for the Thessalonians that God would sanctifie them throughout and preserue their whole spirit soule and bodie Of which place amongst many this exposition may be giuen The Apostle speaking of men regenerate and sanctified makes three parts in them bodie soule and spirit and by spirit we are to vnderstand not the conscience but the gift of regeneration and sanctification which is the whole man bodie and soule opposed to the flesh which in a naturall man is called the olde man Rom. 7. And the praier which Paul makes in the behalfe of the Thessalonians teacheth vs in effect thus much that though corruption remaine in the regenerate after regeneration yet in respect of diuine acceptation he is accounted as righteous and so continueth his sinne by the mercie of God in Christ not beeing imputed to him to condemnation And so much for that point Now these Grounds of comfort and others of the like nature may serue to sustaine and vphold the hearts of the children of God when they shall be pressed and troubled in consideration of their estate in this life which cannot till death be fully freed from much weakenes and manifold imperfections CHAP. XII Of the fift Speciall Distresse arising from a mans owne bodie THe fift and last kind of Temptation or Trouble of minde ariseth from a mans owne bodie Before I enter to speake thereof one Question in the meane time must be answered namely How the bodie beeing an earthly substance should trouble or annoie the minde considering that the minde is not bodily out spirituall for nothing can worke aboue it owne power and it is against reason that that which is bodily should either alter or trouble a spirit For answer hereunto these things must be considered Sect. 1. First of all the actions of man though they be sundrie yet they all proceede from one onely fountaine and common cause the soule and are done by the power thereof The bodie of it selfe is not an agent in any worke but as it were a dead instrument in and by which the soule produceth all actions and workes Secondly though all the actions of man come from the soule yet the most of them are such as be performed by the bodie and the parts thereof and by the spirits that are seated in the bodie as by instruments Indeede some actions of the soule and minde are done without the helpe of the bodie but I say that the most of them are wrought by the bodie and spirits therein contained And yet notwithstanding the Spirits in thēselues are no agents at all but the onely agent in any worke is the soule it selfe For example the vsing of the outward senses as of sight hearing tasting touching smelling as also of the inward as imagination memorie c. all this is done by the braine and the parts of the braine as proper instruments All affections both good and bad come from the soule but yet they are done and acted in and by meanes of the heart and vitall spirits So also the powers of life and nourishment proceede from the soule and yet they are done and wrought by the liuer and other inward parts as instruments whereby the soule nourisheth the bodie In a word there is no naturall action in man but for the effecting thereof the parts of the bodie are vsed as it were the hands and instruments of the soule and all this comes by reason of the vnion of the bodie with the soule whereby they make one person Hence it followeth that when the bodie is troubled the soule is also troubled Now the bodie affecteth and hurteth the soule and minde not by taking away or diminishing any part thereof for the soule is indivisible Nor by depriuing it of any power or facultie giuen it of God for as the soule it selfe and the parts thereof so also all the faculties of the same remaine whole and entire without abating or diminishing But by corrupting the action of the minde or more properly by corrupting the next instrument whereby the minde worketh and consequently the action it selfe This may be conceiued by a comparison A skilfull artificer in any science hauing an vnfit toole to worke withall though his skill be good and his abilitie sufficient yet his instrument wherewith he worketh being bad the worke which he doth must needes be an imperfect worke Howbeit the toole takes not away the skill of his workemanship nor his power of working onely it hinders him from shewing his skill and doing that well which otherwise he should and could doe well In like manner the bodie beeing corrupted hinders the worke of the soule not by taking away the worke of the soule or the abilitie of working but by making it to bring forth a corrupt worke because the instrument which it vseth is corrupt and faultie And thus we must conceiue of all the annoyances of the soule by the bodie The Temptation followeth The bodie causeth the trouble of minde two waies either by Melancholie or by some strange alterations in the parts of the bodie which oftentimes befall men in what sort we shall see afterwards For troubles of minde thus caused are more common and as noysome as the