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A42331
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The Paschal or Lent-Fast, apostolical & perpetual at first deliver'd in a sermon preached before His Majesty in Lent and since enlarged : wherein the judgment of antiquity is laid down : with an appendix containing an answer to the late printed objections of the Presbyterians against the fast of Lent / by Peter Gunning ...
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Gunning, Peter, 1614-1684.
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1662
(1662)
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Wing G2236; ESTC R5920
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244,843
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370
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consortes quasi non multo excellentiores habeamus in eâ duces immò consecratores Moysen Eliam Iesum Dominum adducit jam verò si commendant jejunium praesens Moyses Elias quamvis magni tamen conservi nostri quantum commendat illud Iesus Dominus noster qui ipse diebus totidem jejunavit Qualis ille est non dicam Monachus sed Christianus qui minùs devotè jijunium suscipit QUOD EI TRADIT IPSE CHRISTUS Denique tanto devotiùs imtandum nobis est Dilectissimi Christi jejunantis exemplum quanâ—…o certius est propter nos eum jejunasse non propter seipsum Is it not a very unworthy thing that that should seem burthensome unto us which the universal Church bears together with us Hitherto we have fasted alone unto the ninth hour now together with us even unto the evening there will be found to fast all Kings and Princes viz. that are of the Church Clergy and people noble and common people the rich and the poor all together But what speak I of those which we have companions in this observance of the Fast as if we had not much more excellent Captains or leaders therein and consecrators of this Fast And after his instance in Moses Elias and our Lord Jesus he adds Now if Moses and Elias who although great yet are our fellow-servantâ—… commemd this Fast how much more doth our Lord Jesus who himself also fasted so many daies Of what sort I say not Monk but Christian is he who less devoutly performs this Fast WHICH CHRIST HIMSELF DELIVERS TO HIM So much more devoutly ought the example of Christ's fasting to be imitated by us my Beloved by how much it is more certain that Christ fasted not for himself but for us Arnoldus Carnotensâ—…s l. de jejunio tentationibus inter opera S. Cypriani n. 4. Iejuniis vitiorum semina siecatur petulantia marcet concupiscentiae languent fugitivae abeunt voluptates Iejunium si discretione regatur omnem carnis rebellionem â—…domat â—…yrannidem gulae speliat exarmat Iejunium extraordinarios motus in cippo claudit arctat appetitus vagos distringit ligat n. 7. Formâ igitur jejuntorum propositâ fixoque exemplo postquam 40. dierum abstinentiam Dominus consummavit c n. 9. SICUT IN IPSIUS CHRISTI VOLUNTATE FUIT CONSECRARE IEIUNIA ita in potestate suit tempore opportuno sumere cibum Et abstinentiae refectionis penes ipsum erat arbitrium saculias Within the foresaid primitive Ages I am not ignorant of what I have omitted and is wont to be alledg'd by others as the supposed constitutions Apostolical by Clement in the 5 th Book in chap. 13 th 20 th and the supposed Epistle of Ignatius to the Philippians the dubious Sermons of S. Augustine de Tempore and many of those which are doubtful among S. Ambrose's Sermons and other Authors For that I have produced none but such as of whose genuine title authority and antiquity I was my self satisfi'd The testimonies which I have alledg'd are such as are direct and simple others there are of great force complicated of several truths asserted in the primitive times from whence would follow our conclusion Those truths are three First that Easter or the night beginning Easter was ever to the Church a more solemn time of baptizing then others The second that generally the Church taught and directed the Catechumeni to prepare themselves by premitted solemn fastings for the reception of holy Baptism Thirdly that the Catholick Church or company of Christian Believers did joyn themselves in the daies of fastings and prayers as with the Penitents that sought Absolution so also with the Catechumeni Competentes which sought Baptism From which Assertions if proved it follows that a Paschal Fast before Easter was ever observed in the Church as of duty of Repentance for our selves so of duty of Charity towards others In all which duty without all doubt the Apostles had not failed to instruct them As to the first of those Propositions That Easter was ever to the Church a more