The Relics of Rome, Part 49
Of Fasting.
Aduēt fast. Lent fast.SAint Peter the Apostle of Christ, & first Pope of Rome, (as the Papistes fayne) where he lyued by the space of xxv. yeares and reygned the great and high Byshop, ordayned, that both Aduent and Lent shoulde be solemnely & deuoutly fasted of all christen people in the remembraunce of the first and seconde comming of our Lord Iesu. In the yeare of our Lord. 36. Ioā. Laziar. Chron. Angl. Durand.
Of Lent. Note.Guilihelmus Durandus sayth, that after the mind of S. Gregory de consecrat. dist. …. Lent is counted to begynne on the firste Sondaye in Lent, and to ende easter euen: whiche tyme sayth he, containeth xlii. dayes: of the which take away the sixe Sondayes, & so there remayne onelye, 36. dayes. Therefore that the number of forty dayes, whiche Christe fasted, might be perfited, the aforesayd Pope Gregory added and put to Lent foure dayes of the weeke that go before, that is to saye, Wednesday, Thursdaye, Frydaye and Saterdaye. De consecra. dist. 5. Quadragesima. Durand. in Rat. di off.
Telesphorus (as other affirme: whiche I thinke to be more true) appoynted firste of all, Lent to be fasted before Easter. And he moreouer added an other weeke to it, whiche is commonlye called Quinquagesima. This weeke he cō maunded the priestes to fast more than the laytye: bicause they, whiche ought to be holier than the reaste, shoulde in this ordinarye faste shewe more abstistinence than other. In the yere of our Lord. 139. Lib. Concil. Euseb. Sabell. Polid. D. Barnes.
In a certain Sinode holdē at Nice it was ordained, that the fasting of Lent which before endured from the sixt day of Ianuarye vntounto the sixtenth daye of February should begyn and ende, as it is now vsed. Chron. Ranulphus. Cest.
Lent first fasted in Englande.Carcombertus king of Englande was the first, that commaunded the inhabitantes of England to fast Lent, about the yeare of oure Lorde. 645. Sigeb. in Chron. Pantal.
Lent thursdayes fasted.Pope Gregory the second made a decree, that christen men should fast also on the thursdayes in Lent, which was neuer vsed afore: and that there should be solemne massing also on those daies in Churches.One Pope againste an other. But Pope Melchiades ordayned, that no man shoulde faste the Thursday, no more than the Sonday. For sayth he, as the sonday was solēne bicause of the resurrection of the Lord: so lykewise ought thursdaye to be bicause on that day Christ instituted his supper, and ascended into heauen. In the yeare of our Lord. 729. Sigebertus in Chron. Guil. Durand. Pantal.
Wednesday, Fridai & saterdaye fast…. Reasons why we ought not to fast the Sōdaies & thur…dayesPope Siluester the firste ordayned, that Wednesday, Fryday, and Saterday should be fasted eueryevery weeke thorow out the yeare. As for Sondayes & thursdayes, he woulde hauehave them be kept merely holy with double feast (as they vse to say) in holy kitchin. For on the sondaye, sayth he, t…e Lorde Iesus rose vp from death to lyfe and on the Thursday he ascended into heauen: he instituted the Sacrament of his body, and made the holy creame. In the yere of our Lord. 315. Bergom.
Pope Gregory the seuenth renewed the saterday fast and commaūded,Saterdaye faste renewed. that there should be no fleshe eaten of Christians that daye. In the yeare. &c. 1073. Plat. Volat. Nauclerus. Ioannes Stella de consec. dist. 5. ca…. Quia dies Sabathi.
Many attribute the Saterday fast to Pope Innocent, Reasons why we ought not to faste the Saterday.the firste. In the yeare. &c. 408. Grat. Sabel. Fasci. Temp. Pantal. And Pope Innocentes reason, why men should fast the saterday is this: First bicause on that daye Christ lay buried in the Sepulchre. Secondely, bicause his disciples for verye sorowe fasted that day. Lib. Concil. Chron. Chronicarum. Alb. Crantzius.
Notwithstandynge Guilihelmus Durandus, Reasons why we ought not to faste on saterdayes in Lent.saith, that Pope Innocent, made a constitution, yt the saterdaye in Lent should not be fasted, bicause the Lorde rested in the sepulchre on the saterday, …or a token of the quietnesse and reast, that we shall hereafter hauehave: wherein … in the Festiualle on this manner.The doctrine on the Festiuall dayes concerning Imbring dayes. Good frēdes, this weeke ye shall hauehave Imber dayes, that is, Wednesday, Friday, and Saterday: the which dayes Calixtus the Pope ordayned foure times in ye yeare, to all that be of conuenable age to fast for certayne causes, as ye shall heare. Our olde fathers fasted foure times in the yeare, agaynste foure high and solemne feastes: and if we will shewe vsus good children, we must fast, and folow the same rule that they vsed. And therfore we fast foure times. First in march The secōd at Whitsontyde. The third betwene haruest & seedetyme. And the fourth before Christmasse. Marche is a time that drieth vp the moysture that is in the earth. Wherefore we fast that time to drie the earth of our body of the humours that be noyous to the bodye and to the soule. For that tyme the humours of letchery tempteth a mā most of any time of the yeare. Also we do fast at Whitsontyde, to get grace of the holy Ghost, that we may be in louelove and charitie to God, and to all the worlde▪ Charitas cooperit multitudinem peccatorum Charitie couereth the multitude of sinnes. Also we must faste for to hauehave meekenesse in oure heartes, and to put awaye all pride yt renueth within vsus.i. Pe, iiii. Also we faste betwene haruest and sede time for to hauehave grace to gather frutes of good workes into the house of oure conscience, and so by ensample of good liuing among the people, that we bee common with both ryche and poore. Also we faste in winter for to slea all stinckyng weedes of sinne and of foule earth and fleshly lustes, yt maketh good Angells & good people to withdrawe them from vsus. For ryghte as a nettle brenneth roses and other flowers that growe nie him. In the same wyse a vicious man or woman styrreth and setteth on fyre them yt bene in his companye. And for these causes we faste foure times in the yeare, & eueryevery tyme three dayes, ye betokeneth three speciall vertues that helpeth a man to grace, yt is fasting, deuoute praying, and almesse dede doing.Whye they be called Imber dayes. And by opiniō of much people these daies bene called Imber daies bicause yt our elder Fathers would on these dayes eate no breade but cakes made vnderunder ashes: So yt by the eatyng of yt thei reduced into their minde that they were but ashes, and so shoulde turne agayne, and wiste not how sone: and by that tourned away from all delicious meates and drinkes and tooke none heede, but yt they had easye sustenaunce. This caused them to thynke on death, and y• wil cause a man to desire no more thā him nedeth, and to abstayne hymselfe frō al manner of bodily lusts, & to encrease in vertues, wherby we may come to euerlasting blesse.