most of the former Sect. 2. Touching that which comes by Melancholy sundrie things are to be considered for our instruction and for the Remedie of that euill 1. And first of all if it be asked what Melancholy is I answer it is a kinde of earthie and blacke blood specially in the splene corrupted and distempered which when the splene is stopt conuaies it selfe to the heart and the braine and there partly by his corrupt substance and contagious qualitie and partly by corrupt spirits annoyeth both heart and braine beeing the seates and instruments of reason and affections 2. The second is what are the effects and operations of Melancholie Ans. They are strange and often fearefull There is no humour yea nothing in mans bodie that hath so straunge effects as this humour hath beeing once distempeted An auncient Diuine calls it the Deuills bait because the Deuill beeing well acquainted with the complexion and temperature of man by Gods iust permission conueies himselfe into this humour and worketh strange conceits It is recorded in Scripture that when the Lord tooke his good Spirit from Saul wherby he did carrie himselfe well in the gouernment of his people and an euill Spirit came vpon him he was in so fearfull a case that he would haue slaine him that was next vnto him how so surely because God in iustice withdrew his spirit from him and suffered Satan to enter into the humour of choler or melancholie or both and by this meanes caused him to offer violence to Dauid Now the effects therof in particular are of two sorts The first is in the braine and head For this humour being corrupted it sends vp noysome fumes as cloudes or mists which doe corrupt the imagination and makes the instrument of reason unfit for vnderstanding and
gold Hos. 2. 8. Yea it is noted as an argument of Gods loue to Israel by the Prophet Ioel that he sent them corne wine and oyle that they might be satiffied therewith Ioel. 2. 19. By this dutie are iustly to be reprooved the carelesse and Godlesse behauiours of sundry persons who with the swyne feed vpon the Creatures of God but neuer lift vp their eies or hands vnto him of whome and from whome they doe receiue them The verie bruit beast can teach them a better lesson For as Dauid saith The Lyons roaring after their pray doe seeke their meat from God Psal. 104. 21. Yea the heauens and the earth and all that are in them doe alwaies depend vpon his prouidence and are altogither guided and directed by him Iob. 38. And shall not man much more haue an eye vnto his Creator and wholly depend vpon him for all blessings from whom he receiues life and breath and all things Thirdly we must receiue these creatures from God our father as tokens of our reconciliation to him in Christ. So saith Saint Paul Giuing thankes alwaies for all things to God euen the father in the name of our Lord Iesus Christ. Eph. 5. 20. Thus we hold and receiue Gods blessings and he that holds and receiues them otherwise is an vsurper and not a right and lawfull possessour of them Fourthly we must learne to be content with that portion that God assigneth to vs be it neuer so small and withall labour to see the goodnes of God euen in the meanest fare that may be Our table is as it were a liuely Sermon to vs of Gods speciall providence over our bodies For first in reason dead flesh should rather kill vs then giue vs nourishment and yet by his blessing providence it continueth life and strength Againe both we and our meat are but perishing and therefore when we feede theron it may serue to stirre vs vp to seeke for the food of the soule that nourisheth to life euerlasting Ioh. 6. 27. Furthermore looke as euery creature serues for our vse euen so should we our selues consecrate our selues vnto God and serue him both with our soules and bodies as before hath beene shewed Sect. 3. The third and last point is what we are to doe and how to behaue our selues after our meat This Moses teacheth the Israelites Deut. 8. 10. When thou hast eaten and filled thy self thou shalt blesse the Lord thy god This praising or blessing of god stands in two things First in a holy remembrance that God hath giuen vs our food For beeing once filled we must take heed we forget not God who hath opened his hand and plenteously refreshed our bodies with his creatures Deut. 8. 11. Secondly we must make conscience in liew of thankfulnesse to God to employ the strength of our bodies in seeking his glorie and walking according to all his lawes and comandements Whether ye eate or drinke or whatsoeuer ye doe doe all to the glorie of God 1. Cor. 10. 31. We may not liue idlely giue our selues to riot and gaming but labour to serue God and our countrey in some profitable course of life least it be said of vs as it was once of the old Iewes that we sitte downe to eate and drinke and rise vp to play To this I adde one thing further that when we haue eaten to our contentment and something remaine care must be had to reserue it and not to cast it away For this purpose we haue the example of Christ who commandeth to gather vp the broken meate that remaineth that nothing be lost Ioh. 6. 