A Fruitful Treatise, Chapter 1 – Chapter 5
¶The .i. Chapter.
THe true and Christen fast is frely and willinglye to abstaine not only from al kind of meates and drynckes,The diffynicyon of y• true fast. but also from all those thynges, wherein the fleshe hathe pleasure and delectacion, whiche abstinence or forbearing of meates, dryncks and other plesures, wherein the outward man deliteth, riseth either of an hearte contryte and sorowefull for the synnes commytted against god, or elsse of a minde feruentlye geuen to godlinesse.
That thys is a true diffinicion of the Christen faste,The Fast of the Fathers of y• olde lawe. it maye bee easelye proued oute of the holy… scryptures. Fyrste to whome is it vnknowen, that when the holye menne in tymes paste fasted, theyr maner was, so long as the faste continued, to abstaine from al kinde of meates and drinckes and from all pleasures wherein the fleshe deliteth, and wholye to gyue them selues (all worldelye affaires sette aparte) to godlye exercyses,Spyritual exercyses in y• tyme of Fasting. as to the heartye and vnfayened lamentynge of theyr synnes, where wyth to much vnkindelye they hadde offended theyr Lorde God, and prouoked hys fearse wrathe and vengeaunce to fall on them to feruente prayer and diligente calling on the name of God for turnyng awaye hys heauye dyspleasure from theym, and for remission of theyr synnes thorowe faith in the holy sacrifice to come of that blessed seede of the woman, which by hys one and alone oblacion they beleued, shulde reconcile mannekinde to God the father, pacifye his wrathe, and make him a mercyfull Lord… to the hearinge and readinge of goddes worde, to the com…orting of one another, to the studie of amendemente of life, to the prouisyon makynge for the poore, to the redresse of abuses in ye common weale to the planting of true godlines, and abolishing of all wicked and straunge relygion.Ioel. …. ii. Of thys maner of fastinge speaketh the Prophete when he saithe, halowe ye a fast, meaning that they whiche faste, shoulde in the tyme of theyr fasting occupy them selues in spirituall and not in worldly exercises, or elsse is it no faste before God.
¶The .ii. Chapter.
THis abstinence or forbearing of meates dyd alwayes continewe at the least one whole day withoute receiuinge of anye corporal sustenance,Iudi. xx. many times ii. or .iii, daies, as the historyes of the holye scripture teach vsus. The Israelits, whē they sawe so great a multitude of their people slain of the Beniamites in the battell, wente vp and came vntounto Bethel where the arke of the appoyntement of God was in those dayes, wepte, sate there praying before the lord, and fasted the same day vntounto euen, and offered burntoffe ringes and peace offeringes before the Lorde. Again,Reg. vii, when the Israelites gathered together a… Mizpha, lamentiug their sinnes and prayinge vntounto the Lorde for healpe againste the Philistines, they fasted the whole daye. So likewise did Dauid and thei that were with him, when they heard, that Saule and his sonnes were slaine in battell.ii. Reg, i. Nehemiah fasted two dayes together or moo. For hee saide, as it is written of hym.Esdras. i. I sate me downe and wept, and mourned certaine daies and fasted and praied before the god of heauē. We reade that Quene EstherEsther. iiii and her Maidens wyth all the Iewes that were founde at Susan, fasted thre dayes and three nightes together, and dyd neyther eate nor dryncke. Moses, Elias and Christe fasted fortye dayes aud as manye nightes wythoute receiuinge of anye corporall foode, but suche fastes are not to be practised, for asmuch as they are maruelous and past the boūdes of mens nature, and are done onlye by the vnsearcheable power and mightie worcking of God in few of his creatures. But the common manner of fastinge among the true godly was, when they did faste, to abstaine from al meate the whole daie til nighte, that they mighte the more frelye gyue theyr minde to spiritual exercises, and at night to take some refeccion moderatli yea and that with thanckes geuing. And on thys manner as some fasted but one or .ii. dayes together, so some fasted manye, euerye one as they were moued by the spirit of God, and as occasyon requyred.
We reade that the Prophete DanielDaniel. x. fasted thus thre weekes together. Hys wordes are these: I Daniel mourned for the space of thre weekes, so that I had no liste to eate breade, as for fleshe and wine there came none wythin my mouthe. No, I did not once annoynte myselfe, till the whole thre wekes were oute. The scripture testifieth, that the vertuous womā IudithIudi. viii. fasted al the daies of her lyfe, excepte the sabbothes and new moanes & the solempne dayes, that the people of Israell kepte. Likewise reade we of Anna the Daughter of Phanuell, whych departed not from the temple, but serued god with fastings and praiers night and daye.Luke. ii. On this maner did the Apo…tles after Christes ascension & many other godlye menne in the primatyue church fast, So that their custom was on that daye that they dyd fast, to eat nothing til night, but to occupy them selues about such godlye exersyes, as here to fore are mencioned.
