other side much trouble great persecution is raised If they câ—not cleane ouerthrow Truth yet they will do what they can to adulterate it witnesse the Prophets and Apostles times and euery age euer since I would our age and Countrey were free from it Behold how busie Popish Iesuites Priests and Fryers are what would they not giue what would they not doe to dispossesse vs of the Truth of Religion §. 13. How sincerity is assaulted SO likewise for sincerity how doe profane worldlings seeke to wrest it from vs endeuouring to make vs odious to all because we will not yeeld to them These are as spitefully bent against vs for sincerity Truth and honesty in our heart words and actions as Papists are for verity and soundnesse of doctrine For some hate those that are honest and vpright as Ahab hated Micaiah some scoffe at them as Ismael at Isaac saying plaine dealing is a iewell and he that vseth it will die a begger Yea they will not sticke to brand them with the odious termes of hypocrisie and dissimulation though of all sort of people they are farthest from it especially if God suffer any affliction to fall on them as on his seruant Iob then with e Iobs wife and friends they will be ready to vpbraid vnto them their integrity and vprightnesse as if all had beene onely in shew to bleare mens eyes But if any that indeed with an hollow heart haue made profession doe fall away and so bee discouered as Iudas Ananias Demas and such other their examples shall bee cast in the teeth of the most vpright And if notwithstanding all this they shall remaine constant as Iob did and not suffer their innocency and integrity to bee outfaced then will they obiect against them the censure of other men and say of them How soeuer ye thinke of your selues yet others and those good men too thinke not so well of you if ye were wise you would giue more credit to other mens iudgement then to your owne for men are blind and partiall in iudging themselues Many by these and such like discouragements haue beene moued to make no account of Truth but to leaue it to such as better esteeme it them they Others to cast it away and to yeeld to the times both for Religion and conuersation shewing themselues as superstitious or profane as the worst I will therefore as an antidote against those poysonous obiections discouer the vanitie of them and shew how these wyles may be auoided §. 14. Of the necessity of Truth in Religion 1 AGainst fast holding Truth in iudgement two things are especially obiected One that it is not necessary The other that it is dangerous Obiect 1. They say it is not necessary because a man may be saued in any Religion Answ This is a moâ—t salse and impious position the very bane of true Religion The Apostle expresly saith there is one faith In that Christ termes himselfe the Way the Truth the Life doth he not imply that hee is the onely true way that leadeth to life That curse which the Apostle thundreth out against all that preached any otherwise then he had preached ought to terrifie vs from yeelding to any thing but the Truth He pronounceth them damned which beleeue not the Truth §. 15. Of the pretended danger in maintaining Truth Obiect 2. THe danger which they alledge is either in regard of conspiracies treasons and insurrections which Princes and Gouernous are subiect vnto if they be too stiffe in maintaining truth of Religion or persecutions which subiects are like to fall into if they be too resolute in professing the Truth Answ For the danger of Princes and Magistrates they need not to feare 〈◊〉 because they haue God to watch ouer them and to bee their protector so long as they maintaine the Truth Not to search after examples of other ages and places consider how miraculously God preserued Queene Elizabeth of blessed memory both from inuasions of enemies abroad and also from many conspiracies of Traitors at home After 44. yeeres and 4. moneths prosperous Reigne in peace she ended her dayes notwithstanding all dangers whatsoeuer Many Treasons close cruell Treasons such as the like in all former ages haue not beene heard of haue also beene intended against our present royall Soueraigne what hath bene the issue They which laid the snares were caught themselues and he yet remaineth safe and long may he remaine safe Surely God hath respect to the Truth which hath bin and still is maintained in this land Our neighbour King thought to auoide danger by letting go â—he Truth and yeelding to idolatry but thereby he cast himselfe out of the protection of the God of truth What followed thereupon One sorry villaine slue him in the midst of his guard As for the persecution which is raised against others it is a note of blessednesse a matter of reioycing and in this respect a strong motiue to perswade vs fast to hold Truth §. 