12. The reason is because these reliques and fragments are part of the creatures yea they are as well Gods good creatures as the rest were and must be preserued to the same vse Now if these may not be abused or lost much lesse ought the gifts of the minde which are greater and farre more precious be suffered to miscarie but rather to be preserued and increased A good lesson for such as haue receiued any speciall gifts of nature or grace from God that they mispend them not or suffer them to perish but carefully maintaine them to the glorie of God and the good of others To conclude this Question we are all to be exhorted to make conscience of this dutie to vse the good blessings of God in such sort as they may alwaies tende to the honour of the giuer auoiding all excesse and riot Reasons to mooue vs hereunto may be these I. Excesse destroyes the bodie and kills euen the very naturall strength and life thereof II. It brings great hurt to the soule of man in that it annoyeth the spirits it dulleth the senses it corrupteth the naturall heate and good temper of the bodie Now these things beeing the helpes and next instruments of the soule if they be once corrupted and decaied the soule it selfe will at length be brought to the same passe III. Let this be considered that a Woe belongs vnto them that eate and drinke immoderately Esa. 5. 11. And for this very sinne the Lord led his owne people into captiuitie v. 13. Yea the drunkard and the glutton shall become poore Prov. 23. 21. And both shall equally with there pompe and excesse descend into Hell Esay 5. 14. IV. We should be willing to part from all for Christs sake much more from our excesse and shall we thinke it possible for a man to forsake all even his owne life that will not forsake excesse and intemperance in the vse of Gods creatures It will be said of some we are not drunken though we drinke much Ans. It is a policie of the Deuill to delude men withall when he perswades them that much drinking is not amisse if a man be not ouertaken therewith For it is a sinne to liue and sitte daily by the wine to be alwaies bibbing and sipping Wee know not when or where we shall die and we are commanded to watch ouer our harts that we be not ouercome with surfetting and drunkennesse What a madnesse then is it to giue over our selues to such immoderate excesse whereby we are vtterly disabled from these and all other duties of Godlinesse Sect. 3. In the Third place we come to those Questions that concerne the Moderation of our appetite in the vse of Apparell And of this kind there be two principall Questions the former of them beeing nothing else but an introduction to the latter I. Question Whether ornaments of gold siluer precious stones silkes veluets c. may not lawfully be vsed Ans. There is a lawfull vse of these things yet not in all but onely in themto whome they belong Reasons of the Answer are these I. Gold and siluer c. are the gifts of God and serue not onely for necessitie but for ornament and comelinesse II. We haue the Examples of sundrie persons in Scripture which doe warrant the vse of these creatures and blessings of God Abrahā by his Steward sends
sudden to tempt him to despaire and to the making away of himselfe III. Thirdly the partie in distresse must be taught not to rest vpon his owne iudgement but alwaies to submit himselfe and be content to be aduised by others that are men of wisdome iudgement and discretion A thing to be obserued the rather because the very neglect thereof hath caused sundrie persons to remaine vncomforted for many yeares IV. Fourthly the partie distressed must neuer heare tell of any fearefull accidents or of any that haue bin in like or worse case then himselfe is For vpon the very report the distressed conscience will fasten the accident vpon it selfe and thereby commonly will be drawne to deeper griefe or despaire The mind afflicted is prone to imagine searefull things and sometime the very bare naming of the Deuill will strike terrour and feare into it V. Fiftly the partie that is to comfort must beare with all the wants of the distressed as with their frowardnes peeuishnes rashnes and with their distempered and disordered affections and actions yea he must put vpon him as it were their persons beeing affected with their miserie and touched with compassion of their sorrowes as if they were his owne grieuing when he seeth them to grieue weeping when they doe weepe and lament VI. Sixtly he that is the comforter must not be discouraged though after long labour and paines taking there follow small comfort and ease to the partie distressed For men wil often bewray their stiffenes in temptation and vsually it is long before comfort can be receiued and why surely because God hath the greatest stroke in these distresses of minde and brings men thorough all the temptations that he hath appointed