The .iii. Chapter
ANd as the godlye menne in the tyme of theyr fasting did abstayne frome meate and drincke, so dyd they from al other thynges that myghte delyte the fleshe, and be haued them selues outwardlye accordinge to the sorowe and trouble of their hearte inwardlye. Oute of a mourning and soroweful hearte dyd spring outwarde yea and those vnfayened tokens of sorowe and mournynge. For wee hearde before, that when Daniell fasted three weekes, and prayed vntounto the Lorde hys God, although he did eate bread euerye nyghte for the comforte of hys weake body, yet he neyther eate flesh, nor dronck wyne, nor yet once anoynted hym selfe.Daniel. x. And in a nother place he saieth: I turned me vntounto God the Lorde for to praye,Daniel. ix. and to make myne intercession wyth fastyng, sakcloth and ashes.Ionas. iii. The people of Niniue, when they hearde the preachynge of Ionas, whyche threatened them and theyr cytye destruccion after fortye dayes, repented, beleued God, and proclaymed fastyng, and arayed thē selues in sackeclothe, as well the greate as the small of them. And when the tidyngs came vntounto the king of Niniue: he also arose out of his seate, & dyd his apparel of and put on sackeclothe, and sate hym downe in ashes.ii. Esd…. ix. Agayne, the chyldren of Israell (as wee reade in Esdras) when they fasted, dyd put on sackeclothe, and sprinkled earth vponupon theyr heades, knowledged theyr synnes, prayed vntounto God, and redde in the booke of the lawe of the Lord theyr God.E…ther. iii… Quene Esther also when she fasted, layed awaye her glorious apparel, and put on the garmentes that serued for syghyng and mourning. In the stede of precious ointment, she scattered ashes and donge vponupon her heade, and as for her bodye, shee hūbled it with fasting, & brought it verye lowe. Lykewyse kynge Achab, whē he was reproued of the Prophete Helyas for kyllynge Nabothe, fell to fastynge,iii. …e. xxi. and as he fasted, so dyd he putte sake cloth about hys flesh, lay in sackclothe, wente barefoote and hangyng downe hys heade.
The .iiii. Chapter.
VUhat so euer myght make to the hūblyng and taming of the flesh, that dyd the godly men vse for the moste parte in the tyme of theyr fastynge. Neyther dyd those corporal exercyses displease God, seynge they came from a cōtrite hart and troubled spirit, wholye dependynge wyth strong faith on the great mercies of God. For Dauid saith: A troubled spirit is a sacrifice to God, nether doth he despise a contryte and hūbled hart.Psalm. li. But these outward sygnes of humiliaciō God vtterly abhorreth, whē they come not from a penitent and faythful hart, and casteth them awaye as hypocrytysh and diuelish, as we read in the Prophet Esay,Esai. lviii wherfore fast we, saye the hipocrites, and thou O God seest in not? We put our liues to straightnes, and thou regardest it not. Behold, saieth God, when ye fast, your luste remayneth s…yl, for ye do no lesse vyolence to your debters. Lo, ye faste to stryfe and debate, and to smite with the fyst of wickednes. Now ye shall not faste thus, that your voice might be herd aboue. Thyncke ye thys faste pleaseth me▪ that a man shuld chastē hym selfe for a day, and to wrythe his head about like an hoope, & to lie vponupon the earth in an heary cloth? Shuld that be called fastyng, or day that pleaseth the lord: Doth not thys fastynge rather please me, that thou loose hym oute of bondage that is in thy daunger? that thou breake the othe of wicked bargaynes? that thou let the oppressed go free, and take from them all manner of burthens? to deale thy breade to the hungrye and bryng the poore wandering home into thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou couer hym, and hyde not thy face from thy neighbour, and that thou dispyse not thyne owne …eshe? (If thou thus fastest) then shall thy lyght breake forthe as the mornynge, and thy healthe flooryshe ryght shortlye, thy ryghteousnes shal go before the, and the glory of the Lorde shall embrace thee. Then if thou callest, the Lorde shal aunswer the, yf thou cryest, he shall saye, here I am, Yea yf thou layest awaye from thee thy burthens, and holdest thy fyngers, and ceacest from blasphemous talkyng, yf thou hast compassion vponupon the houngrye, and refreshest the trubled soule, then shal thy lyght spryng oute in the darknes, and thy darknes shalbe as the none day. The Lord shall euer be thy Guyde, and satysfye the desyre of thyne hearte, in the tyme of drouth, and fil thy bones wyth mary. Thou shalt be like a fresh watered garden, & lyke the thē foūtayne of water that neuer leaueth running. Againe, God saith by the prophet Io…l,Ioel. ii. turne you vntounto me wt al your hert, with fasting, weping, and mourning, teare your harts & not youre clothes. Moreouer albeit S. Paul councelleth that maryed folke should not wythdrawe them selues one from another any longe tyme,…. …ori. vii. lest Satan tempt them to incontinency and vnclennes, yet y• they myght be the more apt to fast and to pray, he woulde hauehave them sometyme to withdraw thē selues one from another. Herevnto pertayneth the sayinge of the Prophete Ioel: Blowe oute wyth the trumpet in Syon, proclayme a fasting, cal the congregacion,Ioel. ii. aud gather the people together warne the congregaciō, gather the elders, bryng the children & suckelyngs together. Let the bridgrom go forth of his chā ber, & the bryde out of her closet.
The .v. Chapter.
THus hauehave we learned out of the holye Scriptures,The true Fast. that the true and Christen fast is to abstayn not only from al kind of meates and drinkes (durynge the tyme of fastyng) but also frō al those thinges wherin the flesh hath pleasure and delectacion, & to occupy our selues in all godly and spiritual exercyses vntounto the glory of God, the comfort of our neyghbour, and the helth of our own soules.Constrained faste… please not God. But it is to be noted that thys abstinence or fast must be frely and wyllynglye done, or els canne it by no meanes please God. For what so euer commeth from an vnwilling and constrained mynde, God abhorreth, appere it neuer so godly and praise worthye before the worlde. God loueth a cherefull geuer,ii. Cori. ix. sayeth Saynte Paule. And the Psal-inographe sayeth:Psal. liii…. An offerynge of a free hearte wyl I gyue the, and prayse thy name, O Lorde because it is so cōfortable. They therefore that faste for custome sake or at the commaundemente of man onlye, and not of a good wil and fre spirit, do nether please God,Iere. xiiii. nor profit thēselues. Therfore shal that chaunce vntounto them that God threatneth by the Prophet, sayinge: When they fast I wil not heare theyr praiers.