16. Of the pretended trouble of conscience which sincerity is said to cause 2 AGainst truth of heart and remaining stedfast therein are obiected 1. Vexation of mind 2. Wearisomnesse 3. Outward troubles 4. The iudgement of other men Obiect 1. The Diuell suggesteth to many that it is impossible alwayes to keepe the heart vpright and that if there be a little failing the conscience is so troubled as it can hardly if at all be quieted and thereupon inferreth that it is best not at all to regard truth of heart Answ There can be no better no more soueraigne a preseruatiue against trouble of conscience then truth of heart This kept Iob from despaire this made Hezekiah bold Truth of heart is a strong prop to a man in the middest of his manifold infirmities for it is impossible to keepe the heart free from all corruption but yet there may be truth in heart Euery corruption though it argue imperfection yet it argues not hypocrisie if it steale into the heart against our honest purpose and against our earnest desire and being discerned causeth godly sorrow and Christian watchfulnesse both in purging the heart of that which is intred in and also in keeping it that the like enter not in againe But where there is no truth of heart it is vtterly impossible that there should bee any sound comfort If such a mans conscience be euer troubled it will be ouerwhelmed and drowned in despaire §. 17. Of the pretended wearisomnesse of Sincerity Obiect 2. AGaine he suggesteth that it is a wearisome thing to keep the Girdle of Truth alwayes close vnto vs. None can hold out the most vpright haue fallen away as Demas and others Answ It seemeth wearisome onely to those who neuer felt it neuer knew it I may say of it as Christ of his yoke It is easie and light Yea it is sweet and pleasant to him that indeed tasted of it As
throughout his opinion his affection his communication his conuersation 1 Truth of iudgement is the ground of all the rest for though our hearts be neuer so sincere our speeches neuer so true our actions neuer so plaine yet if in iudgement we be misled all is but as straw and stubble which when it commeth to the fire of tryall will soone be consumed It seemeth that before Paul was instructed in the truth of the Gospel he had a kind of truth in his heart for he was zealous towards God yea also in his speeches and actions for he was vnrebukeable concerning the righteousnesse which is the Law yea he thought in himselfe he ought to doe what he did he had not a double heart a double tongue he pretended not what he neuer intended yet because he wanted truth in iudgement all was but drosse and losse vnto him 2 To truth of iudgment must truth of heart be added or els notwithstanding the soundnesse of doctrine which we professe we make our selues odious and abominable to God for God gaue man but one single simple heart if any haue an heart and an heart the Diuell hath giuen him a double heart it is no part of Gods Image God will not acknowledge it Iudas knew the truth of Religion and preached it as wel as the other disciples but wanting truth in his other parts what good got he thereby but the witnesse of his conscience against himselfe 3 But what if a man which professeth the true Religion thinke he hath a single heart and yet bee giuen to lying and to deale deceitfully Surely hee disgraceth his profession and giueth iust cause of suspition that hee hath no honest heart for the heart is as a fountaine Out of the abundance of the heart proceed a mans words and actions yea the heart is as a Queene and hath a command of a mans tongue and of al his outward parts so that if there be truth in it there will be truth in all the other parts sincerity in the heart will keepe the tongue from lying and the whole carriage of a man from dissimulation and deceit We see then that of necessity all these foure branches of truth must be ioyned together to make vp this girdle §. 3. What kind of Girdle is here meant Point 11 THe next point is concerning the metaphor and the fit application of this grace of truth This speech of girding the loynes is in Scripture taken in a double sence one for trussing vp a mans garments the other for close and fast tying his harnesse together in the former sence the metaphor is taken from trauellers or runners for in those countries they were wont to weare long aside garments which if they were not tucked vp they would hang dangling about the heels of such as trauelled or runne a race and so be a great hinderance vnto them In this sence this metaphor is oft vsed and therby Gods people were taught to remoue all impediments in their Christian course and iourney and to be as well prepared as they could be to performe the worke of the Lord. In the latter sence the metaphor is taken from souldiers who are wont to knit their Armour close and fast vnto them and so tye their loynes hard partly to keepe their Armour from loosing and shaking and partly to keepe their body steddy In this sence the Lord said to Iob Gird vp thy loines like a man That last phrase Like a man