euen to the last and vtmost before he opens the heart to receiue comfort The Church in the Canticles seekes for her beloued but before shee can finde him shee goes about in the citie through the streetes and by open places passing by the Watchmen themselues and after shee hath vsed all meanes without helpe or hope at length and not before shee findes her beloued him in whom'◠her soule delighteth Thus much for the generall Remedie of all Distresses now I come to the particular Distresses themselues CHAP. VIII Of the first Speciall Distresse arising of a divine temptation THE first distresse ariseth of a divine Temptation which is a combate with God himselfe immediatly And this distresse is when the conscience speakes some feareful things of God and withall the partie distressed feeles some euident tokens of Gods wrath Sect. 1. Examples hereof we shall finde many in the word of God One is the example of righteous Iob who hauing beene long in outward afflictions was withall exercised with the apprehension of the anger of God and in that state he saith that the arrowes of the Almightie were in him that the venime thereof did drinke vp his spirit that the terrours of God did fight against him Yea further he addeth that God was his enemie and writ bitter things against him and made him to possesse the sinnes of his youth And at an other time he complaineth that Gods wrath had torne him that he hated him gnashed vpon him with his teeth and had sharpened his eyes against him yea that he had taken him by the necke and beaten him and set him as a marke for himselfe In all which and diuers other places it appeares that his conscience was exercised with the sense of the wrath of God which had now euen seazed vpon his soule Another example we haue in Dauid who also was exercised with this temptation and trouble of minde as the first words of the 6. Psalme and the whole tenour thereof doe euidently shew For first he desires the Lord not to rebuke him in his wrath and afterward complaineth that his griefe was so great that his very flesh consumed his bones were vexed and his bodie brought to such a state as no sicknesse could haue brought him vnto And it is not vnlike that the same Prophet did often fall into the like kind of distresse of minde as may be gathered out of Psalme 77. and sundrie other places Now as it fared with these and diuers other seruants of God in ancient times so are we not without some instances thereof in our daies Amongst many that worthie man Master Luther writes of himselfe that he was in this particular temptation and that he learned in it the doctrine of the Iustification of a sinner by the meere mercie of God without any merit of workes and vpon the sense and experience of the nature and properties of this distresse he wrote a notable exposition of the 6. Psalme of Dauid the scope and intent whereof he writeth to be nothing els but a soueraigne remedie of this and the like distresses of the minde and conscience Sect. 2. If it be demaunded what is the Occasion of this kind of temptation I answer that it ariseth sometimes vpon the commission of some notorious sinne which doth wound the conscience as in Cain Iudas and Saul who for their great and capitall sinnes that stinged and wounded their consciences grew to a fearefull state and consequently perished in this temptation Sometimes againe it comes when there is no sinne committed but obedience to God performed and then there cannot be rendered any reason of it either in man or out of man saue this that God will haue it so to be And the truth hereof is plaine by the examples of Iob and Dauid before mentioned Sect. 3. The Effects of this Temptation are many and very strange For outwardly it workes a change and alteration in the body as it were a burning ague and it causeth the entralls to rise the liuer to rowle in the bodie and it sets a great heat in the bones and consumes the flesh more then any sicknes can doe And that it is so as I say beside experience it is cleare in the word of God Dauid in this distresse affirmeth that his eyes were eaten as it were with wormes and sunke into his head Psal. 6. 7. that his moisture became as the drought in sommer Psal. 32. 4. and Iob saies that his skin was blacke vpon him his bones were burnt with heat yea that by meanes of this distresse he was now full of wrinkles and his leanenes did rise vpon him It is a principle which Physitians doe hold that The minde followes the temperature of the bodie and is affected according to the good or euill constitution thereof which though it be true yet withall it is as manifest on the other side that the bodie doth often follow the state and condition of the minde For a distressed heart must of necessitie make a fainting and a languishing bodie Sect. 4. But the principall thing to be sought for in this temptation is the Remediē thereof whereunto there be fiue things required which are to be practised as occasion shall be
