues The want of this moderatiō Ionathā did rightly reproue in Saul his father who by enioyning too strait abstinence did hinder the people in the pursuit of the enemies (b) 1. Sam. 14.29 My Father hath troubled the Land See I pray you how mine eyes haue bin enlightened because I tasted a little of this honey How much more if the people had eaten freely to day of the spoile of their enemies which they found For had there not bin now a much greater slaughter among the Philistines And so by the same reason if any man doe exceed measure in his religious abstinence we may say of him Hee troubleth his soule and hindreth the worke of Religion and maketh himselfe vnable to doe good duties But this Caueat was necessary in times past now a dayes few men offend that way And therfore I will presse this poynt no further Only out of the former part of this Note where I shewed that fasting is an Afflicting I will draw some short conclusions for our further vse 1. Concl. If a true Fast bee a chastening of the body then Papists haue little cause for their great outcryes and much boasting of their Fasts For as the Pharises said to Christ (c) Mark 2 1◠Luk. 5.33 Why doe the Disciples of Iohn of the Pharises fast often but thine eate and drinke so the Pharises of our time say that they and their disciples fast often but Protestants and their Schollers eate and drinke and feast But all this lowd cry is but an empty sound For say they fast often as they call fasting yet what is it that they call a Fast and which they enioyne their disciples to vse Why it is forsooth that at dinner they eate no flesh and that at supper they make not a set and standing meale But at dinner they may take their fill of the best fish and the strongest wines and the daintiest iunkets and what they will beside of rootes and white-meats or any such like And at night they may haue a drinking and eate something beside more or lesse according to the custome of the place and people And they may drinke at any time of the day and any drinke they list Yea and which is abominable to conceiue if a man drinke intemperately and be drunke on their fasting day yet if hee obserue the former rules a Contra temperantiam peccatū erit contra ieiunium non item Azor. par 1. l. 7. ca. 10. q. 7. hee offendeth not against the Law of their Fast This is the scrictnes and hard discipline that the Church of Rome doth lay vpon her children in their frequent and meritorious Fasts Nor may we thinke that the practice can be much better then their precepts are Sure I reade that (b) Polyc. Lyserus praefat praefixâ Hassenmull de ieiunio Iesuit the Princes of Germanie at the times of their publike meetings in the Empire were wont to obserue the knowne fasting-dayes of the Church and then they would goe dyne with the Bishops For as they vsed to say they neuer had greater variety of good cheere nor more dainties then at such times But some perhaps may say that he that reporteth this was an aduersary to their Church Be it so yet that is no reason to discredit the report of a thing so openly knowne And though Lyserus who reporteth this from the Princes mouthes were an aduersary yet Lindanus was their friend and he saith no lesse of their loose fastings a Ieiunia nostra quae et vini copia natant abundantiaque redundant et piscium varietate carnium superant delitias adeoque cum Deo ludere videntur dum pro intercepto qui ex ouis oritur calore olei flammas vini aestum omnisque aromatū generis ignes helluoni infarciunt stomacho veteribus Christianis omnino fuisse non modo incognita sed et intolerabilia atque adeò abominanda pijs omnibus vetera cogitantibus arbitramur notius quà m vt ea de re vlla sint verba profund ēda Lindan Panop lib. 3. cap. 11 pa. 89. That our Fasts saith he which swimme with store of wine and abound with superfluities and outstrip the delicates of flesh with variety of fish insomuch that they may seem to dallie with God while for cutting off the warmth that is caused by eggs they cramme into their gluttonous stomach the flames of oyle the burning heate of wine and the fire of all kinde of spices were not only vnknowne to the ancient Christians but were intolerable and abominable is a thing more euident to them that consider the ancient customes then that we should waste words about it And in the margin he addeth this note b Ietunium Catholicorū passim Epicurea The Fasts of Catholikes all abroad like the feeding of Epicures And this may serue to shew what sore penance our popish people doe vndergoe by their often fasting But if a true Fast be an afflicting of the body as I haue proued and themselues will not deny then though they haue many Fasts in name yet they haue few or none in deed Let them then looke homeward reforme these mock-fasts of their own Church and then let them complaine of the rare Fasts in ours 2. Concl. They make but a friuolous excuse who to free themselues from fasting alledge that they finde hurt by it meaning that it is some paine to endure two or three houres hunger and some trouble to passe ouer the vsuall time of refection Some paine and some trouble Why that is the very cause why we should fast that by chastening the body wee may cherish the soule Nor is it so great a matter now and then to endure such a paine For we reade that Esau was so long in hunting that he fainted and was ready to dye for hunger (a) Gen. 25.29 30 32. as himselfe complained And we may see it now among men that if it bee for pleasure to follow our sports or for profit to increase our wealth or for preferment to aduance our estates there is no man but would finde himselfe able inough to forbeare a meales meate And if the sauing of our soules bee as deare vnto vs as these worldly vanities we will not repine at so small a labour in so necessary a case 3. Concl. They be poore fasters who glut themselues aforehand that so they
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
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