solemn time of Baptizing Tertullian saith lib. de Baptismo â—… 19. Diem Baptismo solenniorem Pascha praestat Cum Passio Domini in quam tingimur adimpleta est nec incongruenter quis adsiguram interpretabitur quod cum ultimum Pascha Dominus esset acturus missis discipulis ad praeparandum Invenietis inquit hominem aquam bajulantem Paschae celebrandae locum de signo aquae ostendit Easter brings a more solemn time for Baptism when also the Passion of the Lord into which we are Baptized is remembred as then fulfilled Nor incongruously shall any one interpret that to have been done significantly which our Lord did when he sent forth his Disciples to prepare for his celebrating the last Passeover Ye shall find saith he a man bearing a pitcher of water Follow him Designing to them the place of celebrating the Passeover from the token of Water That reason above of Tertullian Because we are Baptized into the Death and Passion of our Lord he seems to have learnt from Ignatius in his undoubted Epistle to the Ephesians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For our God Jesus Christ was conceived born and baptized that afterwards he might through his Passion purifie or sanctifie water viz. for the use of holy Baptism So in the Church the solemnity of Christs Passion which ye have heard from Constantine's Epistle to the Churches from the Instructions of the Bishops of the Christian world met at Nicaea was ever celebrated in the Church 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from the very day on which Christ suffer'd and that Christ himself delivering it and teaching it to his Church 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 did accordingly precede the solemn time of Baptizing which that early Age of the Church may be thought probably to have learnt from grounds laid by S. Paul Rom. 6. 3 4. Know you not that so many of us as were baptized into Iesus Christ were baptized into his Death therefore we were buried with him by Baptism into Death that like as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father so we also should walk in newness of life And Coloss. 2. v. 12. having been buried with him in Baptism wherein also ye were rais'd with him through the faith of the operation of God who rais'd him from the Dead a This custome of the first Ages of the Church was also followed in the succeeding Ages as appears by S. Ambrose Tractatu de Hortat ad Virgin Venit Pascha dies in toto orbe Baptismi Sacramenta celebrantur c. Uno die sine aliquo dolore multos filios filias solet Ecclesia parturire The day of Easter is come the Sacrament or mysteries of Baptism are celebrated in all the world c. In one day without any pangs the Church Virgin and Mother is wont to bring forth multitudes
through all occurring vain doctrines of error by the Authority of sacred Antiquity the boldness of prophane Novelty may be crushed And c 9. It is our duty not to lead aside Religion whither we please but rather to follow it whither soever it leads That being the property of Christian modesty and gravity not to transmit their own devices to Posterity but to hold fast the things they have received from their Ancestors What then was the issue of that whole contention or business viz. Antiquity was retain'd and Novelty exploded If therefore nothing as is said had been hitherto proved but the universal practise of this Fast without instance of any beginning of its Tradition of what force it ought to be that very ancient holy Synod Synodus Gangrensis celebrated A. D. 319. a little before the first Oecumenical Councel of Nice and it self confirmed afterwards by the 4 th General Councel of Chalcedon and the 6 th General Councel of C. P. declareth by its sentence Canon 19 th 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If any of the Religious without corporal necessity shall of their pride dissolve the Fasts delivered from Tradition unto the community of Christians or to be observed by all in common and which are observed by the Church by a compleat determination of his mind rejecting them let him be Anathema The merit of which sentence Hormisdas a holy Bishop about the year 514. in Epistolâ ad fratrem Possessorem doth thus declare Quando induit obedientiae Humanitatem opinionibus suis velata superbia quando acquiescunt paci contentionum stimulis assueti sola certamina aventes de Religione captare mandata negligere Una pertinacis cura propositi rationi velle imperare non credere Contemptores auctoritatum veterum novarum cupidi Quaestionum solam putantes scientiae rectam viam quâlibet conceptam facilitate sententiam Eò usque tumoris elati ut ad arbitrium suum utriusque orbis putant inclinandum esse judicium When will