no. If he hath it is so much the better If he hath not as vsually such persons are meere naturall men then the first dutie is to vse all meanes to stirre vp in him some godly sorrow for his sinnes to bring him to the exercises of inuocation and to some confidence in Gods mercy for pardon Secondly this beeing done meanes must be vsed to take away the opinion conceiued which will be done by giuing him information of the state of his bodie and what is the true and proper cause of the alteratioÌ„ therof This being knowne the griefe or feare conceiued will easily be staied For take away the false opinion and inform the iudgement and the whole man will be the better Thirdly the opinion beeing altered and reformed it may be the alteration in the bodie will remaine the partie therefore in that case must be taught that it is a correction of God and that God doth not barely suffer the correction to be inflicted but is the very author of it and therefore the partie is to be well pleased and to rest himselfe in that will of God For euery present estate whether it be good or badde is the best state for vs because it comes by Gods will appointment And thus much touching the distinct kindes of distresses of minde whereunto I adde this one thing further that if we make examination of the estate of persons as are troubled with any of these fiue temptations we shall not vsually find them single but mixed together especially Melancholy with terror of Conscience or some other temptations For the distraction of the mind will often breed a distemper in the body and the distemper of the bodie likewise will sometimes cause distraction of mind Again Melancholy wil ofteÌ„be an occasion though no direct cause of terror of Conscience in the same manner the conscience touched and terrified with sense of the haynousnesse of sinne and the Heauinesse of Gods wrath will bring distemper of bodie by sympathy and cause Melancholie In this Case if Question be made what is to be done I answere that for mixt distresses we must haue recourse to mixt Remedies using in the first place the best meanes for the rectifying of the minde the principall growndes whereof haue beene before deliuered and then taking the seasonable aduise of the Phisitian whose calling and seruice God hath sanctified for the cure and releefe of the bodie in case of extremitie And so much of the first Sort of Questions concerning Man simply considered in himselfe The ende of the first Booke THE SECOND AND THIRD BOOKES OF THE CASES OF CONSCIENCE CONCERNING MAN STANDING IN RELATION to God and Man Wherein are handled the Questions touching the worship of God and the practise of Christian vertue Now newly added vnto the former and carefully examined according to the Authors owne breefes and published for the common good by T. P. Bachelour of Diuinitie Rom. 14. 23. VVhatsoeuer is not of Faith is sinne ALMA MATER CANTA BRIGIA PRINTED BY IOHN LEGAT Printer to the Vniversitie of Cambridge 1606. TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE EDWARD LORD DENNIE BARON of Waltham c. RIght Honourable It vvas not vvithout speciall cause that the famous Apostle of the Gentiles entring into a serious meditation of the Calling and vvâ—…ke of the Ministerie and grovving at length to some issue of his thoughts crieth â—ut as it vvere in tearmes of Complaint And who is sufficient for these things For if â—nquirie be made into the reason of his demand thâ— Scripture shall ansvver for him That Ministers are the Angels of the Lord of Hosts the Interpreters of his vvill thâ— Salt of the earth the Light of the World And their Calling is to carrie the Embassage of Reconciliation to manifest vnto man the pleasure of the Highest to season the corrupted heart instrumentally vvith gracâ— to inlighten the darkened minde by the dispensation of sauing knovvledge as the Sunne doth the Aire by the brightnesse of his beames Novv these high Tiâ—les and greatvvorkes euidently declaring the vveight and vvorth of that Honourable Commission are not either giuen or assigned onely in respect of publike and ordinarie duties vvherein by Diuine ordinance they be made the mouth of God vnto Man by preaching and againe of Man vnto God by prayer For these are determined vpon certaine times and places vvhen and vvhere they are to be put in execution according to the laudable Constitutions and Canons of particular Churches But in a further regard as they haue receiued from God the Tongue of the Learned and are indued vvith knovvledge and abilitie to informe the Consciences of men touching euery action vvhether personall appertaining to particular states or relatiue emploied in the vvorshippe of God and practise of Christian vertues A gift as no lesse necessarie so of a farre larger extent then the other and consequently performable vvithout limitation of time or place in season out of season vvhensoeuer the minde requireth resolution in Case of doubt or Comfort in distresse The light of this candle is therefore erected vp on high and