And at a councell holden at Magonce it was decreed, yt when those Imberdayes come, they shoulde bee fasted of all people, and that they shoulde on those daies come deuoutly vntounto church and heare Masse, and geue themselues to prayer and deuotion. Libro. Concil.
Apostles euens fastedPope Innocent the thyrde made a decree, that all the Apostles euens should be fasted, excepte the euens of Phillip and Iacob and of Iohn the Euangeliste. In the yere, &c. 1195. Lib. 3. accretal. Gregorij. Cap. 2. de obseruatione ieiunij. Chron. Germani.
The same pope also appoynted, that the euen of Mathias shoulde also bee fasted as one of ye Apostles euens: and yt if the daye of Mathias be on the monday,S Mathias even faste… ye euen shall be fasted on the saterday, and not on the sonday. Ibidem.
Pope Vrban the syxt commaunded ye the euens of these feasts of our Lady,Our ladies euēs fasted yt is to say, the visitation, ye assumption & natiuitye, should be fasted. In the yere, &c. 1371. Lib. Concil. Chron. Germ.
Pope Boniface the fyrst ordayned,Saintes euens fasted ye saints euens shuld be solemnely fasted In the yeare. &c. 425.
The same ordinaunce is also ascribed to pope Gregorye ye second Chron Germa.
Pope Honorius the thirde made a decree,Fleshe eating on Christmasse day howsoeuer it falleth. yt if ye feast of ye natiuitye of Christ, chaunce to fall vponupon the Friday, yet it shall be lawful for al men to eate flesh, on that day, excepte it be suche as hauehave vowed to the contrary. In the yere, &c. 1214. Lib, 3. decret. Gregorij. de obseruatione ieiunij.
Pope Gregory the fyrst cōmaunded, yt neyther fleshe,Fleshe & al white meates forbidden ou fasting daye… nor any thyng yt hath affinitye with fleshe, as Chese, Milke, Egges, &c, shoulde bee eaten on suche dayes, as are appoynted to bee fasted. In the yeare. &c. 560. Grat. Pol. Pantale.
Fastes cō maūded by ye priestes ar to be obserued.Pope Eusebius made a lawe, yt all suche feastes as are commaunded of priests in the Church to be fasted shuld in no condition bee broken, excepte necessitie compell any man to the contrarye. In the yeare, &c. 309. Lib. Concil. Chron. Germ.
What kind of people be free frō the law of fastyng.In the festiuall we reade, that these sortes of people be priuileged and exempted from the lawe of fastyng: that is to say, Children yt bene within age. Women yt bee with childe. Olde people yt bene myghtlesse, weake, and impotente. And finally, labouryng people, as pilgrimes, and like people, those that the lawe dispenseth with, vppon theyre conscience. Dominica prima in quadragesima.
In the Councell Gangrense it was decreed, yt if any person of presumption woulde despyse to faste suche dayes as were cōmaunded of holy churche, he shuld be excommunicate and be taken of the Christen congregation as an Ethnike and Publicane. Libro. Concil. Barthol. Carrantz.
The Popes decrees affirme playnly (as Guilielmus Durandus testifyeth) that whosoeuer eateth any thyng beefore Masse bee done on suche dayes as are appoynted by holy church to be fasted, the same committeth deadly synne. In Rat. di. off, Lib. Concil.
In the Councell Braccarense it was agreed, yt al the Apostles euens shoulde be fasted, excepte the euens of these Apostles Phillip and Iacob and Iohn the Euangeliste, as we to fore heard oute of the decree of Pope Innocent ye thyrde. For the feast of Phillip and Iacob, is betwene Easter and Witsontide, which is a tyme of ioye and gladnesse, & therfore is there no fastyng, accordyng to thys old rule, Inter Pen et Pa… non est Dirige, ne que fasting day. And ye feast of …. Iohn the Euangelist is at Christmasse, whē men muste make good cheere, and bee frolyke and mery. Guilielmus. Durandus. Lib. Concil.
The Councell Chalcedonense made a decree,No meate til euensōg be done on fastyng dayes. yt they should be counted by no meanes to faste, which taste any meate or drinke, before euenyng prayer bee done. Lib. Concil.
Iacobus de Voragine in his boke entituled Historia Longobardica, sheweth a reason,Of Imbring daies Note. whye the Imberdayes bee rather fasted on the Wednisday, Friday, and Saterdaye, than on the Mondaye, Tuesday and Thursday. For saith he, the Lorde Iesus was betrayde of Iudas on the Wednisday. And on ye Fridaye he was crucified. And on the Saterday following, he lay in hys sepulchre: and the Apostles were very sadde for the death of their Lorde.