pride vailing it self within its own private opinions put on the Humanity of Obedience When will they which are accustomed to the gallings of contention acquiesce or submit themselves to peace who seem desirous to lay hold on nothing of Religion but occasions therefrom of Contentions and to neglect commands The only care of such a a pertinacious purpose is that it hath a mind to give law unto Reason not to obey or believe it such are contemners of the Authorities of the Ancients desirous of new questions deeming their opinion taken up upon any easie ground the only right way of science and are lifted up to that swelling of pride that they think the Judgment of both parts of the world East and West is to be bowed to their pleasure and sentence Yet will we not lastly refuse to hear the Pleas even of Novelty and Singularity it self against this Doctrine of the Churches publick times of Fasting And their first Objection is that this Paschal Fast or any like are set Fasts and therefore superstitious Were it some Fast only upon incident and extraordinary occasion a Providential Fast as they speak they could allow it but a set Fast is a fixed publick mark and constant eye-sore to them To which our Answer we will frame first from Evangelical Instruction When that holy pattern of Widows Anna in the Gospel Luk. 2. 36 38. her self a Prophetess and a Widow about 84 years of age whereof she lived 7 only with one only Husband from her Virginity departed not from the Temple but served God with Fastings and Prayers night and day Were her Fasts only providential extraordinary and occasional or were they superstitious Where they not a regular set holy Discipline of Fasting i. e. almost continual and differing from the Churches set Fastings for the Community only in the greater frequency If they shall say But she prescribed this Fasting to her self And why may not the Church of God a more devout Virgin yet then she a Widow prescribe to her self Thus for good purpose there stand in the very doors of the Gospel the Fasts of Anna the daughter of Phanuel a Tertullianus l. de Iejuniis c. 8. In limine Evangelii Anna Prophetis filia Phanuelis quae infantem Deminum cognovit multa super â—…o pradicavit c. post â—…gregium titulum veteris univirae viduitatis jejuniorum quoque testimonio augetur ostendens in quibus officiis assideri Ecclesiae debeat à nullis magis intelligi Christum quà m semel nuptiâ—… saepè jejunis In the entrance or door of the Gospel standeth Anna the Prophetess the Daughter of Phanuel which both acknowledg'd her Infant-Lord and spake concerning him many things c. After that egregious title of praise from her Widowhood of many years and one only Husband she is also magnifi'd by the Testimony of her fastings shewing by what offices we ought to attend the Church and that Christ is by none sooner understood then by such as have been wives of one husband and widows of often fastings Where 't is his Debeat only that â—…avours of Montanism The like hath S. Hierom of Iudith in his Epistle ad Furiam Legimus Viduam confectam jejuniis habitu lugubri sordidatam quae non lugebat mortuum virum sed squalore corporis sponsâ—… Christi quaerebat adventum Vincit viros foemina castitas truncat libidinem viz. Holofernem habitúque repenâ—…è mutato ad victrices sordes redit omnibus seculi â—…ultibus mundiores Sed talia frequentiora nostris jejunia sponsi dolebant absentiam quarebant praesentiam We read of that Widow Iudith much spent by fastings and in her mourning habit neglecting her body who did not so much mourn for her deceased husband as by the neglecting of her body seek the Advent of the Lord her Bridegroom A woman overcomes those men of war and chastity beheads Iust and then again suddenly changing her habit she returns to her victorious Fasts and neglectings of her body neater ornaments then all the Dresses of the world of Iohn Baptist the son of Zachary and of our Lord Jesus the Son of God Of this our Anna S. Hierom writes to the widow Salvina de Servandà viduitate Habes tui ordinis quas sequaris Iudith de Hebraeâ historiâ Annam filian Phanuelis de Evangelii claritate quae diebus noctibus versabatur in Templo orationibus atque jejuniis thesaurum pudicitiae conservavit You have whom you may imitate those of your own order Iudith from the Hebrew history and Anna the daughter of Phanuel from the Clarity of the Gospel who was conversant nights and daies in the Temple and by Prayers and Fastings preserv'd the treasure of her chastity S. Ambrose in like manner l. de Viduis Vides qualis Vidua praedicetur unius viri uxor aeâ—…atis quoque jam probata processu vivida Religioni Cui diversorium in Templo colloquium in prece vita 〈◊〉 Ieâ—…unto quae