set in open viâ—vv that it may communicate it selfe not to all in grosse but to euery one in person The Lords Interpreter in this sense is to dispense his vvill in euery place time to the poore vvidovv of Sarepâ—a at her ovvne home to the Noble â—…uch of Ethiopia in his trauell to Dauid that he may be dravvne to Confession of his sinne to Peter for his restoring after his fall to the vveake that they may be supported to the strong that they may stand to thâ— VVauering minde for resolution to the Troubled soule for comfort and releefe Hence it is apparent that this Messenger of God must be as Paul saith a complete man in euery respect armed and well appointed vvith necessaries appertaining for all purposes to the honour of his Lord and the credit of his Calling He should be not onely a learned Text-man mightie in the Scriptures a positiue Diuine established in the truth a man prouided ad oppositum to vvithstand and conâ—… the Aduersarie but a skilfull Casâ—ist readie at all assaies vpon good grounds of knovvledge and obseruation to giue a Rule to yeelde a Reason to speake a vvord in time to him that is vvearie VVhich last propertie to omit the rest beeing so essential as it is to the Calling and condition of a Minister yea of that importance as heretofore I haue declared to your Lordsâ— it seemeth strange at least in my poore conceit that among so many graue and learned discourses published by vvay of Definition and Disputation in matter of Religion â—evv or none haue beene framed and conâ—riued to this purpose that in this florishing estate both of our Church and Commonvvealth none haue emploied their indeauours in the vnfolding and displaying of this Subiect yea vvhereas they of the Popish Church haue beene so plentifull or rather lauish in their Summes Manuels
pray and heare the word cheerefully when their stomacks are emptie These persons may eate in the day of a solemne fast so that they obserue the caueats before remembred It is not with vs in these countries as it was with the Iews They could fast one two or three daies together without any inconvenience we cannot doe the like And the reason is plaine Men that liue in those hotte countries haue colde stomackes and so may fast the longer but in colder climates such as ours is in respect of theirs men beeing of hotter stomackes are not able to continue fasting so long as they Sect. 3. The third point is concerning the Right endes of a religious fast and they are foure The first is to subdue the flesh that is to bring the body and so the bodily lusts into subiection to the will and word of God By eating and drinking the body is made heauie the heart oppressed the senses dull and the whole man vnfit for the duties of humiliation praier and hearing of the word Luk. 21. 24. That therfore this vnfitnesse may be taken away not onely the body it selfe but the vnruely lusts of the flesh are to be mortified and subdued by this exercise of fasting The second end is to stirre vp our deuotion and to confirme the attention of our mindes in hearing and in praier To this purpose in the Scripture fasting and prayer are for the most part if not alwaies ioyned togither because when the stomacke is full the body and minde are lesse able to doe any good dutie and contrariwise when abstinence is vsed the heart is lighter the affections in better order the whole man more quicke and liuely in the seruice of God For this very cause Anna is saide to worshippe God night and day with fasting and praier Luk. 2. 37. And the intent of the Holy Ghost there is to commend her for the feruencie of her praier which shee testified in that by such exercises shee stirred vp and increased the attention of her minde The third ende is to testifie the humilitie and contrition of our hearts that is to say our inward sorrow and griefe for sinne and our repentance and effectuall turning vnto God Without this ende the fast is but a vaine ceremonie And therefore the Prophet Ioel calls vpon the people to turne vnto the Lord with all their hearts with fasting weeping and mourning to rent their hearts and not their garments c. Ioel 2. 12 13. The Prophet Esay in like manner reprooveth the Iewes because when they fasted they would afflict their soules for a day and how downe their heads as a buâ—rush and lie downe in sackcloath and ashes But made no conscience to turne from their euill waies Esay 58. 