A Reformed Catholic, Doctrine 12
The twelfth point. Of fasting.
Our consent.
Our consent may be set downe in three conclusions. I. We doe not condemne fasting, but maintain three sorts therof: to wit, a morall, ciuill, and a religious fast. The first being moral, is a practise of sobrietie or temperance, when as in the vse of meates and drinkes, the appetite is restrained, that it doe not exceede moderation. And this must be vsed of all Christians in the whole course of their liues. The second beeing ciuill, is when vponupon some particular and politicke considerations, men abstaine from certaine meates: as in this our common-wealth the Law inioynes vsus to abstaine from flesh-meat at certain seasons of the yere, for these special ends; to preserue the breed of cattell, and to maintaine the calling of the fisherman. The third, namely a religious fast, is when the duties of religion, as the exercise of prayer and humilatiō are practised in fasting. And I doe now specially intreat of this kind.
Conclus. II. We ioyne with them in the alloweance of the principall and right endes of a religious fast, and they are three. The first is, that thereby the minde may become attentiue in meditation of the duties of godlinesse to be performed. The second is, that the rebellion of the flesh may be subdued: for the flesh pampered becomes an instrument of licentiousnes. The third, and (as I take it) the cheefe ende of a religious fast is, to professe our guiltinesse, and to testifie our humiliation before God for our sinnes: and for this ende in the feast of Nineve, the very beast was made to abstaine.
Conclus. III. We yelde vntounto them, that fasting is an helpe and furtherance to the worship of God: yea & a good worke also if it be vsed in a good manner. For though fasting in it selfe being a thing indifferent, as eating and drinking are: is not to be tearmed a good worke, yet being applyed, and considered in relation to the right endes before spoken of, and practised accordingly; it is a worke allowed of God, and highly to be esteemed of all the seruants and people of God.
The difference or dissent.
Our dissent from the Church of Rome in the doctrine of fasting standes in three things. I. They appoint & prescribe set times of fasting, as necessarie to be kept: but we hould and teach that to prescribe the time of a religious fast, is in the libertie of the Church and the gouernours thereof as special occasiō shall be offered. When the disciples of Iohn asked Christ, why they and the Pharises fast often, but his disciples fasted not, he answered, Can the children of the marriage chamber mourne as long as the bridegrome is with them: but the daies will come when the bridgrome shall be taken away from them, and THEN SHALL THEY FAST. Math. 9. 15. where he giues them to vnderstand, that they must fast, as occasiōs of mourning are offered. Where also I gather, that a set time of fasting is no more to be inioyned then a set time of mourning. It was theEpist. 86. opinion of Augustine, that neither Christ Contra Psychicos.nor his Apostles, appointed any times of fasting: and Tertullian saith, that they of his time fasted of their owne accords freely, without lawe or commandement, as occasions and times serued. And Eusebius saith, that Montanus Hist. l. 5. c. 17.was the first that made laws of fasting. It is obiected, that there is a set time of fasting prescribed, Lev. 16. 29. Ans. This set and prescribed fast was commanded of God as a part of the legall worship, which had his ende in the death of Christ: therefore it doth not iustifie a set time of fasting in the new testament, where God hath left man to his owne libertie, without giuing the like commandement. It is againe alleadged, that Zacharie, 7. 5. there were set times appointed for the celebration of religious fasts vntounto the Lord, the fifth and the seauenth moneths. Ans. They were appointed vponupon occasion of the present afflictions of the Church in Babylon, and they ceased vponupon their deliuerance. The like vponupon like occasion may we appoint. It is further obiected, that some Churches of the Protestants obserue set times of fasting, Ansvv. In some Churches there be set daies and times of fasting, not vponupon necessitie or for conscience or religions sake, but for politicke or ciuill regardes: whereas in the Romish Church it is held a mortall sinne, to deferre the set time of fasting till the next day following.
Secondly we dissent from the Church of Rome touching the manner of keeping a fast. For the best learned among them allow the drinking of wine, water: electuaries, &d Navar c. 21 num. 27. that cMolan. tract. 3. c. 11.often within the compasse of their appointed fast: yea they allowe the eating of one meale on a fasting day at noon tide, and vpō a reasonable cause, one houre before: the time of fasting not yet ended. But this practiseIud. 20. 26. 2. Sam. 1. 12. indeede is absurd, & contrarie to the practise of the old testament: yea it doth frustrate the end of fasting. For the bodyly abstinence is an outward meanes and signe whereby we acknowledge our guiltines and vnworthines of any of the blessings of God. Againe they prescribe a difference of meates, as white-meat onelyonly to be vsed on their fasting daies, and that of necessity and for conscience sake in most cases. But we hold this distinction of meates both to be foolish and wicked. Foolish: because in such meats as they prescribe, there is as much filling and delight, as in any other meates; as namely in fish, fruits, wine, &c. which they permit. And its against the end of a religious fast to vse any refreshing at all; so farre as necessitie of health and comelines will permit. Thus the Church in times past vsed to abstain not onelyonly frō meat & drinke, but from all delights whatsoeuer, euen from soft apparel and sweet ointments. Ioel 2. 15.—Sanctifie a fast—: let the BRIDGROME GOE FORTH OF HIS CHAMBER, and the bride out of hir bride chamber. Dan. 10. 3. I eate no PLEASANT bread, neither came FLESH NOR VVINE within my mouth, neither did I ANNOINT my selfe at all, till three weekes of daies were fulfilled. 1. Cor. 7. 5. Defraud not one an other, EXCEPT it be with consent for a time, that ye may giuegive your selues to FASTING and praier.
