A Fruitful Treatise, Chapter 6 – Chapter 7
¶The .vi. Chapter.
HEare peraduenture some manne wyll saye, Is it vngodlye to faste at the commaundemente of manne?Fasts com…ded of the hyghe powers. What if the Magistrates cause a faste to be proclaymed? Ought it not to be obserued of theyr subiects? I aunsweare. If the hye powers at anye tyme commaundeth fastynge, so that it bee doone vntounto a godlye ende, and ryseth not of supersticion, it oughte to bee obserued of the subiectes. For wee hauehave examples hereof in the holye scryptures, whyche doo bothe sette forthe the authoritie of Magistrates in commaundynge fastynge, and also the obedyence of subiects in obseruing the same.
When the Israelytes were in greate feare and daunger of the Philistines, Samuell, which at that tyme iudged the people,i. Reg. … called all the house of Israell together, proclaymed a faste, exhorted theym vntounto prayer, wylled them to put away the straūge Goddes frome amonge theym, and wyth theyre whole hearte to tourne agayne vntounto the Lorde theyr God, and he of hys mercye wolde surelye rydde them out of the handes of the Philistines.
The people gladly obeyed Samuels commaundemente, put awaye theyr idols, confessed theyr synnes, serued the Lorde onlye, and fasted the same daye vntounto euen. And God saued them from y• hande of the Philistines all the daies of Samuell,
Kynge Iehosaphat hearingeii. Chro. xx that y• Moabits and Ammonites came with an exceadinge greate multitude against him to battel, was in greate feare, soughte for healpe at the Lordes hande, proclaimed fastinge thorowe out all Iuda, and called the people together to praye vntounto the Lorde. The people willingli obeied the kynges commaundemente. All Iuda came and stode before the Lorde wyth theyr yonge ones, theyr wyues and theyr children, to a…ke counsell of the Lorde.
They both fasted and praied vntounto the Lorde theyr God for healp agaynste theyr enemies. And the Lorde gaue theim a wonderfull and glorious victorye.
Esdras returninge vntounto Ierusalemi. Esd. viii. with the childrene of Israell proclaimed a faste and exhorted theym to call on the name of God that he mighte giuegive them a prosperous iourenye. The people obeied, fasted and prayed vntounto the Lorde theyr God, and they hadde good successe in all theyr doynges.
The kynge of the Niniuites hearynge of the mooste terrybleIona. iii. & greuous plage that was threatned vntounto them and theyr cytye by Ionas the Prophet of god, humbled hym selfe, and sent forthe a proclamacion vntounto al his people commaunding that neither man nor beaste, Oxe or shepe shulde taste anye thinge at al and that they shuld nether eat nor drinck water, but put on sackclothe both man and beast, He commaunded them also in his proclamacion to repēt, to beleue God & hys word, to turne frō theyr wicked waies, and mightly to cry vntounto God for mercy. The people did according to the kings proclamaciō, so that both y• kinge and his subiects together repenting, fastinge, beleuing, turning from their wicked waies and mightely callyng on the Lord for mercy, & forgiuenes of theyr sins, wer saued both they & their citie withal that thei had.
EstherEsther. iiii. hearinge of the proclamacyon that kynge Ahasuerus at the suttle suggestion of wycked Haman hadde sentforthe for the destruccyon of the Iewes, commaunded Mardocheus to gather together all the Iewes that were founde at Susan, and to faste for her, so that they shuld neyther eate nor dryncke by the space of three dayes and three nyghtes, but spende all that time in fastynge and prayinge.Esther. iiii Her commaundemente was fulfylled It came to passe, that God preserued the Iewes alyue, and broughte theyr ennemyes to a shamefull ende.
Thus hauehave we learened oute of the holye scryptures, that the rulers hauehave authoritie geuen thē of God to comaūd theyr subiects to fast, whenso euer anye vrgen… cause is offered, as in the tyme of battell, honger, droute, plage, pestilence. &c. and that the people are bounde by gods commaundement to obey the magistrates and their ordinaunces in al such thinges, as they tender the glory of God, the conseruacyon of the common weale, and the health of theyr owne souls.Ioel. i. This meaneth the Prophet Ioel speakinge vntounto the heads of the people on this maner: Proclaime fasting, cal y• congregacion▪ gather the elders and all the inhabytoures of the lande together into the house of the Lorde your God, and cry vntounto the Lord.Ioel. ii. &c. Againe, blow out wyth the trompet in Sion, proclaime fasting, cal the congregaciō & gather the people together.
The .vii. Chapter
FUrthermore the true and christen faste riseth either of anThe Fast that commeth of a soroweful heart. hearte contryte and sorowfull for the sinnes commytted against God, or elsse of a mynde feruentlye geuen to godlynesse. As touchinge that fast, whiche commeth frome a contryte and sorowefull hearte for the synnes commytted agaynste God, it is a worthy and noble faste in the syghte of God, and can not but hyghelye please him.Psalm. ii. For the Psalmographe sayeth, A troubled spirite is a sacrifice vntounto God, neyther dothe hee desyyse a contryte and humbled hearte. And God hym selfe sayeth by the Prophete.Esaye. lvi. Whome shall I regarde and fauoure? Euen hym that is poore, and of a lowelye and troubled spirit, and suche one as standeth in awe of my wordes. Who so euer doothe so feare God and stande in awe of hys indygnacyon and heauye displeasure, that he is loth to offende hym,Mark wel and therefore seeketh al meanes possible to please hym: and if at anye tyme thorow fraylenesse of nature hee chaunceth to offende, hee is strayghtewayes angrye wyth hym selfe, repēteth of his former misdedes, and conceiueth suche an inward sorowe in hys hearte, that hee delyteth in no worldlye thynge, neyther in meate, dryncke, apparell, rychesse, pastimes, pleasures. &c. but contynuallye soroweth for hys dysobedyente vnkyndenesse and vnkynde dysobedyence against God our heauenly father, so that the verye trouble of hys heart wyl not suffer him to eat or drynke, tyl thorow continual callyng on the name of the Lord he feeleth in hys mynde some token of Gods goodnes, grace and fauour toward hym, and is thorow faythe in Christes bloude fullye perswaded that all hys synnes are forgeuen hym, and he again receyued into fauoure, the faste of suche one is an acceptable sacryfyce vntounto God.
Of thys inwarde sorowe of the hearte dyd the fastes of manye good menne heretofore ryse, as the holye Scryptures do declare, and therefore dydde they hyghlye please God, in so muche that God graunted theym theyr requestes, and was theyr merciful and most louing lord. Examples hereof are the Israelytes, that were gathered together a… Mispha, the Niniuites, Either & her companye, Iudith wyth the citisenses of Bethulia, Achab, & diuers other, whose fasts God allowed because they proceded frō the heartes of suche as humbled them selues in his sighte, repenpented them of theyr sinnes, asked forgeuenesse, and promysed amendmente of lyfe.