sheweth that hee speaketh to him as vnto a souldier whom hee would haue to stand stedfast and to hearken vnto him Here it is to be taken in this latter sence and signifieth a souldier-like girding of the loines for which purpose they who weare armour vse to haue a strong faire girdle commonly called a belt whereby they knit fast together and close vnto their middle the vpper and lower peeces of their armour as their brest-plate and their tassets and cushes These belts as they were strong so they were set with studdes being faire and large There is a double vse of them one to keepe the seuerall peeces of armour fast and close together and to hold the loines of a man firme and steddy that he might be able to stand the surer and hold out the longer The other to couer the ioints of the armour that they might not be seene The first vse was for strength the second for ornament §. 4. Wherein a girdle is resembled to truth THus truth is both an ornament to a Christian souldier and also an excellent meanes of strength to vphold him For it doth both grace and honour him before God and man and also fast holdeth together other graces of Gods Spirit especially in temptation when they are most shaken and so vpholdeth him This will more euidently appeare by the particular branches of truth before mentioned 1 What greater ornament and beauty to religion then soundnesse and euidence of truth This is the very glorie and crowne thereof all other vaine glosses as antiqui â—â—e vniuersality vnity vniformity succession consent multitude pompe reuenues c being separated from truth aâ— but as so many pearles in a blind eye which make it so much the more deformed for the more ancient vniuersall vniforme and pompous superstition idolatry or any false religion is the more odious and detestable it is but the more true and sound it is the more excellent and glorious it is So for strength what can better settle and establish the iudgement of a man then truth Great is truth and preuaileth It is like a sharpe sword in a weake mans hand which is able to pierce deepe though there bee but small strength to thrust it Truth cannot be ouercome neither is daunted with the multitude of enemies This is it which hath made Martyrs in all ages to stand to their profession vnto death and to seale it with their blood rather then start from it yea though many of them were illiterate men and weake weomen The like may be said of the other branches of truth an vpright and sincere heart maketh a man amiable before God himselfe Dauid being a man of a single heart is termed A man after Gods owne heart And Noach being an vpright man found grace in the eyes of God No eloquence or learning can so grace and commend a mans speech as truth for lying and falshood are parts of that foule and filthy communication which the Apostle condemneth The Lord hateth a lying tongue it is an abomination vnto him No outward comelinesse of body can so commend a man as plaine faithfull and honest dealing This made Nathaniel so gracious in Christs eyes but none more odious and detestable to God and man then dissembling and deceitfull persons the conscience of such maketh them to shun the light and be afraid of Gods presence as Adam So
a fast onely by way of resemblance 6 A miraculous fast is when men extraordinarily assisted by the power of God abstaine from all manner of foode longer then the nature of man is able to endure such were the fasts of Moses Eliah and Christ who fasted forty dayes together 7 An hypocriticall fast is when men without respect to any occasion of fasting appoint set times weekely or monthly or quarterly to fast Thus the Pharisies whom Christ taxeth of hypocrisie fasted twice in a weeke and â—lamed Christ because his Disciples fasted not not regarding the occasion as Christ noteth in his answer to them 8 A supersticious fast is when men place Religion and â—olinesse in the abstaining from meate making the very â—utward act of fasting to be a part of Gods worship contrary to that which the Apostle saith both of it and other like outward exercises Bodily exercise profiteth little 9 An hereticall fast is when men making difference betwixt meats for conscience sake abstaine from one kind and glut themselues with another kind and yet count this a fast So did the Manichees of old and so doe the Papists at this day This the Apostle reckoneth vp among the Doctrine of Diuels 10 A religious fast is when men seasonably abstaine from refreshing their bodies to make them fitter for religious dueties §. 