5 6. Therefore their outward humiliation was but hypocrisie The fourth end of a fast is to admonish vs of our guiltines before the Lord and to put vs in mind of the acknowledgement of our sinnes wherby we become vnworthy of any blessing gift or mercie yea vnworthy to goe vpon the ground to breath in the aire to eate drinke sleepe or inioy any other benefit In a word that we haue deserued by our sinnes all the plagues and punishments threatued in the Law against sinners The Malefactor in the day of Assises cannot giue greater testimonie of the true confession of his guiltines then by comming before the Iudge with the rope about his neck neither can we bring a more notable signe of our true humiliation before God then by comming before him in the day of the solemne fast with open confession and Proclamation of our guiltinesse both of sinne and punishment Hence it was that in the fast of Nineueh not onely men but euen the beasts were forbidden to feede or drinke water for this very end that the Niuevites might acknowledge their sinnes to be so great and heinous in the sight of God that in regard therof not onely the reasonable creatures themselues but also the beasts of the field for their sakes were vnworthy of life and nourishment III. Question Whether Popish Fasts be lawfull and approoued of God Ans. They are wicked and therefore neither approoued of God nor to be obserued by man and that for three speciall causes First the patrons maintainers of them doe appoint set times of fasting which are necessarily to be kept vpon paine of mortall sinne And abstinence from flesh with them is made a matter of conscience Now to prescribe set times necessarily to be obserued is contrarie to that libertie which the Church of God and the gouernours thereof haue for this purpose onely vpon speciall occasion When the question was mooued to our Saviour by Iohns Disciples Why they and the Pharises fasted often whereas his fasted not Answer was giuen in this manner Can the children of the marriage chamber mourne as long as the bridegrome is with them But the daies will come when the bridegrome shall be taken away from them and then shall they fast Mat. 9. 15. From whence we may gather that times of fasting must be according to the times of mourning For Christ giues them to vnderstand that they were to fast as occasions of mourning were offered As therefore there can be appointed no set time for mourning no more can there be enioyned a set time for fasting but must be left to the libertie of the Church to be prescribed as God shall giue occasion Againe the Apostle reprooueth the Church of Galatia for obseruing set daies and moneths times and yeares in way of Religion Gal. 4. 10. Montanus the Hereticke is thought in Ecclesiasticall stories to haue beene the first that made lawes for set-fasting And the Churches of God in ancienter times fasted of their own accords freely not inforced by law or commandement but as time and occasion serued It is alleadged that this doctrine seemes to chalenge the Church of England of Heresie for it appointeth and obserueth set times of fast Ans. Nothing lesse For our Church inioyneth and approoueth these times not vpoÌ„ necessity or for religions sake but for ciuill and politicke respects whereas the Romish church holds it a mortal sinne to put off a set fast appointed so much as till the next day following The second reason They of the Church of Rome make a distinction of meates For they wholly forbid flesh to be eaten vpon daies of fast and allow whit-meates onely then to be vsed and that of necessitie Now this difference of meates is partly impious partly absurd and foolish Impious it is because they make it for Religions sake For since the coÌ„ming of Christ there is a libertie giuen to all men whatsoeuer to eate of all kindes of meates without any distinction commanding abstinence froÌ„ nothing which God hath created to be receiued with thanksgiuing It is true indeede we hold a difference betweene meate and meate but how not in way of religion but in regard of temperance health for ciuill and politike
distinctly to be obserued I. That in our eating we practise Iustice. Salomon saith The bread of deceit that is gotten by vnlawfull meanes is sweet vnto a man but afterward his mouth shall be filled with gravell Prov. 20. 17. And Paul giues a rule to the Church of Thessalonica that euery man should eate his owne bread that is the bread which is procured and deserued by his owne iust and honest labour 〈◊〉 Thess. 3. 2. This first thing serues to checke a number of men that liue in the daily practise of iniustice by spending their goods in good fellowship at Tauernes and â—ipling houses neglecting in the meane while the maintenance of their own charge by following their honest labour and by this meanes doe euen robbe their families of their due and right II. That we may eate to the Lord we must practise Loue Charitie in our eating How is that First we must giue offence to no man whatsoeuer It is good saith Paul neither to eate flesh nor to drinke wine nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth is offended or made weake Rom. 14. 21. Secondly in our eating we must haue respect of the poore Thus Nehemiah exhorteth the Iewes that were mourning for their sinnes to be chearefull to eate of the fat and drinke the sweete and send part vnto them for whome none was prepared that is to them that were poore Nehem. 8. 10. And the Prophet Amos inueigheth against some of the Princes of Israel who drunke wine in bowles and annointed themselues with the chiefe ointments and were not sorrie for the affliction of Ioseph that is did not releeue the poore brethren that were led captiue and wanted foode and maintenance Amos 6. 6. III. We must vse our meate in Sobrietie Sobrietie is a gift of God whereby we keepe a holy moderation in the vse of our diet Prov. 23. 1 2. When thou sit test to eate c. consider diligently what is set before thee and put the knife to thy throat that is be very carefull and circumspect in taking thy foode bridle thine appetite take heede thou doest not exceede measure If it be asked what Rule of moderation is to be obserued of all whether they be men or women young or old I answer First one mans particular example must not be a rule of direction to all In the East countries we read that men haue liued and doe yet liue a great time with a little for example with parched corne and a cake Now this example of theirs is no rule to vs that liue in these parts For their country is hotter then ours and therefore lesse might serue them then vs we are hot within and so our appetite is the more strong Againe in eating we may not iudge or condemne him that eateth more or lesse then we our selues because his eating is no rule to vs in this case Secondly a mans owne appetite is not to be made a rule of eating for others For a maÌ„ must not eate so long as his stomacke craues meate least he fal into the sinne of gluttonie Rom. 13. 13. And this sinne is noted by our Sauiour Christ to haue beene in the old world in the daies of Noah Mat. 24. 38. wheÌ„ they gaue themselues to eating and drinking like the brute beasts for so the word signifies If then neither example nor appetite may rule our eating what be the right rules of Christian moderation in this behalfe Ans. That we may not exceede measure we must keepe or serues within these limits First our food must not goe beyond the condition place abilitie and maintenance that God hath giuen vs. Iohn the Baptist being in the wildernesse contented himselfe with very meane fare agreable both to the manner of that countrey and to his owne calling and condition of life His meate was locusts and wild hony Mat. 3. 4. Secondly it must be framed to the order and difference of time place Against this Rule the rich glutton offended who fared deliciously euery day without any difference of time or place Luk. 16. Salomon pronounceth a woe to that Land whose Princes eate in the morning Eccl. 10. 16. S. Paul notes it a fauit in a Minister to be giuen to wine 1. Tim. 3. 3. that is a coÌ„mon tipler one that loues to sit by the wine morning euening day by day Thirdly euery man must eat and drinke so much as may serue to maintain the strength of his nature of his bodie and mind yea so much as may serue to vphold the strength of grace in him Salomon the King of Israel would haue all Princes to eate in time for strength and not for drunkennes Eccl. 10. 17. Esay notes it as a iudgement of God vpon men when they vse feasting and mirth and haue not grace to consider the workes of God Esay 5. 12. Our Sauiour would haue all men so to eate and drinke that they may be the fitter to watch and pray Luk. 21. 34. 36. And the Apostle Paul exhorteth men not to be drunke with wine wherein is excesse but to be filled with the Holy Ghost Eph. 5. 18. His meaning is that men ought so to eate and drinke that their bodies mindes and senses may not be made thereby more heauie but rather more lightsome and able to performe their duties to God and man For if they so eat as that thereby they be hindred in this behalfe they are guiltie of excesse and riot which is greatly displeasing to God and offensiue to men This rule serueth to admonish somepersons who as the Prouerb is are good forenoone-men but bad afternoonemen because in the morning they be sober but for the most part ouer come with drinke after dinner IV. Euery man must eate his meat in Godlines This is indeed to eat vnto the Lord and it may be done by obseruation of these rules First by taking heed of the abuse of any creature appointed for foode by Intemperance This abuse holy Iob suspected in his sonnes while they were a feasting and therefore he sent day by day and sanctified them and offered vp burnt offerings vnto God according to the number of them all Iob. 1. 5. Secondly by receiuing the creatures as from the hand of God himselfe For this very end did God by expresse word giue vnto Adam euery hearth bearing seede which was vpon the earth and euery tree wherein was the fruit of a tree bearing seed for his meat that he might receiue it as God had giuen it vnto him from his owne hand Gen. 1. 29. Thus Moses said vnto the Israelites touching Manna This is the bread which the Lord hath giuen you to eate Exod. 16. 15. This Dauid acknowledged saying Thou giuest it them they gather it thou openest thy hand and they are filled Psal. 104. 28. and 145. 15. The Lord vpbraideth Israel with this fault by the Prophet Hosea She did not acknowledge that I gaue her corne and wine and oyle and multiplyed her siluer and