Selected quad for the lemma: religion_n
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A06783
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A fruitful treatise of fasting wherin is declared what ye Christen fast is, how we ought to fast, [and] what ye true vse of fastyng is. Newlye made by Thomas Becon.
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Becon, Thomas, 1512-1567.
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1551
(1551)
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STC 1722; ESTC S114404
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40,728
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146
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mynde and inwarde maÌ mai haue the purersenses to vnderstande the cleare sighte to beholde the more open eares to heare and the gredier stomacks to digest the holi misteries of god For likewise as he is no mete maÌ to pray vnto God that commeth out of the Tauern sweating and set on fire with drincking of whot wine eatiÌg of delicious meats so in like maner is he no fit man either to reade or to hear y â word of god that hath a ful gorge and stuffed belly The more the body is filled the more is the mind dulled made vnapt to receiue any message from god But albe it y â outward man decay be made feble for a tyme yet the inwarde man is renewed day by day and made strong And this meant the holy fathers godlye bishops of Christes churche in tymes paste when they appointed fastinge on the eueÌs of solempne feastes that the people by their fasting might be made the more apt the day folowing when they came to the teÌple to heare the blessed worde of theyr saluacion The holy letters do testify that when Moses receiued the law he was in the mount with God and fasted .xl. daies and .xl. nights before the taâles of the law wer deliuered vnto him where of wee maye learne howe reuerently we oughte to take the word of god auâ not to come vnto it with vnwashed fete as they vse to say And this is to be noted by y â way that as Moses fasting was fouÌd worthy to receiue the law of god so likewise when he came downe from the mount saw the people droncke and mad singinge piping dauÌciÌg leaâing he threw down the tables of y e law brake them on peces by this declaring that Epicures and belly gods be no worthy and mete vessels to receiue the new wine of gods word When the children of Israell at a certaine time came together to read the boke of the law of the Lord they fasted the whole day that they mighte reade the holye scriptures with the more reuereÌce and bee made the more mete to haue the holy ghost present with them to teache them by hys godlye inspiracion Esdras also being greatly desirous to haue certaine secretes opened vnto him was commaunded of Uriel the angel to fast vii daies first of al. Whych thing he did and had hys desyre satisfied In like manner after the Prophet Daniel had fasted and praied vnto the Lord for knowledge of certain misteries Gabriel the aungell of God came and reueled vnto him the secretes of Christes incarnatioÌ passion death c When Baruche red hys boke before the kinge and the kinges councell and before all the people they all wepte fasted prayed before the Lorde Before that oure sauyoure Christe tooke vppon hym the office of preachinge to declare vnto the people the ioyfull tidinges that he broughte frome heauen he fasted .xl. daies and .xl. nights and dyd eate nothinge at all geuinge vs example by his fasting not to faste the like fast which is impossible and aboue y e natural strengthes of ani maÌ but to come vnto the word of god thorow fasting with al reuerence humilitie whither we reade or heare it The Apostles of Christ lykewise before they vniuersally preached the kyngdom of Christ fasted and praied and as they wer fastyng and prayinge the hollye Ghoste came downe vpon them and endued them with the knowledge of al languages taught them the true vnderstandynge of Gods holy misteries To ende Cornelius being very desierous to knowe y â true and approued religioÌ before God fasted praied vnto the Lord and god graciousââ satisfied his desire The .xxiiii. Chapter TThus le we that all godlye men both of the old and new Testament vsed abstinence for the most part wheÌ they shuld eyther preach heare or read the worde of God that they myghte come the more reuerentlye vnto it and be made the more mete to handle so holye and worthye misteries It is conuenieÌt therfore y â we also if we wyll vse fastinge aright do folowe the examples of these holi men whensoeuer we entende eyther to preache reade or heare the worde or God and not vnreuerentlye to come vnto the holy scripture as vnto prophane wrightings after the example of many vngodly parsons which w t out al humilitie reuereÌce read the woorde of god as thoughe it wer an Ethnike chronicle a boke of mannes statutes of Beuise of Hampton of Gye of Warwicke of Robinhoode and suche other lyke fonde and foolyshe fansyes yea ther waÌt not the greater shal be our plage which scorn y â word of god and moste shamefullye abuse it some vnto âkoffynge and iesting some vnto the tauntinge of other some vnto y â vpholdiÌg of their fleshly liberty corrupt maÌners some vnto the maint eining of wicked opinions c. whose destruccion slepeth not whose damnacion is at hand For if it be not lawful to cast pearles before hogs nor to gyue that is holy to dogs nether is it lawful for hogges to touch pearles nor dogs to taste y â is holi If thei wer punished that did eate vnleuended bread at the feast of the passeouer if Uza wer striken vnto y â death for touching the arcke if that geast y t came vnto the maryage not hauinge the wedding garmente was bounde hand and feete and âast into vtter darcknes wher weping and gnashinge of teethe is if the Corinthes wer plaged for abusinge the lords supper let not those swinish Epicures doggish papistes Licencious Libertines vngodly Anabaptistes grosse gospellers and wicked worldlinges thincke that they shal escape vnpunished if they go forth to abuse the word of god or to come vnreuerentlye vnto it For the holye scripture is the message of god brought vnto vs from heauen by his holy Embassadoures the Prophetes Apostles yea by his own dearly be loued sonne that kinge of glory which sealed confirmed it with the sheding of his most precious blud it may not therfore be lightly regarded nor vnreuereÌtli haÌdled For if the y t despyseth Moses law saith S. Paul dieth w toute mercy vnder .ii. or .iii. wytnesses how much sorer suppose ye shal he be punished which tredeth vnder fote the son of god counteth the blud of the Testament wheâ with he was sanctifed as an vnholy thyng and doth dishonoure to the spirit of Grace That we therfore maye humbly reuereÌtly deuoâtely honorably come vnto the preachyng hearing or reading of the blessed word of God let vs not neglecte thys noble vertue of fasting but after the exaÌple of the aforesayd godly men prâpare our selues by the diligent exercise therof to be mete to handle so holye and heauenly misteries By this meanes shal it come to passe y â god which is the author of the holi scripture shal alwaye be present wyth vs