Againe, we hold this practise to be wicked, because it taketh away the libertie of Christiās: by which, vntounto the pure all things are pure. And the Apostle, Gal. 5. bids vsus to standfast in this libertie, which the Church of Rome would thus abolish. For the better vnderstanding of this, let vsus consider howe the Lord himselfe hath from the beginning kept in his owne handes as a master in his owne house; the disposition of his creatures for the vse of man, that he might depend on him and his word for temporall blessings. In the first age, he appointed vntounto him for meate eueryevery hearb of the earth bearing seed, and eueryevery tree wherein there is the fruite of a tree bearing seed. Gen. 1. 18. And as for flesh, whether God gaue vntounto him libertie to eate or not to eate, we hold it vncerten. After the flood the Lord renewed his grant of the vse of the creatures, and gaue his people libertie to eat the flesh of liuing creatures: yet so as he made some things vncleane: and forbad the eating of them: among the rest,Act. 10. 6. 1. Tim. 4. the eating of blood. But since the comming of Christ he hath inlarged his word, and giuen libertie to all both Iewes & Gentiles, to eate of all kindes of flesh. This word of his, we rest vponupon; holding it a doctrine of deuills, for men to commaund an abstinence from meates, for conscience sake; which the Lord himselfe hath created to be receiued with thanksgiuing. Socrates a Christian historiographer saith, that the Apostles left it Trib. hist. lib. 9. cap. 38.free to eueryevery one to vse what kinde of meate they would on fasting daies, and other times. Spiridion in lent dressed swines flesh, and set Hist. trip. l. 1. c. 10. ….it before a stranger, eating himselfe and bidding the stranger also to eat: who refusing & professing him selfe to be a Christian, therefore (saith he) the rather must thou doe it: for to the pure all things are pure, as the word of God teacheth vsus.
But they obiect Ier. 35. where Ionadab commanded the Rechabites to abstain from wine: which commandement they obeyed, and are commended for doing well in obeying of it▪ therefore (say they) some kinde of meates may lawefully be forbidden. Ans. Ionadab gaue this commandement not in way of religion, or merit, but for other wise and politicke regardes. For he inioyned his posteritie not to drinke wine, not to build houses, not to sowe seede, or plant vineyards, or to hauehave any in possession: but to liue in tents to the ende they might be prepared to beare the calamities, that should be fall them in time to come. But the Popish abstinence from certaine meates, hath respect to conscience and religion; and therefore is of another kind, and can hauehave no warrant thence.
II. Obiect. Dan. 10. 3. Daniel beeing in heauines for three weekes of daies, abstained from flesh: and his example is our warrant. Ans. It was the manner of holy men in ancient times, when they fasted many daies together of their owne accordes freely to abstaine from sundrie things, and thus Daniel abstained from flesh. But the Popish abstinence from flesh is not free, but stands by cō mandement, and the omitting of it, is mortal sinne. Againe, if they will follow Daniell in abstaining from flesh, why doe they not also abstaine from all pleasant bread and wine: yea from ointments: and why will they eate any thing in the time of their fast; whereasTract. 3. c. 11. concil S. they cannot shew that Daniel eate any thing at all till euening. And Molanus hath noted that our ancetours abstained from wine and dainties, and that some of them ate nothing for two or three daies together.
Thirdly they alleadge the diet of Iohn Baptist: whose meate was Locusts and wild honie; and of Timothy, who abstained from wine. Ans. Their kinde of diet, and that abstinence which they vsed, was only for temperance sake; not for conscience, or, to merit any thing thereby: let them prooue the contrarie if they can.
Thirdly and lastly, we dissent from them touching certaine endes of fasting. For they make abstinence it selfe in a person fitly prepared, to be a part of the worship of God: but we take it to be a thing indifferent in it selfe: and therefore no part of Gods worship:Mark. 7. 6. and yet withall, being well vsed, we esteeme it as a proppe or furtherance of the worship, in that we are made the fitter by it to worship God. And herevpon some of the more learned sort of them say, Not the worke of fasting done, but the deuotion of the worker, is to be reputed the seruice of God. Againe, they say, that fasting in, or, with deuotion, is a worke of satisfaction to Gods iustice for the temporall punishment of our sinnes. Wherein we take they doe blasphemously derogat from Christ our Sauiour, who is the whole and perfect satisfaction for sinne; both in respect of fault and punishment. Here they alleadge the example of the Ninevites, and Achabs fasting, wherby they turned away the iudgements of God denounced against them by his Prophets. We answer, that Gods wrath was appeased towards the Ninevites not by their fasting but by faith laying holde on Gods mercy in Christ, and thereby staying his iudgement.Mat. 12. 41. Their fasting was onelyonly a signe of their repentance: their repentance a fruite and signe of their faith, whereby they beleeued the preaching of Ionas, As for Ahabs humiliatiō it is nothing to the purpose: for it was in hypocrisie: if they get any thing thereby, let thē take it to themselues. To conclude, we for our parts doe not condemne this exercise of fasting, but the abuse of it: and it were to be wished, that fasting were more vsed of all Christians in all places: considering the Lord doth daily giuegive vsus new and special occasions of publike and priuate fasting.