101. Of the difference betwixt a religious fast and other fasts THis religious fast is the fast which is to be vsed as aâ—â— helpe to extraordinary prayer I will therefore morâ— fully vnfold the description of it and declare first hoâ— farre we must abstaine from refreshing the body 2 What is the seasonable abstinence here meant 3 What are the religious duties whereunto wee arâ— made more fit by fasting A religious fast is in these three points distinguisheâ— from all the other forenamed fasts By the first from a morall spirituall and hereticall fasâ— For a morall fast though it keepe a man from pamperinâ— and glutting his body yet it hindereth not a comfortabâ— nourishing and refreshing of it as a religious fast doâ— for the time of the fast A spirituall fast is no whit hindâ— red by the bodies sustenance if it be moderate As for tâ— hereticall fast therein it is permitted euen to glut the bâ—dy with fish sweete meats and such like delicates so fleâ— be forborne By the second from a miraculous fast which is not according to the course of nature seasonable and from an hypocriticall fast which for the occasion of it is not seasonable whereas the religious fast is both for time and occasion as we shall after heare seasonable By the third from a physicall politicke forced and superstitious fast all which haue other ends then a religious fast Obserue those things which more largely and fully shall be deliuered in explication of the three forenamed points concerning a religious Fast and compare them with the descriptions of other Fasts and the said differences betwixt a religious Fast and other Fasts will be easily discerned §. 102. Of forbearing to eate and drinke in the time of a Fast VNder this phrase of cherishing the Body is eating and drinking especially meant for thereby is the body more then by any other thing nourished and refreshed nothing so absolutely necessary thereto as food Besides the generall nature and matter of a Fast consisteth therein especially and therefore the Scripture most vsually expresseth abstinence from food when it mentioneth a fast Fast saith Ester and neither eate nor drinke Let neither man nor beast saith the King of Niniueh when he proclaimed a Fast taste any thing let them not feede nor drinke water Of Dauid it is also noted that in the day of his Fast he would not eate meate Quest May not then in the time of a religious Fast any nourishment be taken Answ To resolue this doubt respect must be had both to the continuance of a Fast and also to the persons that fast 1 There may be occasions to continue a Fast longer then the strength of man is able to endure and then so much food as may preserue nature and maintaine health and strength may and must be taken yet with these two prouisoes 1 That the food which in such a case is taken be not delicate but rather course so it be agreeable to his nature that taketh it 2 That it be not taken vnto fulnesse but rather so sparingly as the person which fasteth may feele the want of foode so as no more then needs must for the preseruation of health and strength is to be taken Such a Fast as this was that which Daniel kept for three weekes and with the forenamed prouisoes was it obserued 2 Among the persons that keepe a Fast some may be of a good strong constitution and able without weakning their bodies to abstaine from all sustenance a day or two these ought altogether to abstaine though they feele some want of foode Others are so weake as if their stomacks be cleane empty of all food they are vnfit for any good duty yea if long they continue empty they may be so weakened as hardly they will recouer their strength againe Many women when they are breeding and with child cannot leaue reatching as we speake after they rise in a morning till they haue eaten something Foure and twenty houres fasting may make many aged and sickly persons so weake as they cannot be able with comfort to performe any religious duty Such persons therefore may so farre forth refresh themselues as their neede and weakenesse require Though we haue no example of this case propounded in Scipture yet wee haue a sufficient ground for it namely that rule which both in the olde and also in the new Testament is laide downe in these words I will haue mercy and not sacrifice To Fast is not more then Sacrifice to succour the body according to the neede thereof is mercy §. 103. Of forbearing other things beside foode in a Fast 1 AS foode is most especially to be forborne in a Religious Fast being principally intended vnder this phrase of refreshing bodies so are sundry other things also â—ending thereto implied as these which follow 2 Sleepe which is intimated in the direction that the Prophet giueth in these words Lie all night in sack-cloth whereby is intended that either they should all night forbeare sleep or else that by wearing sackcloth they should be kept from ouermuch sleepe wherein they that lie in fine linnen and soft beds are prone to exceede Thus Dauid to keepe himselfe from sleepe in the time of his fast would not come into a bed but lay all night vpon the earth Though those particular rites of wearing sackcloth lying on the earth sitting vp all night with the like be not ouerstrictly to be vrged or vsed yet the equity of